BusinessMirror March 17, 2021 by BusinessMirror

Local hog raisers write Duterte

OCAL hog raisers made another push to block the government’s twin proposal to lower pork tariffs and hike minimum access volume (MAV) by writing directly to President Duterte. The latest letter of the Pork Producer Federation of the Philippines Inc. (ProPork) to Duterte on Tuesday comes less than two weeks before the Chief Executive can exercise his authority to lower tariff rates. ProPork wrote to Duterte to express their “grave concern” regarding the twin proposal of the Department of Agriculture to reduce the tariff on pork imports to as low as 5 percent, and increase the MAV to 400,000 metric tons (MT) from current 54,000 MT.

“In this regard and on behalf of the country’s pork sector, we would like to note our strongest opposition to the tariff reduction and expansion of the MAV on pork importation,” ProPork said in the letter. ProPork argued that lowering the tariff on pork imports would result in foregone government revenue of about P13.95 billion which could be used to bankroll interventions to revive the domestic hog industry against African swine fever (ASF). At a P99 per kilogram price tag for imported pork pigue, the government will collect P15.94 billion in tariff revenues if present rates would be kept, according to ProPork’s analysis. However, the

government would only be able to collect P1.99 billion from pork imports if the rates are reduced to 5 percent, the group added. “In addition, data shows that even with imports supposedly coming in cheaper, the importers never pass on the cheap price to the consumers,” it said. “So where is the supposed advantage to consumers? This move will only kill the local pork producers,” it added. ProPork also questioned the proposed increase of the current MAV from 54,000 MT to 400,000 MT, arguing that demand for pork has plunged in the past year by 30 percent.

A YEAR OF QUARANTINE:

HOW DO PEOPLE FEEL?

NE year since lockdowns were imposed nationwide to curb the spread of Covid-19, how has the pandemic changed the lives of Filipinos? How do they work, buy things, transact business? What do they fear most? What gives them hope? And what are the key lessons learned? BusinessM irror columnist Carl E. Balita tries to answer these by sharing the results of a survey he conducted on 1,270 respondents randomly sourced from all over the country, through the nationwide network of Carl Balita Review Center, on March 13 and 14, 2021. Read his column, “Entrepreneur’s Footprints,” on page A9, titled, “Of pandemic fears, losses, and more: what survey says.”

See “Hog raisers,” A2

DAR: KICKBACK CLAIM

Wednesday, March 17, 2021 Vol. 16 No. 157

P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 18 pages |

ON PORK TO BE PROBED SMC hits TRB delay in toll okay of Skyway 3 By Lorenz S. Marasigan

The northbound section of Skyway 3 is seen on Tuesday (March 16, 2021). San Miguel Corp., which built the elevated highway for P80 billion at no cost to the government, says the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) “keeps delaying” the toll collection, in violation of their concession agreement that tariffs may be imposed once the highway, meant to ease street level congestion between south and north Metro Manila, is 95 percent complete. SMC opened it to the public three months ago, and says it is 97 percent complete. NONIE REYES

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas & Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

GRICULTURE Secretary William D. Dar said on Tuesday the Department of Agriculture (DA) will launch an investigation regarding Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s claim of an existing “tongpats” [kickback] system in the country’s pork importation.

CEBU’S COME-ON FOR VISITORS: 70% CUT IN RATES By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo

@akosistellaBM Special to the BusinessMirror

OURISM stakeholders in key areas of Cebu launched a sales campaign on Tuesday in a bid to attract more domestic travelers to their hotels and resorts. Alfred M. Reyes, president of the Hotel Resort & Restaurants

Association of Cebu, said the “I love Cebu” tourism campaign, “encourages local travelers to help revive tourism exactly a year since the nationwide lockdown. [It] will provide an online selling platform for hotels, resorts and tour operators in Cebu to offer the best accommodation, transportation, and tour packages [for consumers].” Select hotels and resorts in Cebu

province as well as in the charter cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue have slashed their room rates by as much as 70 percent. The organizers have also partnered with pioneering flag carrier Philippine Airlines, which is currently offering one-way airfares as low as P80 to any domestic destination, in celebration of its 80th anniversary. See “Cebu,” A2

IVERSIFIED conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) claimed on Tuesday that the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) “keeps delaying” the toll collection for the Skyway 3, even as its concession agreement provides for the imposition of tariffs once it reaches a 95-percent completion rate. Ramon S. Ang, the company’s president, said the company is currently shelling out millions of pesos to maintain the expressway despite not collecting toll from motorists. He said operations and maintenance costs the conglomerate P10 billion, or based on the BusinessMirror’s computation, roughly P833 million per month. The expressway was opened in late December and is currently free for the public. Currently, it serves roughly 60,000 vehicles per day. “Basically, TRB is insisting that Skyway 3 cannot start full operations and collect toll until all ramps are 100 percent complete. Our supplemental toll operation agreement states that we can start collecting at 95 percent completion—we are now 97 percent complete,” Ang said. He added that the imposition of toll is necessary for the road project to be viable. The food-toinfrastructure firm spent roughly P80 billion to build the elevated expressway in Metro Manila, widely praised for providing an alternative to congested Edsa for those traversing north and south portions of the NCR.

Continued on A3

PESO exchange rates n US 48.4930

@lorenzmarasigan

See “SMC,” A2

n japan 0.4444 n UK 67.4295 n HK 6.2452 n CHINA 7.4598 n singapore 36.0382 n australia 37.5869 n EU 57.8473 n SAUDI arabia 12.9308

Source: BSP (March 16, 2021)

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Number of suicides in ’20 highest in 14 years–PSA

By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

VER 3,500 Filipinos died of suicide in 2020, the highest in 14 years, according to data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Based on the latest death statistics, some 3,529 Filipinos died due to intentional self-harm. This is the highest since 2006 when the PSA started collecting data for intentional self-harm. The data also showed a 26-per-

cent increase in suicides in 2020 compared to 2019 when 2,808 Filipinos died due to intentional self-harm. “Deaths due to intentional self-harm recorded a 25.7-percent increase from the previous year,

Hog raisers… “Where did the DA come up with 400,000 MT? As per our computation and USDA data, our shortage will only be at 224,000 MT,” it said. “Despite a strong downturn in 2020 pork production, demand for pork have declined nationwide by 30 percent, and in turn, also reduced demand for pork imports,” it added. Citing data from the United States Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service, ProPork noted that per capita consumption of pork will continue to decline this year due to high prevailing prices coupled by the change in consumer spending due to Covid-19 pandemic. ProPork admitted that there is a domestic supply shortfall due to implications of ASF-related actions. Furthermore, the group pointed out that they accept the need for importation at this time, but pointed out that 400,000 MT is “too big” and would only benefit importers.

making it the 27th leading cause of death in 2020, from rank 31 in 2019,” PSA said. Between 2015 and 2020, data from the PSA showed that the number of suicides reached an average of 2,630 annually. Meanwhile, there was a 21-percent decline in other causes of external morbidity and mortality or those that were not caused by diseases, which included suicides, in 2020. These causes of deaths reached 33,939 in 2020, lower than the 42,960 recorded in 2019. The 2020 figure was also the lowest in the past five years. T he nu m b e r of Fi l ipi no s who died due to transportation

Cebu . . .

Continued from A1

“Giving importers a break with lower tariff has no positive outcome for the government, our local industry and even the consumers because pork is still sold at high prices,” it said. ProPork also proposed that tariffs collected from pork imports should be earmarked to help the local hog industry. ProPork added that an indemnification system of P10,000 per head of pig should be established by the government. “The money should be used to help us repopulate. Many of us have had to come up with our own money to repopulate, only to be hit by ASF again, which meant killing off our pigs again,” it said.

Allied industries ProPork also called Duterte’s attention to the possibility that a further decline in the domestic pork industry may affect its allied industries such as poultry, corn, and coconut farmers.

Continued from A1

If such domino effect happens, then it will likely “derail the country’s agricultural development for years to come,”the group said. As soon as Congress goes into recess on March 27, Duterte can issue an executive order (EO) to modify tariff rates on pork imports, based on the country’s existing laws. The BusinessMirror first broke the story that the Cabinet-level Committee on Tariff and Related Matters (CTRM) will recommend to Duterte the reduction of pork tariffs to 5 percent for MAV and 15 percent for outside MAV for three months. Afterwards, the rates would increase to 10 percent (MAV) and 20 percent (outside MAV), respectively, for the duration of nine months. At present, pork imports within MAV are slapped with 30-percent tariff while those outside MAV are levied with 40 percent tariff. Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

Pregnant, and a frontliner? Covid jab may be given–DOH Continued from A10

“Our prioritization criteria [for the vaccination] is based on risk of exposure and risk of death. So we follow that—pregnant medical frontliner, pregnant with comorbidities. Again, as long as there is a clearance of the doctor,” the DOH added. Dr. Bravo noted that the Practice Bulletin, a consensus among the Board Members of the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS), the Pidsog, the Philippine Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine (PSMFM) and the POGS Ad Hoc Committee on Clinical Consensus, stated that pregnant women were “not” included in the Phase 3 clinical trials of the Covid-19 vaccines, “therefore safety and efficacy data in pregnancy are limited.” It was released on January 29, 2021. Guidance, however, she stressed, regarding Covid-19 vaccination of pregnant and breastfeeding women, is “necessary.” The Practice Bulletin, she stated, is intended to be an overview of existing guidelines on the Covid-19 vaccines and the guidance for use in pregnant and breastfeeding women in the Philippines. The Bulletin will be updated as additional information from clinical trials on vaccinated pregnant and breastfeeding women are made available. “For women administered with the Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vac-

cine, the World Health Organization (WHO) does not recommend discontinuing breastfeeding after vaccination.” The important considerations in the decision to administer the Covid-19 vaccine in the Philippines are: ■ If a pregnant or breastfeeding woman is in the Priority Eligible Population Group, the Covid-19 vaccine should not be withheld from her. ■ An informed consent should be signed after a thorough pre-vaccination counselling. ■ Factors to be considered in the pre-vaccination counselling include the potential efficacy of the vaccine in the general population, the rate of transmission of Covid-19 infection in the community, the lack of data on pregnancy, and the known side effects of the vaccine in the general population. ■ Currently, documented local symptoms include pain, swelling, erythema at the injection site, localized axillary lymphadenopathy on the same side as the vaccinated arm. Most common systemic symptoms are fatigue, headache, chills, myalgia, arthralgia and fever. ■ Before administering the vaccine, full information regarding vaccine phase status, available data regarding benefits, risks, safety and efficacy and risk management plan in cases where adverse events following immunization may arise must be disclosed, informed and

accidents contracted 32.36 percent in 2020 to 8,017 from 12,799 in 2019. Almost all of these deaths, 8,000, were caused by land transportation accidents. Interestingly, three fourths of 2020 was covered by lockdowns meant to stop Covid19’s spread; with tough mobility restrictions leaving most people forced to use either own vehicles within limited hours and areas; or bicycles. There was also a 32-percent decrease in deaths caused by assault to 6,008 in 2020 from 8,831 recorded in 2019. This is the lowest in the past five years; while the highest posted figure was in 2016, when 14,869 Filipinos died of assault.

documented to the vaccine recipient ■ A pregnant or breastfeeding woman should be given all available evidence regarding the Covid-19 vaccine to help her in her decision. ■ If a pregnant or breastfeeding woman refuses to get the vaccine, she should still be supported in her decision. ■ The decision to receive the Covid-19 vaccine is an individual informed decision. ■ The counselling should be an opportunity to emphasize the importance of infection control measures such as handwashing, use of face masks and face shields and physical distancing. However, pregnant and breastfeeding with comorbidities, which add to their risk of severe disease, may be vaccinated in consultation with their health-care provider. These are: ■ Those with significant congenital or acquired heart disease ■ Those with severe respiratory conditions including cystic fibrosis and severe asthma ■ Those receiving immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection ■ Those receiving dialysis or with chronic kidney disease (stage 5) ■ Those who have homozygous sickle cell disease ■ Solid organ transplant recipients. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Reyes said the sales promotion will last until April 30, 2021, with vouchers valid for one year. Margie Munsayac, a convenor of the tourism campaign, said 64 establishments in Cebu and its charter cities are participating in the national sales effort—28 hotels, 17 resorts, and 19 tour operators. Inquiries and bookings may be done through traveloco.ph’s web site. She said many of their resorts also offer “month-long stay rates” for those who want to relocate temporarily to Cebu while working from home. At Bluewater Resorts, where she is Vice President for Sales and Marketing, “We did introduce the Work+Play Program in Cebu at the start of the pandemic.” Also, she said, “small [tour] groups” are allowed to book their travels to Cebu as long as they “adhere” to Inter-Agency Task Force on Managing Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) guidelines.

Updated travel guidelines Only recently, Cebu province announced that it would no longer require tourists to submit a negative RT-PCR test result, which was followed suit by Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City. Only Cebu City currently requires tourists to submit negative RT-PCR test results. “Mandaue and the province of Cebu requires only a medical certificate and confirmed accommodation booking,” said Munsayac. According to the Department of Tourism-Region 7, there are 184 establishments that have been accredited in the province and its charter cities. Many of these are hotels, resorts, and mabuhay accommodations. Cebu City started accepting domestic tourists last November 16 while Lapu-Lapu City opened to domestic tourism on October 21. Cebu province and Mandaue opened to domestic tourism on February 22. According to Riza Marie Macaibay of DOT-Region 7, the long pandemic lockdown yielded some benefits to Cebu’s environs. “The closure of tourism activities for many months allowed not only the seas but as well as the natural attractions in the province to take a breather. For example, dolphins can be spotted frolicking off the waters of Moalboal early in the morning close from the shore,” she said. Prior to the pandemic, Cebu City topped all Philippine destinations in terms of foreign tourist arrivals, with Boracay Island coming in a close second. In 2019, Cebu City welcomed 2.86 million foreign tourists, followed by Lapu-Lapu City (1.83 million); Mandaue (856,820); Santa Fe in Bantayan Island (168,519); and Cordova (165,291). Mactan Cebu International Airport recorded 12.7 million domestic and international passengers in 2019, up 11 percent from 2018. The new passenger terminal was opened in July 2018.

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SC JUNKS PETITIONS VOIDING PHL’S WITHDRAWAL FROM ROME STATUTE OF THE ICC By Joel R. San Juan

@jrsanjuan1573

HE Supreme Court has junked for being moot and academic the petitions seeking to declare null and void President Duterte’s unilateral decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). In a statement, SC spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka said the Court was unanimous in dismissing the consolidated petitions fled by six opposition senators and the Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court (PCICC), led by former Commission on Human Rights Chairman Loretta Ann Rosales, challenging the government’s withdrawal from the ICC. “The decision acknowledged that the President, as primary architect of foreign policy, is subject to the Constitution and existing statute,” the SC said in a resolution released following its en banc session. “Therefore, the power of the President to withdraw unilaterally can be limited by the conditions for concurrence by the Senate or when there is an existing law which authorizes the negotiation of a treaty or international agreement or when there is a statute that implements an existing treaty,” it added. The decision, according to Hosaka, noted that there were provisions in a prior law, Republic Act 9851 (the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, And Other Crimes Against Humanity), which were amended by the Rome Statute. Hosa k a sa id t he Cour t also ruled that the judiciary has enough powers to protect human rights contrary to speculations raised by the petitioners. In their petitions, the petitioners claimed that the Palace’s decision to withdraw its membership from the ICC should be considered invalid since it has no concurrence of at least two-thirds of all the 24 members of the Senate. They argued that the Office of the President and the DFA gravely abused their discretion in withdrawing the country’s

SMC…

membership in the ICC without the concurrence of at least two-thirds of the Senate underArticle VII, Section 21 of the Constitution. They pointed out that the Rome Statute is a treaty validly entered into by the Philippines which has the same status as a law enacted by Congress, thus, can only be withdrawn with the approval of Congress. In withdrawing its membership from the ICC, the petitioners claimed that the respondents committed usurpation of legislative powers which is punishable under the Revised Penal Code. P re s ide nt D ute r te a n nounced on March 14, 2018 the Philippines’s withdrawal of its ratification of the Rome Statute, a United Nations (UN) treaty creating the ICC. Duterte cited the ICC’s “baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks” against him and his administration as the reason for his withdrawal as a state party. Prior to this, ICC special prosecutor Fatou Bensouda started a preliminary examination on the alleged human rights violations amid the Duterte administration’s intensified war on drugs. Duterte defended his decision to take back the Philippines’s ratification of the Rome Statute, noting that the treaty is not a law since it was not published in the Official Gazette when the Philippines ratified it in August 2011, during the time of former President Benigno Aquino III. He maintained that it is within the exclusive power of the President to withdraw from the ICC, contrary to the petitioners’ claim that such decision needs the approval of the Senate under Section 21, Article VII of the Constitution. The said provision specifically says that “entering into a treaty or international agreement requires participation of Congress, that is, through concurrence of at least two-thirds of all the members of the Senate.” Solicitor General Jose Calida, however, stressed that such provision and constitutional requirement applies only in ratification of new treaties and does not apply to withdrawal from treaties.

Continued from A1

“We need sufficient funds for the toll road’s daily maintenance, proper long-term upkeep and to keep it safe and efficient for the motoring public. As Skyway 3’s losses have been mounting because TRB keeps delaying the start of toll collection, the quickest way for our infrastructure unit to speed up 100 percent completion of the ramps would have been to close Skyway 3,” Ang explained. He said he has already received the commitment from Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, who is also TRB chairman, for the “urgent and prudent” action for this issue. “Secretary Tugade understands our predicament. Skyway 3 was built at no cost to government. SMC fully-funded the over P80 billion cost to build it. After years of hard work, we opened it last December 29 so we can start serving the public for free, for a reasonable amount of time,” Ang said. Ang lamented that operating and maintaining the expressway for free for three months has cost the company substantial foregone revenues.

“We have also made a lot of concessions—including lowering toll fees—in the interest of the public. Also, Skyway 3 is new, but heavy everyday use causes it to deteriorate if not maintained properly. We spend a lot for its upkeep, and at the same time lose a lot in foregone revenues. We cannot operate this and serve people if the project is not generating revenues,” he added. Company estimates show that Skyway 3 could only generate a total of P4 billion in revenues per year, given that it “lowered the proposed toll rates significantly.” “Basically, we have done everything to make sure we can viably operate Skyway 3 right away, so we can serve motorists and fulfill our goal, which is to lessen traffic in Metro Manila and hopefully, through better connectivity, create more jobs and economic opportunities for more Filipinos. This is really a team effort, and we need to work together for our country to succeed,” Ang said. Transport officials have yet to respond to media requests for comment and clarification as of writing time.

The Nation BusinessMirror

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Outdoor ban on minors takes effect anew today

INORS have been banned anew from going outdoors for two weeks effective today, Wednesday, March 17, 2021, in a bid to stem the surge of Covid-19 cases in the National Capital Region (NCR). The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced on Tuesday that only individuals aged 18 to 65 years old are allowed to go outside their residences. MMDA Chairman Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said that the Metro Manila Council, through the MMDA, is drafting a resolution prohibiting minors, particularly those aged 15 to 17, to go outdoors for a period of two weeks. This will be implemented in all the 17 local government units comprising the NCR. The move, Abalos said, has been agreed upon by Metro Manila mayors to contain the transmission of the virus in the metropolis. “We are implementing age restrictions because of the increase in our Covid-19 cases. We encourage everyone to strictly observe and practice the minimum health protocols and be extra careful and follow stringent measures particularly when around vulnerable family members, as there have been reports of transmission among family members,” Abalos said. He stressed that the Metro mayors and MMDA are regularly monitoring Covid-19 numbers and will implement calibration and changes of directives depending on the figures that they could gather. Last month, Abalos said NCR mayors agreed to ease age restrictions as the government sought to encourage economic activities. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

SC keen on mandatory use of body cams in service of search and arrest warrants By Joel R. San Juan

@jrsanjuan1573

HE Supreme Court approved on Tuesday a proposal requiring judges to compel law enforcers to wear body cameras in the service of search warrants amid allegations of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during police operations. In a news statement, the SC-Public Information Office disclosed that the Court, during its regular en banc session, has also considered a proposal to revise its Rules of Criminal Procedure to mandate the use of body

cameras for law enforcers who will execute warrants to be issued by the trial courts. SC spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka said a resolution will be drafted, “which will be further considered soonest.” “Yes. It means the en banc approved the use of body cameras in the service of warrants but subject to the actual guidelines as may be set in the formal resolution to be issued by the Court,” Hosaka said. However, Hosaka later clarified that SC was merely considering the use of body cams, and no resolution

@joveemarie

HE chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights has strongly condemned the threats, attacks and killings of lawyers and legal practitioners in the Philippines, even as other lawmakers called on the lower chamber to look into the request for a list of lawyers defending personalities or groups identified with the Left. In a news statement, panel chairman and Assistant Majority Leader Jesus Suntay said the spate of killings involving lawyers has become alarming despite government efforts to address the problem. Suntay said the committee also deplored what they described as a brazen attempt by policemen in Calbayog City to request a local court to furnish them the names lawyers representing alleged communist terrorist groups personalities. The city police chief and his intelligence officer have since been relieved of their duties by the Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership. “Inquiries with other lawyers and court officials across the country by concerned groups confirmed that similar letters were received by them. That the PNP leadership has subsequently denied any such policy does not help alleviate the situation as the chilling effect of the intimidation has started to creep,” he said.

has been approved yet. “I would just like to make a clarification that the SC is considering the use of body cams and an actual and formal resolution would first have to be approved by the Court on this matter. So, it would be best for us to wait for this resolution,” the SC spokesman said. The Court’s resolution was apparently in response to calls from various groups, seeking its action on the series of killings allegedly perpetrated by police officers during service of warrants. The appeal was made following

the death of nine activists and the arrest of several others in the simultaneous police and military operations conducted recently in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Rizal (Calabarzon) areas as well as several other alleged EJK incidents. The wearing of body cameras, according to lawyer Evalyn Ursua, would prevent speculations of summary killings or EJKs against law enforcers in case a shootout transpire during service of warrants and resulted in deaths. This would also prevent parties from issuing false accusations or

accounts of what transpired during the implementation of the warrants, according to the lawyer. National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) Chairman Neri Colmenares also suggested that if the service of a warrant resulted in a fatality, the SC should get the records of the case from the judge for review. He added law enforcement officers should be required to submit a report on the facts that led to the death of a person aside from submitting a list of items found or confiscated from the subject of the search warrant.

CDC readies reso recognizing FVR’s role in conceptualization, devt of Clark By Ashley Manabat Correspondent

L A R K FR EEPORT—T he Board of Directors of the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) is set to pass a resolution recognizing former President Fidel V. Ramos for his role in the conceptualization of the state-run firm on his 93rd birthday on March 18. CDC Chairman Edgardo Pamintuan said on Thursday the resolution will be a fitting recognition for the role of Ramos on what Clark is today. He said “Fidel V. Ramos is the father of CDC and the development of this area. He signed EO 80 and also declared the Clark airport as the next premier international airport of the country in 1993. Gagawa kami ng resolution tomorrow [We will make

a resolution tomorrow].” “This will be our birthday gift to him. We are also planning on putting up a bust,” he added. Executive Order 80 signed by FVR in 1993 authorizes the establishment of the Clark Development Corporation as the implementing arm of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority for the Clark Special Economic Zone and directing all heads of departments, bureaus, offices, agencies and instrumentalities of government to support the program. CDC President and CEO Manuel R. Gaerlan, a townmate of Ramos who was raised in Asingan, Pangasinan where the former hails and was his former aide when he became the president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998, fully supports the resolution expressing recognition

House inquiry sought into ‘request’ for lawyers’ names in Reds’ cases By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Wednesday, March 17, 2021 A3

“Clearly, this action by some quarters in the PNP force is intended to harass, intimidate and hinder lawyers from performing their duties as officers of the courts and may deprive persons accused of a crime of their Constitutional right to be represented by a counsel. Practicing the legal profession is not a crime, regardless of who they represent. They should not, in fact, be identified with their clients, or their client’s causes as a result of discharging their functions. Ergo, lawyers must not be targeted for upholding constitutionally and universally guaranteed rights,” Suntay added. For his part, Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez is urging the House of Representatives to look into the request of a Calbayog City police intelligence officer for a list of lawyers defending suspected “communists.” “That request was improper, alarming, and violates the duty of lawyers to render legal service to any person needing it,” said Rodriguez. PNP Officer in Charge Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar has relieved the police officer, Lt. Fernando Calabria Jr., from his post. Rodriguez, a former law dean and a practicing lawyer for 27 years before he joined politics, commended Eleazar for his action but said a House investigation is necessary to find out who issued the order to Calabria to ask the Calbayog Regional Trial Court for a list of lawyers of

suspected communists. “Lt. Calabria claimed that he was just following an order from ‘higherups.’ Who in the hierarchy of the PNP gave such directive? Why was the order issued? What was their goal?” the lawmaker asked. Rodriguez said he may be inclined to believe that Calabria did not act on his own volition. He said the House should find out if a similar request has been made by any police officer from any other court in other parts of the country. Rodriguez added that the targeted lawyers did nothing wrong in defending suspected communists.

Speedy passage

IN the wake of perceived threats against members of the legal profession by law enforcement agencies, Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon, meanwhile, called for the speedy passage of a bill creating the Philippine Marshals Service, which shall be primarily responsible for the protection and security of the members of the judiciary, judicial personnel, the courts and other court assets. “We are calling on our fellow legislators in both Houses of Congress to support this bill because of its relevance and necessity, not only for the safety and security of those in the judiciary but also for facilitating the swift delivery of justice,” Biazon said.

on FVR as the father of Clark. In another development, Pamintuan said the Philippine Air Force (PAF) will be relocated to the New Clark City (NCC). “We have to relocate PAF personnel, housing and the operations center to the New Clark City,” Pamintuan said during the Balitaan media forum organized by the Capampangan in Media Inc. (CAMI) in coordination with the CDC recently. “Almost 800 families, some of them generals, that are in Pulang Lupa will be relocated to Marcos Village,” he said. Pamintuan said his objective is “to enhance the land here and that it will eventually be sold or at least some portions of Clark lands. But that is only for me,” he hastened to add.

BACKYARD VEGGIE HARVEST FOR SALE

Leny Rivera sells newly harvested vegetables grown at her own backyard at the sidewalk along Sta. Maria Road near Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto Shrine in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, on Monday, March 15, 2021. Her vegetable farming hobby, she says, help her earn extra income amid pandemic economic difficulties. PNA/BEN BRIONES

DAR: Kickback claim on pork to be probed continued from a1 “We will investigate,” Dar told the BusinessMirror via SMS when asked if the DA will look into the allegations made by Lacson during Monday’s Senate plenary session regarding the alleged P5 to P7 per kilogram of imported pork kickback scheme. Lacson bared the allegation just before senators adopted a resolution, expressing the sense of the Senate, asking President Duterte to reject a twin proposal, both endorsed by DA, to slash tariffs on imported pork while increasing the minimum access volume (MAV) for imports. There had been concern that these moves, instead of curbing inflation from price spikes and supply shortfalls caused by African Swine Fever (ASF), would simply kill the local hog industry, deprive government of revenue, and fatten vested interests. Hog raisers asked Duterte on Tuesday to reject the cut-tariffs-hike-MAV proposals. Story on frontpage umbrella, “Local hog raisers write Duterte.” In a statement issued on Monday, MAV Secretariat Executive Director Jane Bacayo said the allocation of MAV is “above-board.” “The allocations of existing MAV licensees are those they have been using even before the administration of Secretary Dar, in accordance with the existing MAV guidelines,” Bacayo said. “Under the MAV guidelines, licensees who utilize 70 percent of their allocation for the previous MAV Year will retain their MAV allocation,” Bacayo added.

Due to this, Bacayo pointed out that MAV licensees “always try their best to utilize 70 percent of their allocation so that they will retain their existing allocation for the succeeding year.” “Issuance of MAV import clearance to MAV licensees is ministerial or non-discretionary on the part of the MAV Secretariat. MAV allocations and licenses are strictly nontransferable,” Bacayo said.

Resolution

THE Senate on Monday adopted a resolution asking Duterte to declare a state of national emergency due to the ASF and rejecting twin proposals to slash pork tariffs while increasing MAV for pork imports. Lacson disclosed at Monday’s plenary session that he received information from “highly placed officials” that certain DA officials are getting P5 to P7 per kilogram of pork imported. Lacson pointed out that this is happening at the present tariff regime and could double to P10 to P15 if the Executive proceeds to reduce tariff rates to as low as 5 percent. “We should unmask who is/are behind this scheme no matter how powerful and influential he may be with this administration,” the senator stressed, adding: “I want to see even a whiff of enthusiasm from the President to order the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) and other concerned agencies to investigate, not to mention heed the call of the Senate to disapprove

the DA’s recommendation to reduce the tariff and increase the volume of pork importation. Let us see.” So far, Lacson disclosed, “we have received documents from the Bureau of Customs and DA” but added that “still, we need more data to get to the bottom of the anomaly.” At the same time, the senator disclosed a letter from the Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP) party list to Senate President Sotto on behalf of 80,000 backyard hog raisers, expressing concern that the DA’s proposed increase in pork meat importation by expanding the MAV while imposing a reduced tariff “may kill the local industry.” Signed by its president Nicanor Briones, AGAP said that while it is not against importation, 400,000 MT is too much and may cause an oversupply nationwide, while cutting tariff rates may cost the government some P13.95 billion in revenues, and thus “unnecessary and unacceptable.” Lacson added that similarly, concerned poultry integrators composed of major producers and suppliers of poultry also appealed to Dar to calibrate the importation of finished chicken products and stay within the MAV limit of 23.4 million kilos per year. “They requested that the DA disallow the continued importation of chicken finished products, especially “with diseases that have mostly come from abroad,” he said, noting that historical data show increased importation may destroy the local poultry industry.

Govt pins hope on new-generation vaccines to end PHL virus woes as early as next year

ESPITE the slow pace of its immunization pro gram and the recent spike in infections, the government on Tuesday announced it is targeting to eliminate novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the country by next year through the acquisition

of new generation of vaccines. Chief implementer of the government’s national policy on Covid-19 Carlito G. Galvez disclosed they are now looking for a “second or third generation” vaccine, which, he said, would prevent Covid-19 affliction. Currently, the available Co-

v id-19 jabs, while protecting it recipients from the adverse symptoms of the disease, they do not guarantee total immunity. Galvez revealed they were already given a “presentation” by some companies, which are offering vaccines which prevent contamination.

“We will work with the different manufacturing companies on how to eliminate the disease by 2022,” Galvez said during an online news briefing.

Precautionary measure

THE bold pronouncement came

after Galvez admitted that the government is falling behind its target of using up all its current inventory of 1.12 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines. Of the said vaccines, 100,000 doses will be used by government uniformed personnel, while the

rest will be for medical workers. Out of the over 500,000 medical workers, who are expected to benefit from the said jabs, only around 216,000 have been inoculated against Covid-19 as of Tuesday, according to Galvez. Samuel P. Medenilla

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DTI bullish on electronics export rebound this year By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @TyronePiad

LECTRONIC exports are expected to register further growth this year with the opening of more economies, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reported on Tuesday. Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez is upbeat the electronic exports industry will have its momentum in shipping out more products after opening the year with an uptick in revenues. In a news statement, the DTI

noted that electronics export slightly grew to 0.3 percent to $3.24 billion in January year-on-year. This was mainly driven by the exports of medical instrumentation, which climbed by 84.3 percent for the period. The growth was also supported by consumer electronics, electronic data processing, and control and instrumentation, which increased by 28.2 percent, 24.4 percent, and 8.9 percent, respectively. Accounting for 73.2 percent of the electronic exports and 43.2 percent of total merchandise exports, semiconductor exports, meanwhile, dropped by 4.4 percent.

Overall merchandise exports for the period slipped by 5.2 percent to $5.49 billion from $5.79 billion in January last year. “Philippine export trends were heavily influenced by the pandemic, from medical instrumentation for hospitals to consumer electronics for workers who had to work from home,” Lopez said. “As more markets open up, we are also looking forward to exporting more products.” Meanwhile, DTI also took note of the exports of non-electronic products. Sales from the basketwork segment doubled to $5.61 million in

the first month of the year. Sales of chemicals grew by 44.3 percent; iron and steel rose by 30.9 percent; and textiles improved by 27.3 percent for the period. Export of travel goods and handbags plunged by 45.6 percent, which DTI attributed to the lockdown protocols. Garments and footwear exports were also cut by 22.8 percent and 25.8 percent, respectively. In January, US was the country’s top export market, accounting for 15.6 percent of the total. This was followed by Japan with 14.7 percent and China with 14.6 percent.

To boost the export industry, Lopez called on the traders to maximize the perks of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which was signed in November last year. DTI noted that seven of the country’s top export destinations are part of the mega trade deal, including Japan, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan and Korea. The regional trade agreement— launched by 10 Asean member-states and six Asean free-trade agreement partners—aims to promote better economic ties of the participating nations. Asean stands for Association

of Southeast Asian Nations. In the past year, electronic exports dropped by 8.8 percent to $39.67 billion from $43.39 billion, according to data from Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. The industry group noted that five out of nine sectors shrunk during the period. These include telecommunications, communication/radar, office equipment, electronic data processing and components/semiconductor. This year, Seipi is eyeing to grow the electronic exports by 7 percent.

DA order partially allows harvesting, sale and transport of mangrove crabs By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

HE Department of Agriculture (DA) has allowed the catching and sale of certain mangrove crab juvenile and mangrove crablets for aquaculture purposes to help stakeholders augment their income amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar issued DA Administrative Circular (AC) 02, Series of 2021 that partially lifted the suspension of Section 3 (a) of Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) 264, Series of 2020. The FAO 264 set forth the regulations on the catching, possession, transporting, selling, trading and exporting of mangrove crablets, ju-

venile mangrove crabs and gravid mango crabs. FAO 264 prohibited the catching, possessing, selling, trading and transporting of mangrove crablets and mangrove crab juvenile and mangrove crablets with less than 12 centimeter carapace width (CW) from the wild, gravid mangrove crab and exporting of wild-sourced mangrove

crab breeders, spawners, eggs or fry. “There is a clamor from stakeholders whose livelihood are affected by the implementation of the FAO to allow them to catch, transport, trade, and sell crablets less than 5 centimeters CW for aquaculture purposes in order to augment their income during this Covid-19 pandemic and also to support the recovery of the aquaculture industry,” Dar said in his AC, a copy of which was obtained

by the BusinessMirror. “In view of the foregoing, the implementation of Section 3 [a] of FAO 264 is partly suspended, as such, the catching, transport, trading, and selling of mangrove crab juvenile and mangrove crablets less than 5 centimeters CW from wild is allowed provided that it is for aquaculture purposes only,” Dar added. Dar instructed the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to “provide immediate assistance in coping with the unprecedented economic, social health crisis with impacts on the most

vulnerable groups, specifically the mangrove crablets gatherers, consolidators, traders and growers.” “In order to mitigate the impact of gathering of fly-sized crablets to the mangrove stock population, while the FAO 264 is partly suspended, DA-BFAR regional offices shall ensure that precautionary conservation and management measures are implemented including but not limited to mangrove reforestation, release of gravid mangrove crabs, stock enhancement and establishment of crab sanctuaries,” Dar said. With Jonathan L. Mayuga

SARDINES FOR LIFE

The Atimonan Coastal Food Production Association (ACFPA), with the help of Atimonan One Energy Inc. (A1E), is not letting the bad news of increasing Covid-19 cases, affect its fledgling Spanish sardines business. The group recently set its sights on coming up with new, tastier and safer products from the seaside community. With the help of A1E, a subsidiary of Meralco PowerGen Corp., which is building 1,200-megawatt (MW), highly efficient, low emission (HELE) coal plant in the area, local merchants underwent a fish processing training program. The activity, focused on helping the ACFPA upgrade their products, was led by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Region 4A and the Office of Municipal Agriculture (OMA). Participants learned various methods of fish processing to produce other products, including bagoong, milkfish in oil, gourmet tuyo and tinapa, deboned bangus and fish patty. “We want to provide livelihood intervention and capability building to sustain the food supply chain in the agri-fishery sector,” explained Marilou B. Mosqueda, BFAR aquaculturist.

Thai investor, Mati City govt ink investment pact for pig farm, poultry dressing plant By Manuel T. Cayon

@awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

AVAO CITY—A Thai company sealed an investment accord for a piggery breeder farm with the city government of Mati, capital of Davao Oriental, to offset the supply threat created by the African swine fever. The city government has also backed up the investment venture with the construction of a poultry dressing plant to ensure adequate supply for the city of these two important livestock meat. The Mati City information office said Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) Philippines Corp. from Thailand and Orcas Agrifishing Corp. from Mati City sealed the joint venture project in a simple signing ceremony in Mati on March 11, 2021. The piggery farm would be put up in Barangay Don Salvador Lopez in Mati City. The is a breeder farm and could accommodate 2,400 breeder pigs. The joint venture plan was started last quarter of 2020. Also on the same day, officials from the Mati City Agriculture Office and the city government, held a groundbreaking ceremony and unveiling of the planned poultry dressing plant inside the Mati City Agriculture Complex in Sitio Sudlon where the Farmers Market is also located. The poultry dressing plant would cost P45

million and its operation would be done in partnership with the private business, Farmer’s Choice Farm. The city’s poultry dressing plant is the first chicken dressing plant in the entire Davao region that will be managed by a local government. All poultry products that will come out of the dressing plant will be branded “Mati’s Choice.” The initial 20 Mati’s Choice Chicken were also turned over during the groundbreaking ceremony as samples of the upcoming product. Meanwhile, a city councilor in the city and private citizens volunteered to help two sexagenarian fishermen earlier accosted by Maritime personnel for using an unregistered banca. City Councilor Eric Rabat has volunteered to help defray the cost of the banca registration of 62-year-old Bernardo Tolin, a resident of Sitio Malibago, Barangay Badas and 65-year-old Ernido Opo, resident of Sitio Sikalig in Barangay Mamali. Other residents offered to help. The City Agriculture Office said the annual registration fee of motorized bancas ranges from P930 to P980, including the P130 3-year registration for fishermen. Rabat said however, that the help extended to the two elderly fishermen was due only to humanitarian reasons “and should not be expected to be accorded to other fishermen who purposely violate the laws.”

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‘Too soon to throw in the towel:’ PHL can still achieve SDGs by 2030–Neda By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

ESPITE the impact of the lockdowns on the economy and the welfare of Filipinos, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) remains confident that the country can still attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. In a 2021 SDG report, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Unescap) said Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, are on track to meet one goal, while the progress in others are either stagnant or regressing. Much of this was brought about by the pandemic, particularly the lockdowns which were put in place by governments to contain the spread of Covid-19. The Philippines has been on lockdown for a year, the longest implemented anywhere in the world. “We have a good head start so we can achieve them. For instance, we can achieve our poverty target of 6 million lifted in 2018, or four years ahead of the 2022 target,” Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua told the BusinessMirror on Tuesday. “[In terms of] poverty, we are on track. We [just] have to open [the] economy more safely.” Chua added that the country’s poverty targets remain achievable, despite the millions of Filipinos who became unemployed last year. In January 2021, around 4 million Filipinos remained unemployed. “We think it’s too soon to throw in the towel on the SDG targets. It will be more challenging, but we need to catch up. At the same time, we need to make sure that the gains are sustained by building resiliency,” Neda Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Rosemarie G. Edillon told

the BusinessMirror. In a briefing on Tuesday, Rony Soerakoesoemah, head of ESCAP Sub-regional Office for South-East Asia, said the region is regressing in 18 SDG indicators except in SDGs 2, 5, 6, and 9. These indicators include resilience to disasters; substance abuse; road traffic accidents; equal access education; and the share of renewable energy. The list showed that the region’s performance is stagnant in 47 indicators in all SDGs except for SDG 13 and 16. The Asean was making progress in achieving 15 indicators in SDG 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 9. These include indicators such as resources for poverty programs; malnutrition; sustainable agriculture; communicable diseases; tobacco control; access to energy services; formalization of small and medium enterprises; and reduction in waste generation, among others. However, Southeast Asian countries do not have data to monitor as much as 89 indicators in all 17 SDGs. The SDGs that have the most number of data gaps are SDG 16, which has 9 indicators without data and SDG 17 with as much as 12 indicators without data. In the case of the Philippines, there are 155 indicators from the 17 SDGs that are applicable in the country. This is composed of 102 global indicators; 28 proxy indicators and 25 supplemented indicators. To boost the chances of the country in addressing data gaps, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Assistant National Statistician Wilma Guillen told the BusinessMirror that the statistics agency aims to come up with a Review System of Registers and Admin Records to generate more data for the SDGs.

Guillen added that the PSA has also engaged research institutions to develop registration systems to improve data collection for the SDGs. “We will review the Philippine SDGs through a multi-stakeholder meeting to review the Philippine SDGI and possibly include new data sources,” she said. Meanwhile, in the Asia and the Pacific region, Unescap Statistics Division Director Gemma Van Halderen said efforts to achieve the SDGs suffered under the weight of the pandemic in 2020. There were specific SDG indicators that were affected by the pandemic. Van Halderen said this included maternal mortality, which is expected to increase to 42 percent, while under-5 mortality rate could increase by at least 0.5 million because of the pandemic. The SDG on jobs and the informal sector was also affected. She said unemployment increased by 15 million, while 7.1 percent of labor income was lost in 2020. Social protection and basic services, Van Halderen said, was affected with multidimensional poverty expected to double and 71 million children could become poor because of Covid-19. The data also showed at least 850 million students lost half the academic year and 6.7 million students were at risk of dropping out of school. Van Halderen said at least 70 percent of mental health services for older persons were disrupted and at least 63 percent of countries closed their borders, including to people who are seeking asylum. She added that 85 percent of countries with an economic recovery plan did not have environmental considerations and carbon dioxide emissions increased as soon as lockdown measures were lifted. The projected growth of fiscal and financial stimulus is expected to be

worse than the global average while only 6.7 percent of GDP in the region was dedicated for Covid-19 response, also below the global average. In terms of statistical operations, the mobility restrictions imposed during the pandemic negatively affected census operations in 24 countries in Asia and the Pacific. Face to face data collection has also not resumed as of July 2020. This is part of the negative impact of the pandemic on SDG monitoring. “Recovery measures are an excellent opportunity for us to rethink our options for development pathways that are inclusive, more resilient, and respect planetary boundaries,” said United Nations Undersecretary-General and Unescap Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana. “As we enter the Decade of Action to deliver the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we need to reinforce our collective commitment to the SDGs and let it provide our compass for building back together, better and greener,” she added. The report highlights the impact of mandatory lockdowns and social distancing measures on data collection activities, particularly from vulnerable groups. To build back better, governments should renew their commitments to the SDGs’ monitoring framework so that recovery can accelerate a global transformation as promised by the 2030 Agenda. As part of its commitment to support countries with national level follow-up and review of the SDGs, ESCAP has developed a “National SDG Tracker” tool for countries looking to replicate the progress assessment found in the report. National governments can use the tool to produce snapshots of progress towards the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda.

Tesda unveils aqua farm program to boost BSU bares top fish and crop farming in Metro, other cities 3 winners of

SCAN program competition

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco Correspondent

HE Technical Education and Skills and Development Authority (Tesda) has launched its own Urban Aqua Farm program, a project that seeks to invigorate fish farming in urban areas, in line with the agency’s thrust for “global competitiveness, social equity and poverty reduction for the Filipinos.” “This project signifies the importance of farming in our urban areas, particularly to our marginalized sectors who can make farming as a source of their livelihood even if they are living in the city, without going to the remote farming areas,” Tesda Director General Secretary Isidro Lapeña said during the inauguration rites of the first Tesda-National Capital Region Urban Aqua Farm on March 15, 2021, at the Tesda Compound in Taguig City. Deputy Director General joined him for Tesda Operations Lina Sarmiento and other officials of the agency. For this Urban Aqua model Farm, Lapeña said that what is needed is an area of more than 70 square meters to establish a fish farm that can help feed a family. The Urban Aqua Farm was conceptualized through the TesdaMuntiParLasTaPat (Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Taguig and Pateros) District Office in line with Lapeña’s directive to showcase greening of technical-vocational education and training. The Urban Aqua Farm was established under the concept of aquaculture—or the breeding, nurturing and harvesting of fish

TECHNICAL Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) Director Secretary-General Isidro Lapeña leads other Tesda officials in the recent launch of the first Aqua Farm project in Taguig City. With him are National Capital Region Director Florencio Sunico Jr., and Tesda-MuntiParLasTaPat District Director Marichelle de Guzman. PHOTO COURTESY OF TESDA

and other aquatic organisms. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and/ or saltwater fish species under controlled conditions and can be compared with commercial fishing or harvesting of fish in open waters like seas and lakes. The aqua farm is built with one main fountain responsible for the water circulation and other surrounding “mini-fountains” to regulate the temperature, humidity and moisture of the water to ensure the optimal growing condition of the fish. The perimeter of the aqua farm is around 78 square meters (m2) while the pool covers 51 square meters, with a depth of around one meter. According to TesdaMuntiParLasTaPat District Director Atty. Marichelle de Guzman, the urban aqua farm will cultivate different species of

tilapia, which are relatively easier to grow and harvest and with good yield rate. Water cabbage, lotus and water grass (isay) will be grown inside the pool to help oxygenate the pond to keep the fish healthy. Various plant crops have been planted around the farm such as Chinese malunggay, eggplant, okra, tomatoes, bell pepper, chili (siling labuyo, siling panigang and siling demonyo), lemon, calamansi and passion fruit. Ornamental plants will also be grown such as Araucaria, Tabebuia, Duranta, Santan, Sampaguita and Yellow Bell. The Tesda chief also announced that the MuntiParLasTaPat District Training and Assessment Center (MDTAC) would soon register Urban Aqua Farming under the No Training Regulation (NTR) as additional qualification on its course offerings.

HE Batangas State University (BSU), through its Center for Technopreneurship and Innovation, has finally chosen the top three winners among the seven finalists of the Smart Cities Adapting the New Normal (SCAN) Program. The winners were announced during the SCAN Program, The Final Pitch, on March 6, 2021, via Zoom. The top three winners are: • third placer—BAMIS or Barangay Management Information System, a web page application that focuses on gathering and organizing data in one of the most overlooked governance units in LGU, the barangay offices. • second placer—SMART COOP Technologies, automation in raising broiler chickens (IoT Automated Broiler Chicken Coop using Arduino System) • first placer—RXDB, an e-commerce solution to help modernize pharmacies through a robust inventory management solution, easy-to-use sales system, and a mobile platform to connect to customers. The event was participated by various aspiring innovators within Region 4A. The top three winners were awarded cash incentives— P10,000, P15,000, and P20,000 for the third, second, and first placers, respectively. They also received P100,000 worth of research grant from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) - Calabarzon. On top of these, the 1st placer was also given $500 worth of Digital Marketing For Entrepreneurs Online Bootcamp from the Academy of Entrepreneurs, Australia. “I would like to congratulate all the participants in this contest. You all have shown ingenuity and innovativeness. I encourage you to continue to strive to learn and be an advocate and a practitioner of science technology innovation and contribute to the advancement of the S&T sector in our country,” said Engr. Francisco Barquilla III, DOST’s OIC-Assistant Regional Director for Technical Operations, and one of the jury during the SCAN Program.

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

The World BusinessMirror

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

WHO: Vaccine rollout unaffected by concerns over AstraZeneca

ENEVA—The UN health agency said its global rollout of coronavirus vaccines remains unaffected even as a growing number of countries, especially in Europe, suspended use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine on Monday amid concerns about blood clots in some people who received it. The World Health Organization says the AstraZeneca vaccines for its COVA X program, which is shipping vaccines mostly

to low- and middle-income countries, are being produced in India and South Korea—and the suspensions have been ordered over

batches made in Europe. “We understand these are precautionary measures,” WHO assistant director-general Mariangela Simao said. “I would like to say this to countries from other regions that are not Europe: That the vaccines [at issue] so far are from European manufacturing not vaccines that are provided through the COVA X facility.” Germany, France, Italy and Spain joined the growing list of mostly European countries— st a r t i ng w it h De n m a rk l a st week—that temporarily halted use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in recent days to investigate cases of blood clots that occurred after vaccination. Others include Thailand and Congo.

“This does not necessarily mean these events are linked to vaccination,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference. “But it is routine practice to investigate them and it shows that the surveillance system works and that effective controls are in place.” While the AstraZeneca product is just one of several vaccines being deployed in Europe, the vaccine has a huge role so far in COVAX. The program began shipments in late February and has plans to ship more than 200 million doses by the end of May—nearly all of them versions of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. A total of 92 countries are to receive vaccines for free through

COVAX, which is led by the WHO; Gavi, a vaccine group; and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Another 90 countries and eight territories have agreed to pay for doses through the program. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO’s chief scientist, noted that 300 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been injected around the world, and there is no documented death linked to any one of them. She said the rates at which blood clots have occurred in people who received the AstraZeneca vaccine “are in fact less than what you would expect in the general population.” In India, where most of the AstraZeneca doses for COVAX are being produced, the news agency Press Trust of India reported 234 “adverse events”—including 71 deaths—through Friday among people who received a dose of either AstraZeneca’s vaccine or another by India’s Bharat Biotech. The Indian government is reviewing the cases. Activists and medical ethics experts have been concerned about how effective the mechanisms are to monitor adverse events in India. WHO says its current recommendation is that the benefits of using AstraZeneca’s vaccine and others to fight Covid-19—which has killed more than 2.6 million people worldwide—far outweigh the risks. AP

News Corp strikes Facebook pay deal for Australian news

ANBERR A, Australia—News Corp and Facebook have reached pay deals for news in Australia three weeks after the government passed laws that would make digital giants help cover the costs of journalism. The New York-based news business that operates mainly in the United States, Britain and Australia said on Tuesday it had reached a multi-year agreement with Facebook that covers its major Australian mastheads as well as regional publications. The pay deal follows a similar agreement struck with Google last month. Sky News Australia, a subsidiary of News Co r p A u s t r a l i a , h a d a l s o re a c h e d a n e w agreement that ex tends and builds on an existing Facebook agreement, a News Corp statement said. The deal follows an agreement reached in 2019 in which News Corp US publications receive payment for access to stories through Facebook News. “The agreement with Facebook is a landmark in transforming the terms of trade for journalism, and will have a material and meaningful impact on our Australian news businesses,” News Corp Chief Executive Robert Thomson said. Andrew Hunter, head of Facebook News Par tnerships in Australia and New Zealand, said the agreements with News Corp Australia and Sky News Australia “mean that people on Facebook will gain access to premium news articles and breaking news video from News Corp’s network of national, metropolitan, rural and suburban newsrooms.” Thomson thanked the Australian government for “taking a principled stand for publishers” through its laws that could force Facebook and Google pay for news content accessed through their platforms if the two gateways to the Internet fail to strike fair deals. N e w s Co r p n o w h a s p a y d e a l s w i t h Facebook, Google and Apple to provide access to journalism. Google has been quicker than Facebook to ink deals with Australian news businesses as the digital platform laws made their way through parliamentary processes. Seven West Media is the only other major Australian media organization to announce a pay deal with Facebook. Facebook announced preliminary pay deals with independent news organizations Private Media, Schwartz Media and Solstice Media a day after the laws were passed by Parliament last month. AP

Thai PM gets AstraZeneca jab as 1 Asian country suspends

A N G KO K—Th a i l a n d ’s p r i m e m i n i s te r received a shot of the Covid-19 vaccine manufactured by AstraZeneca on Tuesday, as much of Asia shrugged off concerns about reports of blood clots in some recipients in Europe, saying that so far there is no evidence to link the two. Many countries using the vaccine also said the benefits from inoculation far outweighed possible risks, even as parts of Europe suspended it pending investigation of potential side effects. AstraZeneca has developed a manufacturing base in Asia, and the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine maker, has been contracted by the company to produce a billion doses of the vaccine for developing nations. Hundreds of millions more are to be manufactured this year in Australia, Japan, Thailand and South Korea. “There are people who have concerns,” Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said after he received the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. “But we must believe doctors, believe in our medical professionals.” Thailand last week was the first country outside Europe to temporarily suspend using the AstraZeneca vaccine. Indonesia followed on Monday, saying it was waiting for a full report from the World Health Organization regarding possible side effects. But Thailand’s health authorities decided to go ahead with AstraZeneca, with Prayuth and members of his Cabinet receiving the first shots. A large number of European countries— including Germany, France, Italy and Spain— suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine Monday over reports of dangerous blood clots in some recipients, though the company and international regulators say there is no evidence the shot is to blame. The EU’s drug regulatory agency called a meeting for Thursday to review experts’ findings on the AstraZeneca shot and to decide whether action needs to be taken. Other countries in the Asia-Pacific region also said they would press ahead with vaccination programs. In the Philippines, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said his country would not suspend usage because the benefits outweighed any risks. The country has so far received 525,00 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine under the World Health Organization’s COVAX arrangement and has administered 12,788 doses so far. Several million more doses have been ordered by the government and private companies. “There is still no clear data that shows that the blood clotting was caused by AstraZeneca. If such data will come out, maybe we will also stop the use of AstraZeneca,” Roque said. “As of now, our experts are saying again that the benefits we

get from using AstraZeneca are larger than the side effects of this vaccine.” Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said his country would not suspend vaccinations. Australia has vaccinated about 200,000 people so far and plans to import and manufacture 70 million vaccine doses from AstraZeneca. “The government clearly, unequivocally, absolutely supports the AstraZeneca rollout, clearly, unequivocally, absolutely. And the reason why is very simple—it will help save lives and protect lives, and it’s done so on the basis of the medical advice,” Hunt told Parliament. Australia’s chief medical officer, Paul Kelly, said there was no evidence so far that the vaccine causes blood clots. “B lood clots happen, they happen in Australia fairly commonly,” he said. “But, from my perspective, I do not see that there is any specific link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots, and I’m not alone in that opinion.” By far the largest user of the AstraZeneca vaccine is India. India is using two vaccines—the AstraZeneca shot made by Serum Institute of India, and another one by Indian vaccine maker Bharat Biotech—to immunize its vast population. Of the more than 25.6 million people in India who have received at least one shot of a vaccine, over 23.4 million have received the AstraZeneca shot, according to government data. Health officials told the Press Trust of India news agency on Saturday that a total of 234 adverse events, including 71 deaths, had been reported after receiving either vaccine—but that no causal link had been found. The government is now reviewing the cases for a final assessment. S e r u m I n s t i t u te o f I n d i a , t h e wo r l d ’s largest vaccine maker, has been contracted by AstraZeneca to make a billion doses of vaccine for developing nations. By March 4, India had exported over 48.1 million doses of vaccine, including 11.9 million doses to COVAX and 28.8 million doses as commercial exports, according to government data. Meanwhile, health activists and medical ethics experts in India have warned that India’s systems for monitoring any harmful side effects are too lax. With the exception of a few countries, such as Singapore and India, Asian nations have been quite slow in getting their populations vaccinated. Most of the nations, including Australia, New Zealand and Thailand, have been relatively successful in containing the spread of Covid-19. Thailand has ordered just enough vaccine from AstraZeneca and China to cover about half its population this year and has so far managed to inoculate around 50,000 people in high-risk groups. AP

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24/7 BUSINESS PROCESSING INC. 11/f Capella Bldg. L-3&4 B2, Asean Drive Filinvest Alabang Muntinlupa City

NO.

27.

Wednesday, March 17, 2021 A7

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FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

POSITION

NO.

YU, LIN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

52.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

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POSITION

NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

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XIONG, HANLEI Chinese

STRATEGIC AND FACILITATION OFFICER

84.

SUN, YANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

KEPCO ILIJAN CORPORATION 18/f Citibank Center 8741 Valero St. Cor. Villar St. Bel-air Makati City

85.

SUN, SZU-CHIEH Taiwanese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

SAN NYUNT OO Myanmari

BURMESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

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

REN, FEI Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

28.

LIU, QIN Chinese

CHINESE - BOOTH FABRICATION SPECIALIST CONSULTANT

53.

JUNG, YOON South Korean

SENIOR AUDITOR

86.

TANG, JINGWEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

3D ANALYZER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES INC. 7-8/f Double Dragon Plaza 255 Edsa Cor. Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City

29.

CHEN, KANGYOU Chinese

CHINESE-KEY ACCOUNTS SPECIALIST CONSULTANT

54.

PAE, YOUNGHO South Korean

VICE PRESIDENT

87.

TANG VONG SAU Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

88.

TRAN KIM BAO Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

89.

TRAN THI LAN Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

90.

TRAN VINH QUANG Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

CHEN, JIANPING Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVEMANDARIN SPEAKING

CITY OF GOOD HOPE HOLDINGS CORP. Unit 401 Valero One Center 102 Valero St. Bel-air Makati City

LIU, GUOQIANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVEMANDARIN SPEAKING

30.

SHENG, LIYING Chinese

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

55.

QIN, WEI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVEMANDARIN SPEAKING

31.

SHENG, ZHONGBAO Chinese

CHINESE - MARKETING ASSISTANT

MARKETROLE ASIA PACIFIC SERVICES, INC. 26/f, 27/f, 28/f The Enterprise Center Tower 1 6766 Ayala Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas San Lorenzo Makati City

WANG, LIUYANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVEMANDARIN SPEAKING

CVN PHILS. CONSTRUCTION INC. 4/f Insular Healthcare Bldg. 167 Dela Rosa Cor. Legaspi Sts. San Lorenzo Makati City

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

32.

DA ROCHA DUARTE, DANIEL ANTONIO Portuguese

FORMWORK DEVICE GENERAL FOREMAN

MALAYAN INSURANCE CO., INC. 500 Q Paredes St 027 Bgy. 289 Binondo Manila HIROOKA, KOSUKE Japanese

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT

56.

WU, HUIPENG Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

91.

TSENG, MENG-TING Taiwanese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

57.

YANG, GUANG Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

92.

TU, SILE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

93.

VONG VINH LUNG Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION 1331 Pearl Plaza Bldg. Quirino Ave. Tambo Parañaque City

HUANG, FANPU Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

DEXIN INTERNATIONAL IMPORT AND EXPORT CORP. 534 Tomas Mapua St. 029 Bgy. 298 Santa Cruz Manila

LI, ZHIJUN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

33.

LAO NGOC ANH Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CARGO OFFFICE AGENT

58.

HUANG, HAIQING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

94.

VU NGOC QUYNH Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

NGO MINH DUY Vietnamese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

34.

NGUYEN THI HANG Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CARGO OFFFICE AGENT

59.

JIN, MENGXIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

95.

WANG, JINYE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

10.

HUANG, HAIWANG Chinese

MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING

35.

NGUYEN THI KIM THAO Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CARGO OFFFICE AGENT

60.

LI, ZHUSONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

96.

WANG, QING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

36.

PHAM THI UYEN Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CARGO OFFFICE AGENT

61.

LIU, CHENGJIE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

97.

XU, CHAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

62.

LIU, YANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

98.

YAN TAR MYIN Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

ACX3 CAPITAL HOLDINGS INC. 20/f Zuellig Bldg. Makati Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas Urdaneta Makati City 11.

SABLEROLLE, CHRISTIAAN MATTHIJS Dutch

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

ALL OUT MULTI-MEDIA SOLUTIONS CORP. Unit 2302-a West Tower Pse Centre, Exchange Road Ortigas Center, San Antonio Pasig City 12.

JUNG, SANGJUN South Korean

TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

AVIA MANAGEMENT GROUP INC. 6th-10th Flr. Southkey Hub Indo-china Drive Northgate Cyberzone Alabang Muntinlupa City 13.

ZHOU, SHANSHAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

BANANA LEAF CURRY HOUSE, INC. 7/f Annapolis Tower #43 Annapolis St. Greenhills San Juan City 14.

MUTHU, ANAND MURUGAN Indian

15.

PROCUREMENT OPERATIONS MANAGER

BIG EMPEROR TECHNOLOGY CORP. Eastfield Center Cbp1, Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City 16.

17.

18.

LI, YULONG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

LIANG, FUBEN Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

ZHANG, JIAYU Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

BILLION DRAGON OUTSOURCE PHILS., INC. One Townsquare Place Bpo Bldg. Alabang Zapote Rd. Almanza Uno Las Piñas City 19.

CHEN, YICHEN Chinese

37.

ZHU, TIANYU Chinese

MARKETING EXECUTIVE

63.

RONG, ZEJIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

99.

ZHANG, HONGJIA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

38.

LI, JINJIE Chinese

MARKETING EXECUTIVE II

64.

SU, YUANLING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

100.

ZHOU, HONGJIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

65.

ZHANG, ZULIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

SEAGLORY SHIPPING SERVICES INC. 15/f Philamlife Tower 8767 Paseo De Roxas Bel-air Makati City

EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503 Nueva St Binondo Manila

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

20.

CHEN, LINYU Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

21.

DUAN, PEIQIONG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

22.

FEI, YUE Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

23.

FU, ZHENBO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

HUANG, LEI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

DIRECTOR & GENERAL MANAGER

SHI, BINGKANG Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

66.

CHONG DICK WENG Malaysian

MALAYSIAN CUSTOMER SERVICE

101.

40.

SHI, HONGYU Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

67.

MYA YIN Myanmari

MYANMARI CUSTOMER SERVICE

SOMI UNLIMITED SOLUTIONS, INC. 6/f Filinvest Cyberzone Bldg. Cbp1 Bay City Brgy. 076 Pasay City

41.

SHI, TIEJUN Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

NOCMAKATI, INC. 8,9,10,11,12,14,15,16,17,18 & 19 Floors Century Diamond Center Kalayaan Ave. Cor. Salamanca St. Poblacion Makati City

42.

WANG, CAISHENG Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

68.

FENG, GUOXUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

THREE STAR FASHION BOUTIQUE INC. K-07 G/f Baclaran Lrt Terminal Center 1 Bldg. Taft Ave. St. Zone 10 Barangay 076, District 1 Pasay City

69.

FU, YU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

103.

FIRST GREAT COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES INC. Lot 5 Sta. Agueda Cor. Queensway Pagcor Drive Sto. Niño Parañaque City

102.

HA VAN HIEU Vietnamese

MATABBAR, DELOWAR Bangladeshi

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

PRODUCTION MANAGER

43.

HE, YUNFEI Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

70.

GUO, YING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

TIANYU TECHNOLOGY INC. 23/f Pbcom Tower Ayala Avenue Cor. V.a Rufino Street Bel-air Makati City

44.

WU, WEIHUA Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

71.

HAN, RUI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

104.

45.

WAN, CHENGYU Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

72.

HO CHAN DINH Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

VIVENTIS INTERIM INC. Unit 6b 45 San Miguel Bldg San Miguel Ave. Ortigas Center, San Antonio Pasig City

FOOD PANDA PHILIPPINES, INC. 29/f Pacific Star Bldg. Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Cor. Makati Ave. Bel-air Makati City

73.

HO NHIT LIN Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

105.

74.

HOANG VAN AN Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

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

75.

HU, CHEN-WEI Taiwanese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

106.

76.

JIANG, YIQIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

77.

KUO, HSIN-LI Taiwanese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

78.

LI, JUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

79.

LIANG, YANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

80.

LU, CHAOHUA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

81.

NG CHIN WEI Malaysian

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

46.

BHASKAR, KARAN Indian

DIRECTOR - DARK STORES

GLOBALLGA BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING Ground Level, Level 2-5 Floor Silver City 4, Ortigas East Ugong Pasig City 47.

LI, GUANTING Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

HINDUJA GLOBAL SOLUTIONS LIMITED 6/f E-commerce Bldg. Eastwood Avenue Eastwood City Libis Quezon City 48.

KISHIDA, SHINICHI Japanese

JAPANESE SPEAKING ASSOCIATE

J-NA ALLOUT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS CORP. 3/f Lipams Bldg. #48 President Avenue Bf Homes Parañaque City 49.

24.

PATKI, PANKAJ Indian

39.

CHEF

BHP SHARED SERVICES PHILIPPINES INC. 27f, Arthaland Century Pacific Tower 5th Ave. Cor. 30th Street And 4th Ave. Cor. 30th Street Bonifacio Global City Taguig City CORNEJO GONZALEZ, NELSON ANTONIO Chilean

DIGISPARK TECH CORP. Unit 1618 High Street, South Corporate Plaza, Tower 2 26th St. Corner 9th Ave. Bgc Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

PARK, KYOUNG SUG South Korean

MARKETING CONSULTANT

JDB MANAGEMENT AND CONSULTANCY CORP. 107 T & D House Magallanes St. 069, Bgy. 655 Intramuros Manila

25.

HUANG, QI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

50.

LI, JINGJING Chinese

STRATEGIC AND FACILITATION OFFICER

82.

NGUYEN THI HAI YEN Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

26.

YANG, MEI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

51.

TIAN, HANWEN Chinese

STRATEGIC AND FACILITATION OFFICER

83.

NGUYEN TRUNG DUC Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

GU, JUAN Chinese

PATHAK, TRIPTI Indian

WEI, DAIHONG Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

CONSULTANT

BILINGUAL MARKETING SPECIALIST *Date Generated: Mar 16, 2021

In the ad material of Notice of Filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on March 13, 2021, the name of CHIN, GEE KIUN under MEGA-WEB TECHNOLOGIES INC., should have been read as CHIN GEE KIUN and not as published. In the ad material of Notice of Filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on March 13, 2021, the position of KIM, HEEYEON under LG ELECTRONICS PHILIPPINES, INC., should have been read as ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT - CORPORATE PLANNING DEPARTMENT and not as published. In the ad material of Notice of Filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on March 13, 2021, the position of CUI, ZE and CAI, ZHIHENG under ITECHNO SPECIALIST INC., should have been read as CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST and not as published. Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE-NCR Regional Office located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication. Please inform DOLE-NCR if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR

A8 Wednesday, March 17, 2021 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

What a clean ocean means

he country’s coral reefs, where fish and other marine life find shelter and reproduce, are currently littered with face masks and plastic waste, according to a report released by the BBC News on March 9. The report included a video that showed professional divers collecting face masks among the garbage they found underwater. The divers’ garbage haul also included plastic face shields. Environmental groups have expressed concern that the polymers in the single-use face masks and plastic shields are already being consumed by fish and other marine life that seek shelter in coral reefs. How these medical waste reached our coral reefs was not discussed in the BBC report. What is clear, however, is that these face masks and face shields were improperly disposed. Citing the Asian Development Bank, the BBC report noted that Metro Manila alone generates about 280 tons of medical waste a day. That’s 280,000 kilograms of face masks, face shields and other personal protective equipment that are dumped by both individuals and health-care facilities daily. Health-care centers send their medical waste to facilities that know how to handle these PPEs; the problem lies in individual users who are not aware of the proper management of medical waste. Since the pandemic started, environmental organizations have already warned about the tons of medical waste that will be generated by cities (See, “Amid Covid, proper disposal of medical waste flagged,” in the BusinessMirror, July 22, 2020). The Department of Health had also warned hospitals that they face sanctions if they will not follow the regulations of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) related to the disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste. In July last year, the Kalikasan Peoples Network for the Environment also called on authorities to educate the public on how to properly dispose face masks, face shields and other personal protective equipment. The DENR and local government units must work together to raise awareness about the importance of the proper disposal of face masks and face shields to prevent medical waste from reaching our coral reefs. The DENR has called on local government units anew to ramp up efforts in handling and disposal of medical waste to ensure health and environmental safety amid the coronavirus pandemic. In particular, LGUs must do their part in educating their constituents about the importance of the proper disposal of medical waste so that individual users will not have to throw single-use face masks in esteros and street canals. Government must act with urgency considering the fact that medical waste will continue to pile up due to rising Covid-19 cases. These single-use facemasks and face shields are silent killers of our seas and marine life (See, “The Plastic Pandemic,” in the BusinessMirror, October 11, 2018). Government must do everything it can to see to it that these medical waste do not reach our coral reefs. That’s because they transport chemical pollutants that threaten aquatic life. Let’s help keep our coral reefs clean. Let’s avoid polluting our ocean, which will endanger marine life. A clean ocean means clean seafood. Nobody wants to eat fish fed with medical waste. Since 2005

BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business

SSS online services: Fast, simple and easy transactions Aurora C. Ignacio

All About Social Security

he Social Security System (SSS) recently held its first virtual press briefing for the year to discuss our digitalization services. Over 54 members of various news organizations not only from the National Capital Region (NCR) but also media personalities from other provinces and localities participated.

A good number of questions pertain to the state pension fund’s online services, a welcome development considering that branch transactions remain limited as a result of health and social distancing protocols. This “new normal” has propelled SSS to shift its manual processes to 24/7 online transactions, as well as fast track our other digital transformation initiatives to provide our stakeholders with safer, more convenient, and efficient means of transacting business—all as part of our “ExpreSSS” campaign. For the benefit of our memberand pensioner-readers, there are now around 25 online services available at the My.SSS portal. In addition to online applications for Calamity Loan, Pension Loan, Retirement Benefit

Dennis Gorecho

Pinoy Marino Rights

Founder

Editor in Chief Associate Editor News Editor

T. Anthony C. Cabangon Lourdes M. Fernandez Jennifer A. Ng Vittorio V. Vitug

Senior Editors

Lorenzo M. Lomibao Jr., Gerard S. Ramos Lyn B. Resurreccion, Dennis D. Estopace Angel R. Calso

Online Editor

Ruben M. Cruz Jr.

Creative Director Chief Photographer Chairman of the Board Ombudsman President Advertising Sales Manager Group Circulation Manager

Eduardo A. Davad Nonilon G. Reyes D. Edgard A. Cabangon Judge Pedro T. Santiago (Ret.) Benjamin V. Ramos Aldwin Maralit Tolosa Rolando M. Manangan

BusinessMirror is published daily by the Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing, Inc., with offices on the 3rd floor of Dominga Building III 2113 Chino Roces Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Makati City, Philippines. Tel. Nos. (Editorial) 817-9467; 813-0725. Fax line: 813-7025. (Advertising Sales) 893-2019; 817-1351, 817-2807. (Circulation) 893-1662; 814-0134 to 36. E-mail: news@businessmirror.com.ph.

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they can also pay contributions using PayMaya and through the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI). For employers, they may also view employees’ contribution and loan records, status of payments and benefit reimbursement claims; as well as update their contact information. In addition, they may also update their contact information, facilitate submission of Employment Reports (R-1A), Loan Collection Lists (ML2), Contribution Collection Lists (R3), sickness notifications, maternity notifications; generate PRN; and certify the loans or claims of their employees. To reach more members and pensioners, we have amped our presence in quad media. Since last year, the SSS is building up its information cache on how to use its online services through webinars and other social-media content. Webinar registration links and materials are likewise posted on the official and verified Facebook page (@SSSPh or Philippine Social Security System), Instagram (mysssph), Twitter (PHLSSS), YouTube (Philippine Social Security System) and SSS Viber Community “MYSSSPH Updates.” For those who want in-depth discussions on these services, companies and organizations may request SSS to conduct See “Ignacio,” A9

500 years of Christianity and the ships of faith

✝ Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Publisher

(subject to qualifying conditions for online filing), Unemployment Benefit, and Funeral Claim, members may also submit their requests for Member Data Change for simple corrections, while employers can submit Sickness Benefit Reimbursement Applications of their employees. We have also introduced to both members and employers the RealTime Processing of Loans Payment Reference Number (RTPL-PRN) facility, which will be mandatorily implemented by next month; Benefit Re-disbursement Module, and improved Disbursement Account Enrollment Module (DAEM) with uploading of proof of account, previously known as the Bank Enrollment Module. Moreover, the SSS enhanced its

online SS Number Application facility and provided members with access to the Remittance Transfer Company/Cash Payout Outlet (RTC/ CPO) Reference Number Inquiry. They can also access other virtual services, including viewing contribution and loan records; and inquiring on the status of their benefit claims and eligibility for benefit programs, among others. In addition to the My.SSS portal, these information may be also accessed using the SSS Mobile App, Text-SSS, and Self-Service Express Terminals. Members can also view their membership information, list of PRN payments, addresses of SSS branches; file for Salary Loans; submit Maternity Notifications (for self-employed, voluntary, and overseas Filipino worker members); generate PRNs for contributions; and update their contact information through the My.SSS Portal and SSS Mobile App. By using the My.SSS Portal, members can also set an appointment with an SSS branch, send request for SSS records, enroll in the Personal Equity and Savings Option (PESO) Fund or Flexi-fund, use a simulated retirement calculator, and view details of their Unified Multi-Purpose Identification (UMID) Card or SSS ID, as well as change their account password. With the SSS Mobile App,

y early grasp of the history of Christianity in the Philippines at a young age can perhaps be traced to the popular “Magellan” song of fellow Boholano Yoyoy Villame.

“On March 16, 1521. When Philippines was discovered by Magellan. They were sailing day and night across the big ocean. Until they saw a small Limasawa island.” “Magellan” was Villame’s first recording in 1972 that became the top-selling record in the Visayas-Mindanao region. The song narrated the arrival of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in the country in 1521. Villame was a native of Calape, Bohol, and was the youngest of 10 children of a fisherman father and fish seller mother. He blended Filipino folk melodies, popular tunes and nursery rhymes for his music and then added a mix of witty Tagalog, Cebuano and English comedic lyrics. “When Magellan landed in Cebu City. Rajah Humabon met him, they were very happy. All people were baptized and built the church of Christ. And that’s the beginning of our Catholic life.” Christianity was brought to the Philippines in 1521 when Magellan landed on the small island of Limasawa in Cebu. Magellan was heading a Spanish

expedition in an effort to find a western sea route to the rich Spice Islands of Indonesia. On March 31, 1521, the first Mass was celebrated where some 800 were baptized, including Rajah Humabon, to form the first Catholic community. The Sto. Niño de Cebu became the oldest Christian artifact in the Philippines as a gift from Magellan to Rajah Humabon on account of their baptism. Unfortunately, Magellan was killed a month later during the Mactan battle led by Lapu-Lapu. The Philippine archipelago, which was named after King Philip II, became a colony of Spain until 1898. After Brazil and Mexico, the Philippines is the third largest Catholic population in the world with some 76 million Catholics, or about 81 percent of the country’s total population. Pope Francis called on Filipinos to renew their commitment to Christ as missionary disciple during the mass he celebrated last Sunday at the Vatican to mark Christianity’s quincentenary in

the Philippines. He urged Filipinos to persevere in the work of evangelization, as “the Gospel message of God’s closeness must be constantly proclaimed to others, so that none might perish.” “Never be afraid to proclaim the Gospel, to serve and to love,” the Pope said. “With your joy, you will help people to say of the Church too: ‘she so loved the world!’” Part of the logo released by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is a ship that signifies the navigators of the expedition that brought the faith in the country. A traditional symbolic meaning of the ship is that the church is a means of conveyance between this world and the next. In Christian tradition, in which earthly life is seen as a pilgrimage, the ship of the church transports the faithful through the seas of the world to the heavenly home. The boat is often used to portray the church as a vessel of salvation like in the story of Noah’s Ark and Christ’s voyage on the Sea of Galilee. The church ferries its cherished cargo of souls through the troubled seas of worldly temptation, unfaithfulness, and ill treatment to finally reach its safe harbor on heaven’s shores. In an era of beliefs in sea monsters and a flat earth that one could sail right off the edge, it took courage for ancient mariners to set sail in boats as they had to trust in God and in each other. Archbishop of Manila Luis Antonio Tagle earlier said that Filipino seafarers are “saint potentials.”

Referring to Saint Lorenzo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod, Tagle noted that they were seafarers and missionaries at the same time before they became saints who sailed to other countries and died for a mission: “To teach the Good News.” Tagle underscored that the pain brought by separation is a sign of the seafarer’s love, strength, and faith for the good of his family and the country. “Even if you feel pain when you leave your family and your country, that suffering is not a reason for you to be ‘paralyzed,’ but it will inspire you to strive for more,” said Tagle, adding that their hardships will not weaken them but make them even stronger. For the ordinary seafarers, religion offers strength, hope and peace in relation with their daily work and social relationships on board the vessel. Despite its glorification due to economic returns, the job of a seafarer is not exactly a walk in the park. The maritime profession has always been identified as a high-risk workplace replete with health and safety hazards in relation to the risks of accidents, illnesses and mortality. Religion assists seafarers in coping with dangerous and emotionally challenging workplaces. The estimated 519,031 deployed Filipino seafarers in 2019—per POEA data—remitted $6.539 billion or around P326.95 billion.

Atty. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 0917-5025808 or 0908-8665786.

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Workers appalled by DILG ‘indecent proposal’ that led to uniform curfew in NCR MAIL

he proposal by DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing, which was later adopted by Metro Manila mayors, for a uniform curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. is a burden to all workers in the National Capital Region. Undersecretary Densing’s indecent proposal would negatively impact not only those workers who work on a graveyard shift but the entire working class population of Metro Manila; not only those who come off and go to work at night such as the second shift (2 p.m. to 10 p.m.) and third shift (10 p.m. to 6 p.m.) workers but also those on a morning shift (6 a.m. to 2 p.m.) since they are usually on the road by five in the morning. By restricting public transportation on said hours, we are reminded of the medical workers and essential frontliners who had to walk before and after their grueling shifts, and of the abuses to motorcycle riders at police checkpoints during last year’s enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). We also have stark memories of the discriminatory implementation of the quarantine and health protocols along with the harass-

Ignacio. . .

continued from A8

free online seminars for employees and members. Information on our online services is also aired in selected AM and FM radio stations and published in broadsheet and regional newspapers. Since February 9, 2021, SSS has a dedicated radio program in DZRH 666 khz, which is aired every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. to give updates on the

ment (and killing, as in the case of Winston Ragos) of alleged violators of ECQ guidelines. It is evident that Densing is indifferent to the plight of public mass transport commuters and the common two-wheel riders as he is too comfortable in his own private vehicle and in the transport services accorded to him as a government official. If the intention in the proposed uniform night curfew is to restrict the movement of people to quell Covid transmission—and while government does not have the capacity to provide people with their basic needs, which forces the workers to leave their houses and risk their very lives for their livelihood—the least it could do is to ensure their safe transport. However, we believe that the order for a uniform night curfew is not only caused by reactive panic attack with the spike in Covid-19 incidence. It is also goaded on by the erroneous, insulting, and harmful mindset that the Filipino people, especially the workers and the poor, are to blame for the apparent second wave of the pandemic in the country. This is a view that is prevalent in the security forces (especially the PNP) that regard the poor as pasaway and could only be disciplined by force and intimidation. We fear that the two-week night curfews would only lead to more grave abuses against the people. Indeed, the war on the poor rages on, and is escalating. Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino SSS’s latest programs and services. Indeed, a quotation from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates resonates today: “The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don’t really even notice it, so it’s part of everyday life.” Have an inspirational week ahead! Aurora C. Ignacio is SSS president and chief executive officer. We welcome your questions and insights on the topics that we discuss. E-mail mediaaffairs@sss. gov.ph for topics that you might want us to discuss.

Wednesday, March 17, 2021 A9

Of pandemic fears, losses, and more: What survey says Dr. Carl E. Balita

Entrepreneurs’ Footprints

year after the declaration of the 2020 quarantine, a survey was conducted by this writer. The survey covered 1,270 respondents randomly sourced from all over the country, of which 66 percent are female, 66 percent are employed with 61 percent from the age bracket of 30 years old and below. Google Survey forms were sent online through the nationwide network of Carl Balita Review Center from March 13 to 14, 2021. All regions were covered across socioeconomic strata. Research ethics was observed and data privacy was respected. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data.

Fear shifted and the life that is SEVENTY-ONE percent of the respondents expressed that the fear of Covid-19 was high (33 percent) to very high (38 percent) last year, during the onset of the quarantine, but the fear of 66 percent shifted to moderate (45 percent) to high (21 percent) in 2021. The mean score of fear was high at 3.9 (in range of 5) last year and shifted to moderate at 3.12 on the day of the survey. The one-year experience must have brought to the respondents the courage which is not the absence but the mastery of fear. Thirty-eight percent claim that life after one year of quarantine stagnated to be the same, while to 36 percent life became worst (with 4 percent as extremely worst). To 26 percent of the respondents, life became better after one year of quarantine. With 66 percent of the respondents still employed plus 6 percent self-employed, 52 percent are earning just enough to survive through the pandemic with 66 percent not having savings or reserve funds for the future. Only 33 percent have taken an entrepreneurial venture to generate revenue. Fifty-seven percent are now able to go out of home almost every day (28 percent) to everyday (29 percent), with 33 percent able to go out once a week. The work-from-home setup works to the 57 percent of the respondents, although 39 percent admitted that the level of their performance in WFH set-up is much less compared with office-based work. The 32 percent of the respondents claim that their performance is the same, while to 29 percent, WFH performance is better.

Seventy-six percent of the respondents opine that children are learning less in the current blended set-up, with 8 percent citing that the children are not learning at all. Eighty-one percent of the respondents, however, claim that they have learned new skills during this pandemic. Sixty-one percent are still purchasing mostly through face-to-face physical transactions than online transaction, as 58 percent cite that they seldom shop online. However, 27 percent seem to shop online most of the time with only 5 percent shopping all the time. Eleven percent have never shopped online. This finding indicates a potential still available for expansion in the area of e-commerce. After one year of quarantine that promotes contactless transactions, only 60 percent are equipped with the capacity to make cashless transactions.

So much losses but optimistic, somehow

Given a list of various aspects of life that they may have lost during the pandemic, the respondents reported loss of career opportunity (54 percent), income (42 percent), mental health (31 percent), job (23 percent), life of a family member or friend (18 percent), business (16 percent) and relationship (15 percent). Noteworthy is the revelation of selfawareness on how the pandemic has affected the psychosocial well-being of people, along with other economics-related aspect of one’s life. Eighty-nine percent of the respondents have positive optimism for the year 2021. Ninety-one percent of the age group of 30 years old

or less registered the highest optimism. However, only 12 percent of the respondents are expecting that life will be back to normal this year 2021. To 38 percent, normalcy is expected in 2022, while 28 percent expect normalcy in 2023. The vaccine is the major determinant on how humanity will be able to end the pandemic. Part of the survey reveals that, without the privilege to choose their preferred brand of a vaccine, 66 percent are not willing (34 percent willing) to have the vaccine, but with their preferred brand, 41 percent are still not willing (59 percent are willing) to be inoculated. Eighty percent of respondents ages 51 years old and above are not willing to have the vaccine without the freedom to choose their preferred brand, but 52 percent are willing (48 percent still not willing) to get the vaccine using their preferred brand. Pfizer tops the rank of preferred brand by 35 percent of the respondents in an open-ended question followed by Astra Zeneca by 10 percent. Thirty-four percent admitted not having an idea of a preferred brand yet. Given a range of 1 to 10 to rate the Philippine government’s handling of the pandemic (indicating 10 as being the highest), 53 percent rated from 1 to 5, while 47 percent rated 6 to 10. Moderate rating of 5 (by 19 percent) and 6 (by 15 percent) ranked highest with overall mean rating score of 5.31—which means average. The age group of 51 years old and above gave the highest mean rating for government at 5.68.

Permanent changes

IN the open-ended questions of changes that may become permanent due to the pandemic and the yearlong quarantine, the respondents provided answers in five central themes. First, the survey indicated that the human outlook and socialization must have changed permanently. Compassion, virtual human connections and digital socializations are cited as behavioral changes gained from the quarantine experience. The use of technology in social dynamics are bound to stay. Second is digital transformation in business and transactions, which is perceived to have permanent effect not only because of current necessity but also because of the convenience they bring. The pandemic has accelerated the technological disruptions anticipated from the fourth

What countries will fight over when green energy dominates By Marc Champion Bloomberg Opinion

he Rand Corporation’s been designing war games with the Pentagon since the 1950s, modelling such hard-nosed security scenarios as a two-front US war with China and Russia. Now the think tank is turning its realpolitik tool kit to a question more often associated with environmental dreamers: How will clean energy change the world? Rand is among the small but growing number of research organizations, universities and at least one European government that have started gaming out the gritty geopolitical implications of a globe dominated by green energy. It’s the latest sign that the once quaint idea of renewable energy displacing fossil fuels has gone mainstream. Last year was a turning point. China, the world’s biggest polluter, finally joined the cascade of nations and companies setting target dates for carbon neutrality. The European Union for the first time generated more electricity from carbon-free sources than polluting ones. Joe Biden won the US presidency, bringing an ambitious climate agenda to the White House. Addressing the United Nations Security Council last month, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson ridiculed those who still think of climate change as “green stuff from a bunch of tree-hugging tofu munchers,” unsuited to serious diplomacy. Some experts even predict that the end of an era defined by uneven access to fossil fuel deposits will produce a security dividend, similar to the one that followed the end of the Cold War. After all, a latter-day Saddam Hussein would

have little reason to invade Kuwait to seize its solar parks, as he did in 1990 for its oil wells, because there would no longer be anything special about Kuwait’s patch of desert. It would be cheaper to buy panels to put on his own. “Anyone can now become an energy player, that is the nature of renewable energy,’’ says former Iceland President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, who chaired an international commission on the geopolitics of the energy transition. Grimsson has already seen the green future. Iceland’s energy mix is 85% renewable, and all its electricity is generated from clean sources. The last time his island nation saw conflict with another country over resources, it was about fish. “You need a new geopolitical model, you cannot simply put renewables into the old coal and oil model,” Grimsson says. Until renewable dominance is reached, though, oil could have a long and destructive tail. For about three centuries, access to fossil fuels has shaped the rise and fall of great powers. Plentiful, well-located coal mines helped fire Britain’s industrial revolution and the expansion of its empire. Oil and gas fueled the former Soviet Union’s military power and shaped “the American century,” including US alliances and fleet deployments. “We’re not even close to a world dominated by renewables,’’ says Andreas Goldthau, who heads a project at German’s University of Erfurt that seeks to figure out the systemic impacts of the shift to clean energy. Changing such a fundamental driver of the global pecking order could have multiple consequences. Vladimir Putin might struggle to sustain Russia’s rise as an “energy superpower.” An implosion of the US shale industry,

combined with China’s dominance in renewables manufacturing, could define the 21st century’s great superpower contest. The rationale for American alliances and military bases in the Middle East would weaken. A sudden loss of oil revenues could trigger Arab Spring-style revolts against the most brittle petrostate autocracies. The one thing we know about transitions, Goldthau says, is that “they are never, never linear.’’ Think of the post-Cold War Yugoslav conflicts, or the shift away from planned economies that the former communist bloc began in the late 1980s. Many ex-republics, from Ukraine to Turkmenistan, remain in turmoil or stalled well short of market democracy 30 years later. Nor do transitions necessarily end with a neatly tied bow. The Canadian scientist Vaclav Smil has mapped out coal’s fall from 95 percent of primary energy use in 1900, to just 26 percent a century later. Yet in absolute terms, global consumption rose from an estimated 800 million tons a year in 1900 to about 5.5 billion tons today. Though the same might not happen to oil, the fuel is likely to burn much longer than most climate scientists would prefer. It’s hard to see a smooth, rapid energy transition taking place in the current competitive and nationalistic environment, says Eirik Waerness, chief economist of Norway’s state-owned energy giant Equinor ASA. He took part in Grimsson’s commission, and generally agrees with its optimistic conclusions. “For the energy transition to happen fully, we probably need a relatively benign geopolitical climate,” Waerness says. “There is to some extent a virtuous circle we have to create here.” While the sources of clean energy are

available to everyone, the battle will be over who profits from the products used to harness them. Solar panels, wind turbines and batteries will be in such demand that countries are already jostling to make sure they get their share of the pie. Many will get left behind. About 60 percent of solar panels are manufactured by Chinese companies, a level of market influence the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries can only dream of when it comes to oil. That creates a big trade advantage, but not one President Xi Jinping can easily leverage for geopolitical ends. “What are you worried about? You buy it, you run it and once you have what you have they can’t take it away from you,” says Karen Smith Stegen, a professor of political science at Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany, who has examined the potential of 165 countries to emerge from the transition as political winners and losers. Global inequalities and rivalries will instead likely center on access to technology and finance, standard setting and control of key raw materials. China controls more than 90 percent of some of the rare earth metals needed for electric vehicles and offshore wind turbines. It already used that monopoly power once, cutting off Japan’s supply after a 2010 clash near islands both nations claim to own. Japan has since reduced the share of its rare earth imports that come from China by more than a third to reduce its exposure. In November, Johnson’s UK will host the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, where countries will negotiate the rules for the road ahead. Leaders want to make sure everyone else is doing their fair share to cut emissions, and that their countries don’t lose out.

That fear could lead to what German economist Hans-Werner Sinn has called the “green paradox.” He argues the transition could prompt oil producers—especially those with high extraction costs or shallow reserves—to start pumping as fast as they can while demand lasts. The increased supply would boost carbon emissions and also lower the price of crude, making it more competitive with renewables and slowing the move to cleaner energy. Cheap oil could also decimate the budgets of fragile regimes before they have time to find other sources of revenue. A February study by UK think tank Carbon Tracker found that 40 fossilfuel dependent governments would suffer an average 51 percent drop in oil and gas revenues if global climate targets are met. That could destabilize governments and leave the likes of Nigeria or Iraq unable to afford security to deal with threats from terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram and Islamic State. A report last month by the European Council on Foreign Relations concluded that rich countries will have to help plug the financial holes. The EU’s Green Deal, in particular, said it could have as great an effect on regional geopolitics as on the Earth’s climate. The bloc produces less than 10 percent of global CO₂ emissions, but neighbors such as Algeria, Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkey depend on its market to buy a large share of their exports. Many of these are carbon intensive and vulnerable to the EU’s planned carbon border tax. And there’s no guarantee that making nations more energy selfsufficient will reduce conflict. Oil is the most actively traded commodity on the planet, and any steep decline in demand would reduce those interactions. “What we know is trade is a good thing,” says

industrial revolution. Third, health awareness and consciousness are important permanent changes brought about by the pandemic which accustomed people to observe hygiene and sanitation. Fourth, education may have to change permanently to retain some pedagogical approaches using technology in the delivery of educational content for the educational outcomes. The 21st century learning will not be limited to the 19th century classrooms for which even the 20th century teachers are now adapting to the technological transformation in the post-modern education. Lastly, the educational outcomes and competencies may need to realign with emerging job demands in the areas of information, communication, technology, and new media, as well as in the new dynamics of the workplace. The 21st century competencies expanded to include those which the workplace and society prescribe as essentials in the new normal. The respondents, however, are maintaining their wishful anticipation for the return to normalcy in five areas, namely, mobility and travel, learning and education, work and productivity, career and business, and opportunity and economy. The paranoid economy has limited mobility and travel that left people hungry of travel and leisure. Learning and education at home may have gained some lessons but have lost the socialization in the process. Home can hardly draw the line between being a productive workplace and quiet sanctuary. Career and business are both disrupted that re-tooling and re-purposing render many old jobs, products and services obsolete. Opportunities in crisis become a mere rationalization when the global economy has suffered an unprecedented decline. This survey provides evidence of individual perceptions that may translate to a collective reality of how humanity is and how life will be through this pandemic time. While the findings may simply state what is obvious and already known, they provide a greater snapshot of reality as it unfolds to make footprints toward a future we are capable to collectively and consciously create.

For feedback and more detailed information about the survey, send e-mail to drcarlbalita@ yahoo.com.

Goldthau at the University of Erfurt. “When states are interdependent they have a lower appetite for conflict.” Back at Rand, senior policy researcher Benjamin Preston has divided the world into three categories. The first consists of countries such as Iceland, which already made the transition and have little more at stake. The second are the export-dependent petrostates that have most to lose. The third and least-studied cohort is the array of countries in between that are both producers and consumers of fossil fuels. The temptation for these hybrid cases will be to decarbonize their own economies, while maximizing revenue from exports of oil, gas and coal, Preston says. That’s a wild card with potential to impact both international politics and the duration of the transition. Take China, which has installed more solar capacity than the rest of the world combined, but is also exporting even more coal-fired generation capacity. In one case, it literally dismantled an aging plant in Hunan province to reconstruct in Cambodia. Australia, another solar success story, recently opened a new coal mine to supply India, and greenlit the development of another $1 billion facility aimed at the Asian market. The US, meanwhile, is hardly shutting down the fracking industry that for more than a decade has boosted its economy. Meghan O’Sullivan, director of Harvard’s geopolitics of energy initiative, has argued that shale also gives the US significant foreign policy freedom. The added supply reduced potential for blowback from oil-price effects when America levied sanctions against Iran, blocking its oil from the global market.

With assistance from Akshat Rathi and Laura Millan Lombrana.

A10 Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Pregnant, and a frontliner? Covid jab may be given–DOH

REGNANT women who are considered at high risk of exposure to the virus like health-care workers (HCWs) or frontliners can be given the Covid-19 vaccine, the Philippine Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology (Pidsog) said on Tuesday. During the Kapihan session of the Department of Health (DOH), Dr. Sybil Lizanne R. Bravo, Pidsog president, said there are no studies at present on the safety of administration of Covid-19 vaccine among pregnant and breastfeeding women. Dr. Lizanne said a woman who is breastfeeding and is part of the Priority Eligible Population group recommended to receive a Covid-19 vaccine, such as a frontline healthcare worker or a frontline essential care worker with an “unavoidable high risk of exposure, may choose to be vaccinated.” The DOH echoed this by saying they follow the contraindications written in the emergency use authorization (EUA) to determine who should not receive the vaccines. “The vaccines we have are not contraindicated for pregnant women. Pregnant women may be vaccinated as long as cleared by their physicians,” the DOH said. Continued on A2

Low base, more jabs, keep hopes afloat for more ’21 remittances

By Bianca Cuaresma

@BcuaresmaBM

ESPITE opening the year with a decline in the overall volume of cash remittances sent to the Philippines, Filipino migrant workers are still expected to pull through this year and send more money back home this year compared to last. In a recent economic bulletin released by Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), Michael Ricafort said the performance of remittances, despite the 1.7-percent decline in January, is still a good indicator of growth in 2021. Ricafort said the decline largely came from temporary causes such as seasonality after the remittance surge in the holiday seasons and the renewed spike in Covid cases towards the end of 2020. “The renewed spike in new Covid-19 cases since the latter part of 2020, especially with the new coronavirus strains/variants that are more contagious, as well as any delay in the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines in some of the major host countries for OFWs could have slowed down economic recovery prospects and OFW remittances

data; as manifested by some restrictions in some OFW host countries, thereby fundamentally partly creating a soft patch on OFW remittances,” Ricafort said. Despite this, the economist still believes remittances will pull through and enter growth territory in 2021. Among the possible drivers for this is the low base in 2020 and the progress in vaccination in some host economies. “OF W re m it t a nc e s w ou l d start from a negative base from March-June 2021, thereby could mathematically result in a relatively larger positive year-on-year growth starting March 2021,” Ricafort said. “For the coming months, an important positive offsetting factor is the increased development and

deployment/rollout of vaccines for Covid-19 in many countries worldwide into 2021, especially in major host countries of OFWs, thereby could help reduce new coronavirus cases and further improve economic recovery prospects that lead to more jobs/employment opportunities for OFWs than otherwise, resulting to improvement in OFW remittances data,” he added. Earlier, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported a 1.7-percent decline in cash remittances to hit $2.603 billion in January. The January remittance level is also $287 million lower than the $2.89-billion level of remittances in December of 2020. Broken down, the decline in cash remittances can be traced to the lower land-based workers’ remittances which contracted by 2.4 percent to hit $2.044 billion during the month. Sea-based workers, meanwhile, slightly cushioned the blow to marginally increase by 1 percent to hit $558 million. By country source, the United States registered the highest share to total remittances at 40.9 percent. This is followed by remittances from Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, and Taiwan.

PALAWAN VOTERS REJECT BID TO SPLIT IT INTO 3 PROVINCES By Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

T is official. Palawan will remain as one province after majority of its voters rejected the ratification of Republic Act (R A) 11259 or the Act Dividing the Province of Palawan into three provinces. On Tuesday, the Commission on Elections announced that the Provincial Board of Canvassers (PBOC) finally proclaimed the official but partial results of the Palawan Plebiscite despite only processing the Certificates of Canvass (COC) of 22 of the 23 municipalities included in the electoral activity. Based on t he resu lts, 172,304 people voted “no” to the ratification of RA 11259 and only 122,223 voted “yes.” The 297,728 votes make up 60 percent of the 490,264 voters in the 23 participating municipalities, including Kalayaan Island. “On the basis of the foregoing, we hereby proclaim to ratify the division of the Province of Palawan pursuant to RA 11259 was rejected and disapproved on the basis of the

votes cast in the Province of Palawan on March 13, 2021,” the PBOC said. The PBOC made the decision after the opposers filed a motion to terminate the canvassing even though the COC from the municipality of Kalayaan Island has yet to arrive. The proponents of R A 11259 agreed to the motion. In an livestreamed interview, Comelec Commissioner Antonio Kho said the COC from Kalayaan Island is supposed to arrive on Wednesday, but may be further delayed due to incessant rains. T he com m issioner -i ncharge of the plebiscite explained that the votes from the Kalayaan Island will no longer affect the outcome of the Palawan plebiscite. Kho lauded the successful conduct of the plebiscite, which he said will be used by Comelec for its preparations for the 2022 National and Local elections, particularly in preventing infection in voting centers. “We learned a lot [from the conduct of the plebiscite]. Definitely we will implement it [in the 2022 polls],” Kho said.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Companies BusinessMirror

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

AEV: Higher capex for 2021 to support recovery of PHL

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

boitiz Equity Ventures Inc. (AEV) on Tuesday said it has allotted some P48 billion in capital expenditures (capex) this year, half of which will go to its power unit. The company, which supplies close to a fifth of the country’s population through its critical businesses, said this year’s capex is 69 percent higher than the P29 billion in spending last year, but still lower by 40 percent compared with the P81-billion capex in 2019. The company has previously allotted P73 billion in capex for 2020 but had to cut it drastically due to the pandemic. “We continue to invest in our

country to support economic recovery and growth, as millions of Filipinos are relying on us -- families and communities. Our team members take this responsibility to heart. We simply cannot fail. Over the next 10 years, we commit to investing in capacities to advance business and communities in the nine Asia Pacific countries where we operate,” AEV President and CEO Sabin M. Aboitiz said. Some P23 billion of this year’s

capex was earmarked for Aboitiz Power Corp. for the completion of GNPower Dinginin as well as the battery energy storage projects. The 1,336-megawatt GNPower Dinginin baseload power plant is currently being constructed in Mariveles, Bataan. AboitizPower is also adding to its portfolio battery energy storage system projects that will help ensure grid stability through sufficient ancillary services, starting with the installation of a 49-MW facility of business unit Therma Marine Inc. in Maco, Davao de Oro. Meanwhile, Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. will spend P13 billion to fund its various projects including its common towers project and for the construction of Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc.’s bulk water supply project with Davao City Water District and other water projects. About P2 billion will be earmarked for Republic Cement and

Building Materials, Inc. Its food group has allocated P4 billion mainly for feedmill expansion. For 2021, two feed facilities in China—one fish feed line in Malaysia and 3 meat distribution channels in the Philippines—are slated for completion to support the group’s growth initiatives. Property developer Aboitiz Land Inc. has earmarked P3.1 billion for its land banking activities and the completion of its residential projects. Currently, Aboitiz Land is working on Seafront Residences and The Villages at Lipa in Batangas, Ajoya Capas in Tarlac, Ajoya Pampanga in Pampanga and Ajoya Cabanatuan in Nueva Ecija. Union Bank of the Philippines, meanwhile, allotted more than P2 billion in capex primarily intended for continued enhancements on digital touch points, as well as constructing an innovation hub, to support customer needs during Covid-19.

ALI to transfer properties to AREIT P

ing to renewable energy or planting more trees. The company claimed that it has already reached 91 percent carbon neutrality and targets to be fully neutral by next year. Manny Blas, head of corporate services of Ayala Land Estate Group, said the company is confident of hitting the target by the end of next year. In 2017, the company targeted to reduce its carbon footprint to zero in 5 years, through a combination of measures including the use of renewable energy, the use of natural lighting and ventilation and energy-efficient cooling facilities and offsetting emissions with

natural regeneration efforts like tree planting and reforestation. To achieve the 100-percent goal of offsetting carbon emissions in its commercial properties by 2022, the company has set the following targets for this year: Shifting 5 additional buildings to renewable energy use; and planting 30,000 trees across an estimated 50 hectares within its carbon forests. Blas said 63 percent of total gross leasable area of commercial properties are now using renewable energy, 25,000 trees were planted across 24 hectares of its carbon forests in 2020 alone and 80 percent of the total carbon forest area are covered with trees. VG Cabuag

roperty developer Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) is infusing additional properties in AREIT Inc. worth some P15.46 billion via a property-for-share swap transaction. In their separate disclosures to the Philippine Stock Exchange, AREIT—the real estate investment trust arm of Ayala Land— will increase its authorized capital stock to P29.5 billion from the previous P11.74 billion. Ayala Land will subscribe to some 483.25 million primary common shares in AREIT’s in exchange for identified commercial properties. The property firm will buy the said shares at P32 apiece.

The said transactions are subject for approval by AREIT’s shareholders in their annual meeting in April. With the transaction, AREIT’s leasing portfolio will increase to 549,000 square meters from 344,000 square meters while deposited property value will rise to P52 billion from P37 billion. “Until the Deed of Exchange is executed by the parties and approved by the regulators, no asset nor share shall transfer between ALI and AREIT,” the company said. Ayala Land, meanwhile, said all of the greenhouse gasses discharged by its properties will be fully offset by the end of next year by switch-

Nokia cuts up to 10K jobs as 5G race heats up

CAB limits daily passengers at Naia

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

he Sen ate Com m it tee on Public Services endorsed Tuesday for plenary deliberation and approval fresh franchises for 3 telecommunication companies, including a “new player” to stir up competition seen to benefit end-users. In sponsoring their plenary approval, Senator Grace Poe, panel chairperson, said the 3 telcos are expected to “bridge the digital divide by making telecommunications services available, accessible and affordable to more Filipinos.” She added that the Senate panel, in endorsing the entry a new telco player and the renewal of two existing franchises, sought to “encourage competition, drive companies to provide better service, and meet end-user expectations.” Poe confirmed that among those lined up for plenary vote were: n House Bill (HB) 7615, under Committee Report No. 207, seeking to grant the franchise of Instant Data Inc. which aims to deliver communications technology through internet inf rastr ucture, and f uture proof IP voice/video; n HB 8551, under Committee Report No. 208, renewing the franchise of Transpacific Broadband Group Inter national Inc. (TBGI). TBGI is a PSE-licensed telecommunications operator with PEZA in the Clark Special Economic Zone. They also have monitoring and operations center in Mandaluyong, and a training facility in Dasmariñas, Cavite. More importantly, Poe added, TGBI’s network development plan focuses on marginalized schools and communities. And; n HB 7332, under Committee Report No. 206, which seeks to renew the franchise of Dito Telecommunity Corp. Dito, formerly Mislatel, was selected as the new major player in the Philippine telecommunications market.

Poe said Dito was given a 5-year network rollout to realize its commitment to provide at least 55 mbps of mobile data connectivity to at least 84 percent of the country’s population. She recalled that last March 8, Dito was able to launch commercially in various areas in Visayas and Mindanao, with good connection reports although it could improve its accessibility to serve the market it targets. “We are hopeful that the entrance of Dito in the telecommunications market would spur the competition for a more affordable and better internet and mobile services available to more Filipinos,” Poe said. “Nevertheless, we also recognize that the grant of franchise is just the tip of the iceberg and we need to pursue several reforms like the long overdue amendment to Republic Act 7925 or the Public Telecommunications Policy Act, and the passage of the Better Internet Act, and Open Access in Data Transmission Act.” Moreover, the Senator affirmed that “we made sure to standardize the contents of all franchises regardless of popularity and extent of coverage,” adding that “in view of our mandate and responsibility to issue franchises, we scrutinized and carefully studied each of them.” “In fact, in our effort to continuously improve it, we introduced a new amendment on the dispersal of ownership to all franchises, except the non-stock and non-profit corporations,” said Poe, noting that, “we changed the offering requirements from 30 percent of common stocks to 30 percent of outstanding capital stocks following the legal precedent in Roy vs. Herbosa where the Court adopted that Filipino ownership must be applied to both total number of outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote; and total number of outstanding shares of stock, whether or not entitled to vote.”

ERC: Results of NGCP audit out in a few months

okia Oyj will cut as many as 10,000 jobs in the coming years so it can invest more in the race to win orders for 5G networks. The measures will trim 600 million euros ($715 million) off Nokia’s cost base by the end of 2023, the Finnish telecommunications equipment maker said in a statement on Tuesday. The move doesn’t affect the outlook for 2021, it said. The decision to part ways with as much as 10 percent of its work force follows an annual report that left investors disappointed by the prospect of a continued slide in revenue. Nokia said the restructuring plan could cost as much as 700 million euros over the coming two years. “It’s a massive program” that reflects “the pace of change in the industry,” analyst Kimmo Stenvall at OP Group said by phone. “The shareholder will be left with nothing, all the proceeds will go toward R&D and developing the company.” The move is part of a strategy unveiled in October to create a new operating model that Nokia hopes will help it cope better with the competitive markets it faces. That’s as Stockholmbased rival Ericsson AB has managed to build 5G networks faster than expected, reaching profitability targets ahead of schedule. Nokia shares were steady at 11:30 a.m. in Helsinki. The stock is up about 14 percent this year after falling 4.4 percent in 2020. With the latest changes at Nokia, Chief Executive Officer Pekka Lundmark said that each of the company’s four business groups “has identified a clear path to sustainable, profitable growth and they are resetting their cost bases to invest in their future.” Bloomberg News

Senate tackles fresh franchise for 3 telcos

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

BusinessMirror file photo

By Recto L. Mercene @rectomercene

he Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has directed to limit all international inbound arrivals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) to a maximum of 1,500 passengers per day. The directive issued on Tuesday will last for one month and will start at 8 a.m., March 18. It was not made clear whether the CAB issued the order to stop the entry of new Covid-19 variants. To comply with the restriction,

airlines will need to cancel a number of international flights to and from Manila from March 18 to April 19. Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said it will operate a full international schedule for March 18, but will be announcing in due course any flight cancellations on other days for the rest of the period. Airlines will likewise comply with any directives from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and concerned authorities on the type of travelers that will be allowed entry into the Philippines within the same one month period.

PAL advices that certain passenger types will need to postpone their Manila-bound travels until after the stated period. PAL told travelers to stay posted for further updates, “as we await the final announcements and information from the BI and the concerned authorities.” The airline seeks the public’s understanding as it prepares to make adjustments in its operations to comply with these latest government measures, as the carrier said it supports the national effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

he results of the first part of an ongoing audit on National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) would be out in a few months, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said. The commission has tapped Navarro Amper & Co. to conduct the audit, which is focused on the grid operator’s compliance and performance. “The compliance and performance review is ongoing. It started last January 2021. The report of the consultants will be in June this year,” said ERC Commissioner-in-Charge Floresinda Digal in a text message. A separate audit on NGCP’s system security would be up for bidding next month, Digal added. She said the ERC is required to look for private auditors to check into the facilities run by privately led NGCP. “We are a government agency so everything we provide, like consultancy or for any project, should undergo bidding.” NGCP is owned by a consortium led by Monte Oro Grid Re-

sources Corp. of Henry Sy, Jr., Calaca High Power Corp. of Robert Coyiuto, Jr., and the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), which holds a 40-percent interest. The NGCP earlier said that it “has never resisted any audit,” and it just wants that it be done in accordance with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, as well as the provisions of its concession agreement and franchise. It said it would only accept an audit by the ERC because it is the only government audit prescribed by law.

Companies BusinessMirror

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

March 16, 2021

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

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

42.5 104 82.3 23.35 9.51 45.5 9.81 22 23.25 54.55 17.2 119.5 71.25 1.61 3.99 0.58 3.11 1.35 0.38 950 0.79 150 2,300 0.99

43.5 104.6 82.5 23.4 9.54 45.7 10.3 23.4 23.9 54.7 17.48 120.1 73.5 1.62 4 0.62 3.25 1.45 0.4 975 0.81 150.3 2,500 1.07

43.4 102.5 80.25 23.05 9.45 45.45 10.1 22 22.9 54.7 17.04 118.6 71.1 1.52 3.99 0.58 3.05 1.45 0.4 950 0.78 149.5 2,498 0.99

43.4 104.6 82.8 23.45 9.53 45.95 10.1 22 23.9 54.7 17.48 120.9 73.5 1.67 4 0.58 3.43 1.45 0.4 950 0.82 150.5 2,498 0.99

42.5 101.7 80 23.05 9.31 45.1 9.81 22 22.55 54.55 17.04 118 71.1 1.52 3.95 0.58 3.02 1.35 0.38 950 0.71 149.5 2,300 0.99

42.5 104.6 82.5 23.45 9.51 45.5 9.81 22 23.9 54.7 17.48 119.5 71.25 1.62 4 0.58 3.25 1.45 0.4 950 0.81 150 2,300 0.99

15,000 2,948,590 1,852,970 15,800 135,000 4,802,900 6,800 3,200 245,500 1,710 19,600 534,350 3,870 828,000 433,000 5,000 579,000 33,000 180,000 80 942,000 869,340 180 26,000

639,440 304,537,051 151,945,907.50 369,190 1,277,486 218,992,620 68,564 70,400 5,649,410 93,409.50 334,694 63,980,315 276,095 1,322,170 1,731,610 2,900 1,884,160 45,050 69,600 76,000 749,450 130,414,146 415,980 25,740

43,000 1,174,335 27,663,414.50 -30,390 -422,228 42,565,350 -35,234 -3,058,045 -21,275,382 -27,115 0 3,800 76,000 -67,294,995 391,000 -

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 6.91 6.92 6.65 6.99 6.6 6.92 21,121,500 144,554,176 ALSONS CONS 1.24 1.25 1.22 1.25 1.2 1.25 689,000 841,590 ABOITIZ POWER 25.05 25.1 24.75 25.4 24.5 25.1 2,141,300 53,700,275 0.84 0.85 0.83 0.87 0.81 0.84 36,995,000 31,400,950 BASIC ENERGY 30.05 30.8 29.25 31 29.25 30.8 1,923,400 58,520,605 FIRST GEN 71.3 71.45 72 72 71.05 71.3 20,750 1,479,164 FIRST PHIL HLDG MERALCO 267.4 268.6 269 273.8 267 267.4 323,790 87,171,010 MANILA WATER 14.5 14.78 14 15 13.88 14.5 1,808,400 26,406,882 PETRON 3.16 3.18 3.18 3.18 3.16 3.18 607,000 1,923,570 3.58 3.87 3.65 3.65 3.59 3.59 11,000 39,740 PETROENERGY PHX PETROLEUM 11.68 11.82 11.64 11.82 11.5 11.82 31,000 365,282 PILIPINAS SHELL 20.9 20.95 21 21.2 20.25 20.95 480,000 10,063,465 SPC POWER 10.1 10.2 10.14 10.2 10.08 10.1 199,900 2,032,706 AGRINURTURE 7.1 7.2 7.09 7.2 6.95 7.2 2,430,900 17,182,154 3.15 3.2 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.2 319,000 1,014,030 AXELUM CNTRL AZUCARERA 12.8 13.38 13.52 13.52 13.4 13.4 400 5,384 CENTURY FOOD 17.22 17.3 17.2 17.3 16.96 17.24 1,020,500 17,532,076 DEL MONTE 8.98 9 9 9.48 9 9 184,500 1,679,033 DNL INDUS 7.25 7.26 7.18 7.29 7.18 7.25 599,800 4,338,552 10.18 10.2 10.2 10.2 10.02 10.2 567,700 5,744,566 EMPERADOR 59.9 59.95 61.15 61.15 59.9 59.9 192,590 11,592,376.50 SMC FOODANDBEV 0.61 0.62 0.61 0.62 0.61 0.61 140,000 85,410 ALLIANCE SELECT FRUITAS HLDG 1.38 1.41 1.38 1.44 1.35 1.41 13,313,000 18,507,510 GINEBRA 50.25 50.9 51.9 51.9 50.1 51 30,080 1,531,138 JOLLIBEE 181.1 181.3 179 181.3 178 181.3 823,770 148,914,680 29 30.5 30.05 30.05 27.25 30 5,500 161,720 LIBERTY FLOUR MACAY HLDG 7.01 7.99 7.41 7.99 7.3 7.99 3,900 28,926 5.6 5.7 5.6 5.67 5.52 5.6 119,100 664,363 MAXS GROUP MG HLDG 0.295 0.3 0.305 0.305 0.29 0.3 6,370,000 1,898,250 SHAKEYS PIZZA 6.91 7 6.75 7 6.75 6.91 98,100 681,823 1.04 1.05 1.05 1.07 1.02 1.05 662,000 693,090 ROXAS AND CO 4.57 4.79 4.77 4.79 4.77 4.79 31,000 148,150 RFM CORP 1.41 1.49 1.41 1.41 1.41 1.41 9,000 12,690 ROXAS HLDG SWIFT FOODS 0.133 0.135 0.131 0.141 0.128 0.133 12,330,000 1,668,800 UNIV ROBINA 125 125.5 120.1 125.7 120 125.5 1,262,720 157,004,095 VITARICH 0.8 0.81 0.78 0.81 0.78 0.8 656,000 525,320 51.2 52.5 51.8 51.8 51.8 51.8 500 25,900 CONCRETE A CEMEX HLDG 1.13 1.14 1.12 1.13 1.08 1.13 2,992,000 3,326,700 DAVINCI CAPITAL 3.09 3.1 3.15 3.26 3.03 3.1 13,983,000 44,105,180 EAGLE CEMENT 10.52 10.6 10.44 10.6 10.3 10.6 109,100 1,136,926 EEI CORP 7.87 7.88 7.75 7.88 7.75 7.87 104,500 813,363 5.2 5.26 5.18 5.39 5.1 5.26 683,200 3,524,639 HOLCIM 6.13 6.14 6.24 6.24 6.1 6.14 1,749,300 10,740,638 MEGAWIDE 12.1 12.2 12.22 12.26 12.18 12.22 107,000 1,306,708 PHINMA TKC METALS 1.12 1.13 1.17 1.22 1.09 1.12 559,000 628,780 VULCAN INDL 2.04 2.05 2 2.14 2 2.05 10,069,000 20,830,930 144 159.9 144.1 144.1 144.1 144.1 450 64,845 CHEMPHIL CROWN ASIA 2.07 2.09 2.03 2.1 2.03 2.07 815,000 1,695,250 1.95 2.03 2.07 2.07 1.95 2.02 60,000 122,260 EUROMED LMG CORP 4.5 4.95 4.96 4.96 4.96 4.96 1,000 4,960 MABUHAY VINYL 4 4.24 4.1 4.1 3.5 3.5 12,000 45,930 PRYCE CORP 5.3 5.38 5.4 5.4 5.3 5.35 90,700 485,113 20.95 21 20.75 21 20.75 21 57,500 1,200,880 CONCEPCION 3.86 3.88 3.78 3.92 3.55 3.88 22,741,000 86,863,360 GREENERGY 10.1 10.12 10 10.2 9.8 10.1 265,400 2,666,492 INTEGRATED MICR IONICS 1.1 1.11 1.15 1.15 1.09 1.1 354,000 389,170 PANASONIC 5.57 5.79 5.58 5.59 5.56 5.56 23,200 129,242 1.26 1.28 1.28 1.35 1.24 1.28 1,555,000 1,983,780 SFA SEMICON 5.74 5.8 5.69 5.9 5.61 5.74 755,700 4,336,962 CIRTEK HLDG

4,440,944 4,926,870 185,700 19,920,585 -322,001 -5,067,366 -3,739,538 -367,090 276,845 -5,100 -3,793,245 -9,503,322 18,800 374,243 -1,561,634 -1,418,905.50 228,010 68,637 10,818,465 730 -50,294 140,700 -69,960 119,430.00 137,100 -22,969,774 -136,730 -669,490 295,400 -144,090 -2,216,178 -1,096,342 -336,550 2,100 1,307,960 -20,500 10,100 1,117,255 -606,760 -186,766 1,090 579,400 347,920

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL 0.95 0.96 0.9 1.01 0.9 0.96 36,270,000 35,082,270 ASIABEST GROUP 6.85 7.14 7.17 7.17 6.83 7.13 11,400 79,299 AYALA CORP 753 757 739.5 757 735.5 757 154,370 116,085,545 35.6 36 38.15 38.2 35.6 35.6 3,957,400 144,436,025 ABOITIZ EQUITY 10.12 10.18 10.18 10.36 10.1 10.12 1,938,800 19,758,980 ALLIANCE GLOBAL 2.82 2.86 2.72 2.88 2.72 2.87 1,484,000 4,179,420 AYALA LAND LOG ANSCOR 6.52 6.6 6.6 6.6 6.52 6.52 23,700 155,356 ANGLO PHIL HLDG 0.66 0.68 0.66 0.7 0.66 0.66 2,632,000 1,775,100 ATN HLDG A 0.81 0.82 0.81 0.83 0.8 0.82 2,364,000 1,918,610 5.25 5.3 5.35 5.35 5.18 5.3 3,637,200 19,200,047 COSCO CAPITAL 5.2 5.24 5.19 5.24 5.07 5.24 1,846,000 9,532,560 DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV 8.3 8.9 8.19 8.9 8.14 8.3 8,600 71,629 FORUM PACIFIC 0.245 0.247 0.24 0.24 0.24 0.24 250,000 60,000 GT CAPITAL 515 525 524.5 535 515 515 147,010 76,992,810 3.55 3.6 3.55 3.55 3.55 3.55 34,000 120,700 HOUSE OF INV 61.1 61.3 61.95 62.55 60.8 61.1 2,270,120 140,014,190.50 JG SUMMIT 4.4 5.88 4.52 4.52 4.2 4.2 4,000 17,740 JOLLIVILLE HLDG LODESTAR 1.18 1.2 1.18 1.21 1.11 1.19 6,511,000 7,643,640 LOPEZ HLDG 3.51 3.67 3.52 3.52 3.51 3.51 244,000 856,620 12.98 13 12.98 13.06 12.8 13 3,040,400 39,498,116 LT GROUP 3.77 3.78 3.78 3.87 3.76 3.78 12,416,000 47,397,880 METRO PAC INV 3.43 3.7 3.3 3.45 3.3 3.43 41,000 138,070 PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA 2.85 2.86 2.38 2.85 2.32 2.85 14,715,000 38,618,120 REPUBLIC GLASS 2.41 2.78 2.52 2.52 2.39 2.39 28,000 68,640 SOLID GROUP 1.25 1.28 1.25 1.28 1.25 1.28 21,000 26,280 340 349 343 350 322 349 2,640 903,010 SYNERGY GRID SM INVESTMENTS 1,002 1,006 1,000 1,017 999 1,003 304,595 305,771,085 117.5 118.9 119.5 119.5 116.1 117.5 165,600 19,474,695 SAN MIGUEL CORP SOC RESOURCES 0.68 0.73 0.74 0.74 0.73 0.73 3,000 2,200 TOP FRONTIER 135.3 139.9 140 141.8 135.3 139.9 3,780 529,209 0.237 0.25 0.236 0.236 0.236 0.236 710,000 167,560 WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG 0.201 0.208 0.205 0.209 0.198 0.201 510,000 102,630

20,920 48,283 -3,570,100 -30,024,400 -6,764,390 1,966,170 1,132,457 -405,436 -4,940 -49,220,850 -71,000 -69,743,832.50 4,500 10,560 -10,272,106 -16,263,510 2,598,210 -122,888,332.50 -815,336 -29,748 -

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.61 0.63 0.62 0.63 0.61 0.61 243,000 149,820 AYALA LAND 35.75 35.9 35.85 36.65 35.7 35.75 7,751,500 280,023,695 ARANETA PROP 1.13 1.28 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 10,000 12,000 32.35 32.5 31.75 32.8 31.75 32.5 611,000 19,607,910 AREIT RT 1.46 1.5 1.46 1.5 1.46 1.46 22,000 32,240 BELLE CORP A BROWN 0.88 0.89 0.85 0.92 0.85 0.89 622,000 548,700 CITYLAND DEVT 0.77 0.78 0.78 0.78 0.77 0.78 59,000 45,480 CROWN EQUITIES 0.137 0.138 0.137 0.137 0.133 0.137 930,000 125,850 CEBU HLDG 6.5 6.77 6.38 6.9 6.2 6.5 9,200 58,139 5.49 5.5 5.2 5.6 5.17 5.5 2,826,300 15,482,478 CEB LANDMASTERS 0.39 0.395 0.395 0.395 0.39 0.39 830,000 325,000 CENTURY PROP CYBER BAY 0.315 0.33 0.31 0.33 0.31 0.315 1,020,000 319,250 DOUBLEDRAGON 13.14 13.16 13.2 13.5 12.96 13.14 4,233,100 55,620,354 DM WENCESLAO 6.78 6.79 6.8 6.8 6.6 6.78 40,500 272,221 0.28 0.29 0.28 0.29 0.28 0.29 1,310,000 368,750 EMPIRE EAST 0.087 0.089 0.085 0.091 0.083 0.09 280,000 23,890 EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND 1.14 1.15 1.13 1.15 1.13 1.15 32,711,000 37,359,590 GLOBAL ESTATE 0.82 0.83 0.84 0.86 0.83 0.83 1,192,000 996,990 8990 HLDG 7.04 7.19 7.05 7.2 7.04 7.04 65,300 461,121 1.4 1.41 1.4 1.44 1.38 1.41 1,723,000 2,413,280 PHIL INFRADEV 1.1 1.11 1.12 1.12 1.02 1.1 2,181,000 2,348,740 CITY AND LAND 3.4 3.42 3.35 3.5 3.34 3.42 7,873,000 26,923,540 MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED 0.37 0.375 0.36 0.38 0.355 0.375 23,450,000 8,739,050 PHIL ESTATES 0.375 0.385 0.365 0.385 0.36 0.385 3,050,000 1,129,650 PRIMEX CORP 1.45 1.49 1.42 1.5 1.42 1.5 378,000 556,030 18 18.04 17.6 18.1 17.6 18 3,452,800 62,003,088 ROBINSONS LAND 0.255 0.265 0.26 0.26 0.26 0.26 60,000 15,600 PHIL REALTY ROCKWELL 1.38 1.4 1.42 1.44 1.38 1.4 515,000 732,960 SHANG PROP 2.68 2.74 2.7 2.75 2.68 2.74 52,000 141,180 STA LUCIA LAND 2.25 2.27 2.1 2.3 2.1 2.27 4,279,000 9,239,780 35.5 35.55 35.5 35.7 35.35 35.5 6,297,800 223,593,235 SM PRIME HLDG 3.7 3.88 3.94 3.94 3.7 3.88 14,000 52,220 VISTAMALLS SUNTRUST HOME 1.43 1.48 1.41 1.48 1.39 1.43 1,485,000 2,128,400 VISTA LAND 3.9 3.95 3.94 4 3.76 3.95 4,071,000 15,599,270

9,300 -88,772,995 -13,065,035 -20,840 1,370 -179,312 -54,300 -15,474 64,400 16,063,610.00 198,528 -133,200 -10,900 -11,933,590 30,000 26,600 33,260 -19,255,516 -212,650 -541,300 -670,825 12,830 -78,290

SERVICES ABS CBN 11.08 11.2 11.2 11.2 10.98 11.06 46,000 509,406 GMA NETWORK 6.88 6.9 6.82 7 6.8 6.9 437,600 3,006,425 MANILA BULLETIN 0.43 0.445 0.43 0.43 0.425 0.425 80,000 34,150 1,975 1,980 1,978 1,990 1,952 1,980 58,115 115,005,870 GLOBE TELECOM 1,291 1,292 1,273 1,298 1,267 1,291 155,930 200,473,980 PLDT 0.188 0.189 0.177 0.196 0.177 0.189 772,660,000 146,280,820 APOLLO GLOBAL CONVERGE 17 17.08 16.78 17.16 16.58 17.08 3,684,500 62,364,358 DFNN INC 3.88 3.9 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.88 183,000 704,460 DITO CME HLDG 10.18 10.2 9.5 10.38 9.15 10.18 52,614,800 526,800,991 1.45 1.55 1.55 1.55 1.55 1.55 1,000 1,550 IMPERIAL ISLAND INFO 0.145 0.146 0.149 0.149 0.138 0.146 6,470,000 917,100 JACKSTONES 1.91 1.97 1.91 2.02 1.91 1.94 37,000 72,640 NOW CORP 2.67 2.68 2.63 2.72 2.6 2.67 2,460,000 6,535,840 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.47 0.475 0.45 0.485 0.445 0.475 23,860,000 11,227,050 2.65 2.66 2.58 2.78 2.58 2.65 331,000 878,060 PHILWEB 9.5 9.57 9.1 9.58 8.86 9.5 237,400 2,223,473 2GO GROUP 15.06 15.5 15.5 15.5 15.5 15.5 100 1,550 ASIAN TERMINALS CHELSEA 3.36 3.4 3.35 3.4 3.24 3.4 932,000 3,114,950 CEBU AIR 42.8 43 43.55 43.7 42.7 42.8 1,483,500 63,741,380 125 125.2 124.5 126.5 124.5 125 1,285,320 160,755,322 INTL CONTAINER 16.8 17.14 17.14 17.14 16.8 16.8 26,000 441,168 LBC EXPRESS LORENZO SHIPPNG 0.98 1.03 0.98 1.03 0.98 1.03 216,000 211,820 MACROASIA 4.94 4.95 5 5.05 4.71 4.95 2,099,200 10,392,257 METROALLIANCE A 2.44 2.45 2.38 2.47 2.33 2.44 331,000 800,320 PAL HLDG 6.05 6.14 6.2 6.2 6 6.13 18,200 111,169 1.15 1.17 1.16 1.19 1.14 1.15 262,000 304,580 HARBOR STAR 0.092 0.093 0.086 0.096 0.082 0.093 1,426,070,000 129,561,740 BOULEVARD HLDG 5.05 5.06 4.85 5.46 4.85 5.05 423,900 2,180,025 DISCOVERY WORLD WATERFRONT 0.49 0.495 0.475 0.495 0.475 0.49 2,150,000 1,046,100 FAR EASTERN U 580 600 580 580 580 580 200 116,000 7.16 7.6 7.42 7.6 7.14 7.55 14,100 103,539 IPEOPLE 0.37 0.385 0.385 0.385 0.37 0.37 190,000 70,800 STI HLDG BERJAYA 4.33 4.34 4.34 4.34 4.34 4.34 26,000 112,840 BLOOMBERRY 7.01 7.02 7.22 7.38 7 7.02 2,701,400 19,313,102 PACIFIC ONLINE 2.04 2.07 2.03 2.07 2 2.07 143,000 288,460 LEISURE AND RES 1.65 1.68 1.7 1.7 1.61 1.65 365,000 597,380 2.08 2.1 2.05 2.05 2.05 2.05 45,000 92,250 MANILA JOCKEY PH RESORTS GRP 2.03 2.04 1.98 2.09 1.95 2.04 5,056,000 10,364,550 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.395 0.405 0.39 0.405 0.39 0.405 2,230,000 892,650 PHIL RACING 6.18 6.2 6.2 6.2 6.2 6.2 88,000 545,600 ALLHOME 8 8.1 7.96 8.1 7.96 8.1 414,500 3,331,565 1.25 1.29 1.23 1.29 1.22 1.29 561,000 710,740 METRO RETAIL 34.45 34.5 34.8 35 34.3 34.5 1,478,100 51,298,490 PUREGOLD 53.1 53.5 52.6 54 52.6 53.5 297,800 15,929,960.50 ROBINSONS RTL PHIL SEVEN CORP 90 90.05 92 94 90.05 90.05 6,070 550,707 SSI GROUP 1.18 1.19 1.19 1.19 1.15 1.19 2,661,000 3,112,260 17 17.2 16.36 17.2 16.36 17.2 1,031,100 17,499,826 WILCON DEPOT 0.4 0.41 0.41 0.41 0.39 0.4 660,000 264,450 APC GROUP EASYCALL 6.73 6.8 6.71 6.89 6.7 6.8 32,100 216,189 GOLDEN MV 430.8 450 440 450 430.6 450 770 341,392 IPM HLDG 5 5.14 5 5 4.95 4.95 5,200 25,790 PAXYS 2.24 2.37 2.24 2.24 2.24 2.24 3,000 6,720 2.2 2.21 2.16 2.31 2.07 2.2 88,224,000 197,459,110 PRMIERE HORIZON 4.2 4.7 4.31 4.31 4.31 4.31 2,000 8,620 SBS PHIL CORP

47,272,505 63,839,615 -3,292,200 -6,720,854 -102,590 10,521,412 61,810 -33,060 141,700 50,010 -23,450 12,960 43,453,405 7,289,956 -2,242,305 7,316 -95,850.00 -3,380,530 5,150 -77,686 -6,937,490 20,300.00 82,510 -6,200 2,330,818 -47,750 -14,666,070.00 -3,234,697 -173,329.50 -5,960 6,260,238 -3,400 2,123,180 -

MINING & OIL ATOK 7.31 7.5 6.92 7.5 6.91 7.31 183,400 1,326,921 -61,957 APEX MINING 1.43 1.45 1.4 1.45 1.4 1.43 1,218,000 1,731,600 7,000 6.41 6.49 6.34 6.49 6.34 6.4 116,600 746,588 ATLAS MINING BENGUET A 2.5 2.78 2.58 2.79 2.5 2.78 216,000 548,390 COAL ASIA HLDG 0.29 0.3 0.29 0.295 0.29 0.29 320,000 93,500 CENTURY PEAK 2.64 2.77 2.64 2.79 2.63 2.79 36,000 95,080 DIZON MINES 9.91 10.5 10.8 10.8 9.89 10.5 18,700 185,770 FERRONICKEL 2.45 2.46 2.4 2.5 2.34 2.45 7,817,000 19,172,120 12,109,120 0.35 0.36 0.355 0.36 0.345 0.355 1,300,000 458,100 28,400 GEOGRACE 0.13 0.131 0.128 0.135 0.128 0.131 8,560,000 1,115,010 LEPANTO A MANILA MINING A 0.0097 0.0098 0.0099 0.0099 0.0098 0.0098 8,000,000 78,900 MANILA MINING B 0.0095 0.011 0.0096 0.0096 0.0095 0.0095 4,000,000 38,100 MARCVENTURES 1.19 1.22 1.15 1.24 1.15 1.22 1,101,000 1,320,100 -168,900 2.1 2.15 2.13 2.21 2.09 2.09 147,000 311,700 NIHAO NICKEL ASIA 5.29 5.3 5.2 5.35 5.2 5.29 5,890,200 31,120,879 -19,603,291 0.86 0.88 0.83 0.88 0.81 0.86 1,069,000 911,290 15,470 ORNTL PENINSULA PX MINING 4.65 4.7 4.55 4.8 4.55 4.65 394,000 1,846,860 14,450 SEMIRARA MINING 11.96 11.98 11.9 11.98 11.76 11.98 1,386,300 16,518,684 -6,505,730 0.008 0.0082 0.0079 0.0083 0.0078 0.008 34,000,000 274,900 UNITED PARAGON ACE ENEXOR 22.9 23 23.15 23.45 21.7 23 240,400 5,492,085 145,480 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.011 270,700,000 3,045,300 ORNTL PETROL A PHILODRILL 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.011 102,700,000 1,150,100 -53,900 PXP ENERGY 8.52 8.54 8.5 8.54 8.31 8.52 301,000 2,554,275 -66,980 PREFFERED HOUSE PREF B 100.1 101 100.2 101 100.2 101 19,900 2,009,500 -50,100 HOUSE PREF A 101.3 101.4 100.5 100.5 100.5 100.5 6,000 603,000 AC PREF B2R 515.5 525 515.5 515.5 515.5 515.5 100 51,550 101 103.6 103.6 103.6 101.8 101.8 1,010 102,836 CPG PREF A DD PREF 101.5 101.7 101.6 101.7 101.5 101.5 3,710 376,879 211,120 504 505 505 505 504 504 4,060 2,047,280 GLO PREF P GTCAP PREF B 1,030 1,038 1,038 1,038 1,038 1,038 300 311,400 MWIDE PREF 100 100.5 100.1 100.1 100 100 5,030 503,015 MWIDE PREF 2A 100.1 101 100.1 100.1 100.1 100.1 500 50,050 100 101 100.1 100.1 100 100 19,200 1,920,550 MWIDE PREF 2B PNX PREF 3B 104 107 104 107 104 107 1,920 199,830 PNX PREF 4 1,004 1,007 1,004 1,007 1,003 1,004 1,280 1,285,565 PCOR PREF 2B 1,012 1,014 1,014 1,014 1,012 1,012 365 370,090 PCOR PREF 3B 1,124 1,135 1,124 1,124 1,124 1,124 150 168,600 78.1 79.95 80 80 77.7 79.95 47,780 3,805,444 SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2E 75.8 77 75.9 75.9 75.9 75.9 22,000 1,669,800 SMC PREF 2F 77.5 79 79 79 79 79 100 7,900 SMC PREF 2H 76.8 78.5 77.5 77.5 77.5 77.5 5,000 387,500 SMC PREF 2I 78.5 78.9 78.5 78.8 78.5 78.5 27,100 2,127,353 76.25 76.95 76.95 76.95 76.25 76.25 40,500 3,116,125 SMC PREF 2J SMC PREF 2K 75.05 76 77 77 75 75.05 2,540 191,534 - PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 10.14 11.38 10.52 11.4 10.52 11.38 96,900 1,102,638 10,242 GMA HLDG PDR 6.69 6.7 6.7 6.8 6.7 6.7 202,100 1,356,070 - WARRANTS LR WARRANT 2.05 2.06 1.81 2.19 1.81 2.06 24,126,000 49,769,400 160,910.00 SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ALTUS PROP 19.44 19.9 19.9 20 19.2 19.9 246,800 4,846,262 -13,476 ITALPINAS 2.35 2.36 2.35 2.38 2.27 2.36 806,000 1,888,300 KEPWEALTH 5.12 5.28 5.3 5.3 5 5.28 24,300 124,656 18,500 4.65 4.67 4.5 4.81 4.5 4.65 24,010,000 112,920,050 1,941,780 MERRYMART EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF 99.1 101 99.25 100.8 99.1 99.1 54,080 5,393,615 156,827

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DNL board approves bond sale to fund Batangas plant

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

he board of chemical manufacturer D and L Industries Inc. (DNL) on Tuesday has approved the company’s maiden bond offering of up to P5 billion, proceeds of which will be used to fund its new plant in Batangas. The company said it will issue between P3 billion to P5 billion in debt with maturity of 3 to 5 years. Final details of the issuance, including interest rates, will be finalized together with the company’s underwriters, it said. “With interest rates still remaining low, we believe it’s an opportune time to tap the debt market. Our maiden bond offering will be a useful financial exercise for the company and will allow flexibility for future opportunities we can potentially take advantage of,” Alvin

Lao, the company’s president and CEO said. The proceeds from the bond issuance will primarily be used to finance the company’s new plant in Batangas which involves a total estimated capital expenditure of P8 billion and other working capital requirements. Construction for the expanded factory of the company started in late 2018 and completion is expected by the end of the year. Remaining capex to be deployed for the project is about P4 billion.

Once completed, the new plant will be instrumental to the company’s future growth, in line with plans to develop more high value-added coconut-based products and penetrate new international markets. The facility will mainly cater to DNL’s growing export business in the food and oleochemicals segment, the company said. It will add the capability to manufacture downstream packaging, thus allowing DNL to capture a bigger portion of the production chain. For instance, while the company primarily sells raw materials to customers in bulk, the new plants will allow it to “pack at source” so it can charge more. This means that DNL will have the ability to process the raw materials and package them closer to finished consumer-facing products. This will enable the company to move a step closer to its customers by providing customized solutions and simplifying their supply chain, which is of high importance given global logistical challenges and concerns. “With earnings growing by 8

percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2020, which likely signifies the inflection point in earnings growth, we believe that the worst is over and we are in a very good position to further recover as the economy continues to reopen,” Lao said. “The resiliency that the company showed last year highlights the relevant nature of our businesses’ catering to basic industries, and our operational adeptness as even in the worst of times, even at the peak of the lockdown, we never saw our net income turn negative. We believe that the future growth prospects of the business remain strong, and we look forward to our new plant coming online by the end of the year.” As of end-December 2020, the company remained lightly-geared with net gearing at 17 percent and interest cover at 18 times. Average cost of debts, which were all shortterm, stood at 3.53 percent. Post bond offering, the company estimates its net gearing to reach 42 percent and interest cover to settle at 11 times.

‘Fruitas to attain store expansion goal’ F ood and beverage kiosk operator Fruitas Holdings Inc. on Tuesday said the number of its community store openings is expected to reach 50 within a month and that it is on track to opening 100 stores before the end of the year. Within the next few weeks and even with the surge in Covid-19 cases, Fruitas said it will open Soy and Bean community stores in Las Piñas and Marikina and its first franchised community store in Rizal. The company said it is using its community store in McArthur Highway in Angeles, Pampanga for its delivery service in neighboring towns. “The pandemic has required us to adapt to the demands of our customers. We will continue to expand and enhance CocoDelivery. Our community stores, which were conceptualized during these challenging times, now contribute approximately 10 percent of our revenues and we expect this to further increase moving forward,” Lester Yu, Fruitas Holdings president and CEO, said. “We will also be offering a wider selection of products to our cus-

tomers and get closer to them. As near-term risks from the pandemic remain, we will also further amplify the health benefits of our key products.” Fruitas has recently launched its line of cold-pressed juices and open its first standalone Fruitas Creamery, which will sell its line of Fruitas dairy-based ice cream and Soy and Bean soy-based ice cream. The company earlier said it targets to increase its income by 5 times and more than double its revenues through 2025 as the company hopes to expand its operations in the country. The company said it has set its sights on a net income of P500 million within the 5-year period, from the current annual earnings of more than P100 million. Revenues, meanwhile, are expected to jump to about P5 billion from the P2 billion it posted in 2019. The company said it needed to expand its network to about 2,000 locations by 2025, or double its current number of kiosks and store network. VG Cabuag

VW eyes global electric-car lead by 2025 in platform push

olkswagen AG plans to widen cost-saving efforts and standardize key technologies as the German manufacturer seeks to rival Tesla Inc. on electric cars and keep traditional rivals at bay. VW targets 1 million electric-vehicle sales this year and aims to become the global EV market leader by 2025 at the latest, the company said Tuesday. By 2030, the share of fully electric vehicles in Europe is set to rise to as much as 60 percent of its deliveries. “We think that we can prove this year that we are strong in EV,” Chief Executive Officer Herbert Diess said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. Europe’s largest automaker is overhauling its sprawling operations to free up funds for new technologies as it plans to build the industry’s largest fleet of electric vehicles. The company is introducing several new battery-powered models, has unveiled Europe’s boldest battery-production push and struck a deal with unions to cut more jobs in Germany. VW’s preference shares rose as much as 5 percent in Frankfurt to 204.50 euros, the highest intraday since July 2015. The Wolfsburg-based manufacturer is now valued at about 117 billion euros ($139 billion). VW said it will use a “platform” approach to leverage economies of scale and raise the efficiency of

deploying technologies including software, batteries and charging infrastructure. The company plans to bolster its software operations to 10,000 staff as it develops automateddriving features and in-car operating systems. The hiring push would make VW one of Europe’s largest software firms behind SAP SE, improving its chances of catching up to Tesla and counter the existential risks posed by the automotive ambitions of Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc. Here’s how VW’s units did last year: *Operating profit at VW’s namesake passengercar brand plummeted to 454 million euros in 2020, from 3.8 billion euros in 2019 *The Audi division, which leads the group’s software expansion, saw operating profit decline to 2.7 billion euros from 4.5 billion euros *Porsche, the group’s most profitable brand, emerged from the pandemic largely unscathed with 4 billion euros in operating profit, compared with 4.2 billion euros in the previous year Last month, the company said it expects profitability to improve this year. It kept its dividend proposal unchanged even as analysts braced for a cut, and said rising vehicle deliveries will push up revenue up significantly. Bloomberg News

mutual funds

March 16, 2021

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 209.28 9.16% -9.04% -3.54% -7.9% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.2055 29.69% -9.28% 0.58% -8.19% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 2.868 9.69% -13.29% -5.65% -8.46% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.7308 9.93% -9.12% n.a. -9.09% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.65 -2.49% n.a. n.a. -12.35% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 4.5809 11.67% -6.85% -2.6% -7.29% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,4 0.6653 3.79% -10.63% -7.39% -12.44% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 96.72 27.53% -6.37% n.a. -5.12% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 43.0837 13.24% -7.22% -2.16% -8.03% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 450.14 10.25% -7.22% -2.72% -7.94% Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d,5 1.0087 19.12% n.a. n.a. -8.07% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 1.0868 10.58% -6.79% -1.75% -6.97% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 32.1851 11.55% -6.75% -1.23% -7.43% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8358 9.93% n.a. n.a. -8.46% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 4.4102 13.72% -6.67% -1.4% -7.95% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 737.7 13.97% -6.57% -1.54% -7.98% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.6629 8.8% -10.76% -5.26% -7.79% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.3385 7.77% -8.64% -2.98% -7.87% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8437 13.6% -6.89% -1.65% -8.06% United Fund, Inc. -a 3.0871 10.83% -5.97% -0.53% -6.99% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 98.9911 13.96% -6.38% -0.84% -7.96% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $1.2707 52.12% 3.58% 9.06% 5.64% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.709 52.3% 9.2% n.a. 2.16% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.6253 14.22% -3.11% -1.1% -2.59% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.1559 13.76% -3.26% -0.33% -5.67% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.49 8.35% -2.46% -1.37% -5.22% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,1 0.1872 0.59% n.a. n.a. -5.74% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.8967 6.68% -0.6% 0.87% -3.43% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.5518 8.61% -2.02% -0.27% -6.24% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 15.9398 8.57% -1.96% -0.29% -5.89% -4.68% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 1.9961 7.67% -2.84% -0.32% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.3846 5.39% -4.36% -1.35% -5.28% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 0.948 8.78% n.a. n.a. -7.3% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.8685 10.22% n.a. n.a. -8.5% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.8541 10.66% n.a. n.a. -8.47% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.8315 7.18% -5.41% -2.26% -6.33% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03788 2.41% 2.42% 1.28% -3.17% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b $1.1381 24.83% 1.45% 5.29% -1.05% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.5783 34.49% 6.92% 8.57% 1.45% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,3 $1.1915 15.72% 3.41% n.a. -0.88% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 370.01 2.63% 3.13% 2.62% -0.29% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.9049 -0.51% 0.62% 0.17% 0.24% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.2161 2.3% 4.15% 4.58% 0.04% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.2374 -0.01% 2.07% 1.88% -2.55% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4192 2.55% 3.03% 1.72% -1.39% -4.16% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.4416 3.01% 3.82% 2.21% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a,6 1.3143 4.62% 4.2% 2.58% -0.52% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.9417 4.2% 4.16% 2.69% -1.48% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.0162 5.52% 3.84% 2.11% -2.48% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1589 2.53% 4.5% 3.24% -1.47% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.7222 1.65% 3.76% 2.83% -1.87% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $480.81 2.07% 2.82% 2.44% -0.63% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є219.29 0.38% 1.02% 1.21% 0.05% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.1846 1.49% 1.95% 1.37% -7.48% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0257 2.39% 1.2% 0.96% -3.38% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b $1.052 -1.62% 0.13% -0.56% -3.72% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.4431 3.15% 3.81% 2.18% -3.65% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0624004 3.82% 3.18% 2.2% 0.13% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.0813 -0.31% 1.58% 0.9% -4.41% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 129.85 2.53% 3.24% 2.53% 0.03% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0493 1.62% n.a. n.a. 0.11% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.3 2.16% 2.91% 2.59% 0.26% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0548 1.47% 1.77% n.a. 0.23% Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d,7 1.1884 n.a. n.a. n.a. 5.21% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -b,d,2 $0.99 10% n.a. n.a. 1.02%

a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU). 1 - Launch date is September 28, 2019. 2 - Launch date is November 15, 2019. 3 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last October 9, 2019. 4 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last October 12, 2018 (formerly, One Wealthy Nation Fund, Inc.). 5 - Launch date is December 09, 2019. 6 - Re-classified into a Bond Fund starting February 21, 2020 (Formerly a Money Market Fund). 7 - Launch date is July 6, 2020. "While we endeavor to keep the information accurate, the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) and its members make no warranties as to the correctness of the newspaper’s publication and assume no liability or responsibility for any error or omissions. You may visit http://www. pifa.com.ph to see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU."

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Entrepreneur BusinessMirror

Filipina entrepreneur wins Lazada award

Women entreps crucial in PHL Covid recovery, says DTI chief

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Wednesday, March 17, 2021 B3

epartment of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez has highlighted the important role of women entrepreneurs, especially as the country pushes for post-coronavirus economic recovery. In celebration of Inter nationa l Women’s Day, the DTI paid tribute on Monday to women-led micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) during the virtual graduation ceremony for the 3A program which stands for “Accept, Adapt, Act.” The DTI also launched the 3A program batch 2 Handog Kabuhayan: Alay Kay Juana. “Today, as we celebrate International Women’s Day, we want to highlight the extraordinary roles of women-led MSMEs. With the help of our MSMEs, our country can be more hopeful for a post-Covid future that will be poised for a Better Normal,” Lopez said. He said DTI remains committed to assisting women-led MSMEs and aspiring entrepreneurs who will be champions to push for the economy’s growth to preCovid levels and beyond. The 3A program is the integrated training program of the DTI-Regional Operations Group, Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development, and the Philippine Trade Training Center targeted at helping MSMEs evolve amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. In her remarks, DTI-ROG Undersecretary Blesila Lantayona said women entrepreneurs are considered key drivers of economic growth with humble beginnings from small barangays in creating jobs and reaching new customers. “We urge our public officials and partners to strengthen our efforts for women’s economic empowerment. Let us continue to harness the resourcefulness, hard work, and resiliency of our Juanas in the new normal,” she said. Meanwhile, PTTC executive director Nelly Dillera encouraged participants to maximize the 3A program. “We want your voices to be heard and we want you to learn from our mentors who will share to you not only mindsetting but also business skills to start or sustain whatever business you have in mind,” she said. The virtual event underscored women’s capability to become active contributors and claim holders of the country’s socioeconomic development, with a goal of “Making Change Work for Women Entrepreneurs and Consumers.” The mentors involved in guiding the women entrepreneurs in the program were dean Pax Lapid, Jorge Wieneke, Jenny Wieneke, Armand Bengco, Tess Dimaculangan, Carlo Calimon, Francis Carlo Lapid, and other Angelpreneurs. Aside from the discussions from the mentors, the National Council of Women Philippines will also grant 75 livelihood kits worth P10,000 each for 75 women entrepreneurs at the end of the program.

By Roderick L. Abad

@rodrik_28

FILIPINA businesswoman, who produces and sells natural pet care products online, was feted recently at the inaugural Lazada Forward Women Awards 2021 broadcasted live online from Singapore.

Georgianna Carlos, co-owner and chief executive officer (CEO) of Fetch, won the Enterprising Seller Award for her innovation to put up a business that provides grooming products for pets and, at the same time, take care of the environment. “I am really honored to be given this opportunity by Lazada. I’m hoping that those who get to see this interview be inspired, especially the women who are exploring or considering a career path in entrepreneurship,” she said in a recorded acceptance speech presented during the awarding rites on the web. Proud of her achievement, Carlos narrated how her bichon named Drogo inspired her to start her own business. She said: “He is wonder-

ful but he’s allergic to all types of shampoos when I first got him. Until I discovered a brand from Europe where he responded well, too.” When she found out that neem, which grows in the Philippines, is the main ingredient of this imported product, she looked for a chemist-partner and they launched their first Fetch brand called the Neem Pet Care System. Conceding that running a startup was difficult at the early stage, she was thankful to get a chance to work with Lazada as an e-commerce platform to market her brand. “Once you get the hang of it, you’d see how much Lazada can benefit and help you scale and grow your brand,” cited the cofounder of pet care company which, according to her, is resilient enough to with-

GEORGIANNA Carlos from the Philippines wins the Enterprising Seller Award for her innovation to put up a business called of Fetch that provides grooming products for pets and, at the same time, take care of the environment.

stand the impact of the ensuing Covid-19 crisis. “The pandemic hit a lot of businesses really hard, Fetch included. The Philippines went under lockdown and all couriers and other logistics companies had to stop. But we are thankful that Lazada was there because it is through that platform [that] we were able to keep our operations going under lockdown,” she said. With the steady acceleration and growth of e-commerce in Southeast Asia, there is an increasing number of women business owners who have turned to the digital economy due to the convenience of starting an online business at the comfort of their homes.

Marketplaces like Lazada, in fact, now has hundreds of thousands of merchants selling on its platform, and majority of them are women, bared Lazada Group CEO Chun Li. “I am honored to be among such inspirational women today. You found interesting and unique ways to leverage the Lazada platform to not only establish your online business, but also to engage customers and build a niche following while uplifting the lives around you. Lazada is proud to be your partner and have the opportunity to be part of your successful journey,” he said. “We are proud of Georgianna and all of our sellers across the region

Trucks auction set for biz owners on March 23, 2021

for being recognized at this year’s Lazada Forward Women Awards. At Lazada, our goal is to empower small businesses and help them grow in the digital economy. We are happy to foster an ever-growing community of female entrepreneurs, as they continue to make their mark and uplift the industry with their inspiring stories,” added Ray Alimurung, CEO of Lazada Philippines. Apart from Carlos, Lalilla Thamnita, owner of AggieHome from Thailand, was also conferred the same accolade together with four other businesswomen in the region who were honored in different categories. The Creative Seller Award was given to Anne Ong, owner of Anne’s Secret Recipes, Singapore; and Pham Thi Xuan Hong, owner of PinkShopGiayDep, Vietnam. The Inspiring Seller Award was bestowed to Hanna Suhardi, owner of Shopping Shoes, Indonesia; and Annie Chia, owner of NLWK Florist, Malaysia. Held during the celebration of International Women’s Day last March 8, the Lazada Forward Women Awards celebrates the range of accomplishments and milestones Southeast Asian women have achieved by overcoming challenging circumstances in their personal lives, communities and cultures.

DOST extends P5-M loan to surgical mask start-up

Photo shows some of the Hino Motors Philippines Corp.’s trucks up for bidding in its Inventory Clearance Truck Auction on March 23, 2021. These trucks are the Hino SH2PEUA 4x2 6W Tractor Head, Hino FS2PMUM 6x4 10W Mixer Truck, Hino FY2PYUA 8x4 12W Chassis Only and Hino FS2PMUD 6x4 10W Dump Truck. Photo courtesy of Hino Motors Philippines Corp. and HMR Auction Services Inc.

WNERS of businesses, whether big or small, are enjoined in Hino Motors Philippines Corp.’s Inventory Clearance Truck Auction, which will be held at its service facility in Canlubang, Laguna on March 23, 2021. In partnership with HMR Auction Services Inc. (HMR Auctions), more than 85 units of Hino’s current model trucks will be up for grabs during the live public bidding. Interested buyers can choose from the four variants available: Hino SH2PEUA 4x2 6W Tractor Head, Hino FS2PMUM 6x4 10W Mixer Truck, Hino FY2PYUA 8x4 12W Chassis Only and Hino FS2PMUD 6x4 10W Dump Truck. The unsold inventory of these trucks will be cleared at very low prices in the

end of financial year auction event. They come with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. “All trucks are at a heavily discounted price—more than 40 percent discount from SRP [suggested retail price] of a new truck,” HMR Auctions Marketing Manager Jam Notorio told the BusinessMirror in a text message, while noting that the crowd participants will determine the price during the auction. For convenience of potential buyers, the automotive company will facilitate the registration on behalf of each winning bidder. A Toyota Group-affiliated company, Hino has tapped for the first time HMR Auctions on the back of its capability to promote and facilitate an industry-best

auction at its service facility. “I am grateful for the confidence which Hino has placed in HMR Auction’s capability to promote and facilitate an industrybest auction at their service facility,” said Samuel Powell, chief executive officer of HMR Auctions. “Given the premium quality of the trucks and the market’s admiration of the Hino brand, we anticipate a strong level of interest from the public on viewing and auction days,” he added. Inspection for the units is ongoing, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Strict social distancing and health protocols are enforced. For more details, contact 09175483603 or e-mail inquire@hmrauctions. com.ph. Roderick L. Abad

he Department of Science and TechnologyRegion 1 (DOST-1) has provided P5 million assistance to a firm that ventured into surgical mask production, Secretary Fortunato de la Peña has reported. ModulHaus Inc. of Agoo, La Union, sought the DOST’s Small Enterprises Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) assistance for this initiative in 2020, the DOST chief said in a Viber message on Monday. SETUP is DOST’s nationwide program that aims to encourage and assist micro, small and medium enterprises in adopting technological innovations to improve their products and operations. With this program, the DOST helps improve the MSMEs’ productivity and competitiveness by providing them a loan that is payable in three years. “Albeit a start-up, the project was funded through SETUP as it is an innovative project and a considerable Covid-19 initiative,” de la Peña said. The firm’s new venture not only aims to mitigate the shortage of surgical masks in the region, but to also help sustain the surgical masks’ availability in the market at a lower cost, he added. ModulHaus’ four-ply face masks branded as “Safe Tech” are packed in a box with 25 pieces of face masks. The firm is yet to commercialize its new product line as it is still waiting for its license to operate from the Food and Drug Administration, according to de la Peña. As of this month, ModulHaus has produced the first batch of its surgical masks. De la Peña reported that the funding assistance was used to buy one automatic mask-making machine and two automatic ear tape applicator capable of producing 739,200 surgical face masks per month. PNA

Citi Foundation remains a ‘beacon of hope’ for Filipino entrepreneurs

ccording to the 2019 List of Establishments of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), there is a recorded total of 1,000,506 business enterprises operating in the country. Of these, 995,745 (99.5 percent) are micro, small and medium enterprises and 4,761 (0.5 percent) are large enterprises. These MSMEs generated 62.4 percent of the country’s total employment, while large enterprises generated 37.6 percent. Over the past year, however, the majority of these once flourishing local businesses faced challenges and financial setbacks brought about by the pandemic. To help start-up enterprises and MSMEs overcome these challenges, Citi Foundation and Bayan Academy launched the Citi Foundation Microenterprise Development Center Creativity and Innovation Hub. Funded by Citi Foundation, the CMDC Hub

aims to contribute to nation building by empowering those at the grassroots with a more financially and socially inclusive environment. The initiative will help them obtain funds, technology support, and market access through linkages with inclusive businesses and is set to benefit around 900 entrepreneurs. “We are grateful for the longstanding partnership that Citi has had with Bayan Academy. Over the past 10 years, CMDC has developed numerous programs that contributed in growing the businesses of more than 6,700 MSMEs. Citi is proud to be part of these efforts to build a more inclusive society. Despite the challenges brought upon by the pandemic, Citi Foundation continues with its mission to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world,” said Aftab Ahmed, Citi Philippines CEO.

ups by providing them with incubation workshops and webinars. Aside from these activities, the CMDC Hub will also select 30 promising startups to undergo business incubation and be matched with suitable business service providers and advocates. The CMDC Hub will also serve as a virtual space for online mentoring and coaching. As community quarantine restrictions ease, it will become a co-working space where entrepreneurs can work and network with peers, and design ideas and business ventures that can contribute to rebuilding and sustaining the economy.

Aldaba

Expanding accessible interventions

To support MSMEs and start-ups in their rebuilding efforts as they adapt to the new business landscape, the CMDC Hub offers assistance through various services, such as business

support, networking and consultation, and a co-working space. CMDC hopes to help around 500 MSMEs, including past CMDC graduates with rebuilding and resiliency training and support, and 400 start-

Better days ahead

Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary for Competitiveness and Innovation Rafaelita Aldaba spoke about the timely launch of the CMDC Hub and its alignment with DTI’s innovation and startup policies

and programs, “Amid the disruptions from the technologies arising from the 4th Industrial Revolution and the challenges brought about by the pandemic, the need for our enterprises to become more creative, more innovative and resilient is critical to the country’s economic recovery and sustained growth.” While challenges remain, MSMEs and start-ups can soon steadily progress toward recovery by boosting their growth potential and resiliency through sustained financial stimulus and mentoring opportunities. For those interested to enroll in the CMDC Hub workshops, you may visit www.cmdchub.com to see the complete list of programs and schedules or drop by the CMDC Creativity and Innovation Hub at Bayan Academy, 2nd Floor, Cinderella Building, 825 Edsa, Diliman, Quezon City. You can also send an e-mail to info@bayanacademy.edu.ph.

B4 Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Banking&Finance BusinessMirror

Corporate tax-reform bill’s bicam version elates PEZA

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

@Tyronepiad

FTER having some reservations before, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) threw its support behind the corporate tax reform bill, which was recently approved by the bicameral conference. PEZA Director General Charito B. Plaza said she was “happy” with the final version of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprise (CREATE) bill, supporting its passage into law. The bicameral conference of the Senate and House of Representatives approved the bill last February 3. “We are now happy [with] the final CREATE bill after all those years of struggle,” Plaza said. “We recognize

the need to change our national tax system, particularly the reduction of the corporate income tax especially during this time. We have seen the impact of the pandemic to our economy.” The regulator of economic zone locators highlighted what appears to be flexibility when it comes to granting tax incentives for the companies. “Once the transition period will end, our investors will have the option to

reapply if they want to apply for the 5-percent GIE [gross income earned] or the CIT [corporate income tax] regime,” Plaza explained. The CREATE bill aims to reduce the CIT to 25 percent from 30 percent in its first year of implementation. However, the current incentives being enjoyed by the existing locators, including the tax on GIE, will be removed after the transition period. Plaza earlier reiterated the agency’s call to exempt the exporters from the said provisions and allow them to retain their current fiscal incentives. This, as investments in economic zones slowed down amid the lockdown protocols due to the coronavirus pandemic. The PEZA chief shared that power vested to the President in granting longer income tax holidays will be beneficial as this can be provided for “strategic and big-ticket projects” in the countryside. Plaza said this, in turn, will support the development in the provinces to achieve inclusive growth.

“With the CREATE law, PEZA hopes to attract more foreign direct investments to the Philippines especially to the countryside,” she added. Plaza earlier said that PEZA is aiming to book P100-billion worth of investment pledges this year. Last year, PEZA saw a decline in investment approvals as the lockdown measures amid the pandemic discouraged expansion plans among locators. The total investments approved by the agency in 2020 reached P95 billion, which was 19-percent lower than the P117.54 billion it registered in 2019. Projected employment from these investments is 72,703. “The approval of a better CREATE into law will aggressively pursue marketing and promotion of our economic zones to global investors,” Plaza said. “[The] PEZA can now aggressively pursue our investments marketing and promotion activities and will, in turn, achieve our goal of fully industrializing the Philippines.”

‘Financial sector most targeted by cybercriminals’

HE financial industry was among the most targeted segments by the cybercriminals in the past year in Southeast Asia, cybersecurity and anti-virus provider Kaspersky Lab said. In a virtual event on Tuesday, the Russian company shared that banks are dealing with numerous cyber threats because of the potential financial gain through phishing tactics. “The financial industry is very attractive for cybercriminals: they have a lot of money,” Kaspersky Senior Security Researcher Seongsu Park said. Park also noted that cryptocurrency—a digital asse—is vulnerable to cyberattacks due to its relatively less strict security measures. He cited the common cyber threats for the financial sector; these include email fraud and email account compromise. Park also reiterated phishing and voice phishing or “vishing,” which steals login credentials of the clients. The researcher also mentioned target

ransomware attack with the intent of extortion and “sophisticated attack to steal crucial asset.” One way of compromising cybersecurity is through digital attacks via mobile, Park explained, noting that it is a device commonly used by the banking clients. “Nowadays, everyone uses a mobile phone and many people store some financial and important information into the mobile,” he said. He also observed that cybercriminals were exploiting the current pandemic to steal sensitive information. “Many cybercrimes are using the Covid-19 theme for social engineering, making phishing pages or a scam,” he explained. Some even were spreading fake news about the pandemic, Kaspersky said. Apart from banks and financial institutions, the most targeted sectors by cybercriminals in the past year include the government, diplomatic, telecommunications, educational, defense, energy, military and information technol-

ogy companies, the cybersecurity firm enumerated. Kaspersky said last week that Philippine small businesses and medium-scale businesses (SMBs) trailed those in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam in terms of phishing cases targeting companies with 50-250 employees. “Indonesia registered the most incidents in 2020, followed by Thailand and Vietnam. Each of them logged over half a million attempts,” the company said. “Malaysian, Filipino, and Singaporean SMBs were not spared, with these nations charting a combined 795,052 attempts to visit phishing websites from January to December last year.” With the evolving threat landscape, Park urged the financial sector to beef up cybersecurity measures. “It is true that governments and financial organizations are combining efforts to offer lifeboats for SMBs via grants and offers, but we have to accept that cybercriminals will spare no one,”

Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky, was quoted in a separate statement of the company as saying. In a recent statement, several business groups in the Philippines urged the public to be more vigilant when transacting online. They reminded the clients to pay attention to notices and warnings by financial institutions about digital frauds, reminding them to never share online credentials and one-time passwords. According to the Philippine National Police Anti-Cyber Crime Group, there were 869 online scams recorded from March to September last year, which is 37 percent higher than the 633 incidents registered during the same period in 2019. Among the online scams are phishing, smishing and vishing, which target bank clients, credit card holders, online shopping and other users of digital financial services. Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

www.businessmirror.com.ph

EXCLUSIVE

Possible undervaluation of meat imports targeted By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

HE Bureau of Customs (BOC) said it plans to audit beginning April last year’s pork and chicken imports to look into undervaluation, among other customscompliance issues. Customs Assistant Commissioner Atty. Vincent Philip C. Maronilla, who heads the bureau’s Post-Clearance Audit Group, told the BusinessMirror they are just waiting the goahead from Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero to audit 60 meat importers. Should this be approved, Maronilla said they are looking at initially auditing last year’s shipments of 40 pork importers and 20 chicken importers. This audit, he said, will be lumped together with their audit of importers of mechanically deboned meat (MDM) of chicken who paid a lower tariff of 5 percent instead of the 40-percent tariff imposed by the Bureau of Customs for three months back in 2019 prior to the issuance of an executive order imposing the lower tariff. “[We’ll include undervaluation] in our MDM [mechanically deboned meat] audit and we are going to profile certain importers that are under the red flag when it comes to undervaluation,” Maronilla told the BusinessMirror. “We will also check compliance [on the] Minimum Access Volume (MAV), [on their] SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) requirements if these correspond to the volume given to them.” “This is in compliance with the directive of the House Ways and Means Committee to look into issues of agricultural smuggling,” he added. Undervaluation happens when the declared value fails to fully disclose the price actually paid or payable or any dutiable adjustment to the price actually paid or payable, or when an incorrect valuation method is used or the valuation rules are not observed. This results in discrepancy in duty and tax to be paid between what is legally determined as the correct value against the declared value. The Customs official said they are hoping to issue the audit notification

letters (ANLs) to importers in April. “Yes, we’re just completing the list and we’re only at the recommendation [level in] the issuance of ANLs” with the BoC Commissioner, Maronilla told the BusinessMirror. If the ANLs are issued by April, Maronilla said they are targeting to finish the audit of pork and chicken importers on undervaluation and other customs compliance issues by August or September. He clarified an importer receiving an ANL doesn’t automatically mean he or she committed undervaluation. Despite the allegations from the Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP) and the Pork Producers of the Philippines (ProPork) that there is undervaluation and misdeclaration of agricultural products, Maronilla said “the BOC has yet to get firm evidence to prove there is indeed a violation on the part of the importers.” “We will look into their allegations and the basis of their allegations and we will consider that in the audit,” Maronilla told the BusinessMirror. Last month, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III ordered the BOC to tighten its watch on pork importers trying to mis-declare or misclassify shipments to avoid correct payments of tariffs as the country reels from a pork supply shortfall that resulted in the spike in pork prices. Dominguez, who served as agriculture secretary under President Corazon Aquino, warned that traders may misclassify pork imports once the new MAV allocations and tariff rates are approved by the President. However, the Senate adopted a resolution last Monday asking President Duterte to declare a state of national emergency due to the African Swine Fever. The Upper Chamber also rejected the twin proposals to slash pork tariffs while increasing the MAV for pork imports. The issue of technical smuggling of pork imports was also raised during the Senate’s plenary session with senators pointing out that unscrupulous importers are already benefitting from mis-declaring good, or prime, pork cuts as pork offal to avert paying higher tariffs.

Alibaba-backed robo adviser Aqumon targets to tame China’s day traders

ELVIN Lei and Don Huang spent several months huddled in a corner of a Hong Kong university library, but they weren’t cramming for any exam. Back in 2015, the former DBS Bank Ltd. colleagues were looking to launch their robo-advisory startup and wanted to scrimp on office costs. “We were in the library for nine months,” Lei said in an interview from Hong Kong. “We didn’t have any money.” Today, the robo-services company they developed has more than 130 employees. Aqumon helps people build portfolios of global assets using data science and artificial intelligence. The startup is seeking to raise around $50 million in a Series B financing round this year from investors including banks, venture-capital firms and even sovereign funds. The firm, which offers its services through an app and also via financial institutions, is aiming for an initial public offering in Hong Kong that will value it at at least $1 billion within three to five years, said Lei, the chief executive officer of Magnum Research Ltd., the company behind Aqumon.

Abandoned plans

THE entrepreneurs are also planning to further expand beyond Hong Kong into the vast but potentially challenging mainland Chinese market, where automated financial services are still in their infancy. There are no major independent robo advisers in China, according to Z-Ben

Advisors Ltd., a Shanghai-based consultancy that tracks China’s asset-management industry. About 15 fund companies, banks and brokerages, and a handful of fintech firms including Ant Group Co., offer the services, it says. Vanguard Group has abandoned plans to seek a mutual fund license in China and will instead focus on building out the robo-adviser platform that it rolled out with Ant last year, it said in a statement. Aqumon’s model of offering longer-term investment strategies tailored to different levels of risk tolerance aligns with the Chinese government’s goals, Lei said. They include avoiding the kind of frenetic trading that led to boom-and-bust cycles like the one in 2015. The app doesn’t provide margin loans. It remains to be seen whether Aqumon’s offering would appeal to Chinese investors. They’ve tended to focus on short-term returns, preferring to trade for themselves based on information gained from media reports, research notes, stock websites and social media rather than entrusting money to professional advisers. Trading accounts held by Chinese individuals reached more than 181 million as of February, more than 99 percent of all accounts, according to China Securities Depository and Clearing Corp.

Crackdown on fintechs

AT the same time, the fate of roboadvisers in the US and Europe sounds a warning. Many services struggled

Skyscrapers on the Tsim Sha Tsui Central Business District, Hong Kong, are shown from this photo taken from the Victoria Peak. A corner of a Hong Kong university library became the location for the creation of an Alibaba-backed robo adviser that offers services through an app and financial institutions. Bloomberg News

after being all the rage among Wall Street banks just several years earlier. UBS Group AG shut down its SmartWealth robo adviser in 2018, while Investec Plc closed its service a year later. Like other big players, UBS now offers a robo-human hybrid service. Those that have tasted success include Betterment in the US, which has about $21 billion in assets under management, according to its website. Those with the biggest user bases, like Intuit Inc.’s budget tracker and planner Mint, often focus on general education rather than investment advice. China’s crackdown on the fintech industry is another potential head-

wind. Regulators have been clamping down on smaller companies to reduce financial risk as well as larger ones like Jack Ma’s Ant. Still, Lei said recent talks with regulators in Hong Kong and China have left him feeling optimistic. Aqumon has applied for a fund investment advisory license to operate in China, he said. It plans to increase the number of employees to 200 by the end of 2022, while opening a Shanghai office this month and a Beijing one later this year.

‘Quant Monster’

THE company—which Lei refers to as “Quant Monster” after Japanese

media franchise Pokemon, which is short for Pocket Monsters—will cater to China’s general public rather than just the wealthiest individuals, he said. It’s particularly targeting people aged 25 to 40. Nicole Wong, a lawyer in Hong Kong, downloaded the app in January. After assessing her risk level as moderate, it recommended five equity exchange-traded funds and three bond ETFs. Her portfolio rose as much as 5 percent before fluctuating amid the recent market volatility. “They provided a gateway for people to jump on the investment train,” Wong said. “They simplified something that could be quite complicated for the general public.” Aqumon, which counts the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund as one of its largest shareholders, charges advisory fees on client assets, usually from 0.4 percent to 0.8 percent, and commissions on securities trading. In the short term, the biggest challenge is getting the license, Lei said. “But in the longer term it’s still client education,” he said. “They need to learn about asset allocation, passive investment and they need to raise their tolerance of volatility.” The global stock market surge last year sent many first-time traders flocking to apps operated by Futu Holdings Ltd., Up Fintech Holding Ltd. and Webull Financial, created by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. alumnus Wang Anquan.

Shift away

BUT investors may shift away from

active equity strategies in the turbulent market this year, leaving an opportunity for robo advisers, said Ivan Shi, head of research at Z-Ben. The CSI 300 Index’s recent slump, dragged down by losses for oncehigh-flying stocks like Kweichow Moutai Co., has taken the benchmark gauge down more than 12 percent from a February high. “People are not really able to tell if a robo-advisory portfolio has any long-term benefits,” he said. “If this year we see continued or larger volatility in the market, then different types of robo-advisory portfolios can probably deliver better returns.” But Shi noted that robo advisers underperformed active equity strategies last year in a pilot program by the China Securities Regulatory Commission. Still, Lei says Aqumon aims to increase its assets under management to 1 trillion yuan ($154 billion) over the next three to five years. The company declined to provide its current AUM, saying it’s sensitive information for a startup. The market for robo advisers in China could have over $660 billion in assets under management next year from more than 100 million users, Accenture Plc estimated in a report. It’s the ideal timing for us to “promote our best strategies to investors in China,” Lei said. The regulators “want to make the market become more healthy and more regulated. I think we’re in a very good position.” Bloomberg News

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Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Wednesday, March 17, 2021

INSIDE THE HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE OF P.I.C.C. HISTORY is often intertwined with larger-thanlife personalities, landmark decisions, as well as significant events. But sometimes, a piece of history can also be synonymous with monumental structures that help define a nation. The Philippine International Convention Center is one of the most iconic pieces of architecture history in the country. Designed by National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin, the design of the legendary structure reflected the popular Brutalist Architecture movement of the 1950s up until the 1970s. Characterized by its heavy use of bare concrete, striking visuals and defined lines, the PICC was inaugurated on September 5, 1976 to host the World Bank-International Monetary Fund annual meeting. It has since become one of Locsin’s most famous works and continues to be the premier meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) venue in the country, as well as an inspiration and destination for budding architects and photographers. Writer and creative director Patrick Kasingsing is the figure behind popular Instagram profile Brutalist Pilipinas, a curated online platform spearheading the revival of Brutalist architecture in the public consciousness. He had the opportunity to revisit the iconic structure sans its usual bustling crowd and events. “It was both unnerving and refreshing to see a venue associated with crowds and activity bare and empty,” says Kasingsing. “It’s like finally beholding a work of art without the distraction of crowds; a chance to intimately get to know a structure in all its physical facets, and how the architect probably beheld the structure before it opened to the public.” Decades since its establishment, the PICC has been able to keep its revered status both as a historical landmark and architectural wonder. This is due to the combination of the PICC’s strenuous efforts on rehabilitation, as well as Locsin’s forward-looking creation which has surmounted architectural trends throughout the years. One factor that makes PICC still the top MICE venue in the Philippines is its ability to adapt throughout the years, including the “new normal” situation brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. PICC has been implementing strict preventive measures within its premises to ensure the safety and security of all employees, clients and guests who are required to undergo temperature scanning and footwear disinfection at entrances. Besides the required safety and sanitation measures, PICC also upgraded its Wi-Fi and technology capacities to address the requirements of virtual and hybrid events. The initial high of wandering the empty halls of an extensive amount of space, such as the PICC “gave way to a bit of loneliness at the lack of people and activity,” says Kasingsing. “However, seeing and photographing all the staged sets and dressed up halls as if for an event, I am hopeful and confident that this 45-year-old institution can weather the storm we all currently face and have its doors open again to future gatherings and celebrations.” “We are eager to welcome our clients back to the PICC. The circumstances may be different, and adjustments had to be made, but we are more than ready to help our clients and the MICE industry recover,” says Atty. Renato B. Padilla, general manager and board director of the PICC. More information is available at www.picc.gov.ph.

IMAGE FROM CENTER FOR CREATIVE LEADERSHIP

Reverse mentoring

T was my son’s play time when I saw him dabbling with programming codes. I got curious and stood beside him, asking what he was doing. He said he was making a blaster of some sort commissioned by a playmate and when he had finished and delivered the blaster, he would get paid in the currency used in the game. I could not do that. I asked him to teach me and he said with a laugh, “Sure.” Now imagine an executive member of your leadership team coming up to a junior employee with the same predicament, only this time it is about a new software program. This is what is called reverse mentoring. The term “reverse mentoring” was first used by Jack Welch when he discovered he needed to learn technological skills in the latter part of the 1990s. He realized the people who knew more about the new technological trends were the younger employees and asked to be mentored by one. Reverse mentoring happens when a junior employee mentors a senior member of the organization. This is especially helpful when the organization needs to adapt changes that newer members know more, and to expand the perspective of the senior management to new ways of doing things. Younger members of the organization are more proficient in some areas more than the older employees. The pitfall of classifying people based on generations is to assume people in a particular generation behave the same way. The fact of the matter is that there are boomers who know more about their phones than millennials, or Gen Xers who know their way around programming codes more than the Gen Zs. This creates a generational gap which can be closed via reverse mentoring. And this raises an important

Spruce it up for spring THINKING of ways to spruce up your look in the new normal of work-from-home reality? Global apparel retailer Uniqlo launches the +J Spring/Summer 2021 collection in stores and online starting March 19. This continues last season’s popular return of Uniqlo’s collaboration with legendary designer Jil Sander, who brings her signature modern style to this exceptional line for women and men. The +J Spring/Summer 2021 collection captures the sense of emerging from the darkness of winter and enjoying the energy and lightness of spring. Reduced to their purest form, sharp silhouettes display an airy clarity. “The overall idea is sophistication,” said Sander. “A kind of purity that lets us think of regeneration and a fresh start.” Controlled sculptural tailoring emphasizes movement, lightness and space. Thoughtful design infuses essential pieces with

versatility and practicality. A selection of natural fibers and comfortable blends defines effortless styles with luxurious texture and sheen. Colors reflect the chromatic palette of northern light, with the indigo and ink of summer night skies in cool contrast to ivory, caramel, grey and khaki. Lightweight techno silk blends are the highlight of the women’s offering, from a graphic half-sleeve dress and flared skirt to a subtly refined summer parka. Exceptional tailoring also distinguishes the men’s lineup. An oversized hooded long coat with a pale grey texture displays carefully sculpted 3D volume, while a classic polo is defined by a crisp fit. Authentic selvedge denim jeans for men and women exhibit a cool, straight silhouette. +J continues to define the global modern uniform with purpose and meaning.

point for human resource development—people managers need to focus on the skills gap more than the age gap. And this is where reverse mentoring can help—focusing on upgrading skills more than classifying them. But before you implement reverse mentoring, you need to understand the organization’s existing culture and how junior members of the organization feel toward more senior members, and vice versa. There is always the tendency for the senior members to feel threatened that they are being taught by junior employees, and junior employees might feel pressured to teach senior leadership. However, when done correctly, there are several benefits for implementing reverse mentoring. One is the retention of top talents because you update the skills of senior leadership with the skills set of the newer members of your organization, and you get to keep emerging talents within your fold by giving them the opportunity to influence the whole organization by teaching senior members. You also influence culture change where people are viewed through the lens of skills set and acquired learning rather than formal training. Human resources needs to capitalize on assessing existing skills set using practical applications and certifications, more than developing additional training materials which only assesses knowledge. To start a successful reverse mentoring program, start with choosing a good partnership. One where both have mutual respect, and both can learn from each other. It will be helpful to pair two people from different departments and where both do not work together. This will ensure objectivity in evaluation, and prevents one from strong-arming the other. It is also important to acknowledge people’s reservations by putting in place measures to safeguard the mentor relationship. Identify what cannot be discussed like personal life or feedback on what goes on in your own team. This will ensure the mentoring relationship focuses more on the acquisition of skills. List down short-term goals and add more as needed. This will ensure the junior mentor can adequately prepare to achieve the desired goals of the senior mentee, and give the mentor the added confidence to teach their mentees. Make the mentees commit to the set goals and objectives, and, more importantly, a set schedule. This ensures both get the

maximum benefit from the mentorship. Ensure that the goals and objectives are connected to a business need. As with any learning and development program, the goals of the reverse mentoring should have a business impact or will lead to process improvement. This will help both mentor and mentee to understand how they contribute to organizational goals and their place in the bigger picture. This will also provide a measure for gauging the effectiveness of the mentoring, and help fine tune future mentoring sessions, or even help uncover underlying risks and issues which can compromise the mentoring relationship. It is also important to assess the mentoring program regularly. Human resources needs to set schedules for the mentor and mentee during the program to assess how both are doing and the challenges they face in reverse mentoring, so they can implement the necessary interventions to help the program succeed. It would be wise to meet with the mentor and mentee separately so both can freely discuss their concerns, and for human resources to thoughtfully consider how to intervene. Another consideration is the agreed means of communication. There will be times when the mentee will consult the mentor outside the scheduled meetings, and it is significant to agree on the best communication tool and process. Younger generations might prefer instant messaging or e-mail, while senior employees prefer face-to-face interactions. Both should compromise and decide which one they should use. It is also important to understand the teaching method most effective for the mentor and the learning style of the mentee. Do not be afraid to experiment and find new ways of learning. They can shadow each other or even do a project based on an existing issue which the mentor can help with. Just watch out for role reversal and ensure that the mentor retains their role and continues to teach their mentees. Instead of focusing on the generation gap in your organization, why not look at the skills set of your people and what senior leadership can learn from the new ones. When you start focusing on skills set more than the age gap, you might just discover that the people who can help your organization are just right in front of you. ■

B6 Wednesday, March 17, 2021

ESTRAT 360 Marketing Company wins the 2021 Brand Leadership Award

ESTRAT 360 MARKETING COMPANY Founder and CEO Ruben Licera with Iren Sangre-Licera receiving the award during International Business Awards 2019 in Vienna, Australia. Aside from the latest “Brand Leadership Award” 2021 recognition,ESTRAT 360 Marketing Company is also the recipient of Startup of the Year (silver) and Communications Professional of the Year (bronze), in the 2019 International Business Awards.

‘B

RAND Leadership Awards is an international competition in which agency and design companies concepts and designs of brands from all over the world are honored and recognized,’ explains lead organizer and WMC Executive Director Aalok Pandit. The prestigious award, given by the World Marketing Congress and World

Federation of Marketing Professionals, is annually given in Singapore. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the organizers opted to give the awards virtually this year. On ESTRAT 360’s behalf, Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ruben Licera shares, “2020 was a challenge to us and to our clients. Instead of focusing on what is traditionally easy, ESTRAT 360 as a team,

focused on our ‘WHY’ and ‘HOW’ we can help our colleagues, clients and our families, adapting to the new normal.” Ruben Licera adds, “ESTRAT transitioned into a 100 percent digitally-empowered agency. After we secured the health and wellbeing of the team members during the pandemic, everything followed. Our productivity is higher than ever. Our campaign design and output improved. This award is proof of that accomplishment and the resilience of every ESTRAT member put in to ensure that every campaign hits its desired goals and KPIs.” In 2019, ESTRAT 360 and its campaigns won 7 International Business Awards (IBA) including Startup of the Year (silver) and Communications Professional of the Year (bronze). ESTRAT 360 Marketing Company (ESTRAT360.com) is an integrated+digital creative and advertising agency from Cebu, the creative and advertising team behind Subway, CEMEX, PASAR, Rico’s Lechon, Anejo Gold Rum, Cafe Laguna Group and a dozen more international and national brands in FMCG, Consulting, Hospitality and Real Estate sectors.

Commission on Women lauds P&G for advancing household equality with 8-week paternity leave

HILIPPINE Commission on Women (PCW) lauds Procter & Gamble Philippines on their commitment to promote Equality and Inclusion inside and outside the workplace with their new Share the Care program. In a virtual engagement, PCW and P&G discuss how Share the Care aligns with PCW’s priority initiatives and commitment to ‘Recognize, Reduce, and Redistribute’ domestic obligations to both partners, especially on child-rearing. Even before the pandemic, women and girls globally have already been bearing the greater burden of unpaid care and domestic work. In the Philippines, females spend a disproportionate amount of time on child care, elderly care, and housework, while males spend about twice as much time on paid market work. This advocacy is even more important in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has provided both an added burden and a unique opportunity. The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) estimates that [women’s] unpaid work in the care economy is worth at least 40 USD billion, roughly 20% of the country’s GDP.1 While gone unmeasured in national statistics, PCW says that the unequal distribution of domestic work affects women’s and girls’ rights to education, economic participation, as well as rest and leisure activities. It reduces their productivity and increases likelihood of employment in low-paid, part-time, and informal work. P&G’s Share the Care program, a new industryleading paid parental leave program, helps address the redistribution issue of unpaid care by providing 8 weeks of fully paid parental leave for fathers. The

groundbreaking paid parental leave program actually applies to all P&G parents who are welcoming new children to their families, regardless of gender or marital status. This offers all parents – biological, adopting, domestic partners, LGBTQ+, men and women – the equal opportunity to share the care of and bond with biological or adopted children new to their family. Birthing mothers continue to receive the 105 days of fully paid maternity leave to allow for recovery, a practice in place within the company even before the Expanded Maternity Leave Law. “Our Share the Care program removes the gender-bias and outdated stereotypes of child-care. Employers have a critical role to play in fostering equality and inclusion. We are committed to champion and set higher standards for the industry hoping it will spark positive change and action in the industry, in the country, in communities, and among families.” says Raffy Fajardo, P&G President, and General Manager. PCW aims to raise more awareness in this sector by reinforcing several laws that focus on redistributing unpaid care and domestic work such as ‘The Family Code’ that affirms ‘spouses are jointly responsible for the support of the family,’ the Magna Carta of Women, where parents and government workers have 3-7 days of special leaves to attend to family matters such as birthdays, graduations, or attend to funerals, and Senate Bill Nos. 963, 1063 and 1209, all of which seek to increase paternity leaves to 30 working days. “PCW, along with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), aims to develop plans to strengthen the recognition and promotion of the redistribution of

the unpaid care work in the Philippines. P&G’s Share the Care program is a good step towards making that into a reality as it shows the kind of positive support, action, and collaboration we hope to receive from stakeholders,” said Atty. Kristine Yuzon-Chaves, PCW Executive Director. On top of Share the Care, Flex leaves, another progressive P&G policy, provides employees with paid leave to attend to their personal needs spanning emergencies to special moments such as milestone birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, or graduation, on top of the standard vacation leaves. Equality and inclusion is at the heart of the company’s culture. The Share the Care program is part of a global integrated campaign called, “We See Equal” which aspires to create a company and a world where equality and inclusion are achievable for all. Beyond launching Share the Care, P&G has recently committed to advance Gender Equality in the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa region by educating 30 million adolescent girls on puberty and hygiene through its Always and Whisper ‘Keeping Girls in School’ program over the next three years, spending a cumulative total of $200 million US dollars for women-owned businesses by 2025 and achieving a 50-50 gender balance across its management workforce. In the Philippines, the current P&G workforce has already achieved more than 50% gender balance, having 54% of the female employees working at the top management level. To learn more about P&G’s Share The Care, visit https://us.pg.com/blogs/time-to-support-family-as-anew-dad/

The Asian Banker names Security Bank as the Strongest Bank in the Philippines in 2020

ANKING 1st in the Philippines and among the strongest in the Asia Pacific region, premier financial magazine The Asian Banker recently awarded Security Bank in a virtual ceremony last February 25 as the Philippines’ Strongest Bank in 2020 in its recently published Top 500 Strongest Banks Rankings. Security Bank landed the number one spot after passing The Asian Banker’s rigorous assessment which used a detailed and transparent scorecard that covers six areas of balance sheet performance: the ability to scale, balance sheet growth, risk profile, profitability, asset quality and liquidity. The financial magazine’s assessment included banks and financial holding companies that are active in commercial and transaction banking. The results incorporated the latest 2020 financial information during the course of the pandemic. As such, the 2020 ranking reflects the impact of the pandemic on the performance of banks as it unfolded through the year. “2020 was one of the toughest years for multiple sectors globally, most especially the banking industry. We take this recognition as an endorsement of Security Bank’s strength to deliver on its BetterBanking promise. As we do our part in cushioning the pandemic’s impact towards the economy, we will continue to fulfill our commitment to enrich lives, empower businesses, and build communities through financial excellence,” says Sanjiv Vohra, President and CEO of Security Bank. According to The Asian Banker, Security Bank "outperformed its peers in the Philippines in profitability with the strongest profit growth, the lowest cost to income ratio and the best non-interest income to total operating income ratio. Its liquidity position was also strengthened. Meanwhile, its asset quality remained relatively sound.” The Asian Banker’s strongest banks ranking is widely followed by investors, analysts and the media as the leading source to assess the financial strength of commercial

banks in the region. It gives a bird’s eye view of the institutions’ balance sheet growth and profitability amidst unforeseen economic conditions. The strength rankings are also used for augmenting assessment criteria for counterparty and balance sheet risks. The Asian Banker is the leading provider of strategic intelligence and builder of platforms in the financial services industry. It has been publishing the annual ranking based on balance sheet strength since 2007. Security Bank is the eighth largest private domestic universal bank in the Philippines by total assets (at Php 650.8 billion) as of September 30, 2020. The Bank has been operating for 69 years since it was established in 1951. Security Bank has a total of 313 branches and 787 ATMs to-date. Security Bank’s major citations in 2020 are: Best Bank in the Philippines for 2020 by The Lafferty Group (The Statement Magazine); and Best Retail Bank in the Philippines in 2020 by Alpha Southeast Asia. More information is available on our website: www.securitybank.com.

MANSIBANG GIVES BACK. In line with its advocacies to give back to the community, Mansibang Industrial Inc., a diversified industrial company engaged in trading, manufacturing, servicing and facility management paid a visit to Asilo San Vicente de Paul to render outreach activity to its beneficiaries recently. The group provided snacks and loot bags to uplift and encourage them especially in these trying times. Photo shows (from left), Gonzalo Villarte, Michael Jamal Al-ajeel, Carlo Gianan, Sister Marissa and Asilo Social Services head Nerry Collano.

DDB clears LianhuaQingwen capsules, now available at major drugstores nationwide

AT virtual meeting between P&G and PCW, (top photo, from left): Anna Legarda-Locsin, P&G Corporate Communications Director, Kristine Balmes, PCW Deputy Director for Operations, Atty. Mimi Lopez-Malvar, P&G Country Government Relations Head. Bottom photo, from left: Atty. Jocelyn Gregorio-Reyes, P&G Legal Head, Atty. Kristine YuzonChaves, PCW Executive Director, Honey Castro, Corporate Affairs and Information Resource Management Division (CAIRMD) Chief

SECURITY Bank President and CEO Sanjiv Vohra receives the 2020 Strongest Bank award from The Asian Banker.

RESCRIPTIONS from S2 licensed doctors are no longer required in order to purchase Lianhua Qingwen. It is also now available at all Mercury Drug Store branches nationwide and other drug stores with a retail price of P288.00/box (24capsules/box). The herbs in Lianhua Qingwen were traditionally used to clear windheat from the body and to detoxify the lungs, thereby treating cases with fever, sore throat,cough, stuffy or runny nose, aversion to cold, muscle soreness, headache and wheezing—symptoms that are all present in COVID-19 patients. Following months of deliberation by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), Lianhua Qingwen has been provisionally removed from the List of Dangerous Drugs. The timing could not be better as the nation faces a surge in COVID-19 cases reaching the 5,000 mark, the highest daily tally in the last seven months. The Philippine College of Emergency Medicine reported an observation of family clustering of COVID cases. This prompted localized lockdown and Metro Manilawide curfew from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am for aperiod of two weeks.

As we await more vaccines to be delivered to the country, Phil.Archipelago Intl. Trading Corp. took a proactive approach and requested the Office of the President for the reclassification of Lianhua Qingwen capsules to OTC (over-the-counter) to make it more accessible to more Filipinos. This was referred to the Committee on Reclassification of the Dangerous Drugs Board. After the conduct of a public hearing, in-depth discussions, and a thorough evaluation, it was favorably recommended by the Committee and resolved by the DDB Board under Regulation No.1 Series of 2021. This removes Lianhua Qingwen capsules from the list of dangerous drugs for a period of one year pursuant to section 93 of RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002. The said DDB Regulation takes effect 15 days after publication, which in this case was beginning March 12, 2021. The effectiveness of the DDB Regulation comes at a time when we need all the help we can get to curb the COVID surge and bring it down to more a manageable level. For more information on Lianhua Qingwen, visit www.philarchipelago.com or call tel. no. (02) 8361-7491 to 98 loc. 844.

BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

Wednesday, March 17, 2021 B7

Buying tips from Century Properties

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

ule. Payment period is different for ready-for-occupancy and preselling units.

HEN buying a property, it is prudent to heed the saying of American humorist and writer Mark Twain—“Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.”

Moving forward, owning a home motivates family members to work harder to maintain it for the long haul. Nevertheless, the process of owning a home is not a walk in the park, starting from finding the right property and securing a unit, to filing documents and making sure you have adequate financial resources to pay for it—the steps you need to go through can make you secondguess your decision to buy a home. Nevertheless, Century Properties wants to tell the public it does not have to be ponderous when you are buying a home. If one is interested in buying

their dream Century Properties home, a prospective buyer can do it in eight steps which include a few other must-dos. It is going to be a hassle free experience as the company’s property specialist or sales agent is always there to lend a helping hand in every step of the way. You can get the keys to your space and be on your way to living your best life yet. Take note of these key processes:

Step 5: Bank loan approval

Sign your bank home loan documents and pay your bank fees.

Step 6: Loan release

Once the bank releases the payment to Century Properties, your account will be qualified to the most exciting step.

Step 7: Turnover and move in

Your account will be endorsed to the Turnover Group (TOG). Make sure you accomplish unit inspection and punch listing.

Century Properties is ready to serve its clients despite the challenges of the times

Step 2: Booking

Step 1: Reserve and hold your unit

This involves generating the documents you need and submitting these together with one proof of income.

You can do this online then assess the payment term that works best for you.

Take note that there are three ways

Step 3: Contract signing and authentication

of authenticating your Contract to Sell (CTS) depending on where you are—notarization, consularization and apostille.

Step 4: Down payment and bank loan application

Pay your down payment or equity as indicated in your payment sched-

Step 8: Title transfer

The last step is important as it involves the processing of the title under your name and tax declaration. Just like other businesses, Century Properties experienced a rough sailing in 2020. Nevertheless, it was able to overcome the challenges by quickly addressing

the roadblocks set by the times. From ensuring the safety of its employees and workers, to further boosting its digital efforts to keep homeowners informed, the company continued to be of service—delivering on its commitment of building life-enhancing properties and helping clients own a home. During the lockdown period, Century Properties implemented the steps to ensure its frontliners from the concierge and security staff, to the engineering, property management officers, and housekeeping teams—continued to report to duty despite the trying times, making certain that each property is running smoothly. Furthermore, Century Properties scaled up its digital efforts to enable clients they can still find the home of their dreams in these times. It also enhanced its web sites to include virtual tours—allowing potential homeowners to view the properties without having to go to the location.

After-sales service of top appliance brands merged By Roderick L. Abad

M The benefits of southern living

MAGINE a place where you live a stone’s throw away from everything, where you can walk to any establishment just steps away from where you live. Imagine being in an emergency situation. The clinic, pharmacy, or grocery is less than 10 minutes from where you are. No traffic, no delay, no time wasted. SMDC South 2 Residences in Las Piñas City takes all these from the imagination and brings them to life. The sprawling development is situated in the SM Southmall Lifestyle Complex where life’s essentials can be had in less than 15 minutes’ walk. If you work outside the area, transport terminals are strategically located so you only need to walk and take one ride. Here are 6 good reasons for choosing a home at South 2 Residences.

#1: The world at your fingertips, safely

From fashion to dining, services and repair, anything you need is a mere few steps away. Shop, dine, play, have your clothes altered, take driving lessons or have a medical checkup at the mall’s 300+ retail shops just outside your home. SM Southmall and tenants strictly adhere to IATF protocols so you can move around with ease. SM malls implement Trace Together, a one-QR-Code-for-all that enables the mall and all its establishments to share customer information simply by scanning the QR code when a customer enters the store or restaurant. Find a complete list of establishments here.

#2: We’ve got it all...for every resident!

Cannot go out of your unit to make your purchases? Senior? PWD? Got your hands tied? Not a problem. SM Southmall gives a special rate to SMDC South 2 residents for the personal shopper program. Get anything and everything at your convenience through smsouthmall.com/pasabuy. Order, confirm, and receive items on the same day.

#3: Now you’re cooking!

Walk from South 2 Residences to SM Southmall with ease under the newly built canopy connecting the condo to the mall. You’ll find yourself immediately at Food Street, a stretch of the best dining choices that have an al fresco set-up that’s perfect for the new normal. Imagine having an international chef cooking for your guests right in your backyard!

#4: Wellness all week, all around

Like any SMDC property, your South 2 Residences home gives you full access to resortthemed amenities fit for kids and adults; vast, open spaces where you can enjoy fresh air and spend outdoor activities both for your physical and mental health, and where you can enjoy social activities with family, friends and neighbors. Right outside is a 1.1-km joggers’ path that goes around SM Southmall. For your medical needs, the mall has Medical City (South Tower) and Casa Medica (Lower Ground).

#5: Help the planet by living sustainably

Living beside a mall that has medical facilities, groceries, dining and recreation choices, al fresco landscape areas, a paw park, a joggers’ path, and everything you need means less fuel expense. Enjoying the outdoors—whether it be in South 2 Residences’ vast, open spaces, or in the Complex’s joggers’ area—allows you to not just save on utility bills but also helps you become a good steward of the Earth with less carbon footprint.

#6: Hit the road with ease

South 2 Residences places you in very close proximity to Tagaytay, Cavite, Batangas and Laguna for a breath of rustic air, for resorts and beaches, picturesque mountains and hills and farm-to-table treats. With a private vehicle, residents can immediately enjoy the cool air and view while dining in Tagaytay, or relax in Laguna’s hot springs and resorts for a quick escape. Live smartly and savor Southern living right in the metro with South 2 Residences.

INDFUL of the stress that a malfunctioning device could cause a household because it has no service centers to turn to amid the lockdowns during this pandemic, home appliance manufacturer Concepcion Industrial Corp. (CIC) has made it possible that it’s always available for any repair or troubleshoot, with or without a health crisis. Through its partnership with Teko Solutions Asia Inc., the latter’s platform Teko.ph has integrated nationwide CIC’s appliance after-sales service system for all its leading brands, namely, Car-

rier, Condura, Midea, Toshiba and Kelvinator. With the so-called Complete Order Management System (COMS), CIC’s after-sales organizations gain greater efficiency, access to real-time service data, and synchronized collaborations with all partners at a significantly lower technology cost than legacy SAP/ C4C systems. COMS is an end-to-end white label solution of Teko that digitizes the entire after-sales service process of appliance and electronics manufacturers by seamlessly connecting them with customers, service providers, and business partners in a single, powerful platform in the cloud.

“Our customers are the core of our business and this inspires us to continuously improve ways of serving them,” said Raul Joseph Concepcion, chairman and chief executive officer of CIC. “With COMS, we aim to provide our customers and partners, a seamless overall experience.” Through this initiative, customers can easily book for service at any CIC brand portal and COMS will dispatch automatically to a matching authorized service center. The latter, on the other hand, has access to new features like real-time jobs details, simplified ordering for parts, and an invoicing channel integrated with CIC’s financial systems.

Meanwhile, customer support teams like call centers are now able to take service requests, track job progress, and are empowered with features to quickly resolve customer escalations. Established in 2017, Teko is a technology startup offering a cloud-based system for the aftersales teams of appliance and electronics manufacturers and distributors. It also engages and manages certified appliance service technicians using a proprietary online platform. CIC is one of the biggest consumer appliance manufacturers in the Philippines, operating six subsidiaries with the above cited brands.

IT-BPMs now spearheading recovery in Manila and provinces

ore inquiries, requests for meetings and site inspections from IT-BPM locators since 4Q 2020 up to today indicate the continued expansion of the office sector in the Philippines and its possible recovery in the coming months. “The announcement of forthcoming vaccines has given everyone a fresh boost of hope. We’re seeing faster decision-making among ITBPM firms as they lay out plans for expansion not only in Metro Manila but also in the provinces. It’s an exciting time and we project that many of these negotiations are being finalized now or will be closed in the coming months,” according to Mikko Barranda, associate director of Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC). LPC deals with eight of the 10 biggest IT-BPM players in the country, which has been driving the growth of the Philippine office market for over a decade now. He added that current negotiations for space now also cover Iloilo, and because supply there is running out fast, locators have also shown renewed interest in Cebu and Pampanga—in addition to Metro Manila. On the other hand, Philippine Online Gaming Operators or POGOs, which overtook BPOs in 2019 as the largest driver of demand for Philippine office space, posted no new transactions beginning 2Q 2020 when new taxation regulations were imposed on them. A travel ban in the Philippines also curtailed whatever

expansion plans they may have had. Barranda qualified that a Temporary Restraining Order from the Supreme Court issued in January 2020 on those tax guidelines for POGOs “has stopped the bleeding” or the contraction of space occupied by these firms. Despite many lease terminations in 2020, the industry still maintains an existing footprint of 1.37 million sq m of office space, making them the second-largest occupier next to BPOs that account for 7.2 million sq m as of 2019. “POGOs still maintain a significant presence in the Philippines. Perhaps by next quarter, we will know if they will start expanding again and contributing to the recovery of the property market in 2021,” he observed. They vacated 330,000 sq m of space from 2Q 2020 up to January 2021, according to LPC studies. Of that total, 49 percent were Pezaregistered spaces keenly desired by IT-BPMs, observed Barranda. Peza spaces, particularly in Metro Manila, have been scarce. “And we foresee that those Peza spaces will be backfilled by BPOs,” he said. In 2020, IT-BPM take-up in the provinces also accounted for a record 43 percent of all their transactions in the country. With the opening of new international airports and the upgrading of the older facilities outside Metro Manila, these firms are likely to continue their provincial expansion and to explore other locations, said Barranda.

South Coast City in progress

YALA Land is introducing a prime commercial development called District Square, located within the scenic seaside South Coast City in South Road Properties (SRP), Cebu City. The waterside commercial area is designed to attract and spur new business investments in the province and will have infrastructure and amenities that support the creation of a vibrant community. The project aims to reflect the company’s track record for developing well-integrated and sustainable estates that are strategically positioned to become catalysts of local economic growth. “Our aim is to build sustainable developments that contribute significantly to the local economy and provide a safe and healthy quality of life. District Square is a unique opportunity to build or invest, given the combined investment plans of both ALI and SM in South Coast City, the infrastructure program in the area, and the progressive Cebu market where master-planned estates are hard to come by. We would like to invite partner locators to share in this vision and be part of seeing this through,” said Meean Dy, SVP and head of Ayala Land Estates Group. District Square offers commercial lots that present land bank and investment opportunities

to those who aspire to locate in South Coast City in the future. The lots sizes range from 1,777 to 2,601 sq m and will be ideal for offices, hotels, and other commercial uses. South Coast City is strategically located along the Cebu South Coastal Road and can be accessed via the new CCLEX bridge (3rd Mactan Bridge) which is expected to be completed by 2022. Fronting the Cebu Strait, South Coast City will enjoy waterside views and features. A pedestrian road network is designed to link the main areas of the development and a 1.1-hectare civic park will be its centerpiece. A wide array of retail and entertainment concepts anchored by an Arena and Convention Center are also planned for the area. Developed by the consortium of SM Prime Holdings, Ayala Land Inc. and Cebu Holdings Inc., the 26-hectare property in SRP broke ground in 2020. It aims to contribute to the economic recovery efforts of the province by enhancing the offerings available to the region. Ayala Land is expected to generate P90 billion in investments over the next 15 years for this project. The consortium remains steadfast in the planning and development of the project and is working to meet the foreseen demands of an evolving market.

Sports

4 Basilan cagers test positive

PVL TEAMS ASK FOR MORE TIME TO GET IN SHAPE

BusinessMirror

COMMISSIONER Willia Marcial hints that the league could be going out of Metro Manila because of the spike in Covid-19 cases.

| Wednesday, March 17, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

PBA AT YNARES?

AVAO Occidental-Coco Life advanced to the national finals of the Maharlika Pilipinas Lakan Cup after four players from its Southern Division finals rival BasilanJumbo Plastic tested positive for Covid-19. MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes said league protocols bar a team from playing if at least one of its players test positive for the virus. The tests were conducted on Monday and the supposed division finals do-or-die game was set for Wednesday at the Subic Freeport Gym. As a result, Davao Occidental won the Southern Division trophy and will face Northern Division champion San Juan-Go for Gold for the second straight season in the national finals. Game One of the finals will be at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Game Two will be on Thursday. Game Three, if necessary, will be played on Saturday.

By Josef Ramos

HILIPPINE Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner Willie Marcial revealed on Tuesday that the league would most likely hold its 46th season at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City because of the spike in Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila. “It’s [Covid-19 infections] increasing so we need to be more extra careful and vigilant. We’re talking with the local government of Antipolo but it still depends on the task force,” said Marcial, referring to the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force for Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on whether or not the league could proceed amid the heightened pandemic alert. “We’re checking if we can play or hold the games there [Antipolo City] in a closed circuit semi-bubble setup,” he added, noting that the city is under modified general community quarantine. By strict closed-circuit format, everyone in the league should follow a home-venue-home itinerary each game or practice day. The league successfully staged a shortened

LEAGUE President Ricky Palou says the recent intensified protocols are limiting the teams’ practice times.

45th season with a lone Philippine Cup conference at the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone bubble in Pampanga. The players, coaches and staff were confined in the bubble that included the Angeles University Foundation Gym from October 11 to December 13. But the PBA governors are dropping the bubble for the coming season primarily because of the exorbitant cost. The PBA spent P60 million on the Clark bubble. Marcial said the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City and Cuneta Astrodome and Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City are not the best options at the moment because the National Capital Region records close to 3,000 new cases of virus infection a day. “We’re facing a lot of difficulties to hold the games in the NCR,” he said. Marcial said it’s no longer feasible to open the season on April 11 and the league is now looking at the latter part of April or early May. The 12 PBA teams are still barred from holding scrimmages, but their players are allowed to do non-contact drills and exercises.

Eala receives wild card at prestigious Miami Open

ILIPINO tennis phenom Alex Eala earned a rare wild card to the 2021 Miami Open qualifiers set from March 22 to April 4 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The development was announced on Tuesday by the Rafael Nadal Academy where the 15-yearold Globe ambassador is a scholar. The Miami Open draws most prominent names in tennis, including the top-ranked Ashleigh

Barty and the No. 2 and recent Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka. Also slated to compete is world No. 3 Simona Halep. Eala, who recently rose to No. 736 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles rankings, is excited to play in the high-level event. “Looking forward to an awesome experience!” Eala said on her Facebook page.

This development is the latest feather in the youngster’s cap. She opened 2021 by winning her first professional tournament in the W15 Manacor in January. Eala then followed that up with three straight quarterfinal finishes and is looking to bounce back after suffering a first-round exit at the hands of Swiss Simona Waltert in the W15 Manacor in Mallorca, Spain, last week.

DANE WINS Denmark’s Mads Würtz Schmidt celebrates his Stage 6 victory at

the Tirreno Adriatico in Lido di Fermo, Italy, on Monday as Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar remains the overall leader with the final stage—an entirely flat 10.1-kilometer individual time trial—set on Tuesday in San Benedetto del Tronto. AP

HE Premier Volleyball League (PVL) will be pushed back by at least two weeks in May after the 12 participating teams asked for more time to train their players, PVL president Ricky Palou told Tuesday’s online Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum. “We can hold it towards the end of May,” said Palou as he shared the teams’ sentiments over limited training time after a unified curfew and stricter protocols were imposed in Metro Manila on Monday. The PVL was supposed to debut as a professional league on May 8 in a bubble environment at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna. “There weren’t much action for over a year now and the players may be over-excited and could hurt themselves,” Palou told the forum presented by San Miguel Corp., Go For Gold, Milo, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. The extra time will also enable the league to make sure that all health and safety protocols are put in place, including the testing of the close to 325 individuals involved in the bubble. Of the total number, 240 make up the 12 teams—players, coaches and other officials—while the rest are league officials, medical staff and even media. “Once it gets going, the tournament that will cost millions to stage will take two months to finish, with two games played six days a week,” Palou said. Palou urged all 12 teams to “protect themselves and keep themselves safe.” As part of the protocols, the PVL will conduct swab or saliva testing five days before the delegation enters and another round once they are inside the bubble. From thereon, weekly tests will be made.

Huey, Gonzales part ways in Cleveland tourney By Miguel La Torre

ATIONAL team mainstays Treat Huey and Ruben Gonzales are momentarily parting ways when they see action with different partners in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Cleveland Challenger in Ohio starting on Thursday.

Huey, coming off a month’s rest to heal a minor back injury, and The Netherlands’s Sem Verbeek are the top-seeded pair in the 16-team tournament. They take on JC Aragone of the US and Roberto Cid Subervi of the Dominican Republic at a still to be determined time in the tournament that offers a $52,000 champion’s prize at the the Cleveland Racquet Club.

Treat Huey and Ruben Gonzales are playing with different partners in Ohio.

PBA govs make everybody happy Al Mendoza | alsol47@yahoo.com

THAT’S ALL GENEROSITY marked Draft Day of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) on Sunday. In a stunning innovation worthy of praise, the star-hungry teams did not really immediately gobble up the league’s future stars for their own private delectation—at least, for now. Thanks, in large part, to the governors led by PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas. Kudos to the one who cooked up this idea. Big brother PBA really scored a homerun here for Philippine basketball, bringing gallantry to the altar of national interest by lending the top draftees to Gilas Pilipinas before they are allowed to dish off their wares in Asia’s oldest play-for-pay loop. I am referring to Jordan Heading, Will

Navarro, Tzaddy Rangel and Jaydee Tungcab. They landed at Terrafirma Dyip (Heading), NorthPort (Navarro), NLEX (Rangel) and TNT (Tungcab) in the side lottery called Special Gilas Draft. With this, the PBA has just scored a much-valued concession to the national team, underscoring the league’s courageous contribution to Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas’ (SBP) monumental mission to snatch a slot in the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) World Cup set in three Asian countries, including the Philippines. Once more, the PBA governors made everybody happy as their commitment to the national cause has been more than affirmed,

Gonzales, on the other hand, has a familiar face for a partner, Nicolas Barrientos of Colombia. They will face Americans Matthew Chen and Jonathan Powell at at 6 a.m. (Manila time) also on Thursday. “We’re playing with some confidence and see how we can do,” Huey, currently No. 119 in the ATP Tour doubles rankings, told BusinessMirror Sports in an overseas call on Tuesday. “As the No. 1 seed, there’s a little pressure, but that means you’ve done well in the last tournaments to be seeded that high.” Gonzales, currently ranked 253rd doubles player in the world, and Barrientos played doubles in 2016 when they reached the final of the Gimecheon Challenger in Korea and Nanchang Challenger in China. They failed to win the crown in both tournaments. Gonzales and Huey also teamed up in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games but yielded to compatriots Francis Casey Alcantara and Jeson Patrombon, 7-6, 7-5, in the final for a 1-2 Philippine finish. Gonzales is coming off a quarterfinal finish with Alcantara as partner in the International Tennis Federation M25 tournament in Naples, Florida. “It’s good to see Ruben here and play in the same tournament,” Huey said. “Hopefully, we’ll play in the final.” Both players are bracketed on the same side of the draw. while giving their family a much-needed security and sustainability in these trying times. The set-up has all the more assured team lineups of steadiness as it ensured undisturbed rotations and politically correct playing patterns when the league finally unwraps, hopefully, on April 9. As the saying goes, “Everybody happy.” THAT’S IT Marvelous Marvin Hagler, 66, left a boxing legacy too hard to surpass, let alone equal. He was the undisputed middleweight world champion from 1980 to 1987, compiling a superb record of 62-3, with two drawn and 52 knockouts. In defending his crown 12 times, Hagler fought the best in his era, defeating them all, including the equally greats Thomas “Hitman” Hearns and Roberto “The Hands of Stone” Duran. In his final triumph in 1986, Hagler knocked out the unbeaten John Mugabi of Uganda in the 11th round. I’ve watched them all on TV. Spellbinding. Said Bob Arum of Hagler: “He was a man of honor and a man of his word, and he performed in the ring with unparalleled determination.” Marvelous, indeed.