BusinessMirror March 27, 2024

TBy Nonie G.Reyes

at the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) compound in Pasay City near Naia Terminals as part of the Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: Semana Santa 2024. Bautista said he wanted to be sure of the readiness of the facility and determine what

contingencies are in place to prevent flight disruptions. Transportation authorities apparently want to present the public with an ironclad guarantee there will be no repeat of the January 1, 2023 Naia fiasco where part of the problem was traced to the CNS/ATM.

During the inspection with CAAP Director General António Tamayo, officials received an assurance that all systems within the CNS/ATM were operational, aligning

See “Holy week,” A

FINANCE Secretary Ralph G.

Recto has secured financing agreements with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) for two big-ticket infrastructure projects seen to spur mobility and enhance commerce and regional development.

The projects—the first Metro Manila Subway and the Dalton Pass project to link Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya to the Cagayan Valley Region, thus boosting trade in farm products—are under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Build Better More program that will help drive inclusive growth for all Filipinos.

“Infrastructure investments have the highest multiplier effect

on the economy.  As for every peso invested in new infrastructure, two pesos and thirty centavos are infused into the national economy,” Recto said in his speech at the ceremonial signing of the loan agreements on March 26, 2024, at the Jica Philippine Office in Makati.

“[T]he projects not only enhance mobility but also improve the lives of our people through the creation of more jobs and businesses. They will be the engines driving economic growth and dispersing the fruits of modernization to every corner of the country,” the Finance Chief said.

See “Jica,” A

TBy Samuel P. Medenilla  @sam_medenilla

HE government is now bracing for typhoons, which are expected to “swiftly” hit the country later this year due to the effects of La Niña, according to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

At a press briefing in Malacañang on Tuesday, Analiza Solis, DOST Officer-in-charge of Climatology and Agrometeorology of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), warned that warm waters brought about by La Niña will cause typhoons to develop closer to the country.

“Therefore, our preparation [time] will be shortened since chances of the typhoons developing in our territory during La Niña will be higher,” Solis said.

BUSY DAY FOR BUS CHECKS MMDA’s General Manager Undersecretary Procopio Lipana (right) and head of traffic enforcement Atty. Vic Nuñez lead an inspection Tuesday (March 26, 2024) of bus terminals along Edsa-Cubao district in Quezon City and a random drug testing for drivers, conducted in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), a day ahead of an expected surge in domestic travelers going to nearby provinces for the Holy Week break. NONOY LACZA

US solons vow to aid PHL’s ‘pushback’ on China in WPS

By Samuel P. Medenilla  @sam_medenilla

UNITED States lawmakers have committed support to the country in “pushing back” against China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

During their meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand told Marcos, “We share your concern about China’s aggression with regard to many issues

La Niña. . .

Continued from A

Modified plan

TO minimize the effect of the typhoons, DOST Secretary Renato R. Solidum Jr. said the government approved the Modified National Disaster Response Plan.

“The issue now is, people should really make sure that they are always ready so it is important for the LGU [local government units] level and individual and familylevel preparedness during these times,” Solidum said.  President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. also ordered the activation of the El Niño Oscillation Online Platform (ENOP), which serves as a centralized repository of data

around the Philippines. We stand with you and we want to continue to stand by you, and with you, and to push that aggression back appropriately.”

The message of support from the Gillibrand and other members of the United States Congressional Delegation (Codel) comes after a China Coast Guard ship damaged a Philippine supply vessel en route to Ayungin Shoal after a water cannon last Saturday.

Several countries including the

for understanding, monitoring and addressing the impacts of El Niño and La Niña.

The website, which may be accessed at https://enop@ndrrmc.gov. ph, contains forecasts and the actual El Niño events, the affected areas as well as videos and also information materials on conservation strategies for both water and electricity.

Fewer typhoons

SOLIS said only 13 to 16 typhoons are expected to hit the country this year, lower than the average number of 19 to 20 annual typhoons that enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility due to the ongoing El Niño.  Solidum explained that even with the projected 62-percent

US, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, France, Canada, Australia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Italy, South Korea, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Spain, and Sweden condemned the incident and backed the Philippines.

Marcos thanked the Codel contingent for visiting the country amid the “topsy-turvy political cycle” in the US.

“But I’m happy—very happy to welcome all of you to the Philippines

chance of the ongoing El Niño transitioning to La Niña by June, the country is still expected to suffer from below normal rainfall conditions until the third quarter of the year.

El Niño is a climate phenomenon which results in lower rainfall in the Philippines, while La Niña brings higher rainfall to the country.

“We need to emphasize that historically, pre-developing La Niña is characterized by below-normal rainfall. Therefore, the possibility of a slight delay of the onset of the rainy season is likely and its effect will combine with the effects of the ongoing El Niño,” he said.

Escalating effects

AS of March 24, DOST reported 37

and I hope that the time that you will spend here can be a productive time where we are able to—discuss further the situation concerning the Philippines and the geopolitical complications that we are facing presently,” the President said.

The Codel members are on a two-day visit in the country to discuss Philippines-US relations, promotion of Regional Peace and Security through Enhanced Defense and Security Cooperation and Economic Cooperation.

Aside from Gillibrand, the CODEL contingent also included Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Roger Marshall, Mark Kelly, Cynthia Lummins, Michael Bennet and Representative Adriano Espaillat, who is a member of the House Committees on Appropriations and Budget.

provinces experiencing drought conditions; 17 experiencing dry spell; and 13, dry conditions.

The impact of El Niño is expected to escalate next month, putting 48 provinces under drought status and 24 others with dry spell next month.

By May, 54 provinces will be drought-affected and 10 others will have a dry spell.

“Based on the report of the DENR [Department of Environment and Natural Resources], the month of May will be critical since [water] level of dams will be low based on operating level,” Solidum said.

The DOST chief said the government is considering constructing deep wells in the east concession areas, parts of Metro Manila and Rizal to help augment water supplies in Luzon.

DOST defines drought conditions as the state where an area has below-normal rain conditions for five consecutive months or way below rainfall conditions for three consecutive months.

Meanwhile, there is a dry spell when areas have below-normal rainfall conditions for three consecutive months or way-below-normal rainfall conditions for two consecutive months; while dry conditions mean the areas have had two consecutive months of below- normal rainfall conditions.

Holy week. . .

Continued from A

with the implementation of Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: Semana Santa 2024, which commenced on March 24 and will last until March 31.

Moreover, the Transportation chief has also assured the public that sufficient contingencies are in place to mitigate any potential flight disruptions amid the surge of passengers during Holy Week.

Bautista gave a positive assessment during his inspection of CAAP CNS/ATM: “We have to ensure that all equipment is operational, all personnel are present, and can attend to any issues we may face during Holy Week. With that, we see that CAAP is ready, and we thank you for preparing for this Lenten season.”

The CNS/ATM, enabling aircraft to transmit accurate locations for safe takeoffs, landings, and air traffic control, operates with personnel in three shifts for continuous 24/7 operations. CAAP Director General Tamayo has enforced a “no-leave” policy directive for essential operational staff to uphold Secretary Bautista’s mandate of providing safe, accessible and affordable public transportation for Filipinos.

Bautista also inspected Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 1 as he was briefed by Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) Senior Assistant General Manager (SAGM) Ma. Lourdes Reyes.

Last Monday, the Secretary visited Naia Terminal 3 and concluded that everything was in order.

LandBank’s and DBP’s comment on a possible request to extend the regulatory relief, but both banks declined to comment.

To recall, the DBP and LandBank sought “regulatory relief” in October last year due to concerns that the banks might find it difficult to comply with the BSP’s minimum Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) requirement after contributing to the country’s first sovereign wealth fund.

The BSP requires both staterun lenders to maintain a minimum 10-percent CAR; otherwise, they would face sanctions for any breach.

“To me, it’s a non-issue dahil [because that is] government guarantee,” Recto said.

The Finance chief added that the books of LandBank and DBP are both “okay,” adding that he is not worried about those.

Parang may [They have a] sovereign guarantee  yan dahil pagaari ng gobyerno yan eh  [because the government owns them],” Recto said.

The DBP and LandBank remitted P25 billion and P50 billion, respectively, to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) in September last year, for a total of P75 billion to the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF).

Jica. . .

Continued from A

Recto, on behalf of the Philippine Government, and JICA Chief Representative Takema Sakamoto signed the loan agreement for the third tranche of financing for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) Phase 1, worth JPY 150 billion (about P55 billion).

With a total project cost of P488.48 billion, the MMSP Phase 1 is the country’s first-ever underground mass transport system and the third biggest project under the Marcos Jr. administration’s Build Better More program.

It involves the construction of a Depot and a 33-kilometer railway system consisting of 17 stations that shall connect Valenzuela City to Bicutan with a branch line going to NAIA Terminal 3 in Paranaque City.

Once operational in 2029, the subway will reduce travel time from Valenzuela to Naia from 1 hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes and can accommodate 519,000 passengers per day on full operations.

Aside from the recently signed third tranche of financing, the MMSP Phase 1 is being supported by two active loan agreements with Jica, namely the first tranche worth JPY 104.53 billion (about P38.81 billion), which was signed on March 16, 2018; and the second tranche worth JPY 253.31 (about P94.05 billion), which was inked on February 10, 2022.

Meanwhile, the officials also signed the loan agreement for the first tranche of financing for the Dalton Pass East Alignment Road Project (DPEARP) worth JPY 100 billion (about P37 billion).

The second tranche of financing for the project worth JPY 39.19 billion (about P14.58 billion) is proposed to be signed in 2027.

With a total project cost of P67.4 billion, the DPEARP is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Central and Northern Luzon that involves the construction of a 23-kilometer (km) alternative road bypassing the existing 77-km Dalton Pass East Bypass Route. It also includes a 6.121-km tube section and 10 bridges with a total length of 5.828 km, as well as slope protection works.

The project will link Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya to the Cagayan Valley Region and is expected to be

www.businessmirror.com.ph

MIC President and Chief Executive Officer Rafael D. Consing, Jr. told the BusinessMirror that the funds remain with the Treasury’s accounts in LandBank and DBP, available for the corporation to use anytime.

Under Republic Act (RA) No.

11954 or “An Act Establishing the Maharlika Investment Fund,” the MIC is created as the “sole vehicle for mobilizing and utilizing the Maharlika Investment Fund [MIF] for investments in transactions aimed at generating optimal returns on investments [ROIs].”

The Act states the MIC shall have an authorized capital stock of P500 billion, of which the P125billion seed capital will come from the LBP and DBP.

The additional P50-billion funding, meanwhile, will be contributed by the Bangko ng Sentral ng Pilipinas, the national government’s share in the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), and government financial institutions.

Earlier, Consing said the MIC is targeting to generate $1 billion or approximately P56 billion in investments for the energy sector, particularly in solar energy, by the end of the year.  Consing added that funding for the energy sector will also include MIC’s contribution apart from those coming from the sovereign wealth funders.

completed in 2031.

The DPEARP will provide safer transport for local communities and smoother distribution of agricultural goods, which will directly benefit farmers in the Cagayan Valley Region, Recto said.

Jica has offered the Philippines highly concessional financing terms for both big-ticket projects under its Special Terms for Economic Partnership (STEP), carrying an interest rate of 0.30 percent per annum for non-consulting services and 0.20 percent per annum for consulting services, to be repaid in 40 years, inclusive of a 10-year grace period.

On top of the highly favorable terms, Recto stressed,  the Philippines has been given the privilege of utilizing state-of-the-art Japanese technologies in these projects.

He said the MMSP Phase 1 incorporates innovative flood management and advanced seismic technology into its design, ensuring not only efficiency but also sustainability for future generations.

Similarly, the DPEARP leverages Japanese expertise in the excavation and construction of the twin mountain tunnels and 10 bridges, guaranteeing their resilience against natural disasters.

The DOF-International Finance Group (IFG) is in charge of securing foreign grants and loans to fund the government’s infrastructure projects and various development projects.

Moreover, Recto has initiated the conduct of regular worksite visits on infrastructure projects to monitor their progress and ensure their efficient implementation.

“The projects are building blocks in our ascent to becoming an upper-middle-income country hopefully by 2025 and, eventually, the world’s 14th-largest economy by 2075,” he added.

Meanwhile, Jica Chief Representative Sakamoto said investors are eagerly waiting for the completion of the game-changing projects, referring to MMSP Phase 1 as the future icon of Bagong Pilipinas and the DPEARP as another symbol of Japan and the Philippines’ strong friendship.

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista; Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan; and Embassy of Japan Economic Minister Nihei Daisuke witnessed the signing of the loan agreements.

A3

BI: Gang members deported to Japan facing raps for large-scale telco fraud

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

& Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

TW O J a p a nese n ati o n a ls believed to be membe r s o f t h e n o tor i o us “Luffy’” g a ng we r e dep or ted o n Tuesd a y t o J a p a n w h e re t h ey are f ac ing cr imin a l charges or l arge-s ca le tele co mmuni cati o ns ra ud T h e B u r e a u o f Immig ra ti o n ( B I) identified t h e tw o a s S ug a n o K a zus h a nd Sh im o ed a Sa it o. They are considered fugitives in Japan and have been h iding in t h e co unt r y sin ce 20 1 9. K a zus h i a nd Sa it o we r e dep or ted f or being undesi ra ble a liens a fte r t h e J a p a nese g ove r nment t a gged t h em a s fugitives f ro m justi ce for rep or tedly wor king a s f ra udulent ca lle r s for a cr imin a g ro up vi c timizing h is co mp at r o ts Th e two we re t h e subje c t o f a n arrest warrant issued by the Tokyo Summar y Cour t for being membe r s o f a big-time tel co syndi cate The BI said it has reason to believe that the two m ay be p ar t o f t h e inf a m o us Luffy g ro up, w h i ch a llegedly co mmitted a st r ing o f vi o lent cr imes in J a p a n A m a n h unt w a s co ndu c ted a g a inst t h em a nd t h ei r cohor ts a fte r r e c eiving o ffi c i a l co mmuni cati o n f ro m t h e J a p a nese g ove r nment in Feb ru ar y 202 3 infor ming o f t h ei r cr imin a st atus Sa it o m a de h e a dlines l a st N o vembe r 1 6 , 202 3, a fte r being inte rc epted a t t h e Nin o y A quin o Inte r n a ti o n a l A r p or t Te r min a l 3 w h ile h e w a s a ttempting t o flee t h e co unt r y o n a C ebu Pac ifi c flig h t b o und f or N a g o y a , J a p a n Up o n kn o wing t ha t h e w a s being

arr ested, t h e B r e co unted t ha t h e r es or ted t o a l ar ming t ac ti c s, intenti o n a lly bumping h is h e a d o n t h e immig ra ti o n co unte r a nd feigning dist r ess “T h ei r dep or t a ti o n is a signifi ca nt ach ievement in o u r eff or ts t o dis r upt cr imin a l networ ks vi c timizing unsuspe c ting individu a ls,” B I Co mmissi o ne r N or m a n Ta nsing co s a id “This successful depor tation is a testament to t h e co ll a b orative p ar tne r s h ip a nd g oo d rel ati o ns h ip between t h e Ph ilippines a nd J a p a n We will n o t a ll ow o u r co unt r y to be used a s a h iding g ro und for cr imin a ls a nd

syndi cates,” h e a dded

It ca n be r e ca lled t ha t l a st ye ar, t h e

Philippine government depor ted four Japanese

fugitives f or t h ei r a lleged invo lvement in var i o us cr imin a l ac tivities in J a p a n Th ey we re identified a s Im a mu ra Kiyo to,

Fujit a To s h iy a To m o n o bu Sa it o a nd Yuki Wat a n a be Wat a n a be is believed to be “Luffy,” t h e a lleged m a ste r mind o f a se r ies o f ro bbe r ies in seve ra l p refe c tu res in J a p a n

Warning

S EN ATOR Sh e r win G atcha li a n, c iting rep or ts, war ned t hat s o me B I pe r s o nnel co uld be in cahoo ts wit h f oreign fugitives a ss oc a ted wit h Ph ilippine O ffs hore G a ming O pe rator s ( PO G O s), n o w ca lled Inte r net G a ming Li censees (IGL)

G a t cha li a n, w ho cha i r s t h e S en a te Co mmittee o n Ways a nd M e a ns, issued t h e st a tement f o ll o wing t h e re c ent rep or t o f another foreign fugitive at a POGO/IGL facility in Ba mb a n, Tar l ac. It wa s rep or ted t hat Cha ng Ch i a Wei, a Taiwanese national, was among the more than 500 foreign nationals accounted for during the ra id co ndu c ted a st March 13 The senator ’s consequent verification, with t h e B I using t h e oreign n ati o n a l’s bi o met r c s, reve a led t hat t h e s a id Ta iwa nese n ati o n a wa s, in f ac t, a fugitive in h is own co unt r y a nd is c u rrently in t h e c usto dy o f t h e B I for dep or t ati o n even a s Ph ilippine a ut hor ities have yet to identify o t h e r foreign fugitives rem a ining in t h ei r c usto dy G a t cha li a n r e ca lled t ha t in t h e ca se o f t h e p o li c e ra id co ndu c ted in L a s P iñ a s in June a st ye ar a t le a st 7 f or eign fugitives we r e arr ested, co mp r ising 4 Ch inese a nd 3 Ta iw a nese n a ti o n a ls He a ls o c ited a sep ara te r ep or t du r ing t h e S unv a lley PO G O ra id in C l ar k in Ma y a st ye ar, wit h 17 m or e or eign fugitives identified in t h e s a id PO G O h ub According to the senator, these cases were a ls o simil ar to t h e “p a still a s s ca m” w h e re foreigne r s we re w h isked p a st immig rati o n co unte r s in excha nge f or m o ney ro lled in w h ite p a pe r m a de to oo k like t h e oca milk p a st r y ca lled p a still a s Paano nakakapasok sa Pilipinas ang mga wanted fugitive mula sa ibang bansa? Sadyang nalulusutan langba tayo o talagangpinapalusot natin,alinangtama?” G a t cha li a n s a id “Foreign PO G O wor ke r s tu r ning o ut to be fugitives in t h ei r r espe c tive co unt r ies have be co me a co mm o n occ u rren ce in a ll t h e PO G O ra ids we have seen in re cent ye ar s Th is indi cates t hat t h ey are p ar t o f org a nized cr imin a syndi ca tes It b o ggles t h e mind t hat t h e B I is un a ble to dete c t t h e ent r y o f t h ese fugitives, indi cating t hat s o me o t h ei r pe r s o nnel co uld be in cahoo ts wit h t h ese fugitives,” h e a dded

Bong Go calls for heightened safety measures in observance of Holy Week

RE CO GNI Z ING t h e t ra diti o n o m a ny Filipin o s t raveling to t h ei r p rovin ces in a nti c ip ati o n o f t h e up co ming Ho ly Week, S en ator Chr isto p h e r “ Bo ng” G o ha s a dvised t ravele r s to t a ke s a fety p re ca uti o ns a s h e u rged Filipin o s to emb o dy t h e vi r tues o f l ove, co mp a ssi o n, a nd unde r st a nding in t h ei r o bse r va n ces Sa mga uuwi sa probinsiya, lalo na mga probinsiyanong katulad ko, mag-ingat po tayo sa biyahe,” h e s a id, ac kn owledging t h e a dditi o n a l r isks a ss oc ated wit h t h e se a s o n, su ch a s fi re ha z ards a nd h e a lt h issues rel ated to t h e summe r h e at The Manila Internationa A rpor t Authority is b rac ing f or a signifi ca nt in cr e a se in passenger volume, expec ting over one million t ravele r s du r ing t h e week Fu r t h e r m ore, t h e Para ñ a que Integ rated Te r min a Excha nge ha s rep or ted a n upti c k in p a ssenge r s, wit h up to 1 7 milli o n pe o ple p ro je c ted t o t ra vel t hro ug h t h e te r min a l du r ing t h e b re a k “ Ngayong Fi r e Pr eventi o n Mo nt h tiyakin din ninyo na ligtas ang inyong mga tahanan at iwasan ang mga posibleng pagmulan ng insidente ng sunog Huwag dingkalilimutan na pangalagaan ang ating kalusugan Masarap magbakasyon kung kampante ang ating kalooban at wala tayong agam-agam sa ating mga ari-arian at kalusugan,” r eminded t h e publi c. A s t h e Cha i r o f t h e S en ate Co mmittee o n Health, Go also urged ever yone to stay safe and appealed to the public to continue voluntarily we ar ing m a sks to p ro te c t t h ei r h e a lt h f ro m viruses such as the repor ted Per tussis outbreak in s o me are a s “ Tulad ng lagi kong payo, kung hindi naman sagabal sa inyo, ugaliingmagsuot na ngmaskupangproteksyunan angsariliatang ating pamilya,” h e a ppe a led “KahitwalanaangCOVID-1 9 nandidiyan pa rin angbanta ng mga sakit na maaaring makahawa lalo na sa mga matatanda at bata. Hindi natin alam anong sakit ang maaari nating maiuwi sa bahay Mabuti nang mag-ingat Nagawa nating magsuot ng mask ng higit dalawang taon noong pandemya. Konting tiis lang ito upang makasalba ng buhay ng ating kapwa, ” h e a dded M e a nw h

a n o pp or tunity t o r etu r n t o t h e L or d t h e s acr ifi c es He m a de t hro ug h o u r o wn s acr ifi c es in se r ving o u r k a b a b a y a ns Nang dahil sa Kanyang pagmamahal po sa atin ay sinakripisyo Niya po ang Kanyang buhay para tayo po’y maligtas,” h e s a id “ Ako naman po’y naniniwala na sana po’y maipapakita po natin sa panahon ngayon...ako, ang paniniwala ko, ang pagseserbisyo sa tao, serbisyo po ‘yan sa Diyos Ito‘yungpanahon na maibalik natin sa ating Panginoon ‘yung ginawa niyang sakripisyo,” h e a dded G o r eminded Filipin o s o f t h e s acr ifi c es m a de f or h um a nity’s s a lv a ti o n a nd t h e p o we r o f emb o dying o ve, co mp a ssi o n, a nd unde r st a nding in t h ei r d a ily lives, s a ying, “ Sana patuloy natin may pakita ang co mp a ssi o n, o ve, unde r st a nding, at malasakit natin sa isa’t isa. Mahalin po natin ang ating kapwa Pilipin

SM shows solidarity for Down syndrome community through this year’s Happy Walk

SM Cares, a long time-supporter of the Down Syndrome community, is celebrating 20 years of supporting communities. This 2024, SM malls celebrate Happy Walk in SMX Manila, SM City Cebu and SM City Bacolod.

e g a p in t h e 4Ps, wh i ch ha s l eft a dist ressing numbe r o f 843 ,000 f a mi l ies, or 4 mi ll i o n imp ov e r is h ed F i l ipin o s , w it ho ut t h e v it al supp or t allocated by t h e p ro g ra m “I strongly suppor t this proposal to address t h e P9- bi ll o n defi c it in t h e 4Ps,” Bo ng alo n s a id. “Th e 4Ps is a law, and it is o u r m a nd ate to ensu re its imp l ement ati o n . Th is w i ll gi ve justi ce to 4Ps benefi c i ar ies who have been depr ved of financ al aid because of the deficit a nd t h e budget c ut.” I t wa s Bo ng alo n who fi r st acc used S en I mee Marco s o being be h ind t h e budget re al ignment o f P1 3 bi ll i o n ro m t h e 4Ps in t h e 202 3 n ati o n al budget wh en s h e was h e a d o f t h e S en ate fin a n ce sub -co mmittee in charge o f t h e budget o f t h e Dep ar tment o Soc i al We are a nd De ve lo pment ( D S WD). “Th e lo nge r t h e defi c it st ays t h e m ore we dep r ve t h ese 4 mi ll i o n p oor F ipin o s o f a fig hting cha n ce to t r iump h ove r p ove r ty Th is p ro g ra m is me a nt to h e l p p oor F l ipin o s f or a ce r t a in numbe r o f ye ar s to h e l p t h em w it h t h ei r d a y needs a nd send t h ei r ch l d ren to s chool,” Bo ng alo n s a id I f t h e r e is a g a p in t h e g ra nt o f 4P s funding t o p oor F ipin o f a mi l ies , Bo ng alo n co ntinued t h e o bje c ti v e o f t h e law is n o t re al ized a nd it w ll f a l t o redu c e t h e p ove r ty in c iden c e in t h e co unt r y He referred to Repub ic Ac t (RA) 11310 (4Ps Ac t ) a dding t h e law’s o bje c ti ve is to redu ce p ove r ty in c iden ce in t h e co unt r y “Co nside r a f a mi y t hat wa s re cei v ing 4Ps benefits o n l y to sudden l y lo se t h em in 202 3 a nd 2024 due to t h e defi c it What ha ppens to t h ei r ch i l d ren who are in s chool ? Wi ll t h ey have to ce a se t h ei r edu cati o n due to lac k o funds? Th e expenses a nd needs o f o u r fe llow c itizens d o n o t ce a se t h us it is impe rati ve t hat we a dd ress t h is issue,” emp ha sized t h e law m a ke r f ro m B i col. Earlie r, S u arez s a id h e p ro p o sed t hat t h e Ho use o f R ep resent ati ves p a ss a supp l ement al budget to a dd ress t h e P9- bi ll i o n defi c it cre ated by Marco s re al ignment o f t h e 4Ps budget in 202 3 He des cr ibed t h e s a id re al ignment in la st week s h e ar ing o f t h e Ho use Co mmittees o n Pub l i c Accounts a nd Soc al S e rv ces o n t h e p r v i l ege spee ch de l i ve red by 4Ps Par ty l ist R ep Jo n at ha n Cl ement M. A b alo s II a s a kin to ste al ing f ro m p oor Fi l ipin o f a mi ies Th e D S WD co nfi r med t h e existen c e o t h e P9- bi ll i o n defi c it du r ing t h e h e ar ing o f t h e Ho use Co mmittees o n P ub c Acco unts a nd Soc al S e rv i c es la st w eek o n t h e p r i v l ege spee ch de v e r ed by A b alo s o n t h e s a id r e al ignment Al s o, D S WD S e cr et ar y R ex lo n T. Ga t chal i a n m a de a co nfi r m a ti o n o n Marco s s r e al ignment o f P1 3 bi ll o n in 202 3 t ha t wa s supp o sed t o be f or t h e 4P s but wa s gi v en t o o t h e r p ro g ra ms S u arez s a id t hat when t h e 2023 n ati o n al budget wa s a pp roved in t h e Ho use o f R ep resentatives, the 4Ps funding was complete and int ac t Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

Exporters urged to engage through China’s trade fair

By Andrea San Juan @andreasanjuan

THE Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers Of Commerce & Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) is urging exporters to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the import and export fair in Guangzhou city, the largest and longest in China.

At the 135th Canton Fair Roadshow last Tuesday, FFCCCII President Cecilo K. Pedro said he believes the Canton fair, to be held from April 15 to May 5, offers a huge potential for buyers.

“I will challenge also our exporters [to] take advantage of the Canton fair,” he said.

Pedro, head of the 170-member FFCCCII, also underscored the need to bolster trade ties between the Philippines and China amid and despite the tensions clutching the two nations in relation to the West Philippine Sea.

“These kinds of strengthening of relationships will continue to grow. And I sincerely believe it [stronger relations] can be attained; it can be fostered; it can be pushed; it can be enhanced through the Canton Fair,” the FFCCCII president said.

“We have to trade with each other in spite of the West Philippine Sea [issue]: that is peace. So we have

THE La nd Tra nsp or t a ti o n O ffi c e (LTO) announced last Tuesday a comprehensive renewal schedu e for motorists, aiming to kickstar t the distribution process immediately a fte r t h e Holy Week

Follow ing t h e de c isi o n o f t h e Co u r t o f A ppe al s (CA) to l ift t h e injun c ti o n orde r, LTO

to set aside our problems in the West Philippine Sea and continue to foster a better understanding and hopefully, better trade among two countries, the Philippines and China,” Pedro said.

Trade Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo agreed with Pedro adding that “trade is a potent force for peace.”

“Politics and economics must be separated amidst geopolitical tensions,” he said.

Rodolfo, who heads the Industry Development and Investment Promotions Group (IPG) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), said that Guangdong Province, location of the city hosting the Canton fair, is the Philippines’s largest trading partner among all provinces in China. According to him, Guangdong Province accounts for almost one-fourth of the total trade between Philippines and China last year.

The Philippine trade official noted, however, that unlike other China-based trade fairs such as the China-Asean Expo (CAEXPO) and the China International Import Expo (CIIE), the Canton fair has no Philippine pavilion.

“Actually, we are not organizing from the DTI side na pupunta doon sa Canton fair; kaya meron tayong roadshow. For example,

yung contribution natin sa CAEXPO tsaka sa CIIE na talagang nagoorganize kasi may pavilion tayo dun. Dito [Canton fair] kasi, walang pavilion,” Rodolfo said.

But the Trade official said Filipino entrepreneurs are encouraged to join the “longest-running” trade fair in China not only to tap into sourcing opportunities “but also to encourage those Chinese companies to go to the Philippines.”

Rodolfo highlighted the importance of “benchmarking,” adding that while this is a trade fair where an entrepreneur can source and buy, “very important also is to benchmark to see what’s the best of the best in the world.”

According to the website of Canton Fair, its 135th edition’s first phase will happen from April 15 to 19. Phase 2 of the onsite exhibition will happen from April 23 to 27 and Phase 3 will happen from May 1 to 5.

The China-based trade fair said for its online exhibition, the online platform service time is six months, which will run from March 16 to September 15,2024.

As to the products that will be featured at the trade fair, these are categorized into three phases.

For phase 1, consumer electronics and information products, household electrical appliances, lighting equipment, general machinery and

mechanical basic parts, power machinery and electric power, processing machinery equipment, construction machinery, agricultural machinery, electronic and electrical products, hardware and tools.

For phase 2, general ceramics, household items, kitchenware and tableware, weaving, rattan and iron products, gardening products, home decorations, festival products, gifts and premiums, glass artware, art ceramics, clocks, watches & optical instruments, building and decorative materials, sanitary and bathroom equipment and furniture.

And for the last leg of the trade fair: home textiles, textile raw materials & fabrics, carpets & tapestries, furs, leather, downs & related products, fashion accessories and fittings, men and women’s clothing, underwear, sports and casual wear, food, sports, travel and recreation products, cases and bags, medicines, health products and medical devices, pet products and food, toiletries, personal care products, office supplies, toys, kids’ wear, maternity, baby and children products.

Total trade between Philippines and China in 2023 amounted to almost $40 billion, with Philippine exports to China reaching $10.86 billion while imports from the economic powerhouse amounted to $29.38 billion.

Ch ief Vig or D M end oz a II s a id h e ha s alre a dy issued a memo to expedite the renewal process f or m o tor ists “I have alre a dy inst r u c ted o u r o ffi c al s d ow n to t h e regi o n al l e ve l to p rep are t h is l ist o f s ch edu l es a nd finis h it bef ore Maundy Th u r sd ay O u r g oal is to st ar t t h e dist r ibuti o n p rocess o f t h e p la sti c- p r inted d r i ve r’s i cense next week ,” M end oz a s a id Di v ided int o spe c ifi c timef ra mes , t h e schedule accounts for var ous expiration dates o f d r i ve r’s l i censes Mo tor ists w it h l censes expi r ing bet ween A p r l 1 to August 3 1, 202 3 , a nd A p r i l 1 to A p r i l 30, 2024, are slated or renewal bet ween April 1 5 a nd A p r l 3 0, 2024. Tho se w it h c enses expi r ing f ro m S eptembe r 1 to De cembe r 3 1, 202 3 , a nd May 1 to May 3 1, 2024, w i ll have t h ei r rene wal pe r o d f ro m May 1 to May 3 1, 2024. For l i censes expi r ing bet ween Ja nu ar y 1 to March 3 1, 2024, a nd J une 1 to J une 3 0, 2024, rene wal is s ch edu l ed f ro m J une 1 to J une 3 0, 2024. “Fa i l u r e o f t h e d r i v e r t o r ene w h is / h e r d r i ve r’s l i c ense w it h in t h e p res cr ibed s ch edu l e s hall rende r t h e l cense expi red,” t h e mem ora ndum re a d Th e re cent de i ve r y o f 1 mi ll o n p la sti c car ds t o t h e LTO C ent ral O ffi c e m ar ks a signifi ca nt step f orwar d f ollow ing t h e CA’s r u ing in f avor o f t h e Dep ar tment o f Tra nsp or t ati o n a nd t h e LTO. To r e call, Allcar d I n c., t h e bidde r t ha t a l ed t h e p o st - qu al ifi ca ti o n p roc ess or t h e s a id de al, sued t h e g ov e r nment ov e r t h e a u c ti o n , c iting “g rav e a buse o f dis cr eti o n r egu la ting in lac k or ex c ess o f ju r isdi c ti o n t o p o st disqu al ify petiti o ne r Allcar d , despite being t h e low est calc u la ted bidde r a nd co nsequent y t o questi o n t h e awar d o f t h e co nt rac t t o r esp o ndent Ba nne r Pla sti car d I n c.” Allcar d wa s disqu al ified du r ing t h e p o st - qu al ifi cati o n p rocess o f its bid a fte r t h e Depar tment of Transpor tation’s (DOTr) Central Bids and Awards Committee (CBAC) found that it had “inc urred delays in its ongoing contrac ts w it h t h e g ove r nment.” Ba nne r Pla sti card I n c. wo n t h e a u c ti o n in J une 202 3 . I t is n ow m ov ing f orward w it h t h e de iver y of the l cense cards with the CA ruling Th is de l i ve r y, co up ed w it h t h e expe c ted arr i val o f a n a dditi o n al 3 .2 mi ll i o n cards, is p o ised t o signifi ca nt l y r edu c e t h e existing b ac k lo g, wh ch c u rrent l y st a nds at a pp roxim ate l y 4.1 mi ll i o n M end oz a a ssu red t h e pub c o f t h e LTO’s co mmitment to b r idging t h e b ac k lo g g a p wh le ensuring a steady supp y of plastic cards t hro ug ho ut 2024. To avo id ov e rcrow ding a t LTO o ffi c es n a ti o n w ide M end o z a st r essed t h e imp or t a n c e o f a d h e r ing t o t h e r ene wal s ch edu l e , wh ch w ll be p ro minent y disp la yed a t LTO o ffi c es a nd s har ed v a s oc i al medi a cha nne l s “ We w i ll d o p rocessing a nd cla iming by schedu e so that there w ll be no overcrowding in t h e LTO o ffi ces a nd e ventu all y t h e re w ll be order in processing and distribution,” affirmed M end oz a. Lorenz S. Marasigan

India backs PHL’s national sovereignty moves in WPS

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome @maloutalosig

INDIA expressed support for the Philippines in “upholding

by the Philippines. The Arbitration Tribunal ruled, among others, that Ayungin Shoal is a low-tide elevation and therefore, forms part of the Philippine exclusive economic zone.

“One, we regard Unclos 1982 as very important. We regard it as the Constitution of the Seas.

“Two, we believe that all parties must adhere to it. As I said in its entirety, both in letter and spirit.

“And three, we firmly support the Philippines and the upholding of its national sovereignty.

“So I think our position is very, very clear,” Jaishankar told reporters in Manila.

The Indian foreign minister was in Manila as part of his three-country Southeast Asian swing to boost bilateral and regional ties. He also came from Malaysia and Singapore.

However, Jaishankar fell short

FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo (right) meets his counterpart, Dr. S. Jaishankar, Indian Externa Affairs Minister, in Man la on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. PHOTO FROM DR. S. JA SHANKAR’S X ACCOUNT of condemning China, unlike other countries like QUAD members United States, Japan and Australia which did so a day after Philippine Coast Guard vessels harassed a rotation and resupply mission (RORE) mission to Ayungin Shoal last Sunday.

The Indian top diplomat met his Philippine counterpart, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo.

“The Philippines and India are staunch advocates of safety at sea, freedom of navigation and adherence to international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea [or Unclos] and the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea. This was evident during my visit in New Delhi in June last year and it was evident during our discussions today especially

on recent actions of China in the West Philippines Sea,” Manalo said during their joint press conference.

‘Accelerate’ maritime, defense cooperation MANALO and Jaishankar agreed to “accelerate” the maritime cooperation between both countries.

Maritime cooperation includes collaboration on maritime domain awareness, shipping and seafaring, search and rescue, law enforcement and environmental protection.

“With regard to our defense and security cooperation, we see the defense industries of India continuing to play an important role in the AFP Modernization Program,” Manalo said.

India is also willing to support the Self-Reliant Defense Posture of the Philippines through education, training and research and development.

India has started building its domestic industrial ecosystem as it targets to become self-reliant in the defense sector.

Manalo, meanwhile, thanked Jaishankar for the rescue of Filipino seafarers of MV True Confidence last month.

An Indian Navy ship responded to the distress call of the bulk carrier after it was hit by a Houthi drone. They rescued 13 Filipino seafarers who were immediately flown back home.

Since both countries are suppliers of seafarers worldwide, Manalo said he and Jaishankar also “explored possible cooperation to ensure the safety of Indian and Filipino seafarers such as those working on board merchant vessels plying the Red Sea.”

Both foreign ministers have

committed to sustain the positive momentum of bilateral partnership, which Manalo said has reached “unprecedented levels in its scope and depth in recent years.”

Other areas of cooperation

ASIDE from maritime, defense and seafarers, other “quick impact projects” that both countries are looking at include agriculture, food security, affordable healthcare, infrastructure, and tourism.

Manalo told Jaishankar that the Philippines will soon launch its e-visa program for Indian travelers.

“We have also taken note of India’s significant successes in science and technology, space and financial technology, particularly on financial inclusivity. We are keen to begin closer cooperation in this regard,” Manalo said.

More PHL exports to India

THE Philippines and India are negotiating a bilateral preferential trade agreement and planning to upgrade the Asean-India Trade in Goods Agreement. Philippine exports to India have reached US$1 billion for the first time. Indian exports to the Philippines have reached US$2 billion.

“While this is undoubtedly a good progress, current data indicates that we still have over half a billion dollars of unrealized export potential to India,” Manalo said.

“India, as the 5th largest economy, currently growing at about 7 percent annually, is preparing to step up its engagement with the Philippines,” Jaishankar said.

BJMP drive for continuing education to reduce recidivism gets solon’s nod

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

BICOLSaroParty-listRep.BrianRaymund Yamsuan has commended the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) for facilitating the continuing education of over 19,000 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in its detention facilities across the country.

Yamsuan highlighted the holistic approach adopted by BJMP in ensuring the welfare of PDLs by equipping them with valuable skills and knowledge essential for their successful reintegration into society.

He emphasized the potential of such initiatives in curbing the recidivism rate among PDLs incarcerated in overcrowded municipal, city, and district jails.

Citing data from the 2023 accomplishment report of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Yamsuan said a total of 19,299 PDLs were able to continue their education while in detention in BJMP facilities through the Bureau’s partnerships with private learning institutions, nongovernment organizations, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).

NIA set to do new cropping calendar, focused on dry season, to boost rice yield

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

TO help boost rice production, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is set to finally implement the new dry season-focused cropping calendar this year.

“We will start the actual implementation this October,”

NIA Administrator Eddie G. Guillen told reporters in an interview with reporters in Malacañang last Tuesday.

Under the proposed cropping calendar, the planting of crops will be scheduled during the dry season instead of the wet season.

“Because when it is the dry season, there is a higher yield. Second, there is also no typhoon. The only challenge there is we are able to provide sufficient irrigation. For those areas, which are not irrigated,

we can plan corn,” Guillen said. He said 99 percent of the country already has irrigation. Guillen said they are also using the alternate wetting and drying (AWD) planting strategy to reduce water usage during the dry season.

The NIA chief said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is pushing for changing the cropping season, a move backed by the results of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). This showed rice production rose by 1.1 percent and corn production by 5.9 percent last February despite the low rainfall caused by El Niño. “This is what our President wants. To boost our yield and production. So he said we should study if there could be two cropping seasons so that the rainy season will be just a bonus [planting period]. That is the plan of the NIA,” Guillen said.

Of this number, 5,927 PDLs were enrolled at the elementary level, another 9,549 in junior high school, and 3,407 in senior high school. The enrollees were for the school year 2022-2023.

“The BJMP’s initiatives to improve the well-being of detainees through its continuing education programs are a key factor in reducing the reoffending or recidivism rate among PDLs. This, in turn, will aid in the ongoing

efforts to decongest overcrowded jails and unlock doors of oopportunity for PDLs to become productive members of society,” said Yamsuan, a former DILG assistant secretary. “All PDLs deserve a second chance. Under the leadership of BJMP Director Ruel Rivera, we are confident that more PDLs under the agency’s care will be inspired to defy the odds and be motivated to change for the better,” he added.

In the 21 BJMP jails offering the Bureau’s College Behind Bars Program, Yamsuan noted that 416 PDLs were enrolled in college courses for the school year 2022-2023, of which 24 were able to complete their degree programs last year.

Citing the DILG report, Yamsuan said 3,017 of the elementary level enrollees for the school year 2022-2023 were able to graduate.

SENATE President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri called for peace and a “pause” to war to end bloodshed and loss of innocent lives across the world as he addressed fellow parliamentarians during the 148th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday.

Zubiri noted that conflict slows down global growth in the world economy, triggers imbalanced trade deficits and creates an inflationary environment that harms the poor.

“The search for peace remains an urgent task and elusive dream. The raging strifes that dot the world underscore the mission that we, parliamentarians, should pursue on behalf of mankind. And that is to mount the campaign to pause war, to stop the bloodshed and the suffering of innocent civilians whose lives have been disrupted,” according to Zubiri.

He said the IPU, with its rich heritage of inspiring confidence, could serve as a bridge of peace and understanding.

“This legacy of bold thinking and brave action should spur parliamentarians of the world today to craft strategies that will silence the guns of this time, ending the misery of people caught in the crossfire of conflicts,” he added.

The Senate President urged parliamentarians to harness their ties and strengthen the values they share in their common dream of having all people live in a world of peace.

The IPU is a global organization of national parliaments whose primary purpose is to promote democratic governance, accountability and cooperation among its members. This year’s IPU theme is “Parliamentary diplomacy: Building bridges for peace and understanding.”

draws water from the Tayabasan River, has the capacity to produce 80 MLD.

The water company has also set up alternative water sources in its concession area. The Marikina Portable Treatment Plant, at the Marikina River, can supply an additional 20 MLD when the need arises. Deep wells in its concession area are also on standby to produce up to 110 MLD. It also improved its backwash recovery system in its East La Mesa Treatment Plant and Balara Treatment Plants from 30 MLD to 40 MLD.

In the months leading to summer, the company’s intensified leak detection and quick response also resulted in a low non-revenue water (NRW) average of 13.58 percent as of December 2023. Manila Water’s NRW remains one of the lowest in Asia. NRW is defined as water that is lost due to leaks and illegal connections.

water from Laguna Lake. In Antipolo City, the Calawis Water Treatment Plant, which

Manila Water is also reminding its customers to check for leaks in their households and turn off their main valves or water meters for prolonged out-of-town vacations.

32

The World

UN demand for Gaza cease-fire provokes strongest public clash between US and Israel since war began

By Edith M. Lederer The Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS—The United Nations Security Council on Monday issued its first demand for a cease-fire in Gaza, with the US angering Israel by abstaining from the vote. Israel responded by canceling a visit to Washington by a high-level delegation in the strongest public clash between the allies since the war began.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the US of “retreating” from a “principled position” by allowing the vote to pass without conditioning the cease-fire on the release of hostages held by Hamas.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the administration was “kind of perplexed” by Netanyahu’s decision. He said the Israelis were “choosing to create a perception of daylight here when they don’t need to do that.”

Kirby and the American ambassador to the UN said the US abstained because the resolution did not condemn Hamas. US officials chose to abstain rather than veto the proposal “because it does fairly reflect our view that a cease-fire and the release of hostages come together,” Kirby said.

The 15-member council voted 14-0 to approve the resolution, which also demanded the release of all hostages taken captive during Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise attack in southern Israel. The chamber broke into loud applause after the vote.

The US vetoed past Security Council cease-fire resolutions in large part because of the failure to tie them directly to the release of hostages, the failure to condemn

Hamas’ attacks and the delicacy of ongoing negotiations. American officials have argued that the cease-fire and hostage releases are linked, while Russia, China and many other council members favored unconditional calls for a cease-fire.

The resolution approved Monday demands the release of hostages but does not make it a condition for the cease-fire for the month of Ramadan, which ends in April.

Hamas said it welcomed the UN’s move but said the cease-fire needs to be permanent.

“We confirm our readiness to engage in an immediate prisoner exchange process that leads to the release of prisoners on both sides,” the group said. For months, the militants have sought a deal that includes a complete end to the conflict.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted: “This resolution must be implemented. Failure would be unforgivable.”

The US decision to abstain comes at a time of growing tensions between President Joe Biden’s administration and Netanyahu over Israel’s prosecution of the war, the high number of civilian casualties and the limited amounts of humanitarian

assistance reaching Gaza. The two countries have also clashed over Netanyahu’s rejection of a Palestinian state, Jewish settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and the expansion of settlements there.

In addition, the well-known antagonism between Netanyahu and Biden—which dates from Biden’s tenure as vice president—deepened after Biden questioned Israel’s strategy in combating Hamas.

Then Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Biden ally, suggested that Netanyahu was not operating in Israel’s best interests and called for Israel to hold new elections. Biden signaled his approval of Schumer’s remarks, prompting a rebuke from Netanyahu.

During its US visit, the Israeli delegation was to present White House officials with its plans for a possible ground invasion of Rafah, a city on the Egyptian border in southern Gaza where over 1 million Palestinian civilians have sought shelter from the war.

Last week, Netanyahu rebuffed a US request to halt the planned Rafah invasion—vowing during a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to act alone if necessary. Blinken warned that Israel could soon face growing international isolation, while Vice President Kamala Harris said Israel could soon

Japan approves plan to sell fighter jets to other nations in latest break from pacifist principles

By Mari Yamaguchi

Thal w e a p o ns t o be s ol d t o co unt r ies o t h e r t ha n t h e p ar tne r s Ch ief Ca binet S e cr et ar y Yo s h im a s a Ha y a s h s a id t h e cha nges ar e ne c ess ar y gi v en Ja p a n s se c u r ity en v ro nment but st r essed t ha t Ja p a n s p ac ifist p r in c ip l es r em a in un cha nged “I n orde r t o ach ie ve a fig h te r a rcra ft t ha t meets t h e ne c ess ar y pe r f or m a n c e a nd t o avo id je o p ardizing t h e defense o f Ja p a n it is ne c ess ar y t o t ra nsfe r finis h ed p ro du c ts f ro m Ja p a n t o co unt r ies o t h e r t ha n p ar tne r co unt r ies ,” Ha y a s h t ol d r ep or te r s , a dding t ha t To ky o w i ll f ollow a st r i c t a pp roval p roc ess f or jet s al es “ We hav e cl e arl y dem o nst ra ted t ha t w e w ll co ntinue t o a d h e r e t o o u r b a si c p h lo s o p h y a s a pe ac efu n a ti o n ,” h e s a id

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face unspecified consequences if it launches the ground assault.

The Security Council vote came after Russia and China vetoed a US-sponsored resolution Friday that would have supported “an immediate and sustained ceasefire” in the Israeli-Hamas conflict. That resolution featured a weakened link between a cease-fire and the release of hostages, leaving it open to interpretation, and no time limit.

The United States warned that the resolution approved Monday could hurt negotiations to halt the hostilities, raising the possibility of another veto, this time by the Americans. The talks involve the US, Egypt and Qatar.

Because Ramadan ends April 9, the cease-fire demand would last for just two weeks, though the draft says the pause in fighting should lead to “a lasting sustainable cease-fire.”

The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said the resolution “spoke out in support of the ongoing diplomatic efforts,” adding that negotiators were “getting closer” to a deal for a cease-fire with the release of all hostages, “but we’re not there yet.”

She urged the council and UN members across the world to “speak out and demand unequivocally that Hamas accepts the deal on the table.”

Thomas-Greenfield said the US abstained because “certain edits” the US requested were ignored, including a condemnation of Hamas.

The resolution, put forward by the 10 elected council members, was backed by Russia and China and the 22-nation Arab Group at the United Nations. Under the United Nations Charter, Security Council resolutions are legally binding on its 193 member nations, though they are often flouted.

Algeria’s UN ambassador, Amar Bendjama, the Arab representative on the council, thanked the council for “finally” demanding a cease-fire.

“We look forward to the commitment and the compliance of the Israeli occupying power with this resolution, for them to put an end to the bloodbath without any conditions, to end the suffering of the Palestinian people,” he said.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, told the council that the vote “must be a turning point” that leads to saving lives in Gaza and ending the “assault of atrocities against our people.”

Shortly before Monday’s vote, the elected members changed the final draft resolution to drop the word “permanent” from its demand that a Ramadan cease-fire should lead to a “sustainable” halt in fighting apparently at the request of the United States. Russia complained that dropping the word could allow Israel “to resume its military operation in the Gaza Strip at any moment” after Ramadan and proposed an amendment to restore it. That amendment was defeated because it failed to get the minimum nine “yes” votes—with three council members voting in favor, the United States voting against, and 11 countries abstaining.

Since the start of the war, the Security Council has adopted two resolutions on the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, but none has called for a cease-fire.

More than 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed during the fighting, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The agency does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count, but says women and children make up two-thirds of the dead.

Gaza also faces a dire humanitarian emergency. A report from an international authority on hunger warned last week that “famine is imminent” in northern Gaza and that escalation of the war could push half of the territory’s 2.3 million people to the brink of starvation.

The United States has vetoed three resolutions demanding a cease-fire in Gaza, the most recent an Arab-backed measure on Feb. 20. That resolution was supported by 13 council members with one abstention, reflecting the overwhelming support for a cease-fire.

Russia and China vetoed a USsponsored resolution in late October calling for humanitarian pauses in the fighting to deliver aid, the protection of civilians and a halt to arming Hamas. They said it did not reflect global calls for a cease-fire.

They again vetoed a US resolution Friday, calling it ambiguous and saying it was not the direct demand to end the fighting that much of the world seeks.

That vote became another showdown involving world powers that are locked in tense disputes elsewhere, with the United States taking criticism for not being tough enough against its ally Israel, even as tensions between the two countries rise.

Thomas-Greenfield accused Russia and China on Monday of using the Gaza conflict “as a political cudgel, to try to divide this council at a time when we need to come together.”

The Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Colleen Long in Washington and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed.

Malaysian convenience store owners, suppliers charged over ‘Allah’ socks that angered Muslims

Kie r f or sending p ro du c ts t h e co mp a ny ha d n o t a g r eed t o st oc k R e igi o n is a sensiti v e issue in Mala ysi a, wh e re M us l ims acco unt f or t wo- t h i rds o f a p o pu la ti o n o f 3 4 mi ll o n w it h lar ge et h ni c Ch inese a nd I ndi a n min or ities . Allah is a n Ara bi c wor d f or Go d a nd m a ny Mala ysi a n M us l ims f o und it o ffensi v e t o a ss oc a te t h e wor d w it h feet “Th e wor d ‘Allah’ is h ig hl y esteemed in t h e eyes o f M us ims,” M iniste r f or R e l igi o us A ff a r s Moha m a d Na’im Mo k h t ar wa s qu o ted a s s a ying by t h e n a ti o n al B e r n a m a ne w s a gen c y e arl ie r t h is m o nt h. “Allah is o u r cr e a t or a nd t h e ac t o f putting Allah a t o u r feet is a n insu l t .” Alwa ni Gha z al a seni or s la mi c e c tu r e r a t Mala y a U ni v e r sity t ol d ra di o st a ti o n BFM t ha t it s deme a ning be ca use feet ar e a ss oc a ted w it h a “lowl y st a tus .” “Soc ks stink d o y o u a g r ee? Ar e y o u ha ppy t o sme ll y o u r s oc ks a fte r using t h em all d a y? ” s h e s a id . “A s a M us l im t h ink it s in a pp ro p r i a te

rov ided t h e s oc ks Xin J i a n Cha ng a s w e ll a s h is w ife a nd d a ug h te r who ar e di r e c t or s w e r e al s o char ged w it h a betting t h e o ffen c e Xin J i a n Cha ng ha s s a id t h e s oc ks w e r e imp or ted f ro m Ch in a a s p ar t o f a lar ge s h ipment a nd a p olo gized f or being car e l ess in t h ei r inspe c ti o n I f o und gui l ty, all fi v e defend a nts f ac e up t o a ye ar in j a i l, a fine or b o t h. KK Mar t is a m a j or 24-ho u r cha in w it h 810 st or es d o mesti call y a nd s o me 5 ,000 emp lo yees t al s o ha s o ut ets in N ep al a nd I ndi a. Cha ha s s a id t h e s oc ks w e r e put o n its s h e lv es by Xin J i a n Cha ng , wh i ch r ented s h e l f sp ac e in its o ut ets O n l y 14 p a i r s o f “Allah” s oc ks w e r e f o und o n t h e s h e lv es a t t hr ee KK Mar t o ut ets , h e a dded KK Mar t ha s sued Xin J a n Cha ng f or s a b o t a ge” ov e r lo sses a nd d a m a ge t o t h e cha in s r eput a ti o n , r ep or ted y cla iming t ha t it didn’ t a g r ee t o st oc k s oc ks f ro m t h e supp l ie r. B ut a Mala y p ol iti cal p ar ty in Pr ime M iniste r A n war I b rah im s coal iti o n ha s call ed r epe a ted l y or a b o y co tt o f KK Mar t wh i l e Mala ysi a’s ne w king, S u l t a n b rah im I sk a nd ar, ha s call ed f or ste r n ac ti o n ov e r t h e issue war ning t ha t it co u l d dis r upt rac i al har m o ny Two pe o p l e deemed t o hav e m a de insensiti v e co mments o n ine ov e r t h e issue hav e al s o been char ged senten c ed t o j a a nd fined f or insu l ting I s la m A n war ha s call ed f or fi r m ac ti o n but al s o u rged t h e pub l i c n o t t o m a ke t oo mu ch o f t h e issue a nd t o m ov e o n KK Mar t ha s al s o r ep or ted l y s a id it ha d t o ca n c e a p la nned l isting o n t h e Mala ysi a n b o u r se due t o t h e cr isis AP

LINDA THOMASGREENFIELD, United States Ambassador and Representative to the United Nations, holds to abstain her vote as the United Nations Security Council passed a cease-fire resolution in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, its first demand to halt fighting at UN headquarters on Monday, March 2

AP/CRAIG RUTTLE

Ukraine ramps up spending on homemade weapons to help repel Russian aggression

By Hanna Arhirova The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine—Ukraine needs any edge it can get to repel Russia from its territory. One emerging bright spot is its small but fast-growing defense industry, which the government is flooding with money in hopes that a surge of homemade weapons and ammunition can help turn the tide.

The effort ramped up sharply over the past year as the US and Europe strained to deliver weapons and other aid to Ukraine, which is up against a much bigger Russian military backed by a thriving domestic defense industry.

The Ukrainian government budgeted nearly $1.4 billion in 2024 to buy and develop weapons at home—20 times more than before Russia’s full-scale invasion.

And in another major shift, huge portions of weapons are now being bought from privately owned factories. They are sprouting up across the country and rapidly taking over an industry that had been dominated by state-owned companies.

A privately owned mortar factory that launched in western Ukraine last year is making roughly 20,000 shells a month. “I feel that we are bringing our country closer to victory,” said Anatolli Kuzmin, the factory’s 64-year-old owner, who used to make farm equipment and fled his home in southern Ukraine after Russia

invaded in 2022.

Yet like many aspects of Ukraine’s war apparatus, its defense sector has been constrained by a lack of money and manpower—and, according to executives and generals, too much government red tape. A more robust private sector could help root out inefficiencies and enable factories to churn out weapons and ammunition even faster.

The stakes couldn’t be higher.

Russia controls nearly a quarter of Ukraine and has gained momentum along the 1,000-kilometer (620 mile) front line by showing a willingness to expend large numbers of troops to make even the smallest of advances.

Ukrainian troops regularly find themselves outmanned and outgunned, and this has contributed to falling morale.

“You need a mortar not in three years, you need it now, preferably yesterday,” said Taras Chmut, director of the Come Back Alive Foundation, an organization that has raised more than $260 million over

the past decade to equip Ukrainian troops with machine guns, armored vehicles and more.

Wartime entrepreneurs

KUZMIN, the owner of the mortar factory, fled the southern city of Melitopol in 2022 after Russia invaded and seized his factory that mostly made spare parts for farm equipment. He had begun developing a prototype for mortar shells shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, when it illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula.

Kuzmin took over a sprawling warehouse in western Ukraine last winter. His long-term goals include boosting production to 100,000 shells per month and developing engines and explosives for drones.

He is just one of many entrepreneurs transforming Ukraine’s weapons industry, which was dominated by state-owned enterprises after the break-up of the Soviet Union. Today, about 80 percent of the defense industry is in private hands—a mirror image of where things stood a year ago and a stark contrast with Russia’s state-controlled defense industry.

Each newly made projectile is wrapped in craft paper and carefully packed into wooden crates to be shipped to Romania or Bulgaria, where are loaded with explosives. Several weeks later, they’re shipped back and sent to the front.

“Our dream is to establish a plant for explosives,” said Kuzmin, who is seeking a partner to make that happen.

Obstacles to growth

UKRAINE’S surge in military spending has occurred against a backdrop of $60 billion in US aid being held up by Congress and with European countries struggling to deliver enough ammunition.

As impressive as Ukraine’s defense sector transformation has been, the country stands no chance of defeating Russia without massive support from the West, said Trevor Taylor, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank.

“Ukraine is not capable of producing all the munitions that it needs for this fight,” Taylor said. “The hold up of $60 billion of American help is really proving to be a significant hindrance.”

Russia is also pumping more money into its defense industry, whose growth has helped buffer its economy from the full brunt of Western sanctions. The country’s defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, recently boasted of huge increases in the manufacture of tanks, drones and ammunition.

“The entire country has risen and is working for our victory,” he said.

Compared with last year, Ukraine’s output of mortar shells is about 40 times higher and its production of ammunition for artillery has nearly tripled, said Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukraine’s minister of strategic industries. There has also been a boom in drone startups, with the government committing roughly $1 billion on the technology—on top of its defense budget.

“We now produce in a month what we used to produce in a year,” said Vladislav Belbas, the director general of Ukrainian Armor, which makes a wide array of military vehicles.

For the Ukrainian army’s 28th brigade, which is fighting near Bakhmut, delays in foreign weapon supplies haven’t yet posed any problems for troops “because we are able to cover our need from our own domestic production,” said Major Artem Kholodkevych.

Still, domestic weapons factories face a range of challenges— from keeping up with changing needs of battlefield commanders, to their own vulnerability to longrange Russian missile strikes.

But perhaps the greatest immediate hindrance is a lack of manpower.

Yaroslav Dzera, who manages one of Ukrainian Armor’s factories, said he struggles to recruit and keep qualified workers, not

least because many of them have been mobilized to fight.

Cutting through red tape

WEAPONS companies say another roadblock to growth is bureaucracy.

The government has tried to become more efficient since the war began, including by making its process for awarding contracts more transparent. But officials say the country has a long way to go.

Shortly before he was replaced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s former top general, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, highlighted the problem in an essay he wrote for CNN, saying Ukraine’s defense sector remained “hamstrung” by too many regulations and a lack of competition.

In spite of the challenges, one success story has been Ukraine’s drone industry. Ukrainian-made sea drones have proven to be an effective weapon against the Russian fleet in the Black Sea.

There are around 200 companies in Ukraine now focused on drones and output has soared— with 50 times more deliveries in December compared with a year earlier, according to Mykhailo Fedorov, the country’s minister of digital transformation.

Russia’s war in Ukraine is not a standoff over whose got better drones or missiles, said Serhii Pashynskyi, head of the National Association of Ukrainian Defense Industries trade group.

“We have a war of only two resources with Russia—manpower and money,” he said. “And if we learn to use these two basic resources, we will win. If not, we will have big problems.”

The Associated Press reporter Volodymyr Yurchuk contributed to this report.

US warned Russia of imminent extremist attack but adversaries don’t always listen

By Ellen Knickmeyer The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—The US warning to Russia couldn’t have been plainer: Two weeks before the deadliest attack in Russia in years, Americans had publicly and privately advised President Vladimir Putin’s government that “extremists” had “imminent plans” for just such slaughter.

The United States shared those advance intelligence indications under a tenet of the US intelligence community called the “duty to warn,” which obliges US intelligence officials to lean toward sharing knowledge of a dire threat if conditions allow. That holds whether the targets are allies, adversaries or somewhere in between.

There’s little sign Russia acted to try to head off Friday’s attack at a concert hall on Moscow’s edge, which killed more than 130 people. The Islamic State’s affiliate in Afghanistan claimed responsibility, and the US said it has information backing up the extremist group’s claim.

John Kirby, the Biden administration’s national security spokesman, made clear that the warning shouldn’t be seen as a breakthrough in US-Russian relations or intelligence-sharing.

“Yeah, look, there’s not going to be security assistance with Russia and the United States,” Kirby told reporters Monday. “We had a duty to warn them of

information that we had, clearly that they didn’t have. We did that,” Kirby said.

Such warnings aren’t always heeded—the United States has dropped the ball in the past on at least one Russian warning of extremist threats in the United States.

Here’s a look at the duty to warn, how it came about, and how it can play out when American intelligence officers learn militants are poised to strike.

A precise US warning

ON March 7, the US government went public with a remarkably precise warning: The US Embassy in Moscow was monitoring unspecified reports that “extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts.” It warned US citizens in Moscow to avoid big events over the next 48 hours. US officials said after the attack that they had shared the warning with Russian officials as well, under the duty to warn, but gave no details how.

Putin’s public reaction was dismissive. Three days before the attack, he condemned what he called “provocative statements” from the West about possible attacks within Russia. Such warnings were aimed at intimidating Russians and destabilizing the country, he said.

Duty to warn

THE US emphasis on sharing threat warnings increased after al-Qaeda’s August 7, 1998 attacks

on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. While dozens of US citizens and government employees of different nationalities were killed, Kenyans made up the majority of the victims.

In 2015, then national intelligence director James Clapper formalized duty to warn in an official directive: The US intelligence community bore “a responsibility to warn US and non-US persons of impending threats of intentional killing, serious bodily injury or kidnapping.”

The order also spelled out occasions when intelligence officials could waive the duty to warn and stay silent despite looming danger. That includes when the target is an assassin or other extreme bad guy, or when disclosing the warn-

ing could “unduly endanger” US personnel or their sources, those of intelligence partners among foreign governments, or their intelligence or defense operations.

Shared warnings and the Biden administration

THE intelligence community under former President Donald Trump faced accusations it had failed to warn US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi of a complex plot by Saudi officials that ended with his 2018 killing inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Media foundations say US intelligence agencies did not respond to requests for any records showing whether they knew of the plot in advance. Under the Biden administration, the sharing of threats to

other governments has flourished, although there’s no way to know of any threats that the US intelligence community may have decided to let play out, without warning the targets.

Strategic US dissemination of intelligence hit a high point in the months before Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. That’s when the US opted to declassify key intelligence on Russia’s invasion plans to rally allies and Ukraine, and—unsuccessfully—to pressure Russia to call off its troops.

In a Foreign Affairs article this spring, CIA Director William Burns spoke of a growing awareness of the value of “intelligence diplomacy”—the strategic use of intelligence findings to bolster allies and confound adversaries.

Sharing isn’t always caring

THE duty to warn doesn’t mean the other side has a duty to listen. That’s especially so when the other side is an adversary.

In January, a US official said, Americans had given a similar warning to Iranian officials ahead of bombings in the Iranian city of Kerman. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for that attack, twin suicide bombings that killed 95 people.

It’s not clear if the warning led to any additional security precautions at the event, a commemoration of the 2020 killing of an Iranian general by a US drone strike.

In 2004, another adversary, the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, an anti-

US populist, was “suspicious and incredulous” when US officials relayed a warning of an extremist plot to kill him, Stephen McFarland, a former US diplomat in Central and South America, said Monday on X.

That kind of deep distrust has often kept threat warnings from landing as intended when it comes to Russia and the United States. That’s true even with common dangers that both face, including the Islamic State and al-Qaida.

Historically, Russians can regard any US attempt at counterintelligence cooperation against that kind of shared threat as naive, and look for any openings to use it for political gain or to undermine US intelligence-gathering, Steven Hall, a longtime US intelligence official in the former Soviet Union, wrote after his retirement in 2015.

In 2013, it was US officials who, tragically, failed adequately to follow up on a Russian warning, a US government review concluded later.

Concerned the man posed a threat to Russia as well, Russia’s Federal Security Service in 2011 warned US officials that a US resident, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was an adherent of extremist groups. After US officials concluded Tsarnaev was not a threat in the US, he and his younger brother planted bombs along the route of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring hundreds.

AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.

A WORKER assembles mortar shells at a factory in Ukraine on January 31, 2024.

Tackling food insecurity: Effects on school-age children’s nutrition and academic performance

SCHOOLAGE children should have three meals, plus snacks between meals, every day, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Breakfast is important particularly if a child has to walk a long way to school and does not eat much at midday. FAO recommends that children must be given a snack in the mid-morning to keep their energy up for play and study.

Meals in the middle of the day should be as nutrient-rich as possible. Parents are urged to give children food to take to school like bread, sweet potato, plus an egg and fruit. The evening meal should also be healthy and could consist of fiber-rich foods, such as rice, small amounts of meat and fish, and plenty of fruits.

In a countr y like the Philippines, however having three meals a day and snacks in between is more of an aspiration than a reality for many school children. A study released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in December 2023 would attest to this. W hile it was not the focus of its evaluation, results of its 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) also revealed that more than a third of students in the Philippines reported not eating at least once a week due to lack of money.

OECD said a new question about food insecurity was included in the student questionnaire in PISA 2022. Results showed that in all PISA-participating countries there are 15-year-old students who suffer from food insecurity or those who had to skip one or more meals a week in the month prior to PISA because they did not have enough money to buy food. Data indicated that the proportion of food-insecure students in some rich countries like the United K ingdom and the United States was in double digits.

T he OECD study noted that all countries where at least a quarter of students reported not eating at least once a week due to lack of money are among the lowest-per for ming countries or economies in mathematics in PISA 2022 (i.e. average per for mance below 400 score points). T he Philippines is one of the countries that recorded an average per for mance of below 400 points in mathematics. T he countr y’s PISA 2022 score in mathematics was 355, lower than T hailand’s 394.

Access to healthy food is just one of the factors behind the PISA performance of Filipino children, but it is something that can be addressed. For instance, the government has already doubled the budget for the Department of Education’s feeding program to P11.27 billion for School Year 2024-2025. This translates to P25 per meal and the program’s expansion to a total of 220 feeding days.

The government must now turn its focus to areas outside of the school. The state’s inter vention will mean nothing if children continue to experience hunger in their own homes. Serious attention must be accorded to increasing the productivity of food production areas and expanding access of all Filipinos to nutritious and affordable food items to enable the next-generation of learners to compete in the international arena.

Modern gateways

OUR airports are the first infrastructure projects that greet foreign investors and tourists arriving in the country. These gateways serve as windows to our archipelago.

Other nations vie for tourists by building colossal structures to impress visitors. But modern air ports go beyond aesthetics. A ir ports aim to fac i l itate mobi l ity, t rade and tourism—while offering passenger comfort. A positive air port experience will most likely translate into repeat visits.

W hi le t he Phi l ippines has regained tourism momentum since 2023 many of our airports, designed decades ago, lack the capacity for increased traffic.

A positive development is the signing of the P170.6-billion publicprivate partnership (PPP) agreement to rehabilitate Ninoy Aquino International A ir port (Naia), the main gateway in Luzon. Per President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr the project is an “ investment in our future.”

Metro Manila, which is already one of the world’s most densely populated areas.

The largest solicited PPP project under the Marcos administration involves modernizing Naia to expand its passenger capacity from 35 million to 62 million annually.

BThe Department of Transportation, Manila International Airport Authority and a consortium led by San Miguel Holdings Corp., RMM Asian Logistics Inc., RLW Aviation Development Inc. and Incheon International Airport Corp. signed an initial 15year contract for Naia, which can be extended by another 10 years. The contract involves the rehabilitation, operation and maintenance of the main gateway, with the winning consortium offering a revenue share of 82.16 percent to the government. Among the facilities that will undergo repair are old buildings, terminals, taxiways, runways and equipment.

By Giovanna Bellotti Azevedo & Cristiane Lucchesi

RAZILIAN fintechs are getting hit by a wave of defaults on loans they made to customers that the nation’s bigger, legacy banks wouldn’t touch, causing risky layers of an asset-backed credit market to collapse.

Hopefully, this will raise Naia to a world-class international air port that w ill improve the flow of air passengers and upgrade the ser vices offered to them. It will support the gover nment’s ambition to attract more foreign tourists and generate more jobs for Filipinos. I share the sentiment of Senator Grace Poe, chair of the Committee on Public Ser vices, who described the project as a signal to the international community that the Philippines is accelerating its infrastructure development to welcome investments. It will showcase the potential of our country to operate a well-maintained international air port.

Beyond Naia in Parañaque City, the development of more gateways in Luzon, such as Clark Inter national A ir port in Pampanga, New Man i la Inter nat ional A ir por t i n Bulacan, and Sangley International A ir port in Cavite, will give travelers more options and disperse traffic to more areas. This will help decongest

The government expects to earn P900 billion, or P36 billion annually, throughout the full 25-year concession period. Once completed, the project will increase Naia runway’s capacity by at least 48 air traffic movements at the peak hourly rate.

Modern air ports should also be built in the Visayas and Mindanao to complement the Mactan-Cebu International A ir port and the Davao City International A ir port as southern gateways. Economic benefits would be amplified if these air ports have access to world-class roads, railways and transport networks to reduce the travel time from these gateways to communities, city centers or tourist destinations. This will surely enhance the travel experience of Filipinos and foreigners alike.

The Naia PPP project exemplifies government-private sector cooperation in infrastructure development. To sustain such cooperation, the Senate and House of Representatives passed the PPP Code of the Philippines. I am glad to hear that the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and other agencies have completed the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the new law.

With the law in place and the government’s focus on infrastructure development, I am confident that we will attain a growth of 7 percent to 8 percent in the coming years, as envisioned by President Marcos.

Coincidentally, the Phi lippines is in its “demog raphic sweet spot,”

Tim Cook’s love for China helps Xi fight fears of economic slump

CHINA’S efforts to counter the

narrative about a

in the world’s second-biggest economy got a boost from enthusiastic endorsements from chief executives of top global companies.

ment knows how serious domestic problems they face are—and the difficult geopolitical environment,” Kennedy said. But “there was still insuff ic ient spec if ics and deta i ls around what changes to domestic policy they’ll make, and really no recognition that Chinese policies are generating global anxieties and increasing geostrateg ic tensions,” he said.

top annual gathering of business leaders and Chinese officials. Apple has faced expanding restrictions on iPhone use at government agencies and statebacked companies and sales of the smartphone tumbled 24 percent in the first six weeks of the year The CDF confab is one of a series this week that offer China a chance to rekindle overseas interest in the nation after a historic slump in foreign investment. For global executives, the meetings are a chance to underscore interest in participating in the giant Chinese market despite deepening geopolitical tensions and moves in China to favor local competitors. Pfizer Inc. CEO Albert Bourla called China “an extremely attractive place.” Nestle SA’s Mark Schneider lauded plans to boost Chinese consumption.

Premier Li Qiang delivered an address in the Sunday session, assuring attendees at the Diaoy utai State Guesthouse that China’s economic recover y has been improving, while recognizing some challenges. Later this week, Beijing hosts the Invest in China summit, followed by the annual Boao Forum for Asia on the southern resort island of Hainan.

The glowing remarks by foreign CEOs featured in posts on social media by Hua Chunying, an assistant foreign minister to her 2.4 million followers on X, formerly known as Twitter

The China Development Forum, which ended Monday, attracted 81 global CEOs to attend in person, largely rebounding to pre-pandemic levels. Li ’s speech marked an upgrade of sorts—it’s usually a vice premier who delivers the keynote address— marking a contrast to the premier’s cancellation of a high-profile annual press conference involving the international press earlier this month A report that Li wouldn’t attend a closed-door meeting with the foreign CEOs also spurred questions about his influence.

Scott Kennedy, a China specialist at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies who attended the opening session, offered a mixed review.

Li ’s address was reassuring about demonstrating the Chinese govern-

Januar y, according to Uqbar Open Co, which has provided 5 billion reais in credit since its founding, has about 214 employees. It has raised a total of 750 million reais in two equity rounds led by

Even

President X i Jinping may offer his own remarks to executives later this week, with a potential sit-down on Wednesday. Meant i me, V ice President Han Zheng is scheduled to speak at the Invest In China summit Tuesday.

For now, overseas business representatives were happy to endorse the messages received.

Nestle’s Schneider said Li ’s remarks on access for international companies and on bring ing back domestic consumption were “music to our ears.” Bourla of Pfizer praised China for having a “coherent, cohesive plan.” The People’s Daily newspaper, an official mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party, touted the recent flurr y of visits by foreign executives in a page-3 commentar y on Monday that proclaimed the countr y as an indispensable market.

W hi le Inter national Monetar y Fund Managing Director K ristalina Georgieva called at the forum Sunday for more pro-market reforms, the People’s Daily characterized them as a nod to China’s “new-era of highquality growth.”

T he IMF chief was joined at the forum by World Bank President Ajay Banga, helping add to an appearance of re-engagement between Washington and Beijing mont hs after the US-China presidential summit in San Francisco. US Treasur y Secretar y Janet Yellen last year said the IMF and World Bank reflect American values.” Yellen herself is expected to retur n for a v isit to Beijing soon. It marked a notable shift from last year when a number of overseas corporate leaders were hesitant to attend the forum amid an escalation in US-China tensions.

“It was ver y important to have the premier here and speaking to business directly,” said Sean Stein, chair of the American Chamber of Commerce China. “The China Development Forum was always seen as the premier’s platform to talk with businesses on what’s happening in the economy, and that exchange goes all the way back to Zhu Rong ji days,” he said, referring to a pro-reform former premier Bloomberg

Nexoos, a peer-to-peer lending marketplace founded in 2016, issued a 336 million real FIDC that ended up liquidating in 2022 due to high defaults. In May 2021, the company was acquired by Ame, an arm of embattled retailer Lojas Americanas. As of 2022, Nexoos had doled out about 1 billion reais in loans. Compo u nd i ng p r oblems, t h e companies don’t have the same debt collection mechanisms as big banks, said Alfredo Marrucho, a research manager at Uqbar

Mahathir sons say 98-year-old father is target of Malaysia probe

By Netty Ismail, Niluksi Koswanage & Tom Redmond

MAHATHIR MOHAMAD’S two eldest sons said Malaysia’s anti-graft agency ordered them to assist with an investigation into their father, revealing for the first time that a monthslong probe is targeting the 98-year-old former premier.

“My father is the primar y suspect,” Mokhzani Mahathir, 63, said in a March 23 inter view in Kuala Lumpur “We are witnesses to whatever it is that they’re investigating.”

In Januar y, the Malaysian AntiCorrupt ion Comm i ssion ordered Mok h zan i and his elder brot her Mirzan, 65, to declare their assets dating back to 1981, the year Mahathir became prime minister The orders are part of investigations into offshore business records revealed by a journalism consortium, the MACC said at the time, without mentioning that the main target was Mahathir A spokesperson for the MACC said it was unable to comment on or confirm Mokhzani ’s comments. Mahathir’s office hasn’t responded to a request for comment.

The brothers are assisting in the investigation, but the task is onerous and taking time, they said in the inter view, which Mirzan joined by video call. Both have received two extensions of the original Februar y deadlines for compliance.

The MACC hasn’t provided the brothers with any details of the investigation into Mahathir according to Mokhzani

“We did ask, W hat is the investigation on my father about? ’ and they were not able to furnish us with that information,” Mokhzani said. “Can you imagine you ’ re being asked to provide information to be used to

prosecute your parent?

Anwar Ibrahim, who finally became prime minister in 2022 after falling short of the top job for decades, is a former protégé of Mahathir who was seen as his successor but later fell out with him. Mahathir dismissed Anwar from all government posts in 1998 and Anwar was later imprisoned on corruption and sodomy charges, which he denied. The developments shocked the nation and turned Anwar into an opposition figure that pushed for democratic reforms.

Anwar’s government faced criticism from opposition parties and civil-society groups last year after the Attorney General withdrew 47 criminal charges against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, a key ally in the ruling coalition. Anwar has denied interfering in the case or in the MACC’s investigations. Anwar’s press office declined to comment.

Mahathir who led Malaysia for nearly a quarter century in two different stints, said at a press briefing in January—conducted before Mokhzani was ordered to declare his assets—that the probe involving his son Mirzan was politically motivated. Just days after he spoke to reporters, Mahathir was admitted to the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur where he was hospitalized for 53 days. He was discharged last week.

The brothers are assisting in the investigation, but the task is onerous and taking time, they said in the interview, which Mirzan joined by video call. Both have received two extensions of the original February deadlines for compliance.

Ma h at hir ’s sons sa i d t hey’re working with company secretaries and accountants to file the asset declarations.

“This is a near impossible task, to go back all that way,” Mokhzani said, adding he was still a student in the UK in 1981. “We can’t remember exactly how things were back then,” he said, adding that ever ything was in the form of physical records and not digitized.

The political wrangling has had a limited impact on markets.

Malaysia’s ringgit is Asia’s top performer this month, after the central bank urged government-linked companies and funds to repatriate their overseas income and convert it to the local currency. This helped to turn around the performance of the currency, which was the worst performer in Southeast Asia after the Thai baht in the first two months of the year, mainly weighed down by the weaker outlook of China, Malaysia’s main trading partner, as well as from a wide policy rate differential with the Fed.

Although Malaysia’s benchmark stock index has fallen in five of the past six years, the weak performance has abated to an extent in 2024. The KLCI index is up more than 5 percent, as authorities attempt to stabilize

the ringgit.

MACC is also investigating Daim Zainuddin, a former finance minister and close aide to Mahathir Both Daim and his wife, Nai ’mah Abdul K halid, were charged in Januar y for not declaring their assets, which include the 60-stor y Ilham Tower building in Kuala Lumpur that the agency seized in December T hey both pleaded not guilty. In response to questions for this stor y, Nai ’mah said she and her husband didn’t have anything further to add.

Mahathir and Anwar reunited in the 2018 election to oust former premier Najib Razak in the wake of the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal. Mahathir became prime minister for the second time, and made an agreement to hand over the premiership to Anwar at an unspecified date. But squabbling within the coalition, including over when Mahathir would step aside as prime minister helped bring down the administration in 2020.

In May last year Mahathir filed a 150 million ringgit ($31.8 million) defamation suit against Anwar alleging the current premier had accused him of enriching himself and his family members during his time as prime minister The suit came after Anwar said that a person who has been in power twice was taking ever ything for his family. Anwar has filed a statement of defense and is seeking to strike out Mahathir’s legal suit.

“Anwar has said that I have stolen government money,” Mahathir said in a press conference on Jan. 22. “As far as I know, I haven’t stolen a single cent.” With assistance from Ram Anand, Marcus Wong and Ishika Mookerjee /Bloomberg

US, UK accuse China of broad cyberattacks, voter data theft

THE US and UK accused state-backed Chinese hackers of targeting politicians, companies and dissidents for years, as well as stealing troves of British voter data, in the latest revelation of cyberattacks that Washington and its allies have linked to President Xi Jinping’s government.

US officials said seven Chinese nationals targeted members of Congress and officials working at the W hite House and agencies including the Justice Department, as well as candidates, campaign staff and US companies. T he hackers, par t of a state-sponsored group known as APT31, have been charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Both the US and UK announced sanctions against two of those individuals, as well as a firm in Wuhan, China, called Wuhan X iaoruizhi Science and Technology Co. The US alleged it was a front that “ has ser ved as cover for multiple malicious cyber operat ions” and t he hackers had worked there as contractors.

The UK also accused China of accessing details of some 40 million voters held by the Electoral Commission, according to Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden.

The revelations Monday add to a growing list of cybersecurity breaches that the US and its allies say are backed by the Chinese government as part of a broader strategic and economic competition worldwide.

New Zealand also establ ished l i nks between a state-sponsored actor linked to the Chinese gover nment and malicious cyber activ ity targeting parliamentar y activ ities there, Judith Collins, the minister responsible for t he Gover nment

Communications Security Bureau, said Tuesday in Wellington. She said a compromise of the Parliamentar y Counsel Off ice and the Parliamentar y Ser v ice in 2021 was resolved quickly.

China disputed the claims, with a foreign ministr y official in Beijing calling the UK’s accusations “disinformation” and a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington saying in a statement that the US has “ jumped to an unwarranted conclusion and made groundless accusations.” In Januar y, the FBI said that it had dismantled infrastructure used by a Chinese state-backed group named Volt Typhoon, which targeted the US power grid and pipelines. Last October security officials from the so-called Five Eyes—the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada—raised alar m about Chinese hacking and espionage in media inter views and public appearances. In 2015, security researchers suspected Beijing was behind the theft of more than 22 million US security clearance records.

Both the US and UK announced sanctions against two of those individuals, as well as a firm in Wuhan, China, called Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Co. The US alleged it was a front that “has served as cover for multiple malicious cyber operations” and the hackers had worked there as contractors.

Malicious e-mails

staff members for an unnamed presidential candidate in about May 2020.

By that November, the hackers had sent e-ma i ls conta ining track ing links to targets associated with additional political campaigns, including a retired senior US government national security official, according to the indictment.

Defaults

the company said in the statement.

ACCORDING to US authorities, some of the hacking activity successfully compromised the targets’ networks, e-mail accounts, cloud storage accounts and telephone call records, with some sur veillance of compromised e-mail accounts lasting years. The hacking campaign involved more than 10,000 malicious e-mails sent to targets that often appeared to be from prominent news outlets or journalists and appeared to contain legitimate news articles, US authorities said. The e-mails contained hidden tracking links that would allow information about the recipient, including their location and devices used to access e-mail, to be transmitted to a ser ver controlled by the defendants and others that they were working with

That information was used by the group to carry out more sophisticated hacking, the US Justice Department said, including compromising home routers and other electronic devices. Among the more alarming allegations, the US said that the hackers began targeting e-mail accounts belonging to several senior campaign

UK Prime Minister R ishi Sunak said Monday that an “ increasingly assertive” China’s support for the hacks present an “epoch-defining challenge” and “the greatest statebased threat to our economic security.” The head of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Christopher Wray, called them “continuous and brash efforts to undermine our nation’s cybersecurity and target Americans and our innovation.

US companies in t he defense, infor mation technology, telecommunicat ions, manufact uring and t r ade, f i nance, consu lt i ng, legal and research industries were targeted by the g roup, and the v ictims include a prov ider of 5G network equipment in the US, an Alabamabased research cor poration in the aerospace and defense industries and a Mar yland-based professional suppor t ser v ices company, according to the US.

In the UK, the National Cyber Sec urity Cent re sa id it’s “almost cer tain” A PT31 conducted reconnaissance activ ity against British parliamentarians during a separate campaign in 2021—though no parliamentar y accounts were successfully compromised.

Britain summoned the Chinese ambassador in London, and Foreign Secretar y David Cameron said in a separate statement that he raised the matter directly with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi

For the UK, the episode marks an escalation in tensions that have been growing after Hong Kong passed security legislation that the UK says erodes freedoms in the city, contravening the handover deal signed between the two nations when governance of the territor y was transferred to Beijing in 1997. With assistance from Ryan Gallagher, Daniel Flatley, Sana Pashankar, Isabella Ward, James Mayger and Matthew Brockett /Bloomberg

Oand pend ing criminal compla ints or cases can depa r t only after t hese a re resolved.

Overstay ing foreigners (including their family members) who w ish to cont inue t heir residency in Kuwa it may adjust t heir imm ig rat ion stat us prov ided t hey pay for over-

stay ing f ines and comply w it h ot her requirements.

T hose who depa r t Kuwa it duri ng t he amnesty period may ret ur n after comply ing w it h ent r y requirements.

T he DMW sa id it w i ll help OFWs, who wou ld l i ke to ava i l t hemselves of t he amnesty prog r am as well as ret ur n home.

It sa id Kuwa it-based OFWs can call Mig rant Workers Office (MWO)-Kuwait’s Hotlines at 6040-3858, 6558-5355, or 9403 -9063, or send an ema i l to mwo_kuwait@dmw.gov. ph. to get assistance.

As of Ma r c h 24, 2024, about 500 OFWs have al ready sought adv ice f rom the MWOKuwait regarding the amnesty prog ram.

“T h e off i ce i s also p r epa ri ng to fac i l i tate t h e r epat ri at i on to t h e Phi l i pp i nes of t h ose w h o c h oose to r et ur n h ome,” DMW sa i d i n a statement i ss u ed on Tu esday.

Afte r t h e t hr ee-mont h g race period, t hose who ref use to depa r t f rom Kuwa it w i ll be subject to a rrest and per manent depor tat ion.

IT-BPM sector eyes bigger European market share

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

THE Philippine IT and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) industry said it is eyeing to increase its market share in Europe with talks for a free trade deal under way.

“Well, you know, free trade is always a good idea,” IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (Ibpap) President Jack Madrid told repor ters in a recent inter v iew.

T he IT-BPM indust r y ma rket in Europe is indeed g row ing, t he Ibpap head sa id,“But I wou ld l i ke it to be bigger We’re st i ll dom inated by Nor t h America.”

According to Madrid, he recently joined the presidential mission to Europe, where he said the Manila team received a “good” reception, especially in Germany and Czech Republic.

“We need to promote the country a little bit more in Europe so that they are aware of the special talent of the Filipino workforce,” said the Ibpap head. Mad rid also noted t hat Ibpap i nked a memorandu m of u nderstanding (MOU) w ith a counter par t

organi zat ion in Czec h Republ ic, “to ident ify mut u al investors.”

T he indust r y g roup ea rl ier told t he BusinessMirror in a Viber message t hat Europe accou nts for only 15 percent of t he indust r y’s revenue—compa red to 70 percent f rom Nor th America and 15 percent f rom Asi a Pac if ic. Madrid also told reporters that a number of German firms have already been doing “good” business in the Philippines “for many, many years,” but noted that “Czech is something we want to eventually capture. It’s a countr y with a low population. So I think we can identify what verticals we can help them with.”

T he semiconductor and electronics sector, anot her major expor t ing indust r y in t he Phi l ippines, also recently sa id it is keen on increasing its presence in Europe follow ing the European Commission’s announce-

ment that the 27-member European Union is relau nc hing negot i at ions for a f ree t rade ag reement (FTA) w it h t he Phi l ippines. “T he intent really is to promote t rade; as you know t he elect ronics indust r y is t he biggest commodity expor ter,” Dani lo C. Lac hica, president of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Fou ndat ion Inc. (Seipi), sa id in a recent telev ised inter v iew.

“We accou nted for about 62 percent of our expor ts and t he t hing about it is t hat you know, Asi a and t he US a re our ma in expor t dest inat ions, ma in t rade pa r tners, but we don’t have muc h in Europe.” T he Seipi c hief noted t hat Net herlands and Ger many a re t he top buyers of Phi l ippi ne-made elect ronics in Europe. Lac hica also sa id he h ad t he oppor t u nity to join President Ferd inand R. Ma rcos Jr in signing a memor andu m of u nde r stand i ng (MOU) w it h t he Czec h Republ ic. “In fact, after we signed t he MOU, t hat was last Friday, we’ve al ready had inquiries f rom Czec h compan ies look i ng for potent i al pa r tners in t he Phi l ippines. So it bodes well for our indust r y.”

At the v ir tual briefing of the European Commission (EC) last week, EC Executive Vice President (EV P)

Valdis Dombrovsk is and Philippine Trade and Industr y Secretar y Alfredo E. Pascual for mally announced the resumption of FTA negotiations between the EU and the Philippines. Dombrovsk is sa id “T he cond it ions a re right to take our t rade relat ions to t he next level,” adding, “Trade between t he EU and t he Phi l ippines is al ready st rong and has been g row ing at an impressive pace over t he past decade.”

But t he EC off ic ial sa id, “we can do more to real i ze t he f u ll potent ial of our t rade relat ionship.”

He noted t hat t rade in goods between t he two pa r t ies was wor t h over € 18.4 bi ll ion in 2022, whi le t rade in ser v ices was wor t h €4.7 bi ll ion in 2021.

For his pa r t, Phi l ippines’s Trade and Indust r y Secreta r y Alf redo E. Pasc u al sa id an FTA wt ih t he European Union w i ll expand ma rket access in goods, serices and investments “signif icantly.”

“It aims to enhance commercial interactions between our business sectors, create valuable oppor t un it ies for our ser v ice prov iders, espec i ally profess ionals and establish reciprocal rules and standa rds,” Pascu al sa id. (Full story here: https://businessmirror com.ph/2024/03/20/phl-eu-negotiations-on-free-trade-resume/)

By VG Cabuag @villygc

JG Summit Holdings Inc., the holding firm of the Gokongwei Group, saw its attributable net income surge 31 times to P20.2 billion last year from the previous year’s P650.62 million due to the turnaround of its airline business.

r y env ironment t h at affected demand and ma r g i ns, espec i ally for our food bu si ness. O ur Pet roc hem ical u n it, however, st i ll su ffered f rom weake r ove r all demand b ut we a re encour aged by t he i nte r nal prog ress of our t r ansfor mat ion p rog r am t h at ens ures it rema i ns compet it i ve w hen t he cycle t ur ns,” company p res i dent and CEO Lance Y. Gokongwe i sa i d. “As we look for wa rd, eas i ng i nflat ion and t he potent i al r ate c uts wou ld bode well for cons u me r demand and lowe r i np ut p ri ces. We hope to recove r lost volu me and ma r ket s h a res i n our food b u s iness, s u sta i n por tfol io expans ion i n our real estate a r m, i nc rease capac i ty and s h o r t- h a u l r ecov-

e r y for our a ir l i ne, and c r ystall i ze t he f i nanc i al ga i ns f rom our pet r oc h em i cal t r ansfo r mat i on p rog r am. T hese wou ld allow u s to b ri ng our core p rof its close r to its pre-pandem ic record levels w it hi n t he next 12 mont h s.”

Food g

f r om Man i la and Ceb u , and resta r ted oper at ions i n Cla rk. JG S u mm i t Olef i ns Co r p., meanw hi le, r ema i ned st r a i ned duri ng t he prolonged pet roc hem ical cycle. It made t he st r ateg i c dec i s ion to s hut down t he plant i n ea r ly 202 3 and began to res u me ope r at ions i n Ju ne. It closed t he yea r w

PLDT Inc. said on Tuesday it has established a dedicated data center operat ions company called Vitro Inc., a move that aims to “cement its leadership position” in the industr y. The establishment of Vitro Inc. allows the PLDT Group to leverage the growing demand for data centers in the Philippines, which is being primed to ser ve the needs of hyperscalers.

T he Phi l ippi ne data center ma rket, c urrently valued at $219 m i ll ion, is set to u ndergo exponent i al g rowth, w ith projections indicating a steady compou nd annu al g rowt h rate of 36 percent t hrough 2028, accord i ng to t he St ruct ure Resea rc h 2023 DCI Repor t Series Ma rket: Phi l ippi nes. This surge is fueled by the escalating demands of hyperscalers, requiri ng up to 36KW per rack, with projections soaring to 50KW by 2027, as highlighted in the JLL Data Centers December 2024 Global Outlook study.

Further intensifying the power demand is the widespread adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is anticipated to necessitate 80-100KW per rack.

“The surge of AI necessitates a rethink in the way we design and bui ld our fac i l it ies and an even deeper focus on how we innovate. The creation of Vitro Inc. allows us to be more agile as we adapt to the evolving needs of the digital market and build more world-class facilities that will advance the Philippines’ digitalization,” Victor S. Genuino, president and CEO of ePLDT and Vitro Inc., said.

Vitro Inc. is set to open its largest data center facility in July.

Situated in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, this groundbreaking facility is set to be the countr y’s first true hyperscale data center boasting a purpose-built design with a capacity of 50 megawatts. The facility will be ANSI/TIA-942 Rated 3 -Cer t if ied and Rated 4-Ready, equipped with at least three fiber routes to ensure network diversity, resilience, and carrier-neutrality.

“Our aggressive capacity build positions Vitro as a key player with the largest local data center footprint readily available to ser ve the stringent needs of the rapidly growing hyperscale and AI market,” said Gar y F. Ignacio, Chief Commercial Officer of Vitro Inc. Lorenz S. Marasigan

IEMOP: Average power spot price rises on plant outages

THE average electricity spot market in Luzon for the month jumped by 32.49 percent to P5.26 per kilowatt (kWh) from P3.97 per kWh mainly due to plant outages, the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) reported Tuesday.

ri b utable to t he some planned and forced outage i n L u zon and V i sayas reg ion. T he re’s a sp i ke i n p ri ces at a rou nd t he f ir st week of Ma rc h w hic h i s att ri butable to t he outage of some plants l i ke Il ij an, Mas i nloc, Sta. R ita, Ma ri veles, and some coal plants i n Pagb i lao, GN PD, QPPL, and ot he r s l i ke Kalayaan, w hi c h a re on planned outage,” sa i d C hri s Wa rren Manalo, IEMOP ass i stant manage r for ma r ket s i mu lat ion and analys i s, duri ng an onl i ne b rief i ng on t he Ma rc h WESM r ates. W hi le t he re was stable s u pply, w hi c h ave r aged a rou nd 18,900 megawatts (MW), t he pe riod saw a notable s ur ge i n ave r age demand, escalat i ng to

1 3 ,185 MW i n Ma rc h f rom 12, 372 MW i n Feb ru a r y.

T hi s i nc rease was obse r ved ac ross reg ions, w it h L u zon ex hi b it i ng a 6.1-pe rcent i nc rease, followed by V i sayas at 6.4 pe rcent, and M i ndanao at 8.4 pe rcent.

IEMOP sa i d t he hi g he r demand levels event ually res u lted i n a lowe r s u pply ma r g i n, d ropp i ng by 19 pe rcent to 3 ,860 MW as of Ma rc h 24 f rom 4,757 MW last Feb ru a r y. T hi s d rop occ urred desp ite an ave r age s u pply i nc rease of 1 3 8 MW.

T h en t h e r e we r e planned and fo r ced o utages f rom seve r al powe r plants duri ng t he f ir st week of Ma rc h T he comb i ned planned outages, ma i nly f rom la r ge convent ional gene r ator s, s u c h as coal, nat ur al gas, geot he r mal, and hyd roelect ri c plants reac hed 2,724 MW. Add it ionally, t he re we re capac it ies t h at went on forced outage amou nt i ng to a total of 1,062 MW la r gely f rom coal and nat ur al gas plants duri ng t he same pe riod.

IEMOP also repor ted t h at t he M i ndanao-V i sayas Inte rconnect ion Pro j ect (MVI P) h as s i gn i f i cantly i mp roved s u pply sec urity i n t he V i sayas and L u zon g ri ds by allow i ng excess powe r of u p to 450 MW to be expor ted f rom t he M i ndanao g ri d. On ave r age, T he MVI

nstallat ion of PV sola r panels w i ll commence soon. “T his is a sign i f icant m i lestone for PGEC as we accelerate and i nc rease our renewable ene rgy [RE] bu si ness and assets,” sa id PGEC Sen ior Vice President for Cor porate Ser v ices A rlan Profeta.

“We have forged a time-tested and fruitful relationship with RCBC, which have resulted in successful implementat ion of our ot her RE projects and we are grateful that we

are able to continue the partnership.”

MacroAsia names nominees to board of directors

FORMER Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas deputy governor Diwa C.

Guinigundo has been selected by MacroAsia Cor p. to become its independent director for the year

Guinigundo, along with former SGV and Co. senior partner Ramon Dizon, were nominated by the company’s cor porate governance committee, to become its independent directors, which will be ratified by shareholders during its annual meeting on May 9.

Guinigundo and Dizon, will take on the position of Ben C. Tiu who re-

signed from his post effective Februar y 28, and Marixi R. Prieto. The other nominees are Lucio C. Tan, Carmen K. Tan, Lucio C. Tan III, Eduardo Luis T. Luy, Vivienne K. Tan, Michael G. Tan, Kyle Elis C. Tan and Johnip G. Cua.

The company is engaged in aviation-support businesses at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), Manila Domestic A ir port, MactanCebu International A ir port, Kalibo International A ir port, Davao International A ir port and the General Aviation Areas. VG Cabuag

TWO programs supported by Coca-Cola Philippines focused on women’s economic empowerment were showcased at the 68th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW) that took place from March 11 to 22 at the UN Headquarters in New York.

These initiatives highlight

the empowerment of all women can be advanced by addressing poverty, and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective.

(PASCO), exemplify successful partnerships leveraging technology to drive

CSW is the UN’s largest annual gathering exclusively dedicated to the promotion of women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives around the world, and shaping global commitments on gender equality and the empowerment of women. This year’s session tackled how the achievement of gender equality and

The two-week event will be attended by UN member states, specialized agencies that work w ith the UN, and accredited nongovernment organizations across the globe. iSTAR: Helping women entrepreneurs thrive through digital For over a decade, the STAR program, a joint effort between Coca-Cola Philippines and Tesda, focused on providing entrepreneurship training for micro-retailers. In 2020, this initiative transitioned into the iSTAR program, a fully digital learning platform.

iSTAR aims to address key barriers that hinder the development of women entrepreneurs, such as limited access to training, resources, and mentorship. Through its expanded digital platform, iSTAR has empowered over 150,000 micro-entrepreneurs, sur passing its 2025 target of 100,000 graduates. The program is available and can be accessed for free nationwide.

Implemented i n collaborat ion with six civil society organizations

DTI Mimaropa unleashes the power of Pinay entrepreneurs in digital

nationwide, the multi-awarded program equips micro-entrepreneurs with essential digital skills to leverage online platforms for business growth and sustainability.

In 2022, a group of entrepreneurs from individual businesses completed the iSTAR program. Using the skills and knowledge they gained, t hey for med t he PASCO Producers Cooperative the following year Their collaborative effort led to the opening of the Eco-Grocer Store in Muntinlupa City Local Government and their catering business. Since then, each member has been earning at least P5,000 monthly from their cooperative business, in addition to their income from their own microretail stores.

mindset. The activity also aimed to onboa rd t he women ent repreneurs (WEs) on the grown social commerce platform TikTok Shop, increase the reach and availability of their enterprises/brands, help increase their sales, link the WEs w ith creative industr y players through creative collaboration, introduce innovative channels for marketing and sales, and help the WEs build and connect with their community.

IiSTAR beneficiaries are encouraged to join TEM. T hroug h t he prog ram, m ic ro, small, and med iu m ente r p ri se (MSME) owners t ransfor m t heir stores into collection points for empty plastic bottles, which supports efforts to help reduce plastic waste and prevent pollution.

W it h i nc

TEM: Enabling micro-retailers for a World Without Waste BUILDING on the foundation of digitally sk illed micro-entrepreneurs, Coca-Cola Philippines extends support through the TEM program by helping increase their income while helpi ng promote env ironmental stewardship.

challenge, obstacle and victor y as precious growth moments. The key is to keep “lifting your sales leadership lid.” Bear in mind that you are not competing with others, rather, you are competing with yourself,

THE Laguna

Trade and Industr y. It was held last March 19, 2024, at the Municipal Hall of Cav inti Lag una.

T he event focused on two key components: leverag ing Facebook

Pages for business g rowth and harnessing the power of Canva for v isual stor ytelling in dig ital marketing.

Junior Business Counselor R ica

Mae Ceria of Negosyo Center Luisiana conducted a comprehensive session on creating and optimizing Facebook Pages for business purposes. Par ticipants lear ned how to set up a professional-look ing page, customize it

making sure that you are better today than you were yesterday. Apply the 1% Rule on a daily basis—aim to become 1% better today than you were yesterday. Remember growth is never achieved in a day. It is achieved daily.

And yet, as a sales leader, you are not only focused on your own growth You are also accountable to your team’s growth and development, so that they too can successfully move closer to their destination.

Influence

ACCORDING to John Maxwell, “The true measure of leadership is influence. Nothing more, nothing less.” If you are a leader, and yet no one is following you that means you are simply walking in the park. You are not actually leading if you are not influencing people to do what you want them to do. And that’s the reason you need to grow—your growth becomes a beacon for others to follow. In sales leadership, you need

proof of concept that you’ve been to where they want to go. And that’s where influence happens. They follow you because they know that you’ve been to where they want to be, and that you are well-equipped to lead them there. As a sales leader, your job is to influence people to grow so that they can reach their destination. But in order to effectively do that, your destination is to continually grow so that your influence strengthens on a daily basis.

You can do this!

Alexey Rola

MARIFE HILARIO, an iSTAR graduate from Nueva Ecija, has increased her monthly earnings to over P15,000 with the support of the program.

LOLITA REPLA is a proud TEM member.

TEM collection bins are placed in front of sari-sari stores and carinderias. Here, consumers can drop their empty bottles and cans for recycling.

FRANCES CABATUANDO, founder of Home Buddies, discusses the topic on building an online community during the TikTok Content Creation Workshop organized by the DTI MIMAROPA and Dentsu Creative Philippines on March 19, 2024, in Makati City.

BTr hits ₧120B March target from tender of debt papers

By Reine Juvierre Alberto

THE Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) has successfully raised its target amount of P120 billion for the month of March from the tender of long-term government securities on the back of easing yields.

TEarlier the CDC said it bagged P44.4 billion in investment commitments in March The investments are in the sectors of renewable energy, tourism, semiconductors, electronics, phar maceuticals, medical devices, green minerals, food and agriculture, and steel, it said.

The CDC added this will boost employment opportunities in the region, generating over 5,800 employees to its workforce.

SPacific region.

E-bank i ng and cybe r sec urity are the key factors behind the joint venture (JV) between Diversified Financial Network Inc. and CIC Consulting Informatico of Spain. The JV agreement was formalized last week by DFNN President R icardo Banaag and CIC Chief Executive Officer Ramon Lopez. Their strategic partnership will enable both companies to enter new markets and capture market share while delivering innovative products and ser vices. Other sectors that the JV is targeting include Internet of Things or IoT, biometrics, blockchain technologies, customer support, and value added ser vices.

DFNN will provide the complementa r y softwa re solut ions and regulator y expertise as CIC brings in its comprehensive software suite and wealth of tech experience. Banaag sha red t hat “t his t ransformative journey promises to push boundaries, redefine standards, and ultimately elevate the nation’s technological prowess to greater heights.”

Magdalena P Vidallon, to fraudulently obtain a loan from the rural bank.

Romasanta was found guilty for falsif ication of commercial document and was sentenced to imprisonment for a minimum period of six months to a maximum of four years and two months; and to pay a fine with subsidiar y imprisonment in case of insolvency.

Meanwhi le, t he c rim i nal case for violation of the General Banking Law previously filed by the BSP against Romasanta in relation to the same fictitious loan is still pending before the Regional Trial Court of Tagaytay City.

the thrift banking arm of the ALC Group of Companies. CSBank has tapped Austral ian-headqu ar tered Geniusto International Ltd. for its digital banking channel that will enable the Filipino thrift bank to create its own e-wallet as part of the plan to become a hybrid bank that will occupy both digital and physical spaces.

The BSP continues to promote compliance with existing laws and financial stability through good governance among depositors and borrowers to ensure the soundness of the financial system, the central bank said.

T he investors are Donggwang Clark Cor p. w ith P20 billion, BB Inter national Leisure and Resor t Development Cor p. investing P15 bi llion, Dev iceDesign Phi lippines Cor p. with P103 million, Yokohama Tire Philippines Inc. allocating P3.56 billion, and Clark Water Cor p. with P5.56 billion, among others.

1993

The DOF said CDC’s dividend rate for 2023 was 56 percent of its net earnings and 65 percent of its net income for the said year All gove r nment-owned and -controlled cor porations (GOCCs) are mandated to declare and remit at least 50 percent of their annual net ear nings to the national gover nment pursuant to Republic Act (RA) No. 7656 or t he Div idends Law of 1994.

GOCCs’ div idends are non-tax revenues that will finance the implementation of infrastructure and other socioeconomic development programs of the national government.

The DOF said National Treasurer Sharon P Almanza and Deputy Treasurer Er win D. Santa Ana, Privatization and Partnership Group (PPG) Undersecretar y Catherine L. Fong, DOF Cor porate Affairs and Strategic Infrastructure Group (Casig) Director Joanna P Castillo and the CDC Board of Directors and senior officers were present at the turnover ceremony last Tuesday. Last Monday, t he Phi l i pp i ne Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) announced last Monday remitted a total of P4.59 billion in cash dividends to the BTr Reine Juvierre Alberto

Among its major clients are Spain’s Telefonica, Qatar Petroleum, PTT of Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates’ Dubai A ir ports Co. Pr ospects a r e b ri g ht fo r t he DFNN-CIC collaborat ion as t hey capitalize on the growing demand for innovative tech solutions. This wou ld unlock oppor t unit ies t hat will empower businesses, enhance customer experience, and shape the future of technology in the countr y.

Another PSE-listed company that has partnered with a foreign firm is Citystate Sav ings Bank (CSBank),

The DFNN Group’s nationwide reach and deep understanding of the local market are critical to the partnership in navigating the complex Philippine landscape. For his part, Lopez said “this JV w ill prov ide CIC an international reference setup in the Philippines, a growing market with high business potential for our core business.” CIC’s cybersecurity tools integrate advanced artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to detect and counter such emerging threats as AI-powered malware, deepfake manipulations, and sophisticated phishing attacks.

T he pa r tnership cont ract was signed last month between CSBank

President Jaime Valentin Araneta and Geniusto Philippines President Shane Hermans as witnessed by Geniusto International CEO Matthew Edmunds. According to Araneta, the partnership aligns with the “Digital Payments Transformation” roadmap of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to reach unbanked and underser ved Filipinos.

Edmunds was delighted to welcome CSBank into Geniusto’s family of financial institutions around the world. He explained that the digital banking platform will allow the bank to scale its operations rapidly and be empowered to provide new ser vices to depositors.

In a media inter v iew, A raneta revealed that CSBank is preparing the paper work for the BSP’s Electronic Payment and Financial Service (EPFS) license, after which the digital bank can start operating subject to prior BSP approval hopefully by end-2024, which will lead to its active participation in the Philippine Payments Management Inc. system.

Originally from the United Kingdom, Geniusto has established its head office in Perth Western Australia. Over a quarter-century of operations, it now has a global client base of 19 foreign financial institutions in a dozen countries across North America, Southeast Asia, and Europe. CSBank opened its first branch in 1997 and has 34 branches strategically located in the Philippine archipelago today. It offers deposit and investment products; consumer and commercial loans; trust and t reasur

www.businessmirror.com.ph

DIFFICULT

THE talent manager handles the careers of some of the country’s famous influencers and key opinion leaders. Some of her talents are really famous but they’re also known for being difficult to work with. For example, they have the tendency to back out of projects that they have already agreed to do just because they were displeased with something. They don’t care if they signed a contract or received a downpayment. This makes people wonder if it is the talent manager who has an attitude problem, or the talents themselves. One of the talent manager’s talents is a famous influencer who’s being tapped not just by local brands but international houses.

PERSONAL REASONS

THE absence of the young actress during a recent network event was noticed by fans and showbiz observers were quick to say that she didn’t show up because she didn’t want to run into her ex-boyfriend and his current girlfriend. The young actress may not be friends with her ex and the girlfriend but she has moved on. It’s true that she prefers not running into them but she will wing it if she has to. The reason why she wasn’t there was because she had more personal things at hand that were on the same day as the event. Nothing controversial nor problematic, just real life getting in the way of showbiz.

NO CHEATING ACTRESS and actor being a new couple does not mean that the former caused the latter’s split from another actress. The actor and his ex reportedly split a few months ago, long before the actress became part of his world. The actor may be known for falling in love with whoever is his current leading lady, but he isn’t known to be a cheater. The actress, meanwhile, is one of the most liked people in showbiz. She was recently dumped by her longtime boyfriend so everyone in her circle just wants her to be happy. Meanwhile, the actor’s ex is keeping a low profile, as she always does.

JUMP SHIP

IT’S just a matter of time before the actress makes the big jump to another network. The actress has been with her current studio since the start of her career but she’s had some misgivings because of the way they seem to have neglected her. She was supposed to do a project with another network last year but for some reason, it didn’t push through. But now, she is said to be ready to make her move. The actress is said to be willing to take on mother roles, just as long as she can leave her current network.

Life BusinessMirror

B5

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ is No. 1 with $45.2M, Sydney ‘Immaculate’Sweeney’slands in fourth

The Associated Press

NEW YORK—Ghost-busting is still a good business.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire collected $45.2 million in ticket sales over the weekend, according to studio estimates on Sunday, since last summer.

The opening weekend for Frozen Empire, in 4,345 theaters, was nearly exactly the same as the $44 million launch for rebooted the franchise with a sequel built around the Grace) of Harold Ramis’ Egon Spengler, along with

audiences have been more receptive. Frozen Empire garnered a “B+” CinemaScore from moviegoers, a tick down from the “A-” score for isn’t business over spring break.

Ghostbusters internationally. In 25 overseas markets, Frozen Empire

The latest Ghostbusters from his father, Ivan Reitman, to helm Ghostbusters: is directed by Gil Kenan, cowriter of

Those two sequels took Ghostbusters in a more original cast members Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson Ghostbusters prompted a backlash, Sony rebooted the franchise.

The weekend’s other new wide release was as an American nun at a remote Italian convent. The debuted with $5.4 million on 2,354 screens.

“The movie features the popular Sydney Sweeney, but horror movies are not cast-driven,” wrote Entertainment Research. “They’re driven by the hook: the evil doll, the wicked smile, the invisible or silent presence, the found footage, the possessed child. completely clear here.”

The No. 2 spot went to Dune: Part Two, which continues to hold well. The Denis Villeneuve-directed million in its fourth weekend of release, bringing the Warner Bros. release’s domestic total to $233.4 million. Overseas sales are just as strong, adding up to Kung Fu Panda 4

Sweeney’s ascending star power helped make Anyone But You one of the most successful rom-coms in years. But , an independent production that bounce.

Things to quit when you become a leader

B to your own tasks and obligations. However, stepping into a leadership position entails taking responsibility not just for your own performance, but also for that of your team. It is essential to recognize that others are depending on you for direction and support.

thinking like a team member and start leading. Quit complaining and start thinking of solutions. When you were hired or promoted to a managerial position, it was expected that you would lead the team in achieving its objectives and overcoming challenges along the way. It’s essential to adopt a the team faces so that when organizational changes occur, you should be proactive in considering how your team can adapt and successfully implement management as a whole.

Quit focusing only on your work and start providing direction to everyone in your team. As a leader, your responsibility extends beyond your workload management by carefully planning each team member’s responsibilities, ensuring an equitable distribution of tasks without overburdening managers to disproportionately assign tasks to top performers. Ensure that each team member is contributing meaningfully to the team’s collective goals, fostering a balanced workload and cohesive team dynamic.

Quit being your team’s barkada and start being their leader. Remember, you are in a position of authority, which means that your actions are under constant observation by everyone. By only interacting with certain individuals, you convey a sense of favoritism to a select few and disapproval to others.

When you engage in group chats where you exclude other team members or discuss them behind their own team. Instead of fostering unity and morale, such behavior breeds resentment, frustration and a sense of unfair treatment. Prevent this by upholding professionalism in all your interactions and treating every team member with respect and courtesy.

Quit comparing yourself to other leaders and start building up your team. Team composition varies from one group to another, and certain individuals excel

leadership styles, focus on leveraging the diverse strengths of your team to compensate for other’s personalities. Take time to plan the workload and assign tasks to those best suited for the tasks or to Comparing yourself to other leaders is detrimental, but comparing yourself to your team members can be even more counterproductive. While you may share similar skill sets, prioritize your role as a leader over game, the coach does not play but provides the strategies on how to play the game.

Quit being sensitive and start communicating their team talks about them behind their backs. This is natural considering that your decisions impact their work and interactions. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, work on developing open communication channels for addressing work-related issues promptly before they escalate into crises. While it is unavoidable that they will talk about you, you have act towards you. Instead of reacting negatively, work on how you can improve communication channels by getting to know your team members better and drives your team helps you to communicate clearly Quit always saying yes and start protecting your team. When you were still a team member,

over its third weekend. The well-performing where the movies have historically been popular. Kung Fu Panda was released, its production. Estimated ticket sales are for Friday through comScore.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, $45.2 million

2.

3. Kung Fu Panda 4

4. , $5.4 million

5. Arthur the King, $4.4 million

Imaginary

9. Cabrini

most of your workload revolved around your core responsibilities and those tasks assigned to you by your manager. Now that you are leading a team, you get to choose who does what in your team and projects are assigned by senior management. When discussing projects with management, you should know if your team can handle additional projects and negotiate if needed. Never commit to a big project that you have not consulted with your team, unless you can convince them that it is manageable and you are prepared to reallocate resources and deliverables to accommodate the new project. Provide the needed support and proactively clear roadblocks so that your team will succeed.

Quit being a perfectionist and start helping your team grow. Take the time to coach and train your team because not everyone possesses the same level of competence. When team members approach you with issues and challenges, approach them from a process standpoint rather than focusing on personalities. A mentor once imparted to me that while it is tempting to assign blame when mistakes occur, the key to preventing future errors lies in identifying and implementing processes to avoid them.

and falls on leadership.” As a leader, you need to understand that you already have a team who will depend on you for clear guidance and direction.

guidance plays a pivotal role in determining the success or failure of the team.

ERNIE HUDSON (from left), Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace and director Gil Kenan pose for photographers at the photo call for the film Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire photo call on March 21, 2024 in London. AP

PHOTO BY ERIC WARD ON UNSPLASH

MERALCO is

Meralco assures customers of continuous elec tricity service during Holy Week

Hop into Candyland at Joy~Nostalg

Hotel & Suites Manila Managed by Accor

Ma ni la Ma n a ged by Accor, in v ites guests t o emb ar k o n a wh imsi cal o u r ney t hro ug h Ca ndy la nd o n March 3 1, 2024. E xpe r ien c e a n unf or gett a b l e c e eb ra ti o n fi ll ed w it h de ig h tfu l ac ti v ities a nd indu gent t r e a ts f or t h e whol e f a mi y t o enj o y

color ing b oo ks , t h e r e s s o met h ing f or e v e r y budding ar tist t o enj o y

Savor the Sweetness of Candyland

IN D ULGE y o u r s w eet t oo t h a t o u r Ca ndy la nd B uffet fe a tu r ing s w eet t r e a ts inspi r ed by t h e m a gi cal worl d o f Ca ndy la nd . Fro m ca ndy -coa ted de l ig h ts t o chocola tey su r p r ises , o u r kiddie buffet is su r e t o s a tisfy e v e r y crav ing . Pl us , t a ke ho me a s w eet - fi ll ed loo t b a g f ro m R ebis co, S un Cr est Choco M u cho, a nd K r im S tix

Twist and Shout with Balloon

Twisting

Easter Brunch W HILE y o u r l itt e a d v entu r e r s enj o y o u r Ca ndyla nd t r e a t y o u r se f t o a n Ea ste r b r un ch buffet a t Th e No st al gi a Lo unge & Bar, s howca sing de l ig h ts su ch a s egg s ha ks h uk a, L eb a nese la mb awar m a, s low-roa sted beef ch u c k , s al m o n co u l ibi ac, p or k v ind aloo, ra bbit p a e lla w it h ch i c ken , a nd mu ch m or e I ndu l ge in t h e pe r fe c t fin al e w it h o u r i rr esistib l e chocola te g a te a ux a d or ned w it h chocola te -cov e r ed st raw be rr ies a nd a d ora b e bunny de cora ti o ns . L et t h e r ch f lavor s a nd char ming Ea ste r- t h emed de l ig h ts t ra nsp or t y o u t o a worl d o f s w eet b l iss or P1,888 nett pe r a du l t f ro m 11: 3 0 a m t o 3 pm K ids dine f or FREE wh en acco mp a nied by t wo p a ying a du ts D TI Fa r Tra de P e r mit n o. FTEB-188610 S e r ies o f 2024

Egg-citing Egg Hunt

c e t hro ug ho ut t h e Hol y Week b re a k W h l e M e ralco B usiness Cente r s w i ll be clo sed f ro m March 28 t o 3 0, 2024 in o bse rva n c e o f t h e Ea ste r Tr iduum t h e p owe r dist r ibut or’s pe r s o nne w i ll be re a dy 24/7 t o a ttend t o c ust o me r co n c e r ns o n e l e c t r i c ity se rv i c e All M e ralco B usiness Cente r s w i ll resume o pe ra ti o ns o n A p r i l 1 (Mo nd a y ). We are o ne w it h t h e n a ti o n in o bse rv ing a s ol emn a nd s a fe Hol y Week . A s a 24-ho u r se rv c e co mp a ny , w e a ssu r e o u r c ust o me r s t ha t o u r cre w s are o n st a ndby t o a ttend t o co n c e r ns a nd unexpe c ted p ow e r inte rr upti o ns ,” M e ralco Vi c e President a nd H e a d o f Cor p ora te Co mmuni ca ti o ns Jo e R. Zal d arr i a g a s a id Wit h Hol y Week co in c iding w it h t h e st ar t o f t h e d r y se a s o n , M e ralco al s o reminds t h e pub i c t o p rac ti c e e e c t r i cal s a fety a nd ene rgy effi c ien c y f or a s a fe a nd worr y - f ree b re a k For t ho se g o ing o ut o f t ow n unused a pp l a n c es s ho u l d be unp l ugged espe c all y wh en g o ing awa y f or se v e ral d a ys . R ef ra in f ro m using “oc t o pus co nne c ti o ns ” or p l ugging in extensi o n cords int o a sing e p owe r o ut l et a s t h is co u l d ove rh e at a nd resu t in fi re a nd o t h e r acc idents Avo id p lac ing a nd r unning e l e c t r cal cords unde r r ugs or car pets a s co nst a nt y wal king o n t h ese co u d d a m a ge t h e insu la ti o n o f t h e w i res. All w res a nd cords s ho u l d be kept org a nized tu c ked, a nd st ored awa y a nd e e c t r i cal equipment a nd de v c es s ho u d be p lac ed f ar f ro m s howe r s sinks a nd tubs M e ralco al s o emp owe r s its c ust o me r s t o bette r m a n a ge t h ei r e e c t r i c ity use w it h t h e h e l p o f t h e A pp l a n ce Calc u lator ava i la b l e in t h e M e ralco Mo bi l e A pp wh i ch p rov ides inf or m a ti o n o n t h e p ow e r co nsumpti o n o f g a dgets a nd a pp i a n c es To rep or t e l e c t r c ity se rv i c e co n c e r ns, c usto me r s m a y re ach M e ralco t hro ug h its o ffi c i al s oc i al medi a p a ges o n Fac eb oo k (www. f ac eb oo k .co m / me ralco) a nd Tw itte r (@ me ralco). Th ey m a y al s o text t h ei r co n c e r ns t o 0920-9716211 a nd 0917- 55 16211 or co nt ac t t h e M e ralco Ho t ine at 16211 a nd 86 3 1-1111.

up to launch f lagship accelerator program T HIS

E X PERIENCE t h e j o y o f b alloo n t w isting w it h o u r guest b alloo n ar tists who w i ll cra ft v ib ra nt a nd wh imsi cal b alloo n s c u ptu r es su r e t o en cha nt ch d r en a nd ignite t h ei r im a gin a ti o ns

Unwind and Reconnect IMMERSE y o u r se l f

Founders Launchpad, Kaya Founders team

FTHIS ac ti v ity w ll m a ke y o u r l itt l e o nes ho pping w it h ex c itement A s t h ey exp lor e e v e r y n oo k a nd cra nny ch d r en w ll enj o y t h e t hr ll o f t h e h unt , dis cov e r ing eggs fi ll ed w it h de l i c i o us t r e a ts a nd su r p r ises alo ng t h e wa y Chocolate Egg Crafting NOT o n l y w ll y o u r kids hav e a b la st cr e a ting t h ei r chocola te m a ste r pie c es , but t h ey ’ll al s o t a ke ho me t h ei r ha ndm a de cr e a ti o ns t o enj o y a nd s har e w it h f a mi l y a nd f r iends

Let Your Creativity Shine LET y o u r l itt l e o nes un e a s h t h ei r im a gin a ti o n a s t h ey di v e int o a worl d o f color s a nd cra fts Fro m egg p a inting t o cr e a ting color fu l Ea ste r

OUN D ERS La un ch p a d a nd K a y a Fo unde r s hav e te a med up in a j o int v entu r e t o la un ch a united acc e l e ra t or p ro g ra m f or st ar tups Th is colla b ora ti o n m ar ks a signifi ca nt mi l est o ne in t h e local st ar tup la nds ca pe a s t wo key p la ye r s in t h e indust r y co me t o get h e r t o emp ow e r t h e next gene ra ti o n o f ent r ep r eneu r s “ We’v e de c ided t o j o in f orc es w it h t h e Fo unde r s La un ch p a d te a m t o co ns ol id a te o u r eff or ts t o a tt rac t t h e m o st ex c epti o n al t al ent e a ge r t o m a ke a diffe r en c e in t h e Ph i l ippines ,” s a id Ma n a ging D i r e c t or Ra y a B uensu c es o. Wit h t h is p ar tne r s h ip ca me K a y a’s de c isi o n t o roll up its existing acc e l e rat or p ro g ra m t h e Ma ni la Ventu r e Pro g ra m (MVP), unde r t h e Fo unde r s La un ch p a d b ra nd Th e ne wl y f or med p ar tne r s h ip e v e ra ges t h e st r engt h s a nd expe r tise o f b o t h fi r ms t o cr e a te a co mp r e h ensi v e acc e e ra t or p ro g ra m designed t o o ffe r m or e funding a nd bette r ment or s h ip t o st ar tups in t h e Ph ippines . Fo unde r s La un ch p a d b r ings its extensi v e ha nds -o n supp or t , wh l e K a y a Fo unde r s co nt r ibutes its in v estment expe rtise a nd st ro ng o pe ra ti o n al guid a n c e . To get h e r, t h ey a im t o p rov ide unp arall e ed supp or t a nd r es o u rc es t o e arl y - st a ge co mp a nies w it h h ig h g row t h p o tenti al. Ov e r t h e p a st ye ar, Fo unde r s La un ch p a d ha s qui c k y m a de a n a me f or t h emse lv es in t h e local st ar tup s c ene by la un ch ing a n e co systemdis r upting acc e l e ra t or p ro g ra m a nd in v esting in six p ro mising v entu r es t h e fi r st in wha t is en v isi o ned t o be a lar ge r, Ph ippine - f oc used p or tf ol i o. Pr i or t o t h ei r D em o D a y in S eptembe r, t h e st ar tups went t hro ug h a t a i lor- fit p ro g ra m w it h deep o pe ra ti o n al supp or t designed t o ach ie ve t h ei r r espe c ti v e o bje c ti v es S im o n Ba ue r, Co-Fo unde r a t Fo unde r s La un chp a d s a ys : “ We a t FL ar e v e r y ex c ited f or t h is clo se p ar tne r s h ip a s it w ll allow us t o o ffe r m or e val ue in te r ms o f funding, ment or s h ip a nd supp or t t o t h e f o unde r s j o ining o u r p ro g ra m wh ch is o u r m a in o bje c ti v e a t FL.” K a y a Fo unde r s is o ne o f t h e e a ding e arl y - st a

y Ha end l e r (Co-Fo unde r a t FL) m ar ks , “Th is is t h e st ar t o f o u r co mmitment t o est a b l is h ing t h e best acc e l e ra t or p ro g ra m p o ssib l e Th is p ar tne r s h ip w i ll h e l p us co ntinue t o a tt rac t t o p qu al ity f o unde r s a nd gi v e t h em e v en bette r guid a n c e net wor k , a nd r es o u rc es t ha n w e w e r e a b l e t o bef or e .” I nte r ested st ar tups ca n a pp y t hro ug h Fo unde r s La un ch p a d o ffi c al w ebsite : www. f o unde r s la un ch p a d .vc

PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco (3rd from right, seated) and GCG Chairperson Atty. Marius Corpus (3rd from left, seated) are joined by key officials from, both agencies during their recent meeting about PAGCOR’s performance targets for 2024.

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio

PARKLINKS, the joint venture between property juggernauts Ayala Land Inc. and the Tan family led-Eton Philippines Properties, Inc. (EPPI), is surely going to attract locators championing environmental sustainability.

esplanade, river park terraces, running and bike trails and riparian gardens.

Aside from accentuating the natural topography of the land, these facilities will encourage the community to appreciate the surrounding river system.

Training the next generation of leaders in sustainable development

THE Multiple Intelligence International School (MIIS) is going to be one of the premier locators of Parklinks.

“We are excited to move to our new location in Parklinks because we want to raise the next generation of students to be leaders in sustainable development. To be able to achieve that goal, your home should support that vision,” says MIIS Founding Directress Dr. Mary Joy Abaquin in an interview on the sidelines during the recent groundbreaking event to herald the construction of a 4-story stateof-the-art campus designed by GFP Architects, to support the progressive school’s curriculum that offers programs from toddlers to Grade 12.

BBy Roderick L. Abad

Parklinks welcomes school of the future

Abaquin and her team realize the need to innovate education to equip the next generation of Filipinos to be successful for the future of work. According to international studies, the Philippines is a laggard in reading, mathematics, and science. MIIS wants their students to be globally competitive, by giving them the best international school education in the Philippines, through a progressive 21stcentury education and opportunities to develop their future-ready skills. MIIS, the pioneer multiple intelligence school in the Philippines, ad-

g o to t h e o ffi ce a nd t h en r ep or t e ve r y d ay B ut n ow, we ’r e gi ven t h e chan ce to wor k f ro m ho me. So t ha t s als o a n a d va nt a ge f or St a. Lu c i a be cause m o st o f o u r de ve lo pments ar e o utside t h e cent ral business dist r i c ts, but ar e sti ll a fe w minutes or ho u r s away f ro m t h em So gi ven t he imp roved pub c wor ks and highways a nd t h e inte r net se rv ce n ow, t h en t h ey don t have to st ay anymore within the c ity just to g o to wor k be cause t h ey ca n be o utside t h e c ity enjoy f resh a r, have more sp ace and then be a b e to wor k ,” h e exp la ined

Exceptional stay

heres to the theory of Harvard psychologist Dr. Howard Gardner that every child has the potential to be smart. To develop the child’s potential, MIIS nurtures the 8 intelligences of each child: Linguistic, Logical-mathematical, Spatial, Body-kinesthetic, Musical, Naturalist, Interpersonal, and Intrapersonal. These areas will enable students to discover and develop their multiple intelligences through personalized learning and opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and global exposure. In its unique proposition, MIIS be-

lieves every student can be developed as a leader regardless of intelligence. Abaquin says that MIIS wants all students to contribute using their intelligence to innovate or create solutions to help develop a better and kinder environment. Abaquin says the Parklinks campus has all the elements to develop new ideas and a dynamic learning environment that develops student leadership for sustainable development. The MIIS Parklinks Campus for Leadership in Sustainable Development is a culmination of the journey of our students and the school to make

a difference in social, economic, and environmental issues, with the hope of creating a sustainable future. We are excited to open classroom doors to the world through our community and business partners.

“We are very lucky because it is hard to find a venue that matches our requirements. We are also quite pleased that we will be moving to the greenest estate.

“For 28 years, we have been always looking for a permanent home. The Parklinks estate was the perfect match for our vision. MIIS has long established a stable partnership with Ayala Land Inc. with our mall-based bazaars”. The 5,000-square meter state-ofthe art campus MIIS Parklinks Campus is set to open in Pasig City.en in time for SY25-26. It is envisioned to allow Filipino families to benefit from a globally competitive, progressive, and international education.

MIIS was founded in 1996 to offer Filipino students the benefits of a world-class education that prepares them for a future as global citizens who excel in their chosen fields.

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Hidilyn, 3 others go for Olympic slots in Phuket

By Josef Ramos

HIDILYN DIAZ-NARANJO flies to Phuket on Holy Wednesday hoping to nail a return ticket to the Olympics via the sixth and last qualifier for Paris—the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup set from Monday to April 11.

“We’re going to Phuket,” Diaz-Naranjo told BusinessMirror via online chat on Tuesday.

Joining the Tokyo Olympics women’s -56 kgs gold medalist of weightlifting were her fellow Paris hopefuls Vanessa Sarno, Rosegie Ramos and John Febuar Ceniza, as well as Tokyo Olympian Erleen Ann Ando who’s competing in the same -59 kgs class as Diaz-Naranjo.

“They have to give their best in this tournament because this is mandatory and it’s the most important of the qualifiers,” Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas trainer and coach Antonio Agustin said.

Diaz-Naranjo and company have to be in the magic 10 of their respective weight classes to make the grade for Paris.

The pride of Zamboanga City is ranked No. 8 and Ando No. 10 but only one of them could compete in Paris because the Olympics allow only one athlete from each country to vie in the Games in each weight class.

Two-time Southeast Asian Games champion Sarno ranks fifth in women’s +71 kgs, while Ramos, 20, is No. 9 in women’s -49 kgs after five Olympic qualifiers and Ceniza runs sixth in men’s +61 kgs. Ramos and Inan will see action on Monday followed by Ceniza on Tuesday and Diaz-Naranjo on Wednesday. The other athlete on the team, Kristel Macrohon in women’s 71 kgs, will compete on April 7. The IWF will announce the qualifiers for Paris in May.

Six Filipinos have so far qualified for Paris—pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, boxers Eumir Felix Marcial, Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas and gymnasts Carlos Yulo and Aleah Finnegan.

PSC moves on after hurdling WADA crisis

THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) wants the Philippine National Anti-Doping Organization (PHI-NADO) to become a fully independent body just like anti-doping agencies in other countries.

Cleared from the compliance watchlist of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the Philippines now focuses on educating stakeholders, including the various national sports associations (NSAs), and the thousands of athletes and coaches under its watch.

“Given the progression of the antidoping world a lot of countries have independent anti-doping agencies.

This is the proper time we have one in PHI-NADO,” said PSC executive director Paulo Tatad in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Last September 23, the PSC was ordered to answer the non-compliance to the WADA code and a follow-up notice was issued on January 23. On March 19, the PSC said the country had been removed from the WADA compliance watchlist.

“We are making sure we do the necessary steps. Our friends in Malaysia, Indonesia Thailand gave a lot of insights. And given all of that, we are in the right direction,” said Tatad during the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Milo, PLDT/Smart, and ArenaPlus, the 24/7 sports app in the country.

PHI-NADO chief Dr. Alex Pineda said settling the non-compliance issue was just the first step.

“We are being monitored by WADA not on testing alone but on anti-doping education as well, capacity building, management of results and data privacy,” Pineda said. “We need to work with PSC, the POC [Philippine Olympic Committee], and the NSAs. We need collaboration.”

Time to act is now

Alabado III and Cignal TV president and CEO Jane Basas at the Marquis Events Place at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City in Tuesday.

the Philippines’ solo hosting of the world tilt will be the culmination of its efforts for consecutive years to bring volleyball closer to the Filipinos’ hearts, highlighted by the rousing success of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) here for two years in a row with sizeable gate attendance despite not having a Filipino squad. That’s only a tip of the iceberg as to what the Philippines has to offer in full force, in front of the world and with an unparalleled fan support on its back in welcoming the 32 best men’s volleyball teams, over 600-man delegation and thousands of fans—with open arms.

“We will make them feel at home right at our own home,” said PNVF President Ramon “Tats” Suzara, joined by Senator and PNVF chairman emeritus Alan Peter Cayetano, Department of Tourism Director for Film and Sports Tourism Roberto

COLLEGE of Saint Benilde wielded the broom in ruling the National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 99 tennis tournament at the Philippine Columbian Association courts in Plaza Dilao in Paco, Manila.

The Blazing Netters edged the Mapua Cardinals, 2-1, to top the men’s side and so did the Lady Blazers over the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta Lady Altas, 2-1, to reign supreme in women’s action.

Francis Lera and Gian Macaraeg routed Al Quiza and Joaquin de Leon, 6-2, 6-4, in doubles while Reyniel Marcellana

“I am ready. We are ready. The team is ready. The Philippines is ready to face the challenges and fulfill a dream as our hearts beat collectively to serve the sport,” Suzara said. “If you love volleyball, then you will surely love the Philippines.”

Cayetano, who will serve as the chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the event like he did in the successful Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) hosting by the country in 2019, eyes another legacy for the country this time in volleyball.

“It’s how we, as a people, welcome the rest of the world. I believe that our hope in a successful hosting will be by faith and action—faith in God and action as a community,” Cayetano said. “I believe that it’s time for the world volleyball to see how united the Philippine volleyball community is.”

The FIVB through its president Ary Graca anticipates a one-of-a-kind edition of the world championship in sports-crazed Philippines that set a gate-

Saint Benilde sweeps ‘NC’ tennis

edged Aldwyn Rosales, 6-1, 5-7, 7-5, in the deciding second singles to sweep their way to their fifth championship.

Laurenz Quitara beat Carl Ubalde, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, for Mapua’s lone victory in the opening singles.

Dorelle Lagura and Kiana de Jesus eked out a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 triumph over Lyka Sanoza and Cindy Nuguit and Valeri Desoyo waylaid Aira Nuguit in regaining the women’s title for Saint Benilde.

Perpetual Help’s Christy Sanoza also won the first singles when Daniella Dandalanin retired due to injury with Sanoza ahead, 6-4, after one set.

attendance record in the FIBA World Cup last year featuring Suzara as master planner and chief implementer.

“We are confident that the Philippines will host an extraordinary World Championship that will leave a lasting legacy and help cultivate an even brighter future for our sport globally,” Graca beamed last week in Lausanne where he announced the Philippines as solo host at the FIVBA headquarters.

Ensuring a hand to make it happen in style is the Department of Tourism as the biggest volleyball event in the world—riding on the heels of the largest basketball showpiece last year—serves as a vital part in transforming the Philippines to a “tourism powerhouse in Asia.”

“We like to assure and ensure that DOT fully supports this event. We are here to make the experience of spectators, players and visitors during this world championship in the Philippines very unforgettable,” said Alabado III, whose office is already preparing grand tour packages for the influx of tourists. The draw will be held in Manila exactly a year before the first serve

on September 12 this year, marking the country’s year-long countdown and the start of the national team build-up.

PLDT and Cignal, which also serves as the host broadcaster, will be the main sponsors of the Filipino spikers, whose official moniker for the world championships is to be announced soon by the PNVF.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino relayed his congratulations to the Cayetano and the PNVF for winning the bid to host the worlds.

s d the PNVF for host the worlds. s to ust ino

“Congratulations to the PNVF for all the effort and grateful to the FIVB for the trust given to us,” Tolentino said. “It shows that volleyball very active in our country with lots of supporters and stakeholders. Now it’s another opportunity to showcase our country through sports.”

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Petro Gazz eases way past Capital1 to boost semis bid

PETRO Gazz got back on track with a 25-11, 25-19, 25-14 victory over Capital1 on Tuesday, boosting its bid ahead of the semifinals of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City. Brooke Van Sickle led the way as the Angels, coming off a five-set loss to Chery Tiggo, got past Capital1 in 72 minutes.

Petro Gazz notched its fifth win in seven matches, staying within striking distance of joint leaders Creamline, Choco Mucho and PLDT at 5-1.

Van Sickle had 19 points, including 15 kills on 58 percent attacking efficiency, for the Angels.

Petro Gazz surged ahead in the first set with 16 attack points compared to Capital1’s three.

The Angels had seven blocks to their opponents’ two, and registered nine aces while conceding only two.

“It’s good to get a win coming off a loss, I’m really proud of my team for being able to bounce back the way we did,” said Van Sickle, lauding her teammates for the win.

“I thought everyone did such a fantastic job,” she added.

“It doesn’t matter who the other team is. Capital1 is a very scrappy team. But as long as we stay focused, we can get things done,” said Van Sickle.

Jonah Sabete had nine points, Remy Palma added seven, while and Kecelyn Galdones and setter Ivy Perez scored six each.

Coach Koji Tsuzurabara also drew a combined 13 points from five other players, including four from Myla Pablo.

The Solar Spikers fell to 1-6.

Lourdes Clemente had six points, Heather Guino-o scored five, while Janeca Lana and Sydney Niegos added four points apiece.

After the Holy Week break, action resumes on April 2 with PLDT facing Akari and Choco Mucho tangling with Galeries Tower, also at the Philsports Arena.

Former Chinese football head sentenced for life for bribery

BEIJING—The former president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) has been sentenced to life in prison amid a wide-ranging crackdown on sports corruption.

Chinese courts on Tuesday handed down sentences of between eight years and life in prison to officials in

the Communist Party-controlled sports programs, accusing them of taking bribes and committing other financial crimes.

Chen Xuyuan, the former CFA president, received a life sentence for helping fix matches and using his various positions to commit financial crimes, state media reported.

Xinhua reported that all of Chen’s personal property would be confiscated and his illegal gains would be recovered and turned over to the state treasury.

Other high-ranking officials sentenced to prison for taking bribes included the former head of the National Athletics Association, Hong Chen, who was sentenced to 13 years, former high-ranking soccer official Chen Yongliang, who received 14 years, and Dong Zheng, former CEO of the CFA Super League Company, for eight years.

The league is largely backed by real estate firms that have become overextended and cannot deliver finished apartments or pay back

their debts.

The payments to players whom they hoped would make them ever-bigger in China and possibly international brand names have come askew amid concerns about company finances in the world’s second largest economy.

China’s domestic soccer leagues have long struggled with corruption and financial instability, while the national men’s and women’s teams languish in the international ranks, despite earlier successes.

Corruption in the sport is mainly linked to payoffs to players and referees to produce an outcome that benefits gambling syndicates.

There have also been allegations that payments were made to gain players spots at training camps for top teams, including the men’s national squad, which is now ranked 88th by FIFA. The Chinese women’s team occupies 19th place. AP

IT is no secret that cases of player-to-player relationships in women’s sport are rampant in many parts of the world, especially in America and Europe. First-world countries seem to treat it as common as coughing.

But not on our home shores. It is almost a tabooed topic.

Over here, that issue—ticklish as it is—is not as open a discussion as when a celebrity couple breaks up as that becomes almost an automatic fodder for hot news. Only in whispers—loud or otherwise—do we learn of such trivialities transformed outright into screaming headlines.

Still, this fastidious fact is something that needs to be addressed seriously if only for the sole purpose of making a team highly competitive. Definitely, a team having players

engaged in a player-to-player relationship can potentially cause problems.

Emotions among sweethearts can easily becloud reason.

Disposition can be killed in an instant arising chiefly from relations gone awry.

A lover’s spat can destroy a team’s chemistry in the wink of an eye.

Recently, coach Emma Hayes of the US women’s national football team dropped a bomb.  She said: “Player-to-player relationships on teams are inappropriate because they present extra challenges to manage.”

She aired her side when asked in a press conference in London about player safeguards in the context of reports in the British media. In an AP dispatch, this: “Leicester women’s manager coach Willie Kirk is being investigated by the club following an allegation of a player-coach relationship.” Leicester has rules against such relationship?

Said Hayes:  “Player-coach relationships they’re inappropriate, player-to-player relationships are inappropriate…We’re now in a professional era when players and coaches should focus all their attention on having the top standards. Player-to-player relationships can be hard to navigate for a coach.” She has a supremely valid point. Our country has no law against player-to-player relationships, let alone a coach-player relationship.  Anti-human rights? But if a team owner imposes a rule discouraging it, is he/ she justified?

My lips are sealed—for now.

THAT’S IT   Eumir Marcial’s fourth-round knockout win last weekend over a Thai foe made him unbeaten in five professional fights. More importantly, that augurs well in his bid to win the elusive gold in the Paris Olympics in July-August...Team Mark’s Robert Bolick’s five-point