BusinessMirror May 08, 2023

PHL rate hike pause ‘in the cards’

Juan

By Andrea E. San

APAUSING of rate hikes is “in the cards” for the Philippines amid global market developments, a member of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Monetary Board said Saturday.

That’s in the cards. The way the global market is going and the way oil prices are behaving…it augurs well,” MB Member Victor Bruce J. Tolentino said at the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP)-San Miguel Corporation (SMC) Business Journalism Seminar last Saturday. Following the US and European central banks raising their interest rates by 25 basis points (bps), Tolentino noted, “Just to keep up, we will probably be

forced to at least…25 again.”

T he Monetary Board member noted that if the BSP is trying to match the US Federal Reserve, there’s a possibility of raising another 25 bps in BSP’s next meeting slated for May 18.

Well the actions of the Fed are always a factor that we need to consider because if the differential between US rates and Philippine rates are higher, then it attracts money to go to the US. So we need to watch out for that,” Tolentino stressed.

However, he said trying to match the US Fed is not the only factor that prompts the BSP to increase interest rates, and noted that “there are other factors,” such as the change in food prices.

If all of a sudden food prices fell much greater by some miracle, then we might not need to. Again, as I said, it

depends on the data,” Tolentino noted.

A ccording to a story by BusinessMirror last Friday, BSP Governor Felipe M. Medalla said he has made his position clear regarding the rate hikes. Should the inflation data be positive on a month-on-month basis, the BSP may pause increases in rates in its next meeting on May 18. Medalla said inflation has been slowing as a result of the arrival of the country’s food imports. The timing of the imports were identified as one of, if not, the biggest causes of the uptick in commodity prices.  I have already made my view very clear, which is that if we have one more good month-on-month inflation, it’s time to pause because we already have two very good months,” Medalla said.

See “PHL,” A2

END-APRIL GIR DECLINES ON DOLLAR OBLIGATIONS

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE country’s Gross International Reserves (GIR) reached over $100 billion as of the end of April 2023, but was slightly lower than its level the previous month and the same period last year, based on preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

T he data showed the country’s GIR amounted to $101.511 billion as of April 2023. This is lower than the $101.55 billion posted at the end of March 2023 and the $105.4 billion in April 2022.

T he BSP’s reserve assets consist of foreign investments, gold, foreign exchange, reserve position in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and special drawing rights.

“ The lower GIR level in April

reflected mainly the National Government’s [NG] payments of its foreign currency debt obligations,” the BSP said in a statement sent over the weekend.

T he BSP said the latest GIR level represents a more-than-adequate external liquidity buffer equivalent to 7.6 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income.

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

SPEAKER Ferdinand Mar -

tin G. Romualdez on Sunday said the decision of the World Health Organization (WHO) to lift its Covid-19 global health emergency declaration will pave the way for more Philippines economic activities.

R omualdez welcomed the WHO decision, even as another lawmaker said it should prompt local authorities to finally lift the entry restrictions on international travelers who must first

comply with the tedious eTravel registration requirement that was earlier part of Covid-related  health protocols.

R omualdez said the lifting of the global health emergency “should pave the way for us to sustain our economic growth or even take the economy to a higher growth path for the benefit of our people, especially the poor.”

It should translate, he added, “to increased mobility, more economic activities and therefore additional job and income opportunities for our workers and their families.”

PHL net oil imports bill soars 64.4% to

$19.02B

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

THE country’s net oil imports surged to $19.02 billion in 2022, up by 64.4 percent from $11.57 billion a year ago mainly on account of high crude prices and increasing fuel demand, data from the Department of Energy (DOE) stated.

T he net import bill is the difference between oil imports and exports.

T he total imports rose by 61.1 percent to $19.68 billion last year from $12.15 billion in the same period a year ago. This was attributed to high import cost of crude and finished petroleum products in 2022.

T he average dollar rate for December 2022, $54.50, vis-à-vis December 2021’s average rate of $49.28, contributed to a higher import bill, the DOE data showed. I n terms of volume, total imports rose to 26.48 billion liters last year from 24.44 billion liters in 2021.

However, the House leader reminded the public “to wear a face mask when needed, wash your hands, isolate when sick, observe physical distancing, and get vaccinated” to avoid Covid-19.

T he Speaker also urged the Department of Health ( DOH ) and the government’s InterAgency Task Force (IATF) managing the country’s response to the pandemic to prescribe minimum health protocols consistent with the WHO decision to scuttle its global health emergency declaration.

Total import cost of crude oil amounted to $4.43 billion,  95 percent higher vis-à-vis last year’s $2.27 billion. This was made up of 77.4 percent finished petroleum products and 22.6 percent crude oil.

For finished petroleum products import cost, there was a growth of 53.3 percent to $15.15 billion from $9.88 billion. The rise was due to higher import costs of finished products in 2022.

Me anwhile, total export earnings dropped by 4.1 percent to $556.53 million from $580.1 million this year due to decreased volume of exported products during the period.

T he total petroleum product exports went up to 979 million liters last year from 814 million liters in 2021.

T he country, meanwhile, imported 6.89 billion liters of crude and 19.58 billion liters of finished petroleum products. See

‘W.H.O.’S COVID LIFTING BOON TO ECONOMY’

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MEMBERS of the Philippine obstacle race team—including Pilipinas Obstacle Sports Federation president Atty. Al Agra—dominate the 32nd Southeast Asian Games by sweeping all four gold medals at stake. See B8 Sports for SEA Games stories. ROY DOMINGO

PHL OBSTACLE RACERS RULE CAMBODIA SEA GAMES

Subic reopening provides alternate to Naia–Gordon

By Roderick Abad @rodrik_28 Contributor

FORMER Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority

(SBMA) Chairman Richard J. Gordon renewed his call for the immediate reopening and use of the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) as an alternate to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which is undergoing a full electrical audit and is scheduled for closure on May 17.

“ It’s about time the original vision of making SBIA the alternate airport to Manila happened. It’s time we Filipinos look at what we have and make good use of it; otherwise, what a waste,” he said in a statement.

For him, such move will show volunteerism, compassion and humanity. He noted: “By using SBIA as an alternate airport, we

will prevent the frustration and inconvenience experienced by many passengers who are stranded for hours or days whenever there are issues at NAIA. Nobody gets angry; passengers will get to their destinations without delay.”

A continuity plan is proposed by the Philippine National Red Cross chairman. This includes prior arrangements for buses to transport

Continued from A12

The average occupancy of their hotels was 59 percent, and 29 percent in resorts. According to the DOT, last year, international arrivals rose to 2.65 million, while overnight domestic travelers reached 40 million . (See, “Pinoys still wary of Covid, but are

heading to the beach in droves this summer—poll,” in the BusinessMirror , May 4, 2023.)

A HRC manages 660 hotel rooms in its international brand segment: Fairmont Hotel and Raffles Residences (312 rooms) and Holiday Inn & Suites (348),

passengers from one airport to another, highway patrols and hotel accommodations for affected passengers.

He sees that opening anew the SBIA will create more business, tourism and jobs.

A lso, it will help minimize the huge stain to the country’s image as well as financial losses, and prevent further passengers’ suffering due to aviation shutdowns.

L ast May 1, a power outage disrupted operations at NAIA Terminal 3, causing flight delays and inconvenience to thousands of travelers.

It mirrored a bigger mishap on New Year’s Day, when a glitch in the air traffic control  system disrupted nearly 300 flights, stranding 65,000 passengers.

B ased on SBIA’s previous performance, Gordon believes that Subic airport’s immediate reopening and use is feasible.

at the Ayala Center, Makati central business district. There are 11 Seda Hotels, operating 2,804 rooms: Atria, Iloilo (152 rooms); BGC, Taguig (521); Centrio, Cagayan de Oro (150); Abreeza, Davao (186); Nuvali, Santa Rosa, Laguna (242); Vertis North, Quezon City (438); Capitol Central, Bacolod (154); Lio, Palawan (153); Ayala Center Cebu (301); Seda Residences Ayala North Exchange (293) and Seda Central Bloc (214); and Circuit

F rom 1995 to 2009, the operations of FedEx at Subic involved an average of 18 flights daily of a fleet of cargo aircraft such as Boeing and Airbus planes. Presidential planes landed at SBIA during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting in 1996.

P rior to its modernization, SBIA, sans an instrument landing system, was used to land flights diverted from Manila. This includes a China Airlines plane, which had a flight crash land in NAIA in 1995. Gordon, who was the chairman of SBMA back then, quickly took over to divert all the planes from Manila to Subic.

T he former senator envisions the Philippines with three operating international airports in Manila; Clark, Pampanga; and Subic Bay in Zambales. According to him, the NAIA fiascos lately can be considered criminal neglect.

Corporate Residences (255). El Nido Resorts operates 193 rooms on its four island resorts: Pangulasian, Lagen, Miniloc, and Apulit. The Lio Tourism Estate currently has 50 rooms under Huni Lio, while the Sicogon Tourism Estate in Iloilo currently has 76 rooms under Huni Sicogon and Balay Kogon. (See, “The allure of Sicogon Island,” in the BusinessMirror , March 30, 2023.)

Continued from A1

“ By convention, GIR is viewed to be adequate if it can finance at least three months’ worth of the country’s imports of goods and payments of services and primary income,” BSP said.

Moreover, it is also about 5.9 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 4.1 times based on residual maturity.

B SP said short-term debt based on residual maturity refers to outstanding external debt with original maturity of one year or less, plus principal payments on medium- and long-term loans of the public and private sectors falling due within the next 12 months.

T he lower GIR level in April reflected mainly the National Government’s (NG) payments of its foreign currency debt obligations. The level of GIR, as of a particular period, BSP said, is considered adequate, if it provides at least 100 percent cover for the payment of the country’s foreign liabilities, public and private, falling due within the immediate 12-month period.

F urther, the net international reserves, which refers to the difference between the BSP’s reserve assets (GIR) and reserve liabilities or short-term foreign debt and credit and loans from the IMF, decreased by $0.04 billion to $101.47 billion as of end-April 2023 from the end-March 2023 level of $101.51 billion.

I think our people have learned to live with the virus. Though there is no wear-facemask mandate, many of them continue to wear mask and observe physical distancing. They are aware of the residual threat and they are not letting their guard down,” he said.

T he House leader said the WHO decision and the lifting of travel restrictions by several countries, including the United States and Japan, could result in freer travel and more tourists visiting the Philippines.

Let the concerned government agencies and sectors of the economy prepare for this possibility, which will benefit tourist destinations and local communities,” he said.

A t the same time, he asked the DOH to continue encouraging people to avail themselves of free Covid-19 vaccination the government is offering.

He noted that though most of the population already had their primary shots, many still have to receive their first and second boosters, while only a small number had not taken advantage of free vaccination.

T he House leader also asked local officials to continue to monitor the situation in their respective areas and to immediately take steps whenever there is a spike in Covid-19 cases.

“ Let us promptly attend to those needing help so that this virus does not infect more people and lead to more deaths,” he said.

“ The decision shows that countries around the globe, including the Philippines, have succeeded through collaborative effort in fighting the highly infectious novel coronavirus and its variants, though they remain a threat to public health,” Romualdez said.

‘Ditch eTravel’

MEANWHILE , a senior lawmaker called on the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to ditch its tedious eTravel registration requirement for incoming international travelers to entice more tourists and prospective investors to come to the Philippines.

C amarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte reiterated his call on the IATF to get rid of this one remaining vestige of the stringent health protocols that most governments imposed three years ago to check the spread of the lethal coronavirus.

With WHO declaring  that the period of Covid-19 as a PHEIC is already over and that the switch to the long-term management of the coronavirus must now be the priority, there is all the more reason for the IATF to get rid of the eTravel requirement imposed on inbound travelers, as a way to further entice tourists and prospective investors to come to the Philippines as our country transitions fully to the post-pandemic ‘new normal,’” Villafuerte said.

the eTravel requirement is not expected to bump up Covid-19 infections to alarming levels, given that the DOH and private health experts believe that despite the current spike in this virus’ positivity rate, there is no reason to panic because of the low healthcare utilization rate (HCUR), which is the more critical criterion.

A lthough OCTA Research projects the weekly positivity rate—which is the percentage of those found positive for Covid-19 from all those  tested for the virus at a given week—possibly rising to as high as 25 percent,  its research fellow Fredegusto David said the good news is that he and other experts do not expect HCUR to reach a critical level and will not go up to 40 percent or beyond.

T he DOH, which defines HCUR as the combined use of ICUs, isolation beds, and mechanical ventilators, sees healthcare utilization remaining low partly because of the mass immunization drive.

D OH Officer-in-Charge (OIC) and Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire assured lawmakers at a recent House committee on appropriations hearing that the higher Covid-19 positivity rate is expected, and is not a cause for alarm, because of the shift in testing protocols, in which those being tested for the virus are those most likely to be infected.

Moreover, she said that over 90 percent of those found to be infected are “mild and asymptomatic cases,” and that just 8-9 percent of those with Covid-19 are “classified as sever and critical.”

T he more important criterion, she added, is the HCUR, which remains at low risk “because of the wall of immunity due to vaccination.”

D epartment of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco expects domestic tourism to recover 100 percent this year, but she sees a full recovery of international tourism happening in 2024 yet, Villafuerte said.

V illafuerte said he supported the department’s goal of boosting the industry by marketing the Philippines as a medical and wellness tourism destination, but added that one immediate way to attract more international visitors is to lift the eTravel requirement on inbound travelers.   “ The influx of more international visitors likely to be induced by  the further relaxation of border travel requirements on incoming passengers will likely accelerate the full recovery of international tourism, boosting tourist spending receipts from this once booming sector that is crucial to our economy’s robust bounce back from the erstwhile global health and financial crises,” he said.

Continued from A1

“In other words, the imports are beginning to work.”

T he BSP, in its month-ahead forecast, expects April inflation to be slower due to the decline in electricity prices and select food items.

Data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) last Thursday showed the country’s headline inflation slowed to 6.6 percent in April, the slowest in eight months and the third consecutive decline for the year.  National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa said, “If you’re talking of the month-on-month value, [this is]  from 8 to 7.9 percent, 0.1 percentage point but that gap is small to say that it is really statistically significant. But we are seeing that it is already at least going down, slowing down.”

“Junking the tedious, timeconsuming eTravel registration process would further convince the international investor community that the domestic economy has completely  reopened for business and entice more international tourists to come see the Philippines,” he said.

D espite the WHO’s declaration, Villafuerte called on Filipinos to remain on guard against Covid-19 and to continue adhering to minimum public health standards such as physical distancing and mask-wearing, especially in high-risk areas for the elderly, immunocompromised individuals and those with comorbidities.

V illafuerte said the lifting of

A lot more people can be enticed to go to as earlier ordered by the IATF, all incoming travelers are mandated to indicate in their respective eTravel papers that they had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or, if not, to present the results of antigen tests taken within three days of their  flights certifying that they are negative of the coronavirus.

I nbound passengers who cannot present either will be required to take RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) tests upon their arrival in a Philippine airport, and, if found Covid-positive, will be required to stay in a local quarantine facility for 7 to 10 days, depending on whether the infected travelers are fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated or unvaccinated.

City of Biñan

Clean, green initiatives breathe new life into City of Biñan

By Roderick L. Abad Contributor

Photos by Jery Jimenez

This breakthrough Earth-friendly concrete product earned the attention not only here but also abroad when it gained extensive local and foreign media mileage right after the eruption of the smallest volcano in the world last January 2020. The last time it exploded was in 1977. Biñan was among the affected neighboring areas of Taal in Batangas when its world-renowned volcano erupted three years ago. A plume of steam and tephra blanketed this city and the surrounding areas with a thick layer of ash, mud and falling debris spewed by the explosion of its main crater from magmatic and hydrovolcanic activity. Seeing a silver lining from the situation back then, the visionary mayor of Biñan, Atty. Walfredo R. Dimaguila Jr., was innovative and resourceful enough to turn the tragedy into an opportunity. In fact, he asked the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), led by Rodelio V. Lee, to try mixing the ashfall with other raw materials of the eco brick produced at the Biñan City Centralized Material Recovery, Waste Processing and Transfer Station Facility or the Ecopark. “ We did it and had it tested by an independent testing company and by the Department of Science and Technology. And yes, it’s stronger compared to a commercial brick,” he told in mixed English and Tagalog during an interview with the BusinessMirror. “That was the time when Biñan became more popular.”

Environmental degradation

THE fame that Taal brick brought to Biñan is a product of the hard labor, bold efforts and, of course, creativity of the succeeding administrations. They brought the city back to life with a clean surrounding and healthy environment.

Down memory lane, Biñan also had its share of the solid waste problem faced by many local government units (LGU) in the country at the turn of the century. Managing it well became a pressing concern as rapid urbanization and

industrialization amid population explosion resulted in a garbage crisis.

This could be attributed to the lack of environmental laws, according to Lee. Per relevant provisions of Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the Government Code, the LGUs are mainly responsible for handling solid waste in their areas of jurisdiction. But the absence of a national framework on waste management led to deficient waste disposal practices of the localities.

So there were no guidelines. That’s why indiscriminate dumping or throwing of waste was very rampant,” he said.

Proof of which were the dirty roads and other public places and clogged drainage canals and waterways filled with a massive volume of waste dumped. Not to mention, of course, was the toxicity of its contaminants that jeopardized the peoples’ health and polluted the air, land and water.

To address these problems, the national government enforced the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (Republic Act or RA 9003), Clean Water Act (RA 9275) and Clean Air Act (RA 8749) to shield both the environment and public health.

The rise of Ecopark

IN compliance with these “green” policies and support to the protection of the environment and the Manila Bay Clean Up, Rehabilitation and Preservation Programs, Biñan implemented several eco measures in its own way.

“Little by little, we crafted our 10-year Solid Waste Management Plan. So we had guidelines to follow and now being implemented,” Lee emphasized.

Pursuant to RA 9003 that provides for the establishment of an LGU Material Recovery Facility (MRF), such an amenity came into being in 2005. A few months after it became operational, however, it broke down and was left non-functional. Good thing its rehabilitation came during the time of Congresswoman Marlyn “Len” AlonteNaguiat. It was realized until Mayor Dimaguila

Jr. ordered in 2017 its revival to what it is today—the Ecopark.

Seated on a 5,000-square meter (sq m) parcel of land owned by the city government in Brgy. Timbao, this P18 million facility serves the communities in Biñan. With its institutionalization, the City Hall equipped it with modern equipment and machineries such as conveyor belts for sorting, pressurized sanitizer sprayer for treating garbage, a payloader, heavy duty shredding machines, mechanized concrete product maker and plastic densifier used for recycling/converting refuse, specifically plastic waste, into useful products or as raw materials for the production of concrete products.

The collection and disposal of solid waste in Biñan is handled by the barangays, LGU and a private contractor. Apart from the city’s centralized Ecopark and composting facility as well as trash collecting vehicles, all communities have their own MRFs and garbage trucks.

How does the Ecopark work? Basically, the plastic wastes that are brought to the Ecopark by the city and community garbage collectors undergo final sorting. They are then shredded and used as raw materials for the production of eco bricks like Taal brick, hollow blocks, and pre-cast fences, among others.

The production of the concrete products here takes a maximum of three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). On a daily basis, it runs at eight to 10 hours, depending on the demand for the product.

Capacity-wise, the Ecopark can accommodate 75 tons of solid waste every day. In terms of production, it can make uo to 7,000 eco bricks or 2,000 hollow blocks per day (10-hour) of operation. From July 2017 to June 2021, the facility already produced more or less 1,231,750 eco bricks and 240,000 hollow blocks.

What makes the eco brick proenvironment is its plastic component at 30 percent by volume or 0.0012 percent by weight which is equivalent to 0.03 kilogram. Thus, 210 kilograms of plastic wastes are diverted for a day’s operation. Its spinoff, the revolutionary Taal brick, is composed of a mixture of the volcano’s ashfall (40 percent), shredded plastics (30 percent), white sand (20 percent), and cement and water (10 percent).

“It’s really innovative,” the CENRO official noted, adding that it’s more economical or almost half the price of a commercial brick and brings savings to them. “We don’t buy more sand with our utilization of the ashfall, residuals or shredded single use plastics as added raw materials.”

Apart from being an MRF, the Ecopark also doubles as a transfer station where the residual wastes brought by the city and barangay trash gatherers are subjected for last sorting and collection by the private garbage contractor for disposal into a sanitary landfill. It was designed in a way that the waste carried by the LGU garbage trucks are moved directly into those of the private garbage contractor so as to avoid the physical contact of the trash with the MRF’s pavement/ flooring. This is operational for 16 hours a day.

“Our Ecopark is budgeted from P4 million to P5 million per annum, including the brick-making component and operation of the MRF,” he shared.

To complement this, another transfer station was established in Bgy. Dela Paz. The LGU, likewise, built in 2018 a City Composting Facility located in Brgy. Langkiwa, complete with two building structures (one funded by Environmental Management Bureau or EMB) and equipped with seven bioreactors (one donated by Sen. Cynthia Villar and two from the EMB), four shredding machines (two from EMB) and other composting equipment.

A portion of the biodegradable waste generated in the City Public Market and Barangay Langkiwa Market such as vegetable and fruit trimmings are processed into compost/soil conditioner in the latter facility and then tested by the DOST. On the average, this P2 million site can produce three tons of compost per month.

Job opportunities

THESE biological facilities not only help protect the environment, but also provide a green pasture for the people.

The Ecopark, for instance, is manned by 15 employees composed of sorters, machine and heavy equipment operators and helpers supervised by the CENRO. Eighty percent or12 of them were former scavengers.

“In a way, it uplifts their status in life. From picking up garbage on the streets, they now have a stable job. And they are one of the priority beneficiaries for the city government’s rising housing project—Villa Aguila—in Bgy. San Antonio,” Lee said. The transfer station and the composting facility in Barangays Dela Paz and Langkiwa are operated by the eight employees of the City Community Affairs Office and five workers under the CENRO, respectively.

Well managed city wastes

THEIR hard labor and dedication to work and mother nature are complemented well by the city government’s proper implementation of the laws and constant environmental investments. These, in turn, have turned the table in so far as waste management is concerned.

At present, the garbage situation here in

Biñan is okay,” he pointed out. “All the systems are in place. There’s a budget allocation yearly and, then, the processes of innovations and initiatives are up and running unlike before. So there’s no garbage crisis anymore.”

Based on the results of the city’s Waste Analysis and Characterization Study, each Biñanense has 0.364 miligrams per capita waste generation daily. Given the latest official population count of 407,437, per the official census of the Philippine Statistics Authority in 2020, Biñan’s waste generation is at 148,307 kilograms or roughly 150 tons per day.

But with the waste diversion initiatives, Lee estimated that roughly 60 percent or 90 tons of their wastes are diverted into useful things.

Those are being sold in junk shops, reused and made into eco bricks at the Ecopark, and the compost produced in our composting facility, etc.,” he said, while citing the remaining 40 percent or 60 tons are disposed by the city’s private hauler to its own landfill in Calamba. “So in that sense, the city has savings in waste disposal expenditures.”

Social ROI, future plans

BECAUSE the Ecopark was put up mainly to help resolve the piling garbage and environmental concerns, the top CENRO executive underscored its many social returns on investment (ROI).

Presently, almost all public schools grounds in the city were paved by the eco-

bricks, including the byproduct of the ashfall, produced in the facility and soon all sidewalks will follow. Together with the hollow blocks, they are similarly used by the barangays and homeoners’ associations in their projects. On the other hand, it also inspired the people, business establishments and industries to do their share by bringing their recyclable wastes to the facility. What’s more, the proceeds of the Taal bricks bought by endconsumers and contractors were donated to the four towns badly hit by the eruption, namely, Agoncillio, Laurel, San Nicolas and Taal. “Glad to see that there’s a community participation in it. That’s the social ROI. It’s priceless,” Lee said, while revealing the city government’s future plan to sell the eco-concrete products commercially once the adjacent 5,000 sq m property is acquired this year for the expansion of the facility.

“The contractors of city government’s projects have agreed to patronize our products. So we will sell to them the excess supply to the LGU’s requirements. Of course, that will be another income for the city, which can be used for the Ecopark’s operational expenses. In that way, it will become self-sustaining,” he added. These facilities are just some of the environmental initiatives of the City Government of Biñan. Others include the hiring of job order employees of the Task Force Linis Ilog and Linis Bayan, who clean the river, creeks, drainage canals and streets daily; establishment of barangay MRFs/ MRS and eco-gardens, as well as the City Organic Farm; installation of river trash traps and STPs in the City Public Market and City Hall Compound; energizing the city with 30 percent solar power, operation of an air quality monitoring equipment (Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy) installed by the EMB; implementation of livelihood program on water hyacinth and residual handicraft making under the Gender and Development Office; operation of mechanized street sweepers; relocation of informal settler families along riverbanks, coastline of Laguna Lake and danger areas; massive information and education campaign; as well as constant monitoring activities and enforcement of local environmental laws, such as the Anti-Littering Law, Segregation at Source, etc.

Such efforts earned for the City of Biñan its 2017, 2018 and 2019 Seals of Good Local Governance; the 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 Platinum Award on Manila Bay Rehabilitation Environmental Compliance Audit of the Department of Interior and Local Government; the 2019 Kampeon ng Lawa Award given by the Laguna Lake Development Authority during the World Water Day Awards; the 2019 Best LGU Solid Waste Management Implementer in the Province of Laguna with Special Recognitions on Innovation/Initiatives on Recycling, Waste Diversion, and Residual Waste Management; and a recognition by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-EMB of the city for having an outstanding practice on Solid Waste Management Technology through its “Eco-bricks Making” project given last June 2021.

All these, plus the various green endeavors in the pipeline, indeed, are a testament that the “City of

BESIDES the iconic puto— apparently with a lively festival dedicated to celebrate the city’s popular delicious version of this native rice cake every 15th day of May—Biñan created much buzz with the so-called “Taal brick.”

Life” that is Biñan is alive and kicking.

The Biñan City Centralized Material Recover, Waste Processing and Transfer Station Facility or the Ecopark

Almost all of the public school grounds in Biñan are made of the eco-bricks.

The sacks of volcanic ash found in the background of this photo are mixed with shredded plastic waste and other garbage to produce those eco-bricks.

The City Government of Biñan recently inaugurated the Biñan City Command, Control & Communication Center which is made of eco-hollow blocks and bricks from the Material Recovery Facility of Biñan City.

A worker inspects the shredded plastic waste and garbage before it is mixed with the volcanic ash.

This is the machine that produces the eco-bricks.

The City of Biñan was conferred the MANILA BAYani Award in the city category in 2022 for its contribution in the rehabilitation and protection of the Manila Bay watershed.

Biñan City Environment and Natural Resource Officer Rodelio V. Lee

Biñan City Mayor Arman Dimaguila inspects an eco-hollow block produced by the Ecopark facility.

The Nation

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Marcos initials Maharlika Fund, 10 other bills as Ledac priorities

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin

G. Romualdez announced last Sunday that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. approved 11 additional bills, including the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF), as part of the priorities of the LegislativeExecutive Development Advisory Council (Ledac).

R omualdez said through a statement that these additional bills will bring to 42 from the original 31 the total number of priority administration measures.

Romualdez said the bills are designed to address key issues on public health, job creation and further stimulate economic growth. He added that these measures will be the focus of legislative efforts when Congress resumes session this Monday.

R omualdez accompanied the President during Marcos’s 5-day official visit to the United States and the United Kingdom (UK). The latter is for the coronation of newly-crowned monarchs of the UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, King Charles III and Queen Camila.

According to Romualdez, the bills include the following:

• A mending t he A FP Fixed Term

Bill, which was transmitted to the President;

• Ease of Paying Taxes;

• Maharlika Investment Fund;

• L ocal Government Unit Income

Classification;

• A mendment to Universal Health Care Act;

• B ureau o f I mmigration

Modernization;

• I nfrastructure D evelopment

Plan/Build Build Build Program, which is now for committee report preparation;

• Philippine Salt Industry Development Act;

• Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (Pencas);

• National Employment Action Plan; and,

• A mendment to the A nti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, which is under committee/technical working group (TWG) meeting.

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

THE Philippines is on the right track to making a full economic recovery in the next five years, a group of offshore miners boldly predicted.

In a statement, the Offshore Mining Chamber of the Philippines Inc. (OMCPI) expressed confidence the Philippines is making headway to full economic recovery due to the new initiatives that the country’s chief executive is aggressively taking in the field of clean energy transition and the critical green minerals it is employing to fight climate change.

OMCPI Chairman Michael Ray-

DOH to push for standardized healthcare workers’ salaries

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

‘Best effort’

ROMUALDEZ added lawmakers aim to approve the remaining eight Ledac bills from the original 31 bills before the sine die adjournment of Congress on June 2.

“It will be on a best-effort basis.

We will try to pass the remaining eight bills from the original priority list. If we could do that, we would have approved all the urgent measures identified by [the] President in less than a year,” Romualdez said.

T hese proposed pieces of legislation support the President’s Agenda for Prosperity and his eight-point socio-economic road map, the lawmaker added.

“

They are intended to sustain our economic growth, hasten the country’s digital transformation and speed up the delivery of public services to our people, among other objectives,” Romualdez said.

A total of 31 proposed laws had been originally listed by the President in his first State of the Nation Address (Sona) in July last year and later adopted by the Ledac.

Two of the 31 are now laws the government is implementing: the SIM (subscriber identity module) Registration Act and the postponement of the barangay/Sangguniang Kabataan elections, which are now scheduled for October this year.

A nother bill, the proposed Agrarian Reform Debts Condonation of unpaid loans, interest and penalties of thousands of agrarian reform beneficiaries, may soon become law.

Ledac-Sona

CONGRESS had ratified the conference committee report containing the condonation bill before its Holy Week adjournment.

T he House had approved 20 Ledac-Sona bills on third and final reading from the 31 original Ledac bills.

T hese are: the Magna Carta of Seafarers, e-Governance Act/e-Government Act; Negros Island Region, Virology Institute of the Philippines; Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act; National Disease Prevention Management Authority or Center for Disease Con-

trol and Prevention; Medical Reserve Corps; Philippine Passport Act; Internet Transaction Act/e-Commerce Law; Waste-to-Energy bill; Free Legal Assistance for Police and Soldiers; Apprenticeship Act; Build-OperateTransfer (BOT) Law; Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers; Valuation Reform; Eastern Visayas Development Authority; Leyte Ecological Industrial Zone; Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery; National Citizens Service Training Program; and, Rightsizing the National Government.

T he original eight remaining SONA-Ledac priority measures the House is aiming to approve in the homestretch of the First Regular Session of the 19th Congress include the bill establishing regional specialty hospitals.

T he other are the following: enabling law for the natural gas industry; National Land Use Act; Department of Water Resources and Services and creation of Water Regulatory Commission; Budget Modernization Act; National Defense Act; amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act; and, the bill on a unified system of separation, retirement and pension for uniformed personnel.

Priority measures

ADDITIONALLY, the House has identified 13 priority measures including the On-Site, In-City Near City Local Government Resettlement Program and the Open Access in Data Transmission. The others are: the Mandatory Establishment of Evacuation Centers in Every City, Province and Municipality Permanent Evacuation Centers; Online Registration of Voters, Constitutional Convention (RBH 6) Calling for Constitutional Convention; and, Implementing RBH 6 and Amendments to the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) Charter, which were also sent to the Senate following third and final reading approval.

T he other measures are: the Estate Tax Amnesty Act Extension, which is for calendaring by the House Committee on Rules; the Government Procurement Reform

Act, which is under technical working group (TWG); the Department of Disaster Resilience and Livestock Development and Competitiveness Bill, which is under committee deliberations; and, the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and Wage Employment Assistance Program for Displaced and/or Vulnerable Workers, which is for committee deliberations.

Facilitate investments

ROMUALDEZ said these Ledac legislations would facilitate the entry of investments pledges from the US amounting $1.3 billion.

T he lawmaker said the pledges amount generated by the president’s official visit will have the potential to create around 6,700 new jobs for Filipinos within the country.

Earlier, Marcos noted that during his engagements with numerous American business groups, he was able to entice many of them to expand their operations or create new ventures in the Philippines.

H e said that when realized, these investments from the US will support our country’s economic recovery efforts and further strengthen the foundations of our economic environment.

“ We expect even more investment that will materialize once these companies firm up their plans,” Marcos added.

According to the President, these pledges from American investors are a sign of the trust and confidence in doing business in the Philippines, as many of them see the country as an ideal investment destination.

A mong the key areas of focus of the President’s official visit to the US include enhancing cooperation on addressing some of the key economic challenges, particularly food, energy and health security, digital connectivity, “and the cross-cutting issues of climate change and pandemic preparedness.”

T he President said his discussions with the US business community also affirm the optimism of international investors in the Philippines, particularly their praises for the talent, ingenuity and work ethic of Filipinos.

THE Department of Health (DOH) has committed that it will continue to push for the standardization of salaries and benefits all geared towards ensuring that the country’s health-care workers (HCWs) are provided with healthier settings in terms of their communities and workplaces.

DOH Officer-In-Charge Maria Rosario S. Vergeire also assured that they are exerting all efforts in disbursing the benefits and allowances of healthcare workers in both the public and private sectors, providing scholarships and other professional opportunities.

“ Our healthcare workers, our modern heroes, really did step up when the pandemic struck the whole world. And to that, we can fully attest that all their efforts and sacrifices are not forsaken as we are now marching towards the new normal as the global public health emergency has been lifted,” Vergeire said, adding that the DOH and all its attached agencies, joins the celebration of National Health Workers’ Day on May 7, 2023.

As the primary agency of the health sector in the country, the DOH honors all our healthcare workers serving the people in the name of Universal Health Care,” the DOH chief stressed.

Vergeire reiterated that HCWs form the “backbone” of our health systems and assured that the DOH “will continue to provide you with all the support for the betterment of your welfare and service.”

‘Unconstitutional’

MEANWHILE, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., now Philippine ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, called House Bill 6232, also known as Mandatory Medical Service bill, “unconstitutional.”

T he bill filed by Malasakit and Bayahanihan party-list Rep. Anthony Rolando Golez Jr. aims to address the shortage of HCWs in the country.

It mandates new Filipino doctors and nurses to work in the country for a year before they could work abroad.

“ That is unconstitutional because

it frustrates every Filipino’s right to vote with her feet and get the hell out of our country to where she can make a living out of the medical education she paid for without any help from us. How dare you! Keep your filthy hands off my people,” Locsin tweeted over the weekend.

In an earlier tweet, Locsin shared his recollection during a Cabinet meeting when it was said that there should be a deployment ban of nurses “in case they get sick.”

“I said, ‘If you get sick I hope you die.’ That’s some nerve asking nurses to stick around in case we get sick.” Locsin stressed that nurses “don’t owe us anything.”

They paid for their education and are paying for our health by starving here until they can get the hell out.

If we want a reserve corps of nurses then we should pay each of them P150,000 a month after taxes.”

T hen, there was silence, he recalled.

Monthly salary

MEANWHILE, groups of HCWs renewed their call to increase their entry-level pay to keep them from going abroad.

T he proposal for a monthly salary of P50,000 for nurses is still pending in Congress. HB 4599, or the Salary Increase for Nurses Act, will apply to nurses working in public and private health facilities.

Given a choice, Filipino Nurses United (FNU) President Maristela Abenojar said during a news briefing that most of HCWs would rather stay in the country to be with their respective family.

T he only problem, Abenojar said, is the salary.

Ipakita mo na maayos ang kanilang kakalagyan na trabaho sa health facilities, merong mga nakabubuhay na sahod, maayos na benepisyo, at meron tayong maayos na nurse-to-patient ratio kung sa nurses ’yan,” Abenojar said.

T his was echoed by Robert Mendoza, of the Alliance of Health Workers Dapat bigyan nila ng maayos na polisiya roon sa ating healthcare delivery system para patuloy na magsilbi ang ating healthcare workers sa ating bansa tulad ng sa usapin ng sahod, security of tenure at sa usapin pa ng benepisyo,” Mendoza stressed.

mond R. Aragon reacted to the statement of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during his recent speech in the United States addressing the influential Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington before leaving for London to attend the coronation of King Charles.

The Clean Energy Transition [CET] that the world is attempting to do in our common fight [against] Climate Change will pave the way to our country’s full economic recovery in the next five years of the Marcos administration,” Aragon predicted.

To advance our common climate agenda...energy and green metals cooperation is an important piece of our engagement and must be prioritized,”

Marcos was quoted as saying.

As President Marcos accurately declared in his CSIS speech in Washington recently that critical green minerals like cobalt and nickel just to name a few that the world critically needs to transition from dirty to clean energy source is abundant in the Philippines,” Aragon said.

“Our country is so blessed with these critical green minerals that humanity crucially needs in our clean energy transition to fight climate change and save mankind from species extinction,” he added.

However, Aragon said these critical minerals must be mined in a clean and green way to protect the environment.

“Unfortunately, our country does not possess these highly advanced and expensive green technologies. Thus we need to partner with countries like Japan and the United States for the Philippines to be involved in this novel critical or rare mineral global trade and industry. The new blue economy sector [beyond just fishing] that our offshore mining chamber is helping to develop here locally is a cleaner mining option for these abundant critical green mineral resources that the Philippines can share with the whole world to fight the global climate emergency, “ Aragon said.

He said the organization supports the Marcos’s initiatives to get the Philippines actively involved in this critical green mineral global trade and industry for the Philippines to recover economically “while in doing so we also help in the fight versus worldwide climate change.”

LIGAO, Albay—The calamityprone Bicol region has again raised the bar for disaster preparedness with the completion of a 2-story Multi-Purpose Evacuation Center (MPEC) facility here.

With a funding of P50 million from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), the modern structure built in Ligao City’s Barangay Tomolin, was inaugurated on May 5.

T he state-of-the-art facility is the seventh completed Pagcor-funded MPEC in the Bicol region and the second to be built in the province of Albay. Legazpi City was the first project recipient in Albay to complete the construction of a twostorey evacuation facility.

During the inauguration rites, Ligao City Mayor Fernando Gonzalez shared that due to Bicol region’s location near the Pacific Ocean and Ligao City’s proximity to the Mayon Volcano, locals are highly vulnerable to the impact of various natural disasters.

“From monsoons, tropical depression and typhoons that often form in the Pacific Ocean to volcanic eruptions, flooding and earthquakes—Ligao is in an eternal state of alert and experiences various types of calamities,” he said.

But while the city government often implements preemptive evacuation during disaster situations, its resources are not enough to provide everyone with a safe, temporary shelter.

“Previously, we did have difficulties in housing evacuees as most of our evacuation facilities are schools. Unfortunately, classrooms are not equipped as evacuation centers because they are designed for learning.

Hence, those who are temporarily seeking shelter experience so much inconvenience there.”

With the completion of the 2-story evacuation facility from Pagcor, the city government of Ligao is confident that they can respond better to the needs of their locals during emergency situations. “Pagcor’s evacuation facility addresses the all the possible needs of evacuees including requirements for sanitation, space, storage, ventilation, among others,” Gonzalez said.

While designed as a multi-purpose facility, each MPEC worth P50 million has provision for kitchen, toilet and shower rooms for male and female, lactating rooms for nursing mothers, and a spacious badminton-court type area that may be used for sports events, trainings and other purposes.

Pagcor’s Vice President for Corporate Social Responsibility Group Ramon Stephen Villaflor said the state-run gaming firm has stayed true to its commitment to nationbuilding by giving support to areas or sectors that need it most.

“Pagcor knows that the Bicol Region is the gateway of various natural calamities. Unfortunately, reality dictates that global warming is set to make typhoons stronger, hence the need to protect vulnerable communities. This newly constructed evacuation facility in Ligao is one of our ways to help alleviate the harsh impact of climate change. This is also a testament to the close coordination between local government units and national government agencies,” Villaflor furthered.

Villaflor

left) and

City Mayor Fernando V. Gonzalez (fourth from right) are joined by local government officials of Ligao during the inauguration of the 2-storey Pagcor-funded evacuation facility in Ligao, Albay.

in photo is former Ligao City Mayor Patricia Gonzalez-Alsua (second from right).

Pagcor inaugurates another evacuation facility in Albay

Offshore miners’ group says PHL on track for full economic recovery

FOR its alleged large incidence of labor rights violations, the Philippines has been included in the shortlist of countries to be tackled by the Committee on Application of Standards (CAS) at the next International Labor Conference (ILC), according to a labor coalition.

T he Nagkaisa labor coalition said the violations include the 69 cases of killings of trade union leaders and organizers, and about 400 other violations of Convention 87 or the Convention of the Freedom of Association (FOA) reported by Nagkaisa together with other members of the All Philippine Trade Unions (APTU).

To avoid being called out by the CAS, Nagkaisa urged the government to fully comply with the recommendations of the International Labor Organization-High Level Tripartite Mission (ILO-HLTM), which includes the creation of presidential body to look into trade unionists killings.

Expected inclusion

LAST week, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order 23 creating an interagency committee to come out with an inventory of cases related to FOA cases pending in the courts and to submit a “time-bound action plan” to address the incidents in response to the ILO-HLTM recommendations.

However, the committee lacked representation from employers and labor groups.

“ To address this issue, the coalition proposes its amendments to transform it into a tripartite commission, consisting of representatives from the government and representatives from workers and employers groups in accordance with the principle of ‘tripartism and social dialogue’ of ILO Convention 144 and the principles of ‘shared responsibility’ and “participation in decision-making’ under the Con-

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau

Chief

DAVAO CITY—The city government has demolished almost 200 structures built on top of river dikes and under bridges to reduce the risk of floods and to prevent the dikes and bridges’ structural stability from getting compromised.

A river patrol team of the Public Safety and Security Office has also scoured the rivers to check and report on other structures built atop the dikes further inland. Angel

Sumagaysay, head of the PSSO, said

stitution and the Labor Code,” Nagkaisa said in a statement.

T he Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), however, played down the implication of the country’s inclusion in the CAS shortlist.

The inclusion [in the shortlist] is automatic and expected since with have to update and report the Committee on Application of Standards on the results of the High Level Tripartite Mission, which was received by the Philippines last January,” Labor and Employment Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma told BusinessMirror in an SMS.

Economic repercussions

Nagkaisa chair Sonny Matula claimed the country will face economic repercussions if the CAS finds it to be non-compliant with Convention 87.

“ This could potentially impede or restrict the country’s ability to fully enjoy the privileges associated with the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP+) in European and US markets,” Matula said.

T he GSP exempts several exported Philippines products from tariffs in both markets.

T he country is currently seeking the reauthorization of its GSP from the US and EU.

Matula’s concern was echoed by Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO)

Secretary General Josua Mata, who said the country’s grilling at the ILO ILC “would send a bad signal to our trading partners, particularly the EU and the USA, that the country is not a favorable place to invest in.”

T he labor leader also noted it can lead to the country’s being included once again in the International Trade Union Confederation’s (ITUC) list of 10 worst countries for workers.

T he country has been included in the ITUC list since 2016.

Samuel P. Medenilla

the River Patrol Monitoring Team is tasked with surveillance, monitoring and demolition of illegal structures.

“Most of these structures are located in Talomo District, at SIR, Davao River. Only a few structures remain as almost all of the structures have been demolished. In Panacan, there are many structures demolished. Currently, we are demolishing structures in Bago Gallera,” he said.

Sumagaysay said the structures are mostly made of light materials but some are made of concrete, “which is why it takes them some time to demolish some of them”.

“These structures are extensions

Labor group eyes Asean help in fighting human trafficking

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

ALABOR group is now eyeing the intervention of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to address incidents of trafficking of migrant workers in the Philippines and its neighboring countries.

I n a statement last Sunday, the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) said it will call on ASEAN member countries to collectively address incidents of modern-day slavery by engaging with the ASEAN Trade Union Council (ATUC) and the ASEAN Secretariat.

“FFW is committed to working with the government and other stakeholders to safeguard the wel-

fare and dignity of workers in the Philippines and in the region,” FFW National Vice President Jun Mendoza Ramirez said.

FFW Vice President for Research, Advocacy and Partnerships Julius Cainglet said they are considering using the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers for their push against international human trafficking.

FFW made the pronouncement after the Philippine National Police (PNP) rescued over 919 foreigners from a cyber marketing firm linked to human trafficking at the Clark Freeport Zone last week.

Most of them are Vietnamese, Chinese and Indonesians.

FFW lauded the PNP for the suc-

cessful operation shutting down the criminal network “which has preyed upon innocent workers for the traffickers’ own gain.”

“This is a significant operation and we are happy that it has led to the rescue of over a thousand young workers, primarily from other Asian nations, who were made to believe that the Philippines is a land of opportunity for stable employment and good income for their families back home,” Ramirez said.

Duty-bound CAINGLET stressed the importance of protecting the rights of foreigners working in the country since there are many Filipinos, who are also employed abroad.

“ There is the principle of reciproc-

ity. We should treat foreign workers in our shores the same way we want OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) to be treated in other parts of the world,” the labor leader said.

This was echoed by Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan V. Ople, who pointed out the country is a signatory of international agreements, which require it to protect all migrant workers.

“We are a signatory of the UN Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families so we are duty-bound as a government and society to protect the rights and uphold the welfare of foreign workers in our country,” Ople said.

Viet, Japanese nationals now PHL’s fastest-growing alien

VIETNAMESE and Japanese nationals are now the fastest-growing registered group of employed foreign nationals (FN) in the country, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Based on its preliminary Jobs and Labor Market Forecast 20232025 study, DOLE’s Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) reported the number of Vietnamese with issued Alien Employment Permit (AEP) rose to 14,849 last year from just 4,867 in 2021.

The number of Japanese AEP holders also increased to 5,854 in 2022 from 3,215 in the previous year.

Despite the significant rise in the numbers of both groups, most of the

issued AEPs by DOLE last year were still for Chinese workers at 20,385.

However, this was significantly lower compared to its peak in 2019 with 127,269 before dwindling to 83,796 (2020); and 45,557 in 2021.

Aside from the three groups, other nationalities with the most number of AEP holders last year also included Koreans (3,382), Indonesian (3,190), Malaysian (2,776), Taiwanese (2,455), Indian (2,195), Myanmari (1,993), and Thai (1,004).

AEP is a document FNs must obtain from DOLE before they can work in the country for at least six months.

Reduced numbers

Overall, BLE said the number of the AEP holders last year has been cut down by more than half compared

to before the start of the pandemic.

From 158,710 in 2019, the number of FNs with AEP last year dipped to 62,349.

BLE attributed the reduction to Covid-19 pandemic as well as the stricter measures from DOLE, particularly Department Order (DO) No. 221, Series of 2021, which took effect on May 6, 2021.

“The said policy (DO 221) already puts in place the employer’s publication of the vacant position to be filled up by the foreign national, while continuous decline in AEP application and issuance is still attributed to the imposition of travel restrictions and community quarantines across the country,” BLE said in its new report.

It noted most of the FNs worked

as technicians and associate professionals, followed by professionals and managers.

In terms of industries, the top three industries with the most number of employed FNs in 2022 are administrative and support service activities (38,621), information and communication (5,900), as well as professional, scientific and technical activities (4,212).

BLE pointed out the sectors which shed the most number of employed FNs from 2019 to 2022 due to the pandemic were administrative and support service activities (-67,205 or -63.5 percent), information and communication (-16,055 or -73.1 percent), and construction (-3,670 or -58.7 percent). Samuel P. Medenilla

BI IDs Malta a hotspot for human trafficking

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

of houses, CRs, kitchen, cages of animals. Others even built apartments,” he added.

Informal settlers have already settled in the areas for two decades or more, “and the demolition takes time as these settlers need to find areas to stay. They are usually accommodated by their nearby family members,” he said.

Sumagaysay said his office has coordinated with the City Social Welfare and Development Office for financial and other forms of support to settlers who have to leave their shelter.

“Sometimes they ask for time so

Congress prodded to pass remedial law scrapping probation for reckless drivers

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

AMID rising deadly road incidents caused by reckless driving, Congress was asked to pass a remedial law scrapping probation for reckless drivers.

In filing Senate Bill 1016, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Martin “Koko” dlL. Pimentel 3rd asked lawmakers to enact a tougher law making reckless driving a non-probational offense.

Noting reports on “traffic deaths on the rise,” Pimentel called on Congress to enact a proposed legislative measure that he filed to make reckless driving a non-probationable offense.

As filed, SB 1016 provides that “when death is caused by imprudence or by negligence, whether reckless or simple, the accused should not be eligible for probation.”

In a separate statement over the

weekend, the minority leader conveyed he was “alarmed by increasing deaths caused by road accidents primarily due to recklessness.”

Pimentel recalled that last May 5 alone, a 4-year-old boy died while another is in critical condition after being run over by a bus and an SUV in front of a school along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

“This is among hundreds, if not thousands, of heartbreaking stories of road accidents that we hear and see every day,” the lawmaker lamented, asking: “How many innocent and precious kids do we have to lose in fatal road accidents before we act and make our roads safe for all Filipinos?”

Moreover, Pimentel added: “I therefore call on my colleagues in Congress to pass a measure calling for stiffer penalties against reckless drivers.”

He stressed that “It is about time to put motorists on notice, be careful

on the road or else face prison time. We can do this by removing the option for probation for convicted reckless drivers.”

Pimentel added that If passed, “the awaited remedial legislation can help reduce the number of accidents caused by reckless driving,” citing figures from Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista that there were 11,000 individuals who died due to road accidents in 2022.

The lawmaker likewise cited Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) ranked road accidents as the thirteenth cause of death in the Philippines in 2022, adding that “some road accidents that killed a number of passengers last year including an accident involving an overloaded SUV that killed 15 in Kalinga; a road mishap that killed 11 in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental; and an accident that killed a seven-year-old girl in a bus terminal in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) branded Malta as one of the hotspots for human trafficking after it recently intercepted two victims of such illegal activity who were bound for the said country last April 29.

B I Commissioner Norman Tansingco said last Sunday that the victims have been turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (Iacat) for further investigation and filing of appropriate charges against their recruiters.

Based on the initial investigation, the passengers told immigra -

tion officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 2 that they were friends and travelling to Malta for a four-day vacation.

The victims even showed records of local employment at dental clinics in the country to prove that they would return to the country.

The victims, however, were unaware that their employment visas to Malta were already cancelled even before leaving the country.

They added that they were instructed by their recruiter to wait for the rest of their travel documents upon reaching Bangkok.

“Both women later admitted

during secondary inspection that their final destination is Malta and that their documents were only handed to them by an unknown person that same morning outside the airport,” Tansingso said. Due to this incident, the BI chief called on the public to be more cautious in dealing with recruiters, noting several investigations have shown exploitation of domestic and foreign victims in the Mediterranean.

“The BI understands being enticed by greener pastures abroad, but by not going through the correct process, aspiring migrant workers risk getting abused overseas,” Tansingso said.

Mayor Binay inks deal with Cardinal Santos Medical Center for Makatizens

MAKATI Mayor Mar-Len Abigail “Abby” S. Binay signed last Wednesday an agreement with the Cardinal Santos Medical Center to accommodate patient referrals from the Ospital ng Makati (OsMak) who need specialized care and services.

Binay said the memorandum of agreement between Makati City and CSMC will allow for smoother and faster patient transfers between the two hospitals, allowing Makatizens to receive more comprehensive healthcare.

“Our partnership with CSMC will benefit Makatizens immensely. It provides them easy access to top-tier healthcare services and a wider range of specialists. I want to ensure that quality healthcare is accessible for anyone who needs it—regardless of their ability to pay,” the mayor was quoted in a statement as saying.

The mayor explained that while OsMak is an ISO-certified tertiary-level hospital, it still has limitations regarding medical services on its ancillary and diagnostic services. She said that the partnership with CSMC will facilitate continuity of care and ensure the best possible health outcomes for patients from OSMak.

Under the agreement, patients must first be assessed and treated at OsMak before being referred to CSMC. OsMak will then send an LOA to CSMC detailing the patient’s medical needs. Makatizens can only be treated for specified medical services at CSMC and will be referred to OsMak for followup care.

Binay added that the agreement with CSMC reinforces the city’s commitment to health equity and access to quality healthcare for everyone in Makati.

The partnership will initially run for one year but may be renewed depending on the program results.

CSMC President and CEO Raul C. Pagdanganan led the officials who formalized the contract with the Makati City local government. The city government had established similar partnerships with Makati Medical Center and the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, tapping their specialized healthcare services and medical equipment for Makatizens.

“We are always looking for ways to improve our healthcare system, and this partnership with CSMC is just another step in the right direction. We will continue looking for ways to give our citizens access to the quality healthcare they need and deserve,” Binay said.

DOLE plays down PHL’s shortlisting for ILC meet, as labor flags sanctions

Davao City demolishes nearly 200 structures atop dikes, under bridges

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

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

10 ANOC99 CORPORATION

POGO 1 Building, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

customer service inquiries

WAN, JING

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description:

Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

TANG HONG QUAN

11 ANOC99 CORPORATION

POGO 1 Building, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

12 BRICKHARTZ TECHNOLOGY INC.

Lot 4044, Molino Boulevard, Niog III, City of Bacoor, Cavite

Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description:

Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

LI, JUNYAO

Mandarin Customer Relations Officer

Brief Job Description:

Ensure outstanding customer satisfaction by maintaining strong working relationships

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

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

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

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

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

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Basic

Basic Qualification:

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

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

Basic Qualification:

13 BRICKHARTZ TECHNOLOGY INC.

Lot 4044, Molino Boulevard, Niog III, City of Bacoor, Cavite

XU, KAI

Mandarin Customer Relations Officer

Brief Job Description:

Ensure outstanding customer satisfaction by maintaining strong working relationships

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

Salary Range:

Php30,000Php59,999

Basic Qualification:

14 BRICKHARTZ TECHNOLOGY INC.

Lot 4044, Molino Boulevard, Niog III, City of Bacoor, Cavite

YANG, AO

Mandarin Customer Relations Officer

Brief Job Description:

Ensure outstanding customer satisfaction by maintaining strong working relationships

ZHU, DEEN

15 BRICKHARTZ TECHNOLOGY INC.

Lot 4044, Molino Boulevard, Niog III, City of Bacoor, Cavite

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

Salary Range:

Php30,000Php59,999

16 COMMON GROUND INT’L. INC.

9011 Route, National Road, Pallocan Kanluran, Batangas City (Capital), Batangas

Mandarin Customer Relations Officer

Brief Job Description:

Ensure outstanding customer satisfaction by maintaining strong working relationships

KIM, JIYEON

Marketing Korean Manager

Brief Job Description:

Develop strategic marketing plans for the company and oversee the implementation and execution of the various associated with the marketing plan.

Basic Qualification: Has excellent problem-solving and communication skills in Mandarin, with related BPO experience

Salary Range:

Php30,000Php59,999

Basic Qualification: College graduate/ Bachelor’s degree, at least 1-2 years working experience in the related position, flexible, trustworthy, proficient in speaking ang writing in English.

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

17 COMMON GROUND INT’L. INC.

9011 Route, National Road, Pallocan Kanluran, Batangas City (Capital), Batangas

LEE, HYOKYOUNG

Marketing Korean Manager

Brief Job Description:

Develop strategic marketing plans for the company and then oversee the implementation and execution of the various associated with the marketing plan

Basic Qualification: College graduate/ Bachelor’s degree, at least 1-2 years working experience in the related position, flexible, trustworthy, proficient in speaking ang writing in English.

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

18 DAEGYOUNG APPAREL INC.

Units 5A-5D, Block 23, Phase IV Gabriel Industrial Complex, Tejeros Convention, Rosario, Cavite

KIM, CHOYEON QA Manager

Brief Job Description:

Accomplish Quality Assurance Human Resource objectives by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, assigning, scheduling, coaching, counseling and disciplining employees

Familiarity with industry quality control and assurance

27 SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC.

4th- 12th Floors, Southwoods Mall Tower 2, Halang Street, San Francisco, City of Biñan, Laguna

LI, BIFENG

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description:

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

Basic Qualification:

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

Salary Range:

Php30,000Php59,999

19 JZ RIGID BOX PHILIPPINES INC.

20

Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

22 MOA CLOUDZONE CORP.

Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

23 PLO SCHOOL OF GLOBAL, INC.

2nd Floor, Linsan Building Aguinaldo Highway, San Vicente II, Silang, Cavite

24 SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC.

4th- 12th Floors, Southwoods Mall Tower 2, Halang Street, San Francisco, City of Biñan, Laguna

25 SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC.

4th- 12th Floors, Southwoods Mall Tower 2, Halang Street, San Francisco, City of Biñan, Laguna

26 SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC.

4th- 12th Floors, Southwoods Mall Tower 2, Halang Street, San Francisco, City of Biñan, Laguna

ZHANG, YONGSHENG Supervisor - Forming and Assembly Basic Qualification: Able to

28 SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC.

4th- 12th Floors, Southwoods Mall Tower 2, Halang Street, San Francisco, City of Biñan, Laguna

into efficient and effective production and meet client

WU, YINGQIANG

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

AYUMI

Indonesian Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description:

Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

LEE, JEONGJU

Korean Language Manager

Brief Job Description:

Help the school management by leading the staffs to ensure that the school curriculum promotes best practice with appropriate learning opportunities for students.

CHEN, XIANGJIE

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description:

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

CHEN, YINGHAO

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description:

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

JU, LEI

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description:

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

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

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

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

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

Basic Qualification: Can speak Korean and English fluently and can communicate well

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

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

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

Basic Qualification:

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

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

Basic Qualification:

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

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

29 SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC.

4th- 12th Floors, Southwoods Mall Tower 2, Halang Street, San Francisco, City of Biñan, Laguna

30 SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC.

4th- 12th Floors, Southwoods Mall Tower 2, Halang Street, San Francisco, City of Biñan, Laguna

31 SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC.

4th- 12th Floors, Southwoods Mall Tower 2, Halang Street, San Francisco, City of Biñan, Laguna

32 SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC.

4th- 12th Floors, Southwoods Mall Tower 2, Halang Street, San Francisco, City of Biñan, Laguna

33 SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC.

4th- 12th Floors, Southwoods Mall Tower 2, Halang Street, San Francisco, City of Biñan, Laguna

34 SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC.

4th- 12th Floors, Southwoods Mall Tower 2, Halang Street, San Francisco, City of Biñan, Laguna

LI, CAILONG

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description:

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

LIN, CHENGYANG

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description:

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

QIU, FEI

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description:

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

SUN, SAILIN

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description:

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

WANG, YU

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description:

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

BUI MINH HOANG

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description:

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

HO TRONG THIEU

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description:

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

Basic Qualification:

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

Salary Range:

Php30,000Php59,999

Basic Qualification:

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

Salary Range:

Php30,000Php59,999

Basic Qualification:

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

Salary Range:

Php30,000Php59,999

Basic Qualification:

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

Salary Range:

Php30,000Php59,999

Basic Qualification:

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

Salary Range:

Php30,000Php59,999

Basic Qualification:

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

Salary Range:

Php30,000Php59,999

Basic Qualification:

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

Salary Range:

Php30,000Php59,999

Agriculture/Commodities

•

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

‘House fast-tracking bill on salt industry revival’

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

THE House of Representatives is now fast-tracking its deliberations on a substitute bill aimed at boosting domestic salt production, in support of the government’s drive to save this dying industry, a senior lawmaker said on Sunday.

C amarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte said that a technical working group (TWG) of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food has been “working double-time” on the draft substitute bill proposing a comprehensive plan to revitalize the salt industry.

Villafuerte expressed the hope that the committee would be able to endorse to the plenary soon enough a final bill revitalizing the salt industry, in time for its House approval before the 19th Congress ends its first regular session on June 2. T his substitute measure being drafted by the panel is a consolidation of six same-topic bills, including House Bill (HB) 7357, which Villafuerte had introduced with fellow CamSur Reps. Luis Miguel Villafuerte and Hiyoshi Anthony Horibata plus Bicol Saro Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan. Considering the expansive coastlines of the Philippines, it truly baffles us why our archipelago was reported in 2021 to be producing only 7 percent of the national salt requirement and importing the other 93 percent equivalent to around 550,000 MT [metric tons],” he said. “Hence, we are hoping that new legislation would enable our moribund salt industry to become competitive once more in both the domestic and international markets.”

“ Our goal is for the Congress to help the Marcos administration revitalize the local salt industry by providing it with the right government support services for its protection and direction, specifically those that involve production and development.” T he revival of the salt industry is one of the priority measures of

President Marcos.

Both chambers of the Congress are on their summer break and are set to reopen on Monday.

Villafuerte traced the local saltmaking industry back to the 18th century, saying there was a time when Las Piñas and Malabon were the top salt producers before Pangasinan eventually became the country’s leading area for salt production.

A mong the topics discussed by the TWG during its recent second meeting were the identification of priority areas for salt production, requirements for the exportation of local salt, possible tax breaks and the implementation of the salt iodization law or Republic Act (RA) 8172.

During that second TWG meeting, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Demosthenes Escoto said one of the goals in reviving the industry is to raise domestic production of salt, which is 11 percent locally produced and 89 percent imported.

Escoto had supported the proposals to reclassify salt as an agricultural commodity instead of as a mineral, and to place the salt industry under the supervision of BFAR.

At the same meeting, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary Ignatius Rodriguez did not object to this proposal to place the salt industry under the jurisdiction of BFAR.

Masterplan

IN HB 7357, Villafuerte and its three other authors have proposed the creation of an interagency Philippine Salt Industry Development Council (PSIDC) to craft a 5-year masterplan to expand areas devoted to salt-making, boost domestic salt output, promote investments in this sector and market Philippine products made from this essential nutrient, among others.

A s proposed by Villafuerte’s group, the PSIDC will craft a Philippine Salt Industry Development Roadmap (Roadmap) comprising programs and projects for the development and management, processing, utilization, business devel-

opment, and commercialization of Philippine salt.

T his proposed PSIDC will provide the overall policy and program directions and coordinate the activities of the various agencies and instrumentalities to ensure the implementation, accomplishment, periodic review and enhancement of the road map.

Villafuerte said he and his fellow authors have proposed that the road map focus on expanding salt-producing areas, ensuring sustainable production and harvesting in these areas, promoting investments in salt industry development programs, advancing market access for Philippine salt products locally and internationally, and providing continuous training and capacity-building in salt industry development.

T hey also said the road map aims to extend technical and financial assistance for the development, processing, commercialization and marketing of Philippine salt products; require the use of locally-produced salt in the fertilization of coconut farms by the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA); provide technical and financial assistance in the local design and fabrication of highcapacity processing equipment for this industry; and develop categories of salt-farming areas into places for artisan salt production, gourmet salt production, iodized salt production and salt ecotourism sites. V illafuerte had traced the decline of the salt industry to the ratification of the Philippines of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1994, which was seen as the reason for the influx of cheap salt imports and enactment of RA 8172, or the Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide Law in 1995, which required the addition of iodine to salt to address the country’s micronutrient malnutrition.

The capital requirement for the machinery and technology for salt iodization was a heavy burden for local salt makers, leading many of them to drop one by one and shift to other livelihood sources,” said the authors in their bill.

told: Buy fresh palay from farmers to boost buffer stock

By Raadee S. Sausa @raadeeboy

AS the palay dry cropping season is coming to an end, a farmer’s group is urging the National Food Authority (NFA) to procure fresh and newly harvested rice directly from farmers to prop up its buffer stock.

In the past several harvest seasons, it is only this dry cropping season that palay farmers were able to sell their produce at prices that are much higher compared to the NFA’s price,” Rosendo So, president of Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) said.

Traders at the Intercity Industrial Estate and Golden City Business Park in Bocaue, two major rice trading centers in Bulacan, have confirmed that the average commercial prices of ready-to-mill pay for the current cropping season

ranged from P20 per kilo to as high as P24.50 per kilo, depending on quality and variety. Aromatic rice crop varieties fetched a minimum of P26 per kilo.

S o also said the NFA currently has a budget of P9 billion for its palay procurement program to boost its buffer stock. This, he said, should enable the food agency to go directly to rice planters since they have the facilities to dry and transport the crops.

T he NFA purchases dry and clean palay or unmilled rice at P19 per kilo.

To allow the agency to compete with private traders offering high prices, it came up with the Palay Marketing Assistance Program for Legislators and Local Government Units (PALLGU).

U nder the program, the legislators or heads of local govern -

ments will enter into a marketing agreement with NFA where the former will provide a premium amount, which will be added to the existing government buying price of palay currently pegged at P19 per kilo.

R aul Montemayor, national manager of the Federation of Free Farmers said that, based on his group’s monitoring only a few LGUs in Zamboanga, Leyte, Sablayan Mindoro Occidental and Nueva Ecija have tied up with the NFA under the program that offers an additional mark up of between P1 and P5.

It [PALLGU] has only a small impact. For example, if the LGU fund is P10 million and P2 per kilo is added to the NFA price, only about 5,000 tons, or 1,250 hectares, will benefit.”

He also noted that around 90 percent of the farmers have no driers, blowers, warehouses and trucks.

researchers develop drought-resistant tomatoes–Isaa

DAVAO CITY—Two scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem developed a new, and still unnamed variety of tomato that is resilient to drought conditions, after they crossbred two varieties of tomatoes, one of which is a wild variety from the desert of western Peru.

The crossbreeding proceeded after university researchers, Shai Torgeman and Professor Dani Zamir, finally identified the areas of the genome sequence of the tomatoes that lead to increased yield and resistance to dry conditions, the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (Isaa) said in its online weekly publication, “Biotech Update.”

“ The scientists crossbred two

species of tomatoes, a wild variety from the deserts of western Peru, with a common commercial cultivar that is widely available. They identified interactions between two areas of the tomato’s genome. The study found that these specific areas in the plant’s genome lead to a 20 percent to 50 percent increase in the overall yield in both regular and dry conditions. The scientists also observed that plant size improved,” the Isaa said, citing a report from the American news agency Media Line, which covers the Middle East.

A ccording to the researchers, “their findings show that using wild species is an effective way to enhance agricultural output. They could also prove to be widely appli-

cable to other plants in the future.”

T he goal, they said, was to pinpoint exactly which parts of the plant’s genome affect its yield and other important agricultural traits.

“ We have 1,500 accessions and each one contains a segment of the wild tomato’s genome,” Michael Zilberberg, a research assistant working with Torgeman, told The Media Line.

“ This allows us to see how each part of the genome affects the fruit, the plant’s growth, its size, as well as its resistance to drought and pathogens,” he added. “Because of these different results, we can find the characteristics that are important to us and discover where these characteristics come from in the wild tomato’s genome.” Manuel T. Cayon

NFA

Israeli

The World

Editor: Angel R. Calso

Over 200 dead, many more missing after Congo floods

By Justin Kabumba The Associated Press

KALEHE, Congo—The death

Thomas Bakenge, administrator of Kalehe, the worst hit territory, told reporters on the scene Saturday that 203 bodies had been recovered so far, but that efforts to find others were continuing.

In the village of Nyamukubi, where hundreds of homes were washed away, rescue workers and survivors dug through the ruins Saturday looking for more bodies in the mud.

Villagers wept as they gathered around some of the bodies recovered so far, which lay on the grass covered in muddy cloths near a rescue workers’ post.

Grieving survivor Anuarite Zikujuwa said she had lost her entire family, including her in-laws, as well as many of her neighbors. “The whole village has been turned into a wasteland. There’s only stones left and we can’t even tell where

our land once was,” she said. Michake Ntamana, a rescue worker helping look for and bury the dead, said villagers were trying to identify and collect the bodies of loved ones found so far. He said some bodies washed down from villages higher in the hills were being buried shrouded just in leaves of the trees. “It’s truly sad because we have nothing else here,” he said.

Rivers broke their banks in villages in the territory of Kalehe, close to the shores of Lake Kivu on Thursday. Authorities have reported scores of people injured. One survivor told AP the flash floods came so fast that they took everyone by surprise. South Kivu Gov. Théo Ngwabidje visited the area to see the destruction for himself. He posted on his Twitter account that the

provincial government had dispatched medical, shelter and food supplies.

Several main roads to the affected area have been made impassable by the rains, hampering the relief efforts.

President Felix Tshisekedi has declared a national day of mourning on Monday to honor the victims, and the central government is sending a crisis management team to South Kivu to support the provincial government.

Heavy rains in recent days have

Police: 8 killed in Texas mall shooting, gunman also dead

By Jake Bleiberg & Rebecca Boone The Associated Press

ALLEN, Texas—A gunman stepped out of a silver sedan and started shooting people at a Dallas-area outlet mall Saturday, killing eight and wounding seven others—three critically— before being killed by a police officer who happened to be nearby, authorities said.

Authorities did not immediately provide details about the victims at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling outdoor shopping center, but witnesses reported seeing children among them. Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground.

fore employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes lay nearby.

Once outside, Payton saw bodies.

“I pray it wasn’t kids, but it looked like kids,” he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground.

“It broke me when I walked out to see that,” he said.

brought misery to thousands in East Africa, with parts of Uganda and Kenya also seeing heavy rainfall.

Flooding and landslides in Rwanda, which borders Congo, left 129 people dead earlier this week.

Local government official Bakenge told AP, “This is the fourth time that such damage has been caused by the same rivers. Not 10 years pass without them causing enormous damage.” Jean Yves Kamale in Kinshasa contributed to this story.

Ukraine downs Russian hypersonic missile with US Patriot over Kyiv

By David Rising

Press

The Associated

KYIV, Ukraine—Ukraine’s air force claimed Saturday to have downed a Russian hypersonic missile over Kyiv using newly acquired American Patriot defense systems, the first known time the country has been able to intercept one of Moscow’s most modern missiles.

Air Force commander Mykola

Oleshchuk said in a Telegram post that the Kinzhal-type ballistic missile had been intercepted in an overnight attack on the Ukrainian capital earlier in the week. It was also the first time Ukraine is known to have used the Patriot defense systems.

“Yes, we shot down the ‘unique’ Kinzhal,” Oleshchuk wrote. “It happened during the night-time attack on May 4 in the skies of the Kyiv region.”

Oleshchuk said the Kh-47 missile was launched by a MiG-31K aircraft from Russian territory and was shot down with a Patriot missile.

The Kinzhal is one of the latest and most advanced Russian weapons. The Russian military says the air-launched ballistic missile has a range of up to 2,000 kilometers (about 1,250 miles) and flies at 10 times the speed of sound, making it hard to intercept.

A combination of hypersonic

speed and a heavy warhead allows the Kinzhal to destroy heavily fortified targets, like underground bunkers or mountain tunnels.

The Ukrainian military has previously admitted lacking assets to intercept the Kinzhals.

“They were saying that the Patriot is an outdated American weapon, and Russian weapons are the best in the world,” Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on Ukraine’s Channel 24 television. “Well, there is confirmation that it effectively works against even a super-hypersonic missile,” Ihnat said.

He said successfully intercepting the Kinzhal was “a slap in the face for Russia.”

Ukraine took its first delivery of the Patriot missiles in late April. It has not specified how many of the systems it has or where they have been deployed, but they are known to have been provided by the United States, Germany and the Netherlands.

Germany and the US have acknowledged each sending at least one battery and the Netherlands has said it has provided two launchers, although it is not clear how many are currently in operation.

Ukrainian troops have received the extensive training needed to be able to effectively locate a target with the

systems, lock on with radar, and fire. Each battery requires up to 90 personnel to operate and maintain.

Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said he first asked for Patriot systems when visiting the US in August 2021, months before Russia’s full-scale invasion but seven years after Russia illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula.

He has described possessing the system as “a dream” but said he was told in the US at the time that it was impossible.

The Patriot was first deployed by the US in the 1980s. The system costs approximately $4 million per missile, and the launchers cost about $10 million each, according to analysts.

At such a cost, it was widely thought that Ukraine would only use the Patriots against Russian aircraft or hypersonic missiles.

In a Telegram post on Saturday, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-inchief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, said he had thanked US Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for the ongoing American aid to Ukraine.

Zaluzhnyi said he also briefed Milley “about the situation at the front and preparations” for Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia.

Ukraine has not said when it might

launch the counteroffensive, but it is widely anticipated this spring.

In an interview this week with Foreign Affairs magazine, Milley said he would not speculate on if or when it might come, but that with NATO assistance to help train and equip nine brigades’ worth of combined arms, armor and mechanized infantry, “the Ukrainians right now have the capability to attack.”

He also said that their capability to defend was “significantly enhanced from what they were just a year ago.”

“I don’t want to suggest that they may or may not conduct an offensive operation in the coming weeks,” he said. “That’ll be up to them. They’ve got a significant amount of planning and coordination and all of that to do, if they were to do an offensive operation. But they’re prepared to do offense or defense.”

In other developments, officials in both Russia and Ukraine said they had carried out another of their regular exchanges of prisoners of war.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it brought three military pilots back to Russia, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said 45 fighters who defended the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol had been returned to Ukraine.

Russia: Bomber who injured novelist acted for Ukraine

By Dasha Litvinova

The Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia—Russia’s top investigative agency on Saturday said the suspect in a car bombing that injured a prominent pro-Kremlin novelist and killed his driver has admitted acting at the behest of Ukraine’s special services. The blast that hit the car of Zakhar Prilepin, a well-known nationalist writer and an ardent supporter of Russia’s war in Ukraine, was the third explosion involving prominent

pro-Kremlin figures since the start of the conflict.

It took place in the region of Nizhny Novgorod, about 400 kilometers ( 250 miles) east of Moscow. Prilepin was hospitalized with broken bones, bruised lungs and other injuries; the regional governor said he had been put into a “medical sleep,” but did not elaborate.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said the suspect was a Ukrainian native and had admitted under questioning that he was working under orders from Ukraine. The

blamed not only Ukraine but the United States as well.

“Responsibility for this and other terrorist acts lies not only with the Ukrainian authorities, but with their Western patrons, in the first place, the United States, who since the coup d’etat of February 2014 have painstakingly nurtured the anti-Russian neoNazi project in Ukraine,” the ministry said, referring to the 2014 uprising in Kyiv that forced the Russia-friendly president to flee.

In August 2022, a car bombing on the outskirts of Moscow killed Daria Dugina, the daughter of an influen -

The shooting, the latest eruption of what has been an unprecedented pace of mass killings in the US, sent hundreds fleeing in panic. Barely a week before, authorities say, a man fatally shot five people in Cleveland, Texas, after a neighbor asked him to stop firing his weapon while a baby slept.

A 16-year-old pretzel stand employee, Maxwell Gum, described a virtual stampede of shoppers. He and others sheltered in a storage room.

“We started running. Kids were getting trampled,” Gum said. “My co-worker picked up a 4-year-old girl and gave her to her parents.”

Dashcam video that circulated online showed the gunman getting out of a car and shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three-dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle recording the video drove off.

Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people including the shooter died at the scene. Nine victims were taken to area hospitals, but two of them died.

Three of the wounded were in critical condition in the evening, Boyd said, and four were stable.

An Allen Police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., the police department wrote on Facebook.

“The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel,” it added.

Mass killings are happening with staggering frequency in the United States this year: an average of about one a week, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

The White House said President Biden had been briefed on the shooting and the administration had offered support to local officials. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed laws easing firearms restrictions following past mass shootings, called it an “unspeakable tragedy.”

Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunshots through his headphones.

“It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside,” Payton said.

People in the store scattered be -

Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered up.

Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people motionless on the ground, including one who appeared to be a police officer and one who appeared to be a mall security guard.

Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic store during the shooting. As he left, he saw what appeared to be an unconscious police officer lying next to another unconscious person outside the outlet store.

“I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him,” Mouli said.

Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in the Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started.

“We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping,” Mary Ann Greene told The Associated Press.

Employees rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said.

Eber Romero was at the Under Armour store when a cashier mentioned that there was a shooting.

As he left the store, Romero said, the mall appeared empty, and all the shops had their security gates down. That is when he started seeing broken glass and people who had been shot on the floor.

Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot amid the sound of gunshots.

More than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing were blocking an entrance to the mall, with multiple ambulances on the scene.

A live aerial broadcast from a news station showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles outside the mall.

Ambulances from several neighboring cities responded.

The Dallas office of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded.

Allen, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas, has roughly 105,000 residents. Associated Press writers Gene Johnson in Seattle and Adam Kealoha Causey in Dallas contributed to this report.

tial Russian political theorist often referred to as “Putin’s brain.” The authorities alleged that Ukraine was behind the blast.

Last month, an explosion in a cafe in St. Petersburg killed a popular military blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky. Officials once again blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies.

Russian news outlet RBC reported, citing unnamed sources, that Prilepin was traveling back to Moscow on Saturday from Ukraine’s partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions and stopped in the Nizhny Novogorod region for a meal.

Prilepin became a supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014, after Putin illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula. He was involved in the conflict in eastern Ukraine on the side of Russianbacked separatists. Last year, he was sanctioned by the European Union for his support of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In 2020, he founded a political party, For the Truth, which Russian media reported was backed by the Kremlin.

A year later, Prilepin’s party merged with the nationalist A Just Russia party that has seats in the parliament.

A co-chair of the newly formed party, Prilepin won a seat in the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, in the 2021 election, but

gave it up.

Party leader Sergei Mironov called the incident on Saturday “a terrorist act” and blamed Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova echoed Mironov’s sentiment in a post on the messaging app Telegram, adding that responsibility also lay with the US and NATO.

“Washington and NATO have nursed yet another international terrorist cell—the Kyiv regime,” Zakharova wrote. “Direct responsibility of the US and Britain. We’re praying for Zakhar.”

The deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, former President Dmitry Medvedev put the blame on “Nazi extremists” in a telegram he sent to Prilepin.

toll from flash floods and landslides in eastern Congo has risen beyond 200, with many more people still missing, according to local authorities in the province of South Kivu.

Relative S gather to identify bodies in the village of Nyamukubi, South Kivu province, Congo, Saturday, May 6, 2023. the death toll from flash floods and landslides in eastern Congo has risen to over 200, with many more people still missing, according to a provisional assessment given by the governor and authorities in the country’s South Kivu province. AP Photo/Moses sAwA s AwA

editorial

Fixing skills-jobs mismatch in PHL

SkiLLS-jobS mismatch is the discrepancy between the skills being sought by employers and the capability that job applicants possess. in other words, it is a mismatch between qualifications and available positions. This means that education and training are not providing the skills needed in the labor market.

“In the changing world of work, constant adaptation is a renewed requirement for governments, trade unions, businesses, individuals, education and training providers who must rely on the systematic anticipation of skill needs to establish strategic responses and prevent skills-jobs mismatch,” according to the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Only half of the workers worldwide hold jobs that correspond to their level of education, ILO has found. This means that the other workers are either overeducated or undereducated. Workers in high-income countries are more likely to find jobs that match their education level compared to workers in low-income countries.

The ILO has estimated that the transition to a green economy could create 18 million jobs worldwide. It said enhanced policy coordination, social dialogue and partnership are essential, in addition to sound national sectoral policies.

Heinz Koller, ILO Assistant Director-General, underlined the importance of adapting skills policies to anticipate those needed for future green jobs. “We need a comprehensive, strategic approach to deliver the just transition, which will create opportunities. Countries must review their skills policies and anticipate skills needs for future green jobs,” he said.

“Jobs-skills mismatch in the Philippines is a huge problem stemming from years of disconnect. It is largely contributory to unemployment and underemployment in the country, which prevents us from fully maximizing the potential of our young workforce,” according to the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), a nonprofit founded by the country’s top CEOs in response to the need for greater education and economic alignment.

The PBEd recently launched “A Future That Works” (AFW), a 23-month local workforce development program, funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to ensure that Filipinos joining the labor force have competencies aligned with the needs of the industry.

“The goal of AFW is simple: bring down the jobs and skills gap by organizing industry leaders and experts through Sectors Skills Councils [SSC] so they can effectively communicate the needs of the industry and serve as the bridge to ensure that Filipinos are armed with the right education and training, making them more employable,” said PBEd Executive Director Justine Raagas.

In collaboration with industry associations, AFW is supporting four sectors: analytics and artificial intelligence, semiconductors and electronics, food processing, and the upcoming SSC in the healthcare sector.

The pandemic and increasing awareness on climate change have led to the emergence of new niches in the labor market, where there are a growing number of vacancies, but still few qualified applicants, for now, according to a new report from the Department of Labor and Employment. In its preliminary Jobs and Labor Market Forecast 20232025, DOLE’s Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) identified information technology and platform industry as among the industries with “emerging jobs.” (Read, “DOLE: Few qualified applicants for niche jobs,” in the BusinessMirror, May 5, 2023).

These jobs include virtual assistant, cybersecurity specialist, social media marketer, application development analysts, delivery riders, fiber optic technician, and online tutor. BLE said the demand for such positions surged during the pandemic as more people used digital platforms, and employers as well as workers grew accustomed to flexible work arrangements.

“The crisis has upended the traditional 9-5 working world and caused many blueand white-collar employees to pursue digital and gig work for additional—or even primary—income during these unprecedented times,” BLE said.

Another emerging sector is the so-called green jobs industry, which covers occupations “that contribute to preserving or restoring the quality of the environment.” Such vacancies are becoming more in-demand amid the increasing number of companies adopting environmentally sustainable practices. These green jobs include agricultural engineers and scientists, agriculturists, biochemists, drone engineer, e-jeepney driver, and environment engineer.

Skills-jobs mismatches negatively affect our workers, our enterprises and the country’s economic growth. The ILO said skills mismatch increases unemployment and adversely affects a country’s competitiveness and attractiveness to investors.

It would do well for the government to partner with Philippine industries to respond to changing demands in the labor market and ensure sufficient training for our workers. We can’t afford to ignore lost opportunities to create jobs that impact economic growth.

The importance of heritage

RISING SUN

May is National Heritage Month. in Filipino, Pambansang buwan ng Pamana. by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 439, s. 2003, the Philippines celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. NHM aims to foster among us Filipinos the awareness, respect, and love for our own culture and history.

This year’s theme is “Heritage: Change and Continuity.” It emphasizes the “dynamic nature of heritage as a field that continuously innovates so it can achieve its objective of preserving products of human creativity.” It also highlights the enduring legacies of Filipino traditions amidst rapidly changing national and global contexts. The theme covers four subtopics, namely: Sustainable Heritage Management, Heritage Science, Intangible Cultural Heritage, and Urban Heritage.

The Philippines has very colorful and rich traditions—from ancient practices and indigenous tradi-

The Philippines has very colorful and rich traditions—from ancient practices and indigenous traditions to architectural marvels and artistic creations. As a country of more than 7,000 islands and a rich history of foreign colonialism and influences, we have an important heritage to appreciate and protect. This diversity is also an opportunity to showcase our identity as a people.

tions to architectural marvels and artistic creations. As a country of more than 7,000 islands and a rich history of foreign colonialism and influences, we have an important heritage to appreciate and protect. This diversity is also an opportunity to showcase our identity as a people.

It goes without saying that the public needs to actively participate in the protection of our culture and history. Communities and cultural institutions have an important role as vanguards of heritage preservation. For example, efforts are currently being undertaken to conserve

gems like ancestral homes and the Baroque churches in the Philippines, which have been recognized as world heritage sites. The National Museum of the Philippines and local heritage conservation organizations are crucial in safeguarding artifacts, artworks, and historical documents that provide glimpses into our past as a nation.

We have colorful festivals happening in May and the whole year round—Kadayawan in Davao, Pahiyas in Quezon, Flores de Mayo, and so on. We have the mesmerizing dances of the Kalinga and T’boli

tribes and many other beautiful reminders of our amazing cultural roots. Food is also an important part of any culture, and we all know how diverse and extraordinary our culinary heritage is. The languages are included, as well as the various art forms like music, visual arts, literature, theater, etc. Here’s an important task: The younger generation must learn about all these, and one way to do it is by integrating cultural education into our curriculum so our young people could gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for their heritage. Done effectively, this then leads to national pride and a stronger sense of identity. Preservation has to move alongside the world’s rapid modernization and globalization so our heritage will be intact for the sake of future generations. The organizers of this month’s activities will need to have in mind the importance of engaging communities in preservation efforts and awareness raising. It is through the celebration and preservation of the Philippines’ valuable treasures that we can make sure our country’s past continues to inspire and shape its future.

PBBM’s vision being pushed in DTI programs

access to stores/spaces provided by retail partners such as malls and retail operators.

LITO GAGNI

PreSideNT Marcos’ vision for the country to take advantage of the so-called “new economy” is being fleshed out by the department of Trade and industry (dTi) with focused programs that seek to level up the economy post-pandemic. This is being done on top of other economic programs that it is pushing with new initiatives.

These interesting goings-on, according to DTI Undersecretary Dominic Tolentino, will impact especially on the country’s MSMEs, a key cog in the country’s march to middle-income country status that will reduce the poverty incidence level. The MSMEs account for at least 70 percent of employment in the country.

Tolentino laid out the DTI program on the new economy and the push for vigorous MSMEs in the Serye media forum over the weekend where he unveiled the agency’s new push for a digital infrastructure, as well as for new export items to propel forward the economy that had been ravaged by Covid-19.

“President Marcos has stressed the need for DTI to focus on the new economy and to support the MSMEs,” Tolentino told the forum. Aside from this, the further devel-

opment of more exports is being encouraged. Being tapped are those in the electronic sectors, coconut oil, food and beverages and computer parts.           For Tolentino, the new mantra for DTI is to “strengthen the foundation of our economic environment,” and for capacity building for the needs of the country. This includes the expansion of the market platform for MSMEs via Go Lokal, which the agency has introduced in collaboration with select retail partners for brand management and market acceleration.

The program’s main aim, under the DTI roadmap, is for the MSMEs to enter the mainstream market via the free services that the agency is pushing. These involve the merchandise development assistance to produce commercially viable products for the market and market

There is a mentoring project that has been laid down for the MSMEs. There are three aspects of this program. These are the Mentor ME (micro entrepreneurs) program, which is a coaching and mentoring approach where large corporations teach MSEs on different aspects of business operations; the Adoptan-SSF (Shared Service Facility) program, which aims to help micro entrepreneurs by providing them access to SSFs in their community; and the Inclusive Business model where MSEs are linked to large companies’ value chains.

One innovative feature that DTI has launched is a livelihood seeding program that allows a wider reach of business development assistance by bringing government services closer to the people through partnerships between relevant local government units and DTI officials. This is through the barangays.

Barangay Development Councils (BDCs) have been formed to teach barangay officials to provide basic business advisory or information dissemination services to MSMEs in the locality. Aside from this, the DTI works in partnership with the national government agencies, local government units, academe, nongovernment organizations, and the private sector. There are also Negosyo Centers

that promote ease of doing business and provide access to development services for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through Business Counselors in their area of responsibility.

All these initiatives, according to Tolentino, are meant to propel the barangays to have business activities and thereby level up the income of households there as well as increase government revenues. In this way, new products involving local items can be produced and marketed and this could possibly lead to export items.

DTI’s new thrust will complement the winning formula for the OTOP (One Town, One Product), which was a priority stimulus program before for MSMEs, a government customized intervention to drive inclusive local economic growth. This program enabled localities and communities to determine, develop, support and promote products or services that are rooted in the local culture.

The OTOP program is now being transformed in the form of OTOP Next Gen that could discover and promote local products. The new economic system will provide the groundwork for the development of new export items that can be marketed in other parts of the globe.

For Tolentino, President Marcos’ initiative will go a long way towards the goal of the Philippines to become a middle-income country.

Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II

An oil tanker ablaze in the South China Sea is a global problem

By Alex Longley & Yongchang Chin | Bloomberg Opinion

Off the coast of Malaysia, in one of the world’s busiest shipping channels, an explosion on board the aging oil tanker Pablo ripped off its deck like a sardine can and began a fire that sent dark plumes of smoke into the sky.

It was a tragic accident that could have been a much larger catastrophe. The Gabon-registered ship, capable of carrying some 700,000 barrels of crude oil, was coming through the South China Sea after offloading a cargo in China—and so was nearly empty. Out of its international crew of 28, officials report that 25 were rescued by passing vessels. The blast happened just beyond Singapore’s congested waters.

But for nearby maritime authorities, the headache has just begun. There is little evidence of the owner, a Marshall Islands-registered company whose fleet contains no other ships, and no trace of insurance. Both are vital for a cleanup to begin.

An Aframax-class crude oil tanker observed in Iranian waters last year, the Pablo underlines the risks that come with the expansion of a dark fleet of aging vessels moving sanctioned oil around the globe. Since the wave of sanctions that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—including the price caps imposed by the Group of Seven, intended to limit oil cash going back to the Kremlin—observers in the oil trading community have reported the purchase of hundreds of old tankers by undisclosed buyers.

With limited details on who is responsible for this vessel, there has been no one to hold to account as it burned just 40 nautical miles off Malaysia’s Pulau Tinggi Island. Oil, potentially from the wreck, has been reported washing up on Indonesia’s coast.

“The Pablo casualty is tragic, and a stark reminder of what we have been saying all along: the shadow fleet poses a serious threat both to people’s lives and to the marine environment,” said Rolf Thore Roppestad, chief executive officer of Gard AS, the largest of the protection and indemnity clubs that insure much of the world’s fleet against risks such as oil spills.

“What worries me is that there are ships like these passing through high-traffic straits every day,” he added. “So the likelihood of more accidents like this happening is actually quite high.”

The cause of the fire is still unclear, though it’s possible vapors from the remains of the oil cargo played a part. Regardless, when ships like the Pablo explode, the process of cleaning up the mess gets more difficult. Often, insurance companies, salvage businesses and various intermediaries begin dealing with the situation within a few hours of it happening.

But almost a week after this explosion, there is little sign of the insurer to get the process moving. The Pablo is not listed in an industry database of insured vessels, and the

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency did not answer questions on insurance.

In instances where shipowners are unknown, local authorities will often press the crew for more information, as they are one of the few people who know where a vessel’s orders are coming from. It is unclear whether that has been possible.

If the owner can’t be contacted, local authorities can seize the ship and try to cover what costs they can, according to Oon Thian Seng, founding partner of Singapore law firm Oon & Bazul LLP and at its associated Malaysian office, TS Oon & Partners LLP. However, it’s highly unlikely that selling what’s left of the charred Pablo would cover the costs of removal.

The dangers posed by the Pablo, and others like it, are clear from its history. The tanker was flying the flag of Gabon, which is a very small destination for vessel registration and falls outside of something called the Paris MoU, set up to promote safe shipping. It was built in 1997, meaning it’s far beyond the age at which most tankers are sold as scrap.

Further, had the Pablo been laden with its most recent cargo, that would have been a major spill of oil sanctioned by the US.

The tanker spent two months at a shipyard near Shanghai, but before that its last two voyages were to deliver crude to Chinese ports in Shandong province, ship-tracking data monitored by Bloomberg show. Data analytics firm Vortexa identifies both cargoes as Iranian heavy crude, which is sanctioned.

For authorities in Singapore, one of the world’s busiest shipping hubs, the question is how to keep legitimate oil cargoes moving—while avoiding accidents like this one. The Maritime and Port Authority said it had requested the assistance of 20 vessels in the region to report any sighting of the Pablo’s three missing crew, and reported no disruption to traffic. Officials did not comment further.

Malaysian authorities said they suspended search operations on Friday evening as efforts haven’t turned up any sign of the crewmen. The explosion has made the ship unsafe to board, leaving it stuck off the country’s coastline for the time being.

The longer it stays there, the longer it remains a visible reminder of the risks that come with an expanding shadow fleet.

“Sadly, it’s the crew, their families, and the coastal communities that are paying the price,” Roppestad said. With assistance from Ann Koh, Ravil Shirodkar, Eko Listiyorini, Norman Harsono, Alaric Nightingale and Julian Lee / Bloomberg

Joel L. Tan-Torres

DEBIT CREDIT

Part 8

IN this tele-tax-novela on the “Official Receipt for sale” story, it is clear that there should be an active collaboration between the government actors to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of the crime. The Masterminds and sellers, as well as the buyers of the fake ORs, together with the negligent, if not conniving, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) external auditors of the Masterminds, should all bear the brunt of the efforts of the concerned government authorities in ensuring that the guilty are convicted and penalized for their evil doings.

A key government body in this campaign against the perpetrators is the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy. This is an institution that is tasked to regulate the accountancy practice and the CPAs. The listing of accredited CPA practitioners on the Professional Regulations Commission website indicates that there are 3,548 individual CPA auditors and 278 professional partnership firms as of December 31, 2022 (https://www.prc.gov.ph/ acd-lists-accreditation-registration-

complianceauthority). I note that these numbers have substantially decreased from the time I was the BOA Chairman when there were around 8,500 CPA practitioners and firms as of April 2018. With the limited number of staff and resources, the BoA has a herculean task of monitoring and regulating the practice of these external auditors. However, this should not be cited as an excuse for the BoA not to be proactive in supporting the government’s efforts in running after the parties involved in

With the limited number of staff and resources, the BOA has a herculean task of monitoring and regulating the practice of these external auditors. However, this should not be cited as an excuse for the BOA not to be proactive in supporting the government’s efforts in running after the parties involved in the OR for sale crime.

the OR for sale crime. As discussed in my previous article, the CPA external auditors of the companies involved in the buying and selling of fake ORs are culpable in abetting these misdeeds if they have been negligent or failed to comply with the standards and rules in doing their audit engagements and issuing their attest opinions.

I speculate that these CPAs have been remiss in their obligations if they issued unqualified fairness opinions when qualified or adverse opinions should have been the case. It is common knowledge that the so-called “notarial CPAs” continue to operate and issue countless unqualified opinion statements without performing the appropriate audit procedures and for the most minimal of audit fees. Sometimes even accepting fees for as low as P5,000 for attaching his “valuable”

signature to the audit certification. Despite the widespread news of the existence of the OR for sale syndicate discovered in the raid by government enforces of the Eastwood City office last November 2022, it was the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and not the BOA, which initiated the criminal and administrative proceedings against the syndicate and the erring CPAs alleged to be involved in the irregularity. Last March 16, 2023, the BIR initiated the filing of criminal cases with the Department of Justice against all these parties. The BIR also filed with the BoA an administrative complaint for the revocation of license against the same CPA on March 21, 2023. The ball is now in the court of the BoA. What should it be doing now?

The tele-tax-novela continues.

To be continued.

Joel L. Tan-Torres was the former Dean of the University of the Philippines Virata School of Business. Previously, he was the Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy, and partner of Reyes Tacandong & Co. and the SyCip Gorres and Velayo & Co. He is a Certified Public Accountant who garnered No. 1 in the CPA Board Examination of May 1979. He is now back to his tax practice with his firm JL2T Consulting. He can be contacted at joeltantorress@yahoo.com

Rare Japan-South Korea summit could help US’s push on China

By Jon Herskovitz & Jeong-Ho Lee | Bloomberg Opinion

The second meeting in two months between leaders of Japan and South Korea after years without a formal summit marks another win for the Biden administration, which has sought to unite the allies to cooperate against North Korea and undercut China’s growing power.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Seoul on Sunday for talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. The two are seeking to bolster business and military cooperation with the US even while remaining mindful of the importance of keeping ties steady with their biggest trading partner, China.

It’s a delicate balance as Washington and Beijing squabble over everything from the supply of chips and cutting-edge technology, to an alleged Chinese spy balloon being shot down over American skies and China’s partnership with Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the forefront too is an increasingly belligerent North Korea, which fired an intercontinental ballistic missile designed to strike the US just hours before Kishida and Yoon held a summit in Tokyo in March.

“I would like to have a full and frank exchange with President Yoon based on a relationship of trust,” Kishida told reporters in Tokyo before his departure for Seoul.

The Biden administration has been seeking help from partners such as Seoul and Tokyo to impose sweeping curbs on the sale of advanced chips equipment to China in a policy aimed at preventing the country’s progression in a range of cutting-edge technologies.

US efforts may have been a factor in the restoration of Seoul-Tokyo ties,

said Kak Soo Shin, a former career diplomat who once served as South Korea’s ambassador to Japan. Drivers could have also included concerns both countries share over the volatile security environment, mainly the challenge of addressing the North Korean nuclear threat and a “coercive China,” he said.

“It has been quite abnormal for Korea and Japan to leave their relationship in such a miserable situation for such a long time,” Shin said.

“It was a lose-lose situation that the two countries have been trapped in a vicious cycle of fraying relationship, even though they could be natural strategic partners amid the flux of their strategic settings.”

Kishida and Yoon are likely to discuss issues surrounding security and high-tech industries, as well as restore shuttle diplomacy that was derailed more than a decade ago to political friction, the South Korea president’s office said.

A formal summit between the two leaders was held in March in Tokyo for the first time in 12 years, followed by a security dialog in April and a meeting of their finance ministers last week.

Yoon has been a supporter of Washington’s Asia strategy, including President Joe Biden’s initiative to restructure global supply chains to reduce dependence on China. Japan in March said it will expand re-

strictions on exports of 23 types of leading-edge chipmaking technology, even as its trade officials repeatedly said it was not targeted at China.

The last visit by a Japanese premier to South Korea came in 2018 when then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the opening of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and held talks separately with thenPresident Moon Jae-in. The last formal bilateral summit in Seoul by a Japanese leader was in October 2011.

Troubled history

YOON proposed a resolution for the long-standing dispute over compensation for Japan’s use of Korean forced labor during its 1910-1945 occupation of the peninsula. His proposal, which involves South Korean firms contributing to a compensation fund for conscripted Korean workers, has not been well-received by the majority of the local public.

The payments were meant to avoid forcing Japanese companies to provide compensation, in line with Tokyo’s contention all such claims were settled under a 1965 agreement. Biden’s administration welcomed the move, calling it a “groundbreaking” deal.

In the wake of the move, South Korea reinstated Japan to its list of preferred trading partners in April. Later that month, Japan’s trade ministry started seeking public opinions on restoring South Korea to Tokyo’s list of preferred trading partners, in a procedural step that would eventually streamline the export processes to South Korea.

A key task for Kishida is to understand the domestic criticism Yoon has faced on his proposal to end the dispute over compensation, said Na-

Qatar flies aid into Sudan, airlifts evacuees amid fighting

Associated Press

By Lujain Jo | The

PORT SUDAN, Sudan—Qatar flew a relief flight into Sudan carrying some 40 tons of food and left with 150 evacuees early Saturday as fighting continued between two generals vying for power in the African nation.

The Qatari Emiri Air Force C-17 Globemaster touched down in Port Sudan, some 670 kilometers (415 miles) northeast of Sudan’s violencetorn capital of Khartoum. The port city has been spared in the fighting and has become one of the few safe transit points out of the country, whether by air or by ships crossing the Red Sea heading to Jeddah,

Saudi Arabia.

Evacuees boarded the C-17 bearing the livery of Qatar Airways, the energy-rich nation’s long-haul carrier. Those who spoke to The Associated Press described facing “very scary, terrifying” conditions trying to leave Khartoum for the airfield.

“We still faced many difficulties because of the lack of security in the country due to the security forces being occupied with the battles. We were faced by mobs on the way,” said Nemat Allah Saber Ibrahim, a Sudanese doctor evacuated who lives in Qatar. “Other than the burden of travel and the different checkpoints by both security forces and Rapid Support Forces. But thank God we have

arrived safely to the Port of Sudan.”

The conflict started on April 15 after months of escalating tensions between the military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and a rival paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The fighting has turned urban areas into battlefields. Foreign governments have rushed to evacuate their diplomats and thousands of foreign nationals out of Sudan.

Despite repeated cease-fires being declared, the warring sides have shown little commitment to even short-term promises to stop the fighting. Qatar in the past has held peace talks between warring

parties in Sudan’s Darfur region, as well as those between Sudan and South Sudan.

“We are leaving but unfortunately Khartoum is in a dire situation. Khartoum is done,” said Aliah Helelo, another Sudanese resident of Qatar being evacuated. “We are leaving with our hearts in our hands. We left our families behind and we fear for them. But thank God. I pray that God avenges and punishes whoever caused this.”

The food carried into Sudan by the Qatari military aircraft included bags of rice, dates, oil, lentils and tomato sauce. Hunger is becoming a problem in Sudan as stores remain closed amid the fighting and food

is in scarce supply. Prices across the country “are reportedly skyrocketing, making critical goods unaffordable for many people,” the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

Khaled Mahmoud Osman, the deputy chief of mission at the Sudanese Embassy in Qatar, told journalists gathered at Qatar’s sprawling Al-Udeid Air Base before the flight that the food aid was “of the utmost importance to our people.”

“In Sudan, these are some of the unfortunate events caused by the rebellion of the Rapid Support Forces, which have affected the lives of civilians in all Sudanese cities and Khartoum in particular, in hospi-

oko Aoki, an associate political scientist at the Rand Corp. in Washington.

“I don’t think Prime Minister Kishida can make everyone happy, but whether he can allay some of the concerns being voiced in South Korea would be an important part of the visit,” she said. The summit in Seoul could also help in a show of support for Taiwan, which China sees as a part of its territory that must be returned, even if by force. In a visit by Yoon to Washington in April, South Korea made its strongest statement yet on the Taiwan Strait by expressing strong opposition to any unilateral actions in the region—in comments that echoed statements from the Kishida government.

“It’s important to recognize that the primary reason for trilateral cooperation involving the United States is to support Taiwan,” said Cheon Seong-whun, former security strategy secretary in South Korea’s presidential office. “As such, engaging in collective strategic dialogue with China is crucial. The emphasis should be on arms control instead of an arms race,” he said.

Curtailing China’s expanding nuclear arsenal is set to be a subject of discussion later this month when Kishida hosts a Group of Seven leaders’ summit in Hiroshima. Yoon has been invited and expected to join the Japanese premier and Biden for three-way talks on the sidelines.

“I don’t think either of the two countries want to see the region reshaped and dominated by China’s increasing military capability and economic coercion,” Aoki of Rand said. With assistance from Takashi Hirokawa and Shinhye Kang / Bloomberg

tals, neighborhoods, markets and in areas supplying food from villages,” he said.

“We ask Allah almighty for peace to prevail in Sudan soon, to support the Sudanese armed forces, to take care of the rebels or they would surrender. I mean, that they will lay down arms for the mercy of civilians.”

Separately, the World Health Organization said it and the United Arab Emirates shipped some $444,000 worth of urgent medical supplies Friday into Sudan at Port Sudan International Airport. The WHO said that a shipment brought in just before the start of the fighting was “exhausted after a few days given the number of injured.”

ADB: Nix food import curbs to ensure supply in El Niño ALI

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

L ast week, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned that there is an 80-percent chance that an El Niño will start sometime in June to August and continue until the first quarter of 2024.

I n a briefing in Incheon, South Korea, ADB Philippines Country Director Kelly Bird said that while the dry spell is not expected to put a dent on the country’s growth, it had the potential of worsening food insecurity and inflation.

I don’t anticipate that El Niño itself will have a dent on the Philippines’s economic growth, we think it’s at its potential now, around 6 percent, I think that will continue,” Bird said.

“ What it can do of course is create another round of food inflation so in that regard it’s gonna be always important that the Philippines and any country is to ensure that there are no restrictions on the importation of food,” he explained.

A part from securing imports, Bird noted there’s also a need for the government to focus on agriculture, fishing, and irrigation systems which will be critical in ensuring sufficient food supply for all.

He hailed the plan of the national government, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), to develop a food stamp program to provide food stamps to a million house -

holds for several years.

T hese kinds of programs, Bird said, are important in protecting vulnerable households to extreme weather events such as the coming El Niño. “[This is] going to be critically important as part of the menu of tools, provide social protection to those vulnerable families, particularly those that are vulnerable to climate change and weather events like this,” he said.

M eanwhile, Bird said ADB’s assistance to the Philippines is expected to continue despite the country being on track to becoming an upper middle income country.

B eing classified as a UMIC means the country’s Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, based on World Bank classifications, increased to between $4,256 and $13,205. As a lower middle income country, the Philippines’ GNI per capita falls between $1,086 and $4,255.

Obviously, the Philippines is on track to become an upper middle income country but where per capita income is at the moment, I don’t think it’s going to have an effect on ADB’s lending engagement with the Philippines for quite some time,” Bird said.

W hile the UMIC status may be desirable, one of the caveats of be -

HOTEL UNIT TO ADD

MORE ROOMS THIS YEAR

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo @akosistellaBM Special to the BusinessMirror

ing classified as a “richer” country is the “graduation” from concessional assistance from multilaterals.

I n ADB’s case, members such as Brunei Darussalam; Hong Kong, China; the Republic of Korea; Singapore; and Taipei, China have already graduated from concessional lending.

E arlier, National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said that on a per capita basis, the Philippines has not yet recovered from the pandemic since the 2019 per capita income level remains higher than 2022.

Data shared by National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa, the country’s GDP in current prices reached P22.02 trillion in 2022 from P19.41 trillion in 2021; P17.95 trillion in 2020; and P19.52 trillion in 2019.

I n constant prices, which is adjusted for inflation, GDP was at P19.95 trillion from P18.54 trillion in 2021; P17.54 trillion in 2020; and P19.38 trillion in 2019.

However, per capita gross national income in current prices reached P209,012 in 2022. This has exceeded the per capita gross national income of the country at P200,135 in 2019.

Per capita gross national income in constant prices, nonetheless, showed Filipinos only earned P188,939 in 2022. This is lower than the P198,522 per capita gross national income in 2019.

AYALALAND Hotels and Resorts Corp. (AHRC) is

riding high on the surge in domestic tourism and rising number of international arrivals. This has encouraged the company to push forward with its plans of increasing the number of its keys in its homegrown Seda-branded hotels this year.

I n an email to the BusinessMirror, AHRC President Javier D. Hernandez said the lowering of travel restrictions has also encouraged the reopening of the company’s resorts in El Nido, Palawan and Sicogon Island, Iloilo last year. “With increased mobility and strong economic indicators, AHRC is optimistic about 2023. The surge of the domestic market with ‘revenge travel,’ as well as the Department of Tourism’s [DOT] projected 4.8-million international arrivals signal global recovery for our industry.”

He added, “At AHRC, we are ramping up for the post-pandemic revival of the industry with the reopening of our El Nido and Sicogon resorts, addition of rooms in Seda Nuvali, and the opening of the new 532-room Seda Manila Bay this year. ”

1,504 additional keys

LAST year, AHRC opened the first 92 rooms at the new wing

of Seda Nuvali in Santa Rosa, Laguna. The new wing also features a ballroom, a gym, meeting/function rooms, and a swimming pool. Seda Manila Bay will sit on top of AyalaMalls Manila Bay at the Aseana City in Parañaque.

Our total hotels and resorts portfolio now stands at 4,058 rooms, with another 1,504 rooms under construction,” said Hernandez, following their parent unit Ayala Land Inc.’s (ALI) annual stockholders meeting on April 26. He failed to answer how much ALI was allocating in capital expenditures to construct the new hotel and additional rooms.

O n a consolidated basis, ALI will be allocating P85 billion in capital expenditures this year, up 17 percent from the P72.4-million capex in 2022, according to the company’s annual report. This year’s capex is 53-percent less, however, than the company’s pre-pandemic capex of P130 billion in 2019.

Doubling of hotel, resort revenues

IN his report to stockholders, ALI President and CEO Bernard Vincent O. Dy said, “The domestic travel revival and the return of foreign tourists have led to a doubling of hotel and resort revenues, which amounted to P6.2 billion” in 2022.  T he revenues were boosted, the company said, by  “higher occupancy and room rates.”

See “ALI hotel,” A2

Rotarians share in ALC lessons on life, work at weekly meeting

FACING adversity head-on, never giving up despite a series of crises, and following one’s dreams: those are the key takeaways handed down by the late Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua to his sons as he set up over a dozen businesses in the decades that he grew the ALC Group of Companies.

H is son who now sits as chairman of that ALC Group, D. Edgard A. Cabangon, shared this, among others, as he addressed the 37th weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Manila last May 4.

B esides the business acumen, the elder Cabangon, a noted philanthropist, also imparted key values

to his children to better prepare them.

E dgard Cabangon shared with Rotarians how all these tests of character were put to good use for him, way back when he was still a working student, and later a gasoline boy. His father’s guidance both in life and work was indispensable, he noted.

T he 37th RCM meeting, held at the City State Tower in Manila, was called to order by RCM Vice President Reginald Yu. This was followed by the opening prayer of RTN Rami Chawhan, the Rotarian pledge and 4-way test led by PAS Henry Go, and the President’s message by Herminio Esguerra.

T he highlight of the meeting was the classification talk led by Aliw Broadcasting Corporation chairman and Star Rotary Club Manila member D. Edgard A. Cabangon. He shared the long difficult journey to success, recollections that inspired the RCM members. RCM Past President and Chairman of the Guidance Management Corporation Joaquin “Jackie” Rodriguez described the meeting as fruitful and inspiring. Meanwhile, RCM Vice President Yu cited the projects of the RCM such as the Pasig River Cleanup and the RCM’s donation of floating trash barriers.

MANILA should ensure that restrictions on food imports are in place in light of the expected El Niño to protect vulnerable sectors, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

THE chairman of the ALC Group of Companies, D. Edgard A. Cabangon, receives a Plaque of Appreciation after his speech during the Rotary Club of Manilla’s 37th Weekly Membership Meeting held at Citystate Tower Hotel in Manila. Also in photo are (from left ) Rotarian Billy Andal, incoming Assistant Secretary Willie Peliño, RCM Vice President Reggie Yu, Rotarian Rami Chahwan and Past Assistant Secretary Henry Go. RUDY ESPERAS

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Companies

B1

Monday, May 8, 2023

Semirara keen on building new coal-fired power plant

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

successful operation of power plants.

In this case, the needed transmission lines will connect the planned power plant and allow its full dispatch.

SMPC is the country’s largest domestic coal producer. It supplies affordable fuel to power plants, cement factories and other industrial facilities across the Philippines.

pressures because of skyrocketing coal prices and unplanned outages.

“We are open to purchasing other plants but the prices being offered in the market makes it better for us to pursue developing new plants like our San Rafael rather than purchase existing plants,” said SMPC Chairman Isidro Consunji.

The 700MW power project under

St. Rafael was supposed to be a joint venture between SMPC and Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen), the power generation business of Manila Electric Co. However, both firms decided to call off the project due to transmission line constraints. Transmission lines are vital to the

Under its power business, SEMCalaca Power Corp. (SCPC) owns the 2x300-MW Calaca coal-fired power plant in Batangas which it acquired from the government in 2009 with its bid of $362 million. Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp. (SLPGC) runs the 2x150-MW coal power facility also in the same area.

SMPC President Maria Cristina Gotianun said the power segment dealt with its own set of setbacks. She said a defective equipment from GE sidelined SCPC Unit 2 for the most part of the year. The three other plants, meanwhile, faced severe cost

“GE, so far has been cooperating with us, and unit 2 is performing right now even at a derated capacity. The root cause analysis will come out in May and hopefully with that, they can continue to support us or even improve in the performance of the unit 2 generator,” said Gotianun.

As SMPC moves forward, it expects global coal prices to consolidate on economic softening, high fuel inventories and warm winter in Europe.

Wholesale Electricity Spot Market prices, it added, should remain elevated but will likely trend lower year-on-year due to secondary price caps and easing fuel prices.

“Potential upside drivers include strengthening post-pandemic demand, our high uncontracted capacity and improved performance of SCPC Unit 2,” added Gotianun.

ACEN eyes more investment deals

ACEN Corp., the listed energy platform of conglomerate Ayala Corp., is expected to forge more investment deals abroad in the next few months.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we would announce new investments overseas this year. I can see a few projects, which should be ready for investment decision in the next 6 to 9 months. So yes, in short, I do expect more investments overseas this year,” said ACEN International CEO Patrice Clausse.

He did not identify these potential deals but said these are with “existing partners, and on our own, I can see projects reaching investment deci-

sion.” ACEN has about 4,200 megawatts (MW) of attributable capacity from owned facilities in the Philippines, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India. Its goal is to be the largest listed renewables platform in Southeast Asia, with 20 gigawatts (GW) of renewables capacity by 2030.

A few months ago, ACEN extended its reach in the United States as it sealed a partnership with BrightNight, a US-based renewable power company, to develop, construct, and operate at least 1.2 GW of large-scale hybrid wind-solar and round-theclock renewable power projects in India.

ACEN, through joint venture

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

company UPC Power Solutions LLC, signed a purchase and sale agreement with GlidePath Power Solutions LLC for the acquisition of a portfolio of 8 operating wind projects totaling 136 MW in northern Texas.

This marks ACEN’s anticipated entry into the fast-growing American renewables market as it expands its geographic footprint beyond the Asia Pacific region.

ACEN’s net income in the first quarter grew to P2 billion, a fivefold increase from the same period last year. Its revenues rose 23 percent year-on-year to P9.1 billion on higher generation due to better wind resources, as well as the start of

commissioning of new power plants in the Philippines and in Australia.

“After weathering several challenges in 2022, we began the year with encouraging results brought about by the growth in generation output. We expect to grow our net selling merchant position further, with more capacity scheduled to come online in the second half of the year. As our renewable energy investments begin to bear fruit, ACEN is now on a stronger footing as we continue working towards our aspiration of reaching 20 GW of renewables by 2030,” said ACEN President Eric Francia. Lenie Lectura

THE National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has declared that 38 firms won in the recent competitive auction for the procurement of ancillary services (AS) meant to ensure the security and stability of the country’s transmission grid.

“Out of the 55 eligible bidders who participated and submitted bids, 38 bidders will be awarded the contract for procurement of ancillary services, as confirmed by the NGCP Board of Directors,” the Third Party Bids and Awards Committee (TPBAC) informed NGCP in a notice.

Among the winning bidders are units of Aboitiz Power Corp., ACEN Corp., Alsons Power Group., San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp., and First Gen Corp. The winning bidders will procure regulating reserves for Luzon and Mindanao grids, contingency and dispatchable reserves; and reactive power support and blackstart service.

Ancillary services support the transmission of power from generators to consumers to maintain reliable operations. These are necessary for NGCP to manage power fluctuations

to ensure the quality and reliability of power flowing through its system. If not managed properly, fluctuations can cause damage to sensitive equipment, or even automatic load dropping (ALD) if the fluctuations are severe enough to pose a danger to the transmission system as a whole.

The NGCP is required to submit to the Department of Energy (DOE) its annual AS agreement procurement plan, which contains the projected AS requirements for the next 10 years, not later than every end-March of each year.

“Contracting AS through competitive selection shall improve transparency, competitiveness, and wide dissemination of bid opportunities to ensure participation of all eligible generation companies to meet the required level of AS,” a DOE circular read.

For transparency, the TPBAC has tapped observers from the DOE, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), and the National Electrification Administration.

The winning bidders and the NGCP will file the signed AS procurement agreement for the approval of the ERC. Lenie Lectura

CHEMICAL manufacturer

D&L Industries Inc. said its earnings in the first quarter declined by 24 percent to P594 million, from the previous year’s P780 million.

D&L President and CEO Alvin D. Lao said the company saw a decline in profits in January and February as supply chain concerns had prompted customers to frontload or stock up on inventories last year.

Company earnings, however, recovered in March, he said.

“While the first two months of the year were weaker-than-expected, we anticipate things to be much better moving forward as we started seeing volumes coming back in March.”

Lao said the company’s growth momentum is back as the supply chain has returned to normal and customers have already used up their excess inventories. He said March sales are up 62 percent and 26 percent compared to earnings in January and February, respectively.

“This year, our company is celebrating its 60th anniversary and we are confident that the resilience and the ability to adapt to changing business landscape built over the years will allow us to continue to thrive despite various macroeconomic challenges,” Lao said. VG Cabuag

STEEL A S IA Manufacturing Corp. said commercial operations of its mill that will produce its first reinforced steel bars in Cebu could start in June.

The company issued the statement after the mill produced its first reinforced steel bars as it entered the final phases of commissioning.

SteelAsia said the steel mill in Compostela, Cebu will produce some 1 million tons of “high-strength” rebars yearly, owing to the “latest available” technology it is using.

With this additional capacity, SteelAsia said it now has six other mills located all over the country. Moreover, it said it can now produce 3 million tons annually. As such, the steel manufacturer said this makes SteelAsia the “largest producer of rebars in Southeast Asia.”

The company said in a statement last Friday that funding for the project was sourced from the Development Bank of the Philippines, which provided P5.7 billion in longterm loans. According to SteelAsia, it signed the loan agreement with DBP in June 2020. It said construction was completed in 30 months despite the global pandemic and supply chain disruptions.

Meanwhile, the company said it has been investing “heavily” in manufacturing plants to ramp up lo-

cal capacity to make the Philippines “less dependent on imports.”

“This is another major step for our country to be self-sufficient for our steel needs, a goal SteelAsia is committed to pursue. Every single country in the region is self-reliant and the Philippines should not be left behind to depend only on imports,” said SteelAsia Chairman and CEO Benjamin Yao.

The Compostela mill will also produce welded reinforcing mesh, the first such facility in the Visayas and Mindanao, the company said.

“This will ensure adequate high-

quality and economical steel supply for housing and infrastructure development,” Yao said.

He also noted that the mill will expand SteelAsia’s capacity to serve different regions, giving builders the benefits of localized product availability, lower logistics cost and a faster response time.

Once fully operational, the Compostela plant will create 500 direct and 2,500 indirect jobs, according to the company.

SteelAsia said Yao inspected the mill and met with the Italian engineers from Danieli & C. S.p.A., the mill’s design and equipment supplier.

Consunji-led semirara Mining and Power Corp. (sMPC) will pursue plans to develop a 700-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant, via subsidiary st. Raphael Power Generation Corp., as part of its longterm goals to further grow

Perspectives

Embedding ESG into the legal function of the future

AS environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues take top priority for global companies and society more broadly, today’s legal teams are under fire from many directions. From geopolitical tension, trade disputes, and supply chain disruptions, to climate change adaptation, remote working, and diversity and inclusion issues, legal professionals are being challenged to understand how ESG is changing their company’s priorities and manage all of the various legal implications.

With the focus on ESG getting sharper across their organizations, leading in-house legal functions are also finding new ways to add value and derive opportunities from ESG in all of its dimensions.

In the Philippines, the national government has already implemented various laws and regulations aimed at promoting sustainable and responsible business practices to ensure that the business industry does its part in mitigating the impacts of industrialization on the environment.

KPMG in the Philippines Vice Chairman, COO and Head of Advisory Emmanuel P. Bonoan shares: “ESG practices can help companies identify risks associated with environmental and social issues, such as climate change and resource scarcity. By addressing these risks proactively, companies can minimize their exposure to potential legal, financial and reputational damages.”

Companies that integrate ESG practices into their business strategy can gain a competitive advantage from their competition. Consumers and investors are now increasingly looking for companies that prioritize sustainability, transparent ESG reporting and good governance. “As businesses continue to operate in a post-pandemic world, legal professionals must shift from their traditional advisory roles to an ESG-led legal function offering expert advice while at the same time making purpose-driven and sustainable contributions for the benefit of the community and the environment,” Bonoan explained.

Legal implications

ESG matters have been moving up corporate agendas for the past 2 decades, but a number of factors are making legal considerations arising from ESG even more acute: n Legal liability. As company directors and officers become more accountable for ESG performance, they are increasingly exposed to risk from evolving regulations and their responsibilities to a broadening group of stakeholders, including their workers, customers, suppliers and broader society. Legal teams have an essential role to play in advising senior management as they oversee the implementation of their company’s ESG strategy and comply with ESG law. There have been instances where legal action has been taken against company directors who were not seen as moving quickly enough toward an ESG strategy. n ESG reporting. The UK is the first G20 country to require reporting in line with the Task Force on Climaterelated Financial Disclosures (TCFD). Other countries are expected to soon follow suit, and several other sustainability reporting frameworks are coming onstream. In-house legal teams need to know what data their company should report, especially given the level of scrutiny these reports will likely undergo—internally and externally. Boards and senior management may need advice on how to fulfill these reporting obligations without putting the company at reputational risk or giving away a competitive advantage.

n Projections and forecasts. Inhouse legal teams are well accustomed to managing backward-looking ESG data, but data is increasingly informing forward projections, often using sophisticated scientific methods. Inhouse legal functions should develop knowledge and skills in this area so they can help businesses navigate the risks of this new type of data and potentially identify business opportunities.

n Access to capital and insurance. Lenders, investors and insurers are increasingly interested in the ESG credentials of a business, even for companies that are not directly pursuing a greener brand. Any company that is not ESG-compliant or cannot at least show how they plan to change their operating model may find it challenging to access capital and insurance.

n Recruiting and retention. As ESG has become central to social attitudes, younger generations are moving the ESG agenda forward, whether on environmental issues or diversity, equity and inclusion. Most want to work for businesses with a strong sense of purpose. In today’s fiercely competitive labor markets, companies that demonstrate their commitment to ESG principles can strengthen their appeal to their workers and potential recruits.

n Climate change. Of course, climate change is one of the biggest drivers of ESG risk, and companies are growing more aware of the potential financial consequences of not taking steps to change behaviors, including legal risks and litigation. These risks can be driven just as much by developing regulatory frameworks and the court of public opinion as they can by existing laws and regulations. Legal teams should be closely involved to help ensure these risks will be well managed in their operations and investments.

Purpose driven approach

THE current environment is seeing companies move on ESG at different paces. Some companies have not yet taken any specific steps toward an ESG approach, while others are approaching ESG in terms of regulatory compliance only. More forward-thinking companies are taking a strategic approach, seeking ways to turn ESG thinking and practices into a source of competitive advantage.

The companies that are furthest ahead in the ESG area are those that can go beyond strategy and adopt a purpose-driven approach, aiming to make sustainable contributions for the benefit of their communities and the environment.

ESG mindset

ESG thinking is bringing previously siloed functions together as the accountabilities of each function broaden and converge. Legal and finance teams are increasingly integral to sustainability reporting and green financing initiatives, for example, while HR and legal may claim responsibility for human rights issues. Regardless of whether in-house counsel, the procurement function, or a chief sustainability officer formally “owns” the sustainability agenda, everyone else in the organization shares the same targets, making it more important to work together and deliver on them. This can be reinforced by linking mutual sustainability targets to compensation. For legal teams, this journey involves a shift away from their traditional advisory role. It may no longer be enough to provide others in the business with legal advice to do as they see fit. In an ESG-led legal function, legal professionals are business partners who understand the business they’re advising on, so they give the right advice to help sustain the business, implement the required changes and grow it responsibly over the long term.

The excerpt was taken from the KPMG Thought Leadership publication: https://kpmg. com/xx/en/home/insights/2023/03/esg-led-legalfunction-of-the-future.html.

© 2023 KPMG Intl Ltd., a private English company limited by guarantee, has Philippine partnership R.G. Manabat & Co. as a member firm. All rights reserved. For more information, e-mail ph-kpmgmla@ kpmg.com or visit www.home.kpmg/ph. This article is for general information purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice to a specific issue or entity. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the BusinessMirror, KPMG International or KPMG in the Philippines. E-mail ph-kpmgmla@kpmg.com.

Senate urged to prioritize bill extending estate tax amnesty

However, the period to avail of the one-time tax relief coincided with the pandemic, prompting Congress to pass what would become RA 11569 which extended the amnesty period by two years, to June 14, 2023.

By extending the window of opportunity again by two years, “families will save billions while government will earn billions”

legal requirements in putting a deceased loved one’s estate in order, according to Recto.

The senator emphasized the bill must be passed for people to unlock the potential of idle assets left by the deceased so these can be used for productive purposes by the heirs.

Former senator and now House Deputy Speaker Ralph G. Recto believes his “former classmates can pass what is a simple bill” without having to wait for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to certify the measure as urgent. When it resumes session on Monday, both chambers of Congress have 12 session days before it adjourns anew by the end of the month.

Under the estate tax amnesty law, the period to avail of the benefits expires on June 14; “which means the clock is ticking,” Recto said.

The lawmaker, nonetheless, expressed hope of an extension “because in legislation, a month is an eternity: We can pass it.”

Although tax bills originate from

the House, the Senate, in anticipation of House action, can start tackling the bill, so that when the House bill arrives, the Senate version is primed for floor debates.

The bill moving the deadline of the estate tax amnesty to June 14, 2025, has hurdled the House Ways and Means Committee. This paves the way for plenary debates, “whose outcome, its passage, is a certainty,” Recto said.

Improved version

WHILE in the Senate, Recto was among the authors of Republic Act (RA) 11213, a law that erased the penalties and significantly cut the rates for meeting estate tax obligations.

The extension is a “lifeline to a government scrounging for revenues and an act of kindness” to seniors whose vulnerability during the 30 months the pandemic raged prevented them from availing of the amnesty.

“Putting a deceased loved one’s properties in order was also a casualty of Covid,” Recto said.

The senator hailed the House bill as an improved version of the estate tax amnesty law as it covers deaths which occurred on or before December 31, 2021, amending the cut off period of December 31, 2017, in RA 11213.

Unlock potentials

AS society opens and restrictions are lifted, people are now free to move around in completing the complex

SSS

LBP’s agriculture loans in Q1 rise 14.8% YoY, hits ₧271.8B

THE Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) announced over the weekend that the state-run lender’s outstanding loan to the agriculture sector has reached P271.8 billion as of end of March. The lender said through a statement this figure reflects a 14.8-percent year-on-year growth from P236.8 billion recorded in the same period in 2022.

Of the bank’s agriculture loans, P42.3 billion directly benefitted small farmers and fishers, including those which were channeled through cooperatives and farmers’ associations, rural financial institutions and other conduits, according to the LBP.

As support to other agri-value chain players, LBP extended P181.2 billion to finance the requirements of small, medium and large agribusinesses.

The remaining P48.3 billion in loans backed agri- and aqua-related projects of local government units (LGUs) and governmentowned and controlled corporations (GOCCs).

In terms of economic activities, P64.5 billion of the agri loans were channeled to boost livestock and crop production, while P120 billion accounted for loans for agri-processing and trading.

Meanwhile, P87.3 billion supported the construction and improvement of essential agri infrastructures such as public markets, farm-to-market roads, warehouses, cold storages, and irrigation systems, among others.

In support of the National Government’s thrust to boost palay production and ensure sufficient rice supply in the country, the bank continues to ramp up its lending activities to rice farmers and other rice industry stakeholders.

As of end-March 2023, LBP’s outstanding loans to the local rice industry has reached

P9.7 billion to finance requirements for palay production and processing, such as farm inputs, machineries, equipment, and facilities, among others.

Apart from loans, the bank has also distributed cash grants amounting to P1.5 billion to 291,241 farmer-beneficiaries nationwide under the “Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance,” or “RCEF-RFFA” program, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The LBP, likewise, continues to provide responsive credit assistance to the coconut sector with outstanding loans amounting to P643 million, benefitting coconut farmers and other stakeholders engaged in the production and processing of coconut-based products.

Earlier this year, LBP launched its new Coconut Farmers and Industry Development (CFID) lending program, in support of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) spearheaded by the DA and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).

Under the program, eligible coconut farmers, cooperatives and associations can access financing for various projects, including the establishment of intercrops and poultry or livestock integration in coconut farms.

Individual coconut farmers can use the loan to increase production and working capital, to acquire machines and equipment, and establish necessary facilities. Coconut cooperatives and associations can also utilize the financing for relending and rediscounting to their members.

LBP announced it will provide short-term and long-term loans with a fixed affordable interest rate of 2 percent per annum.

Sausa

Raadee S.

Recto said if government had extended “lifelines, bailouts in the billions” to distressed commercial firms during the pandemic, “then why should not the same compassion be extended to families, moreso that it won’t cost the government anything?”

Last week, the House Committee on Ways and Means approved an unnumbered substitute bill extending the period of availment of estate tax amnesty by two years as it postponed the deadline of application from June 14, 2023, and reset it to June 14, 2025, amending Section 6 of RA 11213.

The bill covers estate of decedent/s who died on or before December 31, 2017, with or without assessment duly issued therefore, whose estate tax/es have remained unpaid or have accrued as of December 31, 2017.

SEC partners with MyEG for online, OTC payments

By VG Cabuag @villygc

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced it has partnered with MyEG Philippines Inc. for the payment options to the public with the expansion of both its online and over-the-counter payment network. The public can now pay registration and other transaction fees including Articles of Partnership, Articles of Incorporation, Annual Fee for Financing/Lending Companies, Exchanges, Registration as Investment Company, Application for Accreditation, General Certifications, Certification on Corporate Filing/Information, on the eSPAYSEC using MyEG’s online payment network. These include e-wallets such as GCash, Maya, GrabPay and ShopeePay, credit/debit cards, as well as online bank transfers from BDO, BPI, RCBC, UnionBank, Maybank, Metrobank, among others.

The public may also settle payments to the SEC through MyEG’s over-the-counter payment centers located in convenience stores, malls, pawnshops and other establishments across the country such as 7-Eleven, Cebuana Lhuillier, Palawan Pawnshop, Tambunting Pawnshop, Bayad Center, The SM Stores, Robinsons Department Stores, DA5, Posible, Pay&Go, USSC and more.

“As we expand the payment options available on the SEC eSPAYSEC, we hope to encourage more businesses and stakeholders to do their transactions online as it is easier, safer and more convenient,” SEC chairman Emilio B. Aquino said.

“This is just among the many initiatives under the commission’s ongoing digital transformation aimed further improving the ease of doing business in the country.”

“MyEG’s goal and mission has always been to support the government in the ease of doing business may it be with our automation expertise or our payment gateway channels. We are delighted to extend all our more than 90,000 channels to the SEC so corporations can have more options to pay their SEC fees online or payment centers near their homes or offices,” MyEG Philippines CEO Ann Margaret Saldaña said.

“Now that we have activated MYEG on the SEC payment portal, businesses can just log in online from the eSPAYSEC and pay through all our payment channels. It will be easier, faster, safer and more convenient way with numerous payment options.”

The public may access the eSPAYSEC at https://espaysec.sec. gov.ph/. To proceed, clients only need to enter the reference number provided in the Payment Assessment Form issued by the SEC, select their preferred payment option and pay.

To ensure payments made through the eSPAYSEC are secure, clients will receive a one-time pin in the mobile phone numbers linked to their bank accounts or digital wallets. Once payment goes through, the system will generate an electronic official receipt, which clients will likewise receive through e-mail.

The SEC shifted its payment channels online and offsite starting February 1, in line with its zero face-to-face transaction policy. Accordingly, all payments to the Commission have since been accepted only through the eSPAYSEC and at any branch of the Land Bank of the Philippines nationwide.

MyEG PH, a joint venture with a Kuala Lumpur- based firm, provides e-payment and e-government services for major government agencies in the Philippines and handles over 50,000 daily transactions servicing Filipinos all across the country. It also has more than 90,000 payment channels and points of sale location across the Philippines.

AleAder of the House of representatives on Sunday appealed to his former colleagues in the “smaller House” or the Senate to pass the bill extending the estate tax amnesty period for two years.

CHIEF WITH FSSSOEA This undated photo courtesy of the Social Security System shows members of the Former SSS Officers and Employees Association (FSSSOEA) who paid a courtesy call to newly appointed SSS President and CEO Rolando L. Macasaet (sixth from left) who requested the association to prepare and concretize all areas of cooperation and help him improve the quality of basic services to millions of SSS members.

WHO says Covid emergency is over. So what does that mean?

By Maria Cheng AP Medical Writer

LONDON—The World Health Organization downgraded its assessment of the coronavirus pandemic on Friday, saying it no longer qualifies as a global emergency. The action reverses a declaration that was first made on January 30, 2020, when the disease had not even been named Covid-19 and when there were no major outbreaks beyond China.

A look at what WHO’s decision means:

WHY end the global health emergency?

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the pandemic has been “on a downward trend for more than a year, with population immunity increasing from vaccination and infection.” That, he said, has allowed most countries “to return to life as we knew it before Covid-19,” meaning that the worst part of the pandemic is over.

Tedros said that for the past year, WHO and its emergency committee ex -

By Christine Coughlin, Wake Forest University

The Conversation

POLITICAL p ressure is nothing new for the US Food and Drug Administration.

The agency has frequently come under fire for its drug approval decisions, but attacks on its decision-making process and science itself have increased during the Covid-19 pandemic.

r e cent challenges to the FDA’s authority have emerged in the context of reproductive rights.

On November 18, 2022, a group of antiabortion doctors and medical groups filed a lawsuit against the FDA, challenging its approval from more than 20 years ago of mifepristone, a drug taken in combination with another medication, misoprostol, to treat miscarriages and used to induce more than 50% of abortions in early-stage pregnancies in the US.

It is widely believed that the plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas so District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, a well-known abortion opponent, could oversee the litigation. While Kacsmaryk did issue a preliminary injunction ruling that the FDA lacked the authority to approve mifepristone, an appeal partially reversed the decision and the Supreme Court stayed Kacsmaryk’s order. The case now sits at the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals and will likely return to the Supreme Court. The FDA is the government’s oldest con -

perts have been analyzing Covid-19 data to decide when the time would be right to lower its level of alarm. On Thursday, the experts recommended to Tedros that Covid-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency and the WHO chief said he accepted that advice.

What are the practical effects?

F O r the average person, nothing. The classification of a health threat as a global emergency is meant to warn political authorities that there is an “extraordinary” event that could constitute

a health threat to other countries and requires a coordinated response to contain it. WHO’s emergency declarations are typically used as an international SOS for countries who need help. They can also spur countries to introduce special measures to combat disease or release extra funds.

Many countries, including Britain, France, Germany and the US, have long dropped many of their pandemic-era restrictions. The US is ending its public health emergency next Thursday, which Dr. r o chelle Walensky cited Friday in announcing her decision to leave as head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention next month.

Is Covid-19 still a pandemic?

Ye S . A lthough WHO chief Tedros said the coronavirus emergency was over, he warned that the virus is here to stay and that thousands of people continue to die every week. “The risk remains of new variants emerging that cause new surges in cases and deaths,” Tedros said. “What this news means is that it’s time for countries to transition from emergency mode to managing Covid-19 alongside other infectious diseases.”

In April, there were nearly 3 million cases and more than 17,000 deaths reported, including spikes in Southeast Asia and the Middle e a st, the United Nations agency noted.

So when will the Covid-19 pandemic end?

I T ’ S u nclear. WHO emergencies chief Dr. Michael r y an said the coronavirus is still a public health threat and that its continued evolution could yet cause future problems. “It took decades...for the pandemic virus of 1918 to disappear,” he said, referring to the Spanish flu that is thought to have killed at least 40 million people.

“Pandemics only truly end when the next pandemic begins,” he said. r y an said that while Covid-19 will continue to spread among people for a very long time, it is doing so at a much lower level of threat that does not require the extraordinary measures taken to try to curb the virus' spread.

What else has been declared an emergency?

WHO has previously declared global emergencies for outbreaks of swine flu, Zika, e b ola, polio and mpox, formerly called monkeypox. Polio was declared nearly nine years ago. Its emergency status has persisted even as officials work to wipe out the disease from a shrinking number of countries.

Last July, WHO chief Tedros declared the explosive spread of mpox to dozens of countries to be a global emergency, overruling the emergency committee he had convened to assess the situation. The disease peaked in e urope and North America

shortly after, but technically remains a global emergency.

Do we still need to take Covid-19 precautions?

Ye S Health officials say the virus isn't going anywhere and advise people to get vaccinated, including getting booster doses if they qualify. Although many of the measures seen at the height of the pandemic—including masks and social distancing—aren’t required except in certain settings, like hospitals or nursing homes, officials say people with other health conditions or compromised immune systems may still want to continue with some of those precautions.

Unlike in the early years of Covid-19, high immunization levels, both from vaccination and previous infection, have helped dramatically reduce disease spread.

Simon Clarke, an associate professor of microbiology at Britain's University of r e ading, warned against people dropping all Covid-19 protections.

“The message to the public should still be to take care and think of others. If you’re ill with a respiratory infection, like a bad cough, don’t put others at risk, especially not those who are vulnerable,” he said. “If you pass on a Covid infection, no one will thank you. If you’re fit and young, Covid can still be nasty and if you're old and frail, it can kill you.”

sumer protection agency. The effects of this lawsuit could reach far beyond mifepristone – undermining the agency’s authority could threaten its entire drug approval process and change access to commonly used drugs, ranging from amoxycillin and Ambien to prednisone and Paxlovid.

I am a legal scholar whose research focuses in part on the law and ethics of the FDA’s drug approval process. e x amining the FDA’s history reveals the unprecedented nature of the current challenges to the agency’s authority.

Events shaping FDA’s focus on safety

I N its early years, the FDA focused primarily on balancing the competing goals of consumer safety with access to experimental treatments. The priority was strengthening consumer protection to prevent tragedy from recurring.

For instance, at the turn of the 20th century, Congress passed the Biologics Control Act of 1902, providing the federal government the authority to regulate vaccines. This law was introduced after 13 children died from inadvertently contaminated diphtheria antitoxin, which was made from the blood of a horse infected with tetanus.

A few years later, after investigative journalists publicized the unsanitary conditions and food-handling practices in meatpacking plants, Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, which prohibited the marketing and sale of misbranded and contaminated foods, drinks and drugs.

Similarly, in 1937, approximately 71 adults

and 34 children died from ingesting S. e . M assengill’s antibacterial elixir, which contained a poisonous raspberry flavoring added to sweeten the taste. In response, Congress passed the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938, requiring manufacturers to show that drugs are safe before they go on the market. This act marked the beginning of modern drug regulations and the birth of the FDA as a regulatory agency.

Then, in 1962, Dr. Frances Oldham Kelsey, a pharmacologist, physician and medical officer working at the FDA, refused to approve thalidomide, a drug marketed in e u rope, Canada, Japan and other countries to alleviate morning sickness in pregnant women but later found to cause severe birth defects. Shocking revelations of children born without limbs or suffering from other debilitating conditions motivated Congress to pass the Kefauver-Harris Drug Amendments of 1962, which ushered in a more cautious approach to the drug approval process.

FDA’s turn toward expanding access

D U r I NG t he 1970s, questions about the limits of safety versus an individual’s right to access arose when cancer patients who wanted access to an unapproved drug derived from apricots, Laetrile, sued the FDA. The agency had blocked the drug’s shipment and sale because it was not approved for use in the US.

At that time, the Supreme Court upheld the FDA’s protective authority, holding that an unproven therapy is unsafe for all patients,

including the terminally ill.

The 1980s, however, marks the FDA’s shift toward increasing access following reports of an emerging disease—AIDS—which primarily affected gay men. In the first nine years of the AIDS epidemic, over 100,000 Americans died. AIDS patients and their advocates became vocal critics of the FDA, arguing that the agency was too paternalistic and restrictive following events like the thalidomide scare.

After massive protests, Dr. Anthony Fauci, then director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, proposed a parallel track program allowing eligible patients access to unapproved experimental treatments. This, along with other existing FDA mechanisms, helped lay the path for other alternative approval pathways, such as e m ergency Use Authorization, which played a large role in permitting use of vaccines and medications pending full FDA approval during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Future of the FDA

De S PIT e t he FDA’s shift toward increased access, the political right has in recent years argued that the agency remains too bureaucratic and paternalistic and should be deregulated—an argument seemingly contrary to the reasoning underlying Kacsmaryk’s recent order that the FDA did not sufficiently evaluate the safety of mifepristone in its approval.

Mifepristone, which has overwhelming data supporting its safety, could remain available to some people in some states regardless of

the outcome of this lawsuit. While the FDA approves drugs for consumer use, it does not regulate the general practice of medicine. Doctors can prescribe FDA-approved drugs off-label, meaning they could prescribe a drug with a different dose, in a different way or for a different use than what the FDA has approved it for.

The mifepristone case has broad implications for the FDA’s future and could have devastating effects on health in the U.S. Due in part to FDA involvement, public health interventions have led to a 62% increase in life expectancy in the 20th century. These include vaccines and medications for childhood illnesses and infectious diseases such as HIV, increased regulation of tobacco, and over-the-counter Narcan to combat the opioid crisis, among others.

The FDA needs to be able to use its scientific expertise to make data-driven decisions that balance safety and access, without the ability of a single judge to potentially gut the system. The agency’s history is an important reminder of the need for strong administrative agencies and ongoing vigilance to protect everyone’s health.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/challenging-the-fdas-authorityisnt-new-the-agencys-history-shows-whatsat-stake-when-drug-regulation-is-in-limbo-204263.

Challenging the FDA’s authority isn’t new—the agency’s history shows what’s at stake when drug regulation is in limbo

Marlon Tuazon in ‘Rampa Manila’

THE Malate District in Manila used to be the nucleus of fashion creativity back in the day. As the nation’s capital gears up for its founding anniversary, a landmark spectacle called “Rampa Manila” aims to regain its past glory.

“Saying yes to ‘Rampa Manila’ is a no-brainer, as this event hits two things in my bucket list.

First, to showcase my work alongside my notable contemporaries in fashion design such as Albert Andrada, Michael Leyva, Puey Quiñones and Jo Rubio, with fellow Kapampangan Bang Pineda as creative director,” says acclaimed designer Marlon Tuazon of MCT Couture. “Secondly, I’d love to see my work worn in places with a historical significance, that is, in no less than the Bulwagang Rodriguez of the Manila City Hall!”

“Rampa Manila” is an initiative of Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan and the City Tourism Office. The goal is to promote Manila’s fashion industry and rich cultural heritage, as well as to provide a platform for local designers to display their talent and creativity to a wider audience. It will also be an opportunity for fashiondesign students to present their work alongside the established names of Philippine fashion. The event will feature a diverse lineup of models and performers, as well as highlight local accessories and crafts.

“I am also proud to represent Angeles, Pampanga, among the roster of featured designers. Overall, ‘Rampa Manila’ isn’t just a fashion show,” Tuazon, the double-gold winner in the balintawak and terno categories at TernoCon 2018, says via e-mail. “It’s a celebration of Filipino artistry—by Filipinos, for Filipinos!”

As always, Tuazon’s collection is inspired by his love of country: “Embrace your roots, and it will give you wings to reach even new heights. I will be presenting a 10-piece collection, revolving around the wonders of our very own piña fabric as the backbone of my designs. I shall be creating classic ternos made of mixed fabrics with piña as the base.”

For the moment, Tuazon is drawn to bright, bold and “loud” neon colors. He is challenging himself into transforming these unconventional color palettes into a modern classic which will outlive trends and still look very much contemporary many years into the future.

“My design philosophy is to let your dream be bigger than your challenges. This just doesn’t apply into the technical aspect of executing your design on paper and transforming it into something feasible to create and wear, but also to life in general,” says Tuazon. “After my stroke in February 2022, I was even more inspired to create and more determined to get back in shape to be able to draw once again, and live! I know that my mission is far from over. My relationship with God became even stronger, with each physical and occupational therapy session leading to my long road to recovery.”

Tuazon dropped out of his first year in college to

pursue fashion design at Cora Doloroso. “Even fresh out of high school, I always knew where my heart and passion was. This will always make me choose custom-made over retail production. It’s almost choosing between man vs. machine. With custommade, there is a ‘labor of love’ element that manifests with each creation. The manpower hours devoted to the creation of a single dress makes it more special, sentimental, and a unique experience for the wearer. Unlike machines, only humans are capable of feeling such complex emotions even in something trivial such as wearing a custom dress, for example.”

He has dressed Sarah Geronimo, Bea Alonzo, Kim Chiu, Liza Soberano, Regine Velasquez and Zsa Zsa Padilla, and, more recently, stunning beauty queens Ariella Arida, Rabiya Mateo and Beatrice Luigi Gomez. On his wish list are his teenage icons such as Lea Salonga, Dawn Zulueta, Lucy Torres, and former schoolmate Nanette Medved.

His real fashion influences are the elderly in his hometown of Porac, Pampanga: “During my formative years, I was in awe of the older folks who still wore baro’t saya, and the classic Filipiniana dress during town fiestas, baptisms, and the like. I vividly remember back then, every woman went to church wearing white belo with intricate embroidered designs.

“Even during wakes, the widow would be covered in black veil, which added to a mystery that is both fashionable and fascinating to look at. I think most of my inspiration comes from a much simpler, happy place, which is reflected in my work.

“I am also grateful for my apprenticeship experience at La Casal by Rosette Ramos, one of Angeles City’s pioneer one-stop wedding shops in the mid-1990s. That’s where I started before venturing on my own.”

What else does he want to achieve?

“First of all, longevity in the business. With almost 30 years in the fashion industry, I am fully aware that you’re only as good as your last collection and the next hot designer is just around the corner. I am at the stage of my career where I want to be an inspiration to a small-town boy or girl dreaming to make it big in this fickle world of fashion. I have had my share of awards and the limelight. I am most welcome to the

Practical gifts for Mother’s Day

MOTHER’S Day is a Western concept that has gained much traction in the Philippines and I think it’s because we’re a matriarchal society. While much is still to be achieved in terms of gender equality in our country, mothers are loved and revered.

So, yes, that’s why I always try to come up with a list of gift ideas for Mother’s Day. If you have the cash to buy luxury goods for your mom, wife, or the mother figure in your life, this list is probably not for you as this list is practical and includes things that are useful.

Two years ago, my daughter got me a Rory & Sloan Croft bag for Mother’s Day and it was one of the best gifts I have ever received. I love Croft bags because they’re easy to carry, stylish and fit a lot of stuff. The camera-bag shaped Croft bags are also quite easy to clean. For more information, Rory & Sloan’s Instagram account is @roryandsloan.

If you have a more substantial gifting budget, an Emma Sleep mattress topper, and pillows are gifts any mother would appreciate. My mom used to have a Simmons mattress and let me tell you that Emma Sleep is comparable to it. Emma Sleep makes memory foam mattress with seven-zone technology that contours to your body depending on your body type and sleeping position.

According to Emma Sleep, these mattresses “were developed through extensive sleep research and world-class German engineering.” Here’s what I can tell you: Sleeping on an Emma Sleep mattress is like sleeping on a cloud if a cloud was firm enough to support your back. For more information about Emma Sleep, go to bit.ly/42e5Hyg. The Emma Sleep mattresses are expensive but sometimes, they go on sale. Moms who DIY their hair color would appreciate a tube of

Revlon Professional Color Sublime Ammonia Free Hair Color, which you should purchase with the Revlon Color Sublime Developer. This hair color lasts longer and looks better than any hair color in a box. The gray coverage is excellent and the price is okay (around P700). Once your mom starts to use this, she won’t go for color in a box anymore. For more information, go to www.newsummitcolors.com.

One of the hair care brands I discovered during the pandemic was Cynos. I love their Argan Oil Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner (sold separately) because they really work for colored hair. The texture of both is thick so you only need a bit of product to work through the hair. The shampoo and the conditioner also smell so good. For more information, www.newsummitcolors.com.

For skin care, Estee Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Youth Power Soft Creme is a moisturizer that even the most low maintenance moms will like. This cream, which has

idea of mentoring a new generation of young fashion designers.

“I also want to continue designing and making clothes for my steady roster of clientele that guarantees continued employment to my loyal team who I continue to empower, uplifting their lives in the process. That alone is quite a remarkable feat which has kept my business afloat and sustainable through the years.

“If you can consider offering all the glory to The Almighty with every accolade you receive as a design philosophy, then you will never run out of inspiration to draw from—both literally and spiritually. Each work should show the heart from which the design came. This should also reflect in the quality of your work that should still be wearable after so many years.” ■

collagen-boosting technology, is non-acnegenic and can be used at night and during the day (you still need to wear a proper sunscreen over it, of course). It has a scent but it’s not bothersome or irritating. You can check this out at Estee Lauder in LazMall.

From Beautéderm’s Mother Glows Best, my picks would be the Etre Clair Mouthwash (P199 until May 14) and Caress Sanitizer Spray (P99 until May 14). The V-Lift Machine is at P2,299 while the Soleil Sunscreen Mist is at P650, both until May 14. More information is available from @beautedermcorporation on Instagram.

Speaking of moms, Beautéderm CEO Rhea Anicoche-Tan credits her mother Pacita Ramos Anicoche for the values she holds dear.

One of Pacita’s best pieces of advice to her daughter was to live with a grateful heart. One of her reminders was to never forget the people who have started your life/business journey with you.

“My mother taught me that when you’re blessed, help. When they need you, extend a hand. Generosity is key to success,” said Rhea.

Pacita also taught her daughter to embrace resilience because life is tough and she will always encounter challenges along the way.

When in doubt about what to give as a gift for Mother’s Day, always remember that gift cards and food are always good ideas. Moms will love Ikea and Zara gift cards so they can pick what they want. As for food, you can get her a Santi’s basket of cold cuts, cheese, pasta, breads, and olive oil; bread from The Daily Knead, or a restaurant gift card. If she has a sweet tooth, you can’t go wrong with Wildflour’s pastries.

FENDI CELEBRATES

KARL LAGERFELD

LUXURY brand FENDI spotlights “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” in the Costume Institute’s Spring 2023 exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, plus the brand’s participation at the Met Gala.

Over the course of his 54-year tenure at FENDI, Karl Lagerfeld played a vital role in shaping the history of the Roman house, as well as becoming a beloved member of the Fendi family. Dedicated to illuminating his process and creative vision, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” invites the public into Karl’s world and reveal the dualities within his work. The exhibition will be open to the public from May 5 through July 16, 2023.

“The bond between Karl Lagerfeld and FENDI is fashion’s longest love story,” said Silvia Venturini Fendi, its artistic director of accessories and menswear.

Hired in 1965 by the five Fendi sisters, Lagerfeld transformed over five decades the family’s house into a playground of creativity, powered by his extraordinary and boundless imagination. It is that same vision that is celebrated throughout the exhibition, which traces his stylistic vocabulary and explores the unique working methodology that inspired such freedom. FENDI is proud to play a role in revealing that story.

On the 2023 Met Gala, FENDI guests include Kate Moss, Lila Grace Moss, Precious Lee, Gwendoline Christie, Christina Ricci, Suki Waterhouse, Robert Pattinson, and FENDI Korean Ambassador Hye Kyo Song. Other guests wearing FENDI for the evening include Eva Chen, Elizabeth Shaffer, Willow Bay, Huma Abedin, as well as Pete Davidson in FENDI Men’s.

ACTRESS and singer Suki Waterhouse wears a vintage FENDI Women’s look by Karl Lagerfeld

INSTAGRAM head of fashion Eva Chen wears a FENDI Couture look by Kim Jones

MARLON TUAZON @MARLONTUAZONC

MARLON TUAZON’S sketches for “Rampa Manila”

Toyota Motor Philippines pushes for Carbon Neutrality on Earth Month

AGROUP of volunteers led by Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation (TMP) headed to the coast of Lian, Batangas for a mangrove-planting activity as part of the “All-Toyota Green Wave Project.” This project is the Company’s expansive and multisectoral effort toward carbon neutrality (CN) and biodiversity conservation within TMP’s network amidst the serious threat of global climate change.

In observance of Earth Month, TMP gathered over 50 volunteers from its own workforce, parent company, subsidiaries, the Philippine National Police, and the local government unit. The group, spearheaded by TMP president Atsuhiro Okamoto, planted 5,000 mangrove propagules at Sitio Sulok aiming to reforest a coastline that is part of the Verde Island Passage which is considered the world’s Center of Marine Shore Fish Biodiversity.

“TMP’s multi-pathway approach to CN goes back to Toyota’s commitments announced in 2015 under the global

‘Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 (TEC 205).’ Under this, Toyota has outlined the Company’s targets to achieve Zero CO2 Emissions and Net Positive Environmental Impact by the year 2050,” Okamoto said.

“Today, we take time away from our usual workplace to be in harmony with nature, and push CN beyond the emission reduction efforts TMP has at its manufacturing plant and with the Toyota electrified vehicles,” the TMP President added.

Recognizing the VIP’s importance as the planet’s marine frontier and the call for climate mitigation measures, TMP has initially adopted since 2020 a 10-hectare mangrove plantation at Barangay Binubusan in Lian municipality. This adoption is under the National Greening Program (NGP) which is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) nationwide reforestation program aimed at “involving and enhancing private sector participation towards carbon neutrality.”

In collaboration with Lian’s Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) and the fisherfolk association, TMP has planted a total of 20,000 mangrove propagules and is nearing project completion.

According to MENRO Lian head Alvin Jonson, the project’s success is linked to the mangroves’ survival and maturity rate as the reforested areas are expected to later contribute to the livelihood of fisherfolks and serve as a natural barrier to protect nearby communities from calamities such as storm surges.

In expanding the Green Wave to other ecological systems, TMP recently inked its partnership with DENR Region IV-A CALABARAZON and respective LGUs to adopt new NGP sites: an 8-hectare mangrove plantation in Calatagan, Batangas, and a 50-hectare upland forest block in Siniloan, Laguna. TMP has four active NGP sites with a total of 108 hectares including the other two in Lian, Batangas (10 hectares) and Maragondon, Cavite (40 hectares).

GLC CEO highlights business digital transformation through Cloud Communications at CloudxOS summit

TELAVI, a unified communications telephony solutions platform, took part in CloudxOS 2023, an innovation summit focused on technologies that accelerate digital transformation. GLC was represented by its Chief Executive Officer, Erwin Co, who delivered a keynote titled “Business Digital Transformation through Cloud Communications.” Co, who co-founded GLC in 2013, discussed in his keynote two of the biggest challenges enterprises are facing in this digital age: the modern workforce’s mindset of agile work and the high expectations of today’s consumers.

These challenges, Co pointed out, fall under the bigger challenge of providing modern, seamless communication, which is key in enabling remote and hybrid work. At the same time, it plays a crucial role in assisting companies as they try to meet customer expectations centered around exceptional service provided in omnichannel modes.

According to Co, one thing companies can do to address these concerns is leverage the cloud— something companies globally are doing more and more as the world moves firmly into the digital age. The cloud has been hailed as the “great enabler” because of the benefits companies can gain from using it.

For instance, businesses using the cloud get easier access to the latest technologies, like artificial intelligence and automation, without necessarily building physical infrastructure. Companies also gain flexibility, as they can scale their cloud use and the services they will avail of

depending on their needs and IT budgets. They can even customize their applications and access these anywhere as long as there is internet connection.

The cloud also enables cloud communication, which Co described as the newest and easiest digital transformation tool because it offers unified communication. Meaning, it already includes voice services that replace traditional phone systems. This unified platform, in turn, enhances communication and enables collaboration, thereby increasing productivity anytime, anywhere. This, ultimately, is one of the end-goals of modern businesses, and it is a goal Telavi has been helping businesses with for several years now.

Co cited as an example a retail company Telavi helped. This company was having problems with telephone connections that made it difficult for customers to get in touch. In order to help this retailer, Telavi deployed its Unified Communications–Cloud Telephony System to route delivery calls to the right branch for faster and

more convenient ordering.

TeLavi also assisted a bank with its communications-related issues. This bank already had a website with all its contact details featured on it. However, this website was poorly organized, which made it extremely difficult for customers to find the contact information they needed.

TeLavi remedied this problem by installing in the same website TeLavi Click-to-Call, a one-click customer service system that made it easier and more convenient for customers to reach said bank.

It is precisely this use of technology that drives today’s digital transformation. Co, in his same keynote in CloudxOS 2023, emphasized that this transformation is inevitable, and businesses will need to keep up—or risk getting left behind.

Co, who curated a highly skilled, customer-centric team that now comprise GLC, has made it his mission to provide businesses of all sizes with the most compelling communication technology experience possible. He was one of a select crop of industry experts who shared in CloudxOS their insights on and knowledge of technology, digital transformation, and the cloud.

His company, GLC is now one of the country’s leading providers of unified communications and telephony solutions. Telavi, on the other hand, is helping organizations in their digital transformation journeys through innovative and upto-date enterprise solutions.To more about cloud revolution please visit www.telavi.com.ph.

THE term “adult diapers” has often been the subject of ridicule, leading to a taboo and reluctance to discuss the topic. However, Assure® Premium Adult Diapers aims to educate the market and connect the term “diaper” with comfort, convenience, and hygiene. It is time to move away from the stigma associated with wearing a diaper and eliminate the indignity associated with old age and incontinence.

According to Hero Go of Assure® Diapers, disposable diapers are a vital part of a healthy lifestyle for every adult. The usage of adult diapers is growing steadily, which proves that factors such as embarrassment and ridicule are invalid. Disposable diapers are not only associated with hygiene but also with better living and quality of life. They are considered as a lifestyle underwear.

While a large geriatric population and growing cases of incontinence drive the adult diaper market's growth, the availability of comfortable, skin-friendly, odor-free, and highly absorbent diapers is the primary factor propelling market growth. Assure® Premium Adult Diapers are available for both men and women in various sizes. Since the product's launch two years ago, customer feedback generally indicates that Assure® Diapers are comfortable, skin-friendly, and feel like regular underwear. Wearers feel no unease, no irritation, and can wear them discreetly under their clothing. Although the original intended market

for adult diapers was for senior citizens, these days many adults wear diapers, and their reasons are as diverse as the wearers. Aside from providing convenience and comfort for people on the go, it also helps prevent hygiene-related illnesses and embarrassing moments. In fact, scientists and researchers encourage the usage of disposable diapers among the general public.

“We want to engage the market in a meaningful way through product education and awareness,” says Hero Go. “Diapers are nothing but a more practical and healthy form of underwear. They are a safe and healthy way of living. It should be socially acceptable for everyone to wear diapers permanently, as they provide freedom and confidence for people to move around and do things without disruptions.”

Assure® Adult Lifestyle underwear wants to give every product user the experience of living, learning, growing, and urinating anywhere and anytime without the risk of developing diseases resulting from holding oneself in.

Assure® Diapers can be contacted through their Facebook page “Assure Diapers” and is available through reputable online shops such as Shopee, Lazada, and Edamama. For customers' convenience from all over the country, the lifestyle underwear that is the Assure Premium Adult Diapers is now available exclusively at Royal Duty-free Shops in Subic Freeport and all Robinsons Supermarkets nationwide.

AcadArena to offer educational assistance, financial grants, gear aid to student gamers

ACADARENA, the home of campus gaming and organizer of the largest gaming convention in the Philippines, recently unveiled its scholarship programs through AcadArena Scholarships and Aid (ASA) program.

ASA is AcadArena’s progrma to provide educational assistance, financial grants and gear aid for peripheral upgrades to student gamers who are in need of assistance to pursue their academic and gaming goals. So far, 1,100 scholars have been given the chance to pursue their academic and gaming endeavors.

Student gamers, we’ve got some great news for you! Your favorite streamers might just assist you in your The scholarship programs on the roster this year are Valkyrae’s Homecoming Scholarship, Fuslie’s Scholarship for Women in Gaming, and the CONquest Scholarship.

Valkyrae’s anticipated Homecoming Scholarship provides a full ride scholarship for up to P180,000 each to three Filipino awardees in celebration of her return to the motherland. Awardees will also get the

chance to meet and greet Valkyrae at the CONquest Festival 2023.

The Fuslie’s Scholarship for Women in Gaming, on the other hand, grants two awardees a full ride scholarship for up to P135,000 each, and a chance to meet and greet the scholarship holder herself. This is tailored to empower female students in gaming and inspire them to take more leadership roles, become a voice against harassment in games, and be a role model towards a more inclusive and nondiscriminatory industry.

The CONquest Scholarship, which is sponsored by AcadArena and CONquest, will provide a P100,000 grant to one awardee. Applications are open for Valkyrae and Fuslie’s scholarship grant until May 22, 2023, and CONquest Scholarship is available until May 26, 2023.

Only Grade 12 to undergraduate Filipino students are eligible to apply for the scholarship programs.

For more details about the scholarship program, visit https://www.acadarena.com/ scholarships. Ma. Krishia Fae Jimenez

Assure® Premium Adult Diapers offer adults a healthy, comfortable, confident lifestyle

Truth, integrity and ethics, and PR pros

MANY people outside the industry tend to think that PR is a glam job. That’s because it involves often socials, events, and meeting celebrities. While this is so, the other side is that communicators also have a lot of tough responsibilities.

That’s because, as Nicole Rodrigues, founder and CEO of the NRPR Group says in an article in prnewsonline.com, PR professionals become the voices and representatives of companies and organizations they serve.

As the main mediators between business leaders and media, they “are most responsible for the integrity, transparency, and truth of information carried between the two. That’s one reason why ethics is intrinsic to our work.”

With this, “communicators can encounter several ethical quandaries daily, especially during a PR crisis . . . which can cast a menacing spotlight on a company, business leader, celebrity, or product.”

If not handled well, reputations can be ruined especially when communication is handled improperly or unethically. As such, “it is a PR pro’s moral duty to value truth and integrity.”

Rodrigues believes that “the PR pro’s ethical obligation is three-fold: to ourselves, to those we represent, and to our media partners. Here she shares with us Three Ethical Obligations at

n This week’s besT c ampaigns includes hearT warming sTories of solidariT y, a look inTo women in gaming, and a TribuTe To journalis Ts everywhere

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—The creative industry is brimming with tons of amazing ideas, so it’s no surprise that there’s never a shortage of great campaigns to admire and celebrate.

From gripping stories and new perspectives that embody what a brand stands for to new fun ways people can engage with a brand, here are campaigns that caught adobo Magazine’s eye this week:

when an app becomes a community effort’s best friend GC A SH pulls heartstrings with its recent film about Ate Alma, a photocopy operator who has been a beloved and significant member of the university community for

years. Based on true events, it recounts how students rallied behind her to get her and her family back on their feet when her house was destroyed by a flood. With GCash, they were able to set up a fundraising movement that allowed community members to send money directly to Ate Alma’s e-wallet. This is a part of the #GCashStories campaign which, through real stories, brings to the spotlight how the app has helped take away financial barriers, enabled support and connection among communities, and elevated the lives of many individuals.

a closer look into empowering the women of gaming D ESPITE g aming being for everyone, the world of esports remains to be a maledominated scene, with women gamers often being left out of the spotlight. However, more and more women are proving the notion that gaming is for men wrong, and among them is Jinny, the subject of electriclime and video game developer Riot Games’ recent VALORANT Game Changers film. The documentarystyle profile on the player

the Heart of PR.

n obligation to yourself I N TEGRITY i s essential for PR pros in an industry where reputation and ethics matter. And Rodrigues observes that one’s values are at the core of everything.

“Any individual, regardless of industry, will—explicitly or subconsciously—act and make business decisions based on a set of core values,” she says. “And it is crucial that PR pros establish values at the outset of their careers.”

More than that, “the communicator should revisit these values regularly, ensuring they remain aligned with the principles that define them as professional and human beings.”

How can we establish core ethical principles? Rodrigues says we must ask ourselves these difficult questions.

1.What do I value?

2.What kinds of companies and people should I support?

3.What stories do I believe in sharing?

4.How will I behave when no one is watching?

With this, “understanding and holding ourselves accountable to these values cultivates the reputation and good faith necessary to drive positive outcomes in our business.” n obligation to those you represent W HE THER y ou work in the com -

delves into her experience in gaming, not just as one top female player in esports who made it all the way to the VALORANT Game Changers Championship Tournament but also as a leader, mentor, and friend to the fellow talented women on her winning team. Save your drinks from the heat this summer

It’s that time of the year again when a big chunk of the world is constantly in need of lighter clothes, shade from the sun, and of course, a nice cold drink. Just in time for the summer, with temperatures reaching the 40s, Budweiser and BETC Paris have found an ecofriendly method of keeping your beers cool. The design of “Bud Ground Cooler,” the first sustainable electricityfree fridge that goes below 6°, was based on ancient cooling techniques that could capture freshness via geothermal cooling, giving Bud lovers a greener way to ensure the heat doesn’t ruin that perfect ice-cold drink.

a mother’s love finds its way to homesick indonesians WA RM m eals made by loved

munications department of a company or in an agency, a PR pro’s work includes “distilling company messaging, mission, and momentum, and communicating them clearly to the right audiences.”

That is why it is important for communicators to be aligned with the corporate values of the companies they represent.

At the same time, the PR pro may engage in conversations about business strategies, and with this, must respect this confidentiality. Our silence is our strength.

At the same time, Rodrigues says “we have an ethical obligation to vet press opportunities, act respectfully and responsibly while representing the company and offer researched, reputable guidance. We should choose projects wisely, ensuring the projects of those we represent align with ours.”

ones may just be the best part of special occasions. So, for this year’s Ramadan, Heinz ABC and Leo Burnett Indonesia ensured that even those who were away from their families could have access to the comfort and joy brought by home-cooked meals made with love. The #ABCDapurBersamaIbu movement, a campaign that had 133 community kitchens preparing and distributing 125,000 mom-made meals to various vulnerable groups in society, ran for the entirety of Ramadan and fulfilled the craving for the taste of home for those who need it the most.

a font swap that shines a light on the truths being erased 180 Amsterdam and Free Press Unlimited recently launched The Erased Font, a font that makes that automatically censors words. More specifically, it censors one word for every journalist imprisoned. Furthermore, the censored words aren’t just chosen arbitrarily, because every one of them is connected to a real journalist who has been imprisoned and the issues they reported on.

n o b ligation to the m e dia

W I THOUT t he media, there would be no PR work. This is the reality all PR pros have to face.

This is because, as Rodrigues points out, “communicators rely on developing productive partnerships with media and cultivation of stories we believe their audiences want and/or need to hear.”

With this comes awareness of challenges that journalists face. With the rise of user-generated platforms, and circulation of fake news, Rodrigues notes that “media has suffered catastrophic credibility blows. Despite this, trustworthy media personnel far outnumber bad actors.”

Therefore, it is the responsibility of PR pros “to support and uplift trusted media members.

“This includes making sure our materials are newsworthy and interesting with “media-validated, researched, relevant, and

On World Press Freedom Day, several publications adopted this font in solidarity. This is the campaign’s way of making unjust realities being faced by journalists everywhere—from censorship to disappearance and imprisonment—visible even as they’re being erased, much like real life.

n The philippine philharmonic orchesTra recreaTe s firsT concerT for 50Th anniversary gala

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—

After its successful metamorphosis on its recently concluded 38th concert season, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra turns gold.

Established in 1973, the country’s leading orchestra looks back at its humble beginnings through its PPO 50th ANNIVERSARY GALA, slated on May 12, 8:00 pm, at the Metropolitan Theater, the temporary home of the PPO while the CCP Main Building is undergoing rehabilitation.

For this milestone, the CCP resident orchestra recreates in part its very first concert, which happened on May 15, 1973. That debut concert of the orchestra, under the

fact-checked content.”

All in all, “establishing ethical values early in one’s career ...enables PR pros to act with integrity...and achieve the goals and impact we initially set out to make in this world on behalf of those who have entrusted us with their stories.”

PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Millie Dizon, the Senior Vice President for Marketing and Communications of SM, is the former local chairman.

We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail. com.

baton of Maestro Luis C. Valencia, its first music director, with Julian Quirit as concertmaster.

In the 1973 concert, the PPO performed Alfredo S. Buenaventura’s Bathaluman and National Artist Lucrecia Kasilag’s Divertissement for Piano and Orchestra. The late National Artist was the president and artistic director of the center back then.

Made possible through the auspices of the former First Lady Imelda R. Marcos, the concert also featured Manuel de Falla’s Noches en los Jardines de España and G. Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, with guest performer pianist Benjamin Tupas.

Initially intended to accompany performing artists at the CCP Theater when the orchestra was founded in 1973, the PPO had been reorganized in 1979, with Prof. Oscar C. Yatco at the helm. Three years later, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra was born with a new vision—to be ranked among the best in the world. From then on, the PPO has grown to become the country’s leading orchestra.

B8 Monday, May 8, 2023

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

Editor: Jun Lomibao

back as queen of

PHNOM PENH—Jamie Lim

shunning social media reaped dividends in the form of a gold medal regained in karate at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games on Sunday.

“I had less of social media—no Tiktok and IG [IG]—in the last few months,” said Lim after beating hometown bet Vann Chakriya, 3-1, to rule the women’s -61 kgs individual kumite final at the Chroy Changvar Center Hall A.

S he won the hearts of Filipinos with her gold medal won at home in the 2019 Games, but was bitten by the social media bug on her way to Hanoi last year and lost her title.

But she was the same Lim—the daughter of basketball legend Samboy Lim—wearing a gold medal around her neck here just like Sakura Alforte who won hers in women’s individual kata the other day.

I was full of doubt in my first match because I faced an opponent who beat me in Vietnam. She left me with a black eye,” said Lim, referring to Thi Nguyen Ngoan, who she eventually booted out, 5-0.

PERFECT RUN IN CAMBODIA

By Jun Lomibao

PHNOM PENH—The Philippines went perfect in obstacle racing by winning gold medals in the relays on Sunday to become the most successful team thus far in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.

The men and women relay teams were simply too much for the opposition in clinching the last of four gold medals staked in the sport to cement their status as the best obstacle racers in the region.

The Filipinos pulled it off in front of another big crowd at the Chroy Chavrang Convention Center Car Park with Ahgie Radan, Elias Tabac, Mervin Guarte and Jay-ar de Castro clearing all obstacles in a world standard of 24.47 seconds.

MTB riders bag bronze medal in mixed relay

PHNOM PENH—Cycling won’t go home without a medal following a podium finish crosscountry of mountain bike’s mixed team relay on another searing day on Sunday in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Siem Reap City.

A riana Evangelista, Shagne Yaoyao, EJ Flores and Jerico Rivera clocked 52 minutes and 25 seconds to finish third in the 14.80-km event raced over a 3.7-km circuit in the foothills of Kulen Mountain in the city 300 kms from the Cambodian capital made world famous by the mystical Angkor Wat heritage site.

Feri Yudoyono, Zaenal Fanani, Darah Latifa and Sayu Bella Sukma Dewi were timed 50 minutes and 11 seconds for Indonesia’s third gold medal in MTB cycling after a sweep of the individual crosscountry Olympic events on Saturday.

Th ailand’s Keerati Sukprasart, Phunsiri Sirimongkhon, Supuksorn Nuntana and Warinthorn Phetraphan clinched silver in 51:44.

“ Thank you!” PhilCycling vice president Oscar Rodriguez said. “There are some negative reactions to our first day performance, but like what I have said. the odds were against us. Jun Lomibao

They beat Malaysia’s Ghalib Mohamad Azimi, Mohd Redha Rozlan, Nuur Hafis Said Alwi and Yoong Wei Theng, who clocked 25.15.

Sandi Menchi Abahan, Mecca Cortizano, Milky Mae Tejares and Maritess Nocyao ruled the women’s category with also a world record of 33.73, defeating Indonesia’s Anggun Yolanda, Ayu Pupita, Mudji Mulyani and Rahmayuna Fadillah who timed 35.06.

A lso claiming gold medals on Sunday were duathlon queen Kim Mangrobang, the women’s soft tennis

squad of Bien Zoleta-Mañalac and Princess Catindig, jiu jitsu’s Marc Lim who finally triumphed in his third SEA Games and karateka Jamie Lim, who bounced back from her bronze medal in Vietnam last year.

Mangrobang kept her crown in the 5-km run, 20-km bike and 2.5-km run final at the Kep Beach Resort, ZoletaMañalac and Catindig completed a championship sweep capped by a 5-2 victory over Chatmanee and Napawee Jankiaw of Thailand in the women’s doubles finals, Marc Lim beat Vietnam’s Dang Dinh Tung for the men’s newaza nogi 69kg gold, and Jamie Lim returned to her rightful place on top of the SEA Games karate world by ruling the women’s -61kg women’s individual kumite at the Chroy Changvar Center Hall A.

The Filipinos, backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee, ended the day with 13 gold medals in a tie with Indonesia for second, just ahead of Vietnam which had 12.

First-time host Cambodia was on top of the heap with 25 gold, 19 silver and 19 bronze medals, mainly through its domination of indigenous sports like kun-bokator, an ancient form of martial art; kun khmer, and vovinam.

The Filipinos also had 14 silver medals, one of them coming from the Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 men’s squads that

TALLY

lost 15-20 to the Cambodian team that featured three naturalized players in Brandon Peterson, Sayeed Pridgett, and Darrin Dorsey that left PSC Commissioner Fritz Gaston referring to the squad as the “US” team. The women’s 3x3 team also lost to Vietnam 16-21 after ousting Thailand 21-19 in an emotional victory earlier.

K arate also contributed four silver medals for the day, courtesy of kumite fighters Matthew Manantan (men’s -67 kg), Ivan Agustin (-84 kg), Remon Misu (-68 kg women) and Ariane Brito (+68kg women).

But Cambodia’s bid for a Cinderella finish will be severely tested when the region’s big guns, among them the Filipinos, Thais, Indonesians, and Malaysians, press their bids in several martial arts disciplines and athletics, which get going Monday at the Morodok Techo Stadium.

L im, the daughter of former PBA star Samboy Lim, went home with a bronze medal in Vietnam last year but regained the crown she won in 2019 when he humbled Cambodian Vann Chakriya in the title match 3-1. I had less (time) for social media, no Tiktok and IG (Instagram) for the last few months but now everything is okay,” Lim, now a two-time SEA Games gold medalist after ruling the 2019 edition in Manila, enthused after her impressive win.

Knott back to regain Games throne

By Josef Ramos

PHNOM PENH—Kristina Knott returns to the Southeast Asian Games to regain two gold medals she missed defending last year in Hanoi because of injuries.

A sian pole vault record holder Ernest John “EJ” Obiena, meanwhile, guns for his third straight SEA Games gold medal in the straight-to-the-finals event set at 5:05 p.m. [Cambodia time) on Monday.

I’m so grateful to be back after a long battle with injuries,” Knott told BusinessMirror on Sunday morning as she tapers down in training at the Morodok Techno Stadium which will play venue to the athletics competitions starting on Monday.

“Now, I am feeling healthy and ready to go,” said the 27-year-old Orlando (Florida)-based sprinter who’s targeting gold medals in the 200 meters and mixed relay.

K nott will also go for the century gold medal but will have to beat the challenge of reigning SEA Games champion Shanti Pereira of Singapore and sprint queen Nguyen Thi

That relegation battle

IF Arsenal does not win the Premier League this season, in my opinion, it will be heartbreaking.

The team has led for much of the season. But its recent slide of three draws, one loss and one win have seen perennial champion Man City move ahead by four points with four matches to play.

Business Analytics Master course at the Imperial College in London.

I’m alone in London and had to train by myself,” she said. “There were times that I cried because of the difficulties that I encountered—studying and self training.”

O nly Lim managed to win gold among five Filipinos who made the kumite finals.

M atthew Manantan (-67 kgs) and Ivan Agustin (-84 kgs) in the men’s category and Remon Misu(-68 kgs) and Ariane Brito (+68 kgs) in the women’s sde settled for silver medals. P rince Alejo (-75 kg men’s) and Jayson Macaalay (-60 kg men’s) joined Joco Vasquez in men’s kata as the country’s bronze medalists in karate.

Josef Ramos

Oanh of Vietnam.

K nott competed at the Tokyo Olympics where she suffered a plantar fasciitis tear in her left foot that booted her out of Hanoi.

“ It’s fully healed now and I’m going for the title,” said Knott, a graduate of Advertising at the University of Miami whose father Harold is American and mother Rizalina a Filipina from Zamboanga.

The 200 meters heat are set at 9:15 a.m. and the finals at 4:15 p.m. on Monday.

“He’s in high spirits but a bit tired from a 22hour travel from Italy,” Obiena’s father and coach Emerson said. “But he’s here to jump and win.”

K ayla Richardson, 25, is also running the 200 meters.

A lso competing for Team Philippines on Monday are Janry Ubas and Aries Toledo (decathlon), Umajesty Williams (men’s 200m), Aira Teodosio (women’s hammer throw), Elijah Cole (pole vault), Melvin Calano and John Paul Sarmiento (men’s javelin throw), Edwin Giron and Alfrence Braza (men’s 1,500), Joida Gagnao and Abiegail Manzano (women’s 5,000).

W hat was also shocking to see is how some top squads are below their usual standards—Liverpool is clinging on to faint hopes for a Champions League slot for next season, Chelsea has continued to flounder, ditto with West Ham.

W hile the title race between Man City and resurgent Arsenal is the top story, so is the battle for Champions League spots for Manchester United and Liverpool.

Just as tantalizing are the relegation battle sub-plots.

Perhaps what is shocking is how Everton is in the relegation zone with three other teams looking to stay out of harm’s way. Southampton will go down as it only has 24 points. Everton has 24 points while Leicester City, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest all have 30.

L eeds has played 35 matches while Everton, Leicester and Nottingham Forest have played 34.

It would be quite the story if Leicester, Premier League winners in 2015-16, would go down.

A s for Leeds, I am surprised they have managed to hang around. After they were found out in their return to top flight football during their 2020-21 season, they struggled.  Nottingham Forest…well…

“ I just returned the favor [to Ngoan],” Lim said.  She defeated Malaysian Siti Nur Azwani Nor, 6-3, in her second match to set up a titular showdown with Chakriya.   L im started to seriously train a month ago as she attended to her

Gilas 3x3 teams settle for silver

PHNOM PENH—Gilas Pilipinas’

3x3 teams yielded to Cambodia in the men’s contest and Vietnam in the women’s side to settle for silver medals in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games at the Morodok Techo Elephant Hall.

The men bowed to a host Cambodian team spiked with naturalized foreigners, 20-15, and the women bowed to Vietnam, 21-16, following an emotional win in the semifinals earlier Sunday.

Joseph Sedurifa lifted the men with a two-pointer past Thailand, 2119, and Afril Bernardino allowed the women to post a 21-20 squeaker over the Cambodians.

But Sedurifa, Almond Vosotros, Joseph Eriobu, and Lervin Flores failed to hurdle the Cambodian challenge anchored on naturalized players Brandon Peterson, Sayeed Pridgett and Darrin Dorsey—all Americans.

B ernardino, Jack Animam, Janine Pontejos and Mikka Cacho also couldn’t stop the VietnameseAmerican twins Kayleigh Truong and Kaylynne Truong, Ngoan Thi Huyhn and Duy Tieu Thi Nguyen.

Gilas also lost to Vietnam in overtime 21-19 in the preliminaries.

Men’s coach Lester del Rosario praised his players in trying to overcome the three American players of Cambodia.

They gave their all and fought even if we played against Americans. I’m proud of them,” Del Rosario said.

“ We started in the group of death and probably it’s not our time yet,” Gilas women’s coach Pat Aquino said. “But I’m happy with the podium finish but we are also sorry for not winning the gold. We will try to restrategize.” Josef Ramos

Filipino athletes in Cambodia SEAG: So far, so good–PSC chair Bachmann

PHNOM PENH—Philippine

Sports Commission chairman

Richard Bachmann and commissioners Olivia “Bong” Coo and Fritz Gaston are so far satisfied with the Filipino athletes’ performance in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games. They are hoping that the early success is sustained all the way to Tuesday next week—the last day of full competitions.

“So far, I’m very happy. It’s a good start, hopefully we can retain it,” said Bachmann in a brief huddle with Filipino sportswriters covering the games.

A s of 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Team Philippines is in the thick of the fight against the region’s powerhouses Thailand and Indonesia with 13 gold medals to show.

More golds are expected once the big guns, such as Olympians Ernest John Obiena of pole vault, Carlos Yulo of gymnastics and boxers Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio begin contributing to the Philippine cause.

“I think Sir Bambol [Tolentino,

Philippine OIympic Committee president] said top three or four (in the final medal standings), so it looks like we’re getting there. The (expected) golds from EJ [Obiena], [Caloy] Yulo are not yet there, so I’m just hoping that our gold and silver will continue,” said Bachmann, who with his commissioners and the POC chief, have become Team Philippines’ biggest cheerleaders here.

Of course, Bachmann and Gaston, who were former basketball pros, and Coo, a multi-titled bowling legend, know the feeling from the other side of the fence, having been former athletes themselves. Plus, this is the first time that they will have to deal with sports outside of their comfort zones.   I’m now seeing a full round of all sports, so I’m  very excited trying to go to our games,” said Bachmann. “Our athletes are all in high spirits and high energy, they are all willing to get those golds,” he said.

Coo, who handles Women Sports in the PSC, is particularly elated of the showing of the Filipina athletes, from the delegation’s first gold medalist Kaila Napolis of jiu-jitsu to its latest, triathlete Kim Mangrobang.

“I’m so happy because many woman athletes are winning medals. All of them are in high spirits, they are really fighting for the country. We will continue to support, I will continue to support,” Coo said.

Jun Lomibao

E verton has been relegated twice before—1929-30 and 1950-51.

L ast season, it flirted with the relegation zone but managed to get out as it finished an unimpressive 16th place.

Thus far, it’s only one of six clubs in the Premier League not to have been relegated. The others are Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea.

Now, the fear is real.

Th ings are stacked against them though. Manager Sean Dyche, who took over from Frank Lampard this past January 30, tried to stem the tide but whatever early optimism has given fear to real fear.

It takes on Brighton (seventh in the standings), Man City (top of the league) at Goodison, at Wolves (13th spot) and at home versus Bournemouth (14th).

I n the first round that seems like a distant memory, Everton drew 1-1 with Brighton, lost 3-nil to Bournemouth, lost 2-1 to Wolves and drew 1-1 with Man City.

I f relegated, it will not hear the end of its cross-city rivals, Liverpool, but there are fears—genuine ones—that it could continue its downward spiral.

I c an only think of Sunderland that was relegated to the second level, the Championship at the end of the 2016-17 season and continued to drop the following year to the EFL. It troubles were well documented in the riveting Sunderland ‘Til I Die reality series shown on Netflix.

T he Black Cats, as Sunderland’s players are nicknamed, are back in the Championship after spending four years in League One where they are currently in seventh place this campaign.

There are parachute payments for teams relegated—55 percent of the equal share of broadcast revenue paid to Premier League clubs in the first year, 45 percent the next campaign, and 20 percent in Year Three.

I h ave no idea what will happen to Everton. Will they continue their downward spiral? Or will their clueless owner, Farhad Moshiri finally figure out what needs doing with this team?

W ill there be a Netflix series for them? Or do they need their own version of Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds for some Hollywood stardust?

W hatever, the Blues will have their own postseason drama to contend with.

KRISTINA KNOTT is now injury free.

JAMIE LIM is back in championship form.

THE Filipino obstacle racers are seen playing catch up here but eventually makes up for lost ground to emerge champions. ROY DOMINGO

MEMBERS of the mixed relay team—Ariana Evangelista, Shagne Yaoyao, EJ Flores and Jerico Rivera—celebrate on the podium.

PHILIPPINE Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann (left) and commissioners Olivia “Bong” Coo (right) and Fritz Gaston answer questions from Filipino reporters. ROY DOMINGO