BusinessMirror July 29, 2022 by BusinessMirror

Better loan access to farmers: Agri-Agra bill lapses into law By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

THE WORLD ›› A11

US PRECISION ROCKET LAUNCHERS ENABLE UKRAINE TO PUMMEL KEY SUPPLY BRIDGE

ARMERS, fisherfolk, and other agricultural stakeholders may soon get better access to loans after the bill repealing the Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act of 2009 lapsed into law on Thursday as neither then President Duterte nor current President Marcos Jr. acted on the measure. Finance Secretary Benjamin E.

Diokno, who previously served as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor, announced this development on the measure, which was earlier certified as urgent by President Duterte. “Good news: Republic Act 11901 otherwise known as The Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development Financing Enhancement Act of 2022 lapsed into law,” Diokno See “Agri-Agra,” A2

SHELL’S RE FOR ABI PLANTS Mr. Michael G. Tan (left), President and COO of Asia Brewery Inc. (ABI) and Mr. Bernd Krukenberg, President and COO of Shell Energy Philippines Inc. (Shell) shake hands after signing a contract for the supply of 15MW of renewable energy for ABI’s plants in Luzon on July 26. The renewable energy will be from solar, geothermal and hydro sources. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Friday, July 29, 2022 Vol. 17 No. 294

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BSP TO USE ‘FULL FORCE’ VS. RISKS FROM INFLATION n

By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

ANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla issued a statement on Thursday, expressing readiness to deploy measures to protect the Philippine economy from the ill effects of the recent aggressive rate hike by United States Federal Reserve. Medalla said the action of the US Fed, a 75-basis-point increase in interest rates, could continue to drive exchange rate moments in emerging market economies including the Philippines, especially amid tightening global financial conditions and broadening uncertainty over global growth prospects. “In order to manage the spillover

effects of such external developments, the BSP is prepared to utilize the full force of available measures in order to address the potential risks to Philippine inflation and inflation expectations arising from an overshooting or excessive depreciation of the Philippine peso,” Medalla said. See “BSP,” A2

LOW DISBURSEMENTS, AGENCY WEAKNESS MAR ‘BBB’ RECORD By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

OW disbursements and other institutional weaknesses crippled the previous a d m i n i s t r a t i o n ’s B u i l d , B u i l d , Build (BBB) program, according to a professor emeritus at the University of the Philippines (UP). In a research submitted to the Office of the UP Diliman Chancellor for the Professor Emeritus Research Program, Epictetus E. Patalinghug said that while the previous administration did well in terms of increasing infrastructure spending, it fell short of its own targets. Patalinghug said that on

average, the percentage of national government disbursement over appropriations was only 75.7 percent during the 2017-2019 period. The actual infrastructure expenditures were also below target in terms of value and percent to GDP, except in 2017. “If evaluated in terms of performance versus its target, the BBB program fails expectations. A comparison of the budget versus actual disbursements of infrastructure implementing agencies shows that actual expenditures are far below programmed expenditures due to institutional weaknesses,” Patalinghug said. See “BBB,” A2

HERITAGE HOUSE Casa Hagonoy is one of the heritage houses at the 400-hectare Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar of New San Jose Builders Inc. Chairman Jose Acuzar. His collection of such homes—relocated from different provinces of the Philippines, renovated and rebuilt by a team of artisans and craftsmen—is located in the town of Bagac, Bataan, facing the West Philippine Sea. BERNARD TESTA

PBBM orders swift relief, power restoration in Abra By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

R ESIDEN T Ferd inand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. ordered the swift distribution of relief aid, restoration of power and communications and other utilities in Abra after it was devastated by a strong earthquake earlier this week. He gave the instructions as he visited Abra on Thursday to inspect the damage caused by the earthquake and to oversee the government response in the affected areas. “So we do what we usually do.

Work together with the local government so that we can make sure all of those who are in need will be given aid,” Marcos said during a situation briefing in Bangued, Abra. Marcos asked for updates on efforts to bring back power and communication lines in the quake-hit province, since he said both will be crucial to reach out to effectively extend aid to affected communities. “Of course, that’s going to be key—for our relief efforts, in everything we do, we have to be able to communicate and we have to be able to operate,” Marcos said. See “Abra,” A2

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 55.6350 n JAPAN 0.4074 n UK 67.6633 n HK 7.0881 n CHINA 8.2300 n SINGAPORE 40.2365 n AUSTRALIA 38.8944 n EU 56.7644 n KOREA 0.0426 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.8131 Source: BSP (28 July 2022)

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Remulla eyes expanding PCGG to handle all ‘proceeds of crime’ By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

USTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla is looking at the possibility of expanding the jurisdiction of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) to cover the seizure of smuggled shipments and confiscation of properties and assets for non-payment of taxes and for being connected to illegal drug trade.

Remulla highlighted the need for a central forfeiture asset office that would not only be focused on the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses or their cronies—its original mandate when created by the Corazon Aquino administration in 1986— but other assets acquired through illegal means. “PCGG’s first function was really for the sequestration of properties, [it] means taking control of

properties. Right now we have no central forfeiture asset office in the country,” Remulla noted. Part of his proposal is for the PCGG to work hand-in-hand with agencies such as the Bureau of Customs to ensure that the bidding and auction of seized goods are aboveboard and items do not end up in the possession of smugglers. There had been speculation that some of the items auctioned off at

BOC still end up in the possession of smugglers, after paying lower taxes. Remulla said the creation of another office might address suspicion of irregularities in the seizure of illegally acquired properties and contraband. “Might as well have the government do it in another office where they [smugglers] cannot penetrate. I suggested it to the President,” Remulla said. He added that the PCGG could also be tapped for drug cases and when a person’s properties are seized in favor of the government. “We do not have a disposition body on that matter, so we have to have a central body so that we would know how much is the country really getting from the proceeds of crimes, from what we are forfeiting in favor of the government and of the people,” he said. At present, the justice secretary said, the discussion on expanding the mandate of the PCGG remains internal or within his team in the DOJ, which is looking for ways to maximize the PCGG. “I don’t think we need to spend the next hundred years running after the Marcoses, I don’t think it’s going to be that way. Might as well make good of something that is there already, so shift the

mandate to something useful for the country, and more urgent,” Remulla explained. “What we are only saying is that [given] the training of the PCGG in managing assets, we might as well look into it so that the other assets forfeited by the government will have a management system. This will be a good one; it’s the time really for us to look at how we deal with the proceeds of crimes,” he added.

Abra. . . Continued from A1

He also directed officials to hasten repairs of damaged water systems, on learning that clean water access was a problem. As of Thursday morning, some parts of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Ilocos Region still have power and communication disruptions due to the damage caused by the earthquake. The 7-magnitude earthquake, which hit Abra last Wednesday, damaged numerous infrastructures and displaced thousands of families. As of Thursday, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported that 19,133 families, or 77,614 individuals, were affected by the earthquake in CAR alone. Of these families, 1,198 are staying in evacuation centers due to their damaged homes. Marcos led the distribution of relief goods to some affected families during his visit. He called on the concerned local government units and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to fast-track the inspection of the damaged structures to determine if its residents could return home. “We have to determine that it’s safe,” Marcos said.

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Agri-Agra. . . Continued from A1

told reporters in a message. Without the signature of the President, the measure “ lapsed into law” on July 28, based on the copy of the law shared by Diokno to reporters. The consolidated version of the bill was passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives on May 23 but it was not clear when it was exactly transmitted to the Palace. The 1987 Constitution states that: “The President shall communicate his veto of any bill to the House where it originated within 30 days after the date of receipt thereof; otherwise, it shall become a law as if he had signed it.” President Duterte ended his sixyear term on June 30. Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Agr ic u lt u re, Food, a nd A g ra r i a n Refor m in the 18th Cong ress, said concerns were raised because banks would rather pay penalties than lend money to farmers, fisherfolk, and other agricultural stakeholders. T h e A g r i c u lt u r e , Fi s h e r i e s and Rura l Development Financing Enhancement Act of 2022 consolidated the prev ious loan a l location set under the Ag r iAg ra law, which required banking institutions to set aside 15 percent for the ag r icu lture sector and 10 percent for ag rar ian refor m benef iciar ies. Under the new law, all banking institutions, whether government or private, except newly established banks must, for a period of five years from the date of commencement of the banks’ operations, set aside a credit quota, or a minimum mandatory agricultural and fisheries financing requirement of at least 25 percent of their total loanable funds. To comply with this requirement, banks may lend to rural community beneficiaries to finance agricultural and fisheryre l at e d a c t i v it ie s or t h rou g h other means, such as lending for the construction and upgrading of infrastructure, including but not limited to, farm-to-market

BBB. . . Continued from A1

BSP. . . Continued from A1

“At the same time, the BSP will continue to be guided by its assessment of the domestic and global developments that affect the outlook for inflation and growth,” he added. Earlier this year, the BSP Monetary Board pulled off an offcycle monetary policy rate hike of 75 basis points on the back of rising inflationary and currency pressures. Medalla also said earlier this week that a rate hike to the tune of 25 to 50 basis points is expected in their upcoming August meeting. “Looking ahead, the BSP stands ready to take all necessary monetary policy action to bring inflation back toward a target-consistent path over the medium term. Further monetary policy adjustment will be carried out in the coming months commensurate with the primary objective of preventing inflation from becoming further entrenched,” Medalla said. “The BSP believes the Philippines’ robust economic prospects continue to provide enough room for further tightening of the monetary policy stance. As always, the BSP’s future monetary policy decisions will remain guided by data outcomes for the Philippine economy,” he added. On Thursday, the local currency closed at P55.82 to a dollar, depreciating from the P55.68 to a dollar close in the previous trading day, data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) showed.

Patalinghug added that key infrastructure agencies, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) disbursed their budget below 40 percent and 30 percent, respectively in the 2017 to 2018 period. He noted that the Commission on Audit (COA) reported that for every P1,000 spent in the budget during the time, only P750 was obligated or committed while P255 was disbursed. This represented only a 30-percent ratio between the disbursed and obligated amounts. The UP professor divided his analysis of the BBB in terms of railway projects; airport-related projects; and roads, bridges, highways, and tollways. Patalinghug said among the 15 rail projects that were examined, only two have been completed, the LRT-2 East Extension Project and the MRT-3 Rehabilitation Project. He said the BBB railway portfolio is dominated by projects under construction, projects awarded, and projects still waiting for government approvals. Meanwhile, Patalinghug said none of the 10 unsolicited Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects were completed during the 20162022 period. Only San Miguel Corporation’s New Manila International Airport, he added, was able to secure the necessary regulatory approvals. Nonetheless, Patalinghug said, the government’s performance in undertaking smaller-scale airport projects was better since four out of five were completed. For roads and bridges, among the 12 selected BBB projects that he examined, five were completed.

roads, as well as the provision of post-harvest facilities and other public rural infrastructure that will benefit the rural community. The law also paved the way for the creation of a special fund coming from the penalties to be imposed on banks for their non-compliance or under-compliance with the mandator y agri-agra credit requirement. Twenty percent of the special fund should be allocated for agricultural and fishery-related organizational capacity and institutionbuilding programs and activities. This will be implemented by the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) with the help of training providers as well as the Agricultural Credit Policy Council and the Cooperative Development Authority. Net of t he 5 percent to be ret a i ned by t he B SP to cover a d m i n i s t r at i v e e x p e n s e s a nd 20 percent for ag r icu ltura l and f isher y-rel ated capacit y-bu i lding prog rams and activ ities, the specia l f und sha l l be a l located to these implementing agencies: n 65 percent of the fund shall be made available in the form of credit facility with minimal interest rates and with a minimum collateral requirement to be equally managed by LBP and DBP; n 35 percent of the fund shall be allocated to the Department of Agrarian Reform for titling and parcelization of landholdings covered with collective Certificate of Land Ownership Awards. The new law mandated an agriculture, fisheries, and rural development financing system through government and private banking institutions that are expected to improve productivity, income, competitiveness, and welfare of the rural community beneficiaries, including farmers, fishers, and agrarian reform communities. T he f ina nc ing system sha l l consist of loans and investments to finance activities that enhance productivity and increase the income of an agricultural and fisheries household, thereby promoting agricultural sector productivity and competitiveness, as well as sustainable development of rural communities.

This indicates a 42 percent completion rate. “The lessons that can be learned from the experiences of countries which embarked on ‘big push’ infrastructure programs are the expected gains from coordinated infrastructure programs can be smoothly attained if absorptive capacity exists [and] reaping the benefits of greater investments in infrastructure requires an improvement in investment efficiency,” Patalinghug said. “Private participation in infrastructure can [also] increase efficiency and bring expertise but possible risks that can occur must be understood in order to determine the appropriate regulatory framework,” he added. In the 2017-2021 period, Patalinghug said the previous administration spent P4.63 trillion or 4.7 percent of GDP. This is higher than the average of P1.98 trillion or 2.5 percent of GDP spent by the previous administration during the 20112016 period. Apart from the BBB, the professor cited government data showing that in five years, the Duterte administration constructed 29,264 kilometers of roads; 5,950 bridges; 11,340 f lood control projects; 150,149 cl assrooms; 214 a ir por t projec t s; 222 e vac u at ion centers; 450 seapor t projec ts a nd 653 Cov id-19 fac i l it ies. Patalinghug cited a National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) report that the BBB program has created 580,000 and 620,000 direct and indirect employment in 2020 and 2021, respectively. This, he said, has been the basis for observers from multilaterals such as the Asian Development Bank and even the survey results released by Pulse Asia that indicated the previous administration improved infrastructure in the country.

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Palace extends terms of OICs till December By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

RESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. has authorized the extension of the terms of officers-in-charge (OIC) and other personnel on holdover capacity in government offices until the end of the year. Press Secretary Beatrix “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles disclosed Marcos instructed Executive Secretary Victor D. Rodriguez to issue Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 3 on Wednesday, amending the provisions of his previous MC 1. “This extends the authority of Officers-in-Charge until December 2022, unless a replacement has been designated or appointed, whichever comes first,” Angeles said in a brief statement issued on Thursday. Under MC 1, OICs, non-Career Executive Officials (CESO) occupying Career Executive Services (CES) in holdover capacities, contractual or casual employees were supposed to end their terms on July 31, 2022. The officials and personnel covered by MC 3 were required to submit a bi-monthly performance report to their respective heads for the duration of their extended term. The covered OICs as well as government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCC) and government financial institutions (GFI), free port and special economic authorities without a new set of appointive directors and elected chief executives are banned from entering into new contracts. The only exception to the said restriction is contracts or projects involving food, transportation, energy or those authorized by the President. MC 3 also clarified the positions, which were declared vacant under MC 1 last June 30, do not apply to GOCCs, government instrumentalities with corporate powers, government corporate entities and GFIs. The positions, which we declared vacant under MC 1 were presidential appointees, whose appointments are classified as co-terminus; appointees occupying positions created in excess of authorized staffing pattern; non-CESO occupying CES positions; and contractual and/or casual employees. Rodriguez said MC 3 was issued to “ensure continuous and effective delivery of public service.”

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Friday, July 29, 2022 A3

Govt rushes relief, rescue operations in quake-hit areas in Northern Luzon By Rene Acosta

in quake-stricken areas. Army spokesman Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the 54th Infantry Battalion and a squad of CAFGU Active Auxiliary rescued stranded patients at Sitio Balawa, Barangay Liwon, Asipulo, and Ifugao. The patients were promptly brought back to the Rural Health Unit of Barangay Antipolo, Asipulo, Ifugao. On the other hand, the 71st IB provided assistance and conducted rescue operations for residents of Barangay Poblacion Norte, Lidlidda, Ilocos Sur. Army engineers from the 548th Engineering Battalion likewise cleared debris that blocked the Na-

guilian Road in La Union, while the 72nd Division Reconnaissance Company helped evacuate village folk in coastal barangays of Santa Lucia, Ilocos Sur. Army units in Ilocos Region, Cordillera and Cagayan Valley augmented their standby search, rescue and retrieval teams following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s order for the hastening of government’s assistance and response operations in affected areas. The NDRRMC said that as of Thursday, the earthquake has affected 3,456 families or 12,945 individuals in 149 barangays in the Cordilleras and has damaged at least 857 houses, also in the same region.

SC issues 7-point guideline on plea bargaining involving drug cases

Private companies prodded to hire more senior citizens in enabling bill

@reneacostaBM

HE military has continued to move its forces and assets in the province of Abra and in other areas affected by the strong earthquake that jolted Northern Luzon on Wednesday morning. The military’s disaster relief and rescue operations in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and in Regions 1 and 2 were undertaken as the government brought aid to affected residents, many of whom, still choose to remain in open evacuation centers for fear of aftershocks. The National Disaster Risk Re-

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

HE Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday said the courts would have the last say on plea bargaining involving parties in drug cases. In a news statement released through its Public Information Office, SC said the magistrates issued clarificatory guidelines on plea bargaining drug cases in its decision on the consolidated cases of People v. Montierro, (G.R No. 254564), Baldadera v. People (G.R. No. 254564); and Re: Letter of the Philippine Judges Association Expressing its Concern over the Ramifications of the Decisions in G.R. No. 247575 and G.R. No. 250295 (A.M. No. 21-07-16-SC), promulgated last Tuesday. In the same ruling, the Court underscored the stability and independence of the Court and its rule-making power in resolving the conflict between the Department of Justice (DOJ) Circular No. 27, which prohibits plea bargaining for illegal sale of dangerous drugs to the lesser offense of illegal possession of drug paraphernalia under Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and the SC’s Resolution in A.M. No. 18-03-16-SC adopting the Plea Bargaining Framework in

duction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said five people have been reported killed and 131 others injured as of Thursday due to the temblor, whose epicenter was located in Lagangilang in Abra. Fourteen search, rescue, and retrieval teams (SRR) were sent to different areas in the Cordilleras and Northern Luzon by the military, including Abra, following reports of still isolated villages and towns due to landslides. The Army’s 24th Infantry Battalion (IB) and the 71st IB, both under the 7th Infantry Division commanded by Major General Andrew Costelo are working in Abra and Ilocos Sur that include road-

Drugs Cases. The SC has yet to release a copy of the said promulgated decision. “Holding that plea bargaining in the prosecution of drugs cases goes into the very matters of fundamental constitutional rights, the Court resolved to clarify the guidelines it earlier issued in A.M. No. 18-0316-SC, dated April 10, 2018,” the SC said. Based on the guidelines, while the defense and prosecution may enter into a plea bargain, the courts are still mandated to determine that the agreement conforms to the Courtissued Plea Bargaining Framework for Drug cases. “Though the prosecution and the defense may agree to enter into a plea bargain, it does not follow that the court will automatically approve the proposal. Judges must still exercise sound discretion in granting or denying plea bargaining taking into account the relevant circumstances, including the character of the accused,” the SC said. The Court added that as a rule, bargaining requires the mutual agreement of the parties subject to the approval of the court. The offer to plead guilty for a lesser offense, the Court noted, “is not demandable by the accused as a matter of right but is a matter addressed to the sound discretion of

clearing operations. Other units such as the 72nd Division Reconnaissance Company, 502nd IB and CAFGU Active Auxillaries are also helping in the ongoing disaster operations, including in the evacuation and transportation of affected villagers in Northern Luzon. The military also directed the Army’s 525th Engineering; 505th Search and Rescue Group of the Air Force and the Naval Installation Command of the Navy to provide rescue teams. The leadership has ordered its units to maximize the use of personnel, equipment and other resources to support the humanitarian assistance and disaster response efforts

the court.” Trial courts are also barred from approving a plea bargain if the objection to it is valid and supported by evidence based on the clarificatory guidelines. Among those not entitled to a plea bargain are “recidivists and habitual offenders, known in the community as a drug addict and a troublemaker, has undergone rehabilitation but had a relapse, or has been charged many times or when the evidence of guilt is strong.” Other salient provisions of the clarificatory guidelines are: (1) Offers for plea bargaining must be initiated in writing by way of a formal written motion filed by the accused in court. (2) The lesser offense, which the accused proposes to plead guilty to, must necessarily be included in the offense charged. (3) Upon receipt of the proposal for plea bargaining that is compliant with the provisions of the Court’s Plea Bargaining Framework in Drugs Cases, the judge shall order that a drug dependency assessment be administered. If the accused admits drug use, or denies it but is found positive after a drug dependency test, then he/she shall undergo treatment and rehabilitation for a period of not less than six months. Said period shall be credited to his/her penalty and the

period of his/her after-care and follow-up program if the penalty is still unserved. If the accused is found negative for drug use/dependency, then he/she will be released on time served. (4) Plea bargaining in drugs cases shall not be allowed when the proposed plea bargain does not conform to the Court-issued Plea Bargaining Framework in Drugs Cases. (5) Judges may overrule the objection of the prosecution if it is based solely on the ground that the accused’s plea bargaining proposal is inconsistent with the acceptable plea bargain under any internal rules or guidelines of the DOJ, though in accordance with the plea bargaining framework issued by the Court, if any. (6) If the prosecution objects to the accused’s plea bargaining proposal due to the circumstances enumerated in item no. 5, the trial court is mandated to hear the prosecution’s objection and rule on the merits thereof. If the trial court finds the objection meritorious, it shall order the continuation of the criminal proceedings. (7) If an accused applies for probation in offenses punishable under RA No. 9165, other than for illegal drug trafficking or pushing under Section 5 in relation to Section 24 thereof, then the law on probation shall apply.

House Speaker vows budgetary support for rehab of earthquake-affected areas By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

HE House of Representatives will support the allocation of funds in the national budget for the rehabilitation and restoration of public infrastructure in provinces affected by the magnitude 7 earthquake in Northern Luzon, Speaker Martin G. Romualdez assured on Thursday. Romualdez made the remarks as he joined President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., Senator Imee Marcos and other top government officials in visiting earthquake victims and communities damaged by the tremor in Abra to check on their situation. Romualdez said it was Sen. Marcos who floated the idea of allocating restoration funds and creating an agency under the Office of the President that would allow the prompt mobilization of funds and resources to calamity-stricken areas. “Mr. President, on the part of the House, we shall support the good senator’s proposal here owing to the fact that we’ve always been looking for best practices, and FEMA or even the AFAD in Turkey are great models

for best practices for these protocols,” Romualdez said. The Speaker was referring to the Federal Emergency Management Authority of the United States and its Turkish counterpart. “We shall also join the good senator from Ilocos Norte on her call to support the budgetary requirements. For the restoration of the heritage and cultural sites as well…as the various infrastructures in the situation report,” he said. Romualdez said this would be done in coordination with the representatives and local officials of the affected provinces. He also appealed for help for the earthquake victims. The House Speaker said the government and the private sector should join hands in helping the victims and rehabilitating communities that suffered damage. Romualdez also prodded state agencies, especially those allocated disaster-related quick response funds in the national budget, to come to the immediate assistance of the victims. He said these offices should swiftly mobilize available funds to distribute relief goods, farm inputs

like seeds and fertilizer, provide financial assistance, undertake road repairs, or fix damaged school buildings, health centers, and other public infrastructure. The agencies could also use other funds in their budgets allocated for these purposes, he added. Romualdez also urged his colleagues in the affected provinces to do their own damage assessment in preparation for the next budget hearings.

DDR

MEANWHILE, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte said the recent powerful earthquake that struck Northern Luzon has underscored the need for the immediate passage of the measure seeking to establish a Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) which will coordinate and better manage the country’s disaster preparedness, response and rehabilitation efforts. Duterte, along with Benguet Rep. Eric Yap, Quezon City Rep. Ralph Tulfo and ACT-CIS Party-list Reps. Edvic Yap, Jocelyn Tulfo and Jeffrey Soriano have recently filed House Bill No. 452 that aims to create the DDR. The measure seeks to create an

“empowered, highly specialized, science and ICT [information and communications technology]-based and fast and responsive Department of Disaster Resilience, with the clear unity of command which shall be primarily responsible for ensuring safe, adaptive and disaster-resilient communities.” Duterte said that under the bill, the DDR shall manage and direct the implementation of national, local and community-based disaster resilience and disaster management programs, projects and activities in collaboration with relevant government agencies, local government units (LGUs), civil society organizations, academic groups and other stakeholders. Duterte pointed out that their proposed measure includes the establishment of a National Disaster Operations Center (NDOC), Alternative Command and Control Centers (ACCCs) in the regions and the Disaster Resilience Research and Training Institute (DRRTI). He said the DRRTI will help develop a highly professionalized corps of officers that will be in charge of, among others, multi-hazard mapping; risk analysis and the setting up of a database that includes rel-

evant information from other government agencies and third parties for the DDR to better prepare and respond to natural hazards. The DRRTI also includes the establishment of reliable and up-todate disaster-related information and communications systems and technologies through close coordination with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and academic institutions. “If we are to create a Department of Disaster Resilience, we should make it a strong, dependable agency by employing the latest technologies available. This will ensure that the DDR will be efficient and effective in performing its task of being the country’s main disaster management agency,” Duterte said. The use of space technology, artificial intelligence, drones, radars, computer models, and micromapping, to name a few, should be accessible to the DDR, Duterte said. Duterte’s proposal also calls for the creation of a Disaster Assistance Action Center (DAAC), which will function as a one-stop-shop to process necessary documents for both domestic and international assisting actors.

By Butch Fernandez

@butchfBM

ONGRESS was asked to frontload passage of an enabling law expanding equal employment opportunities for physically able elderly citizens, mandating private companies to hire more able elderlies. In filing the proposed legislation, Senator Joel Villanueva sought to widen job options for hiring senior citizens still physically able to do office work. “There is a need to provide opportunities for our senior citizens who are still able and willing to obtain gainful employment and wish to continue to become economically active and productive during their golden years,” the senator stressed. Assuring the enabling law will further “support and promote equal work opportunities for our senior citizens,” Villanueva noted that Senate Bill No. 360 updating Republic Act No. 9994, embodying the expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, mandates the Department of Labor and Employment to “provide a matching and employment facilitation services for senior citizens.” The lawmaker said the amending legislation, includes: Increases in the allowable deduction from gross income of private entities that will employ senior citizens as employees from 15 percent to 25 percent of the total amount paid as salaries and wages, as well as trainings provided to senior citizens, in accordance with Section 34 of the National Internal Revenue Code; and, Removes the provision that the annual income of the senior citizen should not exceed the latest poverty threshold, to encourage employers to hire senior citizens from all walks of life, as long as they are able, willing and qualified to do the job. The bill, he noted, also provides waiving of fees and charges from a senior citizen jobseeker if such fee or charge is paid in connection with the application for and the granting of licenses, proofs of identification, clearances, certificates, or other documents usually required in the course of employment; and allowing employers the flexibility to grant greater benefits or improve the working conditions and terms of employment of senior citizens beyond the minimum requirements provided under applicable laws. “Given the foregoing,” Villanueva is confident “this bill will contribute to the benefits of millions of senior citizens who wish to remain economically active and productive.”

A4 Friday, July 29, 2022 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

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Transport, lodging top water, power users in tourism sector–data

By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

CCOMMODATION and transportation are among the largest consumers of water and energy as well as largest contributors to carbon emissions in the tourism sector, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The PSA’s latest data showed accommodation accounted for

79.6 percent of water used in the sector; 44.6 percent of electric-

ity/energy consumption; and 22.5 percent of carbon emissions. Transportation, meanwhile, accounted for 57.5 percent of carbon emissions of the sector; 24.7 percent of energy consumption; and 3.3 percent of the water consumed by the tourism sector. “Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism [MST] is a developmental satellite account compiled by the Philippine Statistics Authority starting 2021,” PSA said. “It aims to provide useful information towards achieving a suitable balance among the economic, environmental, and social aspects of tourism development,” the PSA said.

The PSA added tourism water consumption reached 132.54 million cubic meters (m3) in 2021. It was 19 percent higher than the 111.38 million m3 recorded in the previous year. The data also showed the energy consumption of tourism from the use of Electricity and Petroleum and other fuel products was 3,041.99 kilotonnes of Oil Equivalent (KTOE) in 2021, a contraction of 4.7 percent from 3,192.29 KTOE recorded in 2020. The PSA also said carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions resulting from the use of Electricity and Petroleum and other fuel products by the tourism sector was equal to 3,888.18 Giga-

grams (Gg) in 2021, a contraction of 10.9 percent from the 4,366.09 Gg recorded in the previous year. Meanwhile, Dennis S. Mapa, the National Statistician and Civil Registrar General of the PSA, said efforts to improve tourism data are already under way. Mapa said for one, the PSA is working on initiatives toward the compilation of Subnational Tourism Satellite Accounts. He said the PSA’s next plan for the compilation of tourism accounts for other regions start this year until 2025. The Department of Tourism (DOT) and PSA have also have partnered for the conduct of the

2022 Household Survey on Domestic Visitors for the generation of baseline data on domestic and outbound tourism. Future work for the improvement of tourism statistics in terms of data management through the establishment of an information system and GIS dashboard was also presented. In a news statement, the DOT assured its commitment to ensure the uninterrupted generation of reliable and accurate reports and to explore other opportunities for the formulation of new indicators such as tourism competitiveness, resiliency, and productivity.

Peza chief hopes more ecozones will soon emerge in Mindanao By Andrea San Juan

HE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) said it is hoping that more economic zones in Mindanao will emerge, as there are vast natural resources, pool of talent and human capital in the South. In a news statement issued on Thursday, Peza’s Promotions

a nd P u bl ic R e l at ion s Group (PPRG) Group Manager Aleem Siddiqui M. Guiapa l a lso expressed gratitude on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s emphasis on “full support to economic zones and bringing its strategic role for economic growth outside of Metro Manila.” Guiapal added, “We have done ground works for this and identified 18 viable locations in Mindanao for the creation of ecozones including the provision of halal hubs and Sharia-compliant credit facilities.” Peza’s Officer in Charge Director General Tereso O. Panga, for his part, said “Peza, as the top exportoriented investment promotion agency [IPA] and

main agency registering, developing, and managing various economic zones in the country, welcomed the call to continuously attract strategic and big-ticket investments through the ecozones.” Panga said that with the pronouncement of the President, they could bring jobs and investment revenues across regions through the ecozones. During his first state of the nation address, the President cited ecozones as one of the drivers of economic growth outside of Metro Manila. “Ecozones will be fully supported to bring in strategic industries such as those engaged in high-tech manufacturing, health and medical care, and emerging technologies. This is also seen to facilitate economic growth outside of Metro Manila,” said Marcos on Monday.

Meanwhile, in terms of accelerating the country’s productivity growth, Panga, who also the concurrent Peza deputy director general for Policy and Planning, noted that this would require the mobilization of capital in order to finance infrastructure, technology and human development needs. Further, Panga said, “In this case, productiv it y-enhancing investments can rise from FDI [foreign direct investment] or efficiency-seeking investments— which IPAs [investment promotion agencies] like Peza, can promote and facilitate through the [Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises] CREATE law, the [Strategic Investment Priorities Plan] SIPP and the recently passed economic liberalization laws.” The officer in charge added that

through Peza and the ecozones, which provide for the best locations and business ecosystem, the country can attract strategic industries, including research and development (R&D) and innovation, other emerging technologies, and big-ticket investments to help sustain the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth target and countryside development strategy. Peza has been contributing to the overall growth and development of the regions and the country for 27 years since 1995. Panga stressed, “As an ecosystem that hosts efficiency-seeking investments, Peza ecozones have long been a participant in the global value chain by attracting global manufacturing leaders to set up their facilities here, thus generating employment and

needed exports revenue.” Moreover, Panga noted that the President’s economic insight “bodes well” for ecozones as “we aim to attract foreign partners of our [small and medium enterprises] SMEs with capacity to scale up and move up the value chain, especially new breed of SMEs that are into innovative technologies in biotechnology, e-commerce, digital start-ups and agriculture.” Currently, Peza manages 417 ecozones nationwide hosting 4,632 registered business enterprises venturing into different sectors. According to Peza’s statement, as of 2021, these zones and enterprises contributed a total of P4.036 trillion of investments, $933.835 billion of exports, and directly employ 1.7 million workers across the country.

News BusinessMirror

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Lawmaker says Palace assured completion of Bicol rail project

ALACAÑANG has given fresh assurances that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will complete the Bicol railway as part of his commitment to finish “all ongoing rail projects,” saying the transport undertaking will serve as the backbone of the “Bicol-Waray-Southern Tagalog” economic axis, a leader of the House of Representatives said. House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Salceda said Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez assured him President Marcos intends to proceed with construction of the Bicol Railway as he stated in his State of the Nation Address (SONA). “The Bicol Railway will change the game for our industries in the Pacific Seaboard. It will also be the closest thing to connecting the Speaker’s home region to Luzon via rail,” Salceda said. “Albay is the most densely populated province in the whole Pacific Seaboard. It also hosts the Bicol International Airport, which can actually service Regions 8 and Mimaropa; and Region 8 is the economic catch-up region of the Visayas. If we can connect Manila, Albay, and the Waray Region together through a network of transport infrastruc-

ture backboned by rail, we can accelerate development and economic interconnectivity between these regions,” he added. Salceda also affirmed Marcos’s statement that “rail is the cheapest way to transport cargo and passengers.” “I clarified with ES Rodriguez whether Bicol Railway is still a priority for PBBM, and he says that yes, it is covered by his commitment to all ongoing railway projects,” he added. “The issue is just that financing negotiations are still ongoing, so it was much better to emphasize during the SONA projects that can already be undertaken with ready funding.” According to Salceda, the Chinese investor for the project appears to be back to the negotiating table on Bicol Railway financing. “If they reiterate their offer of 3 percent per annum, in this inflationary global environment, that’s good enough. I am also working on alternative financing to strengthen our negotiating position and help PBBM,” he added. Salceda said that the construction and completion of the Bicol railway would be crucial not just for the Bicol region but also for nearby provinces, such as Samar and Leyte. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

DOJ chief to NBI: Hands off on all POGO operations By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

USTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to take its hands off the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) following reports that some of its agents have been using their operations to illegally obtain money. Remulla said he had already ordered NBI officer-in-charge Medardo De Lemos to direct his operatives to exclude POGOs from their operations. “[I have] ordered Director De Lemos to stop everybody from operating on POGOs because we are getting a very bad reputation on the matter… It was described simply as ‘hulidap’ and it cannot happen anymore. It has to stop,” he said. Hulidap is a scheme where a person is arrested and detained by police officers for the purpose of extorting money in exchange for

his or her release. He said the alleged illegal NBI operations had reached “alarming” levels. “What I know is that there have been many operations on POGOs. It is really alarming. It has to stop. It has to stop,” Remulla added. He noted that several complaints have reached the justice department against the bureau’s agents, which have tarnished the integrity of the agency. He admitted that criminal activities are rampant in the POGO industry, which include kidnapping. However, he noted that some of these kidnapping cases involved POGO workers as perpetrators and victims, thus, would end up settling their cases amicably. “So we are just wasting our time. And then we just get involved in their intramurals. So we have to stop it,” Remulla said. He added that the NBI would only intervene if their presence is really necessary.

Friday, July 29, 2022 A5

DMW readies ₧20-million help for OFW kin in quake-hit areas By Malou Talosig-Bartolome @maloutalosig

HE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is allocating P20 million to support families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were affected by the recent 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Northern Luzon. “This is just an initial allotment to help OFW families affected by the earthquake. I have directed the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration [OWWA] to immediately provide help and find out what other forms of assistance the DMW can

provide,” DMW Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople said in a news statement issued on Thursday. Affected families applying for DMW financial assistance can file their applications with the nearest OWWA office in their regions. Qualified families need to show it has at least one OFW family member currently deployed overseas. “Once verified, the applications shall be endorsed for financial assistance. The one-time allocation can be used for food, medicines, groceries, water, or any items the OFW family needs immediately,” Ople said. She said they will wait for the

damage assessment report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to determine which regions and areas are most affected. Areas affected most will be given priority, Ople added. The DMW chief also said she has coordinated with the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), or Pag-IBIG Fund, to facilitate emergency loan applications of OFW families affected by the earthquake. Meanwhile, Pag-IBIG announced it has deployed a mobile office called Lingkod Pag-IBIG on Wheels (LPOW) to Abra on Thursday morning.

PHL still at low-risk classification despite Covid case uptick–DOH By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

HE Philippines remains at low-risk Covid-19 classification, notwithstanding the recent uptick in virus cases, a Department of Health (DOH) official said on Thursday. “Nationally, we are still at low-risk case classification with an average daily attack rate of 2.43 cases per 100,000 population, with national and all regions showing case increases in the recent one and two weeks,” Undersecretary Officer in Charge Beverly Ho of the Public Health Services Team, said. Ho also reported that the National Capital Region (NCR) is currently at moderate risk classification. “NCR remains at moderate-risk case classification due to an average daily attack rate of 7.25 cases per 100,000 population,” Ho, who is also the alternate spokesman of the DOH said. She added that remaining regions maintain low risk case classification. However, seven other regions —Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, Region 4A, Region 6, and Region 7reported an average daily attack rates of at least 1 ranging from 1.45-3.96 cases per 100,000 population.

Health system capacity

HO said that national and NCR’s health system capacities are still at

low-risk utilization. The number of severe and critical admissions at the national level remains less than 1,000 since midMarch 2022, and currently showing a continued slow increase.

BA.5

BASED on the latest sequencing results from July 22 to July 26, an additional of 890 BA.5 cases were detected, with 823 tagged as recovered. All regions detected the variant except Region 12 and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) after nine returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) tested positive for the BA.5 variant. Ho said that 650 individuals are fully vaccinated, 18 are partially vaccinated while the vaccination status of the remaining 222 individuals are still being verified. “At the moment, the exposure of individuals, travel histories, health status, and vaccination status are being verified,” Ho said, adding 823 individuals are now tagged as recovered, 31 are still undergoing isolation, while the outcome of the rest (36) are being verified.

BA.4

THERE were 18 additional BA.4 cases detected and 17 tagged as recovered. Seven individuals came from NCR, 6 from Region 5, 2 from CAR, and one each from Regions 1, 2, and 4A tested positive for the BA.4 variant.

“Thirteen individuals are fully vaccinated while the vaccination status of the remaining five individuals are still being verified,” Ho said. At the moment, the DOH official said that exposure of individuals, travel histories, and health status is being verified. Seventeen individuals are now tagged as recovered while the remaining case is still undergoing isolation.

BA.2.12.1

FIFTEEN additional BA.2.12.1 cases detected and 14 have been tagged as recovered. Five individuals from NCR, four from CAR, three from Region 4A, one each from Region 1 and Region 4B, and one ROF tested positive for the BA.2.12.1 variant. Ho said eight individuals are fully vaccinated, one is partially vaccinated, while the vaccination status of the remaining individuals (6) are still being verified. At the moment, the exposure of individuals, travel histories, and health status are being verified. Meanwhile, 14 individuals are now tagged as recovered, while the remaining case is still undergoing isolation. “To remain safe and protected, let us continue to adhere to our minimum public health standards. Join the PinasLakas campaign by getting your boosters done for a better and a healthier Pilipinas,” Ho said.

NHCP seeks post-quake funds for heritage sites Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco on Wednesday directed the Department of Tourism’s infrastructure arm, the Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza), to explore ways it can extend assistance, especially for the cultural and heritage sites affected by the strong earthquake. “We will request Tieza to prioritize assessment of the cultural treasures affected by the recent

earthquake recognizing the need to protect and sustain our heritage and cultural treasures for the benefit and welfare of our future generations,” said Frasco. Among the major heritage sites affected by the earthquake were the Vigan Heritage Village and Syquia Mansion Museum, which are both Unesco World Heritage sites, and the Santa Catalina de Alejandria Parish Church, a 19th century baroque church in Tayum and declared

a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum. (See, “Heritage, cultural sites suffer quake damage,” in the BusinessMirror, July 27, 2022.)

‘Please pick up, store the debris’ MEANWHILE, Escalante appealed to “stakeholders to help us secure portions of the [heritage] buildings and store the debris in a separate location, so we can restore them to their previous structure.”

NHCP will have to determine, however, which damaged properties will have to be restored first due to the lack of rehabilitation funds. “The difference between the recent earthquake from what happened in Cebu and Bohol, those damaged [in Vigan] were private properties, so we still have to get our lawyers to study this as we know we are prohibited from using public funds for private property. The issue is their declaration

Projects vs hunger included in PDP–Neda The PDP aims to flesh out the 8-point socioeconomic agenda of the Marcos administration that will address constraints to the country’s inclusive and sustainable growth. The 8-point agenda, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said, will bear government strategies to address short- and long-term development concerns of the country. “The upcoming PDP aspires for growth that is more inclusive this time compared to previous planning

periods so that all Filipinos, including the poor, are given opportunities to participate in the growing economy. That’s our intention, and critical to that is our success in generating highquality jobs and raising productivity, particularly, in agriculture,” Balisacan said in a statement on Thursday. Balisacan said such short-term measures will address current issues such as inflation, vulnerability of certain groups of the population to shocks, and the scarring resulting from the pandemic.

Over the longer term, the agenda tackles priorities like job creation and sustaining the 6.5 to 8 percent growth of Gross Domestic Product from 2023-2028 that will be enabled, in part, by the country’s solid macroeconomic fundamentals. “For the generation of quality employment, we need to address the constraints to rapid and sustainable growth that have been well-identified in various fora and studies by both local and international observers of the Philippine

continued from a14

as a heritage site would cover not only the public buildings but also the heritage houses and adjacent streets.” NHCP has sought the help of the Office of the Solicitor General to settle this matter. But he expressed confidence, “the restoration of these damaged properties will be faster than the ones in Cebu and Bohol” because the former did not suffer as much as the properties in Central Visayas, many of which collapsed.

continued from a14

economy. These include issues affecting infrastructure, logistics, energy, digitalization, regulatory measures, and governance,” Balisacan said. The Neda chief underscored the need to act on problems from both the supply and demand sides of the labor market to cope with unemployment. On the supply side, Balisacan highlighted increasing the employability of Filipino workers, both for those currently in the labor market and those who will eventually enter the labor force.

On the demand side, he stressed the need to improve the investment climate to open up opportunities for job creation, particularly in manufacturing and the formal services sector. Neda will be at the forefront in dealing with these constraints by spearheading the formulation of the Philippine Development Plan 20232028 and reporting to the President and the Cabinet the progress of its implementation. This PDP serves as the Marcos administration’s development blueprint for the medium term.

The LPOW will receive and process loan applications of members, including OFWs affected by the quake. “This will enable affected members file their salary or calamity loan applications without going to the branch,” Pag-IBIG Deputy Chief Executive Officer Alex Aguilar said. Qualified Pag-IBIG members may borrow up to 80 percent of their total Pag-IBIG Regular Savings to avail of the multi-purpose loan or calamity loans. Savings consist of the monthly contributions, employer’s contributions and accumulated dividends earned.

DOE pressed anew to implement SPR plan By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

ITH the official appointment of Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla as energy secretary, a lawmaker on Tuesday asked the Department of Energy (DOE) to finally act on the long-conceived government plan to establish a strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) against the backdrop of a tight global oil market supply responsible for this year’s record upward spiral in fuel prices. Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte, in a news statement, said he was “looking forward to the prospect that it wouldn’t be business-as-usual at the DOE, where this SPR plan had sadly crawled at a snail’s pace for more than two years running on the watch of then-Secretary Alfonso Cusi.” “With the seemingly rollercoaster ride, albeit mostly ups than downs, that gasoline and diesel prices have been through in the retail market, especially this year, one way for the incoming administration of PBBM [President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.] to stabilize pump prices of petroleum products on the watch of Secretary Lotilla—and shield consumers and motorists from the debilitating effects of sky-high prices of gasoline and fuel is to put up an SPR or storage facility to let the government bring in additional inventory that could help soften future price surges,” he said. Villafuerte said he was counting on Lotilla’s track record in the energy sector to make a difference on whether the SPR was finally happening soon. Lotilla had served as energy secretary from 2005 to 2007 during the term of then-President Arroyo. He had also served as president of the Power Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) and chairman of the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC). Gasoline and diesel prices went down this week for the third time in the same number of week after going up to record levels in the previous months, raising earlier speculations that the cost of fuel might even hit P100 per liter this year. In announcing last weekend the latest batch of President Marcos’s appointees, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said the Palace has made official Lotilla’s appointment as energy secretary. Villafuerte pointed out DOE officials have “for years been talking the talk about a national SPR, but they have yet to walk the walk on this planned reserve for petroleum products. In fact, the best that thenDOE Secretary Cusi did before to calm an anxious public was to tell them some three months back that the PNOC had been tapped to do a feasibility study on it.”

BusinessMirror

Friday, July 29, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

ACCENTURE, INC. 7f, Robinsons Cybergate Tower 1, Pioneer St, City Of Mandaluyong 10. PEREY, NATTHAYA LOASURIYA Bus Process Delivery Senior Analyst 1.

Brief Job Description: Lead and manage operation for Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia markets

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree and can write, speak and understand Thai language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 11.

ALL OUT MULTI-MEDIA SOLUTIONS CORP. Unit 2302-a West Tower, Pse Centre, Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

KIM, SUNGHO Technical Support Specialist 2.

Brief Job Description: Maintenance and monitoring of computer hardware computer systems and applications.

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

ALTERA KARNA BUSINESS CORP. 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th Flrs. Eighty-one Newport Blvd., Newport City St., Barangay 183, Pasay City

TAN TZYY WEIR Customer Service Representative (Chinese Speaking) Brief Job Description: Provide customer service to clients.

12.

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

13.

14.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

HUANG, QIFA Call Center Agent Brief Job Description: Customer Service.

JIN, PENG Call Center Agent Brief Job Description: Customer Service.

LI, NANNAN Call Center Agent Brief Job Description: Customer Service

LI, YANRONG Call Center Agent Brief Job Description: Customer Service.

TRAN DUC MAU Call Center Agent Brief Job Description: Customer Service.

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

YAN KYIN YWAIN Customer Service Representative (Chinese Speaking) Brief Job Description: Provide customer service to clients.

Basic Qualification: *Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese fluently. *Preferably 6 months to 1-year customer service experience. *Detailoriented and has the ability to multi-task. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

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

15.

16.

17.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 18.

YUAN, CHENG-YU Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 6.

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

ZHANG, ZHEN Call Center Agent Brief Job Description: Customer Service.

ZHENG, JIAAN Call Center Agent Brief Job Description: Customer Service.

Brief Job Description: Studying company profile and operations to understand its marketing needs. Implementing a marketing strategy according to objectives and budget.

HANA JUNITA Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

JACKY NAVIRI LIN Customer Service Representative

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

Brief Job Description: Customer Service

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

LUO, TING Customer Service Representative

19.

FLY ASIAN INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION Eighty One Bldg. Newport Blvd., Newport City Vab St., Barangay 183, Pasay City

HUANG, YU-CHING Marketing Consultant (mandarin Speaking Clients)

Basic Qualification: Preferably 6 months experience with the above position. Can multi-task and keen to details. Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese fluently.

20.

Brief Job Description: Customer service

ZHANG, SHOUCHUN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

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

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

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English.

No.

23.

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

24.

25.

21.

ZHOU, LI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

26.

Brief Job Description: Customer Service.

Basic Qualification: College graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English.

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

22.

HOU, WENLIN Call Center Agent Brief Job Description: Customer Service.

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

LEUNG, CHI KWAN Chinese Executive Chief Brief Job Description: Overall in charge in Chinese restaurant

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

NGUYEN THI MY TIEN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 28.

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: At least 19 years old; ability to speak, Write and communicate in Chinese Mandarin. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: At least 19 years old; ability to speak, Write and communicate in Chinese Mandarin. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level, and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

HITACHI SOLUTIONS PHILIPPINES CORPORATION 12/f Marajo Tower, 26th St. West Cor. 4th Ave. Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

HOSOKAWA, YOICHIRO Director – Executive Office 29.

Brief Job Description: Set performance and financial goals and attain them through team direction and management. Assess, evaluate, and report on overall team and individual team member performance.

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level, and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level, and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

LI, YU-SYUAN Chinese Customer Service Representative 30.

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

Brief Job Description: Provide daily support of various computer systems including answering questions, analyzing problems, and quickly forming solutions to return systems to proper operation.

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level, and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English YU, TAI-YUN a.k.a. YU, DAI-YUN Chinese Technical Support Representative

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

Basic Qualification: More than 10yrs. In fine dining restaurant Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

GAO SHOU TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT, INC. 52/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree, MBA or equivalent desired. At least 12 years of work experience in general in the ICT field Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

JIU ZHOU TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. 31/f Tower 6789, 6789 Ayala Avenue, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

FRONTIER ORTIGAS HOTEL AND RESORT CORPORATION Marco Polo Hotel Ortigas Manila Meralco Ave., Cor. Sapphire Road Ortigas Ctr., San Antonio, City Of Pasig

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

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

NGUYEN PHUONG NHI Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

31.

HOU, CHUAN Call Center Agent

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

NGUYEN DIEN BAO DUY Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English.

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

HONG GIA MY Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

DANG QUANG VINH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION KUEI, TING-WEN Chinese Customer Service Representative

27.

CRONYX INC. Flr. No. 4th-10th, Yinhope Bldg., Dela Rama Cor. Zoili Hilario St., Seascape Village, Ccp Complex Subd., Zone 10, Barangay 76, Pasay City

YANG, XIAOTAO Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Brief Job Description: Provide daily support of various computer systems including answering questions, analyzing problems, and quickly forming solutions to return systems to proper operation.

JUNSIRIPONG, DUANGKAMON Thai Customer Service Representative 32.

Brief Job Description: Provide daily support of various computer systems including answering questions, analyzing problems, and quickly forming solutions to return systems to proper operation.

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

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

LIMSOONTORN, PHANTHILA Thai Customer Service Representative 33.

Brief Job Description: Provide daily support of various computer systems including answering questions, analyzing problems, and quickly forming solutions to return systems to proper operation.

SAENSUPA, TAKSAPORN Thai Customer Service Representative 34.

Brief Job Description: Provide daily support of various computer systems including answering questions, analyzing problems, and quickly forming solutions to return systems to proper operation.

NINH DIEM HONG Vietnamese Admin Support Specialist 35.

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

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for. Fluent to Chinese Mandarin is an advantage

No.

DING, RANYING Chinese Customer Service Representative 48.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective Native Language for the position applied for; Fluent in Chinese Mandarin is an advantage

PANG, JIANGMENG Chinese Customer Service Representative 49.

Brief Job Description: Responsible to perform tasks with due care, skill and judgement.

Basic Qualification: Experience with telecommunications design, fiber, copper plant.

37.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

50.

38.

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

PHAN HWNAR SHAN Burmese Customer Service Representative 39.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

SAI AUNG NAING HEIN Burmese Customer Service Representative 40.

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

ZUO, LU Chinese Customer Service Representative 51.

52.

53.

54.

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

DIEP SANG KHIN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

DUONG LAN ANH Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

HO A UNG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

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

HO NHU Y Customer Service Representative 55.

HNIN PWINT WAI Burmese Customer Service Representative

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

No.

64.

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read, and Write Chinese Language

65.

41.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read and Write Chinese Language

66.

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

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

67.

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level, and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

68.

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

69.

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

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

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read, and Write Chinese Language

56.

Brief Job Description: Customer Service

HOANG VAN HOAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

70.

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

71.

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level, and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

72.

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

42.

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

YE ZIN WAI Burmese Customer Service Representative 43.

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

ZIN MAR AUNG Burmese Customer Service Representative 44.

45.

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

LEONG CHEE HAO Call Center Agent Brief Job Description: Customer Service.

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

57.

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

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

58.

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

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

59.

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

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

HOANG VAN THANH Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

73.

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

46.

47.

Brief Job Description: Customer Service.

YE, SHANSHAN Call Center Agent Brief Job Description: Customer Service.

PHAN THI HIEU Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

PHAN THI THUY Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

TU VAN CHIEN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

VANG VINH QUANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

VI VAN HAI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

LANGUI, ISTASIPAL Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

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

60.

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

LE HOANG PHONG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

61.

NG ZHI FEN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NGUYEN TIEN DUNG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English.

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English.

NGUYEN VAN CANH Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 77.

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

63.

Brief Job Description: Customer Service

Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin / basic English

Brief Job Description: Customer service

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

CHENG PUI YEE Malaysian Customer Service Representative 79.

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

VU DINH DUONG Customer Service Representative

VIVIAN HUSSI Indonesian Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 NONG THI HIEN Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Customer service

RIKO RIYANTO Indonesian Customer Service Representative

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

VO VAN VINH Customer Service Representative

LADY BEUTY RAJUNAIDU Indonesian Customer Service Representative

78.

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

Brief Job Description: Customer service

DARWIN RICHARD Indonesian Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin / basic English

VI VAN HAO Customer Service Representative

DARTIUS Indonesian Customer Service Representative

76.

62. WEI, YONGZHUAN Call Center Agent

Brief Job Description: Customer Service

AGUSTONO Indonesian Customer Service Representative

75. YAN KYEIN HU Burmese Customer Service Representative

PHAM THI CHAM Customer Service Representative

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

74. SOE MYO AUNG Burmese Customer Service Representative

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

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

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

AIKE MAUNG KYAW Burmese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

ZHOU, YAN Chinese Customer Service Representative

LANCESOFT PHILIPPINES LIMITED INC. Unit 4c And D 4th Floor Commerce & Industry Plaza Building, Mckinley Town Center, Mckinley Hill, Pinagsama, City Of Taguig

36.

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

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

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

DESHAR, RANJIT Regional Project Manager

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Friday, July 29, 2022

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

CHIN VEE SHENG Malaysian Customer Service Representative 80.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin / basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin / basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

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

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

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

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

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

BusinessMirror

Friday, July 29, 2022

A6 A8

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION CHOW SENG HOU Malaysian Customer Service Representative

81.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

RAYMOND CHIN YUN SIN Malaysian Customer Service Representative 82.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

TIEW HAN CHUN Malaysian Customer Service Representative 83.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

BANG THI DUOC Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 84.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

BUI DUY THANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 85.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

No.

NGUYEN THI HOAI Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 100.

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

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read and Write Chinese Language

101.

102.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NGUYEN VAN DAT Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 103.

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NGUYEN TRONG HUU Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NGUYEN THI LA Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NGUYEN VAN PHU Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 104.

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

No.

119.

120.

121.

122.

86.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

DAM THI HUONG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 87.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

DANG THI THU GIANG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 88.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

DUONG THI THANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 89.

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

DUONG VAN THUONG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 90.

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

HA THI XAM Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 91.

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

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

NGUYEN VAN QUYET Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 105.

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

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

NGUYEN VAN THAO Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 106.

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

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

107.

108.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

PHAM VAN QUYEN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 109.

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

PHAM HUNG HAU Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

PHAM HONG HAI Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

PHAN DINH HOANG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 110.

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

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

124.

125.

92.

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

HOANG BACH DUNG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 93.

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

HOANG THI BE Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 94.

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

LUONG VINH CHAU Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 95.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

LY THI LICH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 96.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

MA VAN DOAN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 97.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

NGUYEN THI BE Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 98.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

NGUYEN THI HAI Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 99.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

PHAN HONG DUNG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 111.

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

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

SU CHOI LAY Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 112.

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

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

113.

114.

115.

116.

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

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

TRAN VAN MANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 117.

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

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

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

TRAN VAN KHANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read, and Write Chinese Language

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

TRAN HUU NHO Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read, and Write Chinese Language

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

TRAN DUN CHANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read, and Write Chinese Language

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

SY MY VA Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read, and Write Chinese Language

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

126.

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

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

TRUONG HONG NGOC Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 118.

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

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

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

128.

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

Basic Qualification: Excellent leadership in sales and marketing

Brief Job Description: Develops and strengthens lead sales, marketing, customer-service and relationships

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

Basic Qualification: At least 30 years of work exppperience in the field. experienced in project quality management/ coordinationation plan.

Brief Job Description: Act as a technical consultant on matters relating to Steel Works/Plant Feasibility studies, Design, construction, operation, Maintenance and Quality Control. Plan and propose management & operations management structure for the plant.

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and Written Skills)

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

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and Written Skills)

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

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and Written Skills)

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

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and Written Skills)

Brief Job Description: Assesses infrastructure on a regular basis to ensure it continues to meet necessary demands

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

TYCS LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL INC. 305 Guerrero Estate Devt., Corp N. Aquino Ave. Cor. Irasan St., San Dionisio, City Of Parañaque

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Korean and English

SEO, TAE-WON Process Expert Specialist(import/export) 129.

Brief Job Description: Monitoring the shipments to ensure the compliance of regulations

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

UPL PHILIPPINES INC. Unit 1905-1906 19/f Ibp Tower, Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

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

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

NGUYEN VAN TRUNG It Officer

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

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

NGUYEN DUC LONG Admin Officer

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

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

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

NGO THUY LINH Admin Officer

127. HA VAN THAI Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

HUYNH THI THU HUONG Admin Officer

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

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

SOMI UNLIMITED SOLUTIONS, INC. 10/f Tower 2 Double Dragon Plaza Bldg., Edsa Corner Macapagal Ave. St. Zone 10, District 1, Barangay 76, Pasay City

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

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

KURAMOTO, RIKUSHI Steel Fabrication Consultant

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

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

SAN MIGUEL AEROCITY INC. (MANILA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT) 40 San Miguel Corporation, Head Office Complex San Miguel, Wack-wack Greenhills, City Of Mandaluyong

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

BANSOD, SWAPNIL Business Development Manager

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

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

NEXT GENERATION TECHNOLOGIES GLOBAL INC. (NGT GLOBAL) 4/f Mother Of Unity Bldg., 118 J.p Rizal Street, San Roque, City Of Marikina

123. BUI THI PHUONG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

VU VAN TUAN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

VU VAN BINH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

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

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

VI VAN HIEU Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

VI THI BICH YEN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

CHOUDHARY, MANISH KUMAR President And Country Manager

130.

Brief Job Description: Run the business operations of UPL in Philippines, including sales, marketing, administrative functions, management initiatives and product management, Deliver the financial targets of UPL Philippines (e.g. Sales, EBITDA and Working Capital), Lead team in Philippines in the implementation of the business development plan.

Basic Qualification: Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration International Business Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

*Date Generated: Jul 28, 2022 Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE National Capital Region located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication. Please inform DOLE National Capital Region if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

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

TheWorld BusinessMirror

Friday, July 29, 2022

Fed unleashes another big rate increase in bid to curb inflation By Christopher Rugaber

BEDS are laid out in a cooling center at the Charles Jordan Community Center in Portland, Oregon, on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. Temperatures are expected to top 100 degrees F (37.8 C) on Tuesday and wide swaths of western Oregon and Washington are predicted to be well above historic averages throughout the week. AP/CRAIG MITCHELLDYER

Temperatures could hit triple digits again in US Northwest By Claire Rush & Gillian Flaccus The Associated Press/Report for America

ORTLAND, Ore. z—Heat wave duration records could be broken in the Pacific Northwest this week and authorities are expanding capacity at some cooling centers as temperatures near triple digits are forecast to extend into the weekend. “For the next several days through Saturday we’re going to be within a few degrees of 100 every day,” said Colby Neuman, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Portland, Oregon. Temperatures in Oregon’s largest city are forecast to soar to 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 Celsius) again on Friday. On Tuesday, Portland set daily record 102°F (38.9°C). Seattle on Tuesday also reported a new record daily high of 94 F (34.4 C). The heat spell was forecast to last into Saturday in western Washington as well. The National Weather Service has extended the excessive heat warnings from Thursday through Saturday evening. The duration of the heat wave puts Portland “in the running” for tying its longest streak of six consecutive days of 95°F (35°C) or higher, Neuman said. Climate change is fueling longer heat waves in the Pacific Northwest, a region where weeklong heat spells were historically rare, according to climate experts. On Wednesday, the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office said at least two people have died from suspected hyperthermia during the heat wave, KGW reported. One death occurred in Portland on Monday, the Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Office said. The state medical examiner’s office said the heat-related death designation is preliminary and could change after further investigation. Heat-related 911 calls in Portland have tripled in recent days, from an estimated eight calls on Sunday to 28 calls on Tuesday, said Dan Douthit, a spokesperson for the city’s Bureau of Emergency Management. Most calls involved a medical response, Douthit added. Multnomah County said more people have been visiting emergency departments for heat-related symptoms. Emergency department visits “have remained elevated since Sunday,” the county said in a statement. “In the past three days, hospitals have treated 13 people for heat illness, when they would normally expect to see two or three.” People working or exercising outside, along with older people, were among those taken to emergency departments, the statement added. People in Portland’s iconic food cart industry are among those who work outside. Many food trucks have shut down as sidewalks sizzle. Rico Loverde, the chef and owner of the food cart Monster Smash Burgers, said the temperature inside his cart is generally 20 degrees hotter than the outdoor temperature, making it 120°F (48.9°C) inside his tiny business this week. Loverde said he closes down if it reaches above 95°F (35°C) because his refrigerators overheat and shut down. Last week, even with slightly cooler temperatures in the mid-90s, Loverde got heat stroke from working in his cart for hours, he said. “It hurts; it definitely hurts. I still pay my employees when we’re closed like this because they have to pay the bills too, but for a small business it’s not good,” he said Tuesday. Multnomah County said its four emergency overnight cooling shelters were at half capacity on Tuesday with 130 people spending the night. But anticipating more demand, officials decided to expand capacity at the four sites to accommodate nearly 300 people. William Nonluecha, who lives in a tent in Portland, sought out shade with some friends as the temperature soared Wednesday afternoon. Nonluecha was less than a minute’s walk from a cooling shelter set up by local authorities but wasn’t aware it was open. He said the heat in his tent was almost unbearable. His friend Mel Taylor, who was homeless last year but now has transitional housing, said during a record-breaking heat wave last summer a man in a tent near his died from heat exhaustion and no one realized it. He’s afraid the same thing might happen this summer. “He was in his tent for like a week and the smell, that’s how they figured out that he was dead,” Taylor said. “It’s sad.” Residents and officials in the Northwest have been trying to adjust to the likely reality of longer, hotter heat waves following last summer’s deadly “heat dome” weather phenomenon that prompted record temperatures and deaths. About 800 people died in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia during that heat wave, which hit in late June and early July. The temperature at the time soared to an all-time high of 116°F (46.7°C) in Portland and smashed heat records in cities and towns across the region. Many of those who died were older and lived alone. Other regions of the US often experience temperatures of 100 degrees. But in regions like the Pacific Northwest, people are not as acclimated to the heat and are more susceptible to it, said Craig Crandall, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. “There’s a much greater risk for individuals in areas such as the Northwest to have higher instances of heat-related injuries and death,” Crandall said. Officials in Seattle and Portland on Tuesday issued air quality advisories expected to last through Saturday, warning that smog may reach levels that could be unhealthy for sensitive groups. Farther south, the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory on Wednesday for western Nevada and northeast California that is set to last from the late Thursday morning until Saturday night. Across the region, near record daytime high temperatures will range from 99°F to 104°F (37.22°C to 40°C). AP reporter Gabe Stern contributed from Carson City, Nevada.

AP Economics Writer

ASHINGTON—The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised its benchmark interest rate by a hefty three-quarters of a point for a second straight time in its most aggressive drive in more than three decades to tame high inflation. The Fed’s move will raise its key rate, which affects many consumer and business loans, to a range of 2.25 percent to 2.5 percent, its highest level since 2018. Speaking at a news conference after the Fed’s latest policy meeting, Chair Jerome Powell offered mixed signals about the central bank’s likely next moves. He stressed that the Fed remains committed to defeating chronically high inflation, while holding out the possibility that it may soon downshift to smaller rate hikes. And even as worries grow that the Fed’s efforts could eventually cause a recession, Powell passed up several opportunities to say the central bank would slow its hikes if a recession occurred while inflation was still high. Roberto Perli, an economist at Piper Sandler, an investment bank, said the Fed chair emphasized that “even if it caused a recession, bringing down inflation is important.” But Powell’s suggestion that rate hikes could slow now that its key rate is roughly at a level that is believed to neither support nor restrict growth helped ignite a powerful rally on Wall Street, with the S&P 500 stock market index surging 2.6 percent. The prospect of lower interest rates generally fuel stock market gains. At the same time, Powell was careful during his news conference not to rule out another threequarter-point hike when the Fed’s policymakers next meet in September. He said that rate decision will depend upon what emerges from the many economic reports that will be released between now and then. “I do not think the US is currently in a recession,” Powell said

at his news conference in which he suggested that the Fed’s rate hikes have already had some success in slowing the economy and possibly easing inflationary pressures. The central bank ’s decision follows a jump in inflation to 9.1 percent, the fastest annual rate in 41 years, and reflects its strenuous efforts to slow price gains across the economy. By raising borrowing rates, the Fed makes it costlier to take out a mortgage or an auto or business loan. Consumers and businesses then presumably borrow and spend less, cooling the economy and slowing inflation. The surge in inf lation and fear of a recession have eroded consumer confidence and stirred public anxiety about the economy, which is sending frustratingly mixed signals. And with the November midterm elections nearing, Americans’ discontent has diminished President Joe Biden’s public approval ratings and increased the likelihood that the Democrats will lose control of the House and Senate. The Fed ’s moves to sharply tighten credit have torpedoed the housing market, which is especially sensitive to interest rate changes. The average rate on a 30year fixed mortgage has roughly doubled in the past year, to 5.5 percent, and home sales have tumbled. Consumers are showing signs of cutting spending in the face of high prices. And business surveys suggest that sales are slowing. The central bank is betting that it can slow growth just enough to tame inflation yet not so much as to trigger a recession—a risk that many analysts fear may end badly. At his news conference, Powell suggested that with the economy

AS traders work and watch, a news conference held by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is displayed at the New York Stock Exchange in New York on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. Stocks on Wall Street are solidly higher in afternoon trading Wednesday after the Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate by a widely expected three-quarters of a point as the central bank ratchets up its campaign to quell surging inflation. AP PHOTO/SETH WENIG

slowing, demand for workers easing modestly and wage growth possibly peaking, the economy is evolving in a way that should help reduce inflation. “Are we seeing the slowdown in economic activity that we think we need?” he asked. “There’s some evidence that we are.” The Fed chair also pointed to measures that suggest that investors expect inflation to fall back to the central bank’s 2 percent target over time as a sign of confidence in its policies. Powell also stood by a forecast Fed officials made last month that their benchmark rate will reach a range of 3.25 percent to 3.5 percent by year’s end and roughly a half-percentage point more in 2023. That forecast, if it holds, would mean a slowdown in the Fed’s hikes. The central bank would reach its year-end target if it were to raise its key rate by a half-point when it meets in September and by a quarter-point at each of its meetings in November and December. With the Fed having now imposed two straight substantial rate hikes, “I do think they’re going to tiptoe from here,’’ said Thomas Garretson, senior portfolio strategist at RBC Wealth Management. On Thursday, when the government estimates the gross domestic product for the April-June period, some economists think it may show that the economy shrank for a second straight quarter. That would meet one longstanding assumption for when a recession

has begun. B ut e c o nom i s t s s ay t h at wouldn’t necessarily mean a recession had started. During those same six months when the overall economy might have contracted, employers added 2.7 million jobs— more than in most entire years before the pandemic. Wages are also rising at a healthy pace, with many employers still struggling to attract and retain enough workers. Still, slowing growth puts the Fed ’s policymakers in a highrisk quandary: How high should they raise borrowing rates if the economy is decelerating? Weaker growth, if it causes layoffs and raises unemployment, often reduces inflation on its own. That dilemma could become a n e ven more consequent i a l one for the Fed next year, when the economy may be in worse shape and inf lation will likely still exceed the central bank ’s 2 percent target. “How much recession risk are you willing to bear to get (inflation) back to 2 percent, quickly, versus over the course of several years?” asked Nathan Sheets, a former Fed economist who is global chief economist at Citi. “Those are the kinds of issues they’re going to have to wrestle with.” Economists at Bank of America foresee a “mild” recession later this year. Goldman Sachs analysts estimate a 50-50 likelihood of a recession within two years. AP Economics Writer Paul Wiseman contributed to this report.

Kim threatens to use nukes amid tensions with US and South Korea By Hyung-Jin Kim The Associated Press

EOUL, South Korea—North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned he’s ready to use his nuclear weapons in potential military conflicts with the United States and South Korea, state media said Thursday, as he unleashed fiery rhetoric against rivals he says are pushing the Korean Peninsula to the brink of war. Kim’s speech to war veterans on the 69th anniversary of the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War was apparently meant to boost internal unity in the impoverished country amid pandemic-related economic difficulties. While Kim has increasingly threatened his rivals with nuclear weapons, it’s unlikely that he would use them first against the superior militaries of the US and its allies, observers say. “Our armed forces are completely prepared to respond to any crisis, and our country’s nuclear war deterrent is also ready to mobilize its absolute power dutifully, exactly and swiftly in accordance with its mission,” Kim said in Wednesday’s speech, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. He accused the United States of “demonizing” North Korea to justify its hostile policies. He said US-South Korea military drills targeting North Korea show the US’s “double standards” and “gangsterlike” aspects because it brands North

Korea’s routine military activities—an apparent reference to its missile tests—as provocations or threats. Kim also alleged the new South Korean government of President Yoon Suk Yeol is led by “confrontation maniacs” and “gangsters” who have gone further than previous South Korean conservative governments. Since taking office in May, the Yoon government has moved to strengthen Seoul’s military alliance with the United States and bolster its capacity to neutralize North Korean nuclear threats including a preemptive strike capability. “Talking about military action against our nation, which possesses absolute weapons that they fear the most, is preposterous and is very dangerous suicidal action,” Kim said. “Such a dangerous attempt will be immediately punished by our powerful strength and the Yoon Suk Yeol government and his military will be annihilated.” Moon Hong-sik, a deputy spokesperson at the South Korean Defense Ministry, reiterated Thursday an earlier position that South Korea has been boosting its military capacity and joint defense posture with the United States to cope with escalating North Korean nuclear threats. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military maintains a firm readiness. In April, Kim said North Korea could preemptively use nuclear weapons if threatened, saying they would “never be confined to the single mission of war deterrent.” Kim’s military has also test-

launched nuclear-capable missiles that place both the US mainland and South Korea within striking distance. US and South Korean officials have repeatedly said in the past few months that North Korea is ready to conduct its first nuclear test in five years. Kim is seeking greater public support as his country’s economy has been battered by pandemic-related border shutdowns, US-led sanctions and his own mismanagement. In May, North Korea also admitted to its first Covid-19 outbreak, though the scale of illness and death is widely disputed in a country that lacks the modern medical capacity to handle it. “Kim’s rhetoric inflates external threats to justify his militarily focused and economically struggling regime,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. “North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs are in violation of international law, but Kim tries to depict his destabilizing arms buildup as a righteous effort at self-defense.” Experts say North Korea will likely intensify its threats against the United States and South Korea as the allies prepare to expand summertime exercises. In recent years, the South Korean and US militaries have cancelled or downsized some of their regular exercises due to concerns about Covid-19 and to support now-stalled US-led diplomacy aimed at convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear program in return for economic and political benefits. During Wednesday’s speech, Kim said his

government recently set tasks to improve its military capability more speedily to respond to military pressure campaigns by its enemies, suggesting that he intends to go ahead with an expected nuclear test. But Cheong Seong-Chang at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea said North Korea won’t likely conduct its nuclear test before China, its major ally and biggest aid benefactor, holds its Communist Party convention in the autumn. He said China worries that a North Korean nuclear test could give the United States a justification to boost its security partnerships with its allies that it could use to check Chinese influence in the region. North Korea recently said it is moving to overcome the Covid-19 outbreak amid plummeting fever cases, but experts say it’s unclear if the country can lift its strict restrictions soon because it could face a viral resurgence later this year. During Wednesday’s event, Kim, veterans and others didn’t wear masks, state media photos showed. On Thursday, North Korea reported 11 fever cases, a huge drop from the peak of about 400,000 a day in May. North Korea has rejected US and South Korean offers for medical relief items. It has also said it won’t return to talks with the United States unless it first abandons its hostile polices on the North, in an apparent reference to US-led sanctions and US-South Korean military drills.

BusinessMirror

A10 Friday, July 29, 2022

Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT Regional Office No. IV-A 4 Flr. Andenson Bldg. II, Brgy. Parian, Calamba City Telefax No.: (049) 545-7362

IBIDEN PHILIPPINES, INC.

NOTICE OF FILING OF APPLICATION/S FOR ALIEN EMPLOYMENT PERMIT/S (AEP/S)

ACBEL POLYTECH PHILIPPINES, INC.

LIU, CHIH-HSIANG Human Resources & Admin Manager

2 Tagaytay Ridge Drive, Carmelray Industrial Park II, Km 54, Milagrosa, City of Calamba, Laguna

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

IBIDEN PHILIPPINES, INC.

Basic Qualification: Must possess excellent oral and written communication skills

Brief Job Description:

Unit 215, 2nd Floor, Pulong Santa Cruz, City of Santa Rosa, Laguna

BRICKHARTZ TECHNOLOGY INC.

MURAI, RYOTA

Basic Qualification:

Bilingual Analyst

Bachelor’s Degree in any field is preferred

Bldg. 3, EZP Compound, Laguna Technopark Annex, Biñan, City of Biñan, Laguna

Brief Job Description: Salary Range: Read & analyze client process as per the business rules

Php30,000 - Php59,999

THAM SOON TATT

Basic Qualification:

Malaysian Customer Service

Has excellent problem-solving and communication skills in Mandarin and related BPO experience

Lot 4044, Molino Blvd., Niog III, City of Bacoor, Cavite

KFI (PHILIPPINES) INCORPORATED Lot 15, Block 8, Ph 2, CEPZ, Tejeros Convention, Rosario, Cavite

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

KAERTECH ELECTRONICS PHILIPPINES INC.

Salary Range:

Manufacturing FOL Assistant Manager

Able to speak, read and write Japanese language; strong leadership and decision-making skills; familiarity with latest technologies and methodologies

BRICKHARTZ TECHNOLOGY INC.

LIU, JISHANG

Basic Qualification:

Mandarin Customer Relations Officer

Has excellent problem-solving and communication skills in Mandarin and related BPO experience

Lot 4044, Molino Blvd., Niog III, City of Bacoor, Cavite

BRICKHARTZ TECHNOLOGY INC.

Senior Firmware Engineer

Must be ElectronicsMicroelectronics graduate

Brief Job Description: Salary Range: Develop embedded IOT software applications for healthcare

Php90,000 - Php149,999

KIM, HEE WON

Basic Qualification:

Chief Executive Officer

With ability to build consensus and relationships among executives, partners and the workforce

Brief Job Description:

Php60,000 - Php89,999 15

Basic Qualification:

Burmese Customer Service Representative

Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

Salary Range:

Brief Job Description:

Salary Range:

Php30,000 - Php59,999

Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Php30,000 - Php59,999

AUNG MIN THEIN

Basic Qualification:

Burmese Customer Service Representative

Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

Brief Job Description:

Salary Range:

Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Php30,000 - Php59,999

AUNG SEIN

Basic Qualification:

Burmese Customer Service Representative

Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

Salary Range:

Brief Job Description:

Salary Range:

Php30,000 - Php59,999

Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Php30,000 - Php59,999

YE, DONGJUN

Basic Qualification:

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

Salary Range:

Brief Job Description:

Salary Range:

Php30,000 - Php59,999

Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Php30,000 - Php59,999

TONG THI HIEN

Basic Qualification:

Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

Brief Job Description:

Salary Range:

Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Php30,000 - Php59,999

YAMAMOTO, KEIICHI

Basic Qualification:

Department Manager- Facilities Department & Section Manager- Plating Section, Lead Frame Department

With 10 years and above work experience in plating and facilities in a manufacturing industry

Basic Qualification:

Mandarin Customer Relations Officer

Has excellent problem-solving and communication skills in Mandarin and related BPO experience

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

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

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

BRICKHARTZ TECHNOLOGY INC.

YANG, XIAOPING

Basic Qualification:

Mandarin Customer Relations Officer

Has excellent problem-solving and communication skills in Mandarin and related BPO experience

Lot 4044, Molino Blvd., Niog III, City of Bacoor, Cavite

BRICKHARTZ TECHNOLOGY INC.

HOU, RENTAI

Basic Qualification:

Mandarin Customer Service

Has excellent problem-solving and communication skills in Mandarin and related BPO experience

Lot 4044, Molino Blvd., Niog III, City of Bacoor, Cavite

EMD TECHNOLOGIES PHILIPPINES INC. 1 Ring Road, LISP II, La Mesa, City of Calamba, Laguna

SATO, KAZUHITO

Basic Qualification:

Equipment Maintenance Section Manager/lean Promotion Office Manager

Proficiency in Japanese language preferably more than 10 years of experience in machine handling and maintenance.

Salary Range:

CHOI, DONGMYOUNG

Basic Qualification:

Safety Manager

With conflict management and problem-solving skills

Php 90,000 - Php 149,999 20

HANJIN HEAVY INDUSTRIES & CONSTRUCTION CO., LTD. Blk. 37, Lot 7, PNTC Bldg., Madison South, Batino, City of Calamba, Laguna

Brief Job Description: Prevent workplace accidents and promote health and safety awareness and education to fellow employees

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Brief Job Description: Ensure that major equipment PM program is effective, formalized, dynamic, periodically audited for accuracy and effectiveness

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

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

M MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

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

Salary Range:

ARR KYAWM

WU, XIANGBI

Lot 4044, Molino Blvd., Niog III, City of Bacoor, Cavite

Php150,000 - Php499,999 Basic Qualification:

Manage and direct the company towards its primary goals and objectives

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

Salary Range:

ROSLYAKOV, ALEXEY

Php30,000 - Php59,999 4

Php150,000 - Php499,999 Basic Qualification:

Lead the Front of Line process production in terms of production output and quality including machine trouble to enhance productivity and maximize production output

Php30,000 - Php59,999

Salary Range:

KAGAMI, JUNYA

Brief Job Description:

Direct the general affairs of department through total supervision in accordance with the established policies, programs and procedures ADVANCE ABILITY ASSISTANCE TRAINING CENTER, INC.

Able to speak, read and write Japanese language; strong leadership and decision-making skills; familiarity with latest technologies and methodologies

Road 1, FPIP, Santa Anastacia, City of Sto. Tomas, Batangas

Salary Range:

Manufacturing EOL Assistant Manager

Lead the end of line process production in terms of production output and quality including machine trouble to enhance productivity and maximize production output

Notice is hereby given that the following companies/employers have filed with this Regional Office application/s for Alien Employment Permit/s: NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL, POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Basic Qualification:

Brief Job Description:

July 29, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT

SUNDA, TETSUYA

Road 1, FPIP, Santa Anastacia, City of Sto. Tomas, Batangas

NO.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ROHM MECHATECH PHILIPPINES, INCORPORATED Block 5 Lot 4-5, Complex Ave., PTC-SEZ, Maduya, Carmona, Cavite

Salary Range:

Brief Job Description:

Php30,000 - Php59,999

In-charge of facilities department and plating section

Salary Range: Php60,000 – Php89,999

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US precision rocket launchers enable Ukraine to pummel key supply bridge By Susie Blann

The Associated Press

YIV, Ukraine—Ukrainian troops used A mericansupplied precision rocket launchers to knock out a strategic bridge used by Russia to supply its forces in southern Ukraine’s occupied Kherson region, officials said Wednesday. Ukraine also claimed to have destroyed an enemy ammunition depot, artillery pieces and other military equipment in the region, killing 51 members of the Russian army. There was no immediate confirmation from the Russian side. The Antonivskyi Bridge over the Dnieper River was attacked late Tuesday, according to Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Moscow-appointed administration for the Kherson region. The bridge was left standing, but holes in its deck prevented vehicles from crossing the 1.4-kilometer (0.9mile) span, he said. After previous Ukrainian attacks damaged the bridge last week, it was closed to trucks, but it had remained open for passenger vehicles until the latest strike. Russian forces in recent days have intensified their shelling

of cities and villages in eastern Ukraine while also stepping up airstrikes in the south. At the same time, the Kremlin’s troops are facing mounting counterattacks from the Ukrainians in the Kherson region, which was captured by Moscow early in the war. Ukrainian forces used US-supplied HIMARS multiple rocket launchers to target the bridge, Stremousov said. A Ukrainian military spokesperson, Nataliya Gumenyuk, told Ukrainian TV that “surgical strikes” were carried out on the bridge. The HIMARS has greater range, much more precision and a faster rate of fire than the Soviet-designed Smerch, Uragan and Tornado rocket launchers used by both Russia and Ukraine. The weapons were among the billions of dollars in Western military aid that has helped Ukraine fight off the Russians since the February 24 invasion. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Preside nt Volo d y my r Z e le n s k y y claimed that Russia has lost nearly 40,000 soldiers in the war and that tens of thousands more were wounded. His claim could not be independently verified. The Russian military last reported its losses in March, when it said 1,351 troops had been killed.

Friday, July 29, 2022 A11

Pelosi visit to Taiwan would be career capstone amid warnings By Lisa Mascaro

AP Congressional Correspondent

ASHINGTON—House Speaker Nancy Pelosi launched her political career being tough on China—a new congresswoman who dared to unfurl a pro-democracy banner in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square during a 1991 visit with other US lawmakers shortly after the student massacre. More than 30 years later, her interest in traveling to Taiwan presents a powerful diplomatic capstone. It has also contributed to tensions at the highest levels in Washington and Beijing among officials who worry a trip could prove provocative. As the US balances its highsta kes relations w it h China,

whether Pelosi will lead a delegation trip to Taiwan remains unknown. But what is certain is that Pelosi’s decision will be a defining foreign policy and human rights moment for the US and its highest-ranking lawmaker with a long tenure leading the House. “This is part of who the speaker is,” said Samuel Chu, president of The Campaign for Hong Kong, a Washington-based advocacy organization. “This is not a one-time, oneoff publicity stunt,” said Chu, whose father was among those who met with Pelosi and the US lawmakers three decades ago in Hong Kong. “Thirty years later, she’s still connected.” Pelosi declined to disclose Wednesday any update on her plans for Taiwan, reiterating that she does not discuss travel plans, as is the norm, for security reasons. The top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, confirmed that he was invited to be a part of Pelosi’s bipartisan delegation but is unable to join, though his office said he believes the speaker and other Americans should be able to visit Taiwan. T he Biden ad m i n i st rat ion has declined to publicly weigh in on the rumored visit, though the military is making plans to bolster its security forces in the region to protect her potential travel against any reaction from China. W hile US officials say they have little fear that Beijing would attack Pelosi’s plane, they are aware that a mishap, misstep or misunderstanding could endanger her safety. It all comes as President Joe Biden is set to speak Thursday with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping

for the first time in four months, and the potential Pelosi trip is looming over the conversation. “There’s always issues of security,” said John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, declining Wednesday to talk directly about the speaker’s potential travel. Not since Republican Newt Gingrich led a delegation to Taiwan 25 years ago has a US House speaker, third in line to the presidency, visited the self-ruling region, which China claims as part of its own and has threatened to forcibly annex in a move the West would view unfavorably. More than just a visit overseas, Pelosi’s trip would signify a foreign policy thru-line to her long career in Congress as she has increasingly pointed the speaker’s gavel outward expanding her job description to include the role of US emissary abroad. Particularly during the Trump administration, when the former president challenged America’s commitments to its allies, and now alongside Biden, the Democrat Pelosi has presented herself as a world leader on the global stage—visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Pope Francis at the Vatican, and heads of state around the world. “She absolutely has to go,” Gingrich told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday about Pelosi’s potential trip. “She has always had a very tough position going back to Tiananmen Square. And this is one of those places where she and I actually sort of agreed,” Gingrich said. “I think for Nancy to back down would be an enormous blow to Taiwan, and it would be a very dangerous signal, trying to appease the Chinese Communists.” Pelosi has indicated the value she sees in her potential visit leading a delegation of lawmakers from the US. “It’s important for us to show support for Taiwan,” Pelosi told reporters at her news conference last week. “None of us has ever said we’re for independence, when it comes to Taiwan. That’s up to Taiwan to decide.” Pelosi was newly elected to Congress when the tanks rolled in to Tiananmen Square in 1989 against the pro-democracy student protests. Two years later she joined more veteran lawmakers on the trip

when they were briefly detained by police after unfurling the prodemocracy banner that read “To those who died for democracy in China,” trailed by news cameras. “We’ve been told for two days now that there’s freedom of speech in China,” she said in one video clip at the time. The trip had a “deep and abiding” impact on Pelosi and became foundational to her style of leadership, Chu said. Pelosi advocated for human rights in China by working against Beijing in 1993 as it eyed hosting the summer Olympics and she opposed its bid for the 2008 games. Pelosi sought over the years to link China’s trade status with its human rights record, working to ensure China’s entry to the World Trade Organization come with oversight. Pelosi has often made physical gestures challenging China, including in 2009 when she handdelivered a letter to then-President Hu Jintao calling for the release of political prisoners. “China is a very important country,” she said upon her return days later recognizing the 20th anniversary of Tiananmen Square in a speech in Congress, and outlining the significance of the country’s relationship “in every way” to the US. “But the size of the economy, the size of the country, and the size of the relationship doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t speak out,” Pelosi said. “I have said that if we don’t speak out about our concerns regarding human rights in China and Tibet, then we lose all moral authority to discuss it about any other country in the world.” In Congress, lawmakers of both parties have rallied around Pelosi’s potential visit to Taiwan, viewing the delegation’s trip as an important diplomatic mission as well as an expression of a co-equal branch of the US government. “I understand all the sensitivities in the world, here’s the one stark fact: If we allow the Chinese to basically tell us who can and cannot visit Taiwan, then Taiwan will be isolated,” said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “We can’t let the Chinese do that. Now, she’ll have to judge whether or not it makes the best sense at this time.”

The Associated Press writer Chris Megerian contributed to this report.

Xi urges plan to tackle risks for next ‘5 years and beyond’

RESIDENT Xi Jinping called for China’s ruling Communist Party to plan for risks in the next “five years and beyond” at a key meeting, adding to speculation he’s vying for influence past a planned third term. The Chinese leader said this year’s 20th Party Congress would be held at a “crucial moment” for the nation, at a meeting of top leaders on Tuesday and Wednesday in Beijing, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. Xi called on the party to set “goals, tasks and policies” for the nation past 2027 at the landmark summit, where he’s expected to defy precedent by extending his decade in power after term limits were abolished in 2018. “Against the backdrop of accelerating global changes unseen in a century, and more complex risks, challenges, contradictions and problems, the fundamental task is to run our own affairs well,” he added. Last year, Xi delivered the first resolution on Communist Party history in 40 years, sending a strong signal he has the power base to remain in office. Only Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping have authored a so-called

historical resolution, and both dominated Chinese politics until they died. Xi held a similar meeting in 2017, which set the tone for that year’s leadership congress. At this week’s huddle, ahead of the event likely to be held in October or November, he highlighted the achievements of his tenure as well as challenges ahead. The 69-year-old leader said the ruling party had “resolutely safeguarded peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” a comment that comes amid rising friction with Washington over a potential landmark visit to the selfruled island by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The government of the world’s No. 2 economy had “managed to protect the health and safety of the people” during the pandemic, he added, offering another defense of his Covid Zero strategy for containing the coronavirus. Still, the Chinese leader’s reference to “complex risks” appeared to acknowledge the congress comes at a turbulent time. China’s economy is struggling under Xi’s zero-tolerance approach to the virus— which mandates locking down large cities, employing mass testing and largely closing borders—with economists saying

it’s unlikely to hit the government’s goal of around 5.5 percent growth this year. Beijing is sparring with the US over everything from human rights issues to allegations of Chinese spying, most recently on the Federal Reserve, and a territorial dispute in Taiwan, the democratically ruled island China claims as its own. Beijing’s diplomats have repeatedly warned against a possible Pelosi visit—the first to Taiwan by a sitting House speaker since Newt Gingrich traveled there in 1997. Those topics are likely to top the agenda when Xi and President Joe Biden hold their next phone call, which could come as soon as Thursday. Neither Beijing nor Washington has confirmed the timing of the discussion. Xi hinted at these issues in the meeting attended by leaders including Premier Li Keqiang. In comments that appeared only in the Chinese account of the gathering, he said “the party faces various long-term tests in terms of governing, reform and opening up, market economy, as well as the external environment.” The party faces dangers including a lack of capabilities, detachment from the masses and corruption, he added. Bloomberg News

A12 Friday, July 29, 2022 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.news.businessmirror@gmail.com

editorial

The state of public education in PHL

ow that we are going back to face-to-face classes after two long years of online struggles for both learners and teachers, attention is once again focused on the state of our educational system, particularly the quality of Philippine education.

There are proposals here and there on how to make education in the Philippines more competitive. For example, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio plans to remove administrative tasks from teachers so they could focus more on teaching. And President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. wants to bring back the use of the English language as a medium of instruction in schools. He also wants Filipino students to improve in the international rankings, particularly in STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics—subjects. Others are advocating substantial reforms, starting with the DepEd’s budget, to expand access and develop higher achievement standards and goals. The results of the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment revealed that 15-year-old students in the Philippines scored lower in reading, mathematics and science than those in most of the countries and economies that participated—the country ranked last among 79 participating countries and economies in reading, and second to last in science and mathematics. The World Bank estimates that learning poverty in the Philippines, which means being unable to read and understand a simple text by age 10, is now at 90.9 percent. In a report dubbed The State of Global Learning Poverty: 2022 Update, the lender said its estimate of the learning poverty in the country was based on “2022 simulations that build on the most up-to-date data.” A recent report jointly conducted by the United Nations Children’s Fund and the Philippine government—Situation Analysis of Children in the Philippines—said 31.4 percent of over 40 million Filipino children were living below the basic needs poverty line in 2015. The report said as of 2013, only about 42 percent of children aged 3-4 years were enrolled in day-care centers. Enrollment in Kindergarten, however, almost doubled from 2005 to 2013 (standing at 74.65 percent in 2015). The report added: “In 2015, the net enrollment rate in primary education was 91.05 percent and 68.15 percent in secondary school. As of 2015, 83.4 percent (primary) and around 73.9 percent (secondary) of enrolled children actually completed their schooling, reflecting a somewhat fluctuating rise in completion rates from 2010. Around 2.85 million children aged 5-15 years were also estimated to be out of school.” The PISA results in 2018 were based on actual test performances of 15-year-old Filipino students. We don’t know where the World Bank researchers got their data to come out with an estimate saying learning poverty in the Philippines is now at 90.9 percent. What we know is that the World Bank’s researchers did some “simulations” where they concluded that almost all 10-year-old kids in the country are “unable to read and understand a simple text.” But it pays to remember that the lender prepared the report for its own purposes, not for the benefit of the Philippines. Which is why we should take this World Bank report with a grain of salt. There are more mobile phones in the country than the total population. As of 2019, there were nearly 169 million mobile subscribers in the Philippines. We have yet to meet a 10-year-old Filipino kid who can’t send a text message on a mobile phone. Unfortunately, the World Bank report alarmed Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture in the 19th Congress, who said he is lining up priority measures to respond to the “crisis” in education. “Addressing the education crisis will be the focus of the Senate Education Committee,” Gatchalian said, confirming he has filed an enabling Senate resolution paving the way for an inquiry into the implementation of RA 10533, the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, or the K-to-12 Law. The Senator pointed out that based on results of international large-scale assessments, learners are failing to master basic competencies and lagging behind their peers abroad (Read, “Senator lines up measures to reverse ‘education crisis,’” in the BusinessMirror, July 25, 2022). We know there are deficiencies and inefficiencies in the country’s public school system. Some of these include the lack of classrooms, teachers, and educational tools to sustain sound learning. Studies have shown that low government budget for education, poor quality of teachers, poor school facilities such as laboratory and library facilities, poor learning environment, and the content of the curriculum all contribute to the deteriorating quality of education in the country. We hope that President Marcos and Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio will succeed in addressing these and other education-related issues.

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Social protection: The missing link in getting out of the poverty trap Dr. Fernando T. Aldaba

EAGLE WATCH

he Economist in 2017 branded the Philippines as the country having the most persistent poverty in Southeast Asia. Most current data from the Philippine Statistics Authority revealed that poverty incidence increased to 23.7 percent in the first semester of 2021 from the 21.1 percent in the first semester of 2018. In absolute terms, 26.14 million Filipinos lived below the poverty threshold of P12,082 per month for a family of five in the first half of 2021. This is mainly due to the onslaught of the pandemic, which resulted in loss of jobs and income for many Filipinos. The important question, though, is why, despite the relatively good growth episodes before the pandemic, poverty reduction has been gradual and not as fast as that of our Asean neighbors. If a population chart is constructed showing the poverty line, all points below are people tagged

as poor. But the many points just above the line are called the “near poor” and any kind of crisis, whether

It must also be emphasized that reduction of poverty and vulnerability can be achieved only through a combination of development interventions that include macroeconomic growth and stability, asset build up, and a well-functioning social protection system. The social protection system must be able to respond to various types of risks and vulnerabilities that confront households and individuals over their life-cycle. it be economic- or health-related, will make these people vulnerable to falling below the line. And, of course, those already below become even poorer. As the Philippines sits in the “Pacific Rim of Fire,” it is prone to different kinds of natural disasters like typhoons, droughts,

earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Added to these are health and other man-made disasters that affect the economic well-being of the citizenry. Thus, any gains in poverty reduction can easily be wiped out by the occurrence of major crises or disasters. The above situation is where social protection comes in. It aims to protect all citizens from vulnerabilities in the course of their lives, especially those who are poor, persons with disabilities, elderly, outof-school youth, children, and other marginalized groups at risk. Without an effective social protection system, the fight against poverty will always be futile. Social protection must, therefore, be placed within the overall inclusive development goals and overall poverty strategy of a country. Social protection is not limited to addressing poverty and See “Eagle Watch,” A13

‘New Cold War’: Russia and West vie for influence in Africa

By Andrew Meldrum & Mogomotsi Magome | The Associated Press

OHANNESBURG—Russian, French and American leaders are crisscrossing Africa to win support for their positions on the war in Ukraine, waging what some say is the most intense competition for influence on the continent since the Cold War.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French President Emanuel Macron are each visiting several African countries this week. Samantha Power, head of the US Agency for International Development, went to Kenya and Somalia last week. The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, will go to Ghana and Uganda next week. “It’s like a new Cold War is playing out in Africa, where the rival sides are trying to gain influence,” said William Gumede, director of Democracy Works, a foundation promoting good governance. Lavrov, in his travels across the drought- and hunger-stricken continent, has sought to portray the West as the villain, blaming it for rising food prices, while the Western leaders have accused the Kremlin of cynically using food as a weapon and waging an imperialstyle war of conquest—words calculated to appeal to listeners in post-colonial Africa. Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has been working to win support in Africa for several years, reinvigorating friendships that date

back a half-century, when the Soviet Union backed many African movements fighting to end colonial rule. “Now that campaign has gone into high gear,” Gumede said. Moscow’s influence in Africa was on display in March during the U.N. vote to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While 28 African nations voted in favor of the resolution, a significant minority of countries on the continent—25—either voted to abstain or did not vote at all. Russia’s top diplomat this week visited Egypt, Congo, Uganda and Ethiopia, pledging friendship and charging the US and European countries with driving up food prices by pursuing “reckless” environmental policies. He also accused them of hoarding food during the Covid-19 pandemic. “The situation in Ukraine did additionally negatively affect food markets, but not due to the Russian special operation, rather due to the absolutely inadequate reaction of the West, which announced sanctions,” Lavrov said in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital. Lavrov was warmly received in

On his tour of Africa, France’s Macron accused the Kremlin of using TV channels like RT to spread propaganda in support of the war. And he charged the Kremlin with blackmailing the world by thwarting the export of grain from Ukraine.

Uganda by President Yoweri Museveni, who for years has been a US ally but has refused to criticize Russia over the invasion. Museveni even suggested at the outbreak of the war that Putin’s actions might be understandable because Ukraine is in Russia’s sphere of influence. Lavrov voiced support for reform of the UN Security Council to give African countries permanent seats and greater influence. Appearing with Lavrov, the Ugandan leader spoke fondly of old ties with Russia, asking how could he spurn Moscow when he has good relations with countries that participated in slavery. Museveni, an opinion leader on the continent who has held power for three decades, is an obvious choice for Russia as someone to strengthen ties with, said Ugandan political analyst Asuman Bisiika. “Uganda is the center of gravity in East Africa,” Bisiika said. Museveni, 77, has been strictly wearing a mask in public since the Co-

vid-19 outbreak. But he did not have one on when greeting Lavrov in front of photographers, apparently wanting to show warmth to the Russian. Museveni had a mask back on in his next public appearance a day later. Russia is also courting African public opinion through its state television network, RT, formerly known as Russia Today. RT has announced that it will open a new bureau in Johannesburg. RT was abruptly removed from Africa’s biggest pay-TV platform in Africa, Johannesburg-based Multichoice, in March after the European Union and Britain imposed sanctions against Russia. It is not clear whether establishing the new bureau will enable RT to resume broadcasts to Africa through Multichoice, which claims nearly 22 million subscribers on the continent. “For Russia, it is the battle to be heard in Africa. It is not important for the actual war effort but for their long-term political influence,” Anton Harber, professor of journalism at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. “They see it as fertile ground to cultivate their influence, and, of course, votes in the U.N. are important.” On his tour of Africa, France’s Macron accused the Kremlin of using TV channels like RT to spread propaganda in support of the war. And he charged the Kremlin with See “New Cold,” A13

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The political calendar Tito Genova Valiente

annotations

hat happens in July, this inconsequential month? Or, so I thought, until I did a cursory research of events, places and people—the clichéd understanding of how the months and days go by in our country.

I consulted the Official Gazette. It has a section that pertains to each month of the year and within the month the weeks designated to commemorate or celebrate an event. Do you know that we should be celebrating Philippine music this last week of the month? Through Proclamation No. 933, signed in 2014 by President Benigno C. Aquino, the last week of July was designated as “Linggo ng Musikang Pilipino?” The proclamation indicates how the Constitution “mandates that arts and culture shall enjoy the patronage of the State and to this end, the State shall conserve, promote and popularize the nation’s historical and cultural heritage and resources, as well as artistic creations.” The proclamation references the more popular practice contained in Executive Order No. 255 in 1987, which “required all radio stations with musical format programs to broadcast a minimum of four original Pilipino musical compositions

Eagle Watch. . . continued from A12

promoting resiliency from shocks. It should also constitute a broader development strategy. It also acts as a “macroeconomic stabilizer” fueling demand during economic downturns and enables people to better overcome the threat of poverty and poverty itself. Social protection also entails an aspect of social justice that can help avoid and mitigate social conflicts. In the case of recent conflicts in a country, social protection can be used as an important mechanism of the government to provide people’s needs in pre-, during-, and post-conflict situations. It must also be emphasized that reduction of poverty and vulnerability can be achieved only through a combination of development interventions that include macroeconomic growth and stability, asset build up, and a well-functioning social protection system. The social protection system must be able to respond to various types of risks and vulnerabilities that confront households and individuals over their life-cycle. The various types of risks confronting households must be properly identified, whether it be economic, natural hazards or manmade. These risks can also be age-, sector-, and gender-specific. Appropriate responses to such risks can emanate from households themselves, from government, or from private and civil society sectors. A multi-stakeholder response and collaboration will also be significant in managing risks and vulnerabilities. Government plays a central role in this response. It has an operational

New Cold . . . continued from A12

blackmailing the world by thwarting the export of grain from Ukraine. “They are blackmailing because they are the ones who blocked cereals in Ukraine. They are the ones who regulate their cereals,” he said in Benin. His itinerary also included Cameroon and Guinea-Bissau. Macron appealed to Africans to side against Russia. “I’m telling you here in Africa, a continent that has suffered from colonial imperialism: Russia is one of the last colonial, imperial powers. She decides to invade a neighboring

in every clock hour.” The said rule defined original Pilipino music as “any musical composition created by a Filipino, whether the lyrics be in Pilipino, English or in any language or dialect.” Is this rule still followed? If that commemoration takes place in the last week of July, there is another proclamation that, from July 3-9, 1988, is to be held every second week of July of every year. This is called the “Cultural Communities Week,” which is contained in Proclamation No. 250. The proclamation points to the importance of indigenous tribal Filipinos to national unity and development” and “recognizes the need to promote and preserve their rich cultural heritage, not only for the Philippines but also for the world….” While it is easy to legislate cultural identities, achieving the same is a different matter. There is the common notion where “rich cultural heritage” appears to be a default presence among indigenous Filipiframework that categorizes social protection programs: social assistance, social insurance, labor market programs, and social safety nets. The two biggest in terms of the first two are the Pantawid Pamilya and the Universal Health Care Programs. Diokno-Sicat and Mariano (2018), estimating the national government social protection expenditures from 2009-2017, found that these have been following an increasing trend, averaging 0.9 percent of GDP or approximately 5.9 percent of national government expenditures. In the same study, it was noted that the average spending for lower-middleincome countries is 1.5 percent of GDP, way higher than the Philippines’s 0.9 percent. While government social protection system has evolved well over the years, there are still big constraints to hurdle in transforming it into an effective and responsive one. Firstly, it needs to prioritize and rationalize the key programs as issues of duplication and fragmentation abound. The introduction of the ILO-initiated social protection floors have compelled government to undertake a process of prioritizing the programs. Secondly, with rationalization, an increase in budgetary support must be made. It will help if complementary resources can be raised from the private and civil-society sectors. Thirdly, a more efficient implementation of key programs must be effected with the use of digital technologies in the registry of beneficiaries and in the distribution of grants and subsidies. Dr. Fernando T. Aldaba is Professor of Economics and former Dean of the School of Social Sciences at Ateneo de Manila University.

country to defend her interests,” he said. “That’s the reality.” Power, the top US AID official, was in East Africa to pledge aid to help the region’s fight against hunger amid a devastating multi-year drought. She did not hold back in criticizing Russia. “By blockading Ukraine’s grain exports and restricting the trade of Russia’s own fertilizer, Putin’s actions have had the consequence of inflicting pain on the people of Kenya and on other countries throughout the world,” Power said in Nairobi. “He is hurting the people of Kenya in order to benefit his own situation.” AP journalist Rodney Muhumuza in Kampala, Uganda, contributed.

nos. There is also the performative aspect of identity, when we act out our identities not only for ourselves but also for the world. In the same proclamation, it is mentioned how it is “imperative to focus attention on the colorful ethnic culture of tribal Filipinos by setting aside an appropriate time for that purpose.” This proclamation upon first inspection seems laudable in its aim until one encounters binaries, like this concept of the “colorful ethnic culture,” a framed idea that presupposes a drab non-colorful culture for the “non-ethnic.” This proclamation was released during the presidency of Corazon C. Aquino. Outside this huge notion of Culture, do we also set aside to remember those individuals whose respective lives have made a great impact on our society? I refer to the important artists whose influences were cumulative and lasting in our human affairs—our National Artists. The selection of artists to represent the putative nation has always been a complicated and contentious issue. Do we celebrate them the way we do with regard to “national” heroes? Imagine a month of important anniversaries. In terms of cultural significance, July promises a feast of remembrances. Guillermo E. Tolentino was born in July of 1890. Leonor Orosa-Goquinco’s birth was in July of 1917. Alejandro R. Roces and Eddie Romero shared the same month and birth year, 1924. It was in July of 1928 when Andrea O. Ven-

eracion was born. Or, we can turn this around and memorialize their death anniversaries. Tolentino, Orosa-Goquingco, and Veneracion whose birth months were July all died in July. Atang de la Rama, Gerardo de Leon, and Rolando Tinio also died in July, with De Leon and Tinio honored as National Artists posthumously. It must be mentioned here that this gripping issue about national identity has been legislated during

Friday, July 29, 2022 A13

the second year of martial rule when Marcos issued Proclamation No. 1148, declaring the period from July 1 to 7 as National Culture Consciousness Week. Citing Section 9(2), Article XV of the new Constitution (is this referring to the 1973 Constitution?) of the Philippines “provides that Filipino culture shall be preserved and developed for national identity (underscoring mine).” It continues: “Arts and letters shall be under the patronage of the State.”

Women power in the Senate Manny F. Dooc

TELLTALES

ime is gone when the Philippine Senate was the exclusive bastion of powerful male politicians. This was particularly true before the Second World War when no woman was ever elected to the Senate even after the Filipino women were granted the right of suffrage through a plebiscite conducted on April 30, 1937. This was a historic moment, which allowed our women to vote and be voted upon into public office. In the local elections in 1938, two women were elected to public office—Carmen Planas as a councilor of the Municipal Board of Manila and Cristina AguinaldoSuntay, daughter of General Emilio Aguinaldo, as a member of the Provincial Board of Cavite. They were the first women to win an elective position in our country. They belonged to the Young Philippines Party led by Wenceslao Q. Vinzons, the brilliant student leader from the University of the Philippines who led the opposition against President Manuel L. Quezon. Planas was the election topnotcher and was popularly known as “Manila’s Darling.” A lovely Filipino-Chinese mestiza and fiery student activist during the Commonwealth years, Planas was only 23 years old when she was elected the first woman councilor of Manila. One time while she was rushing out of the session hall after a long meeting, a reporter asked her, “Are you rushing for a date?” Without losing a beat, Planas replied, “Yes, I’m dating the people of Manila.” So she was forever endeared to the Manilans and became “Manila’s Sweetheart.” The first woman senator of the Philippines was Geronima Tomelden Pecson of Lingayen, Pangasinan. She won a Senate seat in the senatorial election of 1947 after serving as the assistant executive secretary of President Manuel A. Roxas. She landed in third place out of the 8 winning senatorial candidates led by Lorenzo Tañada, a fellow member of the Liberal Party (LP). Only Camilo Osias was elected from the Nacionalista Party (NP). Pecson was a product of the University of the Philippines where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Before the war, she was a leading suffragette who actively campaigned for women’s right to vote. The right to vote carried with it the right to

be voted upon and Pecson was fortunate to be elected to the highest elective post aspired by a woman until that time. She was considered as a “super social worker” whose extensive humanitarian works earned her the respect of her grateful countrymen. During her Senate stint, she served as chairperson of three committees: the Senate Committee on Education, Committee on Health and Public Welfare and the Joint Congressional Committee on Education. Apart from that, she was a member of the powerful Commission on Appointments and of the Senate Electoral Tribunal. Unfortunately, she lost in her reelection bid following Ramon Magsaysay’s juggernaut win in the presidential election of 1953 where all the LP bets lost. The NP led by Magsaysay was on top of the world while the LP under President Elpidio Quirino was at its nadir. Pecson placed No. 9 and got the highest number of votes among the losing candidates. In the following midterm senatorial elections, Pacita Madrigal Gonzales, also known as Manang Pacita, of the NP was elected as the No. 1 senator. A daughter of a financial magnate and industrialist, former Senator Vicente Madrigal, Manang Pacita headed the Women for President Magsaysay Movement, which gathered massive support in favor of the presidential challenger. Upon Magsaysay’s election to the presidency, Manang Pacita was named as the Social Welfare administrator. She studied in Sorbonne University in Paris and later enrolled at the University

The first woman senator of the Philippines was Geronima Tomelden Pecson of Lingayen, Pangasinan. She won a Senate seat in the senatorial election of 1947 after serving as the assistant executive secretary of President Manuel A. Roxas. She landed in third place out of the 8 winning senatorial candidates led by Lorenzo Tañada, a fellow member of the Liberal Party. of Santo Tomas where she took up business administration and graduated magna cum laude. Like Pecson, Manang Pacita was the lone woman member in the Senate during her entire term, and she also lost in her reelection bid. More than four decades later, her niece, Jamby Madrigal also served as senator for one term from 2004 to 2010. Manang Pacita was followed in the Senate by Maria Kalaw Katigbak who won a Senate seat in 1961. She was also a lone wolf in the Senate until she was joined by Tecla San Andres Ziga in 1963 and by her sister-in-law, Eva Estrada-Kalaw, in 1965, but she lost in her re-election bid in 1967. The 6th Congress saw more female senators than in the previous years. Magnolia Antonino and Helena Benitez were elected in the 1971 senatorial election, together with reelectionist Kalaw. The female reelection jinx was broken by Kalaw who was reelected in 1971 and became the first-ever female senator to win two consecutive terms. Since 1947 when the first female senator was elected, there have been 23 Filipino women who have served in the Senate. They are: Pecson, Madrigal-Gonzalez, Katigbak, Magnolia Antonino, Kalaw, Ziga, Benitez, Santanina Rasul, Leticia Ramos-Shahani, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Anna Coseteng, Loren Legarda, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Tessie Aquino Oreta, Loi Estrada, Jamby Madrigal, Pia Cayetano, Nancy Binay, Grace Poe, Cynthia Villar, Leila de Lima, Risa Hontiveros, and Imee Marcos. Loren Legarda has the longest stint in the Senate among our female senators. She has been elected four times to the Upper Chamber —in 1998, 2007, 2013 and 2022. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Pia Cayetano were elected three times.

Does this settle all debates about “nation?” The proclamation cites Section 11, Article XV of the same constitution, which provides that “the State consider the customs, traditions, beliefs and interests of national cultural communities in the formulation and implementation of state policies.” The third week of July is for the commemoration of National Science and Technology Week. How do we remember this event? With the National Artists occupying prominence, we should strongly consider the memories of our scientists. For the month of July, two National Scientists have their birthdays. They are Perla D. Santos Ocampo (Pediatrics) and Paulo C. Campos (Nuclear Medicine). Four National Scientists have their death anniversaries in July. They are: Jose Encarnacion, Jr. (Economics), Clara Lim Sylianco (Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry), Dioscoro Umali (Agriculture and Rural Development) and Gregorio T. Velasquez (Phycology). Each name is an artifact that connects us either to culture or to science, two domains that are crucial to forging identities, whether they be national or regional, or some form leading to a collective. If we work on other months, we shall discover more names and more important dates that will make each month a calendar of ideas and not merely touchy-feely moments of flowers and chocolates. E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

Pia Cayetano, at the age of 38, is the youngest woman to be elected senator. Legarda is the only woman to top the senatorial race twice and the only woman who served as the Senate Majority Leader. Among the women who were elected to the Senate, Manang Pacita, GMA, Poe and Villar had also topped their Senate races. However, among all senators, only the late Senator Jovito Salonga was elected No. 1 senator three times. Ziga did not top the senatorial contest but she is the only female senator to place no.1 in the bar examination. She joined the illustrious group of all-male bar topnotchers elected to the Senate consisting of Manuel Roxas, Lorenzo Sumulong, Emmanuel Pelaez, Ferdinand Marcos, Jovito Salonga, Jose W. Diokno and Koko Pimentel III. Women power finally manifested in the post-Edsa Senate. When elections resumed in 1987, two women —Shahani and Rasul—were elected to the Senate. Thereafter, from the 9th Congress (1992-1995), not less than three women occupied seats in the Senate. The most number was recorded in the 18th Congress (2019 to 2022) and the present 19th Congress (2022 to 2025) where we elected seven women senators each. In the present Senate, four (Villar, Poe, Binay, and Hontiveros) have been reelected, two (Pia Cayetano and Legarda) are returnees, and one (Imee Marcos) is the only first termer but she belongs to a renowned political family. Practically, the same names have prominently figured in Senate politics. After serving two consecutive terms, they may vanish for a while and then reclaim their Senate seat, unless they finally retire or occupy another office. We need new talents and fresh faces from the women sector that can enliven and dignify women’s participation in our highest legislative body. We need the chutzpah of Miriam and Eva, the diligence of Loren and Pia, the hard work of Cynthia and Leticia, the intelligence of Tecla and Gloria, the determination of Imee and Nancy, and the courage of Leila and Risa. All past and present lady senators have their strengths and virtues and they had their moments of glory while serving their constituents. But what is most important is that anyone who serves in the Senate, whether a man or a woman, should possess a political integrity who will serve our people’s interest above all else.

A14 Friday, July 29, 2022

Diokno to BIR, BOC: Hasten upgrades to raise revenue

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

INANCE Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno has ordered the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to speed up their modernization programs in a bid to raise more revenues for the government. Diokno said on Thursday that the administration will focus on pursuing technological innovations to build new industries, enhance the delivery of public services, and create more jobs and investment opportunities, paving the way for the country’s long-term economic recovery from the impact of the pandemic. “For instance, my marching order to the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs is to fast-track their respective modernization programs to increase our tax effort,” Diokno said in a recorded message at an event organized by FinTech Alliance.ph, a trade association representing the digital finance space

in the Philippines. “The government expects to collect more revenues on the back of a faster and more broad-based economic growth. Thus, efficient and effective tax administration will be critical in funding our socioeconomic priorities,” he added. As economic activity is expected to continuously pick up over the medium-term, the government’s economic team projects revenues to increase from 15.2 percent of GDP in 2022 to 17.6 percent of GDP in 2028, and tax effort to improve from 14.5 percent of GDP in 2022 to 17.1 percent of GDP in 2028. Last year, the government’s tax effort or taxes as a share in the

DIOKNO country’s economic output, settled at 14.1 percent of GDP, still lower than 14.5 percent recorded in 2019, according to an earlier economic bulletin issued by the Department of Finance. The government’s economic team also expects to collect higher revenues each year from P3.3 trillion this year to P6.589 trillion in 2028. Meanwhile, they also project the Philippine economy to grow 6.5 to 7.5 percent this year and 6.5 to 8 percent annually starting next year until 2028. Under President Marcos, Jr.’s 8-point socioeconomic agenda, the government committed to expand

the country’s digital infrastructure and promoting research and development as well as innovation over the medium term. To broaden financial inclusion, Diokno said they will accelerate the rollout of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) and widen the reach of the branchless and digital-only Overseas Filipino Bank (OFBank). On top of this, he also said they will “pursue a more inclusive and broad-based capital market through the power of fintech.” Likewise, Diokno said the administration will invite more fintech investments into the country by taking advantage of the gamechanging reforms that were already in place, such as the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Law and the amendments to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, Public Service Act and Foreign Investments Act. “We have a young, highlyskilled, and tech-savvy workforce. This is our strongest asset. The Marcos administration is strongly committed to increasing our investments in human capital development to equip tomorrow’s workforce to become globally competitive stewards of innovation,” Diokno said.

PROJECTS VS HUNGER INCLUDED IN PDP–NEDA By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

HE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) has given assurances that projects and programs that address hunger and malnutrition will be included in the country’s upcoming Philippine Development Plan (PDP). The Neda aims to make history with the upcoming PDP by releasing the plan to the public before the plan starts. It also aims to make it the most inclusive PDP crafted by any administration. On Thursday, BusinessMirror published a BroaderLook piece on hunger and malnutrition and how these have been the cause for the death of some Filipinos. (Read the full story here: https://businessmirror .com.ph /2022/07/28/ one-nation-undernutritionwhe n-i ne q u a l it y-b r i n g sdeath-malnutrition-to-phlsdoorsteps/) “Deaths due to hunger and malnutrition are caused both by poverty and the lack of access to social development services -- health and nutrition,” Neda Undersecretary for Planning and Policy Rosemarie G. Edillon told BusinessMirror.

MB member backs state of calamity declaration on food By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

MONETARY board member is backing the proposal for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to declare a state of calamity on the food crisis to provide him additional elbow room to address rising food prices. Monetary Board member V. Bruce J. Tolentino told the BusinessMirror that the declaration of a state of calamity to address the country’s food supply woes is proper since the challenge at hand is already at “crisis level” “I believe so because it is a crisis already,” Tolentino said when asked if he supports proposals made by certain quarters that Marcos declare a state of calamity on food security. Furthermore, Tolentino said Marcos’s decision to be the concurrent agriculture secretary is a step in the right direction in addressing the ongoing food crisis. Tolentino argued that Marcos should take advantage of his Presidential powers to issue necessary Executive Orders (EO) to resolve the food supply woes of the country. “That is one reason why I am very glad that it is the President who is now sitting as the agriculture secretary. We need the Presidential power to deal with major food supply issues,” he said. “Many of the issues that need to be fixed in the short-run will require EOs. Only the President can issue EOs. But of course, down the line to make them durable and sustainable requires legislation,” he added. Earlier this month, Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) President Danilo V. Fausto revealed that Marcos is “open” to the possibility of declaring a state of emergency or calamity to “immediately” address the country’s food security problems. PCAFI met earlier this month with Marcos, who is concurrently the agriculture secretary, and presented the group’s recommendations to address the problems of the agriculture sector, which included the declaration of a state of calamity.

Fausto argued that the presidential declaration of a state of emergency or calamity on food security would allow Marcos Jr. to intervene in the allocation of local government units’ (LGUs) funds toward boosting domestic food production. Fausto said Marcos Jr. was receptive to the recommendations of the group, including the declaration of a state of emergency or calamity on food security. Fausto explained that it “might” be “necessary” for Marcos Jr. to make such a declaration to “encourage” and “direct” LGUs to allocate some of their funds for food production. Fausto said Marcos has asked his legal team to review the possibility of making such a declaration and address “sensitivities” surrounding the matter. These sensitivities, Fausto explained, include priorities of the LGUs, particularly those that are not in rural areas, and the budget making process of the LGUs. The BusinessMirror broke the story earlier this month that industry leaders were urging Marcos Jr. to declare a nationwide state of calamity on food security problems to allow him to promptly address the country’s food supply challenges. (https://businessmirror.com. ph/2022/07/04/declare-a-stateof-calamityon-food-crisis-pbbmurged/) Under RA 10121, the government, including LGUs, may utilize the calamity fund, which includes the quick response fund (QRF), during a state of calamity to provide immediate “relief and recovery” programs to affected citizens. A declaration of a state of calamity would also encourage all government agencies and LGUs to support the national government, such as mobilization of “necessary” resources, to address the calamity at hand. Last year, for mer President Duterte extended the state of calamity nationwide due to the Covid-19 pandemic until September 12 of this year. Duterte also declared a yearlong state of calamity nationwide due to the African swine fever outbreak, which lapsed last May 10.

“The PDP will enumerate strategies to ensure food security -- availability, affordability and access -- through improved agriculture productivity, efficient transport and logistics and resiliency,” she stressed. Edillon said the PDP may also discuss possible cash transfer programs for the poor and other social safety measures to prevent them from going hungry or left with unhealthy food choices. She added that the PDP will also discuss supplementary feeding programs to reach the most food insecure such as malnourished and stunted children as well as preventing these by addressing the needs of pregnant and lactating mothers. “These social development programs, together with programs to create more jobs, quality jobs and green jobs will enable every Filipino family to have sustainable means to a comfortable life, and especially, a healthy life,” Edillon told this newspaper. During his first State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. tasked Neda to begin coordinating with other government bodies for the production and submission of the PDP before the end of 2022. Continued on A5

NHCP seeks post-quake funds for heritage sites

HE National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) hopes the Office of the President (OP) can allocate some P1 billion in funds to fasttrack the restoration of heritage homes and churches, as well as other historical and cultural properties damaged by Wednesday’s 7.0-magnitude earthquake that shook parts of Northern Luzon. In a news briefing on Thursday at the Metropolitan Museum, NHCP Chairman Dr. Rene Esca lante said the P1-bi l lion amount is what they received in 2013 from the OP to restore heritage structures in Bohol, Cebu, and Eastern Samar damaged by an earthquake in October that year, and Supertyphoon Yolanda, the following month. The restoration of 25 heritage churches and other cultural properties was undertaken in partnership with the National Museum and National Commission for Culture and the Arts. “We will validate these damage reports,” he said, to determine the appropriate amount of restoration funds that they will seek from the OP.

House supports rebuild budget

AS this developed, House Speaker Martin Romualdez Jr. committed to pass a bill that will allocate government funds to rebuild heritage structures damaged by the earthquake. During President’s Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s briefing with local government executives in Abra on Thursday, Romualdez said: “We shall also join the good senator from Ilocos Norte (Imee Marcos) on her call to support the budgetary requirements for the restoration of the heritage cultural sites, as well of course as the various infrastructure in the situation report.” Continued on A5

Companies BusinessMirror

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Friday, July 29, 2022

PHL Seven sets 2022 capex, plans to open more stores By VG Cabuag

@villygc

hilippine Seven Corp., the owner of the license to operate 7-Eleven convenience stores in the country, said it will spend some P2 billion in capital expenditures (capex) this year, mainly to expand its footprint. This year’s capex is double the previous year’s P1 billion. Jose Victor P. Paterno, the company’s president and CEO, said most of the expenditures will be used for the 300 additional stores that will be added to its network. About half of the additional stores would be company-owned and the other half would be franchised. Each store costs about P4 million. “We live in uncertain times since World War II, but we are hoping that we can sustain our growth in

the coming months,” Paterno said in a briefing before the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting on Thursday. Last year, the company opened 164 new stores, despite the pandemic. Philippine Seven ended 2021 with 3,073 stores nationwide. “In 2020, we saw how workfrom-home arrangements impacted our stores in various central business districts. We pivoted in mid-2020 and 2021, and pursued new store openings in residential

areas to cater to the needs of hybrid workers who now spend more time at home than at offices and CBDs [central business districts],” Paterno said. Even as schools are mulling over the conduct of face-to-face classes by next month, he said more people will continue to work outside of Metro Manila or in far-flung provinces outside of the city centers. “We had net openings of only four stores in Metro Manila in 2021 versus 73 in the rest of Luzon, and continue to lay our bets in this fashion until we see more proof of resurgence in the cities,” he said. Besides expanding to residential areas, Paterno said the company will install more ATMs, which has cash recycling capability. At the moment its ATMs in over 1,200 stores, contributed to the increase in customer traffic. The ATMs provide several advantages as the store operators deposit their sales for the day in the machine and it can give out that cash to fund the withdrawals of customers. Philippine Seven said it plans to

add at least 1,500 more ATMs in 2022 across parts of Visayas and Mindanao. Paterono said services like e-wallet cash-ins, which resulted in the growth in service income, was also a major contributor and a source of future growth. “We believe that partnering with new digital players will be an opportunity that, because of our assets, we are uniquely positioned for. The thinking is that we were fortunate to have built and accumulated our digital assets when it was cheaper to do so, and we are now in a good position to monetize those assets by partnering with digital players who need access to them,” he said. “With all these developments, I believe that the company was able to refresh its convenience store concept, while remaining true to the time-tested brand goodwill attached to our 7-Eleven name. We shall be capitalizing on our learnings during the pandemic as we solidify our position in this industry,” company chairman and independent director Jose T. Pardo said.

8990 income hits ₧3.64B in H1 M

ass housing builder 8990 Holdings Inc. on Thursday said its income in the first half rose by 5 percent to P3.64 billion, from last year’s P3.45 billion. Revenues came in flat at P10.05 billion as against the previous year’s P10.01 billion. Sales in Metro Manila, Bulacan and Davao accounted for the bulk of revenues. For the April to June period alone, the company’s income fell 10 percent to P1.71 billion from last year’s P1.9 billion. Revenues were also down 13 percent to P4.79 billion from last year’s P5.53 billion. The company said its gross income margin for the six months of the year was at 50 percent, compared to a

gross income margin of 49.5 percent last year. Consolidated net income margin for the first half reached 36.3 percent, from last year’s 34.5 percent, the company said. “The company attributes its strong and maintained gross income margin to its sound internal financial planning policies with respect to land banking activities and project budgeting process,” it said. As of end-June, 8990 delivered 5,364 units to homeowners, with Metro Manila accounting for the bulk of the total revenues, at 54 percent. North Luzon and Davao each contributed 14 percent; Cebu and Ormoc, 9 percent; Iloilo and Bacolod, 7 percent; and South Luzon and Gen-

eral Santos, 1 percent each. In terms of total units delivered, Metro Manila again accounted for the highest at 37 percent, followed by Iloilo and Bacolod at 17 percent, Davao at 16 percent, North Luzon at 15 percent, Cebu and Ormoc at 9 percent, General Santos at 4 percent and South Luzon at 2 percent. 8990 said its vertical projects contributed majority of revenues at 60 percent, while horizontal projects generated 40 percent. Towards the end of June, 8990 also inaugurated an expansive amenities area of Urban Deca Homes Ortigas in Pasig, the company’s largest project to date at 13.2 hectares. 8990 president and CEO Anthony

Vincent Sotto earlier said despite inflationary fears and among other uncertainties, 8990 was able to sustain revenue levels. Sotto said 8990 is well on its way to hit its target of P23 billion in revenues this year, as the company has an inventory of 3,292 units worth P3.6 billion in sales across all projects nationwide. Of this inventory, Bulacan accounts for P963 million followed by Davao and General Santos at P709 million and Ortigas at P708 million. The company said it has a land bank of 767.56 hectares, with Luzon at 211.14 hectares, Visayas at 438.08 hectares and Mindanao 118.35 hectares. VG Cabuag

Marcos vetoes DLPC franchise area bill By Lenie Lectura @llectura

& Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

resident Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has vetoed House Bill (HB) 10554 or An Act Expanding the Franchise Area of Davao Light and Power Company Inc. (DLPC). According to the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (PHILRECA), a letter addressed to the Senate and House of Representatives stated that the President recognizes the intent of the bill to further improve and develop access to electricity within the captive market of the expanded franchise area. However, he is “constrained to veto the bill due to the susceptibility of the proposed expansion of the franchise area of Davao Light and Power Company, Inc. to legal and/or constitutional challenge due to the apparent overlap and possible infringement into the subsisting franchise, permits, and contracts previously granted to North Davao Electric Cooperative Inc. (NORDECO).” Davao Light is the third largest privately owned electric utility in the Philippines and is owned by Aboitiz Power Corp. (AboitizPower). “We received the information that Malacanang vetoed HB 10554, which is meant to expand the franchise area of

Aboitiz Power subsidiary Davao Light to Davao del Norte. Rest assured that we will cooperate with the relevant authorities and respond to their directions,” said AboitizPower President Emmanuel Rubio. NORDECO has existing franchises in the expanded franchise area that will subsist until 2028 and until 2033. The bill, said the President, runs counter to the provisions of Section 27 of Republic Act (RA) 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) mandating that all existing franchises shall be allowed in its full term. “Likewise, the resulting repeal of North Davao Electric Cooperative Inc.’s franchise over the expanded franchise area will violate the non-impairment clause as provided in Section 10, Article III of the 1987 Constitution,” the President added in his letter. The President also said HB 10554 “is a prohibited collateral attach on North Davao Electric Cooperative Inc. franchise” and such bill “is contrary to a jurisprudentially settled doctrine that a franchise cannot be subjected to a ‘collateral attack’.” During public hearings in the House of Representatives and the Senate, PHILRECA, the association of electric cooperatives operating nationwide, has unequivocally opposed HB 10554 due to similar reasons. “NORDECO was granted a fran-

chise by virtue of Certificates No. 017 and 103 issued by the National Electrification Administration for a period of 50 years from 1978 and 1983, respectively, which means the existing franchise of NORDECO, will only expire in 2033,” said Janeene Depay-Colingan, PHILRECA’s Executive Director in a position paper the group submitted to the Office of the President. “In addition to the protection categorically guaranteed by RA 9136 or the EPIRA and non-impairment clause of the Constitution, RA 6038 is very clear that no franchise for service shall be granted to any other person within any area or portion for which a cooperative holds a franchise,” PHILRECA stated in its letter to the President. “We thank the President for acting positively on the Movement’s plight against takeover of ECs by private for-profit corporation and oligarchs like Davao Light and Power Company,” said Colingan on the President’s veto of HB 10554. She added that “electric cooperatives should remain to be owned and operated by the people, not by the oligarchs, not by the few elites,” and that the organization and all its memberelectric cooperatives appreciate the President’s recognition of the vital role of the sector in national development.

‘Not a collateral attack’

Senator Grace Poe, chairman of the Senate committee on public services, said the proposed expansion of DLPC’s franchise area is not a collateral attack “but is actually a response to the appeal of Nordeco customers for better power service.” “The argument of ‘collateral attack’ on franchises may only apply in court or administrative proceedings where parties may otherwise attempt to strike down a law that is legally presumed to be valid. This does not apply in the exercise of legislative functions by Congress especially in the context of Section 11, Article XII of the Constitution,” she said. Poe also said Congress made sure in the measure that the franchise expansion would not be violative of existing laws including the EPIRA and any Constitutional or case law. “As the Constitution allows, the franchise expansion falls squarely under the ‘amendment, alteration or repeal by Congress when the common good requires’,” she said. “There is also no violation of the non-impairment clause of the Constitution as this does not apply to franchises. It is settled that police power subordinates the nonimpairment clause in the ‘interest of public health, safety, morals and general welfare.’”

PLDT to speed up network migration By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

LDT Inc. said on Thursday it is scheduled to decommission about 185 telecom towers that provide time-division duplex LTE to its legacy wireless service called Home Ultera. With this, over 3,000 subscribers of Home Ultera who are eligible for service migration, will have the option to either move to higher speed fixed fiber plans, or to a postpaid wireless service for the home at no additional cost, and for a better customer experience. This migration initiative will cover 58 areas in the Philippines including Abra, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Albay, Antique, Basilan, Bataan, Batangas, Benguet, Biliran, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Capiz, Cavite, Cebu, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Eastern Samar, Guimaras, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, La Union, Laguna, Lanao del Norte, Maguindanao, Metro Manila, Misamis Occidental, and Misamis Oriental. “The decommissioning follows the tower sale announced by PLDT early this year. In April, PLDT announced a breakthrough sale and leaseback arrangement of 5,907

telecom towers as part of its strategic transformation to further invest and improve network operations,” PLDT said. PLDT Home has over 3.1 million fiber subscribers. It has a portfolio of 803,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables, reaching 15.5 million homes and a total capacity of 6.25 million ports. The company announced in May that it has allotted P85 billion to support the additional requirements for its home and enterprise businesses, as well as for its contractual obligations for the sale of its tower assets. The figure will be used to “support the updated requirements for growth in demand for home broadband and data center businesses, and additional upgrades of the towers or passive infrastructure assets subject to tower sale and leaseback transaction.” The company booked a 56-percent growth in reported net income in the first quarter to P9.1 billion, while reporting a telco core income of P8.2 billion. Its revenues reached P46.4 billion, an increase of 3 percent to P46.5 billion led by its Home and Enterprise verticals. For 2022, PLDT expects to book P33 billion in telco core income with its revenue guidance at “mid singledigit” growth.

Companies BusinessMirror

Friday, July 29, 2022

Megaworld eyes ₧2.8B sales from project in Pampanga

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

egaworld Corp., the property development arm of businessman Andrew Tan, said it expects some P2.8 billion in sales from its third residential project inside its 35.6-hectare Capital Town in San Fernando, Pampanga. The company said it will launch the 15-storey Montrose Parkview, which will offer 293 units in 14 varying unit types. Building completion is scheduled in 2027, the company said. “This new condo tower caters to the next generation of Kapam-

pangans who are looking for a more progressive lifestyle. It offers a modern lifestyle and old-world Europeinspired setting that is yet to be seen in the market,” Eugene Em Lozano, the company’s first vice president for sales and marketing, said. “We envision this to appeal to

well-traveled individuals who wish to stay in their hometown, but at the same time, aspire for a lifestyle they’ve experienced in other progressive cities.” The property offers unit sizes of up to 35 square meters for studio, up to 48 square meters for onebedroom suite, up to 48.5 square meters for executive one-bedroom suite; up to 54.5 square meters for one-bedroom garden suite, up to 97.5 square meters for twobedroom garden suite; up to 165.5 square meters for three-bedroom garden suite, up to 83 square meters for one-bedroom penthouse suite, up to 97.5 square meters for two-bedroom penthouse suite and up to 169 square meters for threebedroom penthouse suite. The garden and penthouse suites are in loft-type layouts with either its own lanai or balcony.

“Its location is the most prime in the entire township because it is right at the middle of everything. The town plaza fronting this residential development is envisioned to be a picturesque and bustling spot for tourists and local visitors,” Lozano said. Located in the third floor are the amenities that include an adult and children’s pool with its own pool lounge, gazebo, outdoor seating areas, pathwalk, fitness center with boxing and yoga rooms, game room, daycare center and a function room. It also has its own sustainable building features such as low flow rate fixtures, occupancy sensors, energy-efficient equipment and a rainwater harvesting facility. Every unit also comes with wireless smart home system and devices with WiFi router, the company said.

PHL launches Renewable Energy Market By Lenie Lectura @llectura

he country’s Renewable Energy Market (REM)— a venue for the trading of Renewable Energy Certificates (REC)—was launched Thursday, the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC) said. The launch of the Philippine REM interim commercial operations is a tripartite collaboration with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Following the promulgation of the DOE Department Circular No. DC2022-06-0019 entitled “Declaring the Interim Commercial Operations of the Renewable Energy Market” last June 30, the REM interim commercial operations are set to commence on August 26. “The REM will incentivize the harnessing of our wealth of natural resources, bringing in additional, more sustainable sources of electricity. We welcome this diversification that will safeguard our energy supply security,” said PEMC President Leonido J. Pulido III. Pursuant to Section 8 of the RE Act, PEMC is the entity designated to perform the RE Registrar (RER) functions which shall establish a Renewable Energy Registrar and issue, keep, and verify REC corresponding to energy generated from eligible RE facilities. Such certificates will be used for compliance with the Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). REC is a market-based instrument that represents the property rights and other non-power attributes of renewable electricity generation. PEMC, as the DOEdesignated RER, issues one REC for every megawatt hour of actual generation from eligible RE facilities to REM Participants.

During the REM interim commercial operations, participants are expected to actively participate in the activities related to the validation and confirmation of the RECs they receive. “There is no trading of RECs, and no financial transactions are involved during the interim period, pending the approval of the REC Price Cap,” said PEMC Head of Corporate Planning and Communications Clares Loren Jalocon. PEMC commenced the REM participant registration in early 2020 and has processed and approved about 96 percent of the applications upon the completion of all the requirements. “The pandemic notwithstanding, the overwhelming response to the REM has been beyond anything we expected. As of July 2022, with the REM expected participants reaching 281, 98 percent of this have lodged their application with PEMC expressing their interest to participate,” added Jalocon. Once registered, REM participants are granted access to the Philippine Renewable Energy Market System (PREMS), which performs the major market processes such as registration; REC calculation, issuance, and transfer; and reportorial requirements to the DOE on RPS compliances of the Mandated Participants. “More than the numbers that will correspond to the compliance with the RPS, the RE Market paves the way for the transition to cleaner energy that leads to more benefits to the consumers, their families, the nation and ultimately, the environment,” Pulido said in his opening remarks during the launch. PEMC is the governing body of the Philippine Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) for over 10 years.

The WESM is a centralized venue for buyers and sellers to trade electricity as a commodity where its prices are determined based on demand and supply. It was created pursuant to Repub-

lic Act 9136, also known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001. The WESM began commercial operations in Luzon in June 2006 and in the Visayas in December 2010.

mutual funds

July 28, 2022

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 198.82 -5.39% -10.12% -6.51% -14.7% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.2941 -4.61% -8.03% -4.19% -22.24% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 2.7119 -6.35% -14.02% -9.17% -16.24% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.6924 -6.11% -11.21% n.a. -8.47% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.6523 -9.34% -10.48% n.a. -15.38% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 4.5279 -2.29% -7.22% -4.49% -12.63% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.6707 -2.7% -9.79% -7.1% -14.38% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 75.68 -22.16% -14.52% n.a. -19.86% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 41.1353 -4.14% -8.95% -5.04% -14.53% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 425.85 -5.78% -9.12% -5.27% -14.95% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 1.2103 9.14% -4.31% -1.9% -10.76% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 31.2821 -3.28% -8.24% -4.11% -14.52% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8104 -3.15% -9.39% n.a. -13.92% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 4.2625 -3.16% -8.33% -4.39% -14.08% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 710.21 -3.58% -8.39% -4.46% -14.28% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.6216 -7.66% -13.72% -7.58% -17.41% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.17 -5.92% -11.11% -6.04% -16.04% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8083 -3.88% -8.67% -4.72% -14.42% United Fund, Inc. -a 2.9731 -3.55% -8.47% -3.83% -13.5% Primarily invested in Peso securities (units) Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a 0.9809 -5.94% n.a. n.a. -15.64% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 864.68 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Exchange Traded Fund (shares) First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 95.7586 -3.15% -8.17% -4.08% -14.1% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $0.9074 -23.66% -3.12% -2.58% -19.45% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.4725 -19.04% 3.55% 4.35% -20.25% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (shares) ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.5516 -6.39% -4.72% -2.87% -8.3% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.0886 -3.18% -4.34% -2.67% -8.45% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.4786 -1.35% -3.19% -1.55% -7.89% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.1927 2.61% n.a. n.a. -7.8% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.855 -2.63% -2.17% -0.74% -8.02% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.3655 -5.85% -4.45% -2.34% -10.61% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 15.0969 -5.82% -4.55% -2.39% -10.38% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 1.935 -3.14% -4.18% -2.26% -8.79% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.2422 -4.96% -6.77% -3.34% -11.1% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.8462 -0.31% -6.14% -2.82% -11.32% Primarily invested in Peso securities (units) Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a 0.8957 -7.09% -5.19% n.a. -9.51% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a 0.806 -7.01% -8.48% n.a. -14.66% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a 0.7936 -6.78% -8.86% n.a. -15.02% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03399 -11.32% -3.19% -1.04% -10.41% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b $0.9236 -15.65% -2.74% -1.65% -13.45% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $3.9941 -16.37% 1.61% 2.74% -16.83% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,2 $1.0261 -14.85% -1.56% 0.07% -14.39% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (shares) ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 374.39 0.48% 2.1% 2.29% 0.02% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.8902 -1.78% -0.26% 0% 0.29% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.2338 -0.02% 1.85% 3.23% -0.31% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.1776 -3.75% -0.35% 0.68% -3.28% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4013 -1.75% 1.02% 1.63% -1.02% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.1931 -6.59% -0.37% 0.56% -4.61% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a 1.3163 -0.07% 2.44% 2.72% -0.21% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.8841 -2.46% 1.7% 2.25% -2.06% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.011 -2.68% 2.24% 1.71% -1.67% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1355 -2.54% 1.5% 2.61% -1.63% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.6952 -3.2% 0.61% 1.92% -2.05% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $481.62 -1.08% 1.51% 1.73% -1.62% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є210.88 -4.28% -1.23% -0.1% -4.15% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.0999 -8.4% -2.5% -0.47% -8.64% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0243 -6.9% -1.85% -0.49% -6.54% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b $0.9124 -13.49% -5.7% -3.24% -10.79% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.2391 -11.04% -1.72% 0.08% -10.64% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0606857 -3.75% 0.69% 1.17% -2.58% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $2.8264 -11.29% -2.99% -1.28% -11.57% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (shares) ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 132.36 1.5% 2.19% 2.55% 0.89% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0647 1.03% 1.54% n.a. 0.66% Sun Life Prosperity Peso Starter Fund, Inc. -a,1 1.3275 1.59% 2.07% 2.47% 0.9% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0646 0.62% 1.12% n.a. 0.38% Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (units) ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -a 44.8192 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a 1.2418 -6.62% n.a. n.a. -10.2% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (units) ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -a $0.828 -16.36% n.a. n.a. -14.64% a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago.

c - Listed in the PSE.

d - in Net Asset Value per Unit

(NAVPU). 1 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last July 8, 2021 (formerly, Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc.). 2 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last November 25, 2021.

"While we endeavor to keep the information accurate, the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) and its members make no warranties as to the correctness of the newspaper’s publication and assume no liability or responsibility for any error or omissions. You may visit http://www. pifa.com.ph to see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU."

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PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

July 28, 2022

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

BDO UNIBANK BANK COMMERCE BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BRIGHT KINDLE COL FINANCIAL FILIPINO FUND MEDCO HLDG PHIL STOCK EXCH

199,150,742 5,631 199,522,279.50 5,583,335 532,347 115,653,905 2,087,150 28,678 220,183.50 51,428 48,156,064.50 15,984,932 898,270 3,342,530 4,500 10,600 241,520

53,110,406 58,684,395 -102,485 -339,187 24,445,185 -1,906,450 0 -4,233,606 4,471,358.50 -697,020 5,100

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 8.39 8.45 8.3 8.45 8.3 8.45 7,700,300 64,724,424 ABOITIZ POWER 32.75 32.85 32 32.85 31.95 32.85 3,095,300 100,877,585 RASLAG 1.8 1.81 1.74 1.82 1.74 1.81 2,960,000 5,315,020 BASIC ENERGY 0.405 0.415 0.425 0.43 0.405 0.415 4,860,000 2,019,650 FIRST GEN 17.52 17.54 17.46 17.7 17.44 17.52 299,700 5,253,684 FIRST PHIL HLDG 64.5 64.95 64.9 64.95 64.9 64.95 2,270 147,336.50 MERALCO 365 366 364.2 366 362.2 366 328,230 119,846,490 MANILA WATER 15.58 15.6 15.66 15.7 15.38 15.6 1,044,600 16,268,978 PETRON 2.91 2.92 2.89 2.92 2.89 2.9 334,000 968,850 PETROENERGY 4.8 4.94 4.8 4.81 4.8 4.8 151,000 724,820 PHX PETROLEUM 9.13 9.48 9.12 9.49 9.12 9.48 10,600 97,333 SYNERGY GRID 12.2 12.28 12.2 12.4 12.18 12.2 6,838,900 83,751,206 PILIPINAS SHELL 17.9 18 17.96 18 17.6 17.9 145,800 2,621,662 SPC POWER 9.89 9.95 9.96 9.99 9.89 9.89 148,500 1,479,295 SOLAR PH 1.66 1.67 1.64 1.66 1.64 1.66 14,843,000 24,547,600 AGRINURTURE 5.71 5.73 5.72 5.75 5.7 5.73 1,030,600 5,900,097 AXELUM 2.62 2.7 2.58 2.7 2.58 2.7 1,336,000 3,554,710 CENTURY FOOD 22.95 23.75 23.05 24 22.95 23.75 741,300 17,375,225 DEL MONTE 13.74 13.76 13.74 13.76 13.58 13.74 32,100 439,486 DNL INDUS 7.16 7.17 7.07 7.22 7.07 7.17 3,137,700 22,487,152 EMPERADOR 18.94 18.96 18.84 19.16 18.84 18.94 6,711,700 127,404,084 SMC FOODANDBEV 43.95 44 44.35 44.6 43.95 44 158,100 6,977,380 FIGARO COFFEE 0.67 0.68 0.68 0.69 0.67 0.68 6,985,000 4,722,050 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.55 0.57 0.58 0.58 0.58 0.58 1,000 580 FRUITAS HLDG 1.01 1.03 1 1.03 1 1.03 1,092,000 1,113,340 GINEBRA 96.75 97 96.7 97 96.6 97 2,880 279,260 JOLLIBEE 206.6 207 205.8 208.4 205.4 207 339,070 70,176,796 KEEPERS HLDG 1.18 1.19 1.18 1.19 1.18 1.19 911,000 1,076,390 MAXS GROUP 4.6 4.61 4.41 4.61 4.41 4.61 46,000 210,390 MG HLDG 0.102 0.109 0.103 0.109 0.102 0.109 1,000,000 102,270 MONDE NISSIN 14.34 14.44 14.48 14.56 14.38 14.44 3,966,600 57,242,312 SHAKEYS PIZZA 6.98 7.15 7 7 7 7 5,100 35,700 ROXAS AND CO 0.61 0.63 0.58 0.63 0.58 0.63 3,851,000 2,300,450 ROXAS HLDG 1.14 1.18 1.18 1.18 1.18 1.18 10,000 11,800 UNIV ROBINA 110.8 111.4 110 111.5 109.9 110.8 1,257,040 139,163,774 VITARICH 0.58 0.6 0.58 0.58 0.58 0.58 84,000 48,720 VICTORIAS 2.52 2.61 2.55 2.55 2.55 2.55 100,000 255,000 CEMEX HLDG 0.75 0.76 0.76 0.77 0.74 0.75 2,450,000 1,856,510 EAGLE CEMENT 12.52 13.06 12.8 12.98 12.34 12.48 124,500 1,594,912 EEI CORP 3.33 3.39 3.32 3.49 3.32 3.39 66,000 222,970 HOLCIM 4.5 4.64 4.6 4.64 4.5 4.5 572,000 2,579,510 MEGAWIDE 4.18 4.19 4.13 4.2 4.06 4.19 1,010,000 4,238,080 PHINMA 19.26 19.42 19.3 19.3 19.26 19.3 2,500 48,230 TKC METALS 0.66 0.73 0.66 0.66 0.65 0.66 34,000 22,300 VULCAN INDL 0.78 0.8 0.77 0.8 0.77 0.78 67,000 51,940 CROWN ASIA 1.41 1.44 1.44 1.49 1.4 1.43 937,000 1,322,760 EUROMED 0.98 1.03 1.01 1.01 1.01 1.01 28,000 28,280 MABUHAY VINYL 5.08 5.37 5.1 5.39 5.08 5.08 3,100 15,803 GREENERGY 1.73 1.74 1.71 1.77 1.68 1.74 10,932,000 18,982,830 INTEGRATED MICR 6.95 6.97 6.7 6.98 6.7 6.98 31,100 213,946 IONICS 0.7 0.71 0.71 0.72 0.69 0.71 850,000 596,240 PANASONIC 5.5 5.76 5.76 5.76 5.76 5.76 1,900 10,944 SFA SEMICON 1.55 1.56 1.59 1.6 1.56 1.56 819,000 1,298,930 CIRTEK HLDG 3.2 3.22 3.15 3.23 3.07 3.21 6,354,000 20,209,530

17,935,315 8,817,490 -17,800 20,750 1,518,974 -48,602,872 -15,528,946 14,430 -15,173,800 -1,159,172 4,995 -182,500 768,503 -581,610 1,714,455 147,028 -11,913,709 -11,262,680 -1,157,220 -16,750 -203,690 -33,702,722 234,810 39,684,776 -514,010 -41,239,998 149,460 3,400 -58,850 12,600 5,630 -28,280 17,500 35,000 9,204,170

HOLDING & FRIMS

ABACORE CAPITAL AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANSCOR ATN HLDG A COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV GT CAPITAL JG SUMMIT LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP METRO PAC INV PRIME MEDIA SOLID GROUP SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP ZEUS HLDG

119 8.07 90.8 26.9 6.82 48.2 6.49 17.94 57 18.9 90 80.5 1.6 3.39 4.5 0.25 169.1

2.08 617 56.7 9.87 8.65 0.4 4.29 9.67 7 460 53.15 0.54 2.91 8.9 3.7 2.07 0.85 800 103.9 0.153

119.4 8.44 91.8 27 6.83 48.9 6.5 17.96 57.5 19.78 90.8 80.8 1.66 3.45 6.76 0.275 170

2.09 620 57.5 9.9 8.93 0.405 4.3 9.7 7.07 464.6 55 0.57 2.93 8.94 3.71 2.1 0.89 800.5 104.8 0.159

117.5 8.04 86.95 26.6 6.8 47 6.5 17.9 56.85 19.78 90 78 1.62 3.45 4.5 0.26 173

2.04 610 55 9.94 8.7 0.4 4.3 9.62 7.07 468 52.95 0.54 2.9 8.8 3.71 2.12 0.9 786 104 0.153

119.4 8.07 91.8 27.05 6.88 48.9 6.5 17.96 57 19.78 91 81 1.67 3.45 4.5 0.28 173

2.12 620 57.5 9.96 8.85 0.4 4.3 9.73 7.07 468 55 0.59 2.92 8.94 3.73 2.12 0.9 801 105 0.153

117.4 8.04 86.8 26.6 6.8 47 6.5 17.9 56.85 19.78 89.5 78 1.6 3.4 4.5 0.26 170

2.04 610 55 9.8 8.6 0.4 4.28 9.62 7.07 458 52.65 0.53 2.9 8.8 3.65 2.06 0.85 786 103.7 0.153

119.4 8.07 91.8 26.9 6.82 48.9 6.5 17.96 57 19.78 90 80.8 1.67 3.45 4.5 0.28 170

2.09 620 57.5 9.9 8.6 0.4 4.3 9.7 7.07 464.6 55 0.58 2.92 8.94 3.71 2.1 0.89 800 104.8 0.153

1,676,760 700 2,210,290 206,900 78,100 2,391,700 321,100 1,600 3,870 2,600 535,180 198,990 561,000 978,000 1,000 40,000 1,420

17,171,000 268,720 3,261,150 914,800 24,500 110,000 63,000 3,652,500 100 228,400 1,857,500 174,000 21,000 1,799,300 10,285,000 174,000 82,000 265,100 170,050 670,000

35,561,450 166,131,665 185,049,341 9,056,833 213,855 44,000 270,400 35,383,382 707 106,046,984 100,348,071 93,690 60,980 15,951,525 37,958,020 360,360 72,040 211,414,425 17,812,918 102,510

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.53 0.54 0.54 0.54 0.53 0.53 55,000 29,350 AYALA LAND 24.95 25 24.7 25.2 24.65 25 10,273,400 256,681,210 AYALA LAND LOG 3.06 3.12 3.11 3.14 3.08 3.12 940,000 2,910,370 ALTUS PROP 13.08 13.72 13.74 13.74 13.72 13.72 300 4,120 ARANETA PROP 1.32 1.35 1.38 1.38 1.32 1.35 152,000 203,230 AREIT RT 36.45 36.5 36.05 36.75 36.05 36.5 717,800 26,211,250 A BROWN 0.77 0.82 0.77 0.85 0.77 0.77 840,000 683,830 CITYLAND DEVT 0.68 0.69 0.69 0.69 0.69 0.69 1,000 690 CROWN EQUITIES 0.082 0.085 0.087 0.087 0.083 0.085 3,830,000 326,380 CEB LANDMASTERS 2.49 2.51 2.5 2.51 2.44 2.51 69,000 171,010 CENTURY PROP 0.39 0.395 0.39 0.395 0.39 0.39 310,000 121,150 CITICORE RT 2.42 2.43 2.44 2.45 2.42 2.43 17,851,000 43,439,900 DOUBLEDRAGON 7.7 7.72 7.7 7.89 7.66 7.7 110,800 854,584 DDMP RT 1.53 1.54 1.5 1.55 1.5 1.54 2,576,000 3,972,380 DM WENCESLAO 6.83 6.84 6.84 6.84 6.84 6.84 23,500 160,740 EMPIRE EAST 0.195 0.212 0.213 0.213 0.213 0.213 100,000 21,300 EVER GOTESCO 0.305 0.31 0.31 0.315 0.305 0.315 9,240,000 2,863,200 FILINVEST RT 6.79 6.8 6.8 6.8 6.8 6.8 600,200 4,081,360 FILINVEST LAND 0.89 0.91 0.92 0.92 0.89 0.89 5,160,000 4,653,880 GLOBAL ESTATE 0.85 0.86 0.85 0.85 0.85 0.85 469,000 398,650 8990 HLDG 9.25 9.38 9.2 9.38 9.2 9.38 5,200 47,937 PHIL INFRADEV 1.06 1.1 1.12 1.12 1.08 1.1 113,000 122,260 MEGAWORLD 2.3 2.31 2.27 2.33 2.26 2.3 11,092,000 25,527,900 MRC ALLIED 0.18 0.181 0.178 0.181 0.176 0.181 850,000 151,760 MREIT RT 15.96 15.98 16.06 16.06 15.92 15.98 449,500 7,182,264 PRIMEX CORP 2.15 2.18 2.1 2.18 2.09 2.18 2,406,000 5,129,930 RL COMM RT 6.37 6.39 6.36 6.4 6.36 6.39 191,700 1,224,658 ROBINSONS LAND 16.88 17.24 16.6 17.24 16.6 17.24 1,089,100 18,527,796 PHIL REALTY 0.225 0.235 0.23 0.23 0.23 0.23 40,000 9,200 ROCKWELL 1.23 1.31 1.23 1.23 1.23 1.23 1,000 1,230 SHANG PROP 2.56 2.6 2.58 2.6 2.58 2.6 100,000 259,080 STA LUCIA LAND 2.97 3 3.03 3.04 2.76 3 56,000 167,700 SM PRIME HLDG 36.15 36.7 36.95 36.95 35.95 36.7 10,173,600 369,427,600 VISTAMALLS 3.2 3.28 3.28 3.28 3.2 3.2 8,000 25,870 SUNTRUST RESORT 1.03 1.04 1.01 1.04 1.01 1.04 312,000 321,940 VISTA LAND 1.95 1.99 1.95 1.99 1.95 1.99 906,000 1,784,530 VISTAREIT RT 1.76 1.77 1.73 1.76 1.73 1.76 2,097,000 3,683,570 SERVICES ABS CBN 9.11 9.17 9.1 9.2 9.08 9.17 45,300 413,180 GMA NETWORK 10.32 10.34 10.26 10.38 10.2 10.34 134,700 1,390,562 MANILA BULLETIN 0.325 0.37 0.335 0.34 0.335 0.34 70,000 23,600 GLOBE TELECOM 2,070 2,084 2,120 2,146 2,060 2,070 80,165 167,040,310 PLDT 1,680 1,694 1,654 1,694 1,653 1,694 62,785 105,760,340 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.035 0.036 0.035 0.036 0.034 0.036 96,900,000 3,386,800 CONVERGE 19.7 19.76 20 20.55 19.7 19.7 13,969,500 280,496,084 DFNN INC 3.59 3.68 3.45 3.7 3.45 3.68 2,184,000 7,803,570 DITO CME HLDG 3.85 3.86 3.88 3.91 3.85 3.85 1,500,000 5,834,720 JACKSTONES 1.53 1.68 1.5 1.71 1.5 1.71 4,000 6,220 NOW CORP 1.17 1.18 1.16 1.2 1.16 1.18 873,000 1,031,400 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.28 0.285 0.275 0.285 0.27 0.28 5,420,000 1,487,000 2GO GROUP 6.4 6.44 6.47 6.47 6.4 6.4 7,800 49,955 ASIAN TERMINALS 13.54 13.7 13.98 13.98 13.54 13.7 74,100 1,015,218 CHELSEA 1.17 1.18 1.2 1.2 1.15 1.18 87,000 103,260 CEBU AIR 43 43.1 42.6 43.25 42.4 43.1 256,400 10,958,060 INTL CONTAINER 185.6 189.7 185 189.7 184.2 189.7 820,790 153,786,053 MACROASIA 4.31 4.36 4.3 4.4 4.28 4.36 365,000 1,576,120 METROALLIANCE A 0.85 0.88 0.86 0.88 0.8 0.88 113,000 92,050 METROALLIANCE B 0.82 1.29 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 9,000 8,100 PAL HLDG 5.57 5.58 5.55 5.57 5.55 5.57 1,000 5,562 HARBOR STAR 1.13 1.14 1.03 1.14 1.03 1.13 3,073,000 3,404,150 BOULEVARD HLDG 0.078 0.079 0.078 0.079 0.078 0.079 9,500,000 745,380 GRAND PLAZA 10.1 12 10.1 10.1 10.1 10.1 2,100 21,210 WATERFRONT 0.44 0.46 0.44 0.45 0.44 0.44 1,250,000 560,000 FAR EASTERN U 550.5 587 550.5 550.5 550.5 550.5 100 55,050 BELLE CORP 1.19 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.19 1.2 2,250,000 2,699,990 BLOOMBERRY 6.05 6.06 5.9 6.05 5.86 6.05 18,082,500 106,910,285 PACIFIC ONLINE 1.37 1.48 1.37 1.37 1.37 1.37 1,000 1,370 LEISURE AND RES 1.41 1.42 1.4 1.42 1.4 1.42 622,000 874,990 PH RESORTS GRP 0.78 0.8 0.78 0.8 0.78 0.8 583,000 457,690 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.405 0.41 0.405 0.405 0.4 0.405 1,770,000 711,600 PHILWEB 3.28 3.3 3.27 3.36 3.24 3.28 1,352,000 4,442,520 ALLDAY 0.3 0.31 0.3 0.31 0.3 0.305 4,200,000 1,274,900 ALLHOME 4.75 4.85 4.72 4.87 4.72 4.87 44,000 209,990 METRO RETAIL 1.45 1.46 1.45 1.46 1.45 1.45 150,000 217,620 PUREGOLD 29.75 30 29.7 30.2 29.7 30 693,300 20,782,855 ROBINSONS RTL 55.1 55.45 55 55.45 54.8 55.45 73,400 4,060,195 PHIL SEVEN CORP 63 65 63.5 63.5 63 63 58,100 3,660,669 SSI GROUP 1.4 1.41 1.4 1.43 1.39 1.4 1,327,000 1,860,190 WILCON DEPOT 24.75 25.4 24 25.4 24 25.4 1,321,600 32,734,970 APC GROUP 0.19 0.196 0.195 0.196 0.195 0.196 60,000 11,740 MEDILINES 0.74 0.76 0.75 0.78 0.74 0.74 5,141,000 3,912,330 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.42 0.425 0.42 0.425 0.42 0.42 140,000 58,950 SBS PHIL CORP 3.65 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.7 5,000 18,500 MINING & OIL

ATOK 6.61 6.87 6.61 6.87 6.61 6.87 62,900 415,795 APEX MINING 1.47 1.49 1.47 1.5 1.46 1.47 794,000 1,170,850 ATLAS MINING 4.51 4.59 4.4 4.51 4.35 4.51 1,518,000 6,737,030 BENGUET A 5.04 5.1 5.1 5.2 5 5.1 102,600 519,943 BENGUET B 4.61 5.15 5.1 5.1 5 5 54,000 271,070 COAL ASIA HLDG 0.203 0.239 0.203 0.203 0.203 0.203 10,000 2,030 CENTURY PEAK 2.65 2.74 2.75 2.75 2.75 2.75 12,000 33,000 FERRONICKEL 2.26 2.29 2.27 2.3 2.25 2.29 588,000 1,339,800 GEOGRACE 0.173 0.191 0.172 0.172 0.172 0.172 10,000 1,720 LEPANTO A 0.136 0.139 0.14 0.14 0.14 0.14 10,000 1,400 LEPANTO B 0.133 0.138 0.138 0.138 0.138 0.138 50,000 6,900 MANILA MINING A 0.0095 0.0097 0.0094 0.0097 0.0094 0.0097 24,000,000 231,800 MANILA MINING B 0.0094 0.0099 0.0094 0.0094 0.0094 0.0094 1,000,000 9,400 MARCVENTURES 1.31 1.32 1.26 1.33 1.26 1.32 564,000 732,950 NIHAO 0.9 0.95 0.9 0.95 0.9 0.95 51,000 47,050 NICKEL ASIA 5.5 5.51 5.49 5.52 5.4 5.5 1,451,800 7,966,065 ORNTL PENINSULA 0.7 0.72 0.72 0.72 0.72 0.72 9,000 6,480 PX MINING 3.28 3.29 3.32 3.33 3.28 3.29 1,065,000 3,527,590 SEMIRARA MINING 41.4 41.5 41.75 41.9 41.2 41.5 2,938,600 122,110,040 ACE ENEXOR 13.76 13.88 14.18 14.2 13.58 13.88 201,400 2,804,242 ORNTL PETROL A 0.01 0.011 0.011 0.012 0.01 0.011 75,000,000 877,600 PHILODRILL 0.0087 0.0089 0.0087 0.0087 0.0087 0.0087 10,000,000 87,000 PXP ENERGY 5.6 5.67 5.7 5.74 5.5 5.6 279,500 1,580,907 PREFFERED HOUSE PREF A 99 100.6 99 100.6 99 100.6 30 3,002 AC PREF B1 490 502 501 501 490 490 1,000 494,830 ALCO PREF C 101.1 104.9 104.9 104.9 104.9 104.9 70 7,343 ALCO PREF D 505 507 507 507 507 507 10 5,070 AC PREF B2R 496.4 498 498 498 498 498 110 54,780 BRN PREF A 104 105 105 105 105 105 580 60,900 CEB PREF 42 42.3 41.8 42.3 41.8 42.3 37,800 1,589,830 CPG PREF A 99.8 101.6 101.6 101.6 101.6 101.6 50 5,080 DD PREF 96.65 99 99.9 99.9 96.65 96.65 330 32,116.50 EEI PREF B 105 107 107 107 107 107 300 32,100 GTCAP PREF A 976 1,009 975.5 975.5 975 975 800 780,005 GTCAP PREF B 995 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 500 500,000 JFC PREF B 950 964 951 964 950 964 2,600 2,494,460 MWIDE PREF 2B 98 100 100 100 100 100 210 21,000 MWIDE PREF 4 95 98.5 98.5 98.5 98.5 98.5 20,760 2,044,860 PNX PREF 3B 82.05 90 96.85 96.85 90 90 18,770 1,711,085 PNX PREF 4 796.5 800 830 831 798 800 19,460 15,666,570 PCOR PREF 3A 1,034 1,035 1,035 1,035 1,035 1,035 31,960 33,078,600 PCOR PREF 3B 1,048 1,065 1,060 1,060 1,060 1,060 1,880 1,992,800 SMC PREF 2F 76.5 76.8 77 77.5 76.8 76.8 66,740 5,136,535 SMC PREF 2H 75 75.3 75 75 75 75 22,700 1,702,500 SMC PREF 2I 76.2 77 77 77 77 77 80 6,160 SMC PREF 2J 72.4 74 71.75 72 71.75 72 111,280 8,011,710 SMC PREF 2K 71.1 73.95 73 74 72.05 74 20,280 1,478,732 TECH PREF B2D 55.05 55.8 55.85 55.85 55.85 55.85 6,870 383,689.50 PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 8.61 9.6 GMA HLDG PDR 10.1 10.72 WARRANTS TECH WARRANT 0.71 0.73 0.68 0.73 0.67 0.71 1,117,000 784,650

10,038,000 10,362,710 44,306,575.50 -2,999,031 -64,400 2,344,560 -36,380,818 32,511,209 8,740 558,336 -5,945,720 -17,800 -13,667,860 3,414,747 -43,680,385 6,240 18,670,375.00 -41,600 -7,500 2,106,790 127,322 3,661,470 -155,000 304,640 -4,189,060 6,440.00 -6,276,310.00 8,890 -70,290.00 75,600 155,689 558,004 -108,744,935 -1,407,510 2,715,680 -66,823,600 18,219,500 255,500 -55,575,001 -73,040 1,028,770 -119,000 -6,700 1,280 -999,884 9,021,915 -5,761,052 51,630 33,300 -2,395,200 -95,336,681 203,910 -71,320 -45,750 18,830 -5,254,200 3,089,855.50 3,476,449 17,283,870 -11,950 -519,980.00 -5,520 85,740 920 1,948,583 -224,880 49,984,305 -5,080 9,510 242,530 496,750 -199,440

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

BALAI FRUITAS CTS GLOBAL HAUS TALK ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH MERRYMART XURPAS

0.66 1 0.87 0.74 2.26 1.26 0.3

0.67 1.01 0.89 0.75 2.89 1.28 0.315

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF

96.5

98.5

0.61 0.99 0.88 0.76 2.26 1.28 0.3

0.68 1.01 0.89 0.76 2.26 1.3 0.3

0.59 0.99 0.88 0.74 2.26 1.27 0.3

0.67 1.01 0.89 0.75 2.26 1.27 0.3

29,846,000 2,702,000 110,000 236,000 1,000 525,000 30,000

18,983,230 2,704,590 96,850 178,360 2,260 671,090 9,000

171,290 -51,250 -119,110 -

97 98.5 96.5 98.5 13,690 1,328,197 155,467

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Makati gets ‘unmodified’ COA opinion for 5th year

OR five consecutive years, the Makati city government has received an “unmodified opinion” from the Commission on Audit (COA). According to COA, an unmodified or unqualified opinion is given to local government units (LGU) when the “auditor concludes that the financial statements are prepared in all material respects, in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework.” “I am very pleased with the results of the recent audit report. Makati earned its first unmodified opinion in 2017, a year after I took the mayoral post. This achievement is a rare feat and a strong validation of our efforts in ensuring honest and transparent governance,” said Mayor Abigail Binay. In a letter addressed to Binay dated June 29, 2022, Atty. Maria Carmina Paulita Juguilon-Pagayawan, COA National Capital Region Director IV, said Makati earned an unmodified opinion due to its fairness in presenting the city’s financial statements in 2021. Binay thanked COA for its “fair” evaluation and various departments of the city government for their dedication in complying with laws on the disbursement of state funds. “This fifth unmodified opinion proves that even with pandemic constraints, we have remained on track in following financial reporting and auditing standards,” she said. She said she hopes that the unqualified opinion will “instill trust and confidence in our financial system, especially since our city is the financial capital of the Philippines and that most multinational companies and investors are located here.” Since 2017, Makati has been instituting reforms to promote transparency, accountability, and efficiency in operations at City Hall. One of the initiatives established under Mayor Abby to prevent fixers is the business one-stop shop (BOSS), which allows for fast processing and issuance of licenses, clearances, and permits. During the pandemic, Makati had implemented online tax payments to decongest the City Hall and prevent Covid-19 transmission. In October 2021, the city opened its first Makatizen Hub, a satellite office in SM Makati where residents, workers, and employers can get business permits and health certificates, pay real property and business taxes, apply for Makatizen Card, and obtain digital vaccination certificate for individuals going abroad. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Banking&Finance BusinessMirror

Poll cites banks’ diverse lending trends

By Bianca Cuaresma

@BcuaresmaBM

OCAL banks showed a divergence in lending standard trends in the second quarter of the year, the latest Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) survey showed. Banks generally favored lending to consumers more than businesses in the second quarter of the year. Respondents of the BSP’s Senior Bank Loan Officers’ Survey (SLOS) indicated diverse trends as lending standards for businesses generally

reflected a net tightening while a net easing of credit standards is observed for consumer loans. Based on the diffusion index (DI) approach of the survey, banks showed a net tightening of overall lending standards across all

borrower firm sizes, specifically top corporations, large middlemarket enterprises, small and medium enterprises, and micro enterprises. Bank respondents reported that the overall tightening of credit standards was mainly due to the following factors: deterioration of borrowers’ profile and of the profitability of banks’ portfolio, and a more uncertain economic outlook. In terms of specific credit standards, the net tightening of general lending standards was reflected in stricter collateral requirements and loan covenants, including increased use of interest rate floors. On the other hand, net easing of credit standards was observed in terms

of narrower loan margins, wider size of credit lines, and longer loan maturities. This contrasted the results for consumer lending, which pointed to a net easing in credit standards for consumer loans. The BSP said respondent banks attributed this to optimistic economic outlook, increased risk tolerance, and improvement in borrowers’ profile. Under the specific credit standards, the net easing in lending standards were reflected in longer loan maturities, narrower margins for loans, and decreased use of interest rate floors. Meanwhile, the net tightening of credit standards was shown in terms of decreased size of credit lines as well as stricter collat-

eral requirements. For the next quarter, banks continue to show anticipation of a net tightening in credit standards for corporate loans given the following reasons: less favorable economic prospects, decline in risk tolerance, and deterioration of borrowers’ profile as well as banks’ profitability and liquidity. On the other hand, bank respondents’ expectations of net easing overall credit standards for consumers also carried over for the next quarter. Respondents said this is due to improvement in borrowers’ profile and profitability of banks’ portfolio, less uncertain economic outlook, and increased tolerance for risk.

BOI to help enterprises learn ways to access CREATE incentives By Andrea E. San Juan

ITH the significant changes in the Corporate Recovery and Enterprises (CREATE) law, the Board of Investments (BOI) will conduct a seminar to guide the enterprises registered with the agency in terms of filing of incentives applications that they may avail of. As the leader of the country’s Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs), the BOI said in a statement on Thursday that it is gathering its BOI-registered business enterprises (RBEs) for an information and awareness seminar. The seminar aims to keep BOI-

RBEs informed on the filing of incentives applications that they may get as provided in their BOI registration terms and conditions. Dubbed as Incentives Information Dissemination for Enterprise Awareness Seminar (IIDEAS), the seminar series will be held in various regions and provinces across the country. The first will be held for Region 3 RBEs on July 29 in Clark, Pampanga and the succeeding ones will be for BOI RBEs in South Luzon, Cebu, and Davao. For his part, BOI Managing Head and Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said “doing business in the

Philippines as a BOI-registered enterprise opens the door to profitable opportunities in a resilient country with a consistently high economic growth.” However, Rodolfo said, this opportunity carries responsibilities, and the IIDEAS seminar is the platform to help RBEs be informed of the changes in incentives applications. The seminar covers the following topics: income tax holiday (ITH) including the checklist of requirements, issues and concerns, coverages (sources of revenue and reckoning period), types of income that are disallowed/excluded in ITH, and the

computation of ITH for expansion and modernization projects. Also among the topics that will be covered are: Incentives on Importation of capital equipment, spare parts, raw materials and accessories under the CREATE Law, Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act, and Renewable Energy Act; VAT-zero Rating under CREATE Law including the basic requirements, coverage, and availment. The IIDEAS seminar will also cover topics on employment of foreign nationals 47(a)2 visa issues and concerns; updates on compliance with BOI terms and conditions; Certificate of Entitlement to Tax Incen-

tives (CETI) application; and various updates on recent BOI rules and policies related to incentives availment. To join in the seminar, the firms should sign up for their confirmation and name of attendee(s) at https:// forms.gle/KvCX697MAjTLcjaMA on or before July 28, 2022. BOI said only attendees who are fully vaccinated and with confirmed reservations shall be accommodated in the said seminar. For further queries, the firms may contact Ms. Jerusha G. Gumop-as, Ms. Adonna O. Yao-co, or Mr. Mario A. Sabio at telephone numbers (02)8897-6682 loc. 271/309 or 8896-8236.

PDIC chief cites key role of rural banks BKR Asia-Pacific’s Future Leader’s Program 2022 P HILIPPINE Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) President and CEO Roberto B. Tan has highlighted the important role rural banks play as pillars of economic resilience in the countryside. Addressing the 69th Annual National Convention and General Membership Meeting of the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) recently in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte, Tan said that even amid the pandemic, the depositing public continued entrusting their money to rural banks. Tan reported that the average quarterly growth rate of rural banks’ insured deposits doubled to 1.9 percent in the first seven quarters of the pandemic (Q2 2020 to Q4 2021) from only 0.8 percent for the previous seven quarters (Q3 2018 to Q1 2020). This is consistent with the observation of the International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI) in terms of global banking industry trends

PDIC President and CEO Roberto B. Tan addresses the 69th Annual National Convention and General Membership Meeting of the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) held in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte. PDIC PHOTO

particularly, the growth of insured deposits during the early quarters of the pandemic These figures point to strong depositor confidence in rural banks even during times of great

Prioritizing product development using RICE

SSOCIATION develop a range of products and services for their members—from education, certification, standards, and events, to networking programs —sometimes too many to handle. Prioritization on which and where to start could pose a challenge. A prioritization tool that product managers use and might be useful for associations is RICE, which stands for reach, impact, confidence and effort. I adapted Sean McBride’s article on “RICE: Simple Prioritization for Product Managers” in the context of associations, as follows: Reach measures the number of people impacted by your product per period of time. This could be members per quarter or product transactions per month. Whenever possible, use real measurements from product metrics instead of pulling numbers from nowhere. For example, if 100 members are reached in a quarter and 30 percent signs up, the reach is 100 times 30 percent or 30 members per quarter. Impact estimates the effect of the product on your members. As it is

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace • Friday, July 29, 2022

Association World Octavio Peralta difficult to measure impact precisely, you may use a multiple-choice scale —e.g., 3 for “massive impact,” 2 for “high,” 1 for “medium,” 0.5 for “low,” and 0.25 for “minimal.” Choosing an impact number may be subjective and seem unscientific but the alternative would be simply gut feel. Confidence factors in your level of confidence about your estimates. If you think a product could have huge impact but you don’t have data to back it up, confidence lets you control that. You can use another multiplechoice scale such as 100 percent for “high confidence,” 80 percent for “medium,” and 50 percent for “low.” Anything below that is a long shot. So, be honest with yourself: how much support do you really have for your estimates? Effort approximates the number of “person-months”—the work that

one person can do in a month. There are many unknowns here so you may keep estimates rough by sticking to whole numbers. Unlike the other positive factors, more effort is not a good thing so it divides the total impact. For example, the project will take about a week of planning, 1-2 weeks of design, and 2-4 weeks of pilot testing time, which you may give an effort score of 2 person-months and so on. To compute your RICE score: RICE Score = Reach X Impact X Confidence divided by Effort. The higher the score, the better things are for you. However, RICE scores shouldn’t be used as a hard-and-fast rule. But with a scoring system in place, you can clearly identify when you’re making these trade-offs. Give RICE a try in your association’s product prioritization process. Octavio Peralta is currently the executive director of the UN Global Compact Network Philippines and founder and volunteer CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives, the “association of associations.” E-mail: bobby@ pcaae.org

uncertainty, Tan said. The growth in total deposits is also another indicator of strong confidence in rural banks. While the entire banking industry’s total deposits grew at an average of 2.23 percent since the onset of the pandemic from Q2 2020 until Q4 2021, rural banks’ total deposits posted a significantly higher quarterly growth rate of 3.19 percent in the same period, he noted. Meanwhile, as the country starts to recover from the serious impact of Covid-19, depositor confidence in rural banks is expected to remain strong. The depositing public can also be assured that with deposit insurance the PDIC provides and the collaboration it forges with the rural banking sector in terms of governance and record-keeping, their hard-earned deposits in these important pillars of economic resilience are more than adequately protected with deposit insurance.

HE BKR Asia-Pacific’s Future Leader’s Program held at the Mandarin Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand. Member from the Philippines, Alas Oplas & Co., CPAs, was attended by 18 young and dynamic leaders from Malaysia, India, and Australia. Carine Tan, Chair of the BKR Asia Pacific board, welcomed the participants on the first day. The 3-day program is an annual leadership training organized by

BKR Asia Pacific region during the term of Alas Oplas & Co., CPAs’ Sr. Managing Partner, Marycris Oplas, as Chair in 2019. Two years after the suspension of face-to-face training in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic, BKR Asiapac resumed its annual program in partnership with Franklin Covey Leadership Institute with main topic “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” conducted by Mennen Aracid.

IC okays license of tri-partner MaxiLife By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

HE Insurance Commission (IC) approved the license application of a new domestic life insurance company established by Gokongweis, Pin-An Holdings, and Maxicare. Insurance Commissioner Dennis Funa granted the license of Maxicare Life Insurance Corporation (MaxiLife) on July 26, 11 working days after the regulator received the letter of intent from three major incorporators:: JE Holdings, Inc., Pin-An Holdings Corporation, and Maxicare Health Corporation. With an authorized capital stock of P2 billion, MaxiLife is the first domestic insurer established as a “new domestic life insurance company,” under the Amended Insurance Code, the regulator said. Moreover, It was not organized through the acquisition of an existing insurer but through the incorporation of a new entity. “With capitalization amounting to P2 billion, MaxiLife is more than compliant with the P1 billion re-

quirement under Section 194 of the Amended Insurance Code for new domestic life insurers,” Funa said in a statement. MaxiLife aims to offer insurance coverage to the current Maxicare members, who are afforded treatment, prevention, and wellness benefits through their health maintenance organization (HMO) agreements with Maxicare. MaxiLife will associate with both the network and brand of Maxicare, specifically initially offering extended employee benefits for the latter’s corporate clients; and intends to build upon the same confidence among Maxicare members to deliver the same quality service in savings assurance. The IC issued its endorsement to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 16; and consequently, the SEC issued MaxiLife’s Certificate of Incorporation on July 7. MaxiLife was assisted by the Divina Law Firm in its organization as a new life insurance company. Funa lauded this joint venture between the Gokongwei Group and the theEquicom Group, a diversified conglomerate engaged in the areas

of healthcare, information technology, banking, and financial services. “This new investment in the insurance industry marks a growing confidence in the manner by which the insurance industry has been regulated over the past six (6) years,” he said. The first directors of MaxiLife are: Antonio L. Go, Esther Wileen S. Go, Eduardo J. Katigbak, Jr., Lance Y. Gokongwei, Efren Antonio S. Sarte, Brian M. Go, Jose Pastor Z. Puno, Enrico S. Cruz, Teresita M. Alegre, Teodoro M. Panganiban, and Hermogenes S. Roxas.JE Holdings, Inc., a privately-held investment company of the Gokongwei family headed by Lance Y. Gokongwei as its Chairman and President, was incorporated in 2002. It has investments in Robinson Retail Holdings, Inc., Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures, and Maxicare Health Corp. Pin-An Holdings Corporation was registered with the SEC in 2007 and is the parent company of Maxicare. Maxicare, headed by its President and CEO, Christian S. Argos, is one of the pioneers in the HMO industry established in 1987.

B4 Friday, July 29, 2022

MGBX unveiled with ‘Marriott Moments A Fair’ Okada Manila‘s attraction, The Fountain, dances again after 2-year pandemic hiatus lake is an invisible performance stage that allows artists to seemingly walk on water during performances, interacting with the water feature. Before the pandemic, The Fountain was open 365 days a year, delighting hundreds of people with a dazzling light and water show every evening. Now back in operation, guests of all ages can once again enjoy its evening shows from 6 pm to 10 pm Mondays through Thursdays and from 6 pm to midnight Fridays through Sundays.

Forbes Five-star Property

FTER two years, the world’s largest multicolor dancing fountain creates excitement anew. Okada Manila’s main attraction, The Fountain, reopened with a spectacular show and festivities, heralding brighter and more wonderful times ahead. The exclusive preview of The Fountain’s reopening salvo was attended by media, hotel and casino guests, and corporate accounts. Highlights of the event included The Fountain’s magnificent water, light and music repertoire including two new songs, grand performances by top international artist Morrissette. As one of the country’s grandest destinations, Okada Manila prides itself in serving up larger-than-life experiences,

with The Fountain as its crown jewel. This $30-million extraordinary feature offers a breathtaking show of artistically choreographed water, light and music performances that can rival those of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa and Las Vegas’ Bellagio. Measuring 37,464 sqm, which is equivalent to 50 Olympic-size swimming pools, The Fountain is equipped with cutting-edge underwater robots, over two-thousand dazzling lights, dozens of high-fidelity speakers, and more than 700 high-powered jets that can shoot water that surpasses the height of Okada Manila’s 19-storey building, as well as showcases projections during stunning water shows. Designed to provide a unique venue for special events and concerts, installed in The Fountain’s

OKADA Manila has been recognized as a Forbes five-star integrated resort by Forbes Travel Guide for three straight years (2019 to 2022). Beyond its luxurious and world-class amenities, the integrated resort is known for its distinguished Japanese hospitality omotenashi, which simply means honest and heartfelt service; and magokoro, a sincere devotion or having a “true heart”, anticipating guests’ needs and being always ready to serve. Omotenashi and magokoro are the driving principles of Okada Manila’s operations. Moreover, Okada Manila has been awarded by Forbes Travel Guide and digital health leader Sharecare the VERIFIED certification badge, a recognition of Okada Manila’s topnotch health and safety protocols, hinging on its 3T campaign (True Clean. True Safe. True Heart.).

Intl. yoga, meditation teacher launches her book, ‘How to Never Diet Forever’

ORMALLY launched her new book titled ‘How to Never Diet Forever’ Friday, July 22, 2022 at Elephant Grounds at Podium. “The book is based on Ayurvedic and yogic principles combined with modern discoveries. It’s a holistic approach to health, beauty, longevity, and success,” Clara Day Herrera said. Herrera is an international yoga and meditation teacher, CEO of CDH Wellness Corporation, global speaker and coach, and UK-certified vegan and vegetarian nutrition specialist. Her wellness and nutrition expertise backed by years of research allowed her to unlock the secrets to achieve health and beauty goals. The book author offers practical advice that she herself practices in her own life. She is behind the popular fat burn-anddigestive-reset cleanse programs under her brand Pillowbread PH. Celebrities and social media personalities have sworn by the effectiveness of her scientifically prepared cleanse plans. “’How to Never Diet Forever aims to give clarity to its readers when it comes to

wellness. It’s not a one-size-fits-all thing when it comes to nutrition,” Herrera said. The book, which took three years for completion, is packed with a load of easyto-read tips and techniques based on the author’s firsthand experiences. She was a flight attendant for 15 years and opened up about having bouts of depression during the time. “One of the most actionable ways to find self-love is through yoga. I started practicing yoga from five minutes to an hour. I fell in love with the practice.” She flew to India to formally study the practice. She also revealed that it was through a meditation session that she felt the urge to go back to the Philippines to serve. While self-doubt and procrastination got in the way of publishing the book, Herrera powered through by practicing what she preaches in the chapters. Some of these include the power of mind, words, presence and the scientific approach to nutrition and other lifestyle gamechangers. “It’s an inspiring blueprint on a wholehearted and holistic approach to life,

for us to achieve contentment, peace, and happiness,” Herrera explained that “How to Never Diet Forever” is more than just a book on health and weight loss. “This is a book about liberation and freedom. Freedom that comes with a price which is discipline. The benefits are rewarding and fulfilling.” “How to Never Diet Forever” is now available on https://claradayh.com/shop.

OFFICIALLY opening the very first Marriott Moments A Fair are General Managers of different Marriott properties in the Philippines with Themes and Motifs founders and Mr. Kevin Tan with wife Michelle and children Rosita and Andrew. In photo: (L-R) Themes and Motifs owners Dodjie and Sharon Fabian, Market Director for Sales and Distribution, The Philippines, Marriott International Cristy Carreon, Multi-property Vice President, The Philippines, Marriott International Bruce Winton, Chairman of Travellers International Hotel Group Inc., Kevin Tan with wife Michelle and children Rosita and Andrew, Sheraton Manila Hotel General Manager Anna Vergara, Sheraton Manila Bay General Manager Richard Masselin, Clark Marriott Hotel Director of Sales and Marketing Charley Magabo, and Cluster Director of Marketing Communications Archie Nicasio

ARRIOTT Hotel Manila is up to another milestone as the premiere hotel opened its newest space, its exhibition center, the MGBX. Apart from its newest breakthrough, Marriott Bonvoy, in partnership with all the Marriott properties in the country launched the very first Marriott Moments A Fair – Life’s Big Events Expo on July 23 and 24, 2022 in partnership with Themes & Motifs, one of Asia’s renowned wedding and events exhibit organizers. It was in July 2015 when Marriott Hotel Manila (Marriott) launched the Marriott Grand Ballroom, the biggest ballroom in the country. Seven years later, Marriott is adding another huge venue in its portfolio with the opening of MGBX, a 3,800 sqm convention space located at the Level B1 of the Marriott Grand Ballroom. The ‘X’ in its name connotes “collaboration” and “partnership” where individuals, groups, and industries can grow and unite. Present at the launch of MGBX were Travellers International Hotel Group Inc. (TIHGI) Chairman Kevin Tan, MultiProperty Vice President- The Philippines - Marriott International Bruce Winton; Anna Vergara, General Manager of Sheraton Manila Hotel; Richard Masselin, General Manager of Sheraton Manila Bay; Charleymagne Magabo, Director of Sales and Marketing of Clark Marriott Hotel; Market Director of Sales and DistributionThe Philippines-Marriott International Cristy Carreon; and Archie Nicasio, Cluster Director of Marketing Communications, Marriott Hotel Manila, Sheraton Hotel Manila, and Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo. The newest convention space also completes the hotel’s offering to the M-IC-E segment, one of the tourism industry’s fastest and growing sectors. MGBX is expected to host various conferences and exhibitions that will cater to all kinds of interests in the future.

Moments made grander

WITH the opening of MGBX comes another event to look out for every year at

Give in to your healthy cravings: The Chicken Katsu Curry

EING physically fit and healthy is Mike’s regular regimen. More than going to the gym, Mike wants to achieve a body goal fit for his fast-paced career lifestyle. Burning those fats and maintaining healthy food options is a priority for him to stay fit and active day in and day out.

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the Marriott. Still part of the overarching campaign behind Marry Me at Marriott 8th Edition and My Favorite Travel Channel, Marriott Moments A Fair – Life’s Big Events Expo is the much-anticipated gathering of suppliers for all kinds of life milestones that will surely provide a celebration that is spotless, picture perfect, memorable, and truly a Marriott Moment.

Marriott Moments for a cause

FOLLOWING the success of the 8th edition of Marry Me at Marriott last June 25th, Marriott Moments A Fair – Life’s Big Events Expo had gone beyond the usual as they make every moment count with the special package for all kinds of events. The special life’s event package was kicked off during the Marry Me event and concluded on the last day of the fair. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Save the Children Foundation. Showing its appreciation to all the reputable partners, Marriott Philippines will launch its Marriott Moments compendium, a reliable reference of all suppliers in the country that became an integral part of the event. Together with the compendium, they will also release the Marriott PH’s wedding website with all the exclusive features and packages for all life’s milestones. Archie Nicasio, Cluster Director of Marketing Communications, shares that the success of the Marriott Moments campaign is not only the success of Marriott Philippines but also the success of the event industry. “We at Marriott are very happy, grateful and humbled with the success of the initiatives we curated to help not only our own, but also the whole travel, tourism, and event industry. May this just be the start of the annual gathering of the industry’s finest here at the new MGBX.” To know more, call (632) 8988 9999 or visit www.manilamarriott.com. Follow @ manilamarriott on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Israel’s OurCrowd and PH‘s Einhorn Resources forge partnership to strengthen tech startup ties

“T

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HIS new partnership is an exciting opportunity to extend our pipeline into the vibrant investment community in the Philippines and to help nurture its startup ecosystem," said Dan Bennett. "Einhorn Resources' deep knowledge of the Philippine investment landscape will be instrumental to bringing our top-tier technology talent to that part of the world. “Not only are we raising money for these opportunities both in Israel, the US and beyond, but this is an important opportunity for corporates and family offices to invest from the Philippines and to attract technology that will benefit their core business.” This collaboration, the first of its kind in the Philippines, provides Einhorn clients direct access to one of the world’s leading online venture platforms. OurWorld currently has $1.9 billion in commitments and has deployed capital to more than 347 portfolio companies and 39 funds in five continents. It also has 200,000 registered members from 195 countries which it allows to participate in vetted and early-stage firms and funds. “We are excited to work with OurCrowd to pave the way for stronger ties for investment opportunities, traditional companies and

OURCROWDGENERAL Partner & Managing Director of Australia and Asia Dan Bennett and Einhorn Resources Inc CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier sign the partnership in Tel Aviv, Israel tech solution collaborations,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier. “The partnership aims to open the funnel to a Philippine network of investors who can choose relevant companies to invest in as well as customize an online portfolio.” Einhorn Resources Inc oversees multiple investments in agriculture, fintech, education, healthcare, real estate, and software, directly or through funds, with investments in Europe, the US, Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Philippines.

Motoring BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Tet Andolong

Henry Ford Awards Best Motoring Section 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 2011 Hall of Fame

Friday, July 29, 2022

AYALA GROUP INAUGURATES ONE-STOP SHOP DEALERSHIP Story by Randy S. Peregrino

NE of the Philippines’ largest multi-brand automotive and motorcycle groups, AC Motors recently inaugurated its multi-brand dealership AC Motors Centrale in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. The one-stop shop facility sits at the center of Metro Manila’s commercial district. Further, it manifests the Ayala group’s readiness to move Filipino motorists towards the future of mobility. “AC Industrials’ automobile and motorcycle distribution and retail businesses have been an integral part of the Ayala group for the last 30 years, enabling AC Motors to provide mobility solutions for the Filipino people. AC Motors Centrale showcases the combined strengths and synergies of our automobile and motorcycle portfolio and will play a pivotal role as we enter the next stage of mobility, electrification. This venue will become a part of our sustainable electric vehicle ecosystem, allowing our customers to comfortably enjoy the EV models which we will soon be introducing,” said ACI president and CEO Arthur Tan. Situated on a 3,000-sq.m space at the corner of 28th street and 9th Avenue, it showcases the company’s various automotive brands: Honda, Isuzu, Volkswagen, and Kia. Even motorcycle brands KTM and Husqvarna have been incorporated. AC Motors Centrale highlights each brand’s strengths and product rosters and showcases the company’s new ventures. Representing Isuzu Philippines Corp., company president Noboru Murakami graced the event and expressed his support for the Ayala group as a dependable partner. Isuzu BGC Gallery Branch Head Eric Wambangco explained the leading trackmaker’s latest business solution, the Isuzu Truck Rental Program, highlighting the numerous business and practical advantages of renting Isuzu’s reliable and cost-efficient trucks. It includes eliminating collateral or mortgage fees and maintenance worries, mitigating asset risks, and flexible end-of-term options

AC Motors Automobile Group President Antonio Zara III (from left), AC Industrials President and CEO Arthur Tan, and ACPI President Andre Santos. AC MOTORS

AC Motors Centrale in BGC. AC MOTORS for up to seven years. Honda Cars Philippines President Masahiko Nakamura, meantime, expressed that the new venue showcasing Honda’s world-class vehicles, featuring the elements of its new visual identity and bringing to life Honda’s branding design philosophy, will move visitors to anticipate the joy of experiencing Honda. In the meantime, Honda Cars Makati Inc. (HCMI) Chief Operating Officer Steve Gingco announced the digital innovations designed to improve the efficiency of dealership operations and enhance the customer experience. He also explained that HCMI is the first Honda dealership to employ a video messaging app that lets customers update their vehicle status. At the same time, they are being repaired or undergoing preventive maintenance services. In addition, HCMI will pioneer a tree-planting project for every Honda car sold, which would eventually be implemented in other AC Motors’ automobile brands. As for Kia Philippines Motor Corp., company president Emmanuel Aligada

compared with the same period last year.

2020, at no cost to the government or taxpayers. Meanwhile, work to clean the MMORS in Bulacan has started in earnest last month. The initiative is part of its comprehensive flood mitigation measures for the province of Bulacan, which it committed together with its New Manila International Airport (NMIA) and Airport City projects costing P740 billion.

SMC clean-up drive

Singapore F1

CONTINUING REBOUND, TULLAHAN & SINGAPORE F1

NDUSTRY performance continues to rebound as sales hit a whopping 26.8-percent increase last month. This can only be attributed again to the so-called “spending vengeance” car clients had been resorting to as the pandemic appears consistently to be on the wane. The Covid-19’s two-year grip on the wallet is fast becoming history, triggering a buying binge as the treasured cash long-locked in the vault has started taking wings again. “It’s now a fact that car customers are busy again scouting for new cars to acquire,” said an insider. A friend of mine has asked for help to purchase his dream Lexus. “Sad to say, Al San, that we are now swamped with orders,” said Lexus president Raymond T. Rodriguez. “The reservation has breached 100. And the waiting time is from six to eight months!” And Raymond ends by saying, “But it’s a problem I love.” June sales saw 28,601 units sold, according to the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. ( C a m p i ) a n d Tr u c k M a n u f a c t u r e r s Association (TMA). That’s a 26.8-percent growth from the 22,550 units sold in the same period in 2021. “The automotive industry recovery is driven by the pent-up demand from consumers amid the less than ideal economic conditions recorded in the same period,” said Rommel Gutierrez, the lawyerpresident of Campi. Year-to-date, Campi-TMA sold 154,874 units, equivalent to 16.7-percent growth

revealed that Kia Philippines would soon be “unboxing” a new model to embody Kia’s advances in technology and innovation. Iconic Dealership Inc. (IDI) Chief Operating Officer Bob Anthony Palanca, for his part, expressed IDI’s commitment to being a leading dealership in the Kia network through targeted customer engagement and footprint expansion. On the other hand, Automobile Central Enterprise Inc. (Volkswagen Philippines) president Felipe Estrella spearheaded the brand showcase as he laid out plans to strengthen Volkswagen’s SUV lineup further, as shown by the positive market reception of the T-Cross. Additionally, to offer special cashback offers and financing schemes. Palanca, also the COO of Ayala-owned Volkswagen dealers, announced the kickoff of a limited-time promo, a unique auction program on the Santana compact sedan, in connection with the inauguration. AC Motor’s two motorcycle brands are known for their go-anywhere prowess and pure street performance. KTM features the latest models and a complete after-sales and

IN its continuing mission to clean the metropolis of river dirt in a bid to mitigate the flood menace and improve traffic flow, San Miguel Corp. (SMC) has reached its goal of removing over 1 million metric tons of silt and solid waste from the length of the Tullahan River in Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela) area—ahead of the schedule drawn up with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). SMC’s clean-up teams have rid the river of an estimated 1,029,257 metric tons of silt and waste, roughly equivalent to close to 70,000 dump trucks. That contributes largely to floods subsiding quickly during a downpour, easing up traffic flow to the delight and comfort of motorists traversing mainly Camanava districts. Having met its target, SMC’s team will next clean up rivers belonging to the Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System (MMORS) in Bulacan. “We thank the DENR for its trust and confidence in our ability to get the job done. Despite the pandemic that delayed and limited our clean-up operations, we were determined to accomplish our objectives, including increasing the river’s width and depth in shallow sections, improving navigability, and helping restore marine life,” SMC president and CEO Ramon S. Ang said. SMC started the P1-billion Tullahan program together with the DENR in February

THIS early, the stage is set for Singapore’s biggest party in three years, as the Formula 1 night race gets back on track from September 30 to October 2. Singapore GP Pte Ltd. e-mailed to say the Singapore Grand Prix 2022 will feature acts from Marshmello, Westlife, and Green Day. Also in the line-up are Black Eyed Peas, The Kid LAROI, TLC, and Suede. Black Eyed Peas is topbilled by apl. de.ap, a Filipino from Angeles City, Pampanga. The group has sold more than 35 million albums and 120 million singles worldwide and has won six Grammys. The three-day race weekend now includes over 100 hours of entertainment throughout the Circuit Park, including 92 performances across nine stages, 79 roving acts as well as an array of art installations and activities to enthral crowds. I was fortunate to be invited by Toyota to cover the Singapore F1 inaugurals in 2008, the race becoming the first night event in Formula One history. To purchase tickets for this year’s edition, and for more information on the race weekend line-up, visit www.singaporegp.sg.

PEE STOP Congratulations on the recent

25th year anniversary of Isuzu Philippines Corp! More power!...My friend extends his heartfelt gratitude to Rey Oben for the quick, personalized delivery of the Fortuner to my friend’s beloved wife last weekend. Action agad mantra at work! Mabuhay ka, Pareng Rey!

service experience. Husqvarna, meantime, also shared the floor, with models featuring progressive and refined designs with chassis shared with KTM. KTM BGC is the number one dealer for the “Orange brand” in the country, with the distributor, Adventure Cycle Philippines, Inc. (ACPI), the leading exporter and manufacturer of both KTM and Husqvarna in the region. Meanwhile, AC Motors Trade+ is an auction-based service for new buyers and

existing owners that streamlines the entire process of selling used cars, offering just a five-day turnaround time from inspection to auction and payment. Customers could also trade in vehicles from any brand. AC Motors is the first dealer group in the Philippines to launch this used car program powered by an online automotive portal with one of the country’s largest digital audiences. Also present during the event was AC Motors Automobile Group president Antonio Zara III. “What sets AC Motors Centrale apart, aside from being able to house all our brands under a single roof and giving customers the ability to choose the vehicle that best suits their needs from a wide range of models, is that we take this experience to the next level by offering AC Motors’ new used car program, AC Motors

Trade+, which opens up a whole new world of enterprise and ownership opportunities for our customers,” he said. Customers’ benefits and membership privileges through the AC Motors Fleet program, Ayala Rewards Circle, and the Ayala Enterprise Circle for small and medium enterprises and large corporations make AC Motors stand out from other dealer groups. Moreover, the company manages one of the most digitized dealer networks, offering seamless digital customer journeys. As much as 45 percent of its current sales have been coursed through its many online portals. The recently launched online financing application tool and highly digitized processes further gave customers a transparent and efficient experience.

Sports BusinessMirror

Friday, July 29, 2022

EJ CARES, EJ SHARES FOR ‘DIAY’

Yulo, Obiena hailed

ORLD champion gymnast Carlos Yulo and worldclass pole vaulter EJ Obiena made waves overseas in June to emerge as the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s (PSA) top performers for the month. Yulo earned the PSA nod after winning three gold medals at the Ninth Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Doha, Qatar. The 22-year-old-gymnast won the vault, parallel bars and floor exercise and clinched a silver in all-around to earn an outright berth in the World Artistic Gymnastics in Liverpool, England, in October. Obiena was not to be outdone by his fellow elite athlete. The 6-foot-2 Italy-based pole vaulter registered 5.92 meters in winning the Taby Stavhoppsgala in Sweden just before the end of the month. He would clinched bronze at the world championships in Eugene, Oregon, over the weekend. He did a season-best 5.92 meters to beat eight opponents, including his training partner and Rio 2016 Olympics champion Thiago Braz of Brazil. The two athletes’ solid showing came right after they crushed the opposition in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi last May. The PSA’s monthly citation is backed by San Miguel Corp., Milo, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Sports Commission, Amelie Hotel Manila, Unilever, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

Editor: Jun Lomibao | mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

ERNEST JOHN “EJ” OBIENA does a rare gesture of kindness. AP

By Josef Ramos

HERE’S no doubt Ernest John “EJ” Obiena has his heart and focus in the right places. His focus yielded a bronze in Eugene, Oregon, last

Sunday to win the country’s first medal at the World Athletics Championships. Competing against the world’s elite, and now joining the circle, requires a big heart, too. But now, his heart’s on another mission. The bronze medal at the worlds equates to a P250,000 cash reward under the Athletics and Coaches Incentives Act through the Philippine Sports Commission. But Obiena said “someone else needs the money more than he does” and pledged to donate his reward to the ailing former Asian Sprint Queen Lydia de Vega. “I am deeply saddened by the news of Lydia’s health issues, and the pleas of her family for financial assistance for the mounting medical bills,”

Magnolia, Meralco go for semis berths

AGNOLIA and Meralco go for the kill in their respective quarterfinal-round duels on Friday in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City. The Hotshots try to close out their race-to-two series with the NLEX Road Warriors at 6 p.m. with the Bolts aim for the same goal against the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings earlier in the day at 3 p.m. Magnolia’s all-around playmaker Jio Jalalon expects the Road Warriors to unleash their best in Game 2 to force sudden-death game, but stressed they are ready to get the job done to advance to the semifinalist against opponent-

in-waiting and defending champion TNT Tropang Giga. “We just have to respect the game and our opponent,” the former Arellano University standout from Cagayan de Oro told BusinessMirror on Thursday. “NLEX has a strong chance of getting back at us, but we will be ready,” said Jalalon, who averaged 13.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and a league-leading 6.9 assists in the elimination round. “I don’t want to disappoint the team.” Magnolia beat NLEX, 98-89, behind its solid quick transition game in Game 1 last Sunday. NLEX forward Don Trollano, on the other hand, said they needed to put extra effort and control their

Obiena confided to BusinessMirror. “I’ve met Lydia on many occasions, and she has always been dignified, kind and a loving individual.” Jim Lafferty, Obiena’s long-time adviser and coach, learned of the world-class pole vaulter’s kindness and added another P250,000 to make the donation P.5 million which will help defray De Vega’s hospital bills as she battles stage 4 breast cancer. “On the flight back to my training camp in Italy [from Eugene], it occurred to me that despite my own training needs, Lydia needs this money more than I do,” Obiena said. “So, I am hereby pledging to give this P250,000 once paid, directly to the family of Lydia De Vega for her medical expenses.” Obiena has yet to receive a monthly stipend from the PSC because he’s not foes’ transition game. “We have to put a lot of extra effort on our defense, especially on our transition defense to prevent their fastbreaks,” Trollano said. “We cannot allow them to do what they did to us in Game 1.” Magnolia scored 17 points on fastbreaks while NLEX only made seven points in transition last Sunday. Meralco, also a game away from advancing to the best-ofseven semifinals, wants a repeat of its 93-82 Game 1 win over the Gin Kings last Sunday. “It’s definitely a tough one if I don’t get the job done on Friday,” said Aaron Black, who made 25 points for the Bolts on Sunday. “We’ll be putting ourselves in a difficult situation if Ginebra ties the series.” Meralco continues to miss Head Coach Norman Black who’s still in the US because his mother Bessie passed away recently in Maryland. For Ginebra, the series is far from over. “The best way for us is to learn and adjust in Game 2. This is still far from over,” said do-it-all Gin King Scottie Thompson, who made a career-high 29 points with 10 rebounds in Game 1. Josef Ramos

Ancajas gets rematch fight with Martinez on October 8

ERWIN “PRETTY BOY” ANCAJAS gets his chance to regain his International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight title when he faces champion Fernando Daniel Martinez of Argentina in a rematch on October 8 in Los Angeles, California. International matchmaker and Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons confirmed the rematch on Thursday, adding the 30-yearold Panabo City boxer will fly to the US in August to set up camp. “It’s a done deal and Jerwin [Ancajas] will get his rematch in October,” Gibbons said. “We just have to determine the venue in California, but it’s going to happen and Jerwin will regain his title.” The 31-year-old Rio Olympian Martinez snatched Ancajas’s belt last February 26 in Las Vegas, dealing the Filipino first loss since winning the title over Puerto Rican McJoe Arroyo in September 2016 in Taguig City. Gibbons said Ancajas struggled to make the 115-pound weight limit rendering him weak on fight night. The win boosted Martinez’s record to 14-0 with eight knockouts. But Gibbons said Ancajas (332-2 win-loss-draw record with 22 knockouts) will redeem himself, assuring that premium will be on training and conditioning under veteran trainer and coach Joven Jimenez. “I believe Jerwin will get his title back,” Gibbons added. “He is going to knock him out in October.” Josef Ramos

yet officially on the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) national team roster. “It’s the right thing to do. Despite the fact that EJ is still not in the national team, his funding is not consistent.” Lafferty said. “As I said, EJ is a great athlete, a good friend, but an even better human being.” “So, in total, Team Obiena will pledge 500,000 pesos to Lydia and her family,” Obiena said. “We hope this makes a difference and give Lydia added strength to battle this horrible disease.” He added: “God bless you and give you strength, Lydia.” Obiena cleared 5.94 meters to clinch bronze and reset his own Asian men’s pole vault record at the world championships, finishing behind Sweden’s Armand Duplantis (6.21) and

American Christopher Nilsen (5.94 first attempt). “The success in the recent World Championships is not all mine,” Obiena said. “I owe a debt of gratitude to many, including my parents, my support team and amazing supporters back home, such as Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, PATAFA President Terry Capistrano and Senator Pia Cayetano.” Obiena knows, and acknowledges, the generation of champions that came ahead of his time. “I’m also here today because I’m standing on the shoulders of giants— the pioneers of Philippines athletics who paved a way for me,” he said. “Those who brought attention and success and funding to athletics. I owe them a debt of gratitude.

INTENSITY!

Kat Tolentino (right) and and Bea de Leon let out all their adrenalin as Choco Mucho scores a rousing 25-21, 25-17, 22-25, 10-25, 16-14 decision over PLDT Home Fibr before a roaring crowd in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Cup at the Filoil EcoOil Centre on Thursday. The Flying Titans snap out of three-week spell to stay in the semifinal hunt.

PHL chess athletes eye big moves in Asean Para Games in Indonesia

URAKARTA, Indonesia—Filipino para athletes are keen on surpassing their performances in the 2017 10th Asean Para Games in Kuala Lumpur when the chess competition begins on Sunday at the Lor-in Hotel. “Definitely we want to surpass what our athletes did in Malaysia five years ago,” said national head coach James Infiesto Thursday, referring to the four gold, three silver and six bronze medals the country won on the way to placing third overall in the regional sports showpiece in the Malaysian capital. Infiesto revealed that the Indonesian hosts have added 12 more events, boosting to 36 golds that will be up for grabs in the sport of the 11th Asean Para Games. “This is why we tried to fill up all of the categories with players since

there will be 12 more golds available in this competition,” he noted of the trip supported by the Philippine Sports Commission. Anchoring the squad are the powerhouse trio of FIDE Master Sander Severino, Jasper Rom, and Henry Roger Lopez, who swept the men’s team standard and rapid events in the 2018 Asian Para Games held in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. Highlighting that sterling display was the 1-2-3 finish of Severino, Lopez, and Rom in the men’s individual rapid event. “We completed a grand slam of gold, silver, and bronze in the individual rapid event so this is why Indonesia is really preparing hard to get back at us,” Infiesto said, adding that he has players who could pull up some surprises once the chess competition gets underway.

QC bets dominate Apalit tennis tilt

ATEO RIVAS upset No. 2 Darwin Cosca in the semifinals then clipped Joshua Diva, 6-3, 6-2, to snare the boys’ 16-under crown while fellow Quezon City bet Mica Emana reiterated her class in the girls’ side of the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera

MICA EMANA (left) and her fellow 16-under winner Mateo Rivas sustain their romp in the circuit.

Padala (PPS-PEPP) Apalit national agegroup tennis tournament in Pampanga last Wednesday. Five others from Makati City, Sta. Rosa (Laguna), Agoo (La Union), Pasig City and Bacoor (Cavite) and another from Quezon City shared the spotlight but Rivas and Emana again bagged the Most Valuable Player honors in the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop which drew fullpacked 32-player rosters in four age divisions in the boys’ category. The third-ranked Emana, who nailed a win and placed second in the Sta. Rosa leg then swept the 16- and 18-under titles in the Olivarez Cup, blasted top seed Jana Diaz, 6-0, 6-3, in the 16-under semifinals then kept her poise to survive No. 2 Marielle Jarata, 7-6(7), 3-6, 11-9, and emerge a winner again in the country’s longest talentsearch put up by Palawan Pawnshop president and CEO Bobby Castro.

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Today’s Horoscope By Eugenia Last

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Remain calm, regardless of what’s happening around you this year. Use your intelligence and intuition to guide you through the good times and bad. Refuse to let other people’s uncertainty bring you down or stand between you and what you want to create. Be bold, do your research, and discover and implement your ideas with confidence. Your numbers are 6, 13, 24, 26, 31, 38, 43.

RELIVE the modern fairy-tale of President Glenn and Nanny Melody as GMA’s top-rating romanticcomedy series The First Nanny debuts on Netflix beginning July 29. Starring Gabby Concepcion and Sanya Lopez, The First Nanny follows the story of Melody Reyes (Sanya), a high-spirited and diligent woman from a humble background. The sole breadwinner of the household, Melody strives to provide for her family despite the numerous adversities life throws at her. While working at an indoor playground, Melody (Sanya) rescues a child from an accident, not knowing that the child’s father is Glenn Acosta (Gabby), a widower and the incumbent Vice President of the Philippines. Melody is eventually offered the position of nanny for Glenn’s children. Because of her sincere and kind nature, Melody bridges the gap between Glenn and his children, who feel their father has no time for them because of his busy schedule. Romantic feelings soon blossom between Melody and Glenn. Things take an unexpected turn when Glenn suddenly becomes the President. The public begins to notice Melody’s presence in the President’s life and starts calling her the “First Nanny.” Produced by GMA Entertainment Group, bingewatch The First Nanny on Netflix beginning July 29. Meanwhile, The Clash Season 4 Grand Champion Mariane Osabel releases her debut single under GMA Music, titled “Pira-piraso.” Composed by Issa Rodriguez, the song is about healing from your past love, along with the mistakes and traumas associated with it, and learning to fully love someone once again. “Pira-piraso” is a dream come true for Mariane: “Grateful akong nabigyan ng ganitong opportunity na maging singer sa GMA. Very happy rin ako dahil natupad ko na rin ang laging wish ng aking supporters and fans.” She revealed that the song speaks about her own experience, “Nagkausap po kami nina Sir Paulo Agudelo [music producer] and Ate Issa [composer] kung ano ang gusto kong feels or genre sa single ko. I wanted it to be personal, kumbaga something I experienced that made me who I am today.” Her single debuted at the third spot on the iTunes Philippines chart on its release day. “Pira-piraso” is now available on all digital streaming platforms worldwide.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Check the facts, set the pace and don’t stop until you achieve your goal. A problem at home mustn’t dictate how well you handle responsibilities. When in doubt, get the facts and proceed with confidence. Anger and envy will lead to loss. HHHHH

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll face confusion if you or someone else sends mixed messages. Consider what you want and don’t lose sight of your objective. Recognize when someone is trying to use you to get ahead. Concentrate on selfimprovement. HH

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Carefully pick out the people you choose to spend time with. Take pride in living a healthy lifestyle. Take the lead instead of following someone less likely to put themselves first. Make your destination of choice one of peace and love. HHHH

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The more you give, the more you’ll get in return. A labor of love will make you feel good about yourself and those you work alongside. Think, and you’ll develop a prosperous plan that invites you to make a move. HHH

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Shoot for stability, security and a steady pace forward. Leave nothing to chance or in someone else’s hands. A broad view implemented practically will help shed light on what’s possible. Refuse to let anyone mislead or take advantage of you. HHH

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Haste makes waste. Implement discipline and pay attention to detail. Don’t overlook something that can make a difference in the outcome of a matter that can influence your income. Do things right the first time. HHH

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A call for help will put you in good company. Do your best and make a difference, and good things will transpire. Look for an opportunity, and you’ll regain momentum and initiate a friendship with someone who can help you advance. HHHH

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Go over every detail before agreeing on something based on emotions. A change may appear to be your only option, but if you view your situation from a distance, you’ll find a solution that saves you time and money. HHH

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): There is money to be made if you are diligent about doing what you do best and marketing what you have to offer. Putting more time and effort into your surroundings will make it easier to work from home. HHHHH

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A change will bring you peace of mind, but it may not please everyone. Refuse to let someone use emotional manipulation to sway your opinion. You must go with your gut and do what’s best for you. HHH

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Two unique options you receive will lead to temptation. When in doubt, sit tight and wait for a sign that indicates what to do next. Time is on your side and will allow you to recognize what’s in your best interest. Opportunity knocks. HHH

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t take on more than you can handle or let temptation lead the way. Pace yourself and focus on selfimprovement. Keep your life simple. Make physical strength and good health your objectives. HHH BIRTHDAY BABY: You are dramatic, playful and precise. You are dedicated and persistent. H: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. HH: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. HHH: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. HHHH: Aim high; start new projects. HHHHH: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

‘First Nanny’ streaming on Netflix; Mariane Osabel drops debut single

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Munro Chambers, 32; Genesis Rodriguez, 35; Jason Belmonte, 39; Martina McBride, 56.

• Friday, July 29, 2022

DR. Anthony Fauci, Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, says he plans to retire by the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January 2025. Fauci, 81, became director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 1984 and has advised seven presidents. AP

Anthony Fauci’s life, work during Covid are PBS film’s focus

By Lynn Elber The Associated Press

OS ANGELES—Dr. Anthony Fauci and his tumultuous experience during the Covid-19 pandemic are the focus of a PBS American Masters documentary. The film follows Fauci at home and at work during a 14-month period starting from President Joe Biden’s inauguration in January 2021, PBS announced on Wednesday. Tony—A Year in the Life of Dr. Anthony Fauci is set to debut on the PBS American Masters showcase in spring 2023, following a planned release in movie theaters. It will show “a rarely seen side of the scientist, husband, father and public servant,” Paula Kerger, PBS president and CEO, told a TV critics’ meeting. Fauci, 81, the government’s top infectious disease expert, said recently that he plans to retire by the

end of Biden’s term in January 2025. He has served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984 and advised seven presidents. The pandemic represented an unprecedented challenge for Fauci, his work and his reputation despite his years of widely respected public health service. He’s led research in HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, Ebola, Zika and the coronavirus. The film follows Fauci “at home, in his office and in the corridors of power as he battles the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the political onslaught that upends his life and calls into question” his long career as the nation’s leading public health advocate, according to the announcement. Mark Mannucci, who directed the 2019 American Masters documentary on the Nobel Prize-winning scientist James Watson, directed and is a producer for the Fauci film. n

WARNER BROS. BRINGS ‘BLACK ADAM’, ‘SHAZAM! 2’ TO COMIC-CON DWAyNE JOHNSON went a few steps beyond merely teasing his long-awaited Black Adam movie at ComicCon in San Diego on Saturday. Ever the showman, Johnson brought a new trailer for the DC Comics superhero film and some flashy technology, lighting up the biggest room at the annual fan convention all while in costume. But he had another big reveal, too: Johnson told the 6,000-some people in the audience that they could see Black Adam in IMAX for free with the help of the ticketing service Fandango. The character Black Adam has the powers of the ancient gods and has been entombed for some 5,000 years before being released into the modern world. In the trailer he says his powers are “a curse, not a gift.” Set for an October 21 theatrical release, Black Adam reunites Johnson with his Jungle Cruise director Jaume Collet-Serra. It also stars Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher and Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, all of whom joined Johnson and Collet-Serra for the panel.

GABBY CONCEPCION (right) and Sanya Lopez headline The First Nanny.

Black Adam was just one part of Warner Bros. return to Comic-Con, where audiences also got a glimpse at a new trailer for Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Stars Zachary Levi and Lucy Liu were on hand to promote the sequel, which is due to arrive in theaters on December 21 and continues the story of a teenagerturned-superhero who is feeling a bit like a fraud. The film sees the return of Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer and Adam Brody, and adds Helen Mirren and Rachel Zegler of West Side Story to the mix. The studio stuck to its 2022 superhero releases, forgoing sneak peeks at films due next year. One of those is The Flash, whose star Ezra Miller was arrested in Hawaii twice this year—in a disorderly conduct case and on suspicion of assault. Miller plays Barry Allen in the Andy Muschiettidirected film, which has wrapped production and is supposed to open in June 2023. They have been credited as the first out LGBT person to play a lead role in a major superhero film. AP

‘back out’ BY JEFFREY WECHSLER The Universal Crossword/Edited by Amanda Rafkin

ACROSS 1 Broadway group 5 ___ circles (patterns in fields) 9 Bursts of anger 14 Arches National Park’s location 15 In this place 16 Clearly visible 17 Lady Godiva, notably? 19 What mostly operates underground in DC 20 Sushi side with soybeans 21 Org. whose members have clubs 23 AAA offering 24 Best Boxer, e.g. 25 Poirot’s approval 26 Day parts: Abbr. 27 Speedy superhero’s short appearance in a movie? 32 Designer Maya 33 Improper 36 Beef-grading org. 38 Bases’ chemical counterparts 40 Star Wars princess 41 Was very informative (about) 43 May honoree

44 Jobs available at a pop-up Halloween store, e.g.? 49 “Stop oversharing,” in a text 51 ___ pride 52 ___ McAn shoes 53 “Groovy,” in the 1980s 54 Result of a QB’s mistake 55 Stud site 59 Became apparent 61 “Ulysses,” to many readers? 63 One may find a diamond in the rough 64 “You are so right!” 65 Watery septet 66 Meaty spreads 67 Train whistle sound 68 “To thine own self be ___” (Hamlet) DOWN 1 ___ root (two, for eight) 2 Slightly 3 ___ Lee (company that made lots of dough) 4 Central concepts 5 Short primates? 6 Late-night flight

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18 22 27 28 29 30 31 34 35 37 38 39 42 45 46 47 48 49

Lode load How cold cuts are priced Iceberg relative Broad road: Abbr. Eventually hear about something It’s not right Packs away Ill-considered Answer you’re unsure of Winter ailments The Simpsons”girl “You think your threats scare me?” Capital of Ecuador Elmer Fudd frame, perhaps Leo’s animal Starchy vegetables Org. concerned with oral exams? Poe’s middle name “Roger” African capital by the Mediterranean Sound system Negative response Unable to decide “This really confuses me” Walk heavily

50 56 57 58 60 62

Role or song in West Side Story Done Dated boyfriend? Something ___ entirely Comprehend Word for a Latin lover

Solution to today’s puzzle:

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Friday, July 29, 2022 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

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THE young actor Lucas Hedges is astonishing as the son of both Michelle Pfeiffer in French Exit (left) and Julia Roberts in Ben is Back.

Departures/Arrivals in ‘French Exit’ and ‘Ben is Back’

N French Exit, a mother leaves home and brings her son to a new life that is more a destiny than a destination. In Ben is Back, a mother stays with her son until she finds peace in the act that only sons depart and mothers are always there to welcome them back. For all the serendipitous plots, no two films are more disparate, no two mother roles are more different from each other, and no two actresses are equidistant in approach to their roles and characters. But, in a sweet cinematic accident, the two

films are bridged (years separate the productions) by a wonderful actor in the person of Lucas Hedges. Hedges is the son to Michelle Pfeiffer’s mother in French Exit, and to Julia Roberts in Ben is Back. In the two films, he is the fulcrum that produces the balance as well as the imbalance of two adventures—one magical and other real. Described as a black comedy-drama, French Exit is the story of a rich widow who gradually loses all her wealth. Instead of distressing over the situation, she marches to the exclusive boarding school and picks up her son she has never seen for years and flies off to Paris with him. With money that can be kept on the shelf of her closet, they start a life that unfolds each day. In their transatlantic voyage, the mother and son opt to travel by ship, which allows them to smuggle a black cat into the country and up to the Parisian pied-à-terre lent to them by another wealthy friend. The furry companion will turn out to be the factor that will determine their life. Between the mother, Frances, and the son, Malcolm, is not only the cat but a clairvoyant woman the son meets and, according to the mother, gets to know carnally on the ship. They seek her out when the cat disappears into the night and this medium would be added to a menagerie of characters in their journey. More would actually be part of the life of Frances and Malcolm beginning with the lady who invites them mysteriously one night to a mysterious party in her home. And who turns out to be not mysterious at all. As Malcolm, Lucas Hedges is this ideal, uncomplaining man/child who follows everything what his mother tells him not because he is spineless but simply because he loves and understands her. It is to the credit of Hedges that he does not vanish amid an ensemble of actors that include Valerie Mahaffey as Mme. Reynard, the giggly, nervous party hostess, and Danielle MacDonald, as Madeleine the seer. As the object of this unconditional admiration and belief is Michelle Pfeiffer, intensely sophisticated, an actress who seems to belong to another era. She channels Duse and Davis with those flailing arm gestures, and whisks her hair from her face in an aria of mannerisms, a Kate Hepburn on the loose without the guttural voice. Pfeiffer, however, does not go camp. In the end, as she walks off into the mist of Paris, she reminds us that death is nothing but a lovely farewell on a dear, perfumed season blown by an errant wind. The black cat following her into the night (or eternity) is a stamp of enchantment.

French Exit is directed by Azazel Jacobs. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Patrick deWitt, who also did the screenplay. The film is distributed through Sony Pictures Classics. A more gripping Lucas Hedges is present in Ben is Back, the story of a young man who comes home on Christmas, surprising everyone including his mother who loves him unconditionally (there is that word again). Ben is an addict and he is supposed to be in rehab. He tells his mom that his sponsor advised him a trip home on Christmas Eve should be good for him. Holly, Ben’s mother who is now married and has two other children, is worried how his presence would be a distraction and source of anxiety. Ivy, Ben’s sister, is not welcoming either, with memories of his past visits and misdemeanors. But Holly prevails over them, including Neal, the stepfather. There is one condition: Ben can stay with them for a day, but he will be by Holly’s side for 24 hours. The next scene showing the mother in a hurry to hide all kinds of pills and all her jewelry is devastating. Society, however, is unforgiving (or the neighborhood): Ben being around once more triggers various sad and bad responses. In all this, Holly, the mother, is steadfast. And when Ben disappears once more, Holly does not wait it out at home. She goes to the streets and braves the danger that her son now faces. Julia Roberts is always an efficient actor. Sincere and open, Roberts in this film is daunting but also vulnerable. Out in the night in search of her son, she makes us nervous. And yet, in that lovely face is also a fierceness, this sense that all mothers are ready to die recklessly for their sons. Roberts, through the character she has fleshed out, is both a foil and a frame for us to understand—and marvel at—how a junkie is both brittle and brave, a being always on the brink of losing it. The addict in Lucas Hedges is a startling revelation of how drug dependency of any kind should always be a big deal. No touchy-feely counseling can counter the depth of shame and hopelessness and helplessness of an addict. Hedges becomes Ben. No more and no less. Ben is Back begins on Christmas eve and ends on Christmas Day. While the cat in French Exit vanishes into the mist, Ponce, the missing dog, is, at least found at the end, like Ben. Ben is Back, released in 2018, is written and directed by Peter Hedges. It was released by LD Entertainment, Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate. Both films are streaming on Netflix. n

No offer from GMA for Sarah G. FOR some weeks now, talk went around everywhere that Sarah Geronimo, the popular singer-actress, was in discussions with GMA about making the media giant her new home. Of course, it would have been a massive get for the company given that not only is Geronimo not only a certifiable multihyphenate with a huge following but also one of the prized stars of longrunning GMA rival ABS-CBN. True, she is actually a contract artist of Viva Communications but she’s carved out her successful career on TV and films under ABS-CBN. Talks of Sarah moving to GMA escalated following ABS-CBN’s loss of its broadcast franchise, with much of it content now channeled largely online and through partnerships with other media companies. The tattle reached fever-pitch when news leaked that Matteo Guidicelli, a former kart racer-

turned-actor who is also Gernimo’s husband, had supposedly signed up with GMA. Alas, it seems that while GMA is reportedly already readying a couple of shows for Matteo, the actor might be making the move sans his better half. It was no less than GMA senior vice president for GMA Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable who recently put the kibosh on the persistent talk of Geronimo’s move. “Ang tagal na din namin nadidinig ’yan, but, no, wala kaming offer for Sarah G,” said Rasonable in a brief statement released to the entertainment media. It should also be noted that while Geronimo’s return to ABS-CBN’s ASAP Natin ’To last Sunday was massively hyped in the media and even trended in social media, according to reports GMA’s All Out Sundays nonetheless won in the headto-head. So there....