BusinessMirror March 17, 2023

By Samuel P. Medenilla sam_medenilla

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R.

Marcos Jr. said the government is now tackling “structural” issues in the agriculture sector, which includes the country's prevalent small-scale farming, to ensure national food security.

In a chance interview with reporters following the distribution of government aid at the CWC-Kafuerte Sports Center in Pili, Camarines Sur

on Thursday, Marcos discussed government efforts to boost food production. Foremost of their initiatives, he said, is to consolidate small farms into large tracks of agricultural land to boost production efficiency.

“ Para tumaas ang production natin, para bumaba ang presyo ng produksyon, kailangan malalaki, malalawak ang mga pinag-aanihan, ang sinasaka. Dito sa Pilipinas maliliit lang , so we depend on cooperatives. [For the production

to increase and bring down the price of production, we need to large farmlands. h e re in the Philippines (the farms) are small so we depend on cooperative],” Marcos said.

Furthermore, he said cooperatives will also allow farmers to receive from the government such as access to hybrid or inbred crops and fertilizers.

The same scheme, he said, can also be applied to hog raisers and poultry farms to improve the country’s re -

sponse against animal diseases such as the African Swine Fever, which has devastated the local hog industry since it was locally detected in 2019.

“We need to consolidate them to control the biosecurity in their area,” Marcos said.

The President said the Department of Agriculture (DA), which he currently directly leads, is partnering with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) to achieve this.

See “High-tech,” A2

‘MB rate moves hinge on inflation’

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

Construction items’ prices grow slowest in 11 months

CONSTRUCTION

material prices in the National Capital Region (NCR) slowed to 5.4 percent in February 2023, according to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The PSA data showed this is the slowest growth of the Construction Materials Retail Price Index in Metro Manila in 11 months. In March 2022, the index posted a 4.8-percent growth.

Governor

IlO: KEY SEctOrS’ WOrKErS ‘UnDErValUED’ In Phl

DESPITE their considerable contributions, especially during the pandemic, workers in eight main occupational groups remain “undervalued” in the Philippines and other countries, according to a new International Labor Organization (ILO) report.

In its World Employment and Social Outlook 2023: The Value of Essential Work (WESO), the labor arm of the United Nations (UN) reported how workers in the said “key sectors” suffer poor working conditions such as low wages and long work hours.

The key sectors are health,

food systems, retail, security, cleaning and sanitation, transport, manual, and technical and clerical occupations.

“The poor working conditions of key workers exacerbate employee turnover and labor shortages, jeopardizing the provision of basic services. Improvements in working conditions and greater investment in food systems, health care and other key sectors are necessary for building economic and social resilience to shocks,” ILO said in a statement.

n a tional and local situation

Th E W ESO noted that 29 per -

cent of key workers are low paid, which ILO defined as receiving pay that is less than two-thirds of the hourly median wage.

Forty-six percent of key workers, particularly those from low-income countries, also work long hours.

A considerable number or about a third of the workers are also employed through temporary contracts.

“Nearly 60 percent of key workers in low- and middle-income countries lack some form of social protection,” ILO said.

h e re in the Philippines, ILO

highlighted the lack of formal regulations governing homebased caregiving as well as how hospital staff were required to stay in temporary accommodation away from their families for long periods at the height of the Covid-19 crisis.

The report also zeroed in on how security guards worked long shifts and had to deal with “stressful” situations from customers during the pandemic on top of their lack of job security, minimum income security or entitlement to paid leaves.

See “ILO,” A2

The growth of the CMRPI, however, has started to slow after it peaked at 7 percent in July 2022. The PSA data showed that the CMRPI grew 3.3 percent in February 2022 and was at 5.5 percent in January 2023.

INFLATION is the primary driver of the decisions made by the Monetary Board on whether or not to raise key policy rates, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.

BSP

Felipe M. Medalla made the pronouncement following the decision of the State Bank of Vietnam to cut its key rates by 100 basis points.

Continued from A1

Better resilience

ILO Director-General Gilbert F.

Houngbo stressed the importance of improving the working conditions of the key sector employees not only as a form of social justice, but also to boost the resilience of countries from future crises.

“A crucial first step in improving the resilience of economies and societies in this age of crisis is to strengthen the institutions of work and increase investment in key sectors,” Houngbo said in the report.

ILO said removing the workplace vulnerabilities of the workers will include ensuring that Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) systems cover all branches of economic activity; guaranteeing them safe and predictable working hours through regulation, including collective bargaining; the passage of legislated social protection; and providing them access to training so they work effectively and safely.

It also recommended reducing the wage gap between key and nonkey employees, including through negotiated or statutory minimum wages.

Houngbo said the findings from the WESO report will be part of the agenda of the Global Coalition for Social Justice, to be launched by ILO later this year to “reinforce global solidarity and improve policy coherence in support of decent work and social justice.” Samuel P. Medenilla

DOJ leads case buildup ahead of filing raps in Mindoro oil spill

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

dence so that we can file the proper complaint, we can collate all the data necessary to build up a case,” Remulla said. See related story in Nation, A5.

Remulla said every angle is being looked into by the NBI, including the alleged attempt of the operators to deceive authorities on the vessel’s operations and regulatory lapses.

The DOJ chief noted new findings indicating that the vessel was not new but was merely rebuilt from scrap twice to convert it into an oil tanker.

This was contrary to the owners’ claim that the vessel was brand new as it was built two years ago.

vessel owner had not obtained an amended certificate of public conveyance to cover its “new vessel,” the MT Princess Empress, which implies that the latter had no authority to sail.

Villar warned that such regulatory lapse could imperil attempts to draw from the reported $1-billion insurance that the owners had taken out, and which was reportedly being dangled before the oil spill-impacted communities as the source of compensation for their damage.

Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that Vietnam’s central bank unexpectedly cut the rate at which it lends to banks in its bid to support economic growth as inflation slowed.

“Our policy rates are largely driven by our inflation forecasts,” Medalla told the BusinessMirror via Viber on Thursday when asked whether Manila would consider following Vietnam’s lead to shield the Philippine economy from headwinds.

Remulla met with officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Transportation, Bureau of Fisheries and

Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to discuss possible legal actions against the operators of the vessel.

“We are sorting out the evi -

Remulla said investigators will also look into the angle that the incident has something to do with the company’s huge insurance.

“It was not built to be a tanker from the very beginning and we’re looking from the angle of insurance also, it seems that it has a huge insurance.”

At this week’s Senate hearing, Environment Committee chair Sen. Cynthia Villar disclosed that the

Remulla said a witness has already issued an affidavit detailing the real condition of the vessel and other possible circumstances that led to its sinking.

“There is a possible case, there are possible cases to be filed…We intend to do it by next week, by Tuesday … We will work over the weekend to study what we have to do on this case,” the DOJ secretary said.

Remulla said concerned government officials including him are scheduled to conduct an inspection of the extent of the damage caused by the oil spill next week.

The Philippine Monetary Board, since June last year, has raised interest rates by 375 basis points from 2 percent on June 23, 2022 to 6 percent on February 16, 2023. Jumbo rate hikes of 75 basis points were implemented in July 2022 and November 2022.

Vietnam is one of the most competitive economies in Southeast Asia based on foreign direct investments (FDI) that it attracts. Data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) showed Vietnam’s FDI inflows reached $15.66 billion while those that reached the Philippines only amounted to $10.518 billion in 2021.

Despite the pandemic, Vietnam’s FDIs still reached $15.8 billion in 2020 while the Philippines only saw $6.822 billion in foreign investments.

“The continued downtrend of CMRPI for this month was primarily brought about by the heavily-weighted tinsmithry materials index, which recorded a lower annual growth rate of 5.9 percent in February 2023 from 7.1 percent in January 2023,” PSA said.

The growth of the tinsmithry index was the slowest since the 5.2 percent posted a year ago or in February 2022. The year to date growth of tinsmithry materials is pegged at 6.5 percent in 2023.

The slower annual growth of CMRPI is the plumbing materials index with an annual growth rate of 4 percent in February 2023 from 4.4 percent in the previous month.

The tinsmithry index car -

ried a weight of 21.76 percent in the CMRPI followed by plumbing materials at 17.3 percent and carpentry materials at 17.22 percent.

Meanwhile, PSA said the increases in the index of some construction materials were higher in February 2023.

These included carpentry materials which grew 3.8 percent from 3.5 percent in January; masonry materials, 4 percent from 4.4 percent; painting materials and related compounds, 5.6 percent from 5.2 percent; and miscellaneous construction materials, 9.3 percent from 8.5 percent.

Meanwhile, the PSA noted that the electrical materials index remained at its previous month’s annual increment of 3.1 percent.

Cai U. Ordinario

High-tech…

Continued from A1

High-tech agriculture

H E s aid he also wants to make the operations of DA more “high-tech” by adopting the best agricultural practices in other countries.

“So we have to bring the technology. The technology exists...we need to learn and study from them the latest techniques and strategies in farming, which we will disseminate to farmers,” Marcos said.

During his visit to Camarines Sur, Marcos led in the distribution of P826 million of intervention for Bicol farmers, which includes fertilizer discount vouchers,

financial aid, boats, hauling trucks, rice combine harvester, transplanter, dryer, and rice mill.

For the interventions and other forms of assistance in Camarines Sur, Marcos was declared an “adopted son” of the province.

Marcos said by increasing the production of farmers, the country can reduce its reliance on imported food commodities as well as sustain the government’s Kadiwa activities.

Kadiwa provides agriculture suppliers a venue to directly sell their products to consumers.

To maintain its competitiveness and retain its status as one of the world’s fastestgrowing economies, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) reduced the discount rate to 3.5 percent from 4.5 percent effective Wednesday, according to a statement on its website. The authority also reduced the overnight lending rate in the inter-bank market by 100 basis points to 6 percent and lowered the cap on the lending interest rates for short-term loans in some sectors to 5 percent from 5.5 percent.

The regulator, which uses a combination of rates to guide its monetary policy, kept the benchmark refinancing rate unchanged at 6 percent.

The Bloomberg report noted that the reduction in discount rate will help bring down the cost of funds for banks, according to Nguyen Quoc Hung, general secretary of Vietnam’s Bank Association. Banks can now borrow from the SBV at a lower rate, and in turn, reduce their lending interest rates to businesses, said Hung, who was formerly head of credit department at the central bank.

Higher credit off-take will spur consumption and help the nation retain its status as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. While Vietnam’s gross domestic product rose 8.02 percent last year—among the quickest in Asia—the World Bank sees expansion moderating to 6.3 percent this year amid global uncertainties.

JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin

Remulla on Thursday said the Department of Justice (DOJ) is now leading the case build-up for the possible filing of appropriate civil and criminal charges to be filed in connection with the sinking of MT Princess Empress which caused the Oriental Mindoro oil spill now described as the worst ecological disaster in the country.

PBBM bares plan to widen coverage of govt’s mass housing plan

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

MOTIVATED by the sup -

extended by local government units (LGU) for the flagship mass housing proj -

ect of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said his administration is now eyeing to further increase the number of beneficiaries of the initiative.

“Patuloy ring nagsasaliksik ang ating pamahalaan kung paano pa natin mapapalawak ang mga programa para sa tiyak na pabahay. [The government continues to study how the program can be further expanded],” the President said during the groundbreaking of Naga City’s Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) project on Thursday.

T he President said DHSUD is already crafting strategies on how to secure more funding for its housing projects and to use additional vacant government land for the said purpose.

Currently, the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG) has

BCDA

allocated P250 billion for the 4PH.

M eanwhile, lands for the housing projects are provided by the LGUs through an agreement with DHSUD.

M arcos said DHSUD has already signed 83 memorandum of understanding (MOU) and four memorandum of agreements (MOA) for its housing program as of March 13, 2023.

T hese accords led to 4PH groundbreaking ceremonies in 17 LGUs nationwide.

Napakahalaga itong ganitong klaseng kasunduan sapagkat mas untiunti na nating mabibigyang katugunan ang matagal na nating hangarin

na  magkaroon ng maayos at ligtas na tirahan para sa ating  mga mamamayan. [Such agreements are important since these would allow us to gradually address our goal to provide fine and safe housing for our citizens],” the President said.

A mong the latest LGUs to sign such an agreement were from Camarines Sur, where more than 13,000 housing units will soon be constructed under the 4PH program.

Of which, 11,880 housing units will be built on a 6-hectare land on Panganiban Drive, Naga City.

It was the first 4PH program that was initiated by the DHSUD with a provincial government.

firms up timeline,

A nother 1,200 units will be built on a 1.2-hectare area in Balatas, Naga City.

B oth projects will be in addition to the almost 600,000 housing units, which was announced by Marcos last month to be built through 4PH.

Under the 4PH initiative, the government is targeting to construct 1 million new housing units per year to address the estimated 6 million housing backlog in the country.  T he said settlement areas will be complimented with access to basic and vital facilities such as schools, market, medical facilities as well as livelihood infrastructure.

bidding requirements

for ‘large-scale’ solar power project in NCC

By Andrea E. San Juan

THE Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA)

is calling on foreign businessmen to join the bidding for the lease and development of a 37-hectare property in New Clark City (NCC) into a “large-scale” solar photovoltaic power plant.

Following policy reforms to ease ownership restrictions on renewable energy (RE) projects in the country, BCDA said it expects more local and international developers to participate in RE projects in NCC, including its proposed large-scale solar power plant, which it said will be located in the northernmost portion of the emerging metropolis.

BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer (PCEO) Aileen R. Zosa expressed appreciation to the Marcos administration, which she said implemented policy reforms in the energy sector, particularly allowing

foreign-owned companies to participate in RE projects.

This will open our bidding process to a diverse pool of competitive players from both the local and international RE industry, helping us accelerate the development of renewable energy sources in New Clark City,” Zosa said.

In November last year, the Department of Energy (DOE) issued Department Circular No. 2022-110034, which amended the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 9513 or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008.

T his removed the nationality restrictions imposed on businesses engaged in the exploration, development and utilization of RE sources, thereby allowing 100 percent foreign ownership in the industry.

L ast week, the BCDA announced that it is inviting all interested private companies to participate in the bidding for the solar project.

T he BCDA also unveiled on Thursday the eligibility requirements in the bidding for the solar project.

“Bidders must have the technical capability to undertake the project, with five years of track record in the business of solar power generation, design, and construction, and experience in completing similar projects with a capacity of at least 100 megawatts,” BCDA said in a statement issued on Thursday.

To be eligible in the bidding for the solar project, bidders must be corporations, joint ventures, or consortiums duly-registered with the Philippines’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or its counterpart in their country of incorporation, BCDA said.

F urther, BCDA said bidders, including all its joint venture or consortium partners, its parent company, subsidiaries and affiliates should not be in default with their obligations in past or current

20% seniors’ discount covers burial

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

INTERMENT services are covered by the 20-percent discount on funeral and burial expenses provided under Republic Act No. 7432 or the Senior Citizens Act, the Supreme Court has ruled.

I n an en banc decision penned by Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda, the Court reversed and set aside the January 18, 2018 and October 22, 2018 resolutions issued by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Cagayan de Oro City, which held that interment services such as digging of land for the grave of deceased, the concreting of the gravesite, and other services done during the actual burial are excluded from the 20-percent Senior Citizens Act discount.

Indigent kids’ feeding plan gets ₧384M

DAVAO CITY—The Bangsamoro government has allotted P384 million for the year round feeding program of school-aged learners, a big majority of whom belongs to the poor and indigent families.

T his was the assurance made by Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal to the regional government’s humanitarian partners who organized a forum on the status of nutrition and humanitarian condition of the constituents of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), considered to be the poorest region in the country.

Iqbal assured its partners from the donor community that the budget was solely allocated to feeding program of the Bangsamoro learners to ensure that they get adequate nutrition through its school-based feeding program. Manuel T. Cayon

T he trial court’s ruling favored Pryce Corporation Inc., a domestic corporation engaged in the business of selling memorial lots and offering interment services, in its petition for declaratory relief.

T he trial court agreed with the contention of Pryce that the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 9994, or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, only mentioned the services of purchase of casket or urn, embalming, hospital morgue, and transport of the body to the intended burial site among those covered by the discount.

T he government, through the Office of the Solicitor General, the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, however, brought the case before the SC and sought the reversal of the trial

court’s decision.

I n ruling in favor of the government, the SC explained that the Senior Citizens Act is a law created “to grant a bundle of benefits in favor of senior citizens or those at least 60 years old, giving flesh to the declared policy of motivating senior citizens to contribute to nation building and encouraging their families and communities to reaffirm the Filipino tradition of caring for the senior citizens.”

It pointed out that both RA 9257 and RA 9994, in amending RA 7432, do not provide for an exact definition of the term “funeral and burial services” but it would be unreasonable to assume that Congress intended to exclude interment services from the coverage of the law.

T hus, the Court explained that the said laws “do not limit the scope

projects with the BCDA Group, have no pending case against BCDA, and have no unpaid tax liabilities in the Philippines.

T he BCDA stressed that the subject property is being offered on an “as is, where is” basis, with a lease period of 25 years, renewable for another 25 years upon mutual agreement of the parties.

“ Interested bidders may participate in the bid by purchasing the TOR for a fee of P75,000. They have until April 21,2023,12:00 p.m. to submit the bid documents, eligibility requirements and financial proposal to the BCDA at its corporate office in Taguig City,” BCDA said, adding it aims to finalize the bidding and award the contract in May this year.

“Rest assured that the BCDA will comply with all relevant procurement laws, rules and regulations to ensure a fair and transparent bidding process,” Zosa said.

services–SC

of the services falling under funeral and burial services.”

It stressed “burial service” pertains to any service offered or provided in connection with the final disposition, entombment, or interment of human remains.

“It follows that burial services necessarily include interment services, such as digging the land for the deceased person’s grave, its concreting, and other services being done during the actual burial,” the Court said.

T he Court maintained that this interpretation was in line with the policies and objectives of the law, particularly of RA 9994 which echoes Section 4, Article XV of the Constitution declaring that “it is the duty of the family to take care of its elderly members while the state may design programs of social security for them.”

SM Foundation extends aid to quake-hit Türkiye, Syria

IN

solidarity with earthquake-hit countries Türkiye and Syria, SM Foundation Inc. (SMFI) sent aid through the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) last February 27, 2023.

R epresented by SM Foundation Health and Medical Programs Executive Director Connie Angeles, SMFI handed 200 units of gasoline generators to PRC to provide power to the quakestricken Türkiye and Syria.

Additionally, the social good arm of SM also donated P5 million to help address the needs of earthquake victims.

T he aid comes after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeast Türkiye and northwest Syria. The disaster was followed by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake, hitting southern Turkiye, which led to additional casualties and damages.

A n Associated Press report quoted Yunus Sezer, head of Turkiye’s disaster and emergency management agency as saying during a news conference last Saturday the country’s death toll has reached 47,975.

port

The Nation

JDR Expert Team: Mindoro oil spill cleanup on the right track

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga & Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

THE Philippine government’s efforts in addressing the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro are correct and on the right track, the Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Expert Team said on Thursday.

D uring a meeting with Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Incident Management Team in Oriental Mindoro commander Commodore Geronimo Tuvilla, the Japanese experts shared their observations on the shoreline cleanup operations at Barangay Buhay na Tubig in Pola, Oriental Mindoro.

T he JDR expert team said the joint cleanup operations have effectively minimized the oil spill’s impact at the coastal barangay.

T he tanker MT Princess Empress sank in the waters of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro two weeks ago, spilling oil that has affected nine towns in the province and 108,000 individuals.

During the meeting, Tuvilla requested the Japanese experts to provide the PCG with an official report on their offshore and shoreline assessment and observations on the ongoing response efforts for monitoring and documentation.

Japan has sent a team to help the PCG in the ongoing oil cleanup.

Meanwhile, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. lauded the JDR Expert Team for offering their time, expertise, and resources to augment the ongoing oil spill response operations in Oriental Mindoro.

T he President said the Japanese experts continue to provide valuable support, specifically in investigating the extent of damage and guiding the ongoing oil removal and control activities.

H e also thanked the Japanese government for donating equipment, such as oil blotters, oil snares, and oil-proof working gloves, used by the National Strike Force (NSF) team during shoreline and offshore operations.

J apanese Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa said the assistance was in recognition of “amicable relations between Japan and the Philippines on humanitarian grounds and for marine environment protection.”

We hope that the support from the Japanese Government will contribute to preventing further oil contamination and restoring the marine environment in the affected areas,” he said.

UPV task force issues cleanup guidelines

ANTICIPATING that damage caused by the sunken MT Princess Empress will affect more coastal communities, a newly created task force of the University of the Philippines Viayas (UPV) has come up with a series of public advisory campaigns on how to properly deal with the oil spill.

T he public advisories in the form of oil spill bulletins were produced to educate the public, including first responders from the Philippine Coast Guard, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and local government units (LGU), as well as the private sector volunteers. So far, the task force, its chairman

Rex Sadaba said, has come up with four oil spill bulletins, which include a Guideline for Cleanup Workers, and how to properly remove oil from affected ecosystems.

“ We need to remind the volunteers that there is a proven science on how to properly remove oil. We don’t want to cause further harm to the affected ecosystems, like seagrass, corals and mangroves,” Sadaba said.

A s a first rule, the UPV Bulletin No. 1 prohibits senior citizens, elderly and minor from joining cleanup operations. Volunteers should also have no history of upper respiratory or cardiac diseases.

A ll volunteers helping remove the industrial oil in affected areas should have proper PPEs or personal protective equipment and face masks at all times.

Workers are also advised to avoid skin contact with the industrial oil, and that temporary storage of oil and oiled debris must be located away from residential areas and with liner to prevent leakage of oil.

T hey will be scheduled alternately to avoid prolonged exposure with oil.

T here will be no smoking or eating on site and washing up must be done in one common area and not at home.

He also told the BusinessMirror that as much as possible, oil-affected coral reefs, seagrass and mangroves must be “cleaned” with utmost care.

“ We don’t want to destroy them. For instance, you don’t remove the seagrass to remove the oil, or remove the corals or mangroves covered with oil,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

According to Sadaba, once oil has covered the species, it is sometimes better to let natural attenuation to take its course.

He said it is advised to remove the oil in the water using absorbent indigenous materials like coconut husks, dry grass and leaves.

T he perpetual occurrence of high tide and low tide, as well as ocean current, Sadaba said, will help remove the oil smothering the corals, seagrass and mangroves in due time.

L astly, Sadaba said they encourage proper documentation for fishermen affected the spill. All damaged properties, such a fishing gears, pump boats, must be documented with photos or videos, as supporting documents when filing damage compensation later.  The possibility of compensation is higher when tangible evidence is presented, says the public advisory.

Aid from govt

IN a related development, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), citing a report from the Department of National Defense (DND), said over P43 million worth of assistance have been by the government and the private sector in communities, which were affected by the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro.

A PCO statement said the assistance came from the office of Civil Defense (OCD), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), LGUs and nongovernment organizations.

T he interventions include cash aid, emergency employment, drugs and medicines as well as food packs among others.

T he oil spill has so far affected 31,497 families or 143,713 individuals in 122 barangays in Mimaropa and Western Visayas.

PBBM thanks PAPI for promoting accurate information and free press

ate members.

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday led the oath-taking of newly elected officers of the Publishers Association of the Philippines Inc. (PAPI), thanking them for promoting and protecting people’s rights through accurate information and free press.

O n his official Facebook page and Twitter account, Marcos shared photos of the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected PAPI officers at the Malacañang Palace together with a two-paragraph caption.

Sa oath-taking  ng mga bagong halal na opisyal ng  Publishers Association of the Philippines Inc., ating ipinaabot ang labis na pasasalamat para sa kanilang pagsulong at pagprotekta sa karapatan ng lahat sa tamang impormasyon at malayang pamamahayag. [In the oath-taking of the newly elected officers of the Publishers Association of the Philippines Inc., we extend our deepest gratitude to them for promoting and protecting everyone’s right through correct information and free press],” he said.

“Kasangga nila tayo sa pagbibigaykakayahan sa mga Pilipino na makiisa sa pagbuo ng mapayapa at produktibong pamayanan. [They help us in empowering Filipinos to join in building a peaceful and productive community],” he added.

I n a separate Facebook post, PAPI shared a list of its newly elected officers who were sworn in by the President.

Nelson Santos was reelected as the new president of PAPI and was joined by Beck Madeja-Velasquez as the executive vice president, and Alma Ochotorena as the vice president of Luzon, respectively.

Mark John Arrojado was elected secretary, Conchita Barretto as treasurer, Leonida Cardona as auditor, and Elizah Ann Templado as assistant secretary.

Jaime Vistar, Eduardo Cardona, were elected as members of the Board of Directors for Luzon; Edalyn Acta and Danilo Silvestrece were elected as Board of Directors for Visayas; and Anila Anne Acosta and Elpedio Soriano Jr. as members of the Board of Directors for Mindanao.

Santos expressed support for the Marcos administration’s “information dissemination” efforts. “

Buti nalang andiyan si Press Secretary [Cheloy Garafil] so  naibato ko rin sa kanya yung gusto naming iparating, kung anong support namin sa  government. [Luckily, we have the Press Secretary here so we were able to relay to her the support we can give to the government],” he said in a video uploaded on state-run RTVM.

I n October last year, Marcos vowed to support and protect media rights under his administration, citing his willingness to lend an ear and listen to all their concerns.

He also promised to continue articulating his administration’s plans to the members of the media.

A ccording to its web site, PAPI

is the country’s largest media fraternity composed of publishers of about 500 community newspapers in the regions and provinces, and a few national publications as

regular members.

I t is composed of practicing community journalists, both print, broadcast and online, mostly from the regions and provinces, as associ-

PAPI’s affiliate publications have an estimated total print circulation of over 2 million copies every week. PNA

THE newly elected officers of the Publishers Association of the Philippines Inc. (PAPI), led by its reelected president Nelson Santos (ninth from right, beside President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.) are seen at their oath-taking ceremony at the Malacañang Palace. Among those who joined them is BusinessMirror Publisher T. Anthony C. Cabangon (second from left).

PHOTO FROM MALACANANG-NIB

Korean/Japanese/ Malaysian/Taiwanese/ Cambodian/Vietnamese/ Thai/Indian/Chinese

Must be native Indonesian/Singaporean/ Korean/Japanese/ Malaysian/Taiwanese/

Basic Qualification: BA or BS Degree (In lieu of degree, 4 years relevant work experience), more than 5 years of relating to in customer service with direct consumers. Native Bahasa speaker.

product.

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999 CONCENTRIX CVG PHILIPPINES, INC. 25/f Ayala North Exchange, Tower 2, 6796, Ayala Ave. Cor. Salcedo & Amorsolo Streets, City Of Makati

70.

SILVA, YURI BERNARDO BENJAMIM DA Advisor I, Technical Support Brief Job Description: Assist external users of the client’s technical products or services; identify, investigate, research, and provide resolution to user questions and problems. Troubleshoot basic and routine customer issues that are technical in nature, including hardware, software, networking, or other designated client products. Follow appropriate escalation path to resolve technical issues; including making follow up outbound calls to customers or other parties as needed.

Basic Qualification: Can read, write, and speak Spanish Language. Strong computer navigation skills and PC Knowledge. Skilled in multi-tasking; including the ability to be flexible and adapt to changes quickly.

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

DECATHLON PHILIPPINES INC. L2- 2093.1 Level 2, Festival Supermall Corporate Ave., Fcc, Alabang, City Of Muntinlupa

IFF, HANS President/country Manager

71.

Brief Job Description: Providing strategic leadership for the company by developing, in consultation with the board of Directors, in the company’s strategy and overall commercial objectives in line with Global Decathlon mission and vision. Leading the executive team in effecting the Board’s Decision; Planning, developing, implementing, directing and evaluating the organization’s fiscal function and performance; Establishing key metrics to monitor team performance and corporate and management; And acting as a focal point for ensuring the stability advancement of the Decathlon brand in the Philippines.

Establishing key metrics to monitor team performance and corporate and management; And acting as a focal point for ensuring the stability advancement of the Decathlon brand in the Philippines.

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

Notice is hereby given that the following companies/employers have filed with this Regional Office application/s for

4 ANOC99 CORPORATION POGO 1 Building, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

HSU, YO-CHIA

Purchaser

read and write Chinese language

- Php59,999

to speak, read and write Chinese language

delivery. Basic

supply

MU,

XIMING

Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Basic Qualification: Has excellent problemsolving and communication skills in Mandarin, with related BPO experience

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

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

WANG, CHANGSHA Chinese Speaking Quality Control

Brief Job Description: Evaluate system operational availability

AYACHI, YOUSSEF

17 SKY DRAGON GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES CORP.

Block 1, LY Building, Mabuhay, Carmona, Cavite

18 SKY DRAGON GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES CORP.

Block 1, LY Building, Mabuhay, Carmona, Cavite

Customer Service Representative Buganda Speaking

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

NWAKA, EMEKA KENNETH

Customer Service Representative Buganda Speaking

Basic Qualification: Proven experience as Chinese speaking quality control

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak foreign language

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak foreign language

7 CHUANSHUN ELECTRIC (PHILIPPINES) INCORPORATED Lot 5, Block 2, Phase 3, First Cavite Industrial Estate, Special Economic Zone, Langkaan I, City of Dasmariñas, Cavite

GAO, YUNZHONG Operations Manager / Product Specialist Brief Job Description:

Monitor onsite projects and field operations Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Assistant Vice President

Job Description:

Brief

Determine the policies, system and procedures to be followed and implement within the said department of the corporation

19 SKY DRAGON GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES CORP.

Block 1, LY Building, Mabuhay, Carmona, Cavite

20 SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC.

Southwoods Office Tower 2, San Francisco, Biñan, City of Biñan, Laguna

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in Buganda Speaking

CHEN, QIANG

Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

Brief Job Description:

Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication

ZHU, JIAXING

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description:

Field incoming help requests from end users from the People’s Republic of China via both telephone and work orders in a courteous manner

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak foreign language

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Basic Qualification: Must be able to fluently speak, write and read Mandarin and other local dialects spoken in other parts of China like Cantonese and Fukien

Salary Range:

Php30,000 - Php59,999

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 Regional Office IV-A located at 3rd and 4th Floors, Andenson Building II, Parian, Calamba City, Laguna, within 30 days after this publication.

Please inform DOLE Regional Office IV-A if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

North Korea launches ICBM before S. Korea-Japan summit

By Hyung-Jin Kim & Kim Tong-Hyung The Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea—North Korea test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile Thursday just hours before the leaders of South Korea and Japan were to meet at a Tokyo summit expected to be overshadowed by North Korean nuclear threats.

with US forces, conduct some of the planned joint drills in an intensive manner and strengthen SeoulWashington-Tokyo security cooperation, according to Yoon’s office.

In Tokyo, Kishida said: “We must further strengthen cooperation among the allies and likeminded countries.” He declined to comment on North Korea’s possible intentions of the launch.

The North’s ongoing aggressive run of weapons tests has been widely expected; leader Kim Jong Un last week ordered his military to be ready to repel what he called “frantic war preparations moves” by his country’s rivals, referring to large joint drills between the US and South Korea that began Monday.

North Korea has long argued that US-South Korean military drills are proof of their hostile policies against North Korea, though Washington and Seoul say they have no intentions of invading the North. Many experts say North Korea use its rivals’ drills as a pretext to boost its nuclear capability to pressure the United States to make concessions like the relaxing of international sanctions.

Franchising robust; more local brands going global

Continued from A16

The ongoing US-South Korean drills are scheduled to continue until March 23 and include computer simulations and live-fire field exercises. Experts had expected North Korea to further ramp up its testing activities during the drills.

The South Korean-Japan summit was arranged after Yoon’s government last week took a major step toward repairing bilateral ties strained by Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

The South Korean plan—to use local funds to compensate Koreans forced into industrial slave labor during the colonial rule without contributions from Japanese companies that employed them—has met fierce domestic opposition, but it reflects Yoon’s resolve to improve ties with Japan and boost Seoul-Tokyo-Washington security cooperation.

President Joe Biden welcomed the plan as a major step toward enhancing the partnership between two of America’s closest allies. The United States has sought stronger alliances in Asia to deal with a Chinese rise and North Korean threats.

“For European brands, we have seen a few—Spain [and] France. But we’re hoping to bring more of these brands,” he added. “Other than that, I’ve seen in the past few years a lot of Japanese brands, who have tried to get into the market; a lot of Singaporean brands; a lot of Taiwanese brands, mostly milk teas; and a lot of Thai brands as well. So these are the brands who are really excited about the growing market in the Philippines.”

L ocally, franchising is back on track with the economy’s reopening. In fact, 48 percent of new franchisors would come from outside of Metro Manila, per Lim, who added that “franchising now is a nationwide thing that’s happening. Not only people want to buy franchise, but people want to franchise their businesses from the provinces.”

P roof of which, San noted, is that “there were a lot of businesses that were born out of the pandemic, and the good news there is some of these businesses went into franchising. And having Philippine Franchise Asia is a platform for the nationalization of these brands. So it provides them with the opportunity from one, or maybe five, to scale to hundreds outside Metro Manila.”

To date, PFA has more than 800 brand members, making the Philippines the seventh largest franchise market in the

world, providing 2 million direct and indirect jobs.

We want to create entrepreneurs so we can generate millions of jobs,” PFA President Chris Lim saidd. “We know that the thrust of government right now is we want to be upper-middle class in the next two or three years. And we believe franchising is going to be a critical catalyst to creating a stronger middle-class to bringing the Philippines to an upper middle-class status.”

He is bullish about this goal because franchising equalizes the playing field, spreads the wealth, and creates employment opportunities not only in Metro Manila but across the country.

T he PFA is hosting the Franchise Asia Philippines (FAP) 2023, with the theme “Fun. Friendship. Franchising” on June 7 and 8, at the SMX Convention Center Manila; the International Franchise Expo, from October 27 to 29, also at the SMX Convention Center; and the two-day Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) Program, June 5 and 6; and seminars and other learning sessions for aspiring franchisors, franchisees and entrepreneurs. The FAP 2023 will be doubly significant as it will coincide with the country’s hosting of the World Franchise Council and Asia Pacific Franchise Confederation meetings that will bring in industry leaders from over 40 economies and are expected to draw in 75,000 participants.

PHL slips 10 notches in frontier tech readiness index in ’22—Unctad

A TV

2023. North Korea testlaunched an intercontinental ballistic missile in a display of military might Thursday just hours before the leaders of South Korea and Japan were to meet at a Tokyo summit expected to be overshadowed by North Korean nuclear threats. AP/AHN YOUNG-JOON

The North’s first ICBM test in a month and third weapons tests this week also comes as South Korean and US troops continue joint military exercises that Pyongyang considers a rehearsal to invade.

The missile flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) with a maximum altitude of 6,000 kilometers (3,730 miles) during the 70-minute flight, according to South Korean and Japanese assessments. That’s similar to the flight details from a February launch of another ICBM, which experts said demonstrated a potential range to reach deep into the US mainland.

The missile fell in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan after being launched on a steep trajectory, apparently to avoid neighboring countries. Japan said the missile landed outside its exclusive economic zone and that there were no reports of damage of ships and aircraft.

North Korea has yet to test ICBMs on a standard trajectory, but it has repeatedly claimed it

possesses functioning nuclear missiles. Some foreign experts still doubt the North has mastered the technologies needed to build warheads small enough to be placed on those missiles and protect the warheads during atmospheric reentry.

US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said Washington will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and its allies South Korea and Japan. She said the launch “needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region.”

Before heading to Tokyo for a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said, “North Korea’s reckless provocations will pay the clear price.”

During an emergency security meeting on the North Korean launch, Yoon instructed the South Korean military to thoroughly proceed with its ongoing exercises

After Cyclone Freddy left, flood risk lingers for southern Africa

BLANTYRE, Malawi—After four days of destructive wind and rain, local communities and relief workers are now confronting the aftermath of Cyclone Freddy which has killed more than 250 people and displaced tens of thousands of others across Malawi and Mozambique and may still cause further damage.

Cyclone Freddy dissipated over land late Wednesday, but weather monitoring centers warned that countries are still vulnerable to flooding and landslides.

At least 225 people have been killed in southern Malawi, including within the financial capital of Blantyre, officials said. Around 88,000 people are still displaced and parts of the region remain inaccessible. Malawi’s president, Lazarus Chakwera, has declared a 14-day national mourning period.

In Mozambique, authorities said at least

53 were killed since late Saturday, with 50,000 more still displaced.

Scientists say human-caused climate change has worsened cyclone activity, making them more intense and more frequent. The recently ended La Nina that impacts weather worldwide also increased cyclone activity in the region in recent years.

Cyclone Freddy has caused destruction in southern Africa since late February, when it pummeled Mozambique as well as the islands of Madagascar and Réunion.

Freddy first developed near Australia in early February and traveled across the entire southern Indian Ocean before it bounced around the Mozambique Channel. The U.N.’s weather agency has convened an expert panel to determine whether it has broken the record for the longest-ever cyclone in recorded history, which was set by 31-day Hurricane John in 1994. AP

After conducting a record number of missile tests last year, North Korea has extended its testing activities this year, including the Feb. 18 launch of its Hwasong-15 ICBM. After that ICBM launch, North Korea said the test was meant to further bolster its “fatal” nuclear attack capacity against its rivals.

The Hwasong-15 is one of the North’s three ICBMs, which all use liquid propellants that require pre-launch injections. Kim has vowed to build solid-propellant missiles, which are more mobile and harder to detect before their launches because their fuels are already loaded inside.

South Korea’s military said the missile was launched from Pyongyang’s Sunan neighborhood, home to its international airport. It is a major testing site where the North has launched most of its recent ICBM tests.

Pyongyang also this week fired cruise missiles from a submarine and sent short-range ballistic missiles across its territory into its eastern sea. Last week, North Korea fired at least six shortrange ballistic missiles from a western coastal area in an exercise supervised by Kim, an event state media described as a simulated attack on an unspecified South Korean airfield.

Under Kishida, Tokyo has also made a major break from its postWorld War II principle of self-defense only, adopting a new national security strategy in December that includes the goals of acquiring preemptive strike capabilities and cruise missiles to counter growing threats from North Korea, China and Russia.

Last October, North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile over northern Japan, forcing communities there to issue evacuation alerts and halt trains.

North Korea’s pursuit of expanded nuclear and missile arsenals have pushed South Korea and Japan to mend their fraught ties and solidify a trilateral security cooperation involving the United States. Both South Korea and Japan are within striking distance of North Korean nuclear-capable missiles. They together host 80,000 American troops.

The top nuclear envoys of Seoul, Washington and Tokyo discussed the North’s ICBM launch over the phone and agreed to coordinate to elicit a unified international response toward the North’s weapons activities, according to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry.

The Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report

Continued from A16

F or the Philippines, Unctad noted that its Department of Science and Technology (DOST) supports R&D projects in line with green technology innovation.

Unc tad also recognized that the Philippine Science and Technology department is pushing for the passage of the Science for Change Bill, which it said “provides programs for establishing R&D centers and collaborative R&D between academia and industry.”

“ This initiative bolsters the productivity and competitiveness of industry players and drives R&D on renewable forms of energy and green technologies,” Unctad said.

In t erms of financial support, Unctad mentioned that the Philippines is among the countries that have established innovation and technology funds, sometimes in collaboration with international donors or multinational development banks. Its small en terprise technology program (SETUP) offers seed funds for acquiring technology along with training and other forms of support. This, Unctad noted, is a contribution from [United Nations Industrial Development Organization] UNIDO. Unc tad noted that developing countries cannot take advantage of green technologies on their own. Much of the success of their domestic policies will depend on global cooperation through international trade.

DICT calls for inclusive, safer digital spaces for Filipino youth and women

Continued from A16

The DICT, she said, continues to provide ICT training, programming for children, physical and online learning platforms, and cybersecurity certifications, as well as provisions of laptops, tablets, and other ICT equipment. It has trained nearly 94,000 women in 1,100 capability development activities such as web and software development, blockchain, and cybersecurity in the last year.

As lead agenc y in government in

digitalization, DICT is pursuing its initiatives for women and youth development to effectively bridge the digital divide and to ensure that advancements will be inclusive. As we move forward, we will continue to work to ensure that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, has access to the opportunities that digitalization can offer. With a focus on inclusivity and accountability, we hope to continue to serve the Filipino youth and women by empowering them in this new digital world,” Uy said.

After clashes, Pakistani police pause siege at ex-PM’s home

By Babar Dogar & Munir Ahmed

The Associated Press

LAHORE, Pakistan—After clashing with supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan outside his home for a second day Wednesday, police paused their efforts to arrest the ousted premier for failing to appear in court last week on graft charges.

Police had besieged the 70-year-old opposition leader’s house in the eastern city of Lahore since Tuesday as his supporters hurled rocks and bricks, and swung batons snatched from officers. Police fired tear gas and clashes went on into the afternoon Wednesday before subsiding.

Violence was also reported between Khan’s supporters and police in other major cities, including Karachi, Islamabad, the garrison city of Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Quetta and elsewhere in Pakistan. The government sent additional police to Lahore’s upscale area of Zaman Park, where Khan lives.

Earlier Wednesday, Khan had emerged

from his house to meet with supporters, who had faced tear gas and police batons through the night to defend him from arrest. He said he was ready to travel to Islamabad on March 18 under the arrest warrant, but that police did not accept the offer.

Khan later posed for cameras seated at a long table, showing off piles of spent tear gas shells he said had been collected from around his home.

“What crime did I commit that my house has been attacked like this,” he tweeted. Fawad Chaudhry, a senior party leader from Khan’s party claimed hundreds of Khan’s supporters were injured.

At the Islamabad High Court, Khan’s lawyer Khawaja Haris petitioned for the suspension of the warrants for the former premier but the court denied the motion.

Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April, was ordered to appear before a judge in Islamabad on Friday to answer charges of illegally selling state gifts he had received during his term as premier and concealing his assets.

The former premier has avoided appearances in court since November, when he was wounded in a gun attack at a protest rally in eastern Punjab province, claiming he was not medically fit to travel from Lahore to Islamabad to face indictment.

Last week, he went to Islamabad to appear before three courts, but failed to appear before the fourth court to face indictment in the graft case, which is a legal process for starting his trial.

Khan has claimed that the string of cases against him, which includes terrorism charges, are a plot by the government of his successor, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, to discredit the former cricket star turned Islamist politician.

The situation in Lahore calmed in early afternoon and the police stepped back, apparently to ease tensions. This encouraged more Khan supporters to join those outside and inside his home. Many chanted Allahu akbar, the Arabic phrase for “God is great” as Khan, still wearing a gas mask, greeted them. Azhar Siddique, another lawyer for Khan, said the Lahore High Court ordered police

to halt the operation outside Khan’s home until Thursday, though they would remain deployed nearby.

The Punjab provincial government said Wednesday that more than 100 police officers were injured in clashes with Khan’s supporters. They denied Khan’s allegation that officers were using live bullets.

From his home, Khan urged followers on Tuesday to fight on even if he is arrested.

“They think this nation will fall asleep when Imran Khan is jailed,” he wrote on Twitter. “You need to prove them wrong.” On Wednesday, he tweeted that there was a plot “to abduct & assassinate” him.

Prime Minister Sharif on Wednesday criticized Khan in televised remarks, saying that the ex-premier “considers himself above the law, and he has been defying court orders to avoid arrest.” Sharif insisted he had nothing to do with the arrest warrant, which he said was a court order and the police were only complying with it.

Ahmed reported from Islamabad

screen shows a file image of North Korea’s missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea on Thursday, March 16,

With Saudi deals, US and China battle for influence in Mideast

By Aamer Madhani, Matthew Lee & Ellen Knickmeyer The Associated Press

Chip globalization over, sanctions work–TSMC

By Debby Wu

TAIWAN Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. founder Morris Chang declared globalization for the chip industry over and expressed support for US efforts to limit China’s tech advancement through export curbs and company sanctions.

“In the chips sector, globalization is dead. Free trade is dead,” Chang said at an event in Taipei Thursday. “Just look at the way China has been embargoed and the entity list. I agree with that.”

The 91-year-old industry pioneer said that the global chip supply chain will grow even more bifurcated as the US acts to curtail China’s access to the most advanced technology, and “I certainly support that part of American industrial policy to slow down China’s progress.”

Chang said China is at least five to six years behind Taiwan in chipmaking technology, but he also cautioned Taiwan should not be naive about its position relative to the US. When American leaders speak of “friend-shoring” hightech manufacturing, Taiwan is

not included in that policy, Chang said, as they’ve repeatedly voiced concerns about relying on Taiwan.  US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo described US dependence on Taiwan for advanced chipmaking as “untenable” in July, and her country’s Chips and Science Act is designed to entice companies like TSMC and South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. to set up operations within US borders. Taiwan and Korea have long been the epicenters of chipmaking—TSMC leads the way with cutting-edge logic processors like Apple Inc.’s bespoke Silicon parts while Samsung and SK Hynix Inc. dominate the memory market—which has led to increasing discomfort in the US and Europe.

Fears of China, which deems Taiwan part of its territory, attempting to seize the self-governing island by force have pushed some inside Washington to contemplate drastic measures. Among them, US officials have war-gamed scenarios where Taiwan’s sophisticated semiconductor industry would be wiped out to prevent it falling into China’s hands.

Bloomberg News

UN nuclear watchdog: 2.5 tons of uranium missing in Libya

By Jon Gambrell

The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—Some 2.5

tons of natural uranium stored in a site in war-torn Libya have gone missing, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said Thursday, raising safety and proliferation concerns.

Natural uranium can’t immediately be used for energy production or bomb fuel, as the enrichment process typically requires the metal to be converted into a gas, then later spun in centrifuges to reach the levels needed.

However, each ton of natural uranium—if obtained by a group with the technological means and resources—can be refined to 5.6 kilograms (12 pounds) of weapons-grade material over time, experts say. That makes finding the missing metal important for nonproliferation experts.

In a statement, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency said its director-general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, informed member states Wednesday about the missing uranium.

The IAEA statement remained tightlipped though on much of the details.

On Tuesday, “agency safeguards inspectors found that 10 drums containing approximately 2.5 tons of natural uranium in the form of uranium ore concentrate were not present as previously declared at a location in the state of Libya,” the IAEA said. “Further activities will be conducted by the agency to clarify the circumstances of the removal of the nuclear material and its current location.”

Reuters first reported on the IAEA warning about the missing Libyan uranium, saying the IAEA told members reaching the site that’s not under government control required “complex logistics.”

The IAEA declined to offer more details on the missing uranium. However, its acknowledgment the uranium went missing at a “previously declared site” narrows the possibilities.

One such declared site is Sabha, some 660 kilometers (410 miles) southeast of Libya’s

capital, Tripoli, in the country’s lawless southern reaches of the Sahara Desert. There, Libya under dictator Moammar Qadhafi stored thousands of barrels of so-called yellowcake uranium for a once-planned uranium conversion facility that was never built in his decadeslong secret weapons program.

Estimates put the Libyan stockpile at some 1,000 metric tons of yellowcake uranium under Qadhafi, who declared his nascent nuclear weapons program to the world in 2003 after the US-led invasion of Iraq.

While inspectors removed the last of the enriched uranium from Libya in 2009, the yellowcake remained behind, with the UN in 2013 estimating some 6,400 barrels of it were stored at Sabha. American officials had worried Iran could try to purchase the uranium from Libya, something Qadhafi’s top civilian nuclear official tried to reassure the US about, according to a 2009 diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks.

“Stressing that Libya viewed the question as primarily a commercial one, (the official) noted that prices for uranium yellowcake on the world market had been increasing, and that Libya wanted to maximize its profit by properly timing the sale of its stockpile,” thenAmbassador Gene A. Cretz wrote.

But the 2011 Arab Spring saw rebels topple Qadhafi and ultimately kill him. Sabha grew increasingly lawless, with African migrants crossing Libya, saying some had been sold as slaves in the city, the UN reported.

In recent years, Sabha largely has been under the control of the self-styled Libyan National Army, headed by Khalifa Hifter. The general, who is widely believed to have worked with the CIA during his time in exile during Qadhafi’s era, has been battling for control of Libya against a Tripoli-based government.

A spokesman for Hifter declined to answer questions from The Associated Press. Chadian rebel forces also have had a presence in the southern city over recent years.

Riyadh signed a Chinese-facilitated deal aimed at restoring diplomatic ties with its arch-nemesis Iran, and then announced a massive contract to buy commercial planes from US manufacturer Boeing.

The two announcements spurred speculation that the Saudis were laying their marker as a dominant economic and geopolitical force with the flexibility to play Beijing and Washington off each other. They also cast China in an unfamiliar leading role in Middle Eastern politics. And they raised questions about whether the US-Saudi relationship—frosty for much of the first two years of President Joe Biden’s term—has reached a détente.

But as the Biden administration takes stock of the moment, officials are pushing back against the notion that the developments amount to a shift in the dynamics of the US-China competition in the Middle East.

The White House scoffs at the idea that the big aircraft deal signals a significant change in the status of the administration’s relations with Riyadh after Biden’s fierce criticism early in his presidency of the Saudis’ human rights record and of the Saudi-led Opec+ oil cartel move to cut production last year.

“We’re looking forward here in trying to make sure that this strategic partnership really does in every possible way support our national security interests there in the region and around the world,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said of the US-Saudi relationship. He spoke after Boeing announced this week the Saudis would purchase up to 121 aircraft.

But China’s involvement in facilitating a resumption of IranSaudi diplomatic ties and the major Boeing contract—one the White House said it advocated for—have added a new twist to Biden’s roller-coaster relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

As a candidate for the White House, Biden vowed that Saudi rulers would pay a “price” under his watch for the 2018 killing of US-

based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the kingdom’s leadership. More recently, after the Opec+ oil cartel announced in October it was cutting production, Biden promised “consequences” for a move that the administration said was helping Russia.

Now, Washington and Riyadh seem intent on moving forward, and at the moment when China is at least dabbling in a more assertive Middle East diplomacy.

Saudi officials kept the US up to date on the status of talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia on restarting diplomatic relations since they began nearly two years ago, according to the White House. Significant progress was made during several rounds of earlier talks hosted by Iraq and Oman, well before the deal was announced in China last week during the country’s ceremonial National People’s Congress.

Unlike China, the US does not have diplomatic relations with Iran and was not a party to the talks.

The Iran-Saudi relationship has been historically fraught and shadowed by a sectarian divide and fierce competition in the region. Diplomatic relations were severed in 2016 after Saudi Arabia executed prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Protesters in Tehran stormed the Saudi Embassy and Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed “divine revenge” for al-Nimr’s execution.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan earlier this week said China was “rowing in the same direction” with its work at quelling tensions between the Gulf Arab nations that have been fighting proxy wars in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq for years.

“This is something that we think is positive insofar as it promotes what the United States has been promoting in the region, which is de-escalation, a reduction in tensions,” Sullivan said.

But privately White House officials are skeptical about China’s ability, and desire, to play a role in resolving some of the region’s most difficult crises, including the long, disastrous proxy war in Yemen.

Iran-allied Houthis seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and

forced the internationally recognized government into exile in Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition armed with US weaponry and intelligence entered the war on the side of Yemen’s exiled government in 2015.

Years of inconclusive fighting created a humanitarian disaster and pushed the Arab world’s poorest nation to the brink of famine. Overall, the war has killed more than 150,000 people, including over 14,500 civilians, according to The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

A six-month cease-fire, the longest of the Yemen conflict, expired in October, but finding a permanent peace is among the administration’s highest priorities in the Middle East. US special envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking is visiting Saudi Arabia and Oman this week to try to build on the UNmediated truce that has brought a measure of calm to Yemen in recent months, according to the State Department.

Beijing swooped in on the IranSaudi talks at a moment when the fruit was already “ripening on the vine,” according to one of six senior administration officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private White House deliberations. The Iran-Saudi announcement coincided with Chinese leader Xi Jinping being awarded a third five-year term as the nation’s president.

The official added that if China can play a “reinforcing role” in ending hostilities in Yemen the administration would view that as a good thing. But both the White House and Saudi officials remain deeply skeptical of Iran’s intentions in the Yemen war or more broadly acting as a stabilizing force in the region.

To date, China, which has a seat on the UN Security Council, has shown little interest in the Yemen conflict, Syria, or the IsraeliPalestinian situation, according to administration officials. Yet, Xi this week called for China to play a bigger role in managing global affairs after Beijing scored a diplomatic coup with the Iran-Saudi agreement.

“It has injected a positive element into the peace, stability, solidarity and cooperation landscape of the region,” China’s Deputy UN Ambassador Geng Shuang told the UN Security Council on Wednesday. “We hope it can also create conducive conditions for improving the situation in Yemen.”

The administration officials said that Beijing has shown modest interest in reviving the sevenparty Iran nuclear agreement—of which it is a signatory—that President Donald Trump withdrew the US from in 2018. The Biden administration put efforts to revive

the nuclear agreement on hold last fall after protests broke out in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody for allegedly flouting Iran’s strict dress code for women.

To be certain, China—a major customer of both Iranian and Saudi oil—has been steadily increasing its regional political influence. Xi traveled to Riyadh in December and received Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Beijing last month.

But Miles Yu, director of the China Center at the Hudson Institute, said that Xi’s call to be a more active player on the international stage would require Beijing to dramatically change its approach.

“China’s diplomatic initiatives have been based on one thing: money,” said Yu, who served as a China policy adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the Trump administration. “They’ve made friends in Africa and Asia, but mostly it was monetary. These kind of transactional dealings do not forge permanent friendship.”

Not every move China takes to engage more deeply with the Middle East necessarily harms the United States, noted Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat and a frequent critic of Saudi Arabia.

“But it’s probably true that China should pick up some of the cost of securing the oil that … frankly, is probably more important to them than to the United States in the long run,” Murphy said. “I think China has benefited by being a free rider on US security investments in the region for a long time.”

The White House is not particularly concerned at the moment about the Saudis reorienting themselves toward China for several reasons, including that the Saudis’ entire defense system is based on American weapons and components, administration officials said. The officials added that it would take the Saudis at least a decade to transition from US weapons systems to Russian or Chinese oriented systems.

Saudi Arabia’s reliance on USmade weapons systems and the American military and commercial presence in the kingdom—some 70,000 Americans live there— have played a big part in the relationship weathering difficult moments over the years, said Les Janka, a former president of Raytheon Arabian Systems Co. who spent years living in the kingdom.

It would take “an unbelievable amount of activity to dismantle, given the reliance on American weapons, American technology, American training, everything that goes into it,” Janka said. The Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report

El Salvador: 2,000 more to prison, vows will ‘never return’ to streets

By Marcos Aleman The

Associated Press

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador—El Salvador’s government sent 2,000 more suspects to a huge new prison built especially for gang members Wednesday, and the justice minister vowed that “they will never return” to the streets.

The tough statement came as the administration of President Nayib Bukele asked for yet another extension of an antigang emergency measures that would take the crackdown into its 13th month.

Over the last 354 days, about 65,000 people have been arrested in the antigang campaign. Human rights groups say that there have been many instances of prisoner abuses and that innocent people have been swept up in police raids.

The government announced the mass inmate transfer with a slickly produced video posted on social media. It showed prisoners forced to run barefoot and handcuffed down stairways and over bare ground, clad only in regulation white shorts. They were then forced to sit with their legs locked in closely clumped groups in cells.

Gustavo Villatoro, the government’s minister for justice and peace, said the suspected gang members would never return to the streets, even though about 57,000 of those arrested are still awaiting formal charges or a trial.

“They are never going to return to the communities, the neighborhoods, the barrios, the cities of our beloved El Salvador,” Villatoro said.

Only about 3,500 people swept up in the

crackdown have been released so far.

Bukele, who revels in taking a contrarian stance and once described himself as “world’s coolest dictator,” wrote in his Twitter account that “there are now 4,000 gang members in the world’s most criticized prison.”

Dubbed the Terrorism Confinement Center, the prison was inaugurated in February and already holds about 2,000 suspected gang members. It is a sprawling campus 45 miles (72 kilometers) east of San Salvador, the capital, which could eventually house up to 40,000 inmates.

Congress must still approve the extension of the antigang measures, but legislators are expected to do, as they have done a dozen times before.

Bukele requested the special powers to pursue the gangs last March 27, following

a surge in gang violence in which 62 people were killed in a single day across the country. Streets gangs like MS-13 and Barrio 18 have long killed and extorted money from residents in El Salvador.

The measures have reduced killings and have proved widely popular among most Salvadorans. Officials say that since the crackdown began, there have been 200 days with no homicides at all.

Under the special powers, the right to association is suspended, police don’t have to tell someone being arrested the reason or inform them of their rights. Someone arrested does not have a right to a lawyer and can be held for 15 days without seeing a judge rather than the previous 72 hours.

The local rights group Cristosal documented 3,344 cases of human rights abuses in the first 11 months of the state of emergency.

WASHINGTON—In a matter of days, Saudi Arabia carried out blockbuster agreements with the world’s two leading powers— China and the United States.

MORRIS CHANG (center) said China is at least five to six years behind Taiwan in chipmaking technology, but he also cautioned Taiwan should not be naive about its position relative to the US. BLOOMBERG

Too much salt intake increases risk of death

PeoPle started using salt as food seasoning about 5,000 years ago. The human body requires a small amount of sodium to conduct nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles, and maintain the proper balance of water and minerals. It is estimated that we need about 5 grams (about 1.13 teaspoon) of salt daily for these vital functions.

The main source of sodium is table salt (sodium chloride), but it is also contained in other condiments such as sodium glutamate. Although salt is an essential nutrient, the World Health Organization said it increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and premature death when eaten in excess.

A first-of-its-kind “WHO Global report on sodium intake reduction” shows that the world is off-track to achieve its global target of reducing sodium intake by 30 percent by 2025. The report shows that only 5 percent of WHO member states are protected by mandatory and comprehensive sodium reduction policies, and 73 percent of WHO member states lack full range of implementation of such policies.

The WHO report said implementing highly cost-effective sodium reduction policies could save an estimated seven million lives globally by 2030. It is an important component of action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal target of reducing deaths from noncommunicable diseases. But today, only nine countries (Brazil, Chile, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Uruguay) have a comprehensive package of recommended policies to reduce sodium intake.

“Unhealthy diets are a leading cause of death and disease globally, and excessive sodium intake is one of the main culprits,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This report shows that most countries are yet to adopt any mandatory sodium reduction policies, leaving their people at risk of heart attack, stroke, and other health problems. WHO calls on all countries to implement the “Best Buys” for sodium reduction, and on manufacturers to implement the WHO benchmarks for sodium content in food.”

A comprehensive approach to sodium reduction includes adopting mandatory policies and WHO’s four “best buy” interventions related with sodium, which greatly contribute to preventing noncommunicable diseases. These include: Reformulating foods to contain less salt, and setting targets for the amount of sodium in foods and meals; establishing public food procurement policies to limit salt or sodium rich foods in public institutions such as hospitals, schools, workplaces and nursing homes; front-of-package labeling that helps consumers select products with low sodium; behavior change communication and mass media campaigns to reduce salt consumption.

The report encourages countries to establish sodium content targets for processed foods, in line with the WHO Global Sodium Benchmarks.

“This important report demonstrates that countries must work urgently to implement ambitious, mandatory, government-led sodium reduction policies to meet the global target of reducing salt consumption by 2025,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, a not-for-profit organization working with countries to prevent 100 million deaths from cardiovascular disease over 30 years. “There are proven measures that governments can implement and important innovations, such as low sodium salts. The world needs action now, or many more people will experience disabling or deadly— but preventable—heart attacks and strokes.”

The global average salt intake is estimated to be 10.8 grams per day, more than double the WHO recommendation of less than 5 grams of salt per day. Eating too much salt makes it the top risk factor for diet and nutrition-related deaths. More evidence is emerging documenting links between high sodium intake and increased risk of other health conditions such as gastric cancer, obesity, osteoporosis and kidney disease.

In the Philippines, the average salt consumption of Filipinos is 11 grams per day (2.53 teaspoon), higher than the global average salt intake.

WHO is calling on member states to implement sodium intake reduction policies without delay to mitigate the harmful effects of excessive salt consumption. It is also calling on food manufacturers to set ambitious sodium reduction targets in their products.

The WHO report said reducing sodium intake is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve health and reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases, as it can avert a large number of cardiovascular events and deaths at very low total program costs.

BusinessMirror

Improving the plight of commuters

sonny M. angara

Better Days

lasT week several jeepney organizations staged a nationwide transport strike to protest the implementation of the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program. Under the modernization program, the ubiquitous jeepneys that have been around since the end of the second World War will gradually be phased out to pave the way for environmentally friendly electric vehicles. While the planned weeklong transport strike was cut short after the extension granted by the Department of Transportation (DoTr) to the jeepney operators to join cooperatives from June 30, 2023 to December 31, 2023, this development should remind us of the urgent need to improve our public transport system for the benefit of the commuting public.

The problems in our public transport system persist and have been cited among the key areas that hinder our advancement towards being more competitive against our peers.

In the 2017-2018 Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum, it identified “inadequate supply of infrastructure,” which include roads, bridges, and mass transportation, as the second most problematic factor to doing business in the Philippines. The World Bank, in its 2018 Logistic Performance Index, which rates a country’s trade logistics, the Philippines ranked 60th out of 160 countries.

Clearly, the problems that we are facing are complex and cannot be solved overnight. We need to come up with an overall action plan for our public transport system that will not

Britain’s

a long

only address our present issues, but also look towards the future. Last year, I filed Senate Bill 1005 or the proposed Sustainable Transportation Act of 2022 for the purpose of coming up with a sustainable transport action plan and an integrated land use and transportation plan. We have to move towards reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and start making the use of public transport, non-motorized transport, green vehicles and walking a way of life among Filipinos.

The sustainable transport action plan would include strategies relating to the inclusion of non-motorized transport, the development of a seamless and inclusive public transport system, green infrastructure and facilities, and the enforcement of transportation demand management measures.

We want to see public transportation as the primary mobility option for our people. In order to achieve this, it must first be inclusive—meaning it should be affordable for the poor and accessible for all people, especially the elderly and persons with disabilities. Their operations must also be efficient.

Our local governments also have a key role to play in this endeavor. In the preparation and updating of their land use plans, the local government units should always keep in mind the important relationship between land use and transportation. We should have more bicycle lanes, walkable roads and open spaces in our cities and municipalities to promote a healthy lifestyle and enhance the overall quality of life of our people. We want to see public transportation as the primary mobility option for our people. In order to achieve this, it must first be inclusive— meaning it should be affordable for the poor and accessible for all people, especially the elderly and persons with disabilities. Their operations must also be efficient. There should also be more options available for the people. There are currently several transport projects that are ongoing construction or in the pipeline including the NorthSouth Commuter Railway and the Metro Manila Subway. Under our bill, the DOTr will be tasked to study the creation of bus rapid transit systems around the country. This

will organize the PUBs into one efficient long-distance transportation system with coordinated schedules, rates, routes, and pick-up and dropoff points. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, in coordination with the DOTr, will also study the development of more water ferry systems along the navigable bodies of water.

In August last year, we also filed SBN 1004 to allow and regulate the use of motorcycles as PUVs. Currently, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board allows three motorcycle ride hailing companies to operate under a pilot run. This means they do not have certificates of public convenience from the LTFRB that is required for the operation of PUVs. Motorcycle taxis or habal-habals have long been utilized as fast and affordable modes of transport. In many provinces, they are considered as the primary mode of transport.

Some of the most prosperous and progressive countries have efficient public transport systems. This is what we are striving for, not only to join the ranks of industrialized nations, but more importantly, to provide our public with a better experience in their daily commute and to foster a healthier and more sustainable way of life.

Senator Sonny Angara has been in public service for 18 years—9 years as Representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and 9 as Senator. He has authored, co-authored, and sponsored more than 330 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.  E-mail: sensonnyangara@yahoo.com| Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @sonnyangara

way from becoming a science superpower

By Lisa Pham & Suzi Ring | Bloomberg Opinion

When Britain produced a Covid-19 vaccine that saved millions of lives, it showed the nation was a world leader in life sciences, according to Chancellor of the exchequer Jeremy hunt.

Delivering his 2023 budget to Parliament on Wednesday, Hunt boasted that the UK attracted more inward investment into life sciences than anywhere in Europe last year. He also announced plans to speed up access to the newest drugs and revealed tax credits for research and development.

But less than three years after its breakthrough on the Covid-19 shot, critics say that Britain is still far away from its ambition of becoming a global science and technology superpower by 2030, capable of attracting the best talent while bringing novel drugs and technologies to the market quickly.

“We got a big lift from Covid because it enshrined the importance of life sciences for the country,” said John Bell, regius professor of medi-

cine at the University of Oxford and a long-standing adviser to the UK government, in an interview. However, when it comes to the commercial environment the UK is trailing badly.

“We’re so far back in the pack we can’t even see the pack,” said Bell.

Post-Brexit, experts say Britain is struggling to stay competitive with falling access to scientific research funding and talent from overseas. Cautious investors are limiting commercialization prospects, while the UK’s National Health Service is still reeling from the havoc wreaked by the pandemic.

Lacking talent

R ESEARCHERS are less interested in studying in the UK today than in the past, according to Manchesterbased physicist and Nobel Prize win-

ner Andre Geim. Some PhD students believe their living standards will decline as result of higher costs and lower salaries in Britain.

“They can’t sustain the same quality of life in the UK,” Geim said in an interview. “It’s pathetic.”

Years of stagnant investment in research and development is also affecting the search for talent. An independent review found that domestic R&D funded by the UK government was just 0.46% of gross domestic product, ranking it 27th out of the 36 OECD nations. South Korea, Germany and the US all spend considerably more on R&D, according to a review carried out by Paul Nurse, a Nobel Prize winner and director of the Francis Crick Institute, a biomedical research center.

British scientists are also waiting to see how Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s recent deal with the European Union will restore access to the bloc’s multibillion-euro Horizon research program.

“The UK will find it extremely difficult to be an effective research power if it stands alone and is not

part of the European research network,” Nurse said.

Hunt said the UK was still the best place in Europe for businesses to invest and grow, particularly for smaller “research-intensive” companies that can potentially claim a new R&D credit worth £27 for every £100 they spend. This means an eligible cancer drug firm spending £2 million on R&D will receive over £500,000 to help develop breakthrough treatments, he said.

This decision “is a shot in the arm” to oncology startups, said Tony Hickson, chief business officer for Cancer Research UK and Cancer Research Horizons.

Capital needed

SECURING investment for research is one thing, but Britain also needs the right infrastructure to help bring new drugs and treatments to market. This is particularly important for the country’s startup sector where access to capital can dictate where a new product is commercialized.

“There hasn’t been a culture in See “Britain,”

Honduras ditching Taiwan raises larger geopolitical concerns

By Megan Janetsky & Marlon González | The Associated Press

For decades the Asian superpower funneled billions of dollars into investment and infrastructure projects across the region. Now, as geopolitical tensions simmer between China and the Biden administration, that spending has paid off.

Honduras’ decision was the second foreign policy coup in a week for China, which brokered an agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to reestablish diplomatic relations last week.

Now, Taiwan will be recognized by only 13 countries. But some of the few remaining in Latin America, like Paraguay and Guatemala, promised Wednesday to keep their support for Taiwan.

Honduras’ minister of foreign relations, Enrique Reina, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Hondurans “are grateful” for their past relationship with Taiwan, but that their economic links to China ultimately pushed their government to cut diplomatic ties.

“These are political decisions. The world has been moving in this direction,” Reina said. “It is a complex decision, we understand, but Honduras’ foreign policy should seek to benefit the people. We believe that this step will benefit the country.”

The Central American nation follows the steps of El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic in turning their backs on Taiwan.

Honduras’ announcement on Tuesday was a blow to the Biden administration, which has rather fruitlessly tried to persuade countries in the region to stick with Taiwan. Taiwan, a US ally, has pushed for sovereignty at the same time that Chinese President Xi Jinping has insisted the island is firmly under its control.

In that sense, Tuesday’s announcement also exemplifies the American government is “losing it’s grasp on” Latin America, said David Castrillon-Kerrigan, researchprofessor on China-related issues at Colombia’s Externado University.

“For countries like Honduras, not recognizing the government in Beijing meant missing opportunities,” said Castrillon-Kerrigan. The United States “is definitely losing influence on every front, especially the economic front, but also diplomatically, politically and culturally.”

It’s left the island with a dwin-

Britain

continued from A14

the UK to build something to last,” said Mark Kotter, founder and chief executive officer of synthetic biology company Bit.bio. This means many early-stage British companies usually end up turning to the US, the global juggernaut of life sciences innovation.

“I do see a lot of young startup CEOs who actually want to build something that lasts and not flip, but the investors also need to raise their game,” Kotter said.

Pension funds in the UK, which could be a deep source of capital, have generally steered clear of early-stage companies. The Department for Work and Pensions in January unveiled proposals to make it easier for pension funds to invest in startups.

“The reality is that the investment appetite from the public market investors has not been fantastic, especially within therapeutics,” said Maina Bhaman, partner at Sofinnova Partners Capital Strategy. “I think it will require quite a concerted effort to create that.” UK-listed startup success stories

dling number of allies. Reina told AP that the Biden administration “must understand and respect” Honduras’ needs and decisions.

But some, like Paraguay and Guatemala, remained steadfast in their support for Taiwan. Guatemalan officials reiterated the government’s “recognition of Taiwan as an independent nation that shares democratic values.”

Over the past two decades, China has slowly carved out a space for itself in Latin America by pouring money into the region, investing in major infrastructure, energy and space projects.

Between 2005 and 2020, the Chinese have invested more than $130 billion in Latin America, according to the United States Institute of Peace. Trade between China and the region has also shot up, expected to reach more than $700 billion by 2035.

That investment has translated to rising power for China and a growing number of allies.

In Honduras, that has come in the form of construction of a hydroelectric dam project in central Honduras built by the Chinese company SINOHYDRO with about $300 million in Chinese government financing.

Meanwhile, in many countries, the US government has not stepped in with similarly sized projects.

While many view the investment as a positive step for nations that often struggle to pull together funds for development, some, like June Teufel, professor of Political Science at the University of Miami, worry about the long-term ripple effects rising Chinese power could have.

Teufel said China is wielding that new influence as “a diplomatic weapon.”

In many countries across Africa and Latin America, Chinese investment has been marred by mounting debt in developing nations. In many cases, infrastructure projects can only be repaired by Chinese companies, racking up a higher bill, said Teufel.

“It’s a little bit like the drug dealer saying to the potential customer, the first dose is free,” Teufel said.

“It gets another country abandoning Taiwan, which is something it has been wanting to do for a long time, depriving Taiwan of all its remaining allies.” Associated Press correspondents Daniel Politi in Buenos Aires and Sonia Perez in Guatemala City contributed to this report.

are also fairly few and far between. DNA-sequencing company Oxford Nanopore Technologies Plc had one of the best-ever debuts with a £3.4 billion flotation on the London Stock Exchange in 2021. Since then biotech firm Abcam Plc, once the biggest company on the London Stock Exchange’s junior market, delisted from there in December though it continues to trade on Nasdaq. Technology giant Arm Ltd. has decided against listing in London to focus solely on New York later this year. Drug developer Immunocore Holdings Plc also skipped London and went straight to Nasdaq when it went public in 2021.

Big opportunity

GSK Plc. welcomed Hunt’s proposals Wednesday, particularly his move to accelerate regulatory approvals for new drugs, and said Britain still had a big opportunity in life sciences. Archrival AstraZeneca Plc said the budget was a “step in the right direction” but warned that the government still needs to resolve the issue of levies on innovative medicines used by the NHS. With assistance from Sabah Meddings and Eamon Akil Farhat / Bloomberg.

Lockdown, happy anniversary!

Tito Genova Valiente

annoTaTions

WE should be happy today. This week we should be celebrating an unlikely anniversary—the declaration of a lockdown, the onset of a pandemic.

I was writing this on the 15th of March, 2023, as a survivor of a dreadful virus that stopped the world. You are reading this, a threeyear veteran of that war that closed down countries like factories that had gone bankrupt.

Some personal notes: I was in Manila attending a meeting when I found out on the second day of that event that two of our committee members had left for the airport in haste before the airports were, according to them, to be shut down. I do not recall anymore what we did that day in the hotel; I remember going home to my apartment at four in the afternoon and standing in front of the mess in the living room. My mind was not working and the notion of airports shuttered did not make sense. The idea also that a big metropolis would go on a lockdown was unthinkable. They were new ideas, the right bed of anxieties. That afternoon, I went out and rumors were flying fast. An area around a huge hospital had been closed to traffic. Infections had begun. Infections of something that was yet undefined. It would remain undefined, contested in fact, till the present. Loida, the neighbor who cooked the best barbecue stand around the Morato area, called me up. Prof! What will happen during lockdown? And this was my response: I don’t know. To myself: how do we lock a city down?

The 13th of March saw me in the night bus that always took me to the metropolis from our old city of Naga in southern Luzon. Would we be stopped at the boundary between ah, what is the last city of Metro Manila? Laguna? Cavite? Alabang? Would there be checkpoints along

the way? What if you have a fever?

Would they be able to check it?

The bus left the terminal at 9 in the evening. It would be our last bus ride for three years. The buses would never be allowed to return to Manila. The drivers would lose their jobs. The businesses along the South Road (and the North Road and all the roads) would cease. Near the boundary between Quezon province and Bicol, in Tagkawayan, I received an SMS from a former student. Sir, should I go home? Are there still tickets to Albay? I remembered again my answer: Are you ready to leave your place? Go to the nearest terminal of buses for Bicol and take any of the buses. Aircon or non-aircon. Or else, you would be stuck in Manila.

In Naga, there were already messages on our phone: If you are coming from Manila, go to the nearest hospital or quarantine yourself in a hotel or in your room. I opted to go to a hotel. In the hotel were a few women with their foreigner husbands stuck because many flights had already been canceled. Day in and day out, they were contacting some tourism guys giving them information on how they could leave the city, and then the country. Members of a band playing retro disco music in the only bistro in the city were always together at the table, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The chairs and tables near the lobby were all spaced far from each other. This was no time for socializing.

In my room, the only connection I had to the world was CNN. But I soon stopped watching the updates showing men and women having breathing difficulties because I found

myself one night, holding my throat and finding myself unable to breathe.

One evening, when the moon was full, I stepped out of the hotel (do not go far, the security guard advised) and stood in the middle of the road. There were no vehicles running. The city was empty of cars and people. It was eight in the evening.

The next months would see a world changed. The people were kinder. Food delivery men became our new angels. They earned our gratitude and our newly minted sweetness. In the meantime, the disease was just about to peak. We talked about vaccines. I waited for an assurance that the scientific world had reached a modicum of sophistication that they could develop antidotes for the affliction. I wanted them to make pronouncements that would be reassuring but they were blunt. Not in a year. Maybe in two years. What to do in the meantime?

Then people started dying. It felt like easy to die. When we woke up, we would place our palm against our neck. Do I have a fever? Then more deaths came closer to our neighborhood, and family. An uncle passed on. The cause: Covid-19. This uncle’s

son followed. We sent prayers and condolences. We could not travel. No one could travel then.

I began to convince friends to document what was happening to us, our surroundings. Photograph the red and white tarps announcing a house had occupants who were infected by the virus. In my street alone I woke up one day to see the scarlet letters on the gate of a house to my left and right. Take pictures of city streets leading out to highways barricaded and guarded. It was an era of discovery: towns and cities had borders to control. Also, consider the interest in plants that surged overnight. People were advised not to speak loudly if you happened to be outside your home. This meant a solution had been finally reached to address our vociferous communities. This meant the videoke was to be killed! This meant also that from now on, we would be known by our eyes, the mask covering our faces. This meant we were not the rulers of the universe.

Happy Third Anniversary Fragile Humans!

E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

US and Russia ratchet up rhetoric over downing of drone

By ELENA BECATOROS & DARLENE SUPERVILLE The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine—Russia and the United States ratcheted up their confrontational rhetoric Wednesday over a US surveillance drone that encountered Russian warplanes and crashed near Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, which the Kremlin has illegally annexed. At the same time, the two countries’ defense chiefs opened a dialogue about the incident.

The Kremlin said the flight proved again that Washington is directly involved in the fighting in Ukraine and added that Moscow would try to recover the drone’s wreckage from the Black Sea. US officials said the incident showed Russia’s aggressive and risky behavior and pledged to continue their surveillance.

Russia has long voiced concern about US surveillance flights near its borders, but Tuesday’s incident signaled Moscow’s increasing readiness to raise the ante as tensions soar between the two nuclear powers. It reflected the Kremlin’s appetite for brinkmanship that could further destabilize the situation and lead to more direct confrontations.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who said the incident was part of a “pattern of aggressive, risky and unsafe actions by Russian pilots in international airspace,” spoke to his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, on Wednesday for the first time in five months.

“It’s important that great powers be models of transparency and communication, and the United States will continue to fly and to operate wherever international law allows,” Austin told reporters in Washington.

Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who

also appeared at the briefing, said, “We know that the intercept was intentional. We know that the aggressive behavior was intentional,” but whether the Russian warplane’s collision with the MQ-9 Reaper drone was intentional was still unclear.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in its report of the call with Austin that Shoigu noted the US had provoked the incident by ignoring flight restrictions the Kremlin had imposed due to its military operation in Ukraine and also blamed “the intensification of intelligence activities against the interests of the Russian Federation.” Such US actions “are fraught with escalation of the situation in the Black Sea area,” it said, warning that Russia “will respond in kind to all provocations.”

Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said in televised remarks the drone incident was “another confirmation” of direct US involvement in the Ukraine conflict. The Kremlin has repeatedly said the United States and other Nato members have become direct war participants by supplying weapons and intelligence to the Kyiv government and pressuring it not to negotiate peace.

Patrushev, a confidant of President Vladimir Putin, also said Russia would search for the drone’s de-

bris, but added, “I don’t know if we can recover them or not, but we will certainly have to do that.”

US officials said Russia dispatched ships to try to recover the wreckage, which Milley said were likely submerged 4,000 to 5,000 feet (1,200 to 1,500 meters) deep.

The US has no vessels in the Black Sea because Turkey closed the Bosphorus Strait to warships in 2022, except for those returning to home port.

US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the drone was in international airspace when the Russian warplane struck its propeller. US officials accused Russia of trying to intercept the unmanned aircraft, although its presence over the Black Sea—a strategic military and economic area for both Russia and Ukraine—was not uncommon.

“It is also not uncommon for the Russians to try to intercept them,” Kirby said, adding that such an encounter “does increase the risk of miscalculations, misunderstandings.”

Kirby said the US “took steps to protect the information and to protect, to minimize any effort by anybody else to exploit that drone for useful content.”

Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, said Russia is capable of recovering the wreckage.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated the Defense Ministry’s statement that Russian jets didn’t use their weapons or hit the drone. He repeated his description of US-Russia relations as at their lowest point but added that “Russia has never rejected a constructive dialogue, and it’s not rejecting it now.”

In Washington, Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov expressed concern about “the unacceptable actions of the United States military in the close proximity to our borders.”

“What do they do thousands of miles away from the United States?” he said in remarks his embassy released. “The answer is obvious—they gather intelligence which is later used by the Kyiv regime to attack our armed forces and territory.”

He noted “it is important that the lines of communication should remain open,” emphasizing that “Russia does not seek confrontation and stands for pragmatic cooperation in the interests of the peoples of our countries.”

While encounters between Russian and Nato aircraft are not unusual—before the Ukraine invasion, Nato planes were involved in an annual average of 400 intercepts with Russian planes—the war has heightened the significance of such incidents.

“The last thing that anybody should want is for this war in Ukraine to escalate to become something between the United States and Russia,” Kirby said, speaking Wednesday on CNN. “We’ve been working very, very hard throughout the beginning of this conflict...to make sure that it doesn’t escalate.”

The secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, tweeted the drone incident was “a signal from Putin that he is ready to expand the conflict zone, with drawing other parties in.” Superville reported from Washington. Lolita C. Baldor and Tara Cop in Washington, and Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed.

MEXICO CITY—Honduras’ decision to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China is yet another sign of growing Chinese influence in Latin America.

A16 Friday, March 17, 2023

Franchising robust; more local brands going global

FRANCHISING in the Philippines has remained vibrant amid the country’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, with more local brands wanting to go global as foreign players set their sights on penetrating the domestic market, according to the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA)

Through franchising, we will now be seeing 12 to 15 percent growth in terms of the outlets, or in terms of expansion of our Filipino brands [in various territories abroad],” PFA Chairman Sherill Quintana told reporters at the Franchise Asia Philippines (FAP) 2023 media launch in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday. “That’s why we want to help them scale up. We want our homegrown brands to seek the opportunity beyond the Philippines.”

B efore the pandemic, PFA targeted to have 50 global Filipino brands. Two-fifths of these, or 20, have now gone

internationally.  We’d like to be able to sell 30 more brands to fulfill our vision of having 50 Philippine brands all over the world,” PFA Chairman Emeritus Samie Lim said of their aspiration for local brands to expand overseas in the next five years. Such growth, he said, would be driven by several factors, including the rising inflation that will lead to revenue increase, and cheaper rentals in the malls that have been vacant for a while due to the ensuing health crisis.

“And so with that, we don’t only export products from the Philippines, but we actually

export brands that started here in the Philippines,” added Joseph C. Tanbuntiong, overall chair of FAP 2023 and chief business officer of Jollibee Foods Corp.

W hile most Filipino brands want to go to the United States, Canada and other North American territories—location-wise—Lim said that the easier place to go to is Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

A part from the food industry that has dominated the franchise space, Quintana said they want to help the retail sector as they see them having “the potential to actually expand immediately” offshore, as well as “the subsector in franchising that has been left out during the crisis,” which is the service sector, comprised not only of the spa or salons, but also the laundromat, educational, and wellness and health providers.

PFA President Chris Lim, likewise, noted that agriculture franchise is also expected to be at the growth center. He explained: “It’s still an underdeveloped sector here  . . . Right now, everything is momand-pop. So this [franchising] will revolutionize or standardize, bring in the best practice and quality, and also bring down the prices as well, [so agriculture franchises can] have economies of scale.”

DA-BFAR: FISH SUPPLY

IN

HOLY WEEK ENOUGH

O n the flip side, international brands are now interested to come to Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines, as the region has been “very hungry for global brands.”

There is this soft spot that is now happening. The low-lying fruit tree actually is the Asean and everybody is looking at us because Southeast Asian countries have now a vibrant young population. And so in terms of consumer market, we have that, plus it coincides with the power to purchase. So foreign brands really want to come in and bring their brands,” Quintana said.

He pointed out that those in the retail and food sectors expressed their interest to enter the Philippine market during their attendance to the recent International Franchise Association’s Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.

T his was seconded by PAF 2023 Overall Co-Chair Richard Sanz, who said at least 10 American companies in the franchise business—40 percent to 50 percent of which are in food, and the rest in the service sector—that comprised the delegation of the US Commercial Service during their business matching activity hosted by the US Embassy last week wanted to look for partners here.

Continued on A12

THE Department of AgricultureBureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) has assured the public of adequate fish supply as the Holy Week nears when demand for fish increases, a high official said on March 15.

T he bureau is confident of sufficient production because fishing grounds in the country have reopened after its periodic closure that allowed fish species to reproduce, DA-BFAR spokesperson Nazario Briguera said. We are in the peak season of fishing activity, so we expect to meet the high demand for fish during the Holy Week,” he said.

Meanwhile, the DA-BFAR acknowledges some factors that may affect local fish production, including the unprecedented oil spill in Oriental Mindoro, Briguera added. He said there could be lower fish output in Mindoro and nearby provinces following the continuous leakage of industrial oil from the sunken MT Princess Empress. “We do not see a shortage of fish on a national scale because of the oil spill,” the spokesman said.

Moreover, Briguera also pointed out that expensive fuel costs and postharvest losses continue to be among the challenges in bolstering the fishing industry, but stressed that the bureau has been working to address these problems.

Oil prices are fluctuating. Sometimes, it increases and affects fishing activities, so the DA-BFAR is implementing a subsidy program and utilizing payao technology for small-scale fisherfolk,” he said.

T he official also said the bureau has been launching post-harvest interventions to address spoilage.

Furthermore, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that the government would build 11 more cold storage facilities on top of those already being constructed at various ports in General Santos and Cagayan de Oro, adding that he expects the cold storage facilities to be operational by the end of this year.

Current fish spoilage is between 25 percent and 40 percent because of the shortage in post-harvest equipment like blast freezer, ice making machines, cold storage warehouses, and fish landing sites, the DA-BFAR said.

Meanwhile, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority has showed that the country had produced about 4.34 million metric tons (MT) of fish in 2022, which was 2.16 percent higher than the local output in 2021 and 0.16 percent higher than the DA’s target of 4.33 million MT.

Earlier, Demosthenes Escoto, DABFAR national director has revealed the DA-BFAR National Implementation Plan and Matrix for 2023, copies of which were shared with regional directors, national center chiefs, division chiefs, and unit heads of the Bureau through a memorandum dated February 26.

Based on the national plan, increasing local fish production and ensuring its safety and quality were among the priority objectives this year of the DA-BFAR, which is mandated to implement the National Fisheries Program and other projects stated under the General Appropriations Act FY 2023 with a total budget of over P6.9 billion. Raadee S. Sausa

PHL slips 10 notches in frontier tech readiness index in ’22—Unctad

By Andrea E. San Juan

FROM 44th place in 2021, the Philippines slipped 10 notches in the Frontier Technologies Readiness Index, dropping to 54th spot among 166 economies in the world, a 2022 report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) showed.

W hile the Philippines’s rank dipped, Unctad said it is one of several economies in Asia that performed “better than expected according to their GDP per capita.”

“ India remains the greatest overperformer, ranking at 67 positions better than expected, followed by the Philippines (54 positions better) and Viet Nam (44 better),”

Unctad said in its statement on Thursday.

T he index ranks 166 countries

based on ICT, skills, research and development, industrial capacity and finance indicators. Unctad noted that the United States, Sweden and Singapore received the highest scores in 2022.

B ased on their rankings, countries are placed within one of four 25-percentile score groups: low, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high. The Philippines belongs to the upper middle score group.

A ccording to the Frontier Technologies Readiness Index, The Philippines ranks 94th in information and communications technologies (ICT); 79th in Skills; 52nd in Research and Development (R&D); 3rd in Industry, and 80th in Finance.

U nctad noted that the index shows countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa are the least ready to har -

ness frontier technologies and are at risk of missing current technological opportunities.

Unctad called on governments in developing countries to “align” environmental, science, technology, innovation and industrial policies.

It urged them to prioritize investment in greener and more complex sectors, to provide incentives to shift consumer demand toward greener goods and to boost investment in research and development.

As developing countries respond to today’s urgent interconnected crises, they also need to take strategic, long-term action to build innovation and technological capacities to spur sustainable economic growth and increase their resilience to future crises,” Shamika N. Sirimanne, director of Unctad’s technology and logistics division, said.

Continued on A12

THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), represented by Head Executive Assistant Patricia Nicole G. Uy, joined the Interactive Dialogue with Youth Representatives at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, to address the challenges faced by women and youth in ICT. She cited the Department’s initiatives that will build a safer space for women and children in the digital world.

“ The Philippines has a young population with an average age of 25 years, and the youth, in particular, are in a unique position to benefit from these advancements, as we possess a natural curiosity and willingness to embrace change and adopt technology,” Uy said.

U y served as a speaker at the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) Interactive Dialogue on the priority theme, “Innovation and technological change, and education

in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”. She is a member of the Philippine Delegation along with Undersecretary and Spokesperson Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo.

Those exposed to social media at a young age tend to follow trends

blindly, due to ‘Fear Of Missing Out’ which usually leads to personal data being collected without their knowledge. Therefore, it is crucial not only to provide access to technology but also to educate users on how to use it safely and responsibly,” she added.

Continued

Roderick L. Abad @rodrik_28

calls for inclusive, safer digital spaces for Filipino youth and women

Companies

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Friday, March 17, 2023

San Miguel 2022 profit falls on foreign exchange losses

By VG Cabuag @villygc

r e venues rose 60 percent to P1.5 trillion from the previous year’s P941.19 billion, and even surpassed its 2019 pre-pandemic result of P1 trillion.

Consolidated income from operations rose 10 percent to P134.5 billion from the previous year’s P121.89 billion, driven by the sustained performance of key businesses such as Petron Corp., San Miguel fo od and Beverage Inc., San Miguel Packaging and SMC

Infrastructure, as well as groupwide cost management efforts to mitigate the effects of increasing raw material costs, inflation pressures, and forex movements.

“Our strong top line performance is a clear indication of our economy’s continuous recovery as well as the strong consumer demand for our products and services,” San Miguel President and C e O r a mon S. Ang said.

“While challenges remain, we’re

confident in the measures and programs we’ve put in place to weather these. We remain strongly committed to executing on the long-term growth strategy we’ve laid out for our company, that will also significantly benefit our country.”

San Miguel Global Power holdings Corp. (SMCGP) recorded consolidated revenues of P221.4 billion in 2022, up by 66 percent from P133.7 billion in the previous year, brought about by an increase in average realization prices, higher spot sales prices, and improved power nominations.

Offtake volumes reached 27,402 gigawatt hour (Gwh), higher by 181 Gwh from the previous year.

Operating income, however, declined by 22 percent to P28.9 billion from P36.8 billion registered in 2021, reflecting the impact of increases in fuel costs, exposure to high Wholesale e lectricity Spot Market prices and the deration of the Ilijan power plant.

By the end of December 2022, coal prices reached $404.07 per

Converge trims 2023 capex budget

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

After frontloading most of the capital expenditures

(capex) that it needed to expand its network within the last three years, Converge IC t Solutions Inc. said it decided to cut its outlays by as much as 45 percent.

Converge officials said the lower capital outlays for 2023 stem from the company’s accelerated investments in its backbone and access segments during the pandemic.

t his accelerated spend enabled the company to reach its 2023 target of covering 55 percent of fi lipino households with fiber connectivity in 2022.

“We built our infrastructure so fast. t here is no operator in this country that produces two million ports every year. We were able to build ahead of time and cushion the effect of inflation and exchange rate differences,” Converge CeO Dennis Anthony Uy said.

Converge will slow down on mas-

sive capital investments this year, according to Converge President Grace Uy. “We have to slow down a bit and focus on those that have been rolled out to improve on the utilization of those ports,” she said.

Currently, Converge has 7.9 million ports in the country with 14.9 million homes passed or a 56.2-percent nationwide household coverage.

As such, Converge will be spending between 30 percent to 45 percent less than the actual capital spend in 2022 of P21.9 billion.

Majority of the capital spend this year will be used for the deployment of additional ports and routers for subscribers, while a fourth of it will be spent to support the growth of its Visayas and Mindanao businesses. t he remainder will be used to invest in other subsea cable networks and digitalization efforts.

t his year, Converge plans to expand in new cities in Bohol, Zamboanga, Palawan, and Aklan, among other areas this year. Aside from its residential business, it plans to beef up its enterprise segment and

complement it with its data center business.

During the same press briefing, Converge unveiled its latest service offering called Surf2Sawa, a prepaid service that targets mainly the C, D, and e markets.

t he prepaid service requires an upfront payment for the modem installation, while prepaid buckets range between P50 for a day of unlimited fiber internet and P700 for 30 days of unlimited fiber internet.

Converge ended 2022 with a 4-percent growth in profits to P7.43 billion from P7.16 billion on the back of a 27.3-percent jump in revenues to P33.7 billion from 26.48 billion.

t he company aims to grow its top line by “10 percent to 15 percent,” a slower rate versus the year prior.

Converge COO Jesus romero said the company now has a bigger revenue base compared to 2022, hence the slowdown in the growth rate, but a higher absolute figure nonetheless.

“Once you’re big, the percentage growth rates will be lower. t he focus is the absolute number,” he said.

Ayala unit acquires US wind power assets

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

AC e N Corp. announced

t h ursday that its joint venture company, UPC Power Solutions LLC, is acquiring 136 megawatts (MW) of wind power assets from United Statesbased GlidePath Power Solutions LLC.

UPC Power Solutions signed a Purchase and Sale Agreement with GlidePath for the acquisition of a portfolio of eight operating wind projects located in the state of te xas.

“We’ve long set our sights on the US as our next market following our sustained success in the Asia Pacific. We are committed to enact the accelerated green energy transition globally, and these new partnerships ensure that AC e N is well-placed to harness the vast opportunities in the US renewables space,” said AC e N In-

ternational C e O Patrice Clausse.

t h is development marks

AC e N ’s anticipated entry into the fast-growing US renewables market as it expands its geographic footprint beyond the Asia Pacific region.

It can be recalled that AC e N , through its subsidiary AC e N USA LLC, formed a strategic partnership with Pivot Power Management (PivotGen) and UPC Solar & Wind Investments LLC to pursue opportunities to acquire operating wind projects in the US, and explore strategies for extending their useful life through preventative maintenance and repowering.

“We are excited to announce this acquisition. We look forward to successfully repowering the

metric ton (M t ), coming from $170.23 per M t at the end of 2021.

SMCGP’s net income amounted to P3.13 billion, down 80 percent from the previous year’s P15.97 billion.

Petron’s recovery, meanwhile, continued throughout the year, as it posted combined sales volumes from its Philippines and Malaysia operations of 112.8 million barrels, up 37 percent compared to 2021. Domestic volumes climbed 43 percent, as demand from the industrial and aviation sectors recovered.

It had a consolidated net income of P6.7 billion, 9 percent better than the P6.1 billion it reported in 2021.

Meanwhile, SMC Infrastructure delivered consolidated revenues of P29 billion, 47 percent higher than 2021 level. tr affic volume at all operating toll roads increased 25 percent, sustaining its upward trend. Operating income grew more than double to P14.2 billion from the previous P6.78 billion owing to higher traffic volume.

B1

SEC grants amnesty for late filing of GIS, financial statements

The Securities and exchange Commission (SeC) on t hursday said it is granting corporations and other regulated entities an amnesty on the late and non-filing of certain reportorial requirements.

t he Se C on March 15 issued

Memorandum Circular No. 2, Series of 2023, or the Grant of Amnesty for Non-filing and Late fi ling of the General Information Sheet (GIS) and Annual financial Statement (A fS) and Non-Compliance with Memorandum Circular No. 28, Series of 2020 (MC 28).

t he amnesty, which will come in the form of a waiver or reduction of fines, is part of the commission’s efforts to encourage its regulated entities to comply with reportorial requirements under the rev ised Corporation Code. t he timely submission of reportorial requirements will also allow for the prudent identification of active and inactive corporations, and give the SeC the capacity to enhance and organize its database towards nurturing a healthy and vibrant corporate sector.

Under the guidelines, the SeC

will provide an amnesty on the unassessed and already assessed but not yet paid fines and penalties by the SeC for the non-filing and late filing of the GIS for the latest and prior years, as well as the non-filing and late filing of A fS, including its attachments such as the Certificate of e x istence of Program/Activity, Non-Stock, Non-Profit Organization forms, for the latest and prior years.

An all-encompassing fine of P5,000 will be charged for all such violations, in lieu of the usual fines and penalties imposed by the SeC t he rates will apply provided that the corporation or entity will submit the latest reportorial requirement due at the time of the application, and comply with MC 28.

t he penalty of P10,000 for noncompliance with MC 28 will be waived. Meanwhile, suspended and revoked corporations, including those which have filed for the lifting of suspension or revocation, will be given a 50 percent reduction on their assessed fines, encompassing all violations on the non-filing and late filing of GIS and A fS VG Cabuag

portfolio so that these projects can continue to deliver clean, renewable power and provide jobs and economic opportunity in local communities,” said PivotGen C e O t i m r o senzweig.

AC e N said the sale would be subject to regulatory approvals including the f e deral e n ergy r e gulatory Commission, an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil.

t h e energy platform of conglomerate Ayala Corp. has about 4,000 MW of attributable capacity from owned facilities in the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, and Australia, with a renewable share of 98 percent, which is among the highest in the region.

t h e company’s aspiration is to be the largest listed renewables platform in Southeast Asia, with a goal of reaching 20 gigawatts of renewables capacity by 2030.

Conglomerate San miguel Corp. (SmC) said its income last year fell 44 percent to P26.76 billion from the previous year’s P48.15 billion due to the impact of unrealized losses on the revaluation of its foreign currency-denominated long-term debt.

Getting the board onboard and aligned

IN a recent webinar organized by BoardPro entitled “How to Get your Board On-board and Aligned,” I gained insights on building an effective working board from Lisa Cook, founder and managing director of Get on Board Australia, an Australian board management software provider and board portal.

Liza presented a three-step framework, “I AM” which stands for Integrate, A ctivate and Motivate.” To remember this framework easily, Liza suggests to have in mind statements like: “I am ready to serve the board”; “I am ready to be part of a high-performing board”; and, “I am ready to be successful.”

The three-step framework calls for the following:

1. Integrate. This ensures that the board member develops a broad understanding of the board and the organization, is clear on how the board does its work, its norms and culture, and what the board member is there for. This may include:

(a) c onducting a rigorous onboarding/induction program that introduces the new board member to the board and to the organization by providing access to past board meeting documents; board charter and suite of policies and procedures; conversations with other board members; strategy documentation, reports, etc.;

(b) assigning a board buddy for them to have someone to go to, for example, for an explanation of the various acronyms throughout the board papers and for a quick lowdown on the context of a topic or issue being discussed;

(c) creating connection with the chair to have an opportunity to bond together and to get to know and understand them and their broader existence such as other commitments, health, family challenges, and career satisfaction; and

(d) setting clear expectations to avoid many issues that plague boards and to positively work towards engaging and activating board members so that they will know what to do and when to do it, and have the tools for the job.

2. Activate. This refers to increasing participation and engagement of the board members by:

(a) leveraging on each of the board member’s expertise and diversity by positioning the expertise where it’s logically needed and valued, or by inviting the board member to provide in-depth information or recommendations to the board;

(b) engaging the board member in setting how the board does its work, with the aim of being an efficient and effective board. In addition, asking the board member to share how they do their best work and what tools they might need; and

(c) providing invitations to attend events as a board representative or sharing the load across all board members to ensure everyone feels involved and recognized.

3. Motivate. This consists of giving a chance for the board to know and to bond with one another. Initiating board engagement away from meetings can be extremely valuable to a collaborative board. Simple ways to do this are having board lunches/ dinners before or after board meetings, and/or engaging with a board buddy and/or the chair between meetings. Making a point of celebrating successes will also make all the hard work and difficult decisions feel worth it.

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.

‘Exclude BSP as Maharlika fund source’

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

enabling itself to meet the challenges to the economy since anything can happen in a span of 17 years.”

Moreover, Gatchalian said it will take that same number of years “for BSP to fully realize its capitalization requirements if the central bank is mandated to contribute its dividends to the MIF.”

Current liquidity crunch

In a four-page letter, Gatchalian conveyed his recommendation to Senator Mark A. Villar, chairman of the Senate Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies (BFIC), currently tackling the Senate version of a bill creating the MIF.

According to the BFIC Committee Vice-Chairman, the BSP’s declared dividends should be removed as a source of funds both for the capital-

ization of the MIF and the Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC). The latter is envisioned to be an independent body that would govern and manage the MIF.

Gatchalian aired concerns that “by approving the proposal to include BSP as a source of MIF, we will be exposing our financial system to uncertainties.” The senator also noted that “we will be hindering the BSP from

THE senator cited as an example the current liquidity crunch facing the banking sector in the United States—triggered by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank—that is shaking investor confidence across the globe. He also noted reports that SVB’s shutdown was caused by concerns about the bank’s solvency causing a wider sell-off in stocks that prompted an increase in clients pulling out their deposits. Gatchalian said that “concerns over the health of the global financial system were further stoked by Credit Suisse’s largest single-day sell-off on US and European markets.”

The lawmaker further recalls “these developments are reminiscent of the 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers that prompted a market meltdown and a global recession, leading central banks all over the world to execute dramatic easing of monetary policy rates.”

Gatchalian laments that “instead of fortifying and readying the BSP to handle crises facing the banking sector, the proposed MIF bill weakens the very institution capable to quickly intervene and take action during a banking crisis.”

“It constrains BSP’s capability to take extraordinary measures to reduce bank run risks and shore up confidence in the financial system during uncertain times,” he added.

Contradicting Senate vote

AT the same time, the senator observed that agreeing to the current proposal to source from the BSP’s declared dividends the MIC’s capitalization would mean “contradicting the Senate’s vote in the 18th Congress” when it approved Republic

Act (RA) 11211 (The New Central Bank Act).

With the passage of RA 11211, the capitalization of the BSP was increased from P50 billion to P200 billion. “We were made to understand the urgency to increase the capitalization of the BSP to ensure the financial strength of the institution given the growth of the banking industry through the years,” Gatchalian said.

The senator added that mandating the BSP to declare dividends in favor of the MIC will affect central bank’s independence and credibility in performing its price and financial stability mandates.

“By declaring dividends to contribute to MIC’s capitalization, BSP will have lesser funds to take full action against inflationary pressures which entail huge costs on the financial markets and can result to output loss and unemployment and eventually affecting the public’s perception on the track record of the BSP in anchoring inflation expectations,” he said.

BIR files tax evasion case vs ‘ghost’ companies in fake transactions

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas & Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

SEVERAL months before Hallow-

een, four “ghost” companies were discovered by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) that sued their respective executives for tax evasion.

This is the first tax rap made by the bureau under its recently-launched “Run After Fake Transactions,” or “RAFT,” program, BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. said. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.

ph/2023/03/14/bir-ramps-up-drive-vsfaketransactions-fake-receipts/ )

The case was filed against the corporations that the BIR discovered as engaging in fake transactions during a December 2022 raid at a condominium unit in Quezon City. The BIR said such transactions cost the government at least P25.5 billion in lost revenues.

Lumagui, who led the filing of the case, said this is just the start of a string of cases that the BIR would pursue against companies involved in fake transactions or issuance of fake receipts.

The BIR chief explained that the modus involves registered companies issuing receipts to another company for a non-existent product or service in order for the latter to avail of tax deductions.

Lumagui added the government’s possible losses due to this malpractice could reach about P100 billion, since the operations extend nationwide.

“We are just getting started. The financial magnitude of this syndicate issuing fictitious receipts is alarming. They are profiting from businesses through convincing their clients to ghost our tax authority,” the BIR chief said on March 16.

Case vs. buyers

ACCORDING to Lumagui, “taxpayers and businesses who used these fictitious receipts will be audited by our examiners.”

“I assure the whole force of the BIR that I will be with them every step of the way. We have a list of both buyers and sellers of these fictitious receipts,” he added.

The BIR said the four companies, which are all owned by Filipinos, did not have “any legitimate business activity” and were only established “for the sole purpose of selling fictitious sales invoices and receipts.”

“As a result of these companies’ fraudulent tax schemes, the government is losing an estimated total deficiency income tax amounting to P17.63 billion and total deficiency value added tax amounting to P7.91 Billion, for taxable years 2019-2021, inclusive of surcharges and interests,” the bureau said.

Lumagui said the BIR will also file a case against those who bought fake receipts from the four corporations since they are considered accomplices to the fraud.

“They know that they are not buying any legitimate services or products from these [ghost] companies. We will disallow their expenses because we know that they

receipts

order to be

deductions,” he said.

‘Strong’ case

LUMAGUI believes that the case they filed is “strong” given that they have submitted “complete” evidence to establish that the four “ghost” companies did not really have any legitimate business transactions.

“They do not even have a property. They do not exist in their addresses,” he said.

Among those charged were the Buildforce Trading Inc., Crazykitchen Foodtrade Corp., Decarich Supertrade Inc., and Redington Corporation and their officers.

They will undergo preliminary investigation for violation of Sections

254 (Attempt to Evade or Defeat Tax),

255 (Failure to File Return, Supply Correct and Accurate Information, Pay Tax Withhold and Remit Tax and Refund Excess Taxes Withheld on Compensation), and 267 (Declaration Under Penalties of Injury) of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 (Republic Act 8424).

Under Section 254, an attempt to evade or defeat tax is punishable by a fine not less than P30,000 but not more than P100,000 and imprisonment of not less than two years but not more than four years.

It further states that the “conviction or acquittal obtained under this Section shall not be a bar to the filing of a civil suit for the collection of taxes.”

Eyes 100 more

MEANWHILE, violation of Section 255 is punishable by a fine of not less than P10,000 and suffer imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than 10 years.

Section 267, on the other hand, states that “any declaration, return and other statement required under this Code, shall, in lieu of an oath, contain a written statement that they are made under the penalties of perjury.”

It added that “any person who willfully files a declaration, return or statement containing information which is not true and correct as to every material matter shall, upon conviction, be subject to the penalties prescribed for perjury under the Revised Penal Code.”

Last week, Lumagui disclosed that the BIR plans to file cases against more than a hundred corporations involved in fake transactions within the year.

In the last week of January, the Commissioner himself orchestrated and supervised the nationwide raid by BIR regional officials in 21 provinces and 69 cities that targeted warehouses and stores where illicit cigarettes were sold or stored. The most recent nationwide enforcement activity was last February 2023, during the filing of tax evasion cases against 74 erring individuals and corporate taxpayers with total tax liabilities, inclusive of increments, amounting to approximately P 3.58 billion.

Webinars offered MEANWHILE, the BIR announced also last Thursday that it will be conducting a series of webinars open to the public. The webinar would focus on the

Annual Income Tax Return (AITR) filing and payment of taxes for three cohorts. The first webinar is for employees earning purely compensation as well as for mixed income earners to be held on March 16.

The webinar on the AITR filing and payment of taxes of self-employed and professionals would be held on

March 22. The webinar for corporations and partnerships is scheduled on March 29.

The BIR said all interested taxpayers are requested to scan the respective QR Code for their preferred topic prior to the date of the scheduled webinar in order to register and join the discussion via the Zoom platform. The details with

Zoom link will be provided to the taxpayer’s registered e-mail address since there will be limited slots available for each webinar, the BIR said. Taxpayers who will not be accommodated via Zoom may still watch the webinars via Facebook Live at the BIR’s official Facebook page, the bureau added.

A

MID warnings against lingering “potential financial shocks” across the globe, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian pressed for the “outright exclusion” of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) “as a fund source” of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF).

Octavio Peralta

Depression too o�ten gets deemed ‘hard to treat’ when medication falls short

BY ELISSA H. PATTERSON AND JAY KAYSE� University of Michigan

APLUMBER who shows up to fix a leaking toilet with a single tool is not likely to succeed. The same is true if a mental health professional offers only one approach for a complex problem like depression.

Sadly, the number of people struggling with depression increased dramatically at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Stress—from school closures to job losses to the death of loved ones—made life more challenging and increased the risk of developing emotional difficulties. For some groups that have experienced discrimination, ongoing inequities made their mental health even worse.

There is a professional debate about whether depression is a social problem or a disease. Despite this debate, a 62 percent increase in yearly spending on US mental health care, from $131 billion in 2006 to $212 billion in 2015, has not led to the intended level of improvement for patients.

This makes it clear that the current approach is falling short, but there are a host of viable alternatives for helping to treat patients who are suffering with depression.

As mental health professionals, we see the effects of the ongoing mental health crisis on a daily basis.

AN OVERRELIANCE ON MEDICATION

CAUSES HARM

MORE than 13 percent of US adults take an antidepressant medication for depression or for other reasons. Many people report feeling better on antidepressants, though there is debate about what causes the improvements.

Unfortunately, nearly 3 in 4 who take these drugs do not get complete relief from antidepressants. As we discussed in a recent paper, people who do not feel better on antidepressants are usually categorized as having a difficult-to-treat type of depression referred to, controversially, as “treatment-resistant depression.”

We see patients who feel demoralized by the implied and untrue notion that their depression is “incurable” after only trying medication but not lower-risk treatments like psychotherapy and other effective alternatives. We help them find hope again.

The US health care system relies heavily on medication and other biomedical treatments for depression. But in fact there are numerous nondrug-based solutions for prevention and treatment of depression.

Holistic concepts that promote flourishing and thriving, as well as whole-health initiatives and mind-body medicine focus on the entire person. These concepts have not yet been fully integrated into approaches to public mental health.

THE QUEST TO UNDERSTAND

WELL-BEING AND DEPRESSION

THERE are many hardworking, highly successful people who do not feel fulfilled with life from time to time. When this internal lack of fulfillment also includes other symptoms like a loss of hope and becomes severe enough to disrupt daily life for a period of two weeks or more, it may be medically diagnosed as depression.

In the 1960s, researchers proposed that depression was caused by a chemical imbalance of

a neurotransmitter called serotonin in the brain.

In 1988, the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly introduced an antidepressant medication based on that idea.

However, after decades of experiments, researchers have failed to find evidence showing support for the chemical imbalance theory. A recent study highlights the growing realization that antidepressant medications do not work in the simplistic way in which they have been advertised for decades.

This is important because antidepressants have side effects that can be serious. For a doctor and patient to weigh the risks and benefits of taking an antidepressant, they need accurate information about both. The chemical imbalance theory interfered with that conversation.

TOOLS TO HEAL DEPRESSION

SO what exactly does contribute to overall well-being and happiness to help stave off depression?

A large body of research shows that biological, psychological and social factors contribute to feeling satisfied in life or to developing depression. Because each individual is unique, there is not a one-size-fitsall formula for well-being.

Many people find relief from depression by talking to a psychotherapist. High-quality psychotherapy has been shown to be as effective as and longer-lasting than antidepressant medication when treating depression.

Therapy activates an individual’s hope and natural resilience by creating a safe and emotionally warm relationship through which the therapist and client work together toward common goals.

In addition to helping clients learn about their emotions, thoughts, relationships and patterns of behavior, a good therapist explores how to help their clients identify everyday activities that can improve wellness.

The things we do on a day-to-day basis, called lifestyle factors, function as building blocks for a life without depression. Physical movement, good nutrition, healthy sleep, healthy levels of stress and stress management, social connection, finding meaning and purpose, and spiritual practices all play important roles in preventing and treating depression.

These are too often wrongly trivialized as less effective than professional treatment. In fact, though, a recent study showed that exercise is even more effective than medication or counseling. Another eyeopening study showed that 85 percent of people who received no treatment still recovered from depression within one year.

As mental health professionals, we find these results both humbling and inspiring. It means that the general public has solutions for depression that the mental health system has too often overlooked. This is consistent with the scientific study of healing, which shows that the body has a tremendous and overlooked ability to repair and heal itself under the right circumstances.

Consider the example of laughter therapy, a stress hormone-reducing, mood-lifting practice used in 120 countries. Laughter leaders guide groups of people in exercises that stimulate contagious laughter. Not everyone will react the same way to laughter therapy, but it is effective at increasing well-being for some people, so it belongs in the tool box of therapies to try.

HOPE COMES IN MANY FORMS

ONE research initiative has identified communities, called blue zones, where people tend to live long, healthy and satisfying lives. The lifestyles of people living in these areas, like Ikaria, Greece, and Okinawa, Japan, are characterized by social connection, consumption of mostly plant-based foods, a high sense of purpose, environments that support physical movement and intentional relaxation. Customs in different countries and environments show that these principles are visible across the globe in many different forms.

Many cultures extol the benefits of being in nature. Nordic countries use the word friluftsliv, which means “outdoor life,” to describe the practice of getting outdoors to improve well-being. In Japan, some people practice shinrin-yoku, translated as forest bathing or opening up the senses to the natural world’s scents, sights and sounds.

Researchers have also found that access to green space is associated with lower levels of depression symptoms. Other studies show that gardening is linked with less depression, stronger social connections and improvement in quality of life. Gardening also gives those with access a chance to move their bodies and eat more homegrown vegetables as part of an anti-depression nutrition plan.

We cannot describe everything on the endless list of life-affirming, research-supported and low-risk methods to decrease stress, boost mood and enhance fulfillment. But here are a few more examples:

■ aromatherapy

■ light therapy

■ yoga

■ music

■ animals

■ making art

■ gratitude practice

■ sexual activity

■ positive psychology

■ playfulness enhancement

■ mobile apps

■ self-help tools like "tapping" to help with strong emotions

■ peer and social support programs

These seemingly simple interventions are powerful because they lead to health-promoting psychological and physiological changes.

STAYING TRUE TO WHAT WORKS

CLINICIANS, researchers and leaders have been trying to identify the best treatment for depression for at least two decades. This is an unanswerable question. Some treatments work extremely well for certain people and cause terrible reactions for others. When standard research protocols try to capture these effects, it can look like there is no effect of the treatment because the positive effects average out with the negative effects.

A search for the holy grail of a neurobiological cause for depression has drawn attention away from efforts to implement what is already known about how to promote health.

To live one’s best life, everyone needs safety, shelter, clothing, good nutrition, good sleep, physical movement, loving and kind social connection, and a sense of meaning and purpose. There are many ways to help people get there. THE CONVERSATION

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS

DAY: Mia Hamm, 51; Rob Lowe, 59; Gary Sinise, 68; Kurt Russell, 72.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: A call for help will reunite you with someone facing similar struggles. Together you can accomplish things if you join forces and push what drives you the most. It’s time to turn a dream into something concrete and lucrative. Explore what’s possible this year and make things happen. Stop talking and start doing, and your reputation will get a boost. Your numbers are 7, 12, 18, 26, 34, 39, 43.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Sharing secrets will backfire. Be discreet and focus on staying in shape instead of trying to outmaneuver someone looking for an argument or trying to oust you from your position. Take what’s yours and go about your business; opportunities will unfold. ★★

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Spice things up and enjoy the company of someone who shares your interests. A chance to test your physical skills will boost your ego and give you the confidence to engage in meaningful conversations and offer personal stability. ★★★★★

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Calm down and don’t engage in conversations about life, love or politics. It’s best to keep your thoughts to yourself and to give others the freedom to do as they please. Don’t let anger stop you from recognizing an opportunity within reach. ★★★★★

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Take what’s yours and keep moving. Trust your instincts and go after your dream. Let go of the past and embrace what’s new and exciting. Live in the moment and discover a bright future filled with hope, love and peace of mind. ★★★

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Be careful what you wish for when it comes to position, reputation and partnerships. You will have second thoughts if you are too quick to decide your next move. Don’t get into a battle with someone using emotional manipulation. ★★★

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Social events are favored. Mixing business with pleasure will encourage a better understanding of colleagues and those who live with you. Welcome discussions. Sharing feelings and intentions will promote greater understanding, support and freedom to get things done your way. ★★★

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Be open to suggestions, but don’t let anyone decide your destiny. Traveling and exploring educational pursuits will feed your mind with comparable options that require close examination to ensure what you choose next is the right fit for you. ★★★★★

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Say no to overindulgence. A lifestyle change will breathe new life into your plans. Embracing what comes your way will open your mind to options that offer the edge you need to advance. Incorporate fitness into your daily routine. ★★

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t give up or give in to someone trying to mislead you. Spending more time at home will help stabilize your life. Refuse to let what others do cause you to second-guess your plans. A romantic evening is favored. ★★★

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You have more going for you than you realize. Look at your schedule and adjust your plans to include something that allows you to use your skills with a much broader stroke. It’s time to build the life you want to live. ★★★

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Dedicate your time to finishing what you start. Once you tidy up loose ends, doors will open, and you’ll feel rejuvenated and ready to start something new and exciting. Don’t share your plans, or someone trying to disrupt your life will challenge you. ★★★

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Put your heart into something you love doing. The time spent participating in things you enjoy will pay off, whether it’s a hobby or skills you use professionally. It’s time to change the way you earn and handle your money. ★★★★

BIRTHDAY BABY:

You are intuitive, unique and friendly. You are passionate and aggressive.

The

‘promising young professionals’ BY DAVID ALFRED BYWATERS

Elegy: ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’

IT is the silence that terrifies us in this film about the First World War, not the noise. It is not the battle that scares us in the film but the peace and the lull between attacks. The film is All Quiet on the Western Front, a title immortalized as an idiomatic expression, which means nothing is happening at all. You can almost hear Samuel Beckett’s characters, standing on a hump, moaning: “Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it’s awful.”

But nothing is awfully existential about All Quiet in this cinema. What we have is a raw materiality of years preserving boundaries in a period when nations were defined by what they possessed in square miles. But this film is framed by nations eating up territories and altering geographies. By the end of the war in 1918, which began in 1914, nothing much has been altered on the western front.

All Quiet is about the first modern historically modern war. While great battles in the past were named after hills and plains upon which the fighting took place, here we are dealing with a conflict approximated to have been global.

How important are the lives of individuals when nations wage war? How meaningful is dying for one’s country and fighting for your people’s honor? How valid are wars?

All Quiet begins in the middle of the war. In a school, young men are fired up by the desire to be at

the battlefront. A school head adds to the passion of these individuals who think they are the hope of their nation, the force that will help Germany win the old dispute. Will we be the ones who will march to Paris?

As this first World War fills the screen with haunting images, another war has been seared in our collective memories—the arrival and departure of the Second World War, its histories of viciousness several times improved over the First. If improvement means a wider swath of destabilization and hunger and more deaths.

And so the youth marches on to the battlefield. And the conceit of cinema takes over—wide fields photographed for their calm beauty, trees growing up to the sky in conversation with some transcendence, the horizon to remind us of eternity. Then suddenly, we are in the trenches. Sodden, dirty, wet. The rains fall on the thick coats of men while they remain stolid, almost unmindful of the discomfort that we, in the comfort of our homes or cinema, are wishing away.

RUSSIAN opposition leader Alexei Navalny is seen on a TV screen, as he appears in a video link provided by the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service in a courtroom of the Second Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction in Moscow, Russia, on October 18, 2022. AP

NAvAlNy ‘terribly gl Ad’ documeNtAry About him woN AN oscAr

TALLINN, Estonia—Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said on Wednesday he was “terribly glad” that a film detailing his poisoning and political activism won the Oscar for best documentary feature.

In a series of tweets that appeared on his account on Wednesday, the politician congratulated director Daniel Roher and others involved in the making of Navalny, as well as his wife Yulia and his allies in the Anti-Corruption Foundation.

“I am, of course, terribly glad, but while rejoicing, I try not to forget that it wasn’t me who won the Oscar after all,” Navalny said.

The documentary portrays Navalny’s career of fighting official corruption, his near-fatal poisoning with a nerve agent in 2020 that he blames on the Kremlin, his fivemonth recuperation in Germany and his 2021 return to Moscow, where he was immediately taken into custody at the airport. He was later sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison and last year was convicted and given another nine-year term.

Navalny has faced unrelenting pressure from authorities. He spent several weeks in isolation in a tiny “punishment cell” and last month was placed in a restricted housing unit for six months. He is effectively deprived of phone calls or visits from his family, while being apparently allowed to write letters or have his lawyers visit occasionally.

In the tweets, Navalny confirmed on Wednesday that he learned about the Oscar while attending a court hearing via video link from his prison. He said his lawyer tried to break the news to him by placing a piece of paper in front of a camera, but Navalny couldn’t see what was written on it, so the attorney had to say it out loud—“Your film won an Oscar.”

“I had a very strange feeling at that moment,” the politician said. “It was as if those words didn’t even belong in this world, but, on the other hand, everything here is so weird and crazy that it feels like that’s the only world they belong in.” AP

Earlier on, we see these woolen coats being taken off dead bodies and washed and mended for the next soldiers to wear. The youthful, pink faces of men that left the graceful towns and cities are now caked with gray mud. Eyes, some more open with terror and some vacant, stare out. Are they regretting the valor in their chest? It appears more are accepting about the war and the grand roles they needed to play. Remember this was the period when ethnicity colored

citizenships and marked borders. To be a good person of a particular nation was to be ready to die at the altar of bravery, acts that were preserved by the purple prose of old soldiers and statesmen. The war being played out is also about arms that are presently not allowed (officially, that is) anymore. And so we are shocked how gas was then the go-to effective means of conquest.

But All Quiet is not just about this strange war. It is about the forgotten details. Resting after a heavy fighting, an officer looks around and singles out a soldier unharmed or at least spaced-out enough to be given a pouch into which he will put half of the dog tags worn by soldiers, presently dead and accounted only by that thin stainless steel ID.

All Quiet is about youth wasted. It is about the relentless pride in staying firm against surrender even if entire platoons are gone. Even if there are more corpses than living, fighting men. In the book,

All Quiet on the Western Front, written by Erich Maria Remarque, a veteran of the First World War, there is a favorite quote about the youth of war: “We are not youth any longer. We don’t want to take the world by storm. We are fleeing from ourselves, from our life. We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces.”

Then All Quiet is about face-to-face hand combats. Unshakeable is the scene with Paul (a grand film debut from theater’s Felix Kammerer), the young German

soldier, encountering a young French combatant. They fight to death, with Paul breathing heavily beside the enemy gradually fading away. He stares into the eyes of the Frenchman and we know he regrets stabbing him.

How did young soldiers (who would become the next generation birthing the next generation for the second war) forget the faces of those they killed? These thoughts become real in the film. They stare back at us—the absence of meaning in wars.

There are cinematic lessons in the film. One is its cinematography; images so acutely beautiful provide a counterpoint to the cruelties we impose on other humans.

The sound design is an interjection of metallic riffs and drum beats; music sparing are used lushly only in a few moments. The performances of the actors are so real because the war as remembered has been staged with such sharpness—men rush headlong ready to kill, and each minute, down in the trench, death is more possible than life.

The film, which is the first German adaptation of Remarque’s novel, won the Oscar for Best International Feature for Germany. It also won the awards of Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, and Best Original Score.

All Quiet on the Western Front is directed by Edward Berger. It is distributed by and streaming on Netflix. n

Ruru, Bianca explore life’s ‘what ifs’ in first-ever drama series together

WHAT if one day you are given a chance to change your past? What if your “what ifs” come to life?

Homegrown GMA artists and Sparkle stars Ruru Madrid and Bianca

Umali headline their much-awaited romantic drama series together in The Write One—the first collaboration between Philippine broadcast giant GMA Network and leading panregional over-the-top (OTT) video streaming service Viu.

Streaming on Viu Philippines starting March 18, and premiering on March 20 on GMA, GTV, Pinoy Hits, and I Heart Movies, The Write One is a groundbreaking story about Liam (Ruru), a frustrated writer who is given a chance to rewrite his love and life story with the help of a mysterious typewriter. Joining Ruru and Bianca are fellow Sparkle artists Mikee Quintos and Paul Salas.

In the story, Liam’s priority is to produce his dream TV series. Joyce (Bianca), on the other hand, gives up her budding showbiz career to be a wife to Liam and mother to their son Dex. With the love between Liam and Joyce dimmed by the years that have passed, both wonder what could have been had they not given up their individual dreams. Then, Liam stumbles upon an antique typewriter and finds himself writing—and

magically making real—the revised story of his life.

creative manager of a film production company while Joyce is the mostsought actress of her generation. Liam finds that he is in a relationship with fashion icon Via (Mikee). Joyce, on the other hand, is being wooed by Hans (Paul), a lawyer who offers Joyce both emotional and financial security.

Public Affairs, the same team that

created the Philippines’s most-watched

Bianca’s first-ever project together. The

GMA Public Affairs after I did Lolong with them, which was really a huge success,” he added.

Bianca shares that having Ruru as her on-screen partner takes some adjustments. “Sanay kami na kaming dalawa. Hindi kami sanay na kami ’yung trabaho ng isa’t isa,” she admitted.

The series likewise sees the TV reunion of veteran actors Lotlot de Leon and Ramon Christopher playing Liam’s parents. Further giving life to the story are highly-esteemed character actors Mon Confiado, Alma Concepcion and Art Acuna. Sparkle stars Kokoy de Santos, Royce Cabrera, Kaloy Tingcungco, Analyn Barro, Yvette Sanchez and Euwenn Mikaell Aleta complete the cast. Viewers can also look forward to various special guests gracing the series.

Directed by King Marc Baco, The

Write One is an original concept of executive producer Mark Anthony Norella.

Catch The Write One starting March 20 on GMA, Mondays to Thursdays, 9:35 pm on GMA with simulcast airing on Pinoy Hits and I Heart Movies, and at 11:30 pm on GTV.

Viewers abroad can also catch the show via GMA Pinoy TV. Catch the advanced episodes of The Write One on Viu Philippines from Saturdays to Tuesdays beginning March 18.

BIANCA UMALI and Ruru Madrid

Leading IT solutions integrator Radenta Technologies rebrands, to be more customer-focused in 2023

WATER PHILIPPINES 2023, PhilEnergy 2023 to hold unified event this March

The country’s most comprehensive trade event focusing on water, wastewater and energy is mounting its newest editions, bigger and better.

WATER PHILIPPINES 2023, in its 6th edition, and PhilEnergy 2023, in its 3rd edition, are set on March 22 to 24, 2023 at SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, Philippines.

Both events are expected to welcome over 10,000 delegates and trade visitors from 40 professional profiles in all sectors of the water and energy industry. Giving a platform to over 300 exhibiting brands and companies from over 60 exhibitor profiles, the event will showcase the latest technologies and products within the four exhibiting halls for the exhibition and two function halls for the return of Conferences, hosted by some of the partner associations, Philippine Water Works Association (PWWA) and Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance, Inc (PE2). WATER PHILIPPINES and PhilEnergy 2023 will also facilitate freeto-attend seminars throughout the threeday event.

The rebranding of PhilEnergy 2023 from Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Philippines marks the growing trade event as it added three more sub-events for a more comprehensive, industry-focused exhibition. The added events are Electric and Power Philippines; Electric Vehicle Philippines; and Energy Storage Philippines. PhilEnergy is also supported by the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers (PSME) who will mount a Technical Division Symposium where several technical speakers will gather to

lead discussions with the attendees.

“Whether there’s a crisis or none, we should mainstream energy efficiency as a primary resource in good times and in bad,” said PE2 President Alexander Ablaza. “We have been asking the Philippine government to understand that energy efficiency is not just necessary during a crisis. PhilEnergy will be a venue to put the spotlight into this important issue.”

The Department of Energy (DOE) has projected the country’s total final energy consumption to increase by 4.3% annually until 2040. A 2019 study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) attributed the rising national energy use to the continuously growing local economy, which remains among the most robust in Asia.

Aside from the constraints in supply or production, the costs of electricity in the

Philippines remain as one of the highest across Asia. The volatile fuel prices in the world market are among those cited for this problem. Thus, there are also rising calls to lower, if not totally eradicate, the industry’s reliance on materials that incur harmful emissions. The shift to renewable energy sources is one of the solutions that are being tapped locally.

As early as 2008, the Philippines has already enacted the Renewable Energy Act, which aims to increase the share of renewable energy to the country’s power generation mix by 35 percent in 2030 and 50 percent by 2040. The legislation affirms the country’s commitment to utilize renewable energy sources more to lower emissions, achieve economic development, and help protect people’s health and the environment.

Vintage Vehicle Law shifts PHL car restoration industry into high gear, more opportunities seen

VINTAGE car enthusiasts, industry stakeholders, and various government agencies gathered at the historic Presidential Car Museum at the Quezon City Memorial Circle, as the Land Transportation Office (LTO) officially signed the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 11698, also known as the Vintage Vehicle Law (VVL). With the IRR completed and published, the law (which was passed last April 2022), will officially be implemented this coming April 17. Under the regulation, land vehicles 40 years and older (based on its manufacturing date) are recognized as Vintage Vehicles. This subclassification is entitled to certain exemptions in LTO registration requirements (i.e. emissions tests, seatbelt requirements, etc.) but are also subject to strict use conditions.

Some stipulations on the use of Vintage Vehicles include limited driving hours (only during daytime), prohibition to use them as utility vehicles, and commercial use strictly confined to motion pictures or events.

“Vintage vehicles carry the history and aspirations of people and nations,” noted Northern Samar First District Rep. Paul Ruiz Daza, the principal author and sponsor of the law. “Through RA 11698, we can preserve a part of our history as a nation. Vintage cars represent a part of who we are,” he continued.

Apart from the sentimental and nostalgic spirit of the VVL, it also has some practical features. By recognizing Vintage Vehicles as a subclassification, it allows for certain fiscal and tax incentives in the importation of vintage parts, and the export of finished restored vehicles.

“One of the key objectives of this bill is to revitalize the local car restoration industry,” Daza pointed out. He further explained how “optimizing barriers-to-entry” can encourage more investors to become players in the car restoration industry. This potential growth, he continued, can give economic opportunities to local mechanics, metal workers, craftsmen, upholsterers, painters, laborers, and shop owners.

Daza also hopes that Filipino talents will

be better known in the global restoration industry.

Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz”

F. Zubiri, also a co-author of the law, was also present at the event. He expressed a message of support for the law and thanked all who worked together on it, particularly Daza and the LTO.

Other Senatorial co-authors present were Sen. Sherwin Gattchalian and Sen. Francis Tolentino.

Meanwhile, Congressmen Eric Pineda, Virgilio “VG” Lacson, Jesus “Bong” Suntay, Mike Dy, and Jose “GP” Padiernos; all Congressional co-authors, were also in attendance. Valenzuela Mayor Wes Gatchalian also attended the event as he was a co-author during his previous electoral post as Congressman.

LTO Assistant Secretary Jose Arturo M. Tugade, Bureau of Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director General Danilo P. Cruz, were also at the event and gave their support and commitment to implement the VVL.

“IT is about creativity and creative thinking. This is what will move us to the next level as we try to be more customer-focused, making our customers happier, making our employees happier.”

These were the words of Randall Lozano, President of Radenta Technologies, one of the country’s leading IT solutions integrators during the company’s recent 7th anniversary event.

Lozano added that there is no secret to the company’s continued growth. "There is no secret; the only thing I know is happiness; if the customers are happy and the people are happy, we have success."

Radenta has made a name for itself in the industry in a short span of time. It has forged strong partnerships with some of the biggest players like Microsoft, Oracle, VmWare, Zimbra, Amazon Web Services, Suse, Acronis, Microfocus, VMware, Nagios, Cisco and HP Enterprise.

These collaborations led to the introduction of a diverse suite of solutions for different industries and business concerns.

Radenta also offers its very own homegrown G Series hyperconnectivity bundle suited for government offices comprising of GRIPS or Global Resource Integrated Planning System, GEARS or Global Emergency Assistance and Response System, GRIDS or Global

Reconnaissance and Intelligent Defense System and hemp® or Human Empowerment Equals Happy Employees.

Lozano enjoined his team to always be in the present and to accept the challenge of change, to become better, more intelligent, and more progressive. It is not just having a new logo, he explained, it is having a new way of dealing with clients, a new way of looking at the market and a new way of looking into client needs. More than that, it is to have the cognizance to raise the bar not just to reach the level of competition but even to surpass it. Radenta’s vision is clear, to become the leader in the transformation of ubiquitous IT solutions. Its mission is spread out in short and impactful sentences. To be a globally acclaimed IT solutions provider that would help clients in their business transformation and to provide business tranquility to business enterprises by bringing seamless operations into their IT systems. Make Radenta your partner in your digital transformation. Call 0919-081-2978 or (02) 8535-7801, email info@radenta.com or log on to www.radenta.com

CELEBRATING WOMEN. The Norwegian Training Center (NTC) and Norwegian Embassy - Manila joined the rest of the world in celebrating International Women's Day, March 8, 2023, a day dedicated to recognizing the achievements and contributions of women, as well as raising awareness of the ongoing fight for gender equality in the maritime industry. The event honored women who have made history, and those who continue to lead the way in creating a more fair-minded and just society. The NTC recognizes the importance of gender diversity and inclusivity, and is committed to contribute to an industry where everyone has equal opportunities. At the event were, from left, Norwegian Training Center's Managing Director, Capt Jo. Even Tomren; Danish Ambassador to the Philippines, H.E. Franz-Michael Mellbin; Managing Director of Maersk Philippines Gungor Ates; and Norwegian Training Center's Deputy Director, Capt. Knut Bentzrod.

Let there be light: Electrical tools from MR.DIY that will come in handy for all Pinoy households

BEING a homeowner entails being nifty at doing quick fixes. Things like leaky faucets, crooked cabinets, and regrouting tiles are just some of the common and simple home problems you can DIY. But you can also try your hand at finally overcoming your electrical-related problems at home like changing the wires or replacing switches and light bulbs. Got the basics down but not the tools at hand? Ace your next home repairs and improvement with MR.DIY’s wide array of electrical products, including lighting, that are not only value for your money, but are only a stone’s throw away — at your nearest MR.DIY branch!

1. MR.DIY Battery Sensor Light and LED Emergency Lantern

MAKE it easier for you to find your way in the dark with MR. DIY Battery Sensor Light. Equipped with a motion sensor, the 6-LED light is perfect for small and outof-the-way spaces where you don't have access to a power outlet. With MR.DIY’s emergency lantern, you’ll always be prepared for anything! This durable, USBpowered light is also ideal for camping or outdoor use as well.

2. MR.DIY Premium 5W Daylight

EVEN as simple as changing a light bulb can positively impact your space and wellbeing! With the E27Daylight LED Bulb, there’s no need to worry about straining your eyes or having headaches because you have a wide light coverage just enough to fill your room.

3. Flashlights galore

MR.DIY has torches of all shapes and sizes!

From handy aluminum led-light flashlights to solar-powered, and even USB-powered torches, to battery-powered, large-capacity flashlights, we have them all at your nearest MR.DIY branch!

THE 6-LED light is perfect for small and out-of-the-way spaces where you don't have access to a power outlet.

4. Alkaline batteries of all sizes, for all needs

GIVE your battery-operated devices a boost with MR.DIY batteries. MR.DIY batteries are safe and long-lasting–especially designed for clocks, remote controls, electric shavers, toys, and electric toothbrushes among others.

With more than 18,000 items available, MR.DIY is the country’s favorite family and home improvement one-stop shop retailer — the place to be for your daily home fixes. These tools and other electrical items are now available at MR.DIY stores nationwide.

To learn more about MR.D.I.Y. and other exciting events, visit MR.DIY’s official website or follow /mrdiyPH on Facebook, and @mrdiy.philippines on Instagram and Tiktok for the featured promotions. Have a fast, safe, and efficient DIY shopping!

BEFORE being rebranding to PhilEnergy, RE EE Philippines 2019 housed the leading exhibiting companies and brands in the energy industry showcasing the latest technologies and products, co-locating WATER PHILIPPINES 2019.

SARAH ABABA went fourover with a 74 in the second round on Thursday but still saw her lead grow to four strokes at the Marapara course in Bacolod City.

Th at’s because her chief rivals also struggled in another wind-blown day in the International Container Terminal Services Inc. Negros Occidental Golf Classic that enabled the Davaoeña to virtually drive a wedge between her and her pursuers for a clear shot at the top P105,000 purse in the 54-hole championship.

I just tried to be patient—fairways, greens—and make the most of my birdie chances, if not, just go for twoputt par,” said Ababa, whose 143 total and a huge six-shot lead over Pamela Mariano moved her 18 holes away from scoring a follow-up to her breakthrough win in the Ladies Professional Golf Tour (LPGT) at Sherwood Hills almost a decade ago in 2015.

Mariano assumed the challenger’s role despite a birdie-less 74 for a 149 as Daniella Uy faded with a double bogeybogey finish for a 77 and a 150, and Chanelle Avaricio skied to a 78 and fell from second to joint fourth at 151 with Chihiro Ikeda and amateur Rianne Malixi, who matched 73s, and Florence Bisera, who limped with a 76.

Ikeda and Malixi’s three-over cards proved to be the day’s best as the women of the Tour fumbled and stumbled while facing the challenges and quirks of the short but difficult par70 layout, enabling Ababa, who seized control with a superb first round 69, to build a huge lead and head to the final day with less pressure.

I’m not pressured at all. I’ll just play my own game and try to play steady,” said Ababa on how she would handle the final

Editor: Jun Lomibao

ABABA, MIÑOZA STAY UP FRONT

day challenge. “Because if you hit the fairways, it gives you a chance to attack the greens.”

A baba cushioned the impact of her bogey on No. 2 and double bogey on the sixth with birdies on Nos. 7 and 9 but she yielded three straight strokes from No. 10.

Unlike her pursuers, however, she held away with a run of pars for a 36-38.

Six behind Ababa after 18 holes, Mariano matched the former’s frontside 36 but also equaled the twoday leader’s three-over card in the last nine holes to stay from where she stood at the start of the pivotal round.

Uy, meanwhile, hardly recovered from a double bogey-bogey mishap from No. 3, hitting two birdies but making four more bogeys and another double bogey for a 77 to fall behind by seven at third spot.

“

It was a struggle as the wind definitely was stronger than yesterday (first round),” said Uy, who yielded two strokes on the par-3 No. 3 while trying to pitch from a twig.

But the former Junior World champion and winner at Riviera-Langer in 2021 remains hopeful of her chances but stressed: “I need to be more careful with my approach shots and putting since the greens are really tough.”

M alixi, for her part, said her 73 wasn’t that great but it was a lot better than her first round 78. And, like Uy, she still nurtures hopes of pulling it off in the end.

I was able to pull up some shots that I needed to do, but I just didn’t quite set my target properly and had a hard time for my short game or recovery shots,” said the 16-year-old Malixi, who hit one birdie against two bogeys and a double bogey in a backside start then put up a onebirdie, one-bogey card in the last nine holes to trail Ababa by 8 shots.

I’ll reflect on what I did today [Thursday] and then change my strategy for tomorrow,” added Malixi, a three-time LPGT leg winner last year.

SARAH ABABA skies with a 74 but pads lead to four strokes as Frankie Miñoza wrests the solo lead with a 69. NONIE

Vintage Miñoza at work on Marapara

FRANKIE MI ÑOZA kept on dishing out vintage performances even when his rivals—a blend of young and old— hobbled in blustery conditions and tough greens for a one-under 69 and a three-stroke lead over erstwhile coleader Albin Engino halfway through the International Container Terminal Services Inc. Negros Occidental Golf Classic presented by MORE Power in Bacolod City on Thursday.

Two birdies in a solid frontside windup enabled the former Asia’s No. 1 to overcome a shaky backside 36 and buck the wind that bedeviled the games of majority of his pursuers, leaving him as the only player from the starting field of 66 to put in backto-back under-par rounds at the challenging Marapara course.

Like in the first

irons are good and though my putting was not as good, it was acceptable,” said Miñoza, who was as surprised as the rest of the stellar cast to be on top of the heap with a 137 aggregate he spiked with a first round 68. A fter birdying No. 10 where he teed off, Miñoza failed to get up and down on No. 13 then three-putted the 17th from 25 feet, flubbing a six-footer for par. But he tapped in for birdie on the par-5 No. 2 and drained a 25-footer for another birdie on the fourth then parred the rest for a 33.

But two fine rounds do not make a champion golfer, and Miñoza, 62, knows fully well that it would take him more than superb shotmaking and putting to end a long title spell in a checkered pro career.

Fatigue will be a big factor, I’m getting old. There are still two more days, so I can’t talk about my chances,” said Miñoza, who edged Miguel Tabuena in sudden death here to nail his last victory in 2016.

TEAM PHL TO CAMBODIA: 905 ATHLETES, 257 OFFICIALS

By Josef Ramos

THE country will field 905 athletes accompanied by 257 officials to the Cambodia 32nd Southeast Asian Games—a team Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino described as hard-fighting.

PLDT winds up No. 3 in semis

with victory vs ‘Choco’ gals

PLDT and head coach Rald Ricafort sealed an expected semifinal showdown with Petro Gazz following a 21-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-16 victory over Choco Mucho Thursday in the Premier Volleyball League All Filipino Conference at the PhilSports Arena. PLDT’s victory also paved the way for a Creamline-F2 Logistics clash in the other semifinal.

The High Speed Hitters needed to endure the Flying Titans’ tough stand before pounding out the four-set win for the needed tiebreak points (3) to clinch the No. 3 seeding after they finished tied for second place with the Angels and Cargo Movers at 6-2 won-lost at the close of the single round eliminations. Defending champion Creamline lorded it over the nine-team field with a 7-1 card with Petro Gazz nailing the second seeding last Tuesday with 19 tiebreak points.

PLDT took the No. 3 spot with 18 points and F2 Logistics settled for fourth with 16 points.

EJ OBIENA lived up to his lofty billing as one of the world’s finest pole vaulters as the prized Filipino athlete made heads turn anew during his torrid European indoor campaign in February.

I n such a short span, Obiena, 27, bagged two gold, one silver and one bronze medals while touring Poland, Germany, Sweden and France thus making him the undisputed choice by the Philippine Sportswriters Association as the month’s top performer.

The Italy-based Obiena finished third overall behind legendary Armand Duplantis and silver medalist KC Lightfoot of the United States in the Mondo Classic in Sweden.

A couple of days later, it was Obiena’s time to lord it over as he topped the Orlen Cup in Lodz, Poland, with a 5.77-meter effort,

“But I’ll do my best—hit the ball good and be patient—and let’s see what happens.”

Don Petil actually tried to make things happen, threatening to grab the lead with a sterling four-under card after 15 holes in the heat and wind. But like the other pursuers, the 29-yearold shotmaker, who turned pro last October, cracked when the going got tougher, closing out with a disastrous bogey-double bogey-bogey finish. “ When I looked at my scorecard (4-under), I thought I could still go lower with three holes to play. But I hit the greenside bunker on my tee-shot on No. 16 (par-3) and missed a par-saving putt from 8 feet,” said Petil.

A fter hitting the fairway on the par-4 17th, he shanked his approach shot from 160 yards and overshot the green from the rough. He chipped and two-putted for 6 then missed the par-5 18th green, hit his fourth shot way past the hole and ended up with another bogey.

Obiena tops for PSA in February

further boosting his stock as one of the country’s best athletes.

Obiena bagged his second gold also on Polish soil when he cleared 5.87 meters to rule the Orlen Copernicus Cup.

H e would then run into Duplantis in the ISTAF Indoor in Berlin where he wound up second to the US-born Swede world outdoor and indoor record holder and Olympic and world champion.

O biena, third-placer during last year’s world championships in Eugene, Oregon, is revving up for a gold medal when Paris hosts the 2024 Olympics.

The PSA’s monthly citation of top performing Filipino athletes is being backed by San Miguel Corp., Philippine Sports Commission, Milo, Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

IT’S hang time for Letran’s Andre Gemao.

“All of our athletes will be competing in all the sports despite the odds,” said Tolentino, who, like his counterparts in the region, showed discomfort over Cambodia setting quotas mostly in combat sports to benefit its athletes.

The Philippines will be competing in all 38 sports in the Cambodia Games set from May 5 to 17 primarily in the capital Phnom Penh and in Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Kampot and Kep.

Tolentino, also the PhilCycling president and currently Tagaytay City mayor, made the announcement during the POC General Assembly on Thursday at the East Ocean Garden Restaurant in Pasay City.

“I am confident these are all fighting athletes,” said Tolentino, adding that an official Team Philippines is set April 15 at the Philippine International Convention Center.

Team Philippines to Cambodia exceeds the 656 athletes who competed in 38 sports in last year’s 31st SEA Games where the country finished fourth with 226—52 gold, 70 silver and 104 bronze—medals out of the possible 1,759.

The team to Cambodia also approximates the 2019 Philippine

hosting where 1,119 Filipino athletes competed in the 56 sports.

The POC General Assembly, Tolentino said, unanimously approved the suspension of the Philippine Swimming Inc. (PSI) as a regular POC member. There was no objection from the members.

PSI’s suspension was prompted by the World Aquatics’ suspension on the national federation which the POC Executive Board in turn offered to the General Assembly for a decision.

The POC just followed the order of World Aquatics,” Tolentino said. “If the World Aquatics lifts the suspension, then we will lift the POC suspension.”

“ We never wanted the suspension on the PSI but it’s the national sports association which created its own problem,” he added.

The World Aquatics has also ordered for an election of a new set of board members of the PSI and approved the composition of a POC Electoral Committee that will conduct and supervise the election process.

W ith the Flying Titans in game-mode despite being out of the semifinals race, the High Speed Hitters virtually worked for every point to carry out their mission with Mean Mendrez leading another strong PLDT windup with 21 points. We needed to finish strong because this match determines what kind of team we’ll be in the semifinals. We have to gain the confidence we need for the next round,” said Mendrez, who also drew solid backup from four others who finished with double-digit outputs. But we must work harder and

Letran ends NCAA jrs drought

LETRAN ended a 22-year National Collegiate Athletic Association juniors basketball championship drought with a 77-61 rout of College of Saint Benilde-La Salle Green Hills (LSGH) at the packed San Andres Sports Complex Thursday.

Reserves Jovel Baliling and Jonathan Manalili took the spotlight, while Finals MVP Andy Gemao was at his usual best to power the Squires to the elusive title.

It was Letran’s first high school crown since 2001 with a team then bannered by Jay-R Reyes. It was also the first double championship for the Muralla-based school since 1983 with the Knights completing a “three-peat” in the seniors division last semester.

Baliling had 19 points, four

rebounds and two assists while Manalili chipped in 16 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two blocks. Gemao logged 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals for Letran.

The 16-year-old Gemao averaged

17.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the series.

Luis Pablo, who received the season MVP honors during the awards ceremonies before Game 2, led the Greenies with 20 points and 14 rebounds while his frontcourt partner Seven Gagate also had a doubledouble outing of 11 points and 18 boards to go along with three blocks.

Rod Alian and CJ Mesias were the other LSGH players in twin digits with 13 and 10 points, respectively.

DENDEN REVILLA sets up a play as her Choco Mucho teammate Isa Molde positions herself for a play.

OBIENA

REYES

Motoring

Friday, March 17, 2023

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

FOTON ROLLS OUT FIRST-EVER FULL-ELECTRIC LIGHT-DUTY TRUCK

Story & Photos By Randy S. Peregrino

FOTON Motor Philippines (FMP) has taken sustainable mobility in the country to the next stage. As a first in the logistics industry, FMP brought in the country’s first-ever allelectric light-duty truck—the Foton Tornado 3.6 EV. Unveiled during the recently concluded Foton’s Big Show 2023, the Chinese truck manufacturer’s bold move in bringing in the Tornado 3.6 EV is, undoubtedly, a game-changer in the logistics industry. Further, it may change how we look at light-duty trucks in the near future.

Indicative EV designs inside and out DESIGN-WISE , the classic Tornado look is evident for the most part, except for the unique front bumper, grille and projector-type halogen headlamps. Of course, the

blue Foton badge up front with “EV” emblems and signal lights are in the lower door panel. The aerodynamic and modern-looking lower side panels also conceal EV motor components. The all-electric truck’s gross vehicle weight

is 6,000 kg (2,400 kg curb weight) with a 3,600 kg load.

Inside, more EV features are evident. The digital instrument cluster has all the necessary information available to the driver, particularly battery percentage and drive range. The electronic dial shifter we only find in premium passenger vehicles is noteworthy. Other features include power windows, a central lock system, air-con, power steering

(adjustable steering wheel), reverse sensor, Anti-lock Braking System with Electronic Brake Distribution, and brake clearance with auto-adjusting, among others.

Same chassis but all-electric INTERESTINGLY, Foton utilized the same ladder frame chassis for retrofitting the components. The controller and converter are up front, the two lithium battery packs are on both sides, and the electric traction motor sits in the middle, connected to a drive shaft with a differential. Those two battery packs have an 81-kWh combined capacity. Delivery-wise, the electric motor generates a peak power of 154 hp and a maximum torque of 300 N-m. Foton claims the top speed is 90 km/. The estimated drive range at full charge is 208 kilometers. Leaf-sprung suspensions are on both the front and rear. Overall dimensions are 5,960 mm long, 1,950 mm wide, and 2,260 mm tall with a 3,360 mm wheelbase.

The all-electric Tornado 3.6 EV (cab and chassis) retails at P3.6 million (an additional P275,000 for a closed van setup). The portable charger is sold separately.

Futuristic LF-30; Jetour is born

signing of award for Chery’s EV (Electric Vehicle) lineup, the Ice Cream line.

Likewise, they will also be introducing a well-known family to be the brand ambassador.

Vince Licup’s first distributorship foray is composed of Yves Licup as president, Mike Goho vice president and Lito Jose managing director. He calls them, “The young guns and the young at heart.”

Yves is 31 and Mike 33. Lito Jose is the “oldie but goldie.”

Vince says the core business model for Jetour Tour is “Travel+Journey+Technology.”

THE much-ballyhooed, electrified Lexus LF-30 Concept is now on display at Mitsukoshi Bonifacio Global City (BGC) up to April 29. The new Lexus hub is located within the premium Japanese department store that has been crafted to express Filipino artistry through native materials and modern interior designs.

As has been the custom, the future is shaped by concept cars. The Lexus LF-30 is no different. Here’s Jade B. Sison, Raymond T. Rodriguez’s chief drumbeater at Lexus.

“Concept cars take the form of bold and brave design ideas and propel the imagination into the future, often driven by creative energy that makes the seemingly impossible possible.

“The LF-30 is a distilled version of Lexus’s DNA of craftsmanship and cuttingedge technology. This concept model also commemorated 30 years of Lexus.

“When it was first unveiled at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, it proudly demonstrated the future of battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Its styling being futuristic, the LF-30’s interior assertively weaves in autonomous driving and other new technologies that aim to highlight the distinctive Lexus personality and worldview.

“The LF-30 showcases feature like Advanced

Posture control, which offers complete independent control of the front and rear drive wheels and allows appropriate provision of front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive, depending on the driving condition.

“With its breathtaking design, the body is fashioned with an elegantly flowing front which transitions into a linear and sharp rear. The window glass, which continually stretches from the front to the rear, the muscular fenders, and the wing-shaped headlights form the contours of the Lexus’ iconic spindle.

“The LF-30 has turned heads, quickened heartbeats, and served as a catalyst for the Lexus electrified lineup.”

Jade invites us to visit the Lexus website at lexus.com.phor @lexusphilippines. Updates and premium services are available through the MyLexus app for both Android and iOS users.

Mitsukoshi BGC is located at 8th Ave. Corner 36th St. Grand Central Park, North BGC, Taguig.

Jetour is born

TWO automotive retail giants, Licup’s Autospeedygo and Goho’s Gateway, have recently collaborated to bring in Crossover specialist, Jetour Auto. They will bring in three models, plus a recent

“Jetour will be aiming for the younger crowd, the start-up families and the Millenials,” Vince says.

All the best, Vince.

PEE STOP BMW top gun Spencer “ASY” Yu had a star-studded lineup headed by balikbayan Danny “Sir John” Isla during a recent sit-down, sumptuous dinner of machang, siomai, stir-fried veggies, sliced and diced squid, and succulent spare ribs at the sprawling RSA Greenhills Auto Shop in Mandaluyong. It’s a rare occasion for executives from different car companies to be assembled under one roof, including Maricar Parco of Peugeot, Steven Tan of Mazda and Dax Avenido of Nissan.

Country manager Ariel de Jesus of Wurth was also there in the company of Florian Assmann. My good neighbor, the golf guru Jake P. Ayson, was also present, together with Jeff Reyes and Vernon B. Sarne. As usual, drinks flowed unendingly, with Macallan and Kavalan (Spencer’s fave) the favored ones. Thanks for having me, ASY, paving the way for me to clink glasses again with Sir John, the former Lexus Manila president, who is set to fly back with his Joy It to their new home that is New Zealand on Sunday (March 19) after a two-month vacation.—Honored todamax!...Congratulations to Sherwin ChuaLim on his new posting as Toyota Makati

THE Tornado’s main electric traction motor and other components

HOW an electric truck’s cabin looks like

THE country’s first-ever all-electric light-duty truck Foton Tornado 3.6 EV