BusinessMirror July 20, 2021 by BusinessMirror

Firms’ tax perks cost govt ₧481.7B in ’19

AX perks to favored firms have cost the government P481.7 billion in foregone revenues in 2019 alone, a year before the passage of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) law. W hile this is 7.13 percent lower than P518.7 billion in tax perks given by the government in 2018 through various investment promotion agencies (IPAs) and through fiscal incentives g ranted to cooperat ives, t he Department of Finance (DOF) still considers this a substantial amount. The DOF-Domestic Finance Group (DFG) reported to Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III that more than half or 58.8 percent of the total comprised

incentives for value-added tax, accounting for P283.45 billion. This was followed by income tax incentives that made up almost a third or P149.28 billion of the total. Other forms of incentives extended by the government in 2019 were exemptions from customs duties, P47.59 billion (9.88 percent), and the percentage tax incentive availed by cooperatives, P1.38 billion (0.29 percent). Finance Assistant Secretary Ma. Teresa Habitan of the DFG said at a recent DOF executive comm it tee meet ing t hat t he income tax incentives include income tax holiday (ITH), accounting for P68.4 billion (14.2 percent); the special income tax rate for IPA-registered enterprises, accounting for P66.41 billion

(13.8 percent); and the income tax incentives for cooperatives accounting for P14.47 billion (3 percent). The DOF study covered 11,431 enterprises that filed their tax returns, of which 5,749 were IPAregistered firms and 5,682 were cooperatives. Of the 11,431 enterprises, 7,454 or 57.5 percent were granted income tax perks, Habitan said. More than half or 4,371 of those that availed themselves of income tax incentives were cooperatives while the remaining 3,083 were IPA-registered companies. The manufacturing sector took the lion’s share of total tax incentives at P321.3 billion (66.7 percent), followed by services and en-

ergy sectors at P114.8 billion (23.83 percent) and incentives at P26.36 billion (5.47 percent), respectively.

Agriculture, fisheries

TAX perks for the other sectors, such as agriculture and fisheries, amounted to P19.24 billion or 3.99 percent of the total tax expenditures for 2019, Habitan said. Cooperatives received a total of P32.2 billion worth of tax incentives in 2019, she said, with majority of these being service cooperatives in the banking and financing industries. These foregone revenues from tax incentives were based on the perks granted to registered enterprises before the enactment of the CREATE law. Continued on A2

GROWTH PROJECTIONS

n Tuesday, July 20, 2021 Vol. 16 No. 279

P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 18 pages |

IN EXPORTS IN ’21, ’22 UP

FISHERMEN in Zapote, Las Piñas City, bring their boats to safety early Monday morning, July 19, 2021, in preparation for weather disturbance Fabian, which has intensified into a severe tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near the center, according to the weather bureau. NONIE REYES

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

CONOMIC managers on Monday upgraded the growth projections for goods exports this year and for services exports in 2022 while affirming the assumptions on the country’s GDP growth for this year until 2024.

Goods exports are now seen by the Cabinet-level Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) to rise by 10 percent this year from its previous projection of 8 percent, “following an expected recovery in external demand.” Meanwhile, the growth of service exports in 2022 was revised upward to 7 percent from its old projection of 6 percent as it expects travel and BPO receipts to improve with the gradual reopening of the economy. As Covid-19 cases in the coun-

try are declining since the peak in April this year and the economy is in gradual reopening mode with more targeted granular lockdowns, the DBCC kept unchanged its growth targets of 6 to 7 percent this year, 7 to 9 percent in 2022, and 6 to 7 percent in 2023 and 2024. To support this outlook, the DBCC said it will continue to back the gradual and safe reopening of the economy subject to the strictest compliance with minimum public health standards. See “Growth,” A2

Millennials, top foreign tourists in PHL By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo

@akosistellaBM Special to the BusinessMirror

ILLENNIALS make up most of the inbound tourists of the Philippines, aligning with the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) promotions program, which recently has been focusing on social-media campaigns. In an online presser on Monday,

DOT OIC-Director for Tourism Development Planning, Research and Research Management Warner Andrada said the average age of foreign tourists in the country last year was 36.69, citing arrival/departure cards of the Bureau of Immigration. In its annual visitor sample survey, the DOT also found out that 69.3 percent of foreign tourists in 2020 were “repeat visitors,” and the rest were first-time visitors. Also

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 50.2030

96.4 percent of those surveyed last year made “independent travel arrangements,” and only 3.6 percent used package tours. As per the BI arrival/departure cards, Andrada also reported that 54.11 percent of last year’s visitors came here for holiday/leisure, 2.61 percent for business trips, and 1.08 percent for health/medical purposes. He failed to give comparative 2019 findings.

Jose C. Clemente III, president of Rajah Tours Philippines told the BusinessMirror, he disagreed with some of DOT’s findings. “We still get our fair share of tourists. Millennials have lower budgets so they find it expensive to go through agents. So they probably do direct bookings thinking they will be able to save. I’d like to see how they [DOT] extracted that finding.” Continued on A2

HOUSE PANEL ASKS DOF TO TWEAK BIR RULE THAT IS HURTING EXPORTERS By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

HE House Committee on Ways and Means is now working on the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Department of Finance (DOF) to address stakeholder concerns on Revenue Regulation (RR) 9-2021, which imposes a 12-percent VAT subject to refund on local inputs for exported goods. House Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Salceda of Albay said a revised RR is expected to be issued on July 21 as exporters decried the issuance of the RR, a rule that they said could “cripple industry.” “I am already working with the BIR and the Revenue Operations Group of the DOF to ad-

dress concerns. The spirit and the letter of CREATE [Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act] is to encourage exporters to use local materials to support local businesses. That’s straightforward. So, at the bare minimum, that rule has to be applied, instead of imposing the 12-percent VAT on all local inputs,” Salceda said. On July 21, Salceda said his committee will lead a briefing between affected stakeholders, concerned agencies, and the Department of Finance and the BIR, who will present their proposed clarifying RR. RR 9-2021 imposed 12-percent VAT on certain transactions that were previously taxed at 0 percent. Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4563 n UK 69.1346 n HK 6.4629 n CHINA 7.7490 n SINGAPORE 37.0174 n AUSTRALIA 37.1251 n EU 59.2897 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.3853

Source: BSP (July 19, 2021)

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Tuesday, July 20, 2021

DepEd releases ₧3.7B as MOOE boost vs Covid risks By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco | Correspondent

Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla said the funds that were released will be cascaded to 16 Regional Offices, 213 Division Offices, and 44,851 public schools nationwide. The additional funding will go to reinforcing implementation of the

new normal set-up and minimum health requirements. “Para po ito sa mga binibili nating supplies para po sa ating teaching and non-teaching personnel na pumapasok ay mayroon ding karagdagang proteksyon. Kahit po wala ang mga bata at hindi

sila pumasok sa eskwelahan ay gumagana at nag-ooperate pa rin po ang ating mga eskwelahan [This fund is for the supplies that we are buying for our teaching and non-teaching personnel who are reporting for duty to give them protection. Our schools are still operating even our students are not personally going to schools],” Sevilla said. For her part, Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones described the pandemic as a “continuous” challenge in delivering quality education. “We have to implement enabling fiscal policies to keep supporting our stakeholders in the field. We have to fight for it and we have to be conscious all of the time because we know that we have that kind of a challenge at hand,” Briones said. In preparation for the next school year, the MOOE will augment funding for the protection of teaching and non-teaching personnel against Covid-19 while

Growth…

implementation of the prevent, detect, isolate, treat, and recover strategy, along with the full vaccination of residents in high-risk areas. An accelerated vaccination rollout coupled with relaxation of quarantine restrictions in high-risk areas will also allow more businesses to operate and consumers to par-

ticipate in socioeconomic activities, the DBCC said. “With these actions, the DBCC is optimistic that the country’s GDP may return to its pre-pandemic levels as early as 2022. The DBCC will review the GDP growth projections after the release of the Q2 GDP in August,” it said. In terms of the government’s

HE Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday said that it has released around P3.7 billion as an additional funding for the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) to all public schools nationwide to strengthen measures in responding to the risks of Covid-19.

Continued from A1

Building consumer and business confidence, improving health systems capacity, and preventing transmissions of the Delta variant are also hinged on the intensified

in service. The additional MOOE is to support DepEd Memorandum 39, s. 2020, issued on March 12, 2020, authorizing the use of regular allocations for MOOE and local funds to implement measures in preparing for and responding to the Covid-19 threats. It also supports DepEd Order (DO) 11, s. 2020 or the Revised Guidelines on Alternative Work Arrangements in the Department of Education during the period of the state of national emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic issued on June 15, 2020. Lastly, the additional fund will be allocated to strengthen DO 14, s. 2020 or the guidelines for the required health standards in the basic education offices and schools issued on June 25, 2020. According to Sevilla, DepEd has already released the MOOE to its field units early June and the Department is looking forward to seeing this funding utilized.

medium-term fiscal program, the DBCC also kept its revenue projections at P2.88 trillion for 2021 (14.5 percent of GDP), P3.29 trillion for 2022 (14.9 percent of GDP), P3.59 trillion for 2023 (14.8 percent of GDP), and P4.0 trillion for 2024 (15.1 percent of GDP). On the other hand, estimates for disbursements this year and 2022 were also kept at P4.74 trillion (23.9 percent of GDP) and P4.95 trillion while the DBCC downgraded its disbursement projection for 2023 and 2024 to P5.02 trillion (20.7 percent of GDP) in 2023 and P5.3 trillion (19.9 percent of GDP) in 2024 due to the revised projections for the National Tax Allotment. In its meeting last May, the DBCC estimated disbursements in 2023 to reach P5.11 trillion in 2023 and P5.4 trillion in 2024. On infrastructure program disbursement for 2022, the DBCC now expects it to increase to P1.29 trillion or 5.8 percent of GDP from the original estimate of P1.25 trillion. Given the updated NTA projections and the block grant to Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the DBCC also upgraded its outlook on infrastructure program disbursement to P1.28 trillion or 5.3 percent of GDP in 2023 from its previous projection of P1.26 trillion. In 2024, the DBCC revised its projection upward to P1.35 trillion or 5.1 percent of GDP from its original estimate of P1.32 trillion. According to DBCC, the infrastructure program will average 5.4 percent of GDP over the next three years. The DBCC now sees the country’s budget deficit settling at 9.3 percent of GDP. This will then go down to 7.5 percent in 2022, 5.9 percent in 2023, and 4.9 percent in 2024. “This fiscal consolidation strategy will continuously be adopted by the government to ensure fiscal sustainability over the mediumterm and to bring back the country’s deficit to pre-pandemic levels,” it said. In the same meeting, the DBCC also approved the expenditure ceiling of the 2022 National Expenditure Program (NEP) of P5.024 trillion, higher by 11.5 percent than the 2021 NEP. “The proposed 2022 national budget will continue to invest in building the country’s resilience amidst the pandemic by prioritizing funding for Covid-19 response measures, such as health care development and social services, while also ramping up economic growth through investments in public infrastructure,” it said.

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HOUSE PANEL ASKS DOF TO TWEAK BIR RULE THAT IS HURTING EXPORTERS Continued from A1

The RR took effect on June 27, 2021, or 15 days after its issuance on June 12. RR 9-2021 was issued pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 10963 or the Tax Reform and Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN) (Sections 106(A)(2) (a) and 108(B) of the Tax Code of 1997, as amended) which provide that certain transactions previously considered zero-rated shall be subject to 12-percent VAT upon satisfaction of two conditions: (1) The successful establishment and implementation of an enhanced VAT refund system, and that (2) All pending VAT refund claims as of December 31, 2017 shall be fully paid in cash by Decemeber 31, 2019. However, Section 5 of Rule 18 of the recently signed Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for fiscal incentives under the CREATE law provides that VAT zero-rating on local purchases of registered business enterprises (RBEs) may still apply provided such locally purchased goods and services are directly and exclusively used in the registered project or activity of the RBE during the period of registration of the registered project/activity of the enterprise.

De minimis system

MEANWHILE, Salceda said he is suggesting a de minimis system for refunds and audits, where applications for refunds below a certain threshold can be granted with fewer administrative procedures. “So that we don’t try to run after even the smallest claims. It’s just not worth the time. It’s also clear this RR will result in added administrative burdens and costs, not to mention potentially stranded input VAT, and small businesses who may qualify under my proposed de minimis scheme do not have the resources for these costs,” Salceda said. He said a de minimis system will unburden small exporters who are less likely to have the resources to comply with lengthy administrative procedures. “This practice is in parallel with Section 423 of the CMTA [Customs Modernization and Tariff Act], which provides that “no duties and taxes shall be collected on goods with freight onboard or free carrier value of P10,000.00 or below,” he added. “The summary and consequence of RR 9-2021 is that the sale of goods or properties by local suppliers to exporters is now subject to 12-percent VAT,” Salceda said.

Firms’ tax perks cost govt ₧481.7B in ’19 Continued from A1

The CREATE law, which took effect on April 11 this year, paved the way for the rationalization of the grant and administration of incentives in a bid to ensure that the perks received by registered enterprises are benefiting the economy. Touted as the largest fiscal stimulus for firms in recent history, the DOF said the law will provide P1 trillion worth of tax relief over the next 10 years. The law also cut the regular CIT rate by 10 percentage points, from 30 to 20 percent, for domestic corporations with a taxable income of P5 million and below, and with total assets of not more than P100 million. All other domestic corporations will benefit from an immediate reduction of the CIT rate from 30 percent to 25 percent. Foreign corporations currently paying the regular rate will also enjoy a reduced 25-percent CIT rate.

Corporate taxpayers whose gross sales or receipts do not exceed the VAT-exempt threshold of P3 million and are subject to the 3-percent percentage tax will only pay 1 percent instead from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023. On the long-overdue fiscal incentives reform, CREATE proposes more flexibility in the grant of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, which will be critical as the country competes for high-value investments from overseas now and in the postpandemic era. Under CREATE, a Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) will be formulated every three years to identify priority projects or activities that will receive the new set of generous incentives. These are projects and activities offering quality jobs and technology transfer, and introducing new industries that would allow the economy to flourish. Bernadette D. Nicolas

Millennials, top foreign tourists in PHL Continued from A1

The Covid-19 pandemic cut the momentum of tourism growth in the country, with inbound arrivals falling by 82 percent, a far cry from the DOT’s 9.2-million target for 2020. Inbound receipts were 83 percent lower at P82.24 billion, significantly off the targeted P661 billion for 2020.

Investments continue

MEANWHILE, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported in the same briefing that investments in the tourism sector, as expressed by the gross fixed capital formation (GFCF), slumped by 28.8 percent to some P431 billion in 2020. This is a turnaround from the 10-percent increase in tourism investments in 2019 to P605.2 billion. The sector, however, accounted for a slightly higher contribution to total investments in the country at 11.3 percent, compared to 10.7 percent in 2019. But overall, the average growth rate of these investments in the tourism sector from

2012 to 2020 slipped slightly to 14.2 percent, versus the 19.3-percent average growth rate from 2012 to 2019, prior to the pandemic. Tourism GFCF represents total government and private investments in the sector. Based on the recent pronouncements of many international hospitality groups such as Radisson, Accor, RedDoorz, and the like, investments of their local partners have been continuing as they expand their respective footprints in the country. Earlier, the PSA announced that Covid-19 had drastically cut the performance of the tourism sector, with the Tourism Direct Gross Value Added (TDGVA) shriveling by 61.2 percent in 2020. This was the largest reduction in TDGVA recorded in the agency’s Philippine Tourism Satellite Accounts. (See, “PSA: Worst performance for tourism, courtesy of Covid,” in the BusinessMirror, July 17, 2021.)

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Duterte ‘plan’ to run as VP in ’22 draws mixed reactions By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

& Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

OLLOW ING President Duterte’s disclosure that he intends to run as vice president in the May 2022 elections, some House members reminded the Chief Executive that the 1987 Constitution does not provide an incumbent vice president any immunity from suit. House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate and Bayan Muna Chairman Neri Colmenares issued the statement after President Duterte announced his plan for the vice presidential post in “order to escape accountability.” They called President Duterte’s opinion on immunity legally insane and his reason for “running shameless.” “His [Duterte] statement is a false self-assurance just to pander himself and his allies. He knows that no such immunity is given to a vice president —he is aware of this truism just like he knows then in 2016 while campaigning for the presidency that he will not really jetski himself to the Spratlys,” said Zarate, a Davao-based party-list lawmaker. “Just as I said before, a vice president is not immune from suit. Remember VP [Jejomar] Binay was sued before for alleged graft. He is impeachable but not immune from suit. Even the President, under the Rome Statute of the ICC [International Criminal Court] is not immune from suit,” said Zarate. Last Sunday, state-owned media reported that at least 24 provincial governors supported PDP-Laban’s resolution urging President Duterte to run for vice president in next year’s elections. For his part, Colmenares said “President Duterte’s declaration to run for the vice presidency in order to escape imprisonment after his term ends is shameless and legally insane.” “Worse, not only is his running for vice president a violation of the Constitution, but a vice president is not even assured of immunity from suit. A person can only be President of the Philippines once and President Duterte cannot do indirectly what he is prohibited from doing directly,” he added. While the 1973 Constitution during martial law expressly provided that the President and his subordinates are immune from suit, Colmenares said this immunity was dropped in the 1987 Constitution, saying “there is even no presidential immunity under the 1987 Constitution.” Calling it a “blatant greed for pow-

er,” Bayan Muna also criticized the reported Duterte-Duterte tandem being pushed by the administration for the 2022 national and local elections. The group said the tandem is not merely a “political dynasty but also a clear intent to establish a monarchy.” Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite criticized the Hugpong ng Pagbabago for its alleged circumvention of the law when its spokesperson Anthony del Rosario said that should President Duterte and her daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte indeed run and win the two highest position in the government next year, this still cannot be considered as political dynasty. Gaite said the law clearly prohibits the President to aspire a top executive position after his term ends, and the law also prohibits political dynasties. “The Duterte family would be brazenly violating several provisions of the Philippine Constitution if they push for this Duterte-Duterte tandem. Obviously, this family is willing to throw away our Constitution in the trash just to remain in power. Is this the kind of leadership that we want? Pamumunong walang respeto sa Saligang Batas, pamumunong ganid sa kapangyarihan?” Gaite added. 1Sambayan Convener Atty. Howard Calleja earlier said that the Filipino people will reject the Duterte-Duterte tandem in 2022 presidential elections because this is clearly an insult to the Filipinos. “We feel that this is an insult to the Filipino people; and we feel that whatever happens, we trust the Filipino people will see this as a selfish move—nothing to the benefit of the people, but only to perpetuate power to one family,” Calleja said.

Just ‘teasing’

MEANWHILE, administration Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III sought to play down Monday brewing a Palace-triggered controversy, saying President Duterte was “just teasing” in divulging plans to run for vice president, an option seen to allow Duterte to dodge prosecution at the end of his term. The senator said President Duterte was simply gauging the public pulse, as well as the reaction of the legal community to find out who are smart and who are not. Pimentel pointed out that the President, being a lawyer and long time city fiscal, would know there is no provision in the Constitution granting the vice president immunity from suit. According to Pimentel, while Duterte is not likely to waste time reading the entire PDP-Laban party constitution, he affirmed that “the President reads the Constitution.”

Quality teacher education, training should start in TEIs–Gatchalian

HILE in-service training can help the teachers with their professional development, Sen. Win Gatchalian maintained that aspiring teachers should start receiving quality education and training from teacher education institutions (TEIs) during their pre-service training. Reforming the teacher education system was one of the proposals put forth by the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture when it recognized the crisis in the education sector as early as 2020. Gatchalian added that while recognizing and declaring a crisis was the easy part following our learners’ poor performance in international large-scale assessments,themostimportantthingto do is to pursue and implement reforms immediately to lift us out of the crisis. Gatchalian pointed out that most of the graduates of TEIs in the country have been performing poorly in the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET). From 2010 to 2019, only 35 percent passed the LET for the secondary level, while only 28 percent passed

for the elementary level. Readiness to teach the K to 12 curriculum is another challenge, Gatchalian pointed out. A 2016 report by the World Bank and Australian Aid showed that except for English elementary teachers, the average elementary or high-school teacher could correctly answer fewer than half of questions on subject content tests. To improve the quality of teacher education and training in the country, Senate Bill 2152, or the Teacher Education Excellence Act, which Gatchalian sponsored, seeks to empower the Teacher Education Council (TEC) and make it a responsive coordinatingbodyamongtheDepartmentof Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). Strengthening the coordination between these three agencies will align pre-service and in-service education to improve the quality of teachers and improve the quality of education in elementary and secondary schools, Gatchalian explained. Butch Fernandez

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Tuesday, July 20, 2021 A3

Govt sets freeze of NDF assets after ‘terrorist organization’ tag

By Joel R. San Juan

@jrsanjuan1573

HE Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) has designated the National Democratic Front (NDF), also known as the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), as a “terrorist organization.”

In a five-page resolution, the ATC through its chair Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, said the NDF’s designation as a terrorist group was based on “verified and validated information as well as testimonial and documentary evidence” that the group has “committed, or attempting to commit, or conspire in the commission of the acts defined and penalized under Sections 7, 10, and 12 of the ATA [Anti-Terrorism Act].” The ATC also accused the NDF/ NDFP members of continuously luring or recruiting people to join the New People’s Army (NPA). It also noted that the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) admitted through its media releases and documents that the NDF/NDFP has a direct and indispensable role in its armed operations. The CPP-NPA was previously designated also as a terrorist organization. “The CPP/NPA continues to launch attacks, victimizing innocent civilians and destroying billions worth of public and private properties,” the ATC said. The link of the NDF with the CPP-NPA, according to the ATC, was bolstered by CPP founder Jose Maria Sison’s admission that it is an allied organization of the CPP-NPA in his message for the NDF’s 48th anniversary in April 2021. The ATC also noted that Sison’s

wife, Juliet de Lima-Sison, who was recently named as the interim chairperson of the NDF negotiating panel, claimed in January 2021 that the CPP-NPA-NDF is not subject to the authority of the government as CPP-NPA belong to the NDFP. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported that at least 1,506 terrorist activities have been committed by the NPA beginning 2010, including the abduction of 544 children who were forced and/or deceived to become child warriors— 304 of them boys and 240 girls. The ATC claimed that the CPP posted an article on the NDF web site urging the latter to continue wage campaigns to support its armed operations in the form of material and financial contributions. It noted that in the 2016 CPP constitution, the communist terrorist threat is organized into three major components, the CPP, NPA and the NDF/NDFP. The NDF/NDFP is also considered as the core and most consolidated group that provides support to the armed and organizational expansion of the CPP/NPA. “The principal effect of designation by the ATC is the freezing of bank accounts and other financial assets of the designated person/entity, not immediate arrest,” Justice Secretary and ATC member

Menardo Guevarra said.

Zambales court clears 2 Aeta ‘terrorists’ THE Regional Trial Court of Olongapo City has dismissed the criminal complaint for violation Section 4 (a) of RA 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 filed against two Aetas last year. In a nine-page order, the Olongapo RTC Branch 97 presided by Judge Melani Pay Tadili held that the government prosecutors failed to present sufficient evidence to establish the guilt of accused Japer Gurung and Junior Ramos. It granted the motion for demurrer to evidence filed by the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) anchored on the failure of the prosecution to establish the identities of the accused as members of the New People’s Army who figured in a gunfight with Army soldiers in August last year. Judge Tadili also directed the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to immediately release Gurung and Ramos from jail unless they are being lawfully held in custody for any reason. “After a careful examination of the records, the Court holds that the prosecution failed to discharge the burden of proving the identities of the accused as the perpetrators of the crime of violation of Section 4 of RA 11479. Thus, the case for violation of this law against the accused must be dismissed,” the trial court ruled. Gurung and Ramos were accused of being members of the communistled New People’s Army (NPA) as they were caught while going down the mountain in Sitio Lumibao, Barangay Buhawen, San Marcelino, Zambales where an encounter between a group of NPA members and the military took place. The Aetas, however, claimed

that were merely evacuating from the area due to intense military operations and continued bombings in their ancestral lands. They were accosted by elements of the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army last August 21, 2020. The prosecution claimed that Gurung and Ramos were positively identified as the perpetrators of the crime based on an eyewitness account. It noted that 2Lt Fritz Entoma and 2Lt Ian Dominic Oran saw the two during the gunfight and that they knew their names and facial features because of profiling of suspects. But the trial court pointed out that based on its perusal of the sworn statements of the two Army officers would show that no declaration was made that they saw the accused during the gunfight. “If they did see the accused, they could have easily said so in their sworn statements as they did in their judicial affidavits. They could have provided the accused distinct features, such as skin color, height and hair type, and also their clothes’ color that would set them apart from the other armed persons. They could not just referred them as NPA members,” the Court stressed. A nother “ blatant inconsistency” noted by the Court is the declaration of Entoma and Oran that they were able to recognize Gurung and Ramos because they were shown pictures of the accused in a briefing before the operation, but in their sworn statements, they made no mention of being shown pictures of the two. The testimony of Entoma and Oran were also contradicted by the testimony of another junior officer, who told the court that no pictures of the accused, as well as videos, were shown to the soldiers during the pre-operational briefing.

ADMU study highlights administration’s ‘failures’ to deliver campaign promises By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

RESIDENT Duterte may have failed to deliver on his promises to end crime, corruption, and illegal drugs, according to a study released by the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU). In an Ateneo School of Government (ASOG) working paper, titled “National Security, Anti-Corruption, and Anti-Crime Policies in the Duterte Administration,” former Education Secretary Edilberto de Jesus said the President fell short of his campaign promises because he approached these issues as mainly law-enforcement problems. Moreover, de Jesus pointed out in a separate interview with ASOG that the administration also “seriously underestimated” the difficulty of achieving the promises and pursued policies and practices that made it more difficult to accomplish. “Fortunately, I do not have to make the assessment myself. President Duterte has accepted the fact that he has not done very well in this area. He has admitted that he is not going to be able to fulfill his promises,” de Jesus said. “There was a tendency to overestimate the capacity of the government to achieve his [Duterte’s] promises and to underestimate the challenges that he would have to overcome in order to make good on his promises,” de Jesus added. For instance, de Jesus said, the President “overestimated, exaggerated, hyped up” the scale and gravity

Fortunately, I do not have to make the assessment myself. President Duterte has accepted the fact that he has not done very well in this area. He has admitted that he is not going to be able to fulfill his promises.

Former Education Secretary Edilberto de Jesus of the drug problem in the country. “Strategies that could be effective to control drugs within a city were difficult to implement on a national basis,” de Jesus said. Despite lessons of failure of the war on drugs strategy in other countries like Mexico, Colombia and Thailand, he said, President Duterte pushed through with it and even continued to pursue this approach even after admitting that it had failed. “It was a winning campaign move. Ang kasamaang palad naman, iyong policy ay napatunayang hindi angkop doon sa problema ng droga. So, our problem is that, the government took drugs as mainly a law-enforcement issue, when the experts are telling us that this is also a public health issue and an economic issue,” de Jesus said. In 2018, the President noted that the problem of drugs would not end during his term. A year later, he said his policemen are at the brink of surrendering. On top of this, “weaknesses” in the Philippine National Police

(PNP) have been exposed as issues of abuse and corruption prompted more responsible leaders in the PNP to call for more reforms in the organization and a recalibration of anti-drugs campaign. He also argued that the Duterte administration also failed to sustain its rankings in the country’s corruption perception, ease of doing business and global competitiveness. The presidential approach taken by Duterte “weakened proven guard-rails against corruption,” de Jesus said, adding that like previous presidents, the Chief Executive from Davao City appointed government officials within his KKK or Kamaganak, Kaklase, Ka-probinsya. De Jesus also claimed that “no investigation or charges followed from the sacking” of officials and many were recycled and reappointed to other positions in government. Instead of fostering transparency, President Duterte “restored secrecy in government” by refusing to disclose his Statements of

Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), he said. “The [Duterte] family’s SALN for 2018 and subsequent years have not been disclosed, despite Freedom of Information requests for their release.... New rules issued by [Ombudsman] Martires in September 2020 made SALN requests for ‘lifestyle checks’ subject to the approval of an Ombudsman lawyer-evaluator. The new rules appeared designed to shroud rather than unveil official SALN records,” he said. Despite the issuance of Executive Order 2 or the Freedom of Information Order, de Jesus said that the early attempt to push for greater freedom of information in government appeared to be a case of ningas kugon. On the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), de Jesus said it was not among the campaign promises of the President but the public still expected him to defend the country from China after stating in a debate that he would. “But the Arbitral Award, almost universally acclaimed by the electorate, was won by the Aquino government and the opposition campaign understandably wanted to avoid giving attention to an issue that favored the administration and, therefore, its chosen candidate,” de Jesus said. He then lamented the government’s lack of strategy in addressing the national security issue in the WPS and that the government’s pandemic response further complicates the issue.

A4 Tuesday, July 20, 2021 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

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IPOPHL and DOST tie up seeks to boost patent use in agri R&D By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @TyronePiad

HE Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) are teaming up to further boost the use of patent information on research and technology (R&D) advancements in agriculture and natural resources. In a news statement issued on Monday, the IP agency said that its unit, IP Business Services and Development Division (IPBSDD), is providing training on patent search

and patent mining. Such initiative is aimed at supporting 17 state universities and colleges and research and development institutions in conducting studies regarding farm and fishery commodities. These are identified in the priority research and development programs of the DOST’s Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD). The participants include Cavite State University for its research about coffee; Bohol Island State University, rice; Bataan Peninsula University,

Mango, Central Mindanao University, swine; Caraga State University, Cacao; DOST-Forest Products Research and Development Institute, bamboo; Ifugao State University, banana; Isabela State University, goat; Laguna State Polytechnic University, aqua feeds; and Nueva Vizcaya State University, citrus. The other chosen researchers are Philippine Carabao Center for dairy cattle; Pampanga State Agricultural University, milkfish; Samar State University, crabs; University of the Philippines Visayas, shrimp; University of Southern Mindanao,

rubber; Western Mindanao State University, native chicken; and Western Philippines University, seaweeds/sea cucumber. “The use of patent information to gain insight on the advancement of technologies concerning particular fields of interest has been part of IPOPHL’s mission of making IP useful for the masses in concrete and tangible aspects made possible through technology and knowledge transfer,” IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba said. “This patent mining project is one example of making IP work in the real world.”

The ongoing collaboration between the IPOPHL and DOST is the second of its kind that promotes the use of patent information in research and development. The same project back in 2017 to 2019 resulted in 12 private label rights on abaca, bamboo, banana, crab, goat, livestock feed resources, mango, milkfish, natural rubber, rice, shrimp, and swine. “The IPOPHL’s collaboration with PCAARRD is in the hopes of bringing awareness on patent information as an important resource for developing research projects or funding strate-

gies in various technological clusters even in agriculture” Barba added. IPOPHL aims to return to the prepandemic level of IP applications this year, banking on filings from micro, small and medium enterprises. Last year, IP applications went down, which Barba attributed to prolonged locked down measures not only in Metro Manila but in other major areas as well. Trademark applications fell by 10 percent to 35,724 while patents shrunk by 9 percent to 3,648. Utility models filings plunged by 45 percent to 1,235; industrial design, 23 percent, 1,259; copyright, 44 percent, 940.

Govt pressed to assert stand on ‘harmful’ fisheries subsidies Duterte leads inauguration of new C. Luzon expressway By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

OOD security group Tugon Kabuhayan on Monday backed the call of the Philippine delegation to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to continue hearing cases of “harmful subsidies,” even if such fishing operation occurred in so-called disputed waters. In a news statement, the group said environmentally harmful subsidies should be prohibited in all waters. “Otherwise all a country needs to do is to create a ‘dispute’ to get out of the coverage of the prohibition,” the group added. In a recent virtual WTO ministerial meeting, top officials of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) have enjoined their fellow agriculture and trade ministers to hasten negotiations to finalize new disciplines that will eliminate subsidies which contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, overfished stocks, and overcapacity and overfishing. “The Philippines stands together with other WTO member-countries

who are committed to deliver an outcome in the fisheries subsidy negotiations ahead of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference [MC12] in December this year,” said Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez. Secretary William Dar of DA, for his part, said, “the current draft text of the agreement contains a carveout that if a prohibited subsidy occurs in disputed waters, it will not be addressed by a WTO panel, as this will provide a loophole for countries involved in maritime disputes to be exempted from the disciplines.” The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines fisheries subsidies as “government actions or inactions that are specific to the fisheries industry and that modifies —by increasing or decreasing—the potential profits by the industry in the short, medium or long term.” Based on the latest data from United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the depleting fish stocks can worsen poverty and endanger coastal communities that rely on fishing. The UN agency said one-third of the global fish stocks were overfished, an increase from 10 percent in 1970 and 27 percent in 2000. The WTO noted that negotiations

on the matter have been ongoing for about two decades already. One of the “thorniest issues” it must resolve concerns the setting provision of special and differential treatment to developing and least developed countries, while ensuring sustainability of the oceans. Moreover, Tugon Kabuhayan also recalled that the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14.6 states that “by 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, and eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and refrain from introducing new such subsidies.” The group said it could be recalled that in March, 237 Chinese vessels were found swarming Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef) with their presence continuing into May. The National Task Force-West Philippine Sea said the vessels are about 60 meters in length and can each carry an estimated 240,000 kilos of fish. In May, Tugon Kabuhayan convener and former Bureau of Fish and Agricultural Resources National Director Asis Perez warned that the catch of the sighted fishing vessels was estimated to reach at least

54,984 metric tons of fish, which already amounted the Philippines’s loss of at least P3.5 billion worth of marine catch. Moreover, the group said these vessels are committing IUU fishing in our waters and they were able to do it despite being not economically viable because these Chinese fishing vessels are recipients of massive Chinese government subsidy. It also said that a 60-meter fishing vessel would require at least 5,000 to 10,000 liters of fuel to operate daily, at least 35 officers and men to operate, and huge maintenance and depreciation cost as each vessel can easily be over $10 million each. Based on the country’s fishing industry experience, the group said the daily cost to maintain and operate a vessel this size is around P500,000 daily or around $10,000. “This means that these vessels should be able to catch around 10 metric tons of tuna or around 12-14 tons of round scad [galunggong] just to get into a break-even. It is impossible for these 237 vessels to catch enough fish to even cover their basic daily cost to operate as well as maintenance and depreciation, if not for the huge subsidy that they enjoy,” added Tugon Kabuhayan.

What’s hot for us these days? (other than the temperature)

By Henry J. Schumacher

HERE are quite a number of issues that bother us these days. I have selected a few, assuming that they are not only keeping me “alive,” but you too.

When will the third vaccination with the Biontech vaccine come—and how does it work?

NEW data show that a third vaccination substantially increases protection against the coronavirus. This would be possible even now. However, detailed questions are still unanswered. Biontech and Pfizer have announced that they will be submitting data for a booster vaccination with their Covid vaccine to the regulatory authorities in the next few weeks. At the same time, they also want to test a vaccine tailored to the Delta variant in clinical tests. The answers to the most important questions about the third dose of vaccination: Will a third vaccination be necessary in any case? That has not yet been fully clari-

fied. But there is increasing evidence that such a booster vaccination or vaccination with a modified Covid vaccine could be of great advantage to strengthen people’s immunity, especially against new variants of the Covid pathogen—such as the Delta variant. It also seems conceivable that such booster vaccinations would initially be concentrated primarily on people at increased risk.

for ways to increase and develop a diverse work force. They will develop, implement, and monitor enterprise-wide programs that promote the hiring of employees with varied cultural and educational experiences. They will also be responsible for developing and incorporating inclusion initiatives, such as organization-wide diversity training and multicultural events.

Will larger companies/ organizations need Chief Diversity Officers?

Biden’s anti-trust executive order is a wake-up call for tech industry and big tech companies

THE chief diversity officer develops, implements, and monitors enterprise-wide programs that promote the hiring of employees with diverse cultural and educational experiences. The success of any business is dependent, first and foremost, on its employees. No matter how advanced and sophisticated the deployed technology may be in your enterprise, technology’s primary purpose is still to serve as a catalyst for increased employee productivity. The talent and experience each employee brings to an enterprise, and the enterprise’s ability to tap that talent, is what will ultimately determine success. This simple fact is why successful enterprises of all sizes embrace and encourage the development of a diverse work force. Diversity can generate solutions to problems that reflect different perspectives, different levels of experience, and, most important, different thinking. Stagnant thinking leads to a lack of innovation, which leads to inertia, which leads to enterprise irrelevance. Work force diversity will help avert that potential death spiral. In many cases, enterprises will look to hire a chief diversity officer—a specialist who will search

OBSERVERS react to the president’s call to action on surveillance, data accumulation, “big tech platforms” and establishing rules against unfair competition on internet marketplaces. The EO details actions to be taken against “big tech,” including greater scrutiny of mergers, encouraging the establishment of rules on surveillance and the accumulation of data, and also requesting the establishment of rules barring unfair methods of competition on internet marketplaces. An increase in anti-trust activities on tech companies will primarily impact B2C-focused companies like Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Google. In general, tech vendors that sell to businesses are not going to be the target of these activities.

What makes managers and entrepreneurs successful after the pandemic?

THE rules of the game in companies changed during the pandemic. Ego managers have had their day. Anyone who wants to get ahead now needs other qualities, like being more approachable, more skeptical and clearer: • The corona pandemic has triggered profound changes in compa-

nies or accelerated them. Managers need to learn to be successful in this new environment. • Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson has inspired corporations like Google with her leadership concepts. She pleads for “brutal honesty” between bosses and their employees.

Outdated or missing analytics won’t do in today’s data driven world

WHY? Your customers can’t access their data the way they want to. Reports take too long to create and share. And they consume valuable IT resources with maintenance and custom requests. Without an effective analytics solution, your company and your customers will struggle to capitalize on collected data. And without that data, they can’t generate insights through visuals and self-service or efficiently create reports. Even more so, your company loses out on providing distinguishable value in your application that sets your business apart from your competitors. Luckily, we have solutions for business and product leaders who are looking to create more value in their application with their data. You and your staff will learn how delivering an integrated analytics experience optimizes data analysis and reporting for higher customer satisfaction. You’ll also see how investing in analytics for your application is essential to your ability to innovate, drive market diff erentiation, generate new sales opportunities, and increase your return on investment (ROI). There are certainly many other issues that bother us but let’s start looking at those I have selected. Your feedback would be of great of interest; contact me at hjschumacher59@gmail.com

PRESIDENT Duterte and Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar huddle during the launch of the first 18-kilometer portion of the Central Luzon Link Expressway on Thursday, July 15, 2021. PHOTO COURTESY OF DPWH

OTORISTS will now be able to use the first 18-kilometer portion of the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEx) from SCTEx/TPLEx connection in Tarlac City up to the intersection of Aliaga-Guimba Road in Aliaga, Nueva Ecija. President Duterte, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark A. Villar, Sen. Bong Go, and Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa led on Thursday, July 15, 2021, the inauguration ceremony of the four lane toll-free expressway project connecting the provinces of Tarlac and Nueva Ecija. The initial part of CLLEx that will be opened are the following sections covered by three contract packages: 4.10-kilometer Tarlac Section, 6.40-kilometer Rio Chico River Bridge Section, including the 1.5-kilometer Rio Chico Viaduct, and Aliaga Section with up and down ramps at Guimba-Aliaga Road. The new highway project was implemented by DPW H Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) spearheaded by Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain and Project Director Benjamin A. Bautista of

UPMO Roads Management Cluster 1 (Bilateral), who worked double time to deliver the completion of the project. CLLEx is among the key infrastructure projects with funding assistance from the Government of Japan through Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) in support of the Build, Build, Build (BBB) program. The entire 30-kilometer expressway project is expected to shorten the usual travel time of 70 minutes between Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City to just 20 minutes. More than just scenic views experienced while you drive and visit the stunning places in Central Luzon, this new highway will help ensure Philippine sustainability and development by addressing barriers in distance and mobility. The BBB program continues to deliver its promise of creating infrastructure that improves the lives of Filipinos amid the Covid-19 pandemic and other challenges. While BBB program continued to make progress, it is also setting up the foundation in terms of infrastructure for the next generation, a DPWH news statement said.

Review on tollways policy to allow PUV access pushed

OVE As One Coalition, a group of transport groups and advocates, is asking the Department of Transportation (DOTr) the revision of a policy on tollways to allow public transport vehicles to use expressways. In a letter addressed to Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, the coalition said the policy that allows tollways operators to bar public-utility vehicles (PUV) from using tollways is “inconsistent” with its principle of prioritizing the interest of the general public. The coalition claimed that private vehicles have exclusive use of tollways, and buses and trucks were “not allowed” to use the road. “We request a revision of this policy so that public transport vehicles—i.e., buses, trucks, minibuses, jeepneys— are permitted to use tollways as paying customers,” Move As One said. It cited sections of the National

Transport Policy that highlights the priority for mass transportation over private transport in the “use of road space and all legal easements to ensure accessibility, convenience, reliability, safety, security and fare competitiveness.” “Therefore, the current practice of some tollway operators of restricting tollway access to private motor vehicles goes against stated government policy. It also delivers negative outcomes for our economy and society: it worsens traffic congestion and increases air pollution and carbon emissions by encouraging greater private motor vehicle use; it discriminates against the vast majority of Filipinos who are users of public transport; and it restricts the efficiency and productivity of the economy by preventing public transport, freight, and logistics firms from benefiting from major transport infrastructure,” Move As One said. Lorenz S. Marasigan

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DOLE extends job contract for Metro contact tracers By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has allocated an additional P200-million fund to extend the employment of 5,700 contact tracers currently deployed in Metro Manila. In an online news briefing on Monday, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said the allocation of the new funding was made upon the request of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for the extension and retention of contact tracers in the face of the Covid-19 delta variant threat, which is currently wreaking havoc in Indonesia and Malaysia. Both agencies requested for the extension of the program by another three months. Bello, however, said they only have the budget to prolong the program by only two more months. The contact tracers were hired under DOLE’s Tulong Panghanap-

buhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/ Displaced Workers ( T UPA D), which provides informal sector and marginalized workers with emergency employment. Last April, DOLE tapped its TUPAD funds to help in the government’s contact tracing efforts. The hiring for the program started last April and the employment of its beneficiaries should only have lasted for 90 days. The government is currently ramping up its contact tracing efforts especially after the more infectious delta variant, which causes Covid-19. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said there are currently 35 confirmed cases of the delta variant in the country. Of the said cases, three have already died. One of them was a 58-year-old female from the City of Manila. The local government unit of Manila is currently tracking down the people who had close contact with the said fatality.

Vico Sotto signals Pasig mayoral reelection bid in 2022 elections By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

HREE months before the filing of Certificates of Candidacy for the 2022 National and Local Elections, Pasig City Mayor Victor Ma. Regis Nubla “Vico” Sotto has expressed his desire to seek reelection. Although he haven’t formally announced it yet, Sotto confirmed in a television interview, that he will run again next year to sustain the “gains” of the city. “Sa totoo lang, limited ang nagawa namin [Truth is, our accomplishment remains on limited scale],”Sotto said in Filipino, adding that the pandemic affected some of the projects like pushing for universal health care in the city. Sotto, a Political Science graduate from Ateneo de Manila University, recalled that when he started as a

PASIG Mayor Vico Sotto PHOTO BY BERNARD TESTA

mayor, he was focused on “cleaning” the city, referring to the political system in the city. “Grabe ’yung pinagdaraanan namin dito. ’Yung nililinis namin dito. Hindi rin naman siya biro, talagang

DENR’s Cimatu leads CCAM-DRR pre-Sona event at PICC in Pasay City By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

ALL it President Duterte’s “last hurrah” before he steps down from the Palace on June 30, 2022. A week before the event, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has been tasked to lead a Cabinet Cluster tasked to outline the gains and the thrusts to be carried out into the post Covid-19 era. This will be President Duterte’s last State of the Nation Address (Sona) before he steps down to give way for the transition of power in Malacañang. As the head of the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation, and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR), the DENR will be reporting on the government’s accomplishments in building resilient and sustainable communities and, at the time, of the coronavirus crisis during the pre-Sona forum slated for July 22. With the theme, “Pamanang Katatagan,” the forum is one of the five pre-Sona forums leading up to the anticipated sixth and final Sona of President Duterte on July 26. CCAM-DRR Cluster Chairman and Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu will present the updates on the government’s programs on climate risk management, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable development programs for the past five years, while co-chair Defense

Secretary Delfin Lorenzana will present the cluster’s priority thrusts for 2021 and 2022. The report will likewise cite the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s pursuit of the Risk Resiliency Program, which prioritizes climate-vulnerable provinces such as Sarangani, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Bukidnon, North Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat. For its part, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will report on the progress of its “OneDA” reform agenda, which aims to modernize the Philippine agricultural and fishery sectors. Hosted by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), the “Pamanang Katatagan” forum will be held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City. It will also be streamed live in compliance with the health and safety protocols by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to prevent the spread of Covid-19. “Concrete, measurable and sustainable accomplishments that have been nurtured, build on for the last five years and will steer us even into the post-Covid-19 era will be certainly the hallmarks of this forum,” Cimatu said in a news statement. The DENR chief added that under the Duterte administration, “the character of governance in addressing environment and sustainable development has changed dramatically.” “Pamanang Katatagan” is the fi-

nal installment of the five pre-Sona forums staged under the umbrella theme “Pamanang Pagbabago: The 2021 pre-Sona Forums.” The Economic Development and Infrastructure Clusters, chaired by the Department of Finance, held its pre-Sona forum last April 26, titled “Sulong Pilipinas 2021: Partners for Progress.” The Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster held its “Pamanang Malasakit” forum at the PICC on July 14; Participatory Governance Cluster (Pamanang Pagkakaisa) on July 16 at the Bai Hotel in Mandaue City, Cebu; and the Security, Justice and Peace Cluster (Pamanang Kaligtasan at Kapayapaan) on July 21 at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Commissioned Officers’ Club at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

350 allowed to attend Sona

AT least 350 fully vaccinated participants, including lawmakers and former and current government officials are expected to attend the final Sona of President Duterte on July 26, Monday at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City. House Secretary-General Mark Llandro Mendoza, in an interview, said former presidents, vice presidents, speakers and other important persons are invited on Monday. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo already confirmed her attendance. According to Mendoza, strict health protocols and security guidelines will be implemented on Monday at the opening of the third and last

Philippine Red Cross gets ₧4.5 million worth of equipment from Canadian counterpart

HE Canadian Red Cross (CRC), through the Philippines Development Project, locally known as CA-ANAK, has donated on Tuesday P4.5 million worth of equipment to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to boost its disaster risk reduction, health, and first-aid program. “The Philippines, not just the Philippine Red Cross, is fortunate to have friends from the Canadian Red Cross. The fruits of the CA-ANAK Project would surely prepare our countrymen in times of disasters and health emergencies,” said PRC Chairman and CEO, Sen. Richard J. Gordon during the official handover cer-

emony held at the PRC Tower in Mandaluyong City. The PRC received a brandnew Hot Meals Truck together w ith three high-end satellite phones, water resc ue equ ip ment, a nd 20 sets of C hi ldFriendly Space tool kits. T he P4.5 million worth of equipment is part of the more than P110-million grant by CRC for the five-year project. The CAANAK project started to prepare communities to the risks brought by Supertyphoon Yolanda. “ It i s i mpor t a nt t h at ou r commu nit ies a re prepa red, just li ke Red Cross, d apat A lways Fi rst, A lways R eady,

Tuesday, July 20, 2021 A5

a n d A l w a y s T h e r e ,” G o r don said adding that the e q u i p m e nt h a n d o v e r i s t h e cu lmination of a f ive-year par tnership, star ting in 2017, bet ween PRC and its Canadian counter par t to prov ide a disaster r isk reduction, hea lth, and first-aid program to PRC Nationa l Headquarters and selected chapters. It is a long-ter m develop ment project w ith the ultimate goa l of reduc i ng hea lt h a nd disaster r isks w ithin the communit y, he said. Among the beneficiaries include the PRC chapters within Capiz, Antique and Aklan. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

regular session in the morning and Sona in the afternoon. “We carefully choose who may attend the Sona and we and the PSG [Presidential Security Group] require that they should be fully vaccinated,” he said. Mendoza said mandatory RTPCR testing will be conducted for those who will enter the plenary hall, while antigen test for those other attendees and staff entering the Batasang Pambansa but assigned outside the plenary hall. “The IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force] eased the protocols so we will allow 30 percent capacity of the plenary,” he added. “We will only allow around 60 individuals inside the plenary, while other [attendees] can occupy the first gallery and second gallery of the session hall,” he added. The opening of the session and the Sona will be available via Zoom for other members of the House. Also, Presidential Broadcast Staff-Radio Television Malacañang (PBS-RTVM), which will be inside to cover the Sona, will live feed the event through People’s Television Network (PTV), Presidential Communications Operations Office and RTVM Facebook pages and RTVM YouTube channel. Like previous Sonas, Mendoza said the Batasang Pambansa Complex will be placed on lockdown starting on Friday, July 23 as part of security protocols. According to Mendoza, another meeting with Malacañang will be conducted on Thursday for the final preparations. With Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

napakahirap [We went through a lot. We did a clean up in the city. It was not a joke, it was so difficult],” he recalled. In February, Sotto was recognized by the US State Department

as one of its international anticorruption champions, citing his prioritization of transparency and anti-corruption initiatives. The young mayor was described by the US State Department as a “standard-bearer for a new generation of Philippine politicians.” Before his stint as a mayor, he was recognized as best-performing councilor in 2016. In 2019, Sotto defeated then incumbent mayor Robert Eusebio. The Eusebios ruled the city for 27 years. Sotto banked on health care for Pasig residents, especially those from the eastern part of the city, which he described as the people who were left behind; localized freedom of information, and anti-corruption. He also mentioned before that the city cradles a P10.7-billion budget where the least number of residents get to benefit from.

DepEd to school heads: You may ‘politely’ decline requests to use building, campus as Covid facility

HE Department of Education (DepEd) has instructed schools to “politely” decline requests to utilize buildings and campuses as isolation facilities as a part of the measures to guarantee improvement of education facilities would continue amid the pandemic. “The pandemic did not hamper our mission to provide conducive and motivating facilities. Our infrastructure projects remain a priority to help our stakeholders, especially teachers, to have a comfortable place to work in,” Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said following the issuance of regulations sent to officials and school heads on the use of schools as isolation areas to give way to infrastructure projects. However, if the recipient school is currently being used as an isolation area, the DepEd stressed that two courses of action may be taken: • First, if the school is large enough to segregate the isolation area and the construction site, the school can still house the isolation facility provided that barriers are in place. • Second, if the school has a limited area to cater to both the isolation facility and the construction of school buildings, it must coordinate with the local government unit (LGU) and request the immediate transfer of the isolation facility to a nearby

school that is not a recipient of infrastructure projects. The DepEd noted that local government units are currently using some schools as isolation facilities and vaccination sites. The DepEd has yet to provide to the media the number of schools being used as isolation facilities and vaccination hubs. It is part of the DepEd’s full cooperation with other government agencies on the measures related to the mobilization of resources to combat the Covid-19 threat. Undersecretary for Administration and DepEd Task Force Covid-19 Chair Alain del B. Pascua noted that the DepEd is one with the national effort to curb the surge of Covid-19 cases and “hopefully putting an end to the pandemic.” “However, we must also ensure that the needs of learners are met including the establishment of adequate, safe, and conducive learning facilities, as mandated,” Pascua said. The DepEd is expecting infrastructure projects to start in the third quarter of 2021, which will require the use of the school premises for the construction or repair of school buildings. Thus, DepEd stressed, schools may cite this reason for declining requests. In addition, with cash-based budgeting in place, these projects need to be completed by the end of 2021 to avoid the lapsing of funds. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Group sees China ‘intrusion’ in implementation of Dumaguete City land-reclamation project

HE Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Monday warned that the implementation of a controversial land reclamation project proposal in Dumaguete City may open the gates to Chinese “encroachment” in surrounding waters. “All the more reason to oppose this reclamation project that would involve a Chinese construction firm as this may be a prelude to another takeover of our waters and plunder of marine resources,” the group said in a news statement. Expressing its strong opposition against the proposed 174-hectare reclamation in Dumaguete City, the group said the involvement of

China-based construction firm Poly Changda Overseas Engineering Co. is fueling their suspicions. Pamalakaya warned against what it called “sellout of pristine marine waters to China,” which the group said is plundering the Philippines’s exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea. “The environmental catastrophe that the reclamation project would bring to the marine ecosystem is one thing, but having a Chinese firm as its subcontractor is quite another. We all know how China rampantly occupies our exclusive economic zone and exploits our marine resources at the expense of the livelihood of our fisherfolks and the national patri-

mony,” Fernando Hicap, a former Anakpawis party-list representative and current national chairperson of the group said. Pamalakaya earlier added its voice to the growing opposition against the Dumaguete reclamation project due to devastating impacts to the marine environment, coastal communities, and local fish supply. “Having China in the picture makes the Dumaguete reclamation project not only an environmental and socioeconomic concerns, but also a matter of national patrimony. This is not development, this is profitdriven project and foreign takeover in disguise,” Hicap said. Jonathan L. Mayuga

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Tuesday, July 20, 2021

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

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WU, ZEHUA Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 2.

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

Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer need Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer need Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

13.

Brief Job Description: Analyze and collate data trends

PRILITA TAMBOTO Marketing Executive Brief Job Description: conduct and analyze market research

WISELIE Marketing Executive Brief Job Description: Conduct and analyze market research

JOSHUA CHIN KOK HONG Marketing Supervisor 6.

Brief Job Description: Analyze the efficacy of advertising campaigns and adjust as needed

SHEN, XIAOFU Operations Executive 7.

Brief Job Description: Serves as liaison between the customer and various department and ensures that basic CS function are performed

GERRY CHRISTIAN SUTANTO Payment Executive 8.

Brief Job Description: Assist financial risk while maintaining appropriate level of cash flow required to support business operation

VENG, VONGBORAVY Payment Executive 9.

Brief Job Description: Assist financial risk while maintaining appropriate level of cash flow required to support business operation

TRAN KIM DUNG Web Senior Associate 10.

Brief Job Description: Overseeing the team in creating , programming , testing , and documenting a web site and a web applications

Basic Qualification: College degree in any field; must be native Singaporean/ Vietnamese / Korean / fluent in English and Mandarin / Vietnamese / Korean , with at least 2years relevant experience in similar field Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999 Basic Qualification: Diploma/certificate , college degree in any field , marketing is a plus ; must be native Cambodian/ Thai / Chinese / Indonesian / Vietnamese fluent in English and respective native language; with at least a year experience in similar field. Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 Basic Qualification: Diploma/certificate , college degree in any field , marketing is a plus ; must be native Cambodian/ Thai / Chinese / Indonesian / Vietnamese fluent in english and respective native language; with at least a year experience in similar field. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Diploma/Certificate in any field, marketing is a plus; must be native Cambodian/ Thai / Chinese / Indonesian / Vietnamese /fluent in English and respective native language; with at least 3 years’ experience marketing or in similar field. Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999 Basic Qualification: Vocational / Certificate/ College degree any field; must be native Thai / Indonesian / Vietnamese / Taiwanese / Chinese /Korean / Japanese / Taiwanese, fluent in English and respective native language, with at least a year experience in similar field. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Vocational / Certificate/ College degree any field; must be native Indonesian / Vietnamese / Cambodian /fluent in English and respective native language; proficient in Microsoft applications Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Vocational / Certificate/ College degree any field; must be native Indonesian / Vietnamese / Cambodian /fluent in English and respective native language; proficient in Microsoft applications Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999 Basic Qualification: College degree in any field; Must be native Vietnamese fluent in English and native language with at least 3 years in similar field Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

BBOPHIL (HOLDINGS) INC. Unit 604 6/f Itc Bldg. 337 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Bel-air Makati City

11.

ZHAO, WANG Marketing Assistant

Basic Qualification: Effective written and verbal skills

Brief Job Description: Prepare and deliver promotional presentation

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

14.

12.

Brief Job Description: Handles the concerns of the people who buy their company’s products or services.

Basic Qualification: Has excellent problemsolving and communication skills in MANDARIN, with related BPO experience Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Offer full range of customer service to employer and clients. HOU, YANQIU Mandarin Customer Service

15.

Brief Job Description: Handles the concerns of the people who buy their company’s products or services. LI, XINGYU Mandarin Customer Service

16.

Brief Job Description: Offer full range of customer service to employer and clients. LYU, MIMI Mandarin Customer Service

17.

Brief Job Description: Offer full range of customer service to employer and clients. WEI, KUN Mandarin Customer Service

18.

Brief Job Description: Offer full range of customer service to employer and clients. WU, JIABAO Mandarin Customer Service

19.

Brief Job Description: Offer full range of customer service to employer and clients. WU, LINJUN Mandarin Customer Service

20.

Brief Job Description: Offer full range of customer service to employer and clients. ZHANG, JIAN Mandarin Customer Service

21.

Brief Job Description: Offer full range of customer service to employer and clients. ZHENG, LEI Mandarin Customer Service

22.

Brief Job Description: Offer full range of customer service to employer and clients. ZHOU, XUN Mandarin Customer Service

23.

Brief Job Description: Offer full range of customer service to employer and clients. NGUYEN QUANG TIEN Vietnamese Customer Service

24.

Brief Job Description: Offer full range of customer service to employer and clients.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: At least college level and able to speak, read write and type fluently in MANDARIN language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least college level and able to speak, read write and type fluently in MANDARIN language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Has excellent problemsolving and communication skills in MANDARIN, with related BPO experience Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least college level and able to speak, read write and type fluently in MANDARIN language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least college level and able to speak, read write and type fluently in MANDARIN language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least college level and able to speak, read write and type fluently in MANDARIN language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least college level and able to speak, read write and type fluently in MANDARIN language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least college level and able to speak, read write and type fluently in MANDARIN language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least college level and able to speak, read write and type fluently in MANDARIN language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least college level and able to speak, read write and type fluently in MANDARIN language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least college level and able to speak, read write and type fluently in MANDARIN language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least college level and able to speak, read write and type fluently in VIETNAMESE language.

GRANDE OCHAGAVIA, IÑAKI Team Leader 28.

Brief Job Description: Supervise and drive performance of the team to ensure each team members are regularly meeting exceeding their performance

No.

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999 Basic Qualification: Native Spanish Speaker, good at translating English to Spanish and vice versa without variation Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

CRONYX INC. No. 4th-10th Flr. Yinhope Bldg. Dela Rama Cor. Zoili Hilario St. Seascape Village, Ccp Complex Subd. Zone 10, Barangay 076, District 1 Pasay City

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION PAN, CHEN-CHENG Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

29.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services SUN, MENGJIAO Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

30.

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

HUA NAN COMMERCIAL BANK, LTD. MANILA BRANCH 26/f Tower 6789 6789 Ayala Ave. Bel-air Makati City CHANG, YU-WEI Deputy Manager 31.

Brief Job Description: Supervising risk management dept. operations, coordinating support from Taiwan Main branch

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience / good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience / good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 5 years banking experience in risk management, bachelor’s/master’s degree holder Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

INVECH TREASURE PROCESSING CORPORATION Ground, 2nd, 3rd And 4th Floor Eight West Campus Mckinley West Fort Bonifacio Taguig City Basic Qualification: GE, XINGGANG Able to speak and write in Mandarin Customer Support Representative MANDARIN/FUKIEN and at least college level with 32. Brief Job Description: related BPO experience. Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: LIU, MIN Able to speak and write in Mandarin Customer Support Representative MANDARIN/FUKIEN and at least college level with 33. Brief Job Description: related BPO experience. Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: WANG, YUNDONG Able to speak and write in Mandarin Customer Support Representative MANDARIN/FUKIEN and at least college level with 34. Brief Job Description: related BPO experience. Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 ITECHNO SPECIALIST INC. 9/f 100 West Building Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Pio Del Pilar Makati City CHEN, YULING Chinese IT Support Specialist 35.

Brief Job Description: Responsible to provide information to the company’s Chinese clients or customers in response to inquiries HUANG, SIN-WUN a.k.a. HUANG YU-JHEN Chinese IT Support Specialist

36.

Brief Job Description: Responsible to provide information to the company’s Chinese clients or customers in response to inquiries JIANG, KE Chinese IT Support Specialist

37.

Brief Job Description: Responsible to provide information to the company’s Chinese clients or customers in response to inquiries MENG, XIANGZHU Chinese IT Support Specialist

38.

39.

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

CAPSLOCK INC. 7th & 8th Flr. Y Tower Bldg. Coral Way Drive Cor. Macapagal Ave. Brgy. 076 Pasay City LI, JIE Basic Qualification: Chinese It Support Specialist Must be fluent in Chinese language (Writing and 25. Brief Job Description: Speaking) Shall answer incoming calls from Chinese clients and troubleshoot customer technical problems with computer Salary Range: software and hardware 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 Taguig City Basic Qualification: MEGANATH, MARTIN GOVINDRAJALU At least 15 years of Director - Operations experience as a Head of BPO operations in the Insurance 26. Brief Job Description: Domain Manage Service Level Agreements/ metrics as decided with the clients Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: 9+ years of experience as highly motivated in DEB NARAYAN PRASAD workforce management, Service Delivery Manager Data Analytics, Data Mining Business Intelligence, 27. Brief Job Description: Predictive Modelling and Strong mathematical background with ability to automation for Digital understand algorithms and methods from a mathematical Marketing, Social Media viewpoint and an intuitive viewpoint platforms

BIG EMPEROR TECHNOLOGY CORP. 5f-13f, Jiaxing Tower Building Aseana Avenue, Aseana Business Park Tambo Parañaque City LIU, LILING Mandarin Customer Relations Officer

Brief Job Description: Offer full range of customer service to employer and clients. HONG, YI Mandarin Customer Service

AVANTICE CORPORATION 19/f Pbcom Tower Ayala Ave. Bel-air Makati City

LIM CHEE YONG, DESMOND a.k.a. LIN ZHIYONG Business Intelligence Senior Executive

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Brief Job Description: The Chinese IT Support Specialist (CITSS) is an integral member of the company infrastructure, Application Support, and of the IT Division and is responsible for providing quality IT support of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clientele. QIAO, HUI Chinese IT Support Specialist Brief Job Description: The Chinese IT Support Specialist (CITSS) is an integral member of the company infrastructure, Application Support, and of the IT Division and is responsible for providing quality IT support of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clientele. SONG, YI Chinese IT Support Specialist

40.

Brief Job Description: Responsible to provide information to the company’s Chinese clients or customers in response to inquiries WEI, KUN Chinese It Support Specialist

41.

Brief Job Description: Responsible to provide information to the company’s Chinese clients or customers in response to inquiries YANG, ZHI-HE Chinese It Support Specialist

42.

43.

Brief Job Description: Responsible to provide information to the company’s Chinese clients or customers in response to inquiries ZHANG, XIAOYUAN Chinese IT Support Specialist

44.

45.

Brief Job Description: Responsible to provide information to the company’s Chinese clients or customers in response to inquiries

Basic Qualification: A Chinese and fluent in Chinese writing and speaking language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: A Chinese and fluent in Chinese writing and speaking language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: A Chinese and fluent in Chinese writing and speaking language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: A Chinese and fluent in Chinese writing and speaking language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: A Chinese and fluent in Chinese writing and speaking language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: A Chinese and fluent in Chinese writing and speaking language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: A Chinese and fluent in Chinese writing and speaking language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: A Chinese and fluent in Chinese writing and speaking language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: A Chinese and fluent in Chinese writing and speaking language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: A Chinese and fluent in Chinese writing and speaking language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: A Chinese and fluent in Chinese writing and speaking 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 ZHONG, WENQIANG Chinese IT Support Specialist

46.

47.

Brief Job Description: Responsible to provide information to the company’s Chinese clients or customers in response to inquiries A NGUYEN THI TUYET IT Support Specialist

48.

49.

50.

Brief Job Description: The IT Support Specialist (ITSS) is an integral member of the company infrastructure, Application Support, and of the IT Division and is responsible for providing quality IT support of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clientele. NONG THI MAI IT Support Specialist Brief Job Description: The IT Support Specialist (ITSS) is an integral member of the company infrastructure, Application Support, and of the IT Division and is responsible for providing quality IT support of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clientele. TRAN NHIT PHUNG IT Support Specialist Brief Job Description: The IT Support Specialist (ITSS) is an integral member of the company infrastructure, Application Support, and of the IT Division and is responsible for providing quality IT support of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clientele. YATI IT Support Specialist

Brief Job Description: 51. The IT Support Specialist (ITSS) is an integral member of the company infrastructure, Application Support, and of the IT Division and is responsible for providing quality IT support of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clientele. JIU ZHOU TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. 31/f Tower 6789 6789 Ayala Avenue San Lorenzo Makati City HU, YUNG-HSIANG Chinese Mandarin Customer Service Representative 52.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services. YANG, TZU-HSIEN Chinese Mandarin Customer Service Representative

53.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services. TRINH HUE LUAN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

54.

Brief Job Description: Maintains financial account; recommend potential products and services; attracts potential to a customers

LAUREOLI PHILIPPINES INC. Suite 7021 Golden Rock Bldg. 168 Salcedo Sts. San Lorenzo Makati City GOMEZ BENITO, ALMUDENA La Liga International Delegate 55.

Brief Job Description: Maintaining relations with media regarding La Liga; Sports Project Development.

ML IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 5th Flr. Gateway Tower Araneta Center Cubao Socorro 3 Quezon City

EICHELBURG, STEFAN Leading Database Developer 56.

Brief Job Description: Leading the database local development team and to ensure a continuous development , improvement and support in accordance with the global standards

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: A Chinese and fluent in Chinese writing and speaking language

No.

62.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Chinese and fluent in Chinese writing and speaking language

63.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can speak and read Cantonese, Mandarin and Fukien language

64.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can speak and read Cantonese, Mandarin and Fukien language

65.

Basic Qualification: Can speak and read Cantonese, Mandarin and Fukien language

66.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can speak and read Cantonese, Mandarin and Fukien language

67.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 68. Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Chinese mandarin, English and their respective native language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Chinese mandarin, English and their respective native language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least 19 yrs old ; Ability to speak write and communicate in Vietnamese.

69.

70.

71.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Advanced level of English and Spanish; College graduate; Academic background on Sports Marketing.

Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

CHEN, YONG Chinese Customer Service 58.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints , provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents

DONG, JIE Chinese Customer Service 59.

60.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints , provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents

HOU, JUAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

KONG, LEI Chinese Customer Service 61.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints , provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents

Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

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

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

RONG, CONGYING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

72.

SU, WEIHAO Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

WANG, BINGQING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

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

ZHOU, JIE Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

DINH KHAC TO Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

DINH VAN HIEU Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

DOAN VAN HOA Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science/ Information Technology or equivalent, 3-5 years in Database Development with my SQL and/or Oracle, Strong knowledge of Structural Query Language (SQL), Strong knowledge of database design, Scripting, Strong knowledge of Biometric base Identification System, Detail-oriented, strong analytical and problem solving skills, Ability to work independently, Excellent communication skills in German language (this is mandatory)

NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION Sky Garage Bldg. Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City Tambo Parañaque City

57.

LAI, CHU-CHUN Chinese Customer Service

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

73.

74.

75.

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

CAI, YANGYANG Chinese Customer Service

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

76.

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate , preferably 1 year Chinese customer service experience in the similar field, must be fluent in mandarin and English written and orally Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate , preferably 1 year Chinese customer service experience in the similar field, must be fluent in mandarin and English written and orally 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: College graduate , preferably 1 year Chinese customer service experience in the similar field, must be fluent in mandarin and English written and orally Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

LAU NGOC MAI Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

LAU NHUC CU Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

LE THI LAM Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

LY CHANH PHONG Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

MAI THI NU HANH Vietnamese Customer Service 77.

78.

79.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints , provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents

NGUYEN QUANG TRUNG Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

NGUYEN TRONG DUNG Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

80.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS 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 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 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

No.

82.

83.

84.

85.

86.

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: College graduate , preferably 1 year Chinese customer service experience in the similar field, must be fluent in mandarin and english written and orally 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: Fluent in the Bahasa Indonesian Language (spoken and written)

Brief Job Description: Serves as primary contact for problem resolution and information gathering regarding customer complaints and Salary Range: work assignments. Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 SA RIVENDELL GLOBAL SUPPORT, INC. Flr. No. 5th & 7th Star Cruises Ce Bldg. Andrews Drive, Newport City St. Brgy. 183 Pasay City YANG, QIWEI Basic Qualification: Chinese Customer Service Customer support and data base services 81. Brief Job Description: Knowledgeable in computer application with good oral Salary Range: and written communication skills Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION HAN THANH DAT Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

LE QUOC THIEN Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

LY TAC SINH Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

NGUYEN VAN HUNG Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

PHAN THI KIEU TRANG Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

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 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

SKYLUSTER TECHNOLOGY, INC. 10/f The Enterprise Center Tower 2 6766 Ayala Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas San Lorenzo Makati City Basic Qualification: HUANG, JIAQIANG Bachelor’s of degree in Mandarin It Support Specialist Information Technology or 87. any related field of study. Brief Job Description: Use various types of communication devices and systems Salary Range: to reach out to customers and verify account information. Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 STONE ASIA AND SPECIALTY PRODUCTS, INC. 350 J.p. Rizal Brgy. Namayan Mandaluyong City HUI CHEONG HONG Basic Qualification: Project Manager Familiarity with project management. Proficient in Brief Job Description: 88. typing and editing. Manage the flow of documentation within the organization. Distribute projects related to copies to Salary Range: internal teams. Retrieve files as requested by employees Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 and clients YANG, JINYOUNG Basic Qualification: Project Manager Familiarity with project management. Proficient in Brief Job Description: 89. typing and editing. Manage the flow of documentation within the organization. Distribute projects related to copies to Salary Range: internal teams. Retrieve files as requested by employees Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 and clients TAIYO KOGYO CORPORATION MANILA BRANCH 37/f Lkg Tower 6801 Ayala Ave. Bel-air Makati City 90.

TAKAI, TADASHI Branch General Manager

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree

Brief Job Description: Overall in charge of the whole operation of the branch

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

UBIQUITY GLOBAL SERVICES PHILIPPINES INC. 10th Floor Bench Tower 3rd Ave. Cor. Rizal Drive Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

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

PROTEGIC CORPORATION Unit 1409 14f Entrata Urban Alabang Muntinlupa City FILBERT SUKOPUTRA Indonesian-language Customer Support Staff

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

VALLE CASTILLO, WILLIAM RENE Senior Operations Manager 91.

Brief Job Description: • Manage day to day operations for our operations in different centers • Manage the financial health of the programs and distribution of costs • Ensures business goals are met based on service agreements with our clients

Basic Qualification: • Must have at least 5 years’ Managerial experience in BPO operations • Extensive experience working directly with clients • Experienced in managing complex processes and programs with more than 200+ headcount • High numeracy and analytical skills • Hands-on and can-do attitude • Detail-oriented • Willing to work on a night shift in Manila Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

WANFANG TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT, INC. 6-9/f Double Dragon Plaza Edsa Cor. Macapagal Ave. Brgy. 076 Pasay City

WENG, CHAO-MIN Chinese Mandarin Customer Service Representative 92.

Brief Job Description: Maintains financial accounts by processing customer adjustments HSU, BO-YI Chinese Mandarin Technical Support Representative

93.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services ZENG, YU-AN Chinese Mandarin Technical Support Representative

94.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services LE DUC ANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

95.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services LA THI THAO Vietnamese Marketing Specialist

96.

Brief Job Description: Handles administrative request and queries from senior managers/officers.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading, and writing in Chinese Mandarin, English and their respective native language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least 19yrs old, Ability to speak, write and communicate in Chinese Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least 19yrs old, Ability to speak, write and communicate in Chinese Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading, and writing in Chinese Mandarin, English and their respective native language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Chinese mandarin, English and their respective native language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 *Date Generated: Jul 19, 2021

Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE-NCR Regional Office located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication. Please inform DOLE-NCR if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR

A8 Tuesday, July 20, 2021 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Global hunger worsens

nti-poverty organization Oxfam says 11 people die of hunger around the world every minute. In a report dubbed “The Hunger Virus Multiplies,” Oxfam said the death toll from famine outpaces that of Covid-19, which kills seven people per minute. “The statistics are staggering, but we must remember that these figures are made up of people facing unimaginable suffering. Even one person [dying] is too many,” said Oxfam America President and CEO Abby Maxman. Oxfam said 155 million people around the world are living in crisis levels of food insecurity or worse—that is 20 million more than last year. Around twothirds of them are going hungry primarily because their country is in military conflict. A recent United Nations report—The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World—said more than 2.3 billion people, which represents 30 percent of the global population, lacked year-round access to adequate food. Jointly published by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the UN World Food Program, and the World Health Organization, the report said the sharpest rise in hunger came in Africa, where 21 percent of the people, or about 282 million are undernourished. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the new “tragic data” shows that between 720 million and 811 million people in the world faced hunger last year, which is 161 million more than in 2019. “Despite a 300 percent increase in global food production since the mid1960s, malnutrition is a leading factor contributing to reduced life expectancy,” the UN chief said. “In a world of plenty, we have no excuse for billions of people to lack access to a healthy diet. This is unacceptable.” Oxfam said the new figures show a broken global food and economic systems. Emily Farr, Oxfam’s food security adviser, said the pandemic was the last straw for millions of people already battered by the impacts of conflict, economic shocks and a worsening climate crisis. “More than half the world’s population did not have social protection to cope with the adverse effects of the pandemic,” she said. “Small farmers were forced to watch their crops rot during the pandemic, even when global food prices rose by 40 percent, while the biggest food companies have amassed over $10 billion of additional revenues last year.” On top of the surge in the number of Africans facing hunger, the report said more than half the undernourished people, or around 418 million, live in Asia, while 60 million live in Latin America and the Caribbean. The United Nations said the pandemic undercut the UN goal of achieving zero hunger by 2030. Based on current trends, the agency estimates that the goal will be missed by a margin of nearly 660 million people, and that some 30 million of that figure “may be linked to the pandemic’s lasting effects.” In the Philippines, the national government pledged to step up efforts to eradicate hunger following a survey that showed 49 percent of Filipinos rated themselves poor, according to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, who acknowledged the results of the national Social Weather Survey of April 28 to May 2, 2021. Nograles, who is also chair of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger, said the figures were expected given the limitations in livelihood as a result of the prevailing pandemic restrictions. It is worthy to note, however, that the formation of the Zero Hunger task force and the efforts by the Department of Agriculture to improve local food production “may have had a positive impact and may have helped prevent self-rated food poverty numbers in 2020 from increasing due to the pandemic lockdowns,” according to Nograles. The task force, he said, is mandated to ensure that government policies, initiatives, and projects on attaining zero hunger will be “coordinated, responsive, and effective.” To achieve zero hunger in the Philippines by 2030, there should be a 25-percent reduction in hunger incidence every two and a half years. As the Duterte administration is already winding up its affairs, the next administration must prioritize this program if we want to attain zero hunger in our country.

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PHL’s long-term economic prospects are getting better Manny B. Villar

THE Entrepreneur

E have more and better reasons to be optimistic about our economic prospects in the second half of 2021, although we should remain cautious given the threat of the Covid-19 Delta variant now gripping other Southeast Asian countries.

Our number of active Covid-19 cases, which was below 50,000 as of last week, is now one of the lowest in Asean, giving us flexibility to become more economically active and allow more of our workers to leave their homes. Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam recently reported rising cases of the Delta variant, which is said to be more transmissible or infectious. Given the large number of Filipinos in these countries, as well as in the Middle East where the strain was also detected among thousands of people, we should not let our guard down. We should continue to follow health protocols, while enabling our businesses to reopen. Businesses should also do their part by ensuring that their employees and customers are protected. We commend local government units for cracking down on establishments

that openly defy health protocols, such as nightclubs and bars that operate without social distancing measures and beyond the curfew hours. Our progress in the vaccination rollout is respectable, with nearly 14 million vaccine doses administered in the country as of last week. The Department of Health reported that as of July 14, about 10 million Filipinos received at least a dose of Covid-19 vaccine while 4 million completed both jabs. The goal is to ramp up vaccination to 500,000 doses daily. If we keep this pace, we are on track to inoculate 70 million adult Filipinos within the year, which is enough to achieve herd immunity. Implementing health protocols, localized lockdowns and continuing our rapid vaccination rollout will guide our economy towards recovery in the second half of the year. If we are able to keep the virus reproduc-

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John Mangun

T. Anthony C. Cabangon

Jennifer A. Ng Vittorio V. Vitug

tion rate below 1.0 in the coming months, we can continue to relax mobility restrictions and reopen all industries. Localized lockdowns are more effective in containing the spread of the virus, without hurting the economy too much. Placing the whole Philippines under ECQ should be our last resort, because it could put millions out of work again. Remember that our economy shrank 9.6 percent last year because of such quarantine restrictions. This pushed our unemployment rate to 17 percent last year. With the calibrated reopening of the economy, the jobless rate eased to 7.7 percent as of May this year. The ideal ratio is below 5 percent. I agree with the National Economic and Development Authority’s position that the higher risk of the Delta variant could be better managed by imposing localized lockdowns, instead of placing the entire

The Philippines and electric vehicles

Founder Publisher

Economic recovery is certainly on the horizon based on recent economic indicators, such as electricity demand, exports, manufacturing, remittances, vehicle sales and office space take-up. This is why I am not bothered by Fitch Rating’s revision of our credit rating outlook to “negative” from “stable.”

his is the time we live in. In a recent opinion column, a long litany of professionally researched explanations about the mess that is the Philippine electricity supply system was presented. Of course, in this age, everything must have a political overtone with lots of finger pointing at the current administration. Of course, in the case of power, you must go back to the post-Edsa days and the failures then. But that is OK since all missteps can be ultimately excused because democracy was restored. The reason for any actual and potential shortage of power comes down to the “Big Three Cs”: Corruption, Competency, and Cronyism. The solution to almost any problem in the Philippines is for “someone to start doing their job properly” or things are going to get worse. The truth, the sad truth, is that everything that this person says is true. The other truth is that this piece can be republished every five years as it probably has in the past. We never seem to get to the point where we have sustainable “perfection.” Forget about the fact that

no nation has that sustainability thing nailed down. But some are doing better than others, at least for now. At the same time as the excellent price on electricity was another excellent article—that the Philippines needs new laws on electric vehicles. Again, thorough research tells us that laws to support electric vehicles in the country are desperately needed to support an industry that is almost dead and to meet government’s goal of increased EV usage. I follow the global EV industry fairly closely. I watched the Netflix

But here is the confusion. If we are always—at least for the near to medium future—going to have supply problems with electricity, how are we going to charge all those EVS if we ever move beyond the e-trikes and two-wheeled vehicles stage?

series Fastest Car, which showed me for the first time races between conventional automobiles and electric cars from Tesla to home garage-built cars. As a side note, I grew up in a time when young men came in one of two categories. There were those that had a car primarily because they could fix almost anything on that car. The other group rode in the back seat of that car. My first major repair was replacing the water pump and radiator on a 1957 Mercury Montclair. You remember events like that just like your first kiss. I did not even know that the Philippine government had any sort of “goal of increased EV usage.” The truth is that EVs in the West to this point are only on the road because of massive government price subsidies and massive infrastructure spending to keep EVs running on the road. And

Philippines or large areas under a more restrictive level of quarantine. Economic recovery is certainly on the horizon based on recent economic indicators, such as electricity demand, exports, manufacturing, remittances, vehicle sales and office space take-up. This is why I am not bothered by Fitch Rating’s revision of our credit rating outlook to “negative” from “stable.” The negative outlook is not surprising because the government needs to spend more for our Covid response efforts while our economy is still recuperating. Anyway, we still enjoy investment-grade scores from the three major debt watchers. An expansion between 5 percent and 6 percent this year is respectable, as this range will set the economy on a stronger expansion next year. Hopefully, we can exceed our prepandemic economic performance by 2022. My optimism is supported by our macro-economic fundamentals. The inflation rate is now on a downtrend despite the uptick in petroleum prices. While the peso has recently shown weakness against the US dollar, it was mainly due to rising imports, an indication of improving household spending and investments. Our banks remain stable, although they could do more to extend loans to businesses. Our gross international reserves exceed $100 See “Villar,” A9

I am wondering how much taxpayer money is going to be spent on electric cars, which are really a wealthier man’s privilege even in the West. Actually, China is doing good in helping produce a People’s EV. In fact, there are only—according to the article—12,965 Philippine EVs as of last year, based on data cited by Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines. But the majority are electric tricycles (e-trikes) and twowheeled vehicles, like maybe fancy EV walkers and chairs for old guys like me. The DTI estimates EVs will reach 300,000 or 21 percent share of total vehicles, largely public utility vehicles (tricycles and jeepneys?) by 2030, increasing further to 50 percent by 2040. The acceleration of EV racecars is amazing. I want one just to play with, not to go to SMBF. But here is the confusion. If we are always—at least for the near to medium future—going to have supply problems with electricity, how are we going to charge all those EVS if we ever move beyond the e-trikes and two-wheeled vehicles stage? E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis provided by AAA Southeast Equities Inc.

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Opinion

What Metro Manila needs

VP Leni agonistes

BusinessMirror

By Jose Antonio Cangco

have lived in Metro Manila for more than half a century and I’ve seen how the place has evolved from rice paddies, salt beds, and beach resorts into what is today the concrete jungle of Metro Manila, with high rise condominiums, huge shopping malls, and heavy traffic. Moving with the times, I believe a little change in our perception is necessary. Urban dwellers tend to accept things just as they are. We adapt to change because it may be the easier thing to do as a mechanism to cope up with what we believe we cannot change. We believe that it requires a lot of effort, laws, and cash to make improvements toward a better and more comfortable experience in city living. Metro Manila is a hot spot for migration, yet it remains basically the same in area, but with dwindling resources. All of us—in our tiny spot in Payatas, an apartment unit in Sampaloc, or a big corner lot in Forbes Park—will benefit from some of the suggestions below to make our place under the sun a bit more comfortable and less stressful. 1. No to noise pollution— There’s a lot of noise around us in the metropolis. We may consider ourselves lucky if we are able to spend four to six hours a day without dogs barking, cars honking or karaokes in full blast. But the most deafening and irritating noises are from the motorcycles with custom-built mufflers and exhaust pipes. 2. No to dogs roaming on the streets—City governments and barangays should pass ordinances prohibiting dog owners from letting their dogs roam freely outside their properties. Dogs poop on the streets and dog poo is not only gross but also spread disease. Stray dogs can form packs and frighten old people and children. (Advice from health experts: do not let your dog or cat onto your bed. They can easily contaminate your beddings when they sit on their butts. Just imagine hugging your pillow later at night.) 3. Visible trash cans and litter bins in public places—As a people, we are very particular about personal hygiene and I think this would extend to our surroundings if we have the proper sanitary facilities in place. If there are visible receptacles where we could throw used paper cups, plastic water containers, and candy wrappers instead of just tossing them around or hiding them behind stairs, concrete walls, and wooden posts, there would be less work for the street sweepers. 4. More open spaces, trees, and greenery—Metro Manila is not called a “concrete jungle” for nothing. There are few areas such as Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Luneta, and Ayala Triangle that are not covered with concrete. Even if one could go and spend a few hours in the

Villar. . .

Continued from A8

billion, or nearly a year worth of imports. Government debt is still one of the lowest in Asia, when measured as a percentage of the gross domestic product. The Department of Finance expects the national government debt to remain manageable at 58.7 percent of GDP this year. What will sustain our growth in the medium term is the massive infrastructure buildup that is underway. The Department of Public Works and Highways led by Secretary Mark Villar inaugurated last week the first portion of the Central Luzon Link Expressway connecting Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City. Projects such as this would boost businesses in areas along the major road and disperse economic activities to more people. Employment also started to recover as workers return to offices. The business-process outsourcing sector is supporting the growth of the real estate sector in the provinces. This will translate into more economic opportunities in those areas. A 1,000-seat BPO center, for example, can match the income of a

These are just small things that I have observed while living in Metro Manila. I am sure other residents that still go about their daily lives in an air of normality are also full of ideas that could make our city more livable and more beautiful. park with his family, pollution surrounds them. Metro Manila needs more trees, which are not only good in fighting smog, they also prevent soil erosion and make the air cooler. 5. Minimalist design—This applies to anything that is pompous in design, making it then look funny, without a touch of class and elegant taste. One example is a series of streetlights that looks like cheap broken chandeliers. A city with a minimal and simple design yet functional is livable and very sustainable. 6. Sloping sidewalks—When it rains, there are pools of water on sidewalks. A sloping design prevents water from accumulating in the middle where pedestrians walk. The rainwater will flow toward the gutter. There is only one place where I have seen this, in Makati. Another design is to make the middle of the sidewalk slightly higher than the edges. With a curved middle, pools of rainwater will not form. 7. Double-decker buses—This actually concerns the traffic problem and is a longer term solution. Doubledecker buses carry nearly twice the number of passengers compared to regular commuter buses, yet occupy the same space on the road. 8. No to single-use plastic— Admittedly, we are in the habit of buying individual sachets of shampoo and a few grams of food flavorings and spices in tiny packets. When manufacturers start putting these in bigger and more eco-friendly packing, the buying habits of consumers would also change. 9. Resusable bags—Use ecofriendly bags when you shop in malls, buying fresh produce in public markets, or when bargaining in Baclaran or Divisoria. Don’t use plastic bags. These are just small things that I have observed while living in Metro Manila. I am sure other residents that still go about their daily lives in an air of normality are also full of ideas that could make our city more livable and more beautiful. Yes, Metro Manila needs a minor facelift. And all of us can help make the metropolis a better place for our children to live. small rural town. Fitch Ratings, meanwhile, may have been downbeat in its credit rating outlook but it still expects the Philippine economy to grow 5.0 percent in 2021, 6.6 percent in 2022 and 7.3 percent in 2023. That, to me, is a reflection of the Philippines’ promising growth potential despite the pandemic. In the long-term, I believe our young population will carry us through the next stage of global economic growth. With most of our neighbors adjusting their expectations because of their greying population, the Philippines is in the best position to take advantage of the new global economy. The Philippine Statistics Authority revealed that the Philippine population reached 109,035,343 as of May 1, 2020. Our challenge is how to turn our large young population into a productive pool of entrepreneurs, builders, producers and skilled workers, who will secure our place as a progressive nation in the long term. For comments, send e-mail to mbv_secretariat@vistaland.com.ph or visit www.mannyvillar. com.ph

Manny F. Dooc

TELLTALES

ohn Milton will certainly commiserate with Vice President Leni Robredo’s predicament. After all, the great poet and intellectual popularized the term agonistes. Deciding whether to run for president or not is an intense inner struggle that the chairman of the major opposition group, the Liberal Party, confronts. As the titular head of the LP and the party member holding the highest position in government, it is incumbent upon VP Leni to lead the challenge against the presidential bet of the administration. Vice President Diosdado P. Macapagal did it by running against reelectionist President Carlos P. Garcia of the ruling Nacionalista Party, and he succeeded in installing the LP as the party in power in 1961. Her prominent partymates like Senator Franklin Drilon, former LP standardbearer Mar Roxas and Senator Francis Pangilinan, current LP President, have subordinated whatever political ambition they may have in favor of VP Leni. As the face of the most potent opposition group, VP Leni has suffered the most from tirades from President Duterte and his subalterns. The army of pro-Duterte trolls has thrown her all the brickbats, including the kitchen sink, but VP Leni has remained unsinkable. Instead of being intimidated, she has endured them all and proved to all and sundry that she could take up the challenges, like when she accepted the administration’s dare that she leads the anti-illegal drug campaign in 2019. Despite warnings of wellmeaning allies that it was a political booby-trap, she gamely pursued the task and proposed to scrap the much dreaded “Oplan Tokhang.” The administration blinked when confronted by her determination and resolve to tackle the job head-on and fired VP Leni from her new post less than three weeks after her designa-

tion as the co-anti-drug czar. VP Leni can also take great pride in what her office has been doing in the ongoing battle against the coronavirus. Despite the lack of resources, she has led her small but well-organized staff to provide free teleconsultation service through the Bayanihan E-Konsulta program. With the help of generous donors, she has given away personal protective equipment (PPEs), food packages and medical supplies, free shuttle services to workers, and temporary dormitory facilities to frontliners. The VP team has undertaken innovative initiatives like free mobile antigen testing, instructional modules and videos for teachers and parents, community learning hubs and many others. In other words, VP Leni has answered the call and has focused her efforts in helping those who, using her own words, are in the fringes of society, to help them survive this pandemic. If VP Leni chooses to run, she can cite her record of public service and engage our people in a meaningful conversation. Her record speaks for itself, which voters may find suitable for the job of the presidency. On the other hand, VP Leni will struggle against seemingly insurmountable factors. Not the least of which is the lack of funds and logistics to mount a credible and viable

Tuesday, July 20, 2021 A9

VP Leni will struggle against seemingly insurmountable factors. Not the least of which is the lack of funds and logistics to mount a credible and viable campaign. It will easily cost more than a couple of billions to wage a viable presidential bid. campaign. It will easily cost more than a couple of billions to wage a viable presidential bid. Unless you are a Villar, only the ruling party or the dominant business has that kind of money. Under the current political atmosphere, it may be foolhardy for big businesses to contribute substantially to a particular candidate or adopt any stance, which may be interpreted as anti-Duterte. At this stage, those pondering making a run should now be getting pledges of material support from their backers. A serious candidate should line up at least a couple of super elite financiers if he or she wants his or her presence felt in the political arena. Competent candidates in the past that failed to attract money, like Jovito Salonga and Raul Roco, miserably lost in the tally boards. Another negative factor is the absence of a political machinery to propel VP Leni’s candidacy. Her party now is just a ghost of the once formidable organization that brought Manuel Roxas, the party founder, Elpidio Quirino, Diosdado Macapagal, Cory Aquino and Noynoy Aquino to Malacañang. In fact, even at the height of LP’s power, its candidate in the 2016 presidential election, former Senator Mar Roxas, lost to President Duterte who ran under a borrowed party whose total membership, if we were to believe presidential spokesman Harry Roque, would only constitute a jeepload. As LP’s chairman, VP Leni should know how well prepared her political party is to wage a battle against the party in power. Being a woman is no longer a

handicap in Philippine politics. We had elected two women presidents since the Edsa Revolution. But President Cory Aquino and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo are backed up by names that carry great appeal to many Filipinos. Aside from being a woman, VP Leni is a widow whose daughters are reportedly against her running. It’s true that President Cory was also a widow but the death of her martyred husband, Senator Ninoy, was the catalyst for her presidency. It delivered the sympathy votes that catapulted President Cory to the office. VP Leni’s myriad challenges are overwhelming. We can understand why up to now she has not made a categorical decision whether to make a bid for the presidency or not. Undeniably, she’s in a deep quandary. Her sense of public service is deep and sincere, but she has to win the election first. She said that she’s not closing her door on running for president provided the opposition could produce a unity ticket to consolidate its forces. 1SAMBAYAN, which is doing political brokering, it seems, has not made any headway to achieve this. Many of those that 1SAMBAYAN has considered to lead the unity ticket have backed out for various reasons. The fact that they were considered in the first place suggested that they were prospective presidential or vice presidential timbers, and therefore critical to the opposition’s cause. Those who have withdrawn might not have wanted to be bound by the 1SAMBAYAN rules or may have other plans like joining other political parties, or worse make their own run. The proposed Lacson-Sotto tandem has been out in the hustings. Others like Senator Richard Gordon have signified their intention to seek the presidency without the blessing of a major party. So how can a unified and undivided opposition ticket be organized? VP Leni will agonize over this, but she has to make up her mind before October.

Successful implementation of enhanced VAT refund system Atty. Rodel C. Unciano

Tax Law for Business

S most of us are now aware, Revenue Regulations (RR) 9-2021 implements the imposition of 12 percent value-added tax on certain transactions previously taxed at zero percent rate under Sections 106 and 108 of the Tax Code of 1997, as amended, allegedly after full satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law. This has caused confusion on the VAT zero-rating of covered transactions. Following RR 9-2021, the following transactions that were previously considered zero-rated sales under Sections 106 and 108 of the Tax Code, shall now be subjected to 12 percent VAT: 1. Sale of raw materials or packaging materials to a nonresident buyer for delivery to a resident local export-oriented enterprise to be used in manufacturing, processing, packing or repacking in the Philippines of the said buyer’s goods and paid for in acceptable foreign currency and accounted for in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP); 2. Sale of raw materials or packaging materials to export-oriented enterprise whose export sales exceed 70 percent of total annual production; 3. Those considered export sales under Executive Order 226, otherwise known as the Omnibus Investment Code of 1987, and other special laws; 4. Processing, manufacturing or repacking goods for other persons doing business outside the Philippines which goods are subsequently exported, where the services are paid for in acceptable foreign currency and accounted for in accordance with the rules and regulations of the BSP;

5. Services performed by subcontractors and/or contractors in processing, converting, or manufacturing goods for an enterprise whose export sales exceed 70 percent of total annual production; As provided under the TRAIN Law, the primary conditions for the imposition of 12 percent VAT on the foregoing transactions are as follows: 1) The successful establishment and implementation of an enhanced VAT refund system, and 2) All pending VAT refund claims as of December 31, 2017 shall be fully paid in cash by December 31, 2019. Other conditions include the automatic appropriation of an amount equivalent to 5 percent of the total VAT collection of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs as a special account in the General Fund or as trust receipts for the purpose of funding claims for VAT refund, and submission by the BIR and the BOC to the Congressional Oversight Committee on the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program a quarterly report of all pending claims for refund and any unused fund. Proof of full satisfaction of these requisites remains to be seen. Has there really been a successful establishment and implementation of an

It is not enough that a decision be issued within the 90-day period. The decision must have a semblance of correctness, not a decision that is hastily issued just for the sake of being able to meet the 90-day deadline. It is only then that we can declare that we now have a successful enhanced VAT refund system.

enhanced VAT refund system as contemplated in TRAIN Law? To determine the effectivity of the successful establishment and implementation of an enhanced VAT refund system, TRAIN Law does require that all applications for VAT refund filed from January 1, 2018 shall be processed and must be decided within 90 days from the filing of the VAT refund application. While there are rules set in place to ensure the processing of claims and issuance of a decision within the 90-day period, there remains a question whether the decision is fair enough. Is the issuance of the decision alone within the 90-day period an indicator that we now have a successful VAT refund system? Does the BIR now have the capability to faithfully examine the correctness of taxpayers’ claims within the prescribed period? I am aware that the BIR has indeed processed and issued decisions observing the 90-day period but I am also aware that some of these decisions are denial decisions, forcing taxpayers to resort to judicial remedies, thinking that the decision is not reasonable. Revenue Memorandum Order 47-2020 was issued to expedite the processing of VAT refund claims. While the objective of the RMO is laudable, the documentary requirements needed and procedures laid down there are still cumbersome and challenging for both taxpayers and BIR reviewers to comply. Thus, there

is a need to revisit and further simplify the checklist of requirements, guidelines and procedures as set forth under RMO 47-2020. In his Veto message on some provisions of the CREATE Law, the President himself acknowledged that it is administratively difficult for the BIR to implement the processing of refund claims within the 90-day period. Thus, the President is suggesting the legislature, the Department of Finance, and the BIR to come up with mechanisms to streamline the process of tax refunds in a separate tax administration bill. I note though that the Veto message pertains to the proposed 90-day period of processing refund claims of erroneous payment of taxes under Section 204 of the Tax Code, not on VAT refund claims. As it stands now, the BIR is required to process and issue decision on VAT refund claims within the 90-day period. Given this short period of time, there should be a mechanism to streamline processing of VAT refund claims, a mechanism that will ensure that taxpayer’s claims are granted, if warranted. It is not enough that a decision be issued within the 90-day period. The decision must have a semblance of correctness, not a decision that is hastily issued just for the sake of being able to meet the 90-day deadline. It is only then that we can declare that we now have a successful enhanced VAT refund system.

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

A10 Tuesday, July 20, 2021

DESPITE DELTA VARIANT RISK, STRANDED OFWS’ REPATRIATION TO GO ON By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

HE repatriation efforts for around 5,000 to 6,0 0 0 st ra nded overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in eight countries with travel restrictions due to the presence of the Delta variant of Covid-19 will push through despite calls to suspend it. However, t he ret u r ning OFWs could face more stringent quarantine protocols upon their arrival after more cases of the Delta variant were detected in some lo c a l gover n me nt u n it s (LGU). In an online press briefing last Monday, Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said they will continue to bring home the concerned OFWs so they could be with their loved ones. He said the measure aims to prevent the entry congestion of their halfway homes in the said countries. The government imposed travel restrictions on India,

Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Oman and as of Monday, Indonesia due to the outbreak of the Delta variant in these areas. “Even if there is a lockdown [for travelers in the said countries], we try to come up with a way to bring them home through charter flights,” Bello said. However, Bello said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) is currently studying if it will reimpose tighter quarantine protocols for travelers coming from these countries. This after the government has already detected 35 Delta variants in the country. Of these, 19 cases involved returning overseas Filipinos. A former adviser to the coronavirus National Task Force Against Covid-19 had said the government may consider stopping the repatriation of stranded Filipinos amid the increasing cases of the Delta variant nationwide.

DOLE to seek Duterte help to champion ‘endo’ bill again

By Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will ask President Duterte to certify once again as urgent the legislation regulating contractual employment. Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said the measure aims to address the concerns of the labor sector that Duterte has abandoned his campaign promise to end contractualization. He said they will be submitting a letter with the said request to Duterte. A certification by the President, he said, will persuade more lawmakers to pass the Security of the Tenure (SOT) bill to regulate contractualization. Despite his campaign promise

to end contractualization, Duterte will be ending his term with over 9 million workers still under the said controversial work arrangement, according to militant labor groups. In a statement last Monday, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) expressed its outrage over Duterte’s alleged failure to improve the working conditions of employees, who suffer lower pay and are bereft of benefits enjoyed by their regular counterparts. Citing 2019 data from think-

tank IBON Foundation, KMU Secretary General Jerome Adonis said there are still 8.5 million contractual workers in private enterprises, while the government employs around 800,000 in different flexible work arrangements. Bello, however, contradicted that number, and counted only about 50,000 to 60,000 more contractual employees nationwide. “In the middle of the low wages and soaring prices [of basic goods], they have the audacity [to say] that ending contractualization is no longer their priority,” Adonis said.

The labor leader issued the statement after Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Jacinto Paras earlier said the pending Security of Tenure (SOT) bill is no longer part of the priority legislation of the administration. Duterte vetoed the SOT bill in 2019 because of the unresolved “conflict between the labor and the management” in its provisions. KMU and other labor groups ca l led for the resig nation of Duterte over his failure to realize this campaign promise to end contractualization.

“In the middle of the low wages and soaring prices [of basic goods], they have the audacity [to say] that ending contractualization is no longer their priority.”

JEROME ADONIS

KMU SECRETARY GENERAL

Apec leaders list to-dos in ensuring economic recovery By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @Tyronepiad

HE economic leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) stressed the need to redouble vaccine efforts, ensure job generation, further digitalization and enhance regional supply chain in supporting rebound for business activities. In a joint statement, the Apec members expressed the urgency of having equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines in order to survive the ongoing pandemic, which has severely impacted economies. “We recognize the role of extensive immunization against Covid-19 as a global public good. To that end, we will redouble our efforts to expand vaccine manufacture and supply, support global vaccine sharing efforts, and encourage the voluntary transfer of vaccine production technologies on mutually agreed terms,” the regional bloc said. In addition, the Apec leaders said the health systems in place should be resilient enough to address the current and future related events. To ensure inclusive growth, the Apec ministers vowed to implement macroeconomic and structural policies aimed at accelerating rebound. These inc lude measures boost ing job creation and initiatives enabling women to par ticipate in t he economic recovery. The regional bloc underscored the importance of promoting sustainable financing and recovery as well. “In designing a sustainable recovery, and aligned with global efforts, we reiterate the importance of economic policies, cooperation and growth that contribute to tackling climate change and other serious environmental challenges,” the

Apec members said. “Given the significant and diverse impact of Covid-19 on our people and businesses, now is a crucial time to pursue sound economic policies to sustain jobs, increase economic productivity, and advance innovation,” they explained. As such, the Apec membercountries said they will continue to support the digitalization, especially for the micro, small and medium enterprises. The regional bloc noted the need to establish cooperation on facilitating the flow of data and instilling consumer confidence in digital transactions. “We will support measures designed to foster digital transformation and contribute to bridging the digital divide, including digital literacy and skills,” the organization added. Meanwhile, the Apec ministers are also working on ensuring that regional supply chains allow “safe and efficient distribution of Covid-19 vaccines and related goods.” They expressed commitment on cooperating to facilitate the f low of goods and services. “We must pave the way for the safe resumption of cross-border travel, without undermining efforts to prevent the spread of Covid-19,” the Apec members stressed. “We acknowledge the importance of a free, open, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent and predictable trade and investment environment, which can help combat the far-reaching impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.” In an event last month, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez urged the MSMEs to maximize the opportunities for international trade in the Apec region. He noted that the MSMEs in the Apec bloc account for only 35 percent or less of direct exports.

SAN Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, together with other local government officials, conduct a house-to-house campaign for vaccination awareness, on bikes, at the Greenhills Loop all the way to Barangay Corazon de Jesus and back. The city also launched its third Covid vaccination site. NONOY LACZA

Cancer patients may now access ₧620M in free drugs

HE chairman of the House Committee on Social Services on Monday said cancer patients can now avail themselves of free cancer medicines under the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA). In a letter, Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas, the panel chairman, said the Department of Health (DOH) gave the assurance that patients can now access the P620million Cancer Assistance Fund established by the NICCA. The DOH letter, signed by Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergerie, was in reply to a letter from Vargas inquiring about the status of the Cancer Assistance Fund. According to the DOH, the provision for free cancer medicines will fall under the department’s Cancer, Supportive Care and Palliative Care

Medicines Access Program. The program will provide free medicines for patients with breast cancers, childhood cancers, gynecologic cancers; liver, colorectal and other digestive tract cancers, adult blood cancers; head, neck, thyroid cancers; lung cancer, and prostate and urinary bladder cancers. The DOH said that this year, the program will cater to around 21,000 patients or beneficiaries in 26 DOH hospital including the Philippine General Hospital. While the Administrative Order has yet to be signed by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, the fund can be accessed through the Medical Assistance for Indigents Program, the DOH said. The NICC, or Republic Act 11215, was signed into law by President Duterte in 2019. But the

NICC remained unfunded after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) disapproved the DOH’s proposal to set aside P540 million for the Cancer Assistance Fund. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the Philippines recorded 92,606 cancer deaths and 153,751 new cancer cases last year. According to the Cancer Coalition Philippines, a breast ultrasound—which is but one of many tests for breast cancer—could range from P600 to as high as P3,000 depending on the hospital. A colonoscopy could cost from P1,500 to around P14,000 exclusive of professional fees. Depending on the type of cancer, he said the chemotherapy cost per session can range from P20,000 to P120,000 or more.

“This is a victory for cancer care advocates and for the patients and their families. For years we have all fought to make cancer treatment more affordable. We have seen how families of cancer patients, regardless of economic class, struggle to pay for the cost of treatment of their loved ones. We are now able to offer them relief,” Vargas said. Vargas earlier expressed concern that the P620 million allotted by Congress for free cancer medicines this year could revert to the National Treasury if unused by the DOH. “The pandemic has greatly affected families of cancer patients, especially those with sole breadwinners who lost their jobs or sources of livelihood. The fund is a lifeline for them, and I am thankful that finally, they can have access to it,” he said. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Companies BusinessMirror

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

DOLE to determine work status of delivery riders

By Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

he Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is planning to issue a landmark policy that will determine if riders of food delivery apps can be considered as employees. Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III issued the statement after he ordered Labor Undersecretary Ana C. Dione to investigate Foodpanda for allegedly committing unfair labor practices. This after the food delivery app was reported to have slapped a 10year suspension against some of its riders who raised questions about its payment scheme. Initially around 100 riders had their Foodpanda accounts suspended after they held a protest in Davao City last week, but the number has been reduced to 43, according to reports.

Test

To recall, DOLE had already looked into the labor practice of the popular food delivery app last year after some lawmakers accused Foodpanda of shortchanging its riders. Bello said the agency hopes to finally address the issue by coming out with new guidelines to determine if an employer-employee relationship exists between the riders and Foodpanda. “We are waiting for the result of that inspection and as soon as we

get it, we will come up with the issuance [on this].” The labor chief said among the factors they will consider in assessing if such a relationship exists is to determine who hires, pays, control the working condition, and has the power to end the employment of the riders. “This is a very good occasion to come up with an advisory in order to guide the employees and the employers on this issue.”

Trend

The unclear employment status of riders and drivers of app-based services has become a contentious issue in other parts of the world and has even resulted in landmark court decisions. Labor groups insist that the riders and drivers should be considered as employees of app-based services. However, executives of the apps disagree, saying they merely link the riders and drivers to their potential clients. The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom recognized drivers of the ride hailing app, Uber, as workers

instead of third-party service contractors earlier this year. The state of California in the United States also made a similar declaration, when its appeals court affirmed that Uber and Lyft must classify their drivers as employees rather than independent contractors in 2020. Labor coalition Nagkaisa earlier said these developments could result in better working conditions for riders and drivers of app-based services.

Rights of freelancers

The plight of riders of a food delivery service is a “labor dispute waiting to happen” that could be put to an end when rights of freelance workers are recognized under the law, according to Senator Joel Villanueva. Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee, called on his colleagues to support the Freelancer Protection Act which he endorsed for plenary deliberations in September last year. With the Covid-19 pandemic altering the business landscape and displacing millions of workers, some have turned to freelancing to make ends meet and provide for their families, he said. “In its current form, the Labor Code does not recognize the existence of freelance workers. If there are indeed 1.5 million freelancers, and if we factor in their families, this means there are more than six million Filipinos affected by our action or inaction on this matter, that’s why I’m appealing to our colleagues to see the urgency of this bill,” he said. “We will continue to pursue the Freelance Workers Protection Bill because it levels the playing field for

both workers and employers. The rights of workers under freelancing arrangements are more pronounced in the bill, while allowing employers to resort to freelancing in the meantime while they are trying to get their businesses back in the black.” The senator said he would bring this again to the attention of the DOLE which earlier committed to look into the matter during the budget deliberations last year. At that time, Foodpanda riders staged a protest at the DOLE office to complain about the unclear payment structure. In September last year, Villanueva endorsed for plenary deliberations the Freelance Workers Protection bill or Senate Bill No. 1810 which seeks to define and recognize workers under freelance arrangement. In 2018, the Global Freelance Insights Report by Paypal pegged the number of freelance workers in the country to be around 1.5 million, the lawmaker cited. The bill requires the hiring party and the freelance worker to enter into a written contract or “a document, whether electronic file or printed copy, reflecting the mutual consent of the parties to be bound by the terms and conditions of their freelance work engagement and the consideration for the services rendered by the freelancer.” The measure also institutes rights of freelance workers, including their rights to redress of grievances, including alternative dispute resolution processes, Villanueva said. Likewise, DOLE is mandated to conduct seminars on the legal recourse available to freelance workers in case of disputes.

UC unit defends SPEX acquisition By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

alampaya Energy XP Pte. defended on Monday its acquisition of the shares of Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. (SPEX), saying that the Senate Energy Committee failed to see the bigger picture. The subsidiary of Udenna Corp. (UC) said the senate panel focused on a “very thin slice of information” when it questioned its financing capacity. Malampaya Energy XP clarified that its market capitalization is just “one element of a capital structure and is not on its own a reflection of the company’s ability to fund the deals.” “The acquisition of SPEX is 100-percent underwritten and funded via bank loans from our existing lenders. These full facil-

ity agreements have been provided to the relevant decision makers,” the company said in a statement. Last week, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian questioned the financial capacity of the Dennis A. Uy-led company, saying figures from the Singapore Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority showed that Malampaya Energy XP only has a paid up capital of $100. This, he said, means that the company cannot operate a rig with the said amount. “The acquisition is supported by international reputable financial institutions who saw Malampaya Energy’s capability to meet its obligations and to deliver value,” Malampaya Energy XP said. It added that upon the share sale completion, the company will have “over P10 billion of cash.”

“The Energy committee has unfortunately looked at a very thin slice of information and it is Malampaya Energy’s responsibility to work with DOE [Department of Energy] and PNOC-EC to ensure all the facts are properly presented and the financing certainty and significant cash is known,” the statement read. It added that “no drilling has been taken to arrest the depletion of the Malampaya field.” “It has been seven years since the last drilling activity. Malampaya Energy is all out to rejuvenate Malampaya through a drilling campaign once the transaction is completed.” The Philippines, the company said, will be short of natural gas by next year, and delaying its entry will “exacerbate the worsening electricity situation,” it said.

CPG offers free AirAsia plans to restore Clark hub jabs to workers

roperty developer Century Properties Group Inc. (CPG) has launched its Covid-19 vaccination program which aims to inoculate its 5,000 company employees, inorganic employees, accredited sales agents, construction laborers and accredited thirdparty service personnel starting this month. CPG has procured 26,000 doses of vaccines from AstraZeneca, Moderna, Novavax and Covaxin. Of this, some 10,000 doses are for CPG workers—two doses per recipient— while the balance is intended for employee dependents as well as donations to the national government. The first 10,000 doses from CPG’s orders are scheduled to arrive this month and in August. The company will administer majority of its purchased vaccines at its Department of Health and Makati City-registered Bakuna Center: Centuria Medical in Poblacion, Makati—CPG’s flagship private outpatient medical facility. VG Cabuag

irAsia Philippines joined leaders of the government and industry partners in witnessing the inspection and dry run of the world-class passenger terminal building of the Clark International Airport (CRK) last Saturday. President Duterte experienced firsthand the state of the art features of CRK’s passenger Terminal 2 as it boasts end-to-end contactless experience from the bus ride, check-in, bag drop and even when ordering meals. AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla said, “AirAsia is one with the Filipino people in celebrating this milestone in infrastructure development. This will definitely boost our initiatives for a stronger rebound post pandemic.” “Once travel restrictions ease and demand picks up soon, we are eyeing to strategically restore AirAsia’s Clark hub hopefully by the fourth of 2021.” Dubbed Asia’s next premier gateway for North and Central Luzon, the new terminal

is expected to decongest passenger traffic at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) with its annual capacity of 8 million passengers. Among the officials present were former President and now Presidential Adviser on Clark Programs and Projects Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Speaker Lord Allan Jay Velasco, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Bases Conversion and Development Authority Chief Vince Dizon. AirAsia began its Philippines operations in Clark in March 2012, making it one of the carriers actively boosting connectivity, mobility in various local economies in North and Central Luzon. Before the pandemic, AirAsia Philippines flew to 10 domestic and 3 international destinations from Clark—Cagayan de Oro, Caticlan, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa, Tacloban, Incheon, Kaohsiung, and Taipei. Recto L. Mercene

Tim Ho Wan store opens in Shanghai

Tim Ho Wan's baked BBQ pork buns. Contributed photo By VG Cabuag @villygc

ollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) on Monday said it opened its first Tim Ho Wan restaurant in Shanghai’s Changning District. The company said three more branches of Tim Ho Wan are set to open by September in Shanghai’s Hongkou, Jing’an and Minhang Districts. The new branch features two floors and an al fresco dining area to accommodate up to 126 customers. The new Tim Ho Wan branch in the Nanfeng City Shopping Mall is a few minutes’ drive from the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, which ranks among the busiest airports in China. “We’re thrilled to continue expanding the Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan in Mainland China. We are targeting to open 100 restaurants within the next four years,” Jollibee China President Shirley Chang said. After debuting the first Tim Ho Wan branch in mainland China in September last year, Shanghai wel-

comed the mainland’s third Tim Ho Wan branch with a big crowd of people who were eager to try its Hong Kong dim sum recipes. Jollibee Group has entered into a joint venture agreement with the Tim Ho Wan Group to open and operate Tim Ho Wan restaurants in mainland China. In 2018, Jollibee invested some P1.74 billion in private equity fund Titan Dining LP for the acquisition of 100 percent of the Asia Pacific master franchise holder of the “Tim Ho Wan” brand, Tim Ho Wan Pte. Ltd., and its affiliate Dim Sum Pte. Ltd., which owns and operates Tim Ho Wan stores in Singapore. Tim Ho Wan Pte. Ltd. holds the exclusive long-term master franchise to operate Tim Ho Wan food and beverage business within the Asia Pacific region, excluding Hong Kong. It also has franchisees in Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, and the Philippines, with further development planned in the Asia Pacific region.

Companies BusinessMirror

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

July 19, 2021

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

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

43.1 108.4 86.05 24.6 9.68 46.1 20.5 56.9 19.92 112 76.75 1.37 4.3 2.92 1.27 0.36 0.67 232.2 0.93

44.9 108.5 86.3 24.8 9.75 46.15 20.6 57 20 113.2 76.85 1.38 4.33 2.98 1.29 0.39 0.72 232.4 0.99

45 108 86.65 25 9.8 47.5 20 56.3 20.1 114 77 1.49 4.3 2.91 1.29 0.38 0.68 240 0.93

45.5 109 86.65 25 9.8 47.75 20.6 57 20.25 115 77 1.49 4.4 2.92 1.29 0.395 0.68 240 0.93

43 106 84.2 24.6 9.65 45.05 20 56 19.82 111.3 76.2 1.38 4.25 2.91 1.27 0.36 0.67 215 0.93

43.1 108.5 86.05 24.6 9.75 46.1 20.6 57 19.92 112 76.85 1.38 4.33 2.92 1.27 0.39 0.67 232.2 0.93

31,400 2,706,600 1,326,210 112,600 617,200 5,298,700 580,100 6,380 172,500 1,032,510 50,060 501,000 614,000 17,000 25,000 1,210,000 39,000 6,970 3,000

1,364,810 291,664,473 113,249,566.50 2,785,610 5,993,681 243,845,220 11,711,905 358,143 3,453,677 116,176,284 3,838,907.50 707,400 2,661,440 49,530 32,010 443,350 26,150 1,577,892 2,790

-607,050 -43,018,719 17,774,421.50 -108,161,785 -570 2,240 6,015 8,765,553 1,680,097 1,410 47,630 32,400 2,700 337,914 -

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 8.21 8.23 8.13 8.34 7.82 8.21 86,972,500 702,463,355 1.26 1.27 1.27 1.27 1.24 1.27 197,000 248,870 ALSONS CONS ABOITIZ POWER 23.75 24 23.95 24 23 24 3,865,600 90,956,885 BASIC ENERGY 0.64 0.65 0.67 0.67 0.61 0.65 33,900,000 21,606,530 29.05 29.8 29.5 29.8 28.6 29.8 394,500 11,567,470 FIRST GEN 76.1 76.5 77.25 77.3 76 76.1 266,080 20,485,915 FIRST PHIL HLDG MERALCO 270.4 270.6 272 272.4 270.4 270.6 257,200 69,673,822 MANILA WATER 17.6 17.66 17.58 17.7 17.06 17.6 1,793,700 31,229,730 3.29 3.3 3.38 3.39 3.25 3.3 2,281,000 7,483,010 PETRON 4.03 4.09 4.02 4.02 4.02 4.02 9,000 36,180 PETROENERGY PHX PETROLEUM 12.4 12.84 12.4 12.84 12.38 12.84 16,500 210,506 19.8 19.96 20.3 20.3 19.02 19.8 288,600 5,615,670 PILIPINAS SHELL 11.58 11.6 12.28 12.28 11.5 11.58 1,040,100 12,165,658 SPC POWER VIVANT 16.16 17.5 16.16 16.16 16.16 16.16 500 8,080 5.75 5.8 6.06 6.06 5.61 5.8 859,200 4,967,452 AGRINURTURE 2.9 2.91 2.87 2.9 2.85 2.9 760,000 2,179,910 AXELUM 13.2 14 14.3 14.3 13.02 14 5,900 80,820 CNTRL AZUCARERA CENTURY FOOD 24.05 24.2 24 24.05 22.8 24.05 1,923,000 45,230,930 DEL MONTE 15.58 15.6 15.02 15.6 14.72 15.6 560,300 8,629,712 7.81 7.89 7.9 7.98 7.5 7.89 3,874,200 30,053,815 DNL INDUS 12.48 12.5 12.6 12.62 12.3 12.5 4,937,900 61,148,890 EMPERADOR SMC FOODANDBEV 80.5 81.75 82.5 82.5 80 81.75 297,870 24,230,079.50 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.64 0.66 0.67 0.67 0.65 0.66 290,000 189,860 1.29 1.3 1.34 1.34 1.28 1.3 12,489,000 16,264,980 FRUITAS HLDG 91.45 91.5 91.1 93.9 90.1 91.5 47,120 4,344,871 GINEBRA JOLLIBEE 210 210.6 209.4 211 202.6 210.6 1,055,320 220,849,324 7.59 7.99 7.59 7.59 7.59 7.59 1,600 12,144 MACAY HLDG 6.2 6.29 6.4 6.4 6.18 6.29 237,600 1,490,193 MAXS GROUP MG HLDG 0.255 0.26 0.26 0.27 0.25 0.255 2,550,000 651,750 15.14 15.18 15.68 15.68 14.42 15.18 36,547,300 550,134,530 MONDE NISSIN 7.72 7.79 7.99 7.99 7.7 7.72 102,200 788,892 SHAKEYS PIZZA 1.01 1.03 1.02 1.04 1 1.01 5,053,000 5,126,210 ROXAS AND CO RFM CORP 4.5 4.52 4.52 4.53 4.52 4.52 8,000 36,170 SWIFT FOODS 0.139 0.14 0.141 0.141 0.135 0.14 19,690,000 2,724,800 135.6 136 137.7 137.7 133.5 135.6 394,740 53,519,364 UNIV ROBINA 0.81 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.8 0.82 7,488,000 6,100,530 VITARICH CONCRETE A 51.55 52 52.7 52.7 52 52 190 9,961 56.05 59.8 59.85 59.85 59.8 59.8 1,010 60,398.50 CONCRETE B 1.25 1.26 1.25 1.28 1.21 1.25 4,368,000 5,379,210 CEMEX HLDG EAGLE CEMENT 14.5 14.52 14.5 15.48 14.3 14.52 1,046,900 15,232,680 EEI CORP 7.81 7.82 7.81 8 7.8 7.81 86,700 677,173 6.64 6.65 6.73 6.75 6.4 6.64 1,320,200 8,631,947 HOLCIM 6.36 6.39 6.35 6.46 6.11 6.36 739,400 4,626,925 MEGAWIDE PHINMA 14.3 14.4 14.56 14.56 14.2 14.4 195,200 2,785,088 TKC METALS 1.02 1.06 1.03 1.09 1.02 1.02 179,000 186,450 2 2.02 2.13 2.13 1.81 2.02 9,103,000 18,133,070 VULCAN INDL 144.5 173.8 145 145 145 145 30 4,350 CHEMPHIL CROWN ASIA 1.68 1.7 1.71 1.73 1.68 1.7 397,000 674,430 1.87 1.93 1.96 1.96 1.86 1.93 42,000 78,380 EUROMED 4.12 4.49 4.28 4.28 4.11 4.11 7,000 29,110 LMG CORP PRYCE CORP 5.35 5.42 5.4 5.42 5.35 5.42 201,700 1,085,281 CONCEPCION 20.15 20.8 20.85 20.85 20.05 20.8 16,200 331,765 3.03 3.04 3.26 3.28 2.93 3.04 15,891,000 48,827,360 GREENERGY 9.2 9.21 9.1 9.25 8.95 9.2 647,600 5,875,380 INTEGRATED MICR IONICS 1.03 1.04 1.02 1.03 1 1.03 298,000 302,630 5.82 6.2 5.83 6.2 5.82 6.2 12,300 71,743 PANASONIC 1.27 1.28 1.28 1.29 1.25 1.28 622,000 789,620 SFA SEMICON 5.14 5.3 5.22 5.3 4.96 5.3 4,665,800 23,984,202 CIRTEK HLDG

84,660,884 -20,160 -11,587,695 2,840 -5,068,045 1,061,340 -5,327,190 4,762,526.00 -63,130 -20,100.00 -405,300 63,052.00 -208,322 1,186,350 -14,462,345 -1,688,978 -783,977 -5,010,312 1,982,160.50 -7,907,510 -1,345,832 151,014,242 383,913 -143,507,194 63,213 -1,276,060 -18,080 -9,730 -19,025,767.00 925,000 875,000 -9,715,000 659,293 -734,681 28,800 204,000 5,938 -207,020 -3,009,930.00 -135,214.00 59,490 32,068

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL 0.97 0.98 1 1 0.95 0.98 7,634,000 7,399,550 6.5 7 6.8 7 6.8 7 8,300 56,480 ASIABEST GROUP AYALA CORP 745 747 768 768 743.5 745 368,280 275,946,255 ABOITIZ EQUITY 39.6 39.7 40.1 40.1 39.1 39.6 761,100 30,122,405 10.02 10.1 9.96 10.1 9.76 10.1 3,271,400 32,618,209 ALLIANCE GLOBAL 4.05 4.06 3.9 4.15 3.8 4.06 10,816,000 42,420,880 AYALA LAND LOG ANSCOR 6.7 6.99 6.98 6.98 6.6 6.7 49,600 336,352 ANGLO PHIL HLDG 0.9 0.91 0.94 0.94 0.86 0.9 5,336,000 4,777,570 0.65 0.66 0.65 0.66 0.64 0.65 813,000 526,520 ATN HLDG A 0.66 0.71 0.67 0.67 0.65 0.66 101,000 66,600 ATN HLDG B COSCO CAPITAL 5.04 5.06 5.15 5.15 5.01 5.04 597,400 3,013,403 DMCI HLDG 6.18 6.19 6.3 6.31 6.05 6.18 8,677,400 53,619,330 7.95 8 8.06 8.06 7.9 7.95 73,400 587,143 FILINVEST DEV GT CAPITAL 574 575 576 578.5 558 574 134,320 76,369,315 HOUSE OF INV 4 4.03 4.01 4.01 4 4 46,000 184,040 60.5 61 60.5 61 58 61 589,990 35,704,604 JG SUMMIT 5.67 5.77 5.62 5.78 5.62 5.78 2,400 13,808 JOLLIVILLE HLDG KEPPEL HLDG A 4.8 5.48 5.48 5.48 5.48 5.48 200 1,096 0.74 0.75 0.8 0.8 0.72 0.74 2,525,000 1,875,630 LODESTAR 3.22 3.26 3.3 3.3 3.23 3.23 581,000 1,882,200 LOPEZ HLDG 10.84 10.86 11.18 11.18 10.68 10.86 12,858,100 139,818,550 LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG 0.49 0.495 0.5 0.5 0.48 0.495 1,022,000 504,950 3.66 3.67 3.73 3.73 3.63 3.66 19,589,000 71,897,960 METRO PAC INV 3.5 3.55 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 52,000 182,000 PACIFICA HLDG 2.62 2.68 2.8 2.86 2.54 2.62 1,505,000 3,980,480 PRIME MEDIA SOLID GROUP 1.19 1.21 1.21 1.21 1.17 1.17 109,000 129,290 950 951 960 976.5 931 951 361,240 342,922,570 SM INVESTMENTS 112 113 113 114 110 113 226,920 25,435,864 SAN MIGUEL CORP SOC RESOURCES 0.72 0.76 0.73 0.73 0.73 0.73 60,000 43,800 138 139.4 138 139.4 136 139.4 2,090 288,580 TOP FRONTIER 0.265 0.27 0.27 0.27 0.265 0.265 1,560,000 414,100 WELLEX INDUS 0.211 0.213 0.226 0.227 0.2 0.213 12,730,000 2,657,790 ZEUS HLDG

345,460 -101,354,165 -9,898,305 -15,034,281 1,197,250 678 -1,580,670 -1,682,878 4,504,347 806 -23,432,145 -16,379,148 -22,500 -158,700 -76,684,620 -9,038,840 84,690 -11,695,155 -15,341,101 -69,700 19,170

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.63 0.65 0.64 0.65 0.63 0.65 825,000 522,470 34.1 34.4 35.1 35.1 34.1 34.1 6,665,200 229,209,175 AYALA LAND ARANETA PROP 1.16 1.17 1.16 1.17 1.16 1.16 192,000 222,900 36.15 36.25 36.15 36.25 35.9 36.15 942,200 33,987,645 AREIT RT 1.4 1.43 1.4 1.43 1.38 1.43 587,000 816,740 BELLE CORP 0.89 0.91 0.89 0.91 0.88 0.9 826,000 734,780 A BROWN CITYLAND DEVT 0.83 0.84 0.87 0.87 0.77 0.83 2,672,000 2,146,310 CROWN EQUITIES 0.127 0.13 0.128 0.13 0.127 0.13 4,220,000 539,650 2.98 3 2.9 3 2.62 3 8,450,000 23,954,440 CEB LANDMASTERS 0.475 0.49 0.495 0.51 0.47 0.49 76,964,000 37,240,610 CENTURY PROP DOUBLEDRAGON 10.86 11 11.04 11.04 10.4 11 1,120,300 11,976,148 DDMP RT 1.93 1.94 1.95 1.96 1.92 1.94 14,311,000 27,674,570 6.97 7 7 7 6.97 7 14,500 101,260 DM WENCESLAO EMPIRE EAST 0.29 0.295 0.29 0.295 0.29 0.295 170,000 49,450 0.415 0.42 0.425 0.435 0.4 0.415 47,260,000 19,596,950 EVER GOTESCO 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.13 1.11 1.12 16,231,000 18,144,210 FILINVEST LAND 0.87 0.9 0.89 0.89 0.87 0.87 526,000 460,060 GLOBAL ESTATE 8990 HLDG 7.14 7.24 7.13 7.3 7.13 7.14 21,600 155,095 1.29 1.3 1.32 1.32 1.28 1.3 1,254,000 1,629,190 PHIL INFRADEV 3.06 4.13 3.06 3.06 3.06 3.06 6,000 18,360 KEPPEL PROP 1.6 1.61 1.52 1.67 1.43 1.61 950,000 1,468,210 CITY AND LAND MEGAWORLD 2.99 3 2.96 3.07 2.84 3 42,091,000 124,632,930 MRC ALLIED 0.36 0.365 0.365 0.365 0.35 0.365 24,640,000 8,816,600 0.59 0.6 0.6 0.61 0.57 0.59 19,774,000 11,626,360 PHIL ESTATES 2.66 2.67 2.71 2.71 2.43 2.66 2,644,000 6,789,080 PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND 15.32 15.5 16.12 16.12 15.32 15.32 10,172,900 158,894,174 0.32 0.33 0.33 0.335 0.31 0.33 4,680,000 1,494,950 PHIL REALTY 1.52 1.57 1.52 1.57 1.52 1.57 140,000 213,650 ROCKWELL SHANG PROP 2.62 2.65 2.65 2.65 2.65 2.65 5,000 13,250 2.85 2.89 2.82 2.97 2.82 2.86 659,000 1,877,680 STA LUCIA LAND 33.95 34 34.6 34.6 33.6 33.95 8,635,200 293,144,815 SM PRIME HLDG 3.8 3.91 3.91 3.91 3.91 3.91 3,000 11,730 VISTAMALLS SUNTRUST HOME 1.56 1.57 1.56 1.59 1.56 1.57 168,000 262,180 3.58 3.65 3.58 3.62 3.5 3.58 2,756,000 9,757,800 VISTA LAND SERVICES ABS CBN 11.52 11.6 11.76 11.76 11.24 11.52 339,300 3,897,478 12.4 12.42 12.5 12.96 11.66 12.42 5,167,800 63,275,460 GMA NETWORK MANILA BULLETIN 0.415 0.425 0.425 0.43 0.425 0.425 120,000 51,050 1,920 1,930 1,936 1,936 1,870 1,930 41,300 78,953,870 GLOBE TELECOM 1,287 1,299 1,290 1,299 1,265 1,299 40,420 51,891,820 PLDT 0.151 0.152 0.159 0.16 0.14 0.152 390,060,000 59,091,740 APOLLO GLOBAL CONVERGE 23.5 23.6 22.8 23.9 22.7 23.5 5,503,800 128,160,775 DFNN INC 4.06 4.2 4.21 4.32 4 4.22 949,000 3,994,750 8.02 8.03 8.1 8.15 7.65 8.02 15,991,500 126,568,843 DITO CME HLDG 2.08 2.16 2.05 2.18 2.04 2.18 22,000 45,890 JACKSTONES NOW CORP 2.28 2.29 2.31 2.31 2.27 2.28 1,686,000 3,849,580 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.425 0.43 0.45 0.45 0.41 0.43 23,130,000 9,967,650 2.3 2.32 2.38 2.38 2.28 2.33 433,000 995,120 PHILWEB 2GO GROUP 8.29 8.3 8.42 8.42 8.29 8.29 16,200 135,911 14.4 14.5 14.76 14.76 14.38 14.4 42,400 615,158 ASIAN TERMINALS 2.9 2.91 2.99 2.99 2.87 2.9 768,000 2,239,870 CHELSEA 45.9 46.05 46 46.05 45.8 45.9 132,400 6,083,830 CEBU AIR INTL CONTAINER 158.5 159 162.5 162.8 155 159 992,480 157,254,538 LBC EXPRESS 17.18 17.84 17.92 17.92 17.18 17.18 4,000 68,966 0.98 0.99 1 1 0.99 0.99 499,000 498,860 LORENZO SHIPPNG 4.65 4.66 4.7 4.88 4.61 4.65 2,425,000 11,415,190 MACROASIA METROALLIANCE A 1.98 2.1 1.97 2.05 1.96 2.05 378,000 748,940 1.99 2.22 2 2 1.98 1.98 16,000 31,880 METROALLIANCE B 1.16 1.18 1.2 1.23 1.15 1.17 619,000 722,230 HARBOR STAR 2.22 2.32 2.11 2.5 2.1 2.22 3,354,000 7,733,530 ACESITE HOTEL BOULEVARD HLDG 0.129 0.13 0.123 0.131 0.118 0.129 290,510,000 36,040,010 2.7 2.72 2.78 3 2.7 2.72 563,000 1,670,880 DISCOVERY WORLD 0.54 0.55 0.54 0.56 0.53 0.54 2,889,000 1,561,440 WATERFRONT CENTRO ESCOLAR 6.49 6.93 6.49 6.49 6.49 6.49 2,000 12,980 FAR EASTERN U 565 629.5 565 565 565 565 320 180,800 0.35 0.36 0.37 0.37 0.36 0.36 12,500,000 4,510,950 STI HLDG 5.37 5.5 5.41 5.5 5.37 5.5 19,400 104,836 BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY 6.08 6.16 6.41 6.41 6.08 6.08 8,977,300 55,296,613 LEISURE AND RES 1.56 1.57 1.57 1.57 1.55 1.57 826,000 1,293,700 1.77 1.78 1.77 1.81 1.72 1.78 1,116,000 1,958,120 PH RESORTS GRP 0.42 0.425 0.42 0.42 0.41 0.42 8,200,000 3,416,550 PREMIUM LEISURE PHIL RACING 5.8 5.95 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.8 1,000 5,800 7.7 7.74 7.65 7.85 7.5 7.7 1,314,100 10,083,757 ALLHOME 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.37 1.34 1.36 1,457,000 1,979,510 METRO RETAIL PUREGOLD 38.6 38.8 38.5 38.85 37.3 38.8 1,778,600 68,108,955 ROBINSONS RTL 52.4 52.9 52.6 52.9 51 52.9 530,130 27,592,479 93.2 94 97.5 97.5 94 94 5,090 478,986 PHIL SEVEN CORP 1.26 1.27 1.2 1.27 1.2 1.26 7,381,000 9,094,270 SSI GROUP WILCON DEPOT 20.2 20.25 20.8 21.05 19.8 20.2 1,954,100 39,936,899 APC GROUP 0.365 0.37 0.39 0.39 0.37 0.37 1,450,000 537,400 5.85 6 5.91 5.91 5.85 5.85 13,800 81,178 EASYCALL 437.4 448 448 448 448 448 20 8,960 GOLDEN MV IPM HLDG 6.23 6.49 6.2 6.2 6.2 6.2 8,000 49,600 1.45 1.46 1.48 1.48 1.38 1.45 18,856,000 26,892,880 PRMIERE HORIZON 4.6 4.68 4.51 4.7 4.51 4.6 517,000 2,352,930 SBS PHIL CORP

1,260 -44,204,940 10,681,270 28,000 8,900 37,500 14,820 363,310 -99,390 -2,746,276.00 7,016,260 345,400 -547,220 -88,000 130,000 -20,260 -17,406,950 410,950 310,710.00 3,731,140 14,032,876 -19,100 9,120 0 -36,660 -48,468,995 -1,992,660 -19,338,390 -2,052,655 1,470,580 81,589,535 5,168,711 -204,570 589,750 163,210 -115,412 -17,340 -1,659,470 -3,251,919 334,900 -94,400 -100,670 -1,208,250 -27,200 -109,620 12,980 -3,395,500 -13,282,426 28,000 58,700 7,399,131 -91,800 -3,858,980 -11,782,127.50 -381,861 133,730 -1,989,423 694,030 -

MINING & OIL ATOK 7.51 7.57 7.81 7.81 7.5 7.57 269,300 2,027,660 -17,165 APEX MINING 1.62 1.63 1.64 1.65 1.6 1.62 2,516,000 4,072,100 456,590 ATLAS MINING 5.86 5.87 5.98 5.98 5.82 5.86 928,100 5,478,680 -290,727 5.13 5.34 5.76 5.76 5.12 5.34 187,900 979,011 BENGUET A 5 5.27 5.45 5.45 5 5 58,200 291,425 187,500 BENGUET B COAL ASIA HLDG 0.295 0.3 0.295 0.3 0.295 0.295 190,000 56,250 2.82 2.86 2.82 2.82 2.82 2.82 65,000 183,300 95,880 CENTURY PEAK 6.32 6.4 6.45 6.45 6.32 6.32 24,100 152,453 DIZON MINES 2.47 2.54 2.45 2.55 2.41 2.54 3,404,000 8,437,810 644,560 FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE 0.3 0.31 0.31 0.31 0.3 0.3 1,340,000 407,600 0.153 0.154 0.156 0.156 0.151 0.153 22,430,000 3,428,150 LEPANTO A 0.157 0.158 0.158 0.16 0.157 0.16 1,740,000 273,940 LEPANTO B MANILA MINING A 0.01 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.01 0.011 51,000,000 514,300 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 36,100,000 397,200 MANILA MINING B 1.22 1.23 1.17 1.25 1.15 1.22 1,111,000 1,316,960 120,000 MARCVENTURES 1.31 1.36 1.31 1.39 1.26 1.36 524,000 680,300 NIHAO NICKEL ASIA 5.45 5.46 5.39 5.63 5.32 5.45 8,956,900 48,948,292 9,912,336 OMICO CORP 0.38 0.39 0.395 0.395 0.39 0.39 500,000 195,200 -187,300 0.91 0.95 0.99 0.99 0.89 0.92 4,262,000 3,948,090 35,290 ORNTL PENINSULA 6.06 6.12 6.2 6.21 6.05 6.06 1,479,100 9,102,951 -184,817 PX MINING SEMIRARA MINING 16.5 16.7 16.8 16.8 15.32 16.7 4,944,700 80,692,332 17,441,170 UNITED PARAGON 0.0089 0.009 0.0092 0.0095 0.0089 0.0089 231,000,000 2,080,800 45,000 17.2 17.5 17.52 17.52 17.1 17.5 156,400 2,696,766 3,460 ACE ENEXOR 0.011 0.012 0.012 0.012 0.011 0.012 127,300,000 1,522,200 ORNTL PETROL A ORNTL PETROL B 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.012 0.012 0.012 5,200,000 62,400 -62,400 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011 90,000,000 990,000 PHILODRILL 7.3 7.35 7.5 7.52 7.2 7.35 226,500 1,662,270 -266,723 PXP ENERGY PREFFERED HOUSE PREF B 100.5 101.6 100.5 100.5 100.5 100.5 990 99,495 -99,495 100.8 101 100.8 101 100.8 101 10,000 1,008,660 HOUSE PREF A ALCO PREF B 102.5 103.5 103.5 103.5 103.5 103.5 1,930 199,755 523 530 523 523 523 523 100 52,300 AC PREF B2R 45.1 46 45.2 46 45 45.1 139,600 6,304,820 -247,805 CEB PREF 102 104 102 104 102 104 200 20,600 CPG PREF A DD PREF 100.9 101 100.9 101.5 100.9 101.5 230 23,279 -10,090 FGEN PREF G 105 105.6 105.6 105.6 105.6 105.6 2,040 215,424 505 516 505 505 505 505 1,600 808,000 GLO PREF P 1,020 1,045 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 50 51,000 GTCAP PREF B MWIDE PREF 101 101.2 101.2 101.2 101.2 101.2 19,440 1,967,328 100.5 102 101.8 101.8 100.5 100.5 20,500 2,063,085 101,000 MWIDE PREF 2B 105 106 106 106 105 106 3,460 366,226 PNX PREF 3B PNX PREF 4 1,005 1,007 1,005 1,006 1,004 1,006 790 794,385 1,082 1,112 1,112 1,112 1,110 1,110 240 266,480 222,000 PCOR PREF 3A 1,155 1,165 1,165 1,165 1,165 1,165 10 11,650 PCOR PREF 3B 78.8 78.85 79 79 78.8 78.85 26,190 2,065,269.50 -300,860 SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2F 78.8 79.4 78.8 78.8 78.75 78.8 25,830 2,035,393 -1,063,800 SMC PREF 2H 76.8 76.95 76.95 76.95 76.95 76.95 10,640 818,748 78.05 78.25 78.1 78.1 78.1 78.1 1,000 78,100 SMC PREF 2I 76.45 76.5 76.45 76.45 76.45 76.45 10,060 769,087 - SMC PREF 2K PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 11.36 12 11.36 11.36 11.36 11.36 2,800 31,808 -9,088 11.42 11.5 11.82 11.82 11 11.42 307,100 3,506,490 11,470 GMA HLDG PDR WARRANTS LR WARRANT 1.35 1.36 1.4 1.4 1.29 1.35 582,000 779,490 -13,400 SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ALTUS PROP 16.56 16.6 16.74 16.74 16.56 16.6 88,200 1,467,950 133,120 2.26 2.27 2.32 2.32 2.2 2.27 624,000 1,413,760 ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH 4.9 5.18 6.4 6.4 4.81 5.18 42,000 228,430 -760 MERRYMART 3.74 3.75 3.81 3.83 3.52 3.74 11,341,000 41,533,980 1,252,260 EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF 100 100.8 101.3 101.5 100 100 39,780 4,010,842 16,891

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Imported car dealers sold 4,936 units in June–AVID

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

@TyronePiad

mported car dealers are optimistic of selling more units in the coming months after registering sales growth in June amid the health crisis. The Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors, Inc. (AVID) on Monday said it sold 4,936 units in June, which is 33 percent more than the 3,698 units sold a year ago. “It has been an uphill struggle for the automotive industry, more so among importers, but the recent numbers are encouraging. As our

nation progresses towards achieving herd immunity, the automotive industry has proven resilient and poised to emerge stronger than ever,” AVID President Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo said in a statement. Light commercial vehicles (LCV) accounted for the bulk of sales in June at 3,566 units. This figure is

44 percent higher than last year’s 2,462 units. Passenger car (PC) sales improved by 13 percent to 1,350 units from last year’s 1,200 units. Sales for the commercial vehicle (CV) segment, meanwhile, dipped by 17 percent to 30 units from 36 units a year ago. In January to June, sales of imported vehicles surged by 55 percent to 30,153 units from 19,509 units in the same period last year, thanks to robust growth in all segments. PC sales were up 26 percent to 7,707 as of end-June from 6,128 last year. Suzuki Philippines Inc. sold the most in this segment for the period at 3,949 units, followed by Hyundai Asia Resources Inc.

with 2,567 units sold. The LCV segment saw its sales rise by 64 percent to 21,684 units in the first half from 13,244 a year ago. Ford Group Philippines led this segment with 9,096 units sold, followed by Suzuki and Hyundai with sales of 6,038 units and 2,837 units, respectively. CV dealers, meanwhile, sold 762 units in the first half from just 137 units last year. Hyundai dominated this segment given its participation in the national Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program. “With better prospects ahead, we will continue to give our best to ensure the complete recovery of the industry. This much, we owe the Filipino people,” Perez-Agudo said.

PHL to harness wind energy resources By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

he Department of Energy (DOE) hopes to collaborate with the Carbon Trust and the Global Wind Energy Council to harness wind power to produce clean energy. Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said his group will hold a virtual workshop on Wednesday to “determine how the Philippine government and the wind industry could jointly work towards realizing the country’s massive offshore wind potential.” “Harnessing our wind energy resources would open up a limitless resource of reliable and indigenous clean energy, bringing us closer to our energy security and sustainability goals. This development would also redound to the benefit of Filipinos through job generation, public health benefits, and the influx of significant inward capital investment,” he said. The energy department, through the workshop, hopes “to secure a more robust investment environment for the Philippine wind sector and it recognizes the challenges in marine spatial planning and enhanc-

ing capabilities to address technical challenges over floating wind applications, turbine operations in challenging climatic conditions and the necessary grid reinforcements in realizing the full potential of offshore wind in the Philippines.” The virtual activity will gather renewable energy and infrastructure experts, offshore wind industry practitioners, and investors to exchange views on policy, regulatory, and technical issues surrounding offshore wind development, as well as on potential areas for long-term sectoral collaboration. Under the National Renewable Energy Program, the DOE aims to “attain wind power grid parity with the commissioning of 2,345 MW additional capacities.” In 2019, the share of renewable energy in the country’s generation mix stood at 20.8 percent from 23.38 percent in 2018. Coal continues to dominate the mix at 54.6 percent , followed by gas at 21.1 percent and oil at 3.5 percent. The country’s RE goals have yet to be fully achieved since Republic Act 9513 or the Renewable Energy Act was enacted in 2008.

Ayala, TESDA unveil training program for mothers in Cagayan

he Ayala Group has partnered with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to provide training to 300 mothers or heads of families affected by Typhoon Ulysses in two communities in Cagayan. An initial 50 mothers from the towns of Lal-lo and Buguey, Cagayan, will be trained in cooking and baking and pastry skills. The remaining 250 participants will go through the training during the remainder of the year. The training will be under the mobile training program of TESDA, and will also cover the towns of Amulung, Solana, Enrile, Baggao and Alcala. Typhoon Ulysses slammed Luzon in November last year, bringing floods to Northern Luzon. “TESDA is truly grateful to the entire Ayala Group of companies as we work together to provide the needed assistance to calamity-affected communities and help them rebuild their lives through employment and livelihood opportunities,” Isidro Lapeña, director general of TESDA, said. Ulysses ravaged many parts of the country, particularly northern Luzon. Still reeling from the devastation wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic and a string of previous typhoons, many communities in Luzon, particularly the Cagayan Valley region, had to face massive flooding

and loss of property and livelihood. Based on estimates, the typhoon resulted in damages amounting to roughly P20.3 billion. “This partnership with AC Energy and TESDA for a disaster resilience program in Cagayan is in keeping with our efforts to align with the needs of stakeholders, focusing on interventions that make the most impact in the lives of people,” Ruel Maranan, president of Ayala Foundation said. “As Ayala Foundation celebrates its 60th anniversary, we affirm our faith in the Filipino as we all stand resilient in the face of challenges.” The Ayala Group was among the first private groups to mobilize relief operations in Cagayan. With Ayala Foundation taking the lead, the Ayala Group provided emergency relief support for 1,800 families or 9,000 individuals in Cagayan. This support came in the form of food packs, installation of free call and internet stations in evacuation sites and delivery of essential medicines to the Provincial Health Office. The group also provided support for learners and teachers in Cagayan, who are currently adapting to the new normal of education. Public school students and teachers from the towns of Lal-lo and Buguey received transistor radios, face masks, and Globe Home Prepaid WiFi kits. VG Cabuag

mutual funds

July 19, 2021

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year

per share

Return*

Y-T-D Return

Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a

215.22

6.77%

-5.37%

-4.83%

-5.28%

ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a

1.3797

33.55%

-1.14%

0.34%

5.08%

9.47%

-9.46%

-7.2%

-5%

Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.773 12.42%

-4.73% n.a.

-3.84%

First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.7426 11.77%

-4.11% n.a.

ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 2.9764

First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a

4.7469

0.13%

9.86%

-3.3%

-2.94%

-3.93%

First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,4 0.7012

2.74%

-6.56%

-6.96%

MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a

99.92

24.64%

-2.4% n.a.

-1.98%

PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a

44.0342

8.56%

-3.68%

-3.8%

-6.01%

Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a

462.87

6.72%

-3.59%

-4.15%

-5.34%

20.66% n.a. n.a.

-3.42%

Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d,5

1.0598

Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a

1.127

10.24%

-3.14%

-2.98%

-3.53%

Philequity Fund, Inc. -a

33.0934

9.96%

-2.95%

-2.64%

-4.82% -5.65%

Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a

0.8614

7.74% n.a. n.a.

Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a

4.5157

9.29%

-3.06%

-3.03%

-5.75%

755.8

9.26%

-2.97%

-3.15%

-5.72%

Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a

0.6923

10.68%

-6.56%

-6.05%

-3.7%

Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.441

7.89%

-5.12%

-4.4%

-5.04%

Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a

Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.863 8.74%

-3.33%

-3.3%

-5.96%

United Fund, Inc. -a

-3.46%

-2.39%

-4.84%

-2.77%

-2.61%

3.1585

9.4%

-7.71%

Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 101.4424

9.23%

-5.68%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities $1.2463

20.73%

6.55%

7.51%

3.61%

Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.8047

ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b

25.1%

11.62%

11.99%

7.88%

Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a

1.6716

6.76%

0.11%

-2.02%

0.18%

ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a

2.1943

6.02%

-0.91%

-1.57%

-3.99%

First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.5553

5.17%

-0.18%

-0.92%

-2.73%

First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,1 0.1913

2.52% n.a. n.a.

NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a

4.17%

1.51%

1.9269

-0.21%

PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a

3.63

3.26%

0.64%

-1.44%

-4.17%

Philam Fund, Inc. -a

16.2579

3.89%

0.73%

-1.46%

-4.01%

Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a

2.0224

4.8%

-0.71%

-1.22%

-3.42%

Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.4597 4.81%

-1.61%

-2.4%

-3.18%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 0.9738

2.17% n.a. n.a.

-4.77%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.888

3.79% n.a. n.a.

-6.45%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.8723

5.01% n.a. n.a.

-6.52%

Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a

5.65%

-2.94%

0.8616

-2.15%

-2.89%

-3.68%

-1.89%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a

$0.03828

-1.24%

2.91%

1.33%

-2.15%

PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b

$1.1287

10.67%

4.05%

4.23%

-1.87%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.7525 19.03%

8.94%

8.44%

5.31%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,3 $1.2202 9.42%

5.21%

4.58%

1.51%

0.39%

Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

372.53

1.54%

3.17%

2.44%

ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a

1.9232

-1.08%

1.02%

0.22%

1.21%

Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a

3.2326

1.16%

3.69%

4.28%

0.56%

Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a

2.2676

-1.63%

2.29%

1.36%

-1.24%

First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4425 -0.46%

3.3%

1.67%

-0.44%

Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a

4.501

-3.17%

4.53%

1.29%

-2.88%

Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a,6

1.3168

1.18%

2.68%

-0.33%

Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

3.9814

0.47%

4.49%

2.17%

-0.49%

Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a

1.0352

-0.46%

4.73%

1.51%

-0.65%

Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.2142

1.09%

5.31%

2.33%

0.26%

Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a

0.21%

4.6%

1.68%

-0.32%

1.7494

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a

$486.59

2.41%

3.15%

2.18%

ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a

Є220.16

2.04%

1.06%

0.96%

0.45%

ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.1998

-2.11%

2.49%

1.3%

-6.29%

First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0261

0.56%

1.85%

0.86%

-1.88%

$1.0551

-1.71%

0.65%

-0.85%

-3.44%

Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a

$2.5171

2.38%

5.13%

1.86%

-0.73%

Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a

$0.0630251

3.89%

3.57%

2.14%

1.13%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.1904 -0.18%

3.42%

0.79%

-1.03%

PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b

Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a

2.53%

0.41%

First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0536 1.06% n.a. n.a.

130.34

0.52%

Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.3061

1.48% 1.67%

3% 2.82%

2.55%

0.73%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0579

1.16%

1.65% n.a.

0.52%

Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d,7 1.3217

30.73% n.a. n.a.

17.01%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -b,d,2 $0.99

5.32% n.a. n.a.

1.02%

a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU). 1 - Launch date is September 28, 2019. 2 - Launch date is November 15, 2019. 3 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last October 9, 2019. 4 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last October 12, 2018 (formerly, One Wealthy Nation Fund, Inc.). 5 - Launch date is December 09, 2019. 6 - Re-classified into a Bond Fund starting February 21, 2020 (Formerly a Money Market Fund). 7 - Launch date is July 6, 2020.

"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

Banking&Finance

BTr fully awards ₧15B in T-bills amid rates rise By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

HE Bureau of the Treasury fully awarded P15 billion in Treasury Bills (T-bills) despite a rise in rates across all tenors. The auction was thrice oversubscribed as total tenders reached P45.7 billion against the offer. National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon said they did not open the tap facility. BusinessMirror’s query on the factors that led to rates to pick up remained unanswered as the story went to press. But a bond trader told the BusinessMirror the uptick in rates was caused by the “general risk aversion across asset classes on the weakening peso.” Last Monday, T-bill rates also moved slightly higher as the peso breached P50 against the greenback. The local tender on Friday closed at P50.235 to the dollar, among the weakest rate in 13 months or since June 15, 2020, when it closed at P50.345, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael Ricafort earlier said. The 91-day T-bills fetched an av-

erage rate of P1.082 percent, up by 1.4 basis points from 1.068 percent in the previous auction. Total bids for the security amounted to P17.05 billion, more than triple the P5-billion offering. For the 182-day T-bills, the average rate inched up by 1.7 basis points to 1.401 percent from 1.384 percent previously. Investors’ bids on the debt paper hit P15.88 billion; triple the P5-billion offer. The 364-day T-bills’ average rate also climbed to 1.629 percent, jumping by 3.6 basis points from 1.593 percent in the last auction. The tenor attracted P12.8 billion in total tenders, also twice above the P5-billion offer. For July, the Treasury has set to borrow P235 billion from the local debt market, slightly bigger than the P215 billion it programmed in June. The national government programmed borrowing is at P3.1-trillion, the bulk of which is expected to be raised through domestic sources. As of end-May, the national government’s outstanding debt has already ballooned to a record P11.07 trillion, up by 13 percent from P9.795 trillion as of end-2020.

Invest in yourself

NVESTING in yourself is not just about growing money and having the wisdom to handle your income: it also takes discipline and action. Discipline is a decision that usually manifests in your attitude and behavior. Investing in yourself includes personal and professional development and growth. Do you have an extra amount of money? If you don’t know where to spend it, be wise in putting it on investment. In investing, we should be careful where to entrust our money. You might need some guidance and knowledge before you take the risk. Knowing your risk profile is a must. Are you aggressive, moderately aggressive, moderately conservative or conservative? Determine your risk profile before investing. Gain knowledge about the different kinds of investment instruments and decide where you would like to invest. You need to know these profiles and identify where you ahead. You may have heard a lot about this, but you should be fully aware of where you belong. There is no such thing as the best investment, as the most suitable investment always depends on your risk profile. In able to identify your profile enables you to discover more of yourself. Read some articles about investing and study different types of financial institutions. To know which financial institutions are most appropriate in serving a specific need, understand the characteristics of the different types of institutions, knowing the purpose of each and how they differ from one another. The categories of financial institutions include insurances, private companies, cash equivalents, fixed-income securities, stocks, pooled funds, real estate investing, cooperatives, cryptocurrency, businesses and the forex market. Do not assume yourself to be a know-it-all person. It is always good to seek advice and learn more from professionals. Learning is a process and also a journey- enjoy the ride. When God gave us the command to rule over the earth, give a name to every creature, and take care of all His creations. Therefore, we must consider how to use the authority God has given us. Financial growth takes time to grow. Spiritual growth requires investing time to read and listen to His Word. It takes dedication and sacrifices. The same goes with increasing your finances, which requires investing in learning the industry, the market, techniques, processes, tools and methodologies by reading books, articles and stories and listening to talks, discussions, forums, and lectures.

Rodora Mendoza

personal finance It is most advisable to put your money on investment vehicles when you know the flow, process, and operations. Investing in yourself is exploring what you need to know and identifying things that you need to rule. You need to check over your finances, catch on to its purpose, learn how to grow it, and handled it manageably. Investing in yourself makes added value to you and sharing what you have learned so that others will also benefit. Investing in yourself means learning. Do you want growth in your finances, keep on learning. Invest in wisdom, ask for wisdom from God. Remember that whatever you are doing now will affect your future. Keep on renewing your mind. The mind is vulnerable: sometimes it has an open gateway for corruption, so we need to guard our hearts and mind-renew them daily, making sure that it is being fed by healthy thoughts and filled with valuable insights. Be confident in every step you make; but stay humble. There is a thin boundary between confidence and pride. Whatever your goal is, God knows your motives, and He knows everything. He will never give you anything that you are not able to handle. He will guide you in His directions and detailed instructions as you walk by His will. Be prepared and equipped with the necessary learning and experience for whatever challenges you may face on your journey to achieve your goals. Investing in yourself is not just determining the financial institution where you will invest, your risk profile, and the market flow. Those are just some of the ways in how you can invest in yourself. Attending seminars about financial planning is also an investment that you can make to yourself. Aside from forums on finances, considering leadership, entrepreneurship, personality development will give you further learning, strategies and experiences from other people’s stories and principles. These may serve as your inspiration and encouragement to start, keep going and achieve your goals. Rodora Mendoza is a registered financial planner of RFP Philippines. To learn more about personal-financial planning, attend the 91st RFP program this July 2021. To inquire, e-mail info@rfp. ph or text at 0917-6248110.

BusinessMirror

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace • Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Diokno: Deal only with certified operators of payments systems

By Bianca Cuaresma

@BcuaresmaBM

ANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno urged the public to only transact with registered operators of payments systems to ensure the security of the process. In a message to reporters on Monday, Diokno reminded the public to deal with, entertain product offerings or carry out financial transactions only with BSP-registered Operators of Payment Systems (OPS). Under BSP regulations, OPS include cash-in service providers, bills

payment service providers and entities such as payment gateways, platform providers, payment facilitators and merchant acquirers that enable sellers of goods and services to accept payments, in cash or digital form. At present, there are 150 OPS registered with the BSP. A list of OPS

with Certificate of Registration could be found on the BSP website. Registration of a payment system operator allows the BSP to have oversight of the payment system it operates. This ensures that the OPS functions safely, efficiently, and reliably by itself and in relation to the National Payment Systems Act (NPSA) or Republic Act 11127, consistent with the central bank’s objectives of consumer protection and financial stability. All OPS must register with the BSP pursuant to Circular 1049 which provides for the Rules and Regulations on the Registration of Operators of Payment Systems under the NPSA. The NPSA is a landmark legislation that supports the performance by the Bangko Sentral of its mandate relating to the third pillar of central banking – the maintenance of safe,

efficient and reliable payment and settlement systems. The NPSA grants the BSP oversight authority over all payment systems in the Philippines and authorizes it to exercise supervisory and regulatory powers for the purpose of ensuring the stability and effectiveness of the monetary and financial system. “Thus, the BSP in the exercise of its powers will cover all institutions that perform operator functions relative to a payment system which may include institutions not currently supervised by the BSP,” the FAQ document on OPS registration said. “Independent ATM Deployers, Bayad Centers/bill payment aggregators, online merchants/billers and payment gateways may be part of the scope if they perform operator functions relative to a payment system.”

BOC to remit all excess balance of trust fund to Treasury

HE Bureau of Customs (BOC) vowed on Monday to remit all excess balance of its trust accounts to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) after this was flagged by state auditors. This, after the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged the bureau’s non-remittance of P1.058 billion in trust receipts and unspent allocations, “depriving the government of much-needed funds to finance government programs and projects.” Of the amount, P1.044 billion were trust receipts or collections while unexpended allocations amounted to P14.623 million as of end-2020. “In response to audit findings of unremitted trust receipts and unspent funds, the BOC-Accounting Division explained that non-remittance of Trust Funds are allowed under applicable laws, rules and regulations of the Department of Budget

and Management (DBM), Special Provisions of BOC General Appropriations Act FY 2020, Republic Act 10863 or Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and position of Bureau of Treasury in the maintenance of MICP (Manila International Container Port) Collection of Trust Accounts,” it said. The BOC said its Accounting Division also clarified with the COA last March that only the Collections of Trust Liabilities-Informers’ Reward is to be directly remitted to the account of the BTr. And for the remaining Trust Accounts, all idle/ excess balances from prior years shall be determined and remitted to the Treasury. “The BOC gave its assurance that it will adhere to the recommendation to remit all excess balance of Trust Accounts. To this effect, the Accounting Division has coordinated with all collection districts in identi-

fying all active Trust Accounts and remit/deposit remaining dormant accounts,” it said. Despite standing by the legality of non-remittance of trust funds, Customs Assistant Commissioner and Spokesman Vincent Philip Maronilla told the BusinessMirror they will comply with the recommendation of COA. “If that’s the recommendation of COA, then we will look into it and we’re going to revert to Bureau of Treasury [if the] COA [thinks] it is more prudent; but there’s nothing illegal about it,” Maronilla, a lawyer, said. Likewise, the BOC responded to COA’s finding that it processed and released 246 regulated commodities worth P394.009 million despite the lack of import permits and other supporting documents. The bureau said “the commodities are not subject to government regula-

Financial literacy program honored with Stevie Award

HE local business of Pru Life Insurance Corp. of UK (Pru Life UK) announced its financial literacy program called “Cha-Ching” was recently conferred with an award by an international business awards competition managed by Stevie Awards Inc. since 2002. The awards is open to all organizations in the 29 nations of the Asia-Pacific region. The focus of the awards is on recognizing innovation in all its forms. Life insurer Pru Life UK said its program was conferred the Silver Asia-Pacific award in the “Innovation in Community Relations or Public Service Communications” category ”for Pru Life UK Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Marketing Officer Allan M. digitizing financial learn- Tumbaga ing among Filipino children ogy. The insurer said its program “takes an and families.” engaging and age-appropriate musical narIn a statement last July 16, the insurer rative approach to teach children four key said it was recognized for digitizing its banmoney management concepts: “earn, save, ner corporate social responsibility program spend and donate.” “to continue its commitment to financial Pru Life UK Senior Vice President and literacy in the Philippines despite the chalChief Customer Marketing Officer Allan M. lenges in learning modalities caused by the Tumbaga was quoted in the statement saying global pandemic.” their program will continue to demonstrate The insurer said it was recognized for the firm’s “strong commitment to securing pursuing its “We DO Good (CSR)” and “We the future of education and financial literacy DO Digital (Innovation)” pillars, adapting a curriculum for distance learning and taking across communities in the Philippines.” it online. “This recognition for our banner financial The “Cha-Ching” program was created by literacy for the youth program, serves as an the Prudence Foundation, the community inspiration and a timely reminder why we investment Prudential in Asia and Africa, do good,” Tumbaga said. “There’s more to do in cooperation with children’s television in promoting financial literacy and we are determined to innovate and expand it in the channel Cartoon Network and Alice Wilder, years to come.” an expert in educational and child psychol-

tory requirements and were filed under a provisional goods declaration, which allows the online submission of certain commodity requirements within 45 days of filing.” Moreover, the BOC also clarified that the P394.009-million worth of goods processed and released at the Manila International Container Port and Port of Manila were duly assessed with correct duties and taxes including excises properly collected. It added all vehicle importers mentioned in the COA report are accredited under the Super Green Lane and members of associations of motor vehicles manufacturers and importers such as the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors and the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines. The SGL accreditation allows the importers to cause the release of shipments upon payment of assessed duties and taxes. Bernadette D. Nicolas

Security Bank cites award, advisory for ops on July 20

ecurity Bank Corp. announced it was recently recognized as the Philippines’s “Best for High Net Worth (HNW) Clients.” The bank was cited by a media company for the robust and solid growth of its wealth management business in 2020 and over the past several years, both in terms of assets under management (AUM) and customer base. “As we navigate the new normal, we will continue to invest in increased service differentiation to fulfill our goal of customer-centricity—which is a key element of our better banking promise,” Security Bank President and CEO Sanjiv Vohra was quoted in a statement as saying. “High net worth clients and their families require bespoke services that are aligned with their long-term financial goals, whether the objective is capital preservation or growing their wealth.” Security Bank launched its wealth management suite in 2017. Security Bank offers clients a comprehensive and consolidated view of their investment portfolios across various asset classes. “During the lockdown, we saw a spike in client requests for portfolio reviews, which usually require a face-to-face discussion,” Maria Margarita R. Mirabueno, wealth management head, was quoted in the statement as saying. “We leveraged different communication platforms to conduct virtual meetings and update our clients on the status of their portfolio and investments.” In growing its client base and AUM, Security Bank said its wealth management business leverages the strengths of the Bank’s core businesses. These include the bank’s branch network reach and the product offerings from Treasury, the Trust and Asset Management Group, stock brokerage through SB Equities and investment banking services through SB Capital. “Being awarded with Best Bank for High Net Worth clients in the Philippines encourages us in our mission to continue to address our wealth clients’ needs through our ‘better banking’ propositions,” Executive Vice President and Branch Banking Head Leslie Cham was quoted in the statement as saying. Meanwhile, the bank advised its clients that all its branches nationwide will be closed on Tuesday, July 20, in observance of Eid’l Adha (Feast of Sacrifice), per Proclamation 1189.

Art

BusinessMirror

Tuesday, July 20, 2021 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Neil Doloricon—artist, educator, Filipino

‘T

ONE of the country’s foremost social realists and professor and former dean of the UP College of Fine Arts Neil Doloricon PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK.COM/UP-COLLEGE-OFFINE-ARTS-DEPARTMENT-OF-VISUAL-COMMUNICATION

By Jt Nisay

HE art of Leonilo “Neil” Doloricon was from the very beginning honed as a weapon for crafting society as part of a much larger social movement,” reads the statement of IBON Foundation on the passing of the noted artist and educator, who was a long-time member of the organization’s Board of Trustees. “To the end of his days and through all his works that outlive his passing, there was no other kind of art to be made.” Doloricon, one of the country’s foremost social realists and professor and former dean of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Fine Arts, passed away on Friday morning, July 16. He was 63. In a tribute post, the UP College of Fine Arts’ Department of Visual Communication expressed their deepest sympathies and highest praise for the beloved faculty member. Doloricon was dean of the college from 1998 to 2001. “Malalim ang aming pagdadalamhati at mataas ang pagpupugay sa mga alalala, kwento, hinaing, at pangarap ng aming iginagalang na propesor at kaibigan, Dekano Leonilo Ortega Doloricon. Isang mahusay na editorial cartoonist, artista ng bayan na lumalaban, gabay ng magaaral at haligi namin sa Kolehiyo ng Sining Biswal.” Doloricon was born in Surigao del Sur in 1957. He finished his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Visual Communication and Masters of Arts degree in Philippine Studies at the UP Diliman. The celebrated figure in Philippine arts was as decorated as an educator. Aside from being a Cultural Center of the Philippines’s Gawad Para sa Sining

Today’s Horoscope By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Julianne Hough, 33; Judy Greer, 46; Josh Holloway, 52; Carlos Santana, 74.

Biswal awardee and a 13 Artists Award recipient, this one-time chair of the Commission on Higher Education’s Committee on Arts and Humanities received the 1999 Jose and Asuncion Joya Professorial Chair; the 2004 Guillermo Tolentino Professorial Chair; and the Fernando Amorsolo Professorial Chair in 1994 and in 2011. Meanwhile, in his piercing paintings and sharp illustrations, Doloricon went beyond the pedestrian social realist stereotype of depicting chronic injustices. His prodigious oeuvre over various media always aimed to sharpen our understanding of society, to spur action, being a champion of the idea that artists are agents of social change. Doloricon was known for his inimitable editorial cartoons and rubber cuts that cut through current political events. He likewise tackled pressing issues through the written form. For instance, in a review of Pete Jimenez’s exhibition at the Ateneo Art Gallery that Doloricon contributed to BusinessMirror in April, he wrote: “It’s not only the West Philippine Sea that has been grabbed by the Chinese; foreign investors are now allowed to own land and water properties in the country, courtesy of the Congress of the Philippines.” “The whole Philippine Islands are now for sale,” Doloricon wrote. “Pete Jimenez has done his share in fulfilling his duties not only as citizen but as an artist to make a difference.” “Prof. Neil passed away in the dark of night and just hours before dawn,” the IBON Foundation writes. “This was very much like his life’s work—darkly powerful but, always, politically hopeful and looking to the impending breaking of light.” n

Art in the Park 2021 goes on 2nd run with ‘15th anniversary special edition’

Happy Birthday: Be yourself, make decisions based on what you want, and refuse to let anyone push you around. Speak on your behalf and make the adjustments that add to your comfort and convenience. It’s your turn to shine, so tell it like it is. Do your own thing. Expand your interests, and gather the information that will encourage a healthy, happy lifestyle. Your numbers are 6, 14, 23, 27, 30, 33, 45.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Put more thought into money matters, health and contracts. Keep the peace at home, and channel your energy into something physical that will take your mind off your worries and clear your head. HHHHH

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Too much of anything will work against you. Limit your intake, your spending and the promises you make. Change begins with you; focus on being your best instead of trying to change everyone around you. Make health a priority. HHH

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Take care of redtape issues to avoid delays. Listen to what others say, and step in if someone offers false information. Take care of details, and leave nothing to chance. Home improvements will encourage you to play as hard as you work. HHHH

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Practice what you preach. Take the initiative to live life your way. Utilize your skills and knowledge to help you achieve peace of mind and a lifestyle that brings you joy. Surround yourself with people who share your goals. HHH

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Do whatever it takes to improve mentally, physically and emotionally. Discipline and hard work will encourage you to set high standards and goals. Strive to reach your goals. A commitment to someone special will bring you closer together. HHHHH

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take care of issues before they escalate. A practical approach when dealing with an over-the-top person will help you avoid becoming part of someone’s melodrama. Concentrate on being productive, and an unexpected opportunity will develop. HH

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Don’t waste time arguing over something you cannot change. Use your time and energy to accomplish your goals. You aren’t likely to anticipate a change at home, but the outcome will prove to be a blessing. HHHH

Social realist Antipas Delotavo for “Art in the Park Online 2021: Special Edition”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Seek an unusual way to learn or educate others. A change in how you deal with peers, friends or relatives will result in an optimistic transition that will help you bring about positive change. HHH

ART in the Park 2021 returns for a special second edition that starts on July 25, as part of the fair’s 15th anniversary celebration. Following the event’s original 2021 run held in February, “Art in the Park Online 2021: Special Edition” will be another eight-day online fair featuring over 10,000 artworks from 62 galleries, with no price tag going over P70,000. The virtual event will run until August 1 at www. artinthepark.ph. Art in the Park is branded as the country’s “affordable art fair,” which began in 2006 as a companion event to the Salcedo Saturday Market. The concept instantly took a life of its own and evolved into a fund-raising event for the benefit of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines. Approximately P20 million have been raised since the fair’s first edition and donated to the organization’s projects designed to expand awareness for the National Museum and its network. Art in the Park also grew to become an annual event where a diverse group of galleries, art schools, independent art spaces, and collectives would gather at the Jaime Velasquez Park of Salcedo Village in Makati City for a day of

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Test your skills. Use your strength and agility to reach physical goals or challenges, and don’t give anyone the chance to mess with you. An investment that interests you will have underlying problems. HHH

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Opportunity knocks, and a potential gain is within reach. A partnership with someone who shares your sentiments will blossom into something exciting. Your negotiating skills will help you get your way. Speak on your behalf, and everything will fall into place. HHH

celebrating—quite literally—art in the park. Last March, however, when the country’s first lockdown orders were imposed just days away from the original schedule of Art in the Park 2020, the fair went digital. The fair’s first online edition was 2020’s rescheduled event in August, followed by 2021’s first run in February. For the upcoming special edition this weekend, Art in the Park will also be presenting four exhibitions and a variety of online activities. One of the featured artists in Art in the Park Online 2021: Special Edition is Antipas Delotavo. In

Gridlock, the noted social realist will showcase his new paintings on canvas that come to life in rich visual detail. Another artist in the Art in the Park spotlight is multihyphenate Leeroy New, who has lined up multiple projects for the event. Among these is the fair’s first foray into augmented reality via Aliens of Manila, wherein New’s celebrated headpieces originally fabricated from colorful plastic containers make its debut as an Instagram filter.

Continued on B5

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t follow in someone’s footsteps. Choose a path that encourages you to use your attributes to advance. You can be loyal without being submissive. Encourage others to do as they please, and focus on personal happiness and peace of mind. HHHH

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Put your emotions on the back burner and head down a path that brings you one step closer to your dream. A creative opportunity will encourage you to follow your heart and invest more time pursuing something that makes you happy. HH Birthday Baby: You are curious, diverse and appealing. You are opportunistic and proactive.

‘figures of speech’ by gary larson

Solution to Friday’s puzzle:

The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Racks’ places on some cars 6 What keeps an eye on TV? 9 Joint above the tibia 13 Joint below the tibia 14 Bathroom, to a Brit 15 Veg out 16 Actress Arthur discussing proper names for things? 19 Comes into sight 20 Sleep stage, for short 21 Texter’s “Stop oversharing!” 22 Colorful T-shirt style 25 Word of woe 29 Actress Midler discussing a side in chess? 31 “No problem” 34 ___ insurance (driver’s coverage) 35 Life force in China 36 Pub order with a rhyming name 40 Infamous pollen producer 42 Had a bite 43 Bottle part 45 Apt roulette statistic, perhaps? 46 Actress Tyler discussing U2’s lead guitarist? 51 Slip through the cracks? 52 Wahlberg of New Kids on the Block

3 Austrian mountain 5 56 Musical talent 58 Pilot 60 Actress Washington discussing emotional stumbling blocks? 64 Prayer leader in a mosque 65 “Haha,” in a text 66 Money on the Continent 67 Word after “coin” or “ring” 68 Woolly female 69 Comes down in torrents, say DOWN 1 Morocco’s capital 2 Early afternoon hour 3 Relative of a giraffe 4 Polar bear’s perch, perhaps 5 Where Kamala Harris served 6 Metaphorical skeleton’s place 7 Jeer at a comedy show 8 Grassy surface 9 Swiss artist Paul 10 Standard 11 Nightmare street 12 Overhead trains 17 Stick-to-itiveness 18 Jumbo Starbucks size 23 “Narcos” org.

4 Not my or their 2 26 Tied, like a shoe 27 Felt sore 28 Slides while braking 29 “So long!” 30 Peaty place 31 Milky gems 32 Couric who cohosted Today 33 Anacin alternative 37 Raggedy doll 38 Hang out in the sun 39 Second, as a viewpoint 41 “___ is me!” 44 Barbie’s boyfriend 47 Performances at the Met 48 Make possible 49 Prima donna 50 ___ counter (radiation detector) 53 “So much more than video games!” company 54 Prepare to surf? 55 Newspapers, collectively 57 Upper limbs 59 Water, in Mexico 60 Hobby shop buy 61 Genre for Misery Business 62 Spanish word of encouragement 63 Without delay

Solution to today’s puzzle:

Show BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Tuesday, July 20, 2021

For Alfred Vargas, balance is key Madonna documentary coming to streaming Paramount+ this fall NEW YORK—Streaming service Paramount+ has landed a documentary that offers a glimpse into the personal life of Madonna and her work on the road. The streaming arm of ViacomCBS said on Thursday that Madame X will make its debut in the US, Latin America, Australia, Nordic countries and Canada beginning October 8. Filmed in Lisbon, Portugal, the film “captures the pop icon’s rare and rapturous tour performance,” according to a press release. It features 48 on-stage performers including Madonna’s children, musicians and dancers from around the globe. The film will take “viewers on a journey as compelling and audacious as Madonna’s fearless persona Madame X, a secret agent traveling around the world, changing identities, fighting for freedom and bringing light to dark places.” It will come 30 years after the pop star’s groundbreaking documentary Truth or Dare, chronicling her life during her Blond Ambition world tour. Her last album, also called Madame X, hit the top spot of the Billboard 200 chart in 2019. AP

Art in the Park 2021 goes on 2nd run with ‘15th anniversary special edition’ Continued from B4 The artist will also star in a solo show, titled Iris. New describes the exhibition as a “series of magic mirror sculptures conjured while in lockdown. Mirrors as portals, as windows to the soul and other worlds. Eyes with mascara melting the way reality dissolves.” Meanwhile, young visual artist Anna Bautista will offer her new show, titled Time Capsules, with Globe Platinum Hour. The exhibition centers on how Bautista deals with the concept of time, culture and philosophy, and how these elements are all interlinked and constantly respond to each other. Art in the Park Online 2021: Special Edition will also showcase Globe Platinum Hour for Kids, featuring teacher Robert Alejandro, on July 31 at 10 am. Rounding out this edition’s exhibition lineup is Adrift, presented by BPI Art Clips. The show features the pioneering techniques of Eugenia Alcaide in layered threadwork. The lineup of participating galleries for Art in the Park Online 2021: Special Edition include Altro Mondo Gallery, Ang I.n.K., Archivo 1984, Arnold Art Collection, ArtBeat Collective, Artepintura Gallery, Artery Art Space, ART for Space Gallery, ART LAB: Atelier Cesare &amp; Jean Marie Syjuco, ArtPAPER, Art Toys PH, Art Underground, Art Verite Gallery, Association of Pinoyprintmakers, Authenticity Zero Collective, Avellana Art Gallery, Boston Art Gallery, Cevio Art Haus, Cornerstone Pottery-EJ Espiritu, District Gallery, FA Gallery, Far Eastern University, Galeria de las Islas, Galerie Anna, Galerie Artes, Galerie Stephanie, Good on Paper, ILCP Art Space, Jon and Tessy Pettyjohn and J Studio. Also featured are KASIBULAN—Kababaihan sa Sining at Bagong Sibol na Kamalayan, Kulay Art Group, Limbo, Los Nuevos Conquistadores, MAG, Manila Collage Collective, Modeka Art, MONO8 Gallery, Museum Foundation of the Philippines, Nineveh Artspace, Neal Oshima Photography, Orange Project, Parokyano ng Malabon, Qube Gallery, Resurrection Furniture and Found Objects Gallery, Sagada Pottery, Sheerjoy, Shelter Fund, Sierra Madre Gallery, Space Encounters, TUP-CAFA Fine Arts Department, The Mighty Bhutens, The Photography Zone, The Thursday Group, Tin- Aw, UP College of Fine Arts, Village Art Gallery, Vinyl on Vinyl, vMeme Contemporary Art Gallery, Ysobel Art Gallery, and White Walls Gallery. More information can be found at www.artinthepark. ph or www.facebook/artinthepark.

ctor-politician Alfred Vargas was recently hailed as Pinakapasadong Aktor Para sa Pelikula, equivalent to a best actor win, by the academe based group Pasado (Pampelikulang Samahan ng mga Dalubguro) for his outstanding performance in the Mac Alejandre film Tagpuan. The group also bestowed nine other awards to the movie. “I was so elated when I received the good news,” he enthused, adding, “Tagpuan is a small but special film that we shot just before the pandemic. We encountered a few kinks especially when we shot in Hong Kong during the unrest there, but when we saw the final print of the film, it was all worth it. It always feels good to be appreciated.” Vargas is also credited as a producer of the film, which won the Best Feature Film at the Chauri Chaura International Film Festival in India earlier this year. Not many are aware that Vargas is a three-time Urian nominated actor for the movies Colorum (2010), Teorya (2012) and Bridal Shower (2004). His performance in Jeffrey Jeturian’s Bridal Shower won for him the Breakthrough Actor of the Year from the now-defunct Golden Screen Awards. “It’s been a long, long time since I won an acting award, and I am just grateful for this surprise blessing,” he said. Gratitude is something inherent in Vargas, even when he was a newcomer trying to find his niche in the crowded entertainment sphere. He has a very good memory and he never forgets those who were there for him during his days as a newbie for Seiko Films. “While growing up, we were taught to always look at the bright side of things, to be content, to remain grounded, and to always say thank you,” he recalled. And while many reckon that being a politician is a thankless job, Vargas thinks otherwise. As the representative of Quezon City’s District 5 in the House of Congress, Vargas has his hands full 24/7, particularly during these uncertain and extraordinary times. “It is our duty to serve and look after our constituents, and the public in general. The pandemic has cast a lot of fear, anxiety and unease, and many of our citizens feel helpless. And every time we reach out to them, listen to their pleas and worries, and extend help, support and assistance, they show gratitude. In turn, they work with us together, they

cooperate, they follow rules, they even share whatever little they have. That’s the spirit that keeps us going, that keeps me focused to move forward as a public servant,” Vargas told us. Vargas and his team also work closely with law enforcers and health officials to ensure safety, peace and order in his district. As a lawmaker, he has pioneered House Bill 7138 to establish Culture, Arts, Tourism and Heritage Councils in every province to ensure this important localization effort. He has also proposed a bill to create an ICT (Information and Communications Technology) hub in every province, to provide Internet access to as many Filipinos as possible. He has also filed a special bill to give senior citizens and person with disabilities 20-percent discount on online shopping. On the home front, Vargas makes sure that he spends quality time with his wife Yasmine and their

three kids—Alexandra Milan, Aryana Cassandra and Alfredo Cristiano. Last month, he took a few days off and brought this family to a beach resort to celebrate Father’s Day. “My family keeps me going and inspires me. I make time for them even if there are days when it seems impossible because of the load of work needed as a public servant,” he said. Very soon, televiewers will see Vargas on television again in GMA’s newest weeknight drama series Legal Wives, where he plays the half-brother of the lead Muslim character played by Dennis Trillo. “I am glad to be able to make time for some notable acting projects. There is always an abundance of creative content and materials that need to be translated into screen narratives.” For Alfred Vargas, balance is key in the pursuit of his many visions as an actor, a family man and a distinguished public servant. n

Signed, sealed and official: Mr. M is now with GMA IT may not be known to many but Johnny Manahan— director, star builder and legendary impresario—got his start in entertainment with GMA by way of Uncle Bob’s Lucky 7 Club as a young singer, and then with behind-the-scenes work on his late mother Eliva Manahan long-running talk show Two for the Road. Now, GMA has welcomed Johnny, widely known as Mr. M, back into its fold, hosting a virtual contractsigning ceremony on July 13 which was attended by GMA Network chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon, president and COO Gilberto R. Duavit Jr., executive vice president and CFO Felipe S. Yalong, GMA Films president and programming consultant to the chairman and CEO Atty. Annette GozonValdes, senior vice president for entertainment group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, vice president for corporate affairs and communications Angela Javier Cruz, senior assistant vice president for alternative productions Gigi Santiago-Lara, GMA Artist Center assistant vice president and head for talent imaging and marketing unit Simoun Ferrer, and assistant vice president for corporate communications Jojo Aquio. For several decades already, Mr. M. has been widely regarded as the man behind the success of some of the biggest names in the local entertainment industry. Apart from being a star builder, he also directed classic films and television series that are still remembered up to this day. According to Mr. M, he is delighted to be officially part of GMA: “I’m very happy that Atty. Gozon and the rest of the executives have given me this chance, an opportunity to work with GMA and become a Kapuso. I am very happy with that. I’m not exactly a stranger to GMA, so this is like a homecoming of sorts and I am very proud.” Atty. Gozon, in turn, expressed his excitement in welcoming Mr. M to the network: “The good

A screenshot of the recent virtual contract-signing ceremony that marked the return of Johnny Manahan to GMA. Clockwise are Manahan, GMA Network chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon, executive vice president and CFO Felipe S. Yalong, and president and COO Gilberto R. Duavit Jr.

reputation as well as the track record of Mr. M and his team are well-known in the Philippine TV industry and for this reason, we are looking forward to a mutually satisfactory, beneficial and rewarding relationship.” Duavit echoed his eagerness to finally work with Mr. M: “We’re very pleased, very happy to welcome you and without having to say it, your reputation precedes you and we look forward to how your participation will cascade down to the growth, development and enhanced possibilities of our talents. ’Yung maihahandog, maidudulot na karunungan, guidance, tulong ay malaking bagay hindi lamang sa kanila pero sa aming lahat. Welcome, Johnny. It’s a pleasure to have you.”

Moreover, Yalong shared his admiration for the newest addition to GMA: “I think the expertise and experience that Johnny is bringing into GMA will greatly help our Talent Development and Management Department. Johnny is one of the few persons I know who can really spot raw talent and make it one of the big stars in the country. We are looking forward to Johnny’s experience and expertise to help us in that area of entertainment. Johnny, welcome to your Kapuso Network.” Meanwhile, Rasonable looks forward to collaborating with him in GMA: “It has been a pleasure to exchange ideas with him. So I would just like to welcome Mr. M to GMA Artist Center and we look forward to a very fruitful relationship.”

B6 Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Corteva Agriscience empowers women farmers for sustainable agriculture

ENOVEVA Estrella V. Antonio, a woman farmer from Pila, Laguna, was recently named winner of the PMCP-Corteva Agriscience Empowering Women in Agriculture Award. Ms. Antonio was personally nominated by Dolores A. Ramirez, a National Scientist. Antonio is recognized for her commitment to good agriculture practices and actively sharing her knowledge with fellow farmers to improve their yields. Age accepted her award in a virtual ceremony at the PCMP Annual Conference attended by Dr. William Dar, Secretary of Agriculture. Formerly employed at the International Rice Research Institute, Antonio was widowed young and left her career as a researcher to become a farmer and raise her three young daughters. She diligently applied herself to farming, adopting new practices and good farm stewardship. Thanks to her hard work, she has demonstrated that rice farming can be a profitable occupation. Although her three daughters have all graduated from university, now pursuing professional careers, Antonio continues to farm with enthusiasm. “I am humbled to receive this award. It can be physically hard work, but farming gives me energy as it is my way of life. I love sharing my knowledge and experiences with farmers in my community and seeing them improve their yields and incomes.”, commented Antonio in her acceptance video. Deepesh Sharma, Country Lead, Corteva Agriscience Philippines commented: “Ms. Antonio is a

wonderful example of why empowering women farmers matters so much. As community leaders, they nurture and raise up all those around them. Empowering women farmers is critical to a more sustainable agriculture future.” Lolita Dolores, Chair, PMCP-Corteva Selection Committee said: “Ms. Antonio achieves exceptional yields, keeps records of all her farm activities, minimizes inputs and maximizes output. She is sought after by fellow farmers in her town for advice in rice production technologies and is an accredited producer of certified rice seeds by the Bureau of Plant Industry. She demonstrates the strength, tenacity and resilience of a successful farmer.” The PMCP-Corteva Agriscience

Empowering Women in Agriculture Award was established in 2019. Nominees must be women farmers in the Philippines whose primary source of livelihood is through crop farming. Nominees are assessed across 5 categories, with an emphasis on good agriculture practices and supporting other farmers in their community. Corteva recently released its first annual Sustainability Report. Enriching the lives of smallholder farmers and empowering women are two key goals set out by the company. Visit www.corteva. com/sustainability for more information. Follow Corteva Agriscience on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

SSS releases P90.52-B worth of benefits to 3.5M beneficiaries in first 5 months of 2021

AT awarding rites, from left: Jenny Panopio, Corteva ASEAN Regulatory Policy Lead; Lolita M. Dolores, PMCP Chair of Selection Committee; Estrella Antonio, award recipient; and Virracel L. Tumblin, Corteva Field Specialist.

Tenya launches farm-to-table Japanese menu to help local farmers and fisherfolk

ENYA, Japan’s number one Tempura Tendon chain, seeks out new ways to partner with local food producers in their restaurants in the Philippines, with the launch of their farmto-table initiative, dubbed Tenya Lokal. Through this initiative, Tenya wishes to provide an immediate solution to the nation’s farmers and fisherfolk, who have experienced a sharp reduction in the sales of their products as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a study published in the Asian Journal Agriculture and Development, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on the productivity of the agricultural industry throughout Southeast Asia, and in the Philippines in particular. Because farmers and other food producers were forced to stay home and could not put out to sea or tend to their fields, production of important food items ground to a halt, especially during the period of the Enhanced Community Quarantine. This inability to work severely impacted the earning capacity of this vital segment of the national workforce,

MERALCO ENERGIZES NEW MEGA COVID-19 VACCINATION CENTER IN PARANAQUE. In its continuing support to the Government and Private Sector’s fight against COVID-19, Meralco energizes a new mega COVID-19 vaccination center at Nayong Pilipino located at New Seaside Road, Paranaque City. The project involves the installation of six (6) concrete poles, three (3) 333-kVA distribution transformers, four (4) spans of line conductors, and a new metering facility. This new mega vaccination center is one of the many vital COVID-19 facilities in the Meralco franchise area that are given the highest priority in terms of providing safe, adequate, and reliable supply of electricity, in line with the company’s thrust to assist the government during the pandemic. To date, more than 130 vital COVID-19 facilities have already been energized by Meralco which include government offices, hospitals, testing laboratories, quarantine and vaccination centers, and vaccine storage facilities.

and it is this problem that Tenya has sought to resolve. With the launch of Tenya Lokal, the tempura tendon restaurant has provided a ready revenue stream for the nation’s farmers and fisherfolk, eliminating the middlemen and ensuring that only the highest quality produce arrives on diners’ plates.

Japanese Craftsmanship, Filipino Produce

“TENYA has selected the best of Filipino ingredients, and our Japanese chefs have treated them with care to prepare dishes that we’re sure our diners will love,” said Edmundo Ramos, General Manager of Tenya. “These are world-class dishes, made with produce from our own shores,” he added. “This is our way of giving back to the communities of farmers and fisherfolk who have been our partners since we started out,” said Chukri Prieto, Tenya’s Managing Director. “We hope that in our own way, Tenya is able to help jumpstart the road to recovery for these people. We felt it was important to call attention to the pressing

needs of our food producers. With our countrymen’s support, we can assure their livelihood,” he remarked. Tenya Director of Operations Denise Ramos stressed the importance of this objective. “These people, our food producers, they do so much for all of us. We had to do our part and especially in 2020, we had to step up,” she said. “This has always been part of our core at Tenya,” she added. Even at the beginning of the global outbreak in 2020, Tenya had sought to be an ally in the fight against it. By collaborating with strategic partners such as the Hands On Manila, Tenya has been able to provide aid and comfort to those who most needed it. Health care workers and other frontliners have been treated to some of Tenya’s delicious Japanese dishes, to sustain them in their fight against the deadly disease. Tenya has also sponsored gift packages for beneficiaries of the Make a Wish Foundation, to ensure that every child’s dream comes true. As Tenya aims to champion Japanese excellent craftsmanship, the brand has also made their menu affordable, perfect for young professionals and anybody craving for quality Japanese food. Their prices start at PHP 145 for their ramens, P165 for their donburi bowls and bento box ranging from P195 to P245. The brand has also made their menu accessible to those who would like to enjoy their food in the comforts of their own homes. Tenya is now on Grabfood, Foodpanda and Pickaroo, you can also order through their FB messenger and webiste at www.tenya. com.ph. Visit their stores at SM Megamall, Market! Market!, SM Southmall, ASEANA City, Festival Mall, Paseo de Magallanes, Tiendesitas, Ayala Malls Circuit, and Timog Avenue.

HE Social Security System (SSS) disbursed a total of P90.52 billion worth of Social Security and Employees Compensation (EC) benefits during the first five months of the year, aiding around 3.46 million members, pensioners, and their beneficiaries. The pension fund said benefit disbursements from January to May 2021 were higher by 13.3 percent from P79.93 billion during the same period a year ago. “Along with the rapidly increasing membership base is the constant rise of benefit releases to our qualified members, pensioners, and beneficiaries. This only shows that SSS remains true to its mandate of providing meaningful social security benefits to all working Filipinos, especially during times of contingencies,” SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Aurora C. Ignacio said. Of the total benefit releases, around 99 percent or P89.92 billion were for social security benefits while the remaining P608 million were for EC benefit disbursements. Retirement payouts amounting to P53.74 billion represents 60 percent of the entire benefit disbursements, covering over 1.81 million pensioners. The SSS also disbursed P23.72 billion in death benefits to 1.08 million claimants, P2.44 billion in disability benefits to 97,258 members, P5.99 billion maternity benefits to 157,132 female members, P1.44 billion in sickness benefits to 147,210 members, P1.96 billion funeral benefit to 84,530 claimants, and P642 million unemployment benefits to 47,764 members. Under the EC program, the SSS also distributed P426 million death benefits to

16,492 beneficiaries, P78 million disability benefits to 2,044 members, P98 million sickness benefits to 11,663 members, P2 million for medical services to 393 members, and P3 million in funeral benefits to 114 claimants. “On top of the regular SS benefits, employed and self-employed members are also entitled to receive EC benefits in case of work-related sickness or injury, disability or death. This is why we always reiterate in our promotional campaigns the primary responsibility of our member-employers, which is to report their workers and remit their SS and EC contributions regularly to SSS,” Ignacio explained. Effective July 2020, benefit proceeds are released through disbursement accounts under PESONet participating banks, e-wallet, or Remittance Transfer Companies (RTC)/ Cash Pick-up Outlets (CPOs), or through Unified Multipurpose Identification (UMID) Card enrolled as ATM Card. “As part our brand campaign, ExpreSSS—mas pinabilis, mas pinasimple at mas pinadali—we have implemented the mandatory checkless disbursement to facilitate faster release of cash benefits and loan proceeds thru the Disbursement Account Enrollment Module (DAEM) using member’s My.SSS accounts,” Ignacio explained. The step-by-step procedure can be accessed through this link https://bit. ly/2T0uJCL. For more information, follow the SSS on Facebook and YouTube at “Philippine Social Security System,” Instagram at “mysssph,” and Twitter at “PHLSSS,” or join its Viber Community at “MYSSSPH Updates.”

OVERSEAS FILIPINO REPATRIATES FROM UAE. A total of 348 overseas Filipinos from Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates arrive in Manila on July 11 via flight PR 8659 of the Philippine Airlines. This is the fourth batch of repatriation since the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases declared travel restrictions from seven countries to contain the spread of COVID-19. Officers and staff of the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) in Dubai and Abu Dhabi facilitate the repatriation. (Photo by POLO Dubai)

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

The World

Thai police use tear gas to disperse protesters

ANGKOK, Thailand—Thai police used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons Sunday to disperse hundreds of anti-government protesters who held a rally in Bangkok despite coronavirus restrictions banning gatherings of more than five people. The demonstrators were demanding Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s government step down, insisting the budg et of the monarchy and the military be cut during the pandemic, and calling for the importing mRNA coronavirus vaccines that have yet to be brought to Thailand on a large scale to fight a growing surge of the virus. The rally came as Thailand recorded its largest single-day jump in virus infections—nearly 11,400—and as fresh restrictions were announced such as the shut down of most domestic flights. Many parts of the country, including Bangkok, are already under some form of lockdown that includes restrictions on gatherings and business operations as well as a nighttime curfew. As infections and deaths climb and as more people face economic suffering, disapproval of the government’s handling of the pandemic has grown. Criticism of Prayuth’s government for failing to secure early and adequate vaccine supplies is widespread. Thailand mostly relies on two vaccines, including China’s Sinovac shot, which some studies indicate is less effective against the Delta variant, which is currently wrecking havoc across Southeast Asia. Thailand’s other main vaccine is AstraZeneca, which a Thai company owned by the country’s king has been producing, but only since June and in smaller than expected quantities. Sunday’s rally was led by Free

Youth, a student protest group that drew tens of thousands to its protests last year, when it had three main demands: that Prayuth’s government step down, the constitution be amended to make it more democratic and the nation’s monarchy become more accountable. Jutatip Sirikhan, one of Free Youth’s main activists, charged in a phone interview with The Associated Press that many people have died from Covid-19 because of the lack of transparency and mismanagement of Prayuth and his Cabinet. Thailand has recorded a total of 403,386 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 3,341 related deaths since the pandemic started. More than 90 percent of cases and deaths have occurred since April this year. This weekend daily virus deaths rose above 100 for the first time. “If we don’t come out now, we don’t know how long we shall survive and whether we will have a chance to do it again,” she said of the virus and the protests. The protesters started gathered at the capital’s Democracy Monument in the early afternoon, where organizers distributed N95 masks, medical gloves, sanitizer spray and raincoats to them before attempting to go to Government House, which hosts the prime minister’s offices. Organizers also handed out mock corpses in white burial shrouds representing Covid-19 victims, which were later placed on the ground atop an image of Prayuth at an intersection near Gover nment House and set alight. The eerie figures also evoked images of the bodies of several Thai activists who had apparently been kidnapped in 2019 from where they lived in exile in neighboring Laos. AP

BusinessMirror

he US surgeon general said Sunday that he’s concerned about what lies ahead with cases of Covid-19 increasing in every state, millions still unvaccinated and a highly contagious virus variant spreading rapidly. Noting that nearly all coronavirus deaths now are among the tens of millions of people who haven’t received shots, despite widespread vaccine availability, Dr. Vivek Murthy painted an unsettling picture of what the future could hold. “I am worried about what is to come because we are seeing increasing cases among the unvaccinated in particular. And while, if you are vaccinated, you are very well protected against hospitalization and death, unfortunately that is not true if you are not vaccinated,” Murthy said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” US cases of Covid-19 last week increased by 17,000 nationwide over a 14-day period for the first time since late fall, and an increase in death historically follows a spike in illness. Much of the worsening problem is being driven by the Delta variant first identified in India, that has since hit the United Kingdom and other countries, said Murthy. While US case numbers and hospitalizations are still far below levels from the worst of the pandemic early this year, Murthy said

People crowd a market area ahead of Eid-al Adha in Dhaka, Bangladesh on July 16. Millions of Bangladeshis are shopping and traveling during a controversial eight-day pause in the country’s strict coronavirus lockdown that the government is allowing for the Islamic festival Eid-al Adha. AP/Mahmud Hossain Opu

thousands were arrested and sent to jail for violating the lockdown. Yet even with the new restrictions, virus deaths still hovered around 200 each day and daily infections were still around 11,000, both thought to be undercounts. On Sunday, 225 deaths and 11,758 infections were reported. Despite the warnings from experts—and with just over 4 million of the country’s 160 million people fully vaccinated—the government announced that from July 15-23, all restrictions would be lifted and everything would be reopened so people could celebrate the festival, which is normally a boon to the economy. “But, in all situations people must stay alert, use face masks and strictly follow health instructions,” a government policy statement said. Gover nment officia ls have not responded to criticism of the move. An official with the

Increasing Covid-19 infections in US worries surgeon general

the worsening situation shows the need to convince more people to get inoculations. “It is our fastest, most effective way out of this pandemic,” he said. About 186 million Americans have received at least one shot, but another 90 million eligible Americans haven’t. Officials are trying to overcome a refusal among some— particularly conservative, rural white people—to get vaccinated, but it’s unclear how to do that. So, for the meantime at least, some places have reverted to health precautions that had been cast aside. In Las Vegas, some resorts and casinos are again requiring employees to wear masks in response to a recommendation issued by health officials amid rising Covid-19 case rates in Nevada; it ranks fifth among US states for the most new cases per capita over the last two weeks. Los Angeles County late Saturday reinstated rules requiring ever yone to wear masks inside public buildings. Around San Francisco’s Bay Area, which has some of the highest vaccination rates in California, health officials have recommended that

Bangladesh lifts lockdown to celebrate Islamic festival H A K A , B a n g l ade sh — Waiting among hundreds of fel low t ravelers to catch a ferry out of Bangladesh’s capital, unemployed construction worker Mohammed Nijam knew he was risking catching the coronavirus, but he felt it was even riskier to stay in Dhaka with another lockdown looming. “I have to pay rent every month even though I have no work,” he said, adding that his landlord had been bothering him for money even as he was struggling just to feed himself. “I’d rather go to my village home and lead life as God lets me.” Nijam is among the tens of millions of Bangladeshis shopping and traveling this week during a controversial eight-day pause in the country’s strict coronavirus lockdown that the government is allowing for the Islamic festival Eid-al Adha. The suspension has been panned by health experts who warn it could exacerbate an ongoing surge fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant, which was first detected in neighboring India. “Already there is a scarcity of beds, ICUs, while our health care providers are exhausted,” said said Be-Nazir Ahmed, a public health expert and former chief of the government’s Health Directorate. “So if the situation worsens and more patients come to hospitals, it will be near impossible to deal with the crisis.” With the spread of the virus rampant, most everything in Bangladesh was ordered shut on July 1, from markets to mass transportation. Soldiers and border guards patrolled the streets and

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Ministr y of Public Administration, which issued the order pausing the lockdown, referred T he A ssoc iated Press to t he policy statement when asked for comment. Calls and e-mails to a spokesman with the Health Ministr y were not returned. A junior minister from the Ministry of Public Administration, Farhad Hossain, told local media on Saturday that the lockdown needed to be eased as a lot of business revolves around the festival. The result in the capital has been crowds of people jamming into malls and markets to do their holiday shopping and others thronging ports and bus stations as they try to make their way to their rural hometowns. During the last major Islamic festival in May, an estimated 10 million of Dhaka’s 20 million residents left to celebrate with their families. A similar number could travel this week, especially since

many like Nijam, the construction worker, may be looking to wait out the next lockdown in their villages. A mong t he huge crowd of people shopping at Dhaka’s New Market, was Shah Alam, a dental technician. “As the government has relaxed the situation for a few days, we are coming to markets to buy necessary goods,” Alam said. “We are trying to follow the health safety guidelines.” Ahmed, the health expert, said he sees the main risks of suspending the lockdown as people from the city spreading the virus to their villages and people spreading the virus while they pack into markets for their shopping, especially cattle markets where millions of people will buy animals to sacrifice for Eid-al Adha. “Maybe hundreds of thousands of cattle markets will be arranged throughout the country starting from remote village up to city, and the cattle sellers and others engaged in the business are mainly coming from rural areas, and possibly they will bring virus with them,” he said. According to his estimates, 30 million to 40 million people will gather for prayers in mosques or open fields across the country for the festival on Wednesday. “The Eid congregations are going to be a superspreading event,” he said. He said the month after the festival will be a critical time for a country that has already tallied nearly 1.1 million infections and nearly 18,000 deaths from the pandemic. “We may not actually avoid a catastrophic situation,” he said. AP

In this July 15, file photo, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington. Murthy said Sunday, July 18, that he’s concerned about what lies ahead with cases of Covid-19 increasing in every state, millions still unvaccinated and a highly contagious virus variant spreading rapidly. AP/Susan Walsh

ever yone again wear masks inside public buildings, regardless of their vaccination status. But in conservative Alabama, where Covid-19 hospitalizations have more than doubled in a month and only about a third of the population is fully vaccinated, officials have refused to reinstitute statewide health rules or use gimmicks such as lotteries to boost immunizations. “I think the best thing for us to do is just encourage everyone to use their common sense and practice personal responsibility and make themselves and their families safe,” Gov. Kay Ivey told reporters last week. Cases also are on the rise in Spr ing f ield, Missour i, where Mayor Ken McClure told CBSTV’s “Face the Nation” that false information about the pandemic was hampering the fight to get

people vaccinated. “I think we are seeing a lot spread through social media as people are talking about fears which they have, health related fears, what it might do to them later on in their lives, what might be contained in the vaccinations,” he said. Murthy, the surgeon general, said “not nearly enough” progress was being made in the fight against misinformation spread through social media about Covid-19 and vaccines. Individuals, not just platforms such as Facebook, need to combat the problem, he said. “Each of us has a decision that we make every time we post something on social media, and I’m asking people to pause and to see, is a source accurate? Is it coming from a scientifically credible authority? And if it’s not, or if you’re not sure, don’t share,” he said. AP

Singapore infections rise to 11-month high

ingapore reported the highest number of new coronavirus cases in about 11 months as infections emerge from an outbreak stemming from karaoke lounges as well as clusters at a wholesale fish market and local food centers. There were 88 locally transmitted cases, the Ministry of Health said on Sunday. Twenty-five came from the entertainment clubs cluster, while 42 were linked to the Jurong Fishery Port. There were 10 unlinked infections. Along with another four among travelers entering the city-state who have been isolated, the total for the day was 92. The jump in cases is dealing a blow to the citystate’s efforts to reopen, with the government reenforcing stricter measures for dining-in just days after relaxing them. Authorities have temporarily closed hundreds of nightlife venues to curb the spread of the virus and quarantined thousands of people. “We are likely to see rising cases in the coming days as we step up efforts to detect them to contain their spread in the community,”

the Health Ministry said in a statement. “The number of unlinked cases in the community has also increased.” The government will continue to test fishmongers across the country as infections at the fishery port spread to wet markets and food centers. The seven-day average for linked community cases—local infections that are linked to one of the 29 “active” clusters of outbreak—has increased to 42 from about 1 case a week ago. The unlinked cases— those that can’t be traced to a cluster it’s tracking— increased to 4.4 from about 1. The biggest cluster is the one from the lounges with a total of 173 cases. The port has also been closed for deep cleaning, the Health Ministry said Saturday. Workers at the port earlier this month have been placed on quarantine. Fresh fish and seafood stallholders at markets managed by the National Environment Agency or NEA-appointed operators were not allowed to open Sunday to prevent further transmission, according to a separate statement.

Bloomberg News

ADEJ POGACAR took the yellow jersey to Paris to win his second straight Tour de France on Sunday after a grueli ng three-week odyssey that at times he made look like a recreational ride. Pogacar’s repeat success at cycling’s biggest event was a tale of total dominance, prompting one question: At age 22, how many more Tours can the Slovenian win? Pogacar won his first title last September when he became the Tour’s youngest champion in 116 years. He is now the youngest double winner of the race. In sharp contrast to last year— when as a rookie he had to wait until the penultimate stage to seize the overall lead—Pogacar has been untouchable in this race. His team was better equipped and better prepared, and Pogacar assumed the favorite’s mantle with the ease of a seasoned veteran. His supremacy was such that, in addition to his overall win, he also claimed the King of the Mountains and best young rider jerseys. The UAE Team Emirates leader successfully defended his huge lead of five minutes and 20 seconds over second-place Jonas Vingegaard in the mostly ceremonial final stage to the Champs-Elysees on Sunday. Richard Carapaz finished third overall, 7:03 off the pace. Vingegaard and Carapaz were the only riders to finish within 10 minutes of the two-time champion. “I did my best, maximum, like I always do, and that was enough,” Pogacar said. Wout van Aert won the 21st stage in a mass sprint. That prevented Mark Cavendish from beating Belgian great Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 stage wins which the British sprinter equaled earlier in the race. The mostly flat 108-kilometer leg began in Chatou just outside Paris and concluded with eight laps up and down the famed avenue. Pogacar and his teammates rode together at the front of the pack as they reached the Champs-Elysees, and the Slovenia champion raised his fist in the air in celebration.

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Pogacar’s gesture acted as a signal for those fighting for a prestigious stage win as the first accelerations took place. But the attackers’ efforts did not pay off and the stage ended in a mass sprint. Cavendish, who consoled himself with the best sprinter’s green jersey, banged his handlebar in frustration after van Aert edged Jasper Philipsen to the line. Cavendish was third. Van Aert, a 26-year-old versatile Belgian with exceptional skills on all terrains, became the

By Josef Ramos

HILIPPINE Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez shunned making any prediction on the Tokyo Olympics campaign, but expressed confidence the 19 Filipino qualifiers have a strong potential to win the country’s first gold medal in the Games. “These are the most prepared athletes, the strongest for me

Following his stunning display in the first time trial, he was in a class of his own in the Alps and seized the race lead with a vintage long-distance attack in atrocious weather. He then wrapped up the demolition work in the Pyrenees with two prestigious stage wins to become only the fourth rider in Tour history to win consecutive summit finishes at cycling’s biggest race. Even Merckx, the five-time Tour champion widely regarded as the greatest-ever winner, was

impressed. “I see in him the new ‘Cannibal,’” said Merckx, who earned that nickname for his ruthless will to win. “He can certainly win the Tour de France more than five times.” Pogacar has won praise for his attacking mentality and his ambition to deliver in all types of races. This season, he linked up his first Tour triumph with victories at the UAE Tour, Tirenno-Adriatico and the prestigious one-day classic Liege-Bastogne-Liege. AP

[compared with previous Olympians before] because our athletes before had their own funding,” Ramirez told a virtual news conference on Monday. “Today, we spend billions—because that’s the way we should prepare our athletes. We helped them a lot.” “But we cannot really make any prediction. But the people, so do I, are expecting big from them because a lot of [people’s] money was spent on the campaign,” Ramirez said. The PSC, Ramirez said, have already spend P2 billion on 100 Olympic aspirants and qualifiers in

18 sports since five years ago. The PSC, Ramirez said, spent P404 million in 2016, P592 million in 2017 and P522 million in 2018 for the athletes’ training, exposures, foreign coaches and equipment. In 2020, the government sports agency spent P428 million and this year, P278 million for the campaign, Ramirez added. “Our athletes are very fortunate, so it can be frustrating if no one delivers the gold, no one delivers the silver...that’s why I am excited because I might be witness to the country’s first ever Olympic gold medal,” he said.

The Philippines have 19 athletes in Tokyo who are competing in 11 sports. They are Kristina Knott and EJ Obiena in athletics, Kiyomi Watanabe in judo, Cris Nievarez in rowing, Jayson Valdez in shooting, Margielyn Didal in skateboarding, Carlos Yulo in gymnastics and Kurt Barbosa in taekwndo. Joining them are boxers Carlo Paalam, Eumir Marcial, Irish Magno and Nesthy Petecio, golfers Juvic Pagunsan, Yuka Saso, and Bianca Pagdanganan, swimmers Luke Gebbie and Remedy Rule and weightlifters Hidilyn Diaz and Elreen Ando.

a very shy person. He performs better in a calm, silent environment,” Carrion said. “So with him doing his routines without spectators is very much to his advantage.” In the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in Manila, Yulo won two gold medals in the all-around and his pet men’s floor exercise. He clinched five silver medals in pommel horse, rings, vault and the parallel and horizontal bars. Those silvers though weren’t what were expected of a worldclass gymnast like Yulo. But Carrion had an explanation. “You know how it is with fans. Everyone was shouting ‘Caloy! Caloy!’ during his routines in the SEA Games and he was not built for that. He was not used to that,” Carrion said. “But through the years, Caloy has learned to filter the noise and learn to focus and concentrate.

But in Japan, where there are no fans, that would be better.” Carrion said that in the 2019 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, Yulo benefitted from being a “nobody” in that competition. “Nobody knew him, so everyone was quiet. After his performance, everyone was stunned,” said Carrion, who revealed that her ward is now settled at the Tokyo Olympic Village. Yulo ranked seventh in the finals and was a surprise package in the floor exercise, winning gold to punch an early ticket to the Tokyo Olympics. “He’s really calm, but he’s ready physically, mentally and spiritually when I spoke to him yesterday [Saturday],” Carrion said. She is confident Yulo could win gold in the floor exercise and,

possibly, a silver in the vault or parallel bars. Yulo opens his bid on July 24 in the qualification of the apparatus. The finals of the individual all-around, if he qualifies, will be on July 28. The floor exercise finals will be on August 1, vault on August 2 and parallel bars on August 3 along with horizontal bar. The pommel horse and rings finals are slated on August 1 and 2. “I’m the one who’s really nervous. Caloy, he’s just okay,” Carrion said. Yulo has been in Japan over the last four years under Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya. Both athlete and coach have developed a strong bond during all those years. “I asked him [Kugimiya], how’s the weather in Tokyo, he told me, ‘mainit.’ He speaks Tagalog [Filipino] better than me now,” Carrion said. The 4-foot-11 Yulo, a Teikyo University student, also speaks Japanese fluently.

Hoops, baseball and parents

Academy is the world’s most prestigious sports, performance and educational institution. Established in 1978 with a pioneering concept known as the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, IMG Academy has since grown to become a global phenomenon. With our world-renowned boarding school and noted sports camps, IMG continues to set the standard for total academic, athletic and personal development in youth student-athletes. The 600-acre Bradenton (Florida) campus annually attract hundreds of teams, groups and events for training and competition. Pro, Olympic and collegiate athletes leverage cutting-edge sport science to gain

a greater edge on the competition. Adult athletes turn back the clock with sport instruction that hones their game, then unwind in a setting of contemporary luxury in the Legacy Hotel at IMG Academy. Corporate professionals become better leaders, teammates and communicators with our dynamic retreats and IMG Institute programming. As we continue to grow campus and refine our developmental methodology, our goal remains steadfast: Help the most dedicated and passionate maximize their inherent potential.” IMG Academy is a boarding school attended by as many as 1,300 high-school students from more than 70 countries.

By Jun Lomibao

OKYO—The Tokyo Olympics will open on Friday and organizers remain firm on keeping fans away from the arenas. That’s big deal to the 11,000 athletes expected for the next three weeks in these pandemic Olympics. But not to the Philippines’s very own world champion gymnast Carlos Yulo. “These Games are made for Caloy,” Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion told BusinessMirror as she waited for her flight to the Japanese capital along with 20 other members of the third batch of Team Philippine members on Sunday morning at Naia’s Terminal 1. “As you very well know, Caloy is

VINCENT JUICO @VJuico, Instagram vpjp_j, vince.juico@gmail.com

SPORTS WITHOUT BORDERS LAST Friday on “Sports For All,” I had IMG Academy Associate Director Dan Barto on the program. I saw Dan in the Netflix documentary “One in a Billion” which is about a young Indian basketball player, Satnam Singh, the first fully homegrown Indian to be drafted in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Singh was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round at No. 52. Unfortunately, he never played a single minute in the league as he played for two years in the NBA G League for the Texas Legends. A little about IMG Academy, according to their website, imgacademy.com, “IMG

PRRD, Go praise Sports Hall of Fame inductees

first competitor since 1979 to win a sprint, a mountain stage and an individual time trial in the same edition of the Tour. As for Pogacar, the only crack in his armor came in the Mont Ventoux stage in the second week, when he was briefly dropped by Vingegaard during the second ascent of the iconic mountain. But Pogacar showed calm and composure that day to catch his rival and remained unscathed. Apart from that scare, Pogacar’s ride was flawless and merciless.

NO FANS, NO PROBLEM T

| Tuesday, July 20, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

AT age 22, how many more Tours can Tadej Pogacar win?

Ramirez: Best prepared team ever

RAMIREZ

BusinessMirror

CARLOS YULO keeps his thighs and legs in shape with the balance board and ball at the Teiko University gym.

Notable teams that train at the academy include the Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United, National Football League’s Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers. Professional athletes who’ve trained at IMG include the Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant, the New England Patriots’ Cam Newton, professional tennis player Kei Nishikori, and the Seattle Seahawks’ Russell Wilson. We asked Barto a plethora of questions from the evolution of parents’ attitude and behavior in dealing with coaches and trainers about their child or children, to friendships and relationships established with kids Dan has

HE Philippine Sports Hall of Fame (PSHOF) formally immortalized 10 Filipino greats on Sunday in a glittering digital enshrinement ceremony that paid homage to their praiseworthy achievements. No less than President Rodrigo Duterte honored the fourth batch of Hall of Famers led by football hero Paulino Alcantara, basketball legend Robert Jaworski, famed swimmer Eric Buhain, track and field star Elma Muros and 1988 Olympic bowling gold medalist Arianne Cerdeña. Also joining them in the pantheon of Filipino sports heroes are Dionisio Calvo (basketball and football coach), Gertrudes Lozada (swimming), Rogelio Onofre (athletics) and Olympic boxing bronze medalists Leopoldo Serrantes and Roel Velasco. “It is a great honor and privilege for me to congratulate the newest batch of sports icons that we enshrined into the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame,” Duterte told the first fully digital ceremony aired by PTV4. “On behalf of a grateful nation, let me thank our athletes for bringing pride and honor to our country.” “Through your dedication and excellence in your respective sports, let your achievements inspire the younger generation of Filipinos to work harder in their chosen fields so that one day they can make our nation proud as you have made us all proud,’’ Duterte added. Alcantara’s great grandnephew, Miguel Angel Rocha, received the elegantly-crafted PSHOF trophy. Buhain, a two-time Olympian (Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992), collected 13 gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games, advised the next generation of athletes to achieve success, while Jaworski continued to inspire with his accomplishments. “It’s a privilege that I’ve presided over the selection committee. It was not easy to decide who among our past heroes will be chosen,” Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez said. “Not everyone can become a part of the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame.” Ramirez chaired the PSHOF Selection Committee with Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham Tolentino as vice chair. “Their names will be forever remembered as Filipino heroes in the field of sports,” Tolentino said. “These are our heroes who will become an inspiration to our youth for the sacrifices and the achievements that they contributed to the country.” Judy Calvo-Olson, received the posthumous award for his father, who coached the men’s national basketball team to its best performances in the Olympics—fifth in the 1936 Berlin Games and 12th in 1948 London edition. “As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, I assure you of my unrelenting and wholehearted support for our athletes and the entire sports community,” said Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go.

coached who call or text for advice, to whether Kobe Bryant’s and Michael Jordan’s work ethic which has yielded iconic results— is something he’d advise kids as young as nine—emulate, to finally Satnam Singh’s journey and Japanese international Shohei Otani’s two way play, pitching and hitting in baseball. (To find out what he had to say about them, go to Sports For All PH on Facebook.) This coming weekend, my guest will be Washington Wizards executive Ryo Shinkawa. Shinkawa is the Marketing Manager of the Washington Wizards organization and a member of the Wizards’ global digital media team.