BusinessMirror May 11, 2023

www.businessmirror.com.ph

THE country’s value of production in agriculture and fisheries in the first quarter of 2023 was registered at P428.69 billion, representing an annual growth of 2.1 percent, the government reported on Wednesday.

“ is was because of the annual increases in the value of production of crops, livestock, poultry and fi sheries,” the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said, by way of explaining its data.

e PSA also said that crops, which grew by 1.7 percent, accounted for P247.77 billion or 57.8 percent of the total value of production in agriculture and fi sheries in the fi rst quarter of 2023. Palay and corn posted increments in the value of production at 5.2 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively, it added.

e value of livestock produc-

THE country’s foreign direct investment (FDI) net inflows increased by 13.0 percent to $1.0 billion in February 2023 from the $926 million recorded in the same month last year, the central bank said on Wednesday.

e Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas attributed the increase in FDI to “higher non-residents’ net investments in debt instruments, notwithstanding lower net equity capital placements and reinvestment of earnings.”

e year-to-date FDI net inflows amounted to $1.5 billion, 14.6 percent lower than the $1.8-billion net inflows posted in the fi rst two months of 2022.

“All major FDI components yielded lower net inflows as foreign

investors remained cautious amid persistent and broadening global infl ation,” the BSP added.

Moreover, the central bank said during the reference month, the bulk of the equity capital placements emanated from Japan, the United States and the Cayman Islands.

“ e said investments were channeled mostly to the 1) manufacturing; 2) real estate; 3) electricity, gas steam and air conditioning supply; and 4) fi nancial and insurance industries,” the bank said.

e BSP statistics on FDI are compiled based on the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, 6th Edition (BPM6).

FDI includes (a) investment by

a non-resident direct investor in a resident enterprise, whose equity capital in the latter is at least 10 percent, and (b) investment made by a non-resident subsidiary/associate in its resident direct investor, the BSP said.

For his part, Michael Enriquez, president of Sun Life Investment Management and Trust Corp. said, “majority of the increase was invested in local government bonds taking advantage of higher interest rates.”

Domini Velasquez, chief economist at China Banking Corp. said higher net FDI inflows could imply improving sentiments from source countries.

“Previously anticipated recessions did not materialize. In par-

ticular, the US economy continues to post improving economic conditions,” she added.

“Domestically, structural reforms such as the amendments to the retail trade liberalization act and the public services act will continue to be major drivers of FDI,” the economist’s said.

“We might see improvements in the second half of the year as these reforms gain traction. Additionally, investment pledges from the President’s trips to woo investors should also provide impetus to FDI,” Velasquez said.

Chief economist Michael Ricafort of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. said that February FDIs are

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is now eyeing to sign new trade and investment deals and bilateral agreements with the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR).

He made the pronouncement during his bilateral talk with newly-appointed Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone at the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Summit Indonesia on Wednesday.

e President said he wants to explore business opportunities in PDR as it also undergoes pandemic recovery.

“ ere’s much potential, now that our economies, especially here in ASEAN and around the region, have begun to show signs of life after the pandemic,” Marcos said.

e President said other areas, where both Philippines and PDR can benefit are tourism, health, education as well as expansion of “professional exchanges.”

Currently, he said a large number of Filipinos are already employed in the PDR.

“We have 2,000 more or less Filipino nationals who are living in Lao and working in Lao PDR and we are very proud of the contributions that they have made, especially in

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday called for solidarity to combat international crimes and the growing impact of climate change at the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and its related meetings in Indonesia.

He made the call as ASEAN faces “a complex geopolitical environment,” which includes the differing agenda of its member states.

“ASEAN itself is not immune to its own challenges, as we

continue to navigate our differences in the region towards a general consensus of action,” Marcos said in his intervention at the ASEAN Leaders’ Interface with the High-Level Task Force on the ASEAN Community’s post-2025 vision (HLTFACV).

“Regionalism should mirror our collective interests, for our strength relies on our united voice,” he added.

Regional cooperation

IN his intervention at the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary

FEB FDI NET INFLOW INCREASES BY 13% TO $1B

among the highest since the pandemic started, as the economy reopened toward greater normalcy and amid some of the investment commitments obtained by the administration after foreign trips in recent months.

“For the coming months, net FDIs could pick up further amid measures to further reopen the economy with no more restrictions as a policy priority, the Philippine economic growth expected to be among the fastest in the region, the country’s attractive demographics, economic reopening of China [which is the world’s second biggest economy] since December 2022, investment commitments obtained by the administration from overseas visit trips in recent months,” he added.

“Membership of the country into the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership [RCEP], which is the world’s biggest free trade agreement and led by China [the world’s second biggest economy], would help attract more FDIs to locate in the country as a production and/or marketing base, as well as an access point to bigger export markets of the other RCEP member countries in the region and in other parts of the world,” Ricafort said. Raadee S. Sausa

Kuwait stops issuing visas to PHL workers—reports

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DFA News BusinessMirror www.businessmirror.com.ph C  A

confi rmation yet.

HIGH CROP YIELD BUOYS AGRI PRODUCTION IN Q1

K

UWAIT has reportedly stopped issuing visas to Filipino workers following the alleged “non-compliance” by the Philippine government with the provisions of the labor agreement between the two countries, reports from Kuwaiti media said.

Kuwaiti daily newspaper Al Anba quoted its sources as saying that the order to suspend the issuance of visas to Filipino workers came from First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister

Asean...

Assembly (AIPA), the President proposed the harmonization of laws and regulations in the region so it can better respond to regional challenges.

Sheikh Talal Al-Khalid.

has sought confi rmation from the departments of Foreign Affairs and of Migrant Workers but as of the time of this writing, there was no official

Among such pressing regional concerns, he said, is the “increasing misuse of innovative technological applications to facilitate trafficking in persons.”

“Creating a robust legal framework and an effective enforcement mechanism that mutually supports each other to reinforce national and regional cooperation

ere was no mention of the specific violation committed allegedly by the Philippine government on the bilateral labor agreement.

However, it came three months after the Philippines unilaterally halted the deployment of fi rsttime domestic workers to Kuwait following the death of Filipino maid Jullebee Ranara.

Ranara was reportedly raped, impregnated, burned and abandoned in the desert last January.

e suspect, the 17-year-old son of her employer, was jailed .

Another newspaper, Kuwait Times, said the ban includes Filipinos who are “expatriates” and not just workers.

For his part, the Laotian premier invited Marcos on behalf of Laos President ongloun Sisoulith to make a state visit to the PDR.

Samuel P. Medenilla

against trafficking in persons are needed to address those issues,” Marcos said.

data show there are 279,459 Filipinos in Kuwait as of December 2022. C  A C  A

Such cooperation can also extend to issues related to climate change, which continues to cause devastation in many countries including those from ASEAN, according to him.

ASEAN member states, he added, can accelerate the global transition from fossil fuel-reliance to renewable energy by boosting their production of “critical metals” needed for the production and development of green technology such as aluminium, nickel and chromite.

“Recognizing that a cleaner energy future is anchored on the supply of critical minerals, ASEAN should now start enhancing regional cooperation towards boosting the region’s strategic industrial metals and minerals value chain,” Marcos said at the ASEAN Summit Plenary Session.

He noted that ASEAN continues to ask developed to countries to honor their “moral obligation” to help countries, which are vulnerable to climate change through technology transfer, capacity building, and climate fi nancing.

For its part, ASEAN, he said, should to do its role in mitigating the impact of climate change by having member states implement their commitments in the Paris Agreement.

Aging population

MARCOS also raised the issue of the aging population in ASEAN, which he said the regional bloc should start preparing for as early as now.

Citing data from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), he said about a quarter of the population in the Asia Pacific region, including ASEAN, will be over 60 years old by 2050.

“I think therefore it is time that ASEAN should start discussing the concerns of an ageing population, consistent with the ASEAN tradition of valuing our elders,” Marcos said.

Foremost of his recommendation is to ensure ASEAN elders have “a safe and dignified, and productive life” by putting social benefits and policies in place.

e Presidential Communications Office (PCO) pointed out Marcos was the fi rst regional leader to discuss the issue during an ASEAN summit.

Interoperability

DURING the plenary session, Marcos also pushed for a stronger “cross-border connectivity and the interoperability of digital frameworks” to encourage free trade in ASEAN.

Such initiative, he said, should be complemented by the necessary skilled workforce in the region.

“We must forge a vibrant digital

With a production value of P64.95 billion, poultry’s contribution to the total value of agriculture and fi sheries production was 15.1 percent.

Poultry’s value of production registered a 3.2-percent annual increase.

All poultry commodities, except duck, recorded annual growths in their value of production.

“ e value of fi sheries production, which grew slightly by 0.3 percent annually, amounted to P54.32 billion or 12.7 percent of the total value of agriculture and fi sheries production,” data shows.

Double-digit expansions were pusit) at 18.2 percent, tilapia at 10.8 percent, and ) at 10.5 percent,

At current prices, the value of production in agriculture and fi sheries amounted to P569.94 billion, indicating an annual growth of

Earlier, a Monetary Board (MB) member said the country’s agriculture performance for the fi rst semester of 2023 is expected to be

economy and ensure that our people are equipped with the digital skills of the future so that no one is left behind in the midst of our world’s digital transformation,” Marcos said.

He said the ASEAN, through its Youth Dialogue and Junior Fellowship Program, can provide the necessary avenue to allow the younger generation to gain the necessary skills to qualify for opportunities in the digital and creative economies.

“We must ensure that they are well equipped to not only compete globally, but also to develop expertise, forge linkages, and establish leadership in these fields,” Marcos said in his intervention during the ASEAN Leaders’ Interface with Representatives of ASEAN Youth.

As part of his business agenda, the President also reiterated the importance of ensuring food and energy security in the ASEAN amid international “price fluctuations triggered by geopolitical instability and confl ict, pandemics, climate change, logistics chain disruptions, and fuel shortages.”

Full support THE 42nd ASEAN Summit, currently being held at the Meruorah Komodo Convention Center in the Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, will end on May 11, 2023.

Among the highlights of the event was the participation of Timor-Leste, which is currently seeking to become a member of ASEAN.

Marcos backed the full membership of Timor-Leste in ASEAN, which he said will further strengthen the regional bloc.

Other matters discussed in the summit and its related meetings were the strengthening of ASEAN institutions and “health architecture,” drafting of the ASEAN post 2025 Vision, post-pandemic economic recovery, and the 5-point consensus for the resolving the crisis in Myanmar.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate to see it by quarter because it’s not the planting season, so it’s more appropriate to see it by semester and I think the fi rst semester will be okay of this year I expected,” MB member Bruce Tolentino had said at the recent Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines and San Miguel Corp. (EJAP-SMC) Annual Business Journalism Seminar. e main drivers, he said, are the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).

“ e RCEP is still doing okay which means it’s putting money and productivity enhancement into the hands of farmers, and as we observe it, there have been improvements every semester ever since the RTL was passed,” Tolentino added.

For his part, Michael Ricafort, chief economist of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. said the higher growth rate for the fi rst quarter of 2023 may have to do with better weather conditions after some storm/shear line damage in the latter part of 2022 and against a year ago (in the aftermath of Supertyphoon Odette back then especially in Southern Philippines), thereby coming from a much lower base/ denominator and mathematically magnified the year-on-year growth rate.

“Furthermore, higher prices/ infl ation globally and locally led to higher prices of some crops/agricultural products, thereby also partly adding to the year-on-year growth in terms of value,” he added.

Ricafort also said the “higher world and local prices of rice, corn, other grains/other agricultural products also partly encouraged more planting activities, on top of government intervention measures to further boost productivity of the agricultural sector amid the priority on food security, as part of the eff orts to increase local food supplies and bring down food prices and overall infl ation.”

Nevertheless, faster growth in agricultural output would help support faster overall GDP/economic growth, he said.

the educational sector,” Marcos said. Marcos invited Siphandone to visit the country to further discuss the opportunities.

e President said is looking forward to more cooperation with PDR especially as it hosts the 43rd ASEAN Summit next year.

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

ANEW commander of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) has been installed more than a month after its former chief was designated by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as the number three man of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Veteran Marine commander Major Gen. Arturo G. Rojas assumed as the 36th commandant of the PMC following a change of command ceremony early this week wherein he replaced Lt. Gen. Charlton Sean Gaerlan, according to Marine spokesman Capt. Jarald Rea.

Gaerlan was appointed by Marcos in March as the military’s deputy chief of staff, replacing Lt. Gen. William Gonzales, who was appointed as the acting deputy chief of staff following the retirement of Vice Admiral Rommel Anthony Reyes.

Before his appointment as Marine commandant, Rojas was the commander of the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) of the AFP.

Prior to that, he had served as the deputy commander of the AFP Western Mindanao Command, the unit’s acting commander and chief of the 2nd Marine Brigade based in Tawi-Tawi.

The Nation

NBI moves to cancel suspended Rep. Teves’ passport, force return to PHL

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

JUSTICE Secretary Jesus

Crispin Remulla on Wednes -

day said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is eyeing to ask the Department of Justice (DOJ) to cancel the passport of suspended Negros Oriental Third District Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves to force him to return to the country and face possible trial for various criminal offenses, including the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and nine others last March 4.

R emulla said the request is likely to be formally submitted by the NBI to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) once it filed the murder charges before the DOJ against Teves in connection with Degamo’s killing.

He said the complaint is expected to be filed before the DOJ either on Friday or Monday.

“

When we file the case, we will file the cancellation [of Teves’ passport],” Remulla said in an interview over CNN Philippines.  Remulla also said Teves is still in Timor Leste despite the denial of his application for a protection visa

with intent of asylum as reported by the Ministry of Interior of TimorLeste to the DFA on Tuesday.

Teves was given five days to leave Timor Leste, according to the DFA.

T he DOJ chief said he expects Teves to go back to South Korea following Timor Leste’s denial of his plea for asylum.

I think he will go back to Korea. He was seen in Korea, Cambodia and Bangkok [Thailand] where most of his people are. I think he will just go around these countries.  When the charges are filed, we will file for cancellation of his passport,” Remulla pointed out.

In a letter to the DOJ dated April 29, 2023 from the country’s ambassador to Timor Leste, the Philippine government was informed that Teves is in the capital city of Dili where he applied for a protection visa with intent to seek an asylum.

I n response, Remulla sent the DFA a letter relaying his opposition on the grant of asylum on that ground that he is to be charged in the coming days for the murder of Degamo and nine others.

A side from being implicated in the Degamo killing, Teves is also facing multiple murder charges before the DOJ over the 2019 killing of for-

mer Negros Oriental Board Member Miguel Dungog and two others, as well as complaints of illegal possession of firearms.

T he DOJ has also moved to designate Teves as a terrorist due to his alleged involvement in several high-profile killings and other criminal activities.

R emulla said the Anti-Terrorism Council-Technical Working Group (ATC-TWG) has already convened to discuss the possibility of declaring Teves a terrorist aside from being a person of interest in several murder cases.

No legal basis

REACTING to the plan to have his client’s passport canceled, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said such action has no legal basis at this time.

“ There are only three instances when a Philippine passport may be canceled, when one is a fugitive from justice; when one has been convicted of a crime, and when the passport was fraudulently acquired or has been tampered with,” Topacio said.

Topacio also refused to comment on Timor Leste’s denial of Teves’ application for asylum, citing lack of information.

I n another interview with justice reporters, Remulla clarified that the NBI will request for the cancellation of Teves’ passport only after it filed a case with the prosecutors.

He admitted that the right to travel is a constitutional right, which should be respected.

We will only cancel it when there is a cause to cancel it, which is a court case for murder or terrorism or whatever cases,” Remulla stressed.

However, Remulla said the NBI will also seek the cancellation of Teves’ diplomatic passport if it was used in his travels.

“ But we will validate that information, if he used the diplomatic passport when he went to another country. Then, we can seek its cancellation because a diplomatic passport is not a right but a privilege given to government officials,” the DOJ chief explained.

But since he is suspended from the House, he should not be using it, all members of the House have diplomatic passports,” he noted.

T he DOJ, according to Remulla, will also check if he also has the socalled golden passport, which is being sold by different states.

“ We can find out, that has been

a tip to us that he is also a holder of another passport from another jurisdiction,” Remulla said.

Interpol notice

REMULLA also disclosed that a notice has already been issued by the International Criminal Police Organization also known as Interpol against Teves.

T he DOJ earlier asked the Interpol to put Teves on “blue notice” in order to track his whereabouts.

“ There’s already a notice. What is happening now is we’re being informed of his movements by all jurisdictions, they will inform us of his movements. That’s why Timor Leste immediately informed us of his arrival,” Remulla said.

R emulla insisted that Teves should be considered as a fugitive because he is wanted for legal processes that may be served on him in the country such as subpoenas.

I think you understand that these subpoenas are orders of bodies to answer charges based on documents given…It’s an apparent move to try to evade the jurisdiction of the country,” Remulla said.

Teves has raised concerns on his and his family’s safety in refusing to return to the country.

Maj. Gen Rojas assumes post as new Marine commandant

76% of Pinoys skip non-essential spending–PwC report

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

ABOUT 76 percent of Filipino consumers say they expect to cut non-essential spending, according to a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

According to the report released by PwC titled “Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey: Philippines cut,”

76 percent of the 212 Filipino consumers who responded in the survey said, “I have stopped entirely” and “I am holding back” on spending on

non-essentials, considering the current economic climate.

T he international professional services firm said the “gloomy” economic climate has triggered concerns around personal financial situations.

Meanwhile, 46 percent of Filipino respondents also noted they will spend less on luxury items because “cost increases are prohibitive.”

With this, PwC noted the proposed luxury goods tax in the National Budget for 2023 might create “further impact” on spending.

A s to the platform they prefer

when shopping, the firm revealed that online shopping is increasingly the “go-to” for Filipino consumers; however, physical shopping remains key to product quality assurance and in-store experience.

In the next six months, 46 percent of Filipino respondents said they would increase their use of online shopping.

In contrast, when asked why Filipino consumers will shop in physical stores and/or use click and collect services, 80 percent of the respondents said they prefer such option because they are “able to check if product is

NAPC: Govt sets 8% poverty reduction goal

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox

Mindanao Bureau Chief

DAVAO CITY—The administration of President Ferdi -

nand R. Marcos is targeting to lower poverty incidence by as much as 8 percent of the population, or roughly 9.09 million, and the government’s anti-poverty commission said marginalized sectors could vastly contribute to this target by participating in crafting development plans in their localities.

G irlie Amarillo, head executive assistant to the Secretary of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), said the Marcos administration wanted to bring down the incidence of poverty and instructed NAPC to help craft the necessary programs.

H e said the target could be doable anyway, saying that poverty incidence figures have been fluctuating.

Po verty Incidence reports are commonly derived from the threeyear periodic conduct of the Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) based on average income requirement for a family of five. In the last FIES done in 2021, poverty incidence was recorded at 18.1 percent, up from 16.7 percent in 2015 but down from 23.5 percent in 2019.

I n the 2021 poverty incidence, it was estimated that some 19.99 million Filipinos were poor in an estimated population of more than 109 million. With an estimated population reaching 113 million this year, the Marcos administration’s targeted reduction would cover about 9.09 million Filipinos.

A March 26 to 29 Social Weather Stations survey showed a high self-rated perception of poverty among Filipinos, with as many as 51 percent of Filipino households rating themselves as poor, and only 19 percent saying they are

not poor.   The NAPC, he said, would be coordinating with the Cabinet departments on the programs that would suit each department.

O n Monday, the NAPC gathered the different sectors under the agency for a Mindanao-wide conference on sectoral issues as it wanted to consolidate all the concerns confronting them.

Rodrigo Olarte, Basic Sector representative for the urban poor, said the issues and concerns in almost all regions of Mindanao “are about land issues, problems about ownership, demolition.” Most of these are also recurring, he added.

A marillo said NAPC would consolidate all these regional issues and would incorporate them into the National Anti-Poverty Action Agenda to become part of the Philippine Development Plan.

A marillo said the programs would be distributed and implemented by various government agencies, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and many other agencies.

He said the crafting of the action agenda would allow the basic sectors to participate “in a democratic space to change society.”

The sectors are here to craft recommendations in the four dimensions of poverty for government agencies and LGUs [local government unit] to carry in their programs,” he added.

A marillo said that the affected sectors should be involved in the making of the development plans in their respective local governments to ensure that their issues would be addressed at their level.

broken or faulty”; 77 percent said they prefer to view or test products before buying and 60 percent said they enjoy shopping in-store.

Meanwhile, the firm also revealed that 80 percent of Filipino respondents are willing to pay more for products by companies with a reputation for ethical practices.

I n terms of purchasing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)-centric products, 91 percent of Filipino respondents said they will, “to a great extent,” pay a “higher than average price” for a

product that is recycled or contains sustainable materials.

Ninety percent of Filipino respondents also noted that they are willing, to a great extent, to purchase at a higher than average price products that are sourced or produced locally.

Globally, the PwC survey revealed that “to a large degree,” Covid continues to influence the experiences of consumers and the industries that cater to them.

E-commerce grew massively during the pandemic in part because in many areas it was the only type of

commerce available. Some of that boom is subsiding. But what seem like short-term declines may simply be mean regression in the context of long-term growth,” PwC said.  According to the firm, 43 percent of global consumers surveyed said they plan to increase online shopping in the next six months.  T he Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey was conducted in December 2022 and the report was released in March 2023. The survey was conducted among 9,180 consumers across 25 territories, PwC noted.

DENR’s ‘big brother, small brother’ strategy for miners raises eyebrows

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

ANTI-MINING groups are skeptical of the plan of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to integrate a “big brother-small brother” strategy for miners in the implementation of social development and management programs (SDMP).

A ccording to the Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), a network of miningaffected communities, “while the intent is laudable, we anticipate problematic policy and implementation implications.”

ATM was reacting to a recent pronouncement made by the DENR Secretary Maria Antonio Yulo-Loyzaga stating that it is high time for big mining firms to help small-scale miners meet their social development projects by setting aside a portion of their social development fund for the purpose.

“ There must be a way to negotiate the resilience of communities where mining is happening, the social development needs to happen,” Loyzaga said in a recent interview. “This way, inclusivity in terms of the progress of the community as a whole can really be institutionalized,” the DENR chief was quoted in a news release.

Y ulo-Loyzaga described the big brother-small brother strategy as one that would include capacitating small miners and enhancing the resilience of mining communities.

Moreover, the DENR chief said there is a need to revisit the social development funding of large mining companies.

“In this government, you cannot move forward with your for-profit agenda without a national dividend that redounds to a local community. And that’s the bottom line,” she said.

D ENR Administrative Order No.   2010-21, or the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 7942, otherwise known as the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, requires mining contractors and permit holders to establish an SDMP, which aims for the sustained improvement in the living standards of host and neighboring communities.

T he SDMP has a timeline of five years, and is funded by the companies themselves by allocating 1.5 percent of their annual expenses.

O ut of this allocation, 75 percent goes to community development, while 10 percent goes to the development of mining technology and geosciences, and the remaining 15 percent is used for an information, education, and communication campaign.

L oyzaga said that under the Marcos administration, the mining industry is open for responsible miners who consider not only the environmental aspects of mining but also promote social development.

But ATM is totally against the DENR chief’s big brother-small brother plan.

First, the SDMP was designed to benefit the communities hosting and affected by mining operations. If the SDMP were to be used to benefit small-scale miners, this in effect takes away financial resources that were originally intended for affected communities and local governments. Identifying and prioritizing a specific

sector, e.g. the small-scale miners, works only to benefit a few and is a form of favoritism, while the broader whole community collectively feels the impacts of the mining project,” the group pointed out.

B ecause small-scale mining is not allowed within the tenement of large-scale mining operations, it would be safe to assume that the strategy will be implemented with a large-scale miner putting its SDMP funds to support a small-scale mining project that is outside of its mining tenement, the group concluded.

So we ask, why should SDMP funds be used for the benefit of a group that are living or working outside of the affected or impacted areas of the large-scale mining project?”

ATM also reminded the DENR that it has yet to complete the registration of all small-scale mining activities throughout the country.

“Will this strategy be limited to areas officially declared and categorized as ‘Minahang Bayan’? There are many illegal and unmonitored small-scale mining activities that are not officially Minahang Bayans, will they be covered as well?” the group asked.

According to ATM, this situation may mean the “universe” of smallscale mining workers that can be reached by this strategy is a small set, since DENR can’t reliably identify where all these miners are.

“It also means that DENR will have to immensely improve the information about small-scale miners who can be targeted to engage. So, the important elements of who are the small-scale mining workers, where are they, and what they need remain unanswered,” the group added.

ADB eyes to establish new safeguard unit on project policy, accountability

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) eyeing to establish a new safeguards office under its new operating model (NOM) and undertake the review of its safeguards policies and accountability mechanism.

T his was part of ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa’s response during a dialogue with members of civil society organizations (CSO) in Incheon, South Korea. The dialogue was the first time President Asakawa met with CSOs since assuming his position at the Manila-based multilateral development bank in 2020.

T his new office, Asakawa said, will require the hiring of new safeguards staff and capacity development, among others. He also said the review of both the safeguards policies and accountability mechanism of the bank will be open to CSOs.

“ We welcome CSOs to work with us to help identify those we may have missed,” Asakawa said. “Our work with CSOs is very important and could help communicate to communities for the purpose of safeguards, [among others].”

S afeguard policies, which are part of the governance structure of multilateral development banks (MDBs) like ADB, are necessary to ensure that projects funded by these institutions are socially and environmentally responsible.

A sakawa also said ADB is looking for -

ward to working with CSOs on its climate efforts, economic recovery from the pandemic, and institutional operations, particularly on safeguards.

“I am here together with our Senior Management team to listen and learn from you about how we can focus to achieve a more prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia,” Asakawa said.

D uring the dialogue, CSOs called on ADB management to prioritize safeguards and meaningful consultation in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) that are facing severe economic challenges due to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Despite ADB’s efforts, safeguards for infrastructure projects have not been effectively delivered, and communities surrounding projects continue to suffer. For instance, the indigenous Magar and Dalit communities in Tanahu, Nepal, still live in limbo with an uncertain future for themselves and their children.

NGO Forum on ADB’s Ryyan Hassan raised critical questions to Asakawa on safeguard policy review; information disclosure and meaningful consultation; risk avoidance and mitigation; financial intermediaries; and accountability mechanism, among others.

T he forum said CSOs expect the release of the Working (W)—paper on the Safeguards review Phase 3 process to be released in June. They called on ADB to make the working paper open for at least 120 days of public commenting and be shared in key regional and national languages where ADB has heavily invested.

Rep. Golez bats for ‘equitable’ distribution of health workers

ALAWMAKER is pushing for the passage of a bill providing “equitable” distribution of health workers in the country.

Citing the insufficiency of medical professionals in the country, Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Anthony Golez Jr.  said more doctors and health workers could finally reach underserved areas in the Philippines and realize universal healthcare for more Filipinos under his Mandatory Medical Service Bill.

Almost all doctors are in urban areas,” Golez, a “barrio doctor” with more than 20 years in public health service himself, pointed out, as he lamented the limited number of Filipinos doctors serving in in rural areas.

“ The most important thing about this bill is that we will equitably distribute our doctors to areas that do not have them,” he said.

Previously, in a meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Department of Health (DOH) Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire admitted that the country is in need of 178,000 nurses and 114,000 physicians.

G olez’s proposed bill mandates that new doctors, after passing the medical board exams and before receiving their certificate of registration, render one year of service in a government hospital or health facility. This measure, according to

House panel approves bill to restructure PNP

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

the lawmaker, will see the success of the Universal Health Care program, specifically the tenets of equity to health care access, and the provision to formulate quality policies based on the needs of the population.

“For Universal Health Care to be successful, we need to have doctors in far-flung places, in our barrios and rural communities, so we can equitably provide our services,” Golez said.

“ With the lack of these healthcare workers, our country’s going to find achieving universal healthcare difficult,” he added. The bill also seeks to improve the experience for doctors in public service, with more plantilla positions, higher pay, and more benefits.

T he measure includes addressing current training schemes for neophyte doctors and nurses, where many testify to having to pay hospitals to gain work experience.

“Most of the time, they do not receive wages, and actually pay out of their pockets to practice and find training in hospitals,” Golez said, “It’s a painful situation for us: those who serve are also the ones who have to pay hospitals.”

I n the same meeting, the lawmaker also flagged the unused P7-billion DOH funds for plantilla positions, and advocated for its proper spending and utilization to fill the gaps in public healthcare.

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

T he approved committee report of House Joint Resolution No. 11 (HJR 11) authored by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe and House Bill (HB) 5229 of Rep. Sancho Fernando Oaminal will be submitted to the plenary for further deliberation.

T he authors said, “There is a need for the PNP to adopt a structure to address emerging threats and the impact of globalization, or advancing technology…[for the organization] to be responsive to the current challenges of law enforcement, such as kidnapping, human trafficking, terrorism, cyber-crimes, illegal drugs, and other public safety concerns such as effective humanitarian assistance and disaster response.”

For Oaminal, the PNP Reorganization Program is relevant to trans-

form the PNP into a communityand-service oriented agency that can competently perform its sworn duty, geared to assist other governmental agencies in achieving national growth and security.

PNP Chief Maj. Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. expressed support for dynamic and innovative legislative proposals to improve the PNP.

Body cameras

MEANWHILE , the committee also tackled HBs 3853, 4708, 6202, 6312 and 7602, which seeks to make body cameras a standard equipment for all law enforcement officers conducting law enforcement and special police operations, as a way to deter abuse and also a form of protection for law enforcers against baseless accusations of abuse of authority and violation of human rights.

B icol Saro Rep. Bryan Raymund

Yamsuan urged that the training of PNP personnel tasked with technology on body cameras, its loading docks and its storage should be enhanced and included in the PNP’s budget.

I t was reported that the 228,000-strong PNP only has 2,696 units of body cameras available.

Yamsuan has underscored the need to properly train technical personnel that will handle and secure the recordings in body-worn cameras used in police operations to ensure the integrity of pieces of evidence when presented in court.

You should include in your proposal for the body-worn cameras the corresponding training of personnel, because it is important that such individuals are highly skilled to handle this kind of sensitive data,” Yamsuan told PNP officials present during the hearing of the House Committee on Public Order and Safety.

A former Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Yamsuan also said the PNP should ensure that these recordings are hack-free and tamper-proof when presented in court as evidence.

For the individuals involved, it could affect their lives if the

Romualdez calls for enhanced investment and trade among Asean member-states

AS the region navigates the post-pandemic era, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Wednesday said Asean leaders must join hands for enhanced trade and investment among member states.

Romualdez, in a statement, said working together will sustain the region’s economic growth and create more jobs and business opportunities, as well as improved services, to uplift the lives of their citizens.

“As we navigate the post-pandemic era, we must enhance trade and investment among Asean countries, prioritize expanding and diversifying our economies, and develop digital infrastructure and supply chains,” said Romualdez.

Romualdez headed the Philippine delegation of the Asean Inter-parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), during the regional lawmakers’ interface with Asean heads of state on the first day of the 42nd Asean Summit at the Meruorah Convention Center, in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.

These actions will improve connectivity among our nations, facilitate the movement of goods,

services, and people, and promote greater cooperation in areas such as science and technology, innovation, and human capital development. By doing so, we can enhance the competitiveness of our economies and position ourselves for sustained growth,” Romualdez said.

In his intervention during the AIPA-Asean interface, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. recognized the importance of inter-parliamentary cooperation in synergizing regional efforts in tackling shared challenges.

T he President recommended maintaining open communication and effective collaboration between the executive and legislative bodies to harmonize the laws and regulations across the region.

Earlier, Romualdez noted that the declaration World Health Organization ending its designation of Covid-19 as a public health emergency should pave the way for sustained economic growth for everyone’s benefit, particularly the poor.

It should translate to increased mobility, more economic activities, and therefore additional job and income opportunities for our workers and their families,” the House leader said. Romualdez also said that in addition to post-pandemic recovery efforts, Asean must also strive to put focus on healthcare and social protection to protect their people from the economic and social impacts of the pandemic.

H e said Asean executive and legislative leaders must “acknowledge the importance of working together towards our shared goals through shared responsibility and collective action.”

“

The Philippine Congress and our esteemed President, His Excellency Ferdinand Marcos Jr. share this commitment,” he added.  Romualdez said in their gather-

ing that Asean leaders must seize “the opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to building a sustainable and resilient future for all of our citizens.”

On Monday, the eve of his departure for Indonesia, Romualdez exhorted members of the House to work even harder to pass more pro-people bills included in the priority measures of the administration of President Marcos, in addition to those earlier adopted by the Legislative-Executive Advisory Council (LEDAC).

Several of these additional priority measures are related to the government’s effort to spur faster economic growth and enhanced social protection in the post-pandemic era such as the following: Ease of Paying Taxes, Maharlika Investment Fund, Amendment to Universal Health Care Act, Infrastructure Development Plan/Build Build Build Program, National Employment Action Plan, and Amendment to the AntiAgricultural Smuggling Act.

A lso, Romualdez said the Asean Member-States should work together to address the impact of climate change, which poses a serious threat

to the sustained growth of the countries in the region.

As leaders, we must be proactive and take decisive action to enhance climate resilience and promote green economies by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, transitioning to renewable energy sources, and investing in sustainable infrastructure and transportation,” he said.

“Further, we also need to adopt a collaborative and holistic approach that leverages the strengths and resources of our individual nations in improving disaster risk reduction and management, promoting sustainable agriculture, and safeguarding biodiversity,” Romualdez added.

T he Speaker also underscored the importance of diplomacy in addressing the threats to regional peace and stability. By strengthening existing mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation, he said Asean would help promote political and security cooperation among its members.

“By collaborating in a spirit of openness, cooperation, and mutual respect, we can create a more secure and prosperous future for our region and its people,” he said. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

PNP commits errors in submitting these videos and other data,” Yamsuan said.

A ntipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop, and a former police general; along with Patrol Partylist Rep. Jorge Bustos, agreed with Yamsuan’s proposal.

Y amsuan pointed out that while body-worn cameras are now widely used to help deter inappropriate police behavior and protect crime suspects from abuses, there have been cases in other countries of law enforcement officers editing or deleting footage from such devices.

L ast year, it was reported that the Metro Nashville Police District in the United States edited portions of body-worn camera footage supposedly to remove profanity and expletives in the video clips. The footage was part of the evidence in a police misconduct case.

During the hearing, the   panel approved Yamsuan’s motion to refer the bills mandating the use by the PNP of body-worn cameras to the House Subcommittee on Police Operations headed by Abra District Rep. Ching Bernos for further study.  National Police Commission Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo said the agency supports HBs mandating the use of body cameras.

British PM invites PBBM to London for trade talks

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said he was invited by

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to return to the United Kingdom (UK) to discuss new trade deals.  Marcos said Sunak extended the invitation during their brief meeting over the weekend, when the President visited the UK for the coronation of King Charles III.

Prior to their meeting, the President said he already talked with the British trade representative about potential Philippines-UK business deals after he arrived at the London Gatwick Airport last Saturday.  “

We talked about it and we [concluded we] won’t be able to do it right now because we have maybe about seven minutes or six minutes,” Marcos told reporters in a news conference after his arrival in Indonesia to attend the 42nd Asean Summit Tuesday night.

THE Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) is hoping to get a bigger chunk of the P895.2-billion education budget for 2023.

Tesda Director General Danilo

P. Cruz revealed on Wednesday that TESDA has P16 billion of the total education budget for this year.

Para naman on par with the trifocal system of the government, at least it [Tesda budget] should not be less than 10 percent of total education budget.

Para on par ‘yung trifocal,” Cruz told reporters on the sidelines of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP)’s General Membership Meeting: “Reshaping the Image of TechVoc.”

I n line with the allotted budget for the agency, the Tesda chief is hoping to get a bigger chunk of the country’s education budget because the agency doesn’t have ample budget allocated for training capacity, among others.

“Ang daming kailangan na. Even ’yung government agencies ’yung

training program nila, kami ang magi-implement. ’Yung housing program ng government they need training for program for the people who will build the structure. Eh wala na rin tayong masyadong karpentero at mason,” Cruz said.

T he Tesda chief emphasized that in 2022, there were 1.2 million who graduated with technical vocational courses, adding, “Almost 90 percent were assessed and certified.” With this, Cruz noted, “ Sobra ang interest ng publiko.”

For 2023, Cruz reiterated that the agency is eyeing to train 1.8 million in various technical vocational courses.

H e also said that most of the local and foreign companies are asking for a national skill certification aside from the usual diploma requirement.

“Kaya bumabalik sila kasi diploma lang ang hawak. Walang skills certification,” Cruz stressed.

T he Tesda chief pointed out that competition when it comes to hiring talents also lies in having “skills certification” and not solely on obtaining a diploma. “College

grad ka nga, wala ka naman skills, expertise,” he said.

A s to the courses with high demand in technical vocational courses, Cruz said, “Ang biggest namin ngayon sa Construction. Really may shortage na ng construction workers. Meron nga construction workers, probably lowest in productivity.”

T his, he said, was followed by Agriculture and Tourism. On Agriculture, the Tesda chief said, “Binabago na natin ‘yung training kasi hindi na attractive doon sa young people.”

To further its efforts in its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) program, Tesda said it has partnered with the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) to train unemployed and out-ofschool youths through the Youth Works PH Initiative.

T he agency said it is also working with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on employment facilitation programs to link TVET graduates to employment opportunities.

TACLOBAN CITY—The Department of Agriculture (DA) is rolling out the second phase of the Special Areas for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program to 60 poor towns in Eastern Visayas (Region 8) with an P87 million budget this year.

T he six-year project will focus on towns belonging to the 5th and 6th income classes, guided by four core components—social preparation, food production and

livelihood, marketing assistance and enterprise development, and program management.

The program is implemented to continue the department’s efforts to contribute to the poverty reduction of farmers and fisherfolk in the country by providing assistance in the form of livelihood packages,” DA Eastern Visayas Regional Executive Director Andrew Orais said on Wednesday. PNA

Sunak also expressed interest in the recruitment of more Filipino health care workers due to their exemplary service at the National Health System of UK during the pandemic, according to Marcos.

On a lighter note, Marcos said he also met with the wife of Sunak, who supposedly took a selfie with him upon the request of their Filipino household service worker.

Warmest felicitations

THE President also shared his brief conversation with King Charles III to congratulate the British royalty on his historic coronation.

H e said the King expressed concern over the strong typhoons, which hit the country due to climate change.

For his part, he apologized for not being able to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and personally expressed his condolences to the royal family for their loss.

He said they also talked about his mother, Imelda Marcos, whom the King personally knows.  My mother used to be the representative of my father in foreign [engagements], while he [King Charles] used to be the representative of the Queen so they used to meet a lot,” Marcos explained in Filipino.

THE House Committee on Public Order and Safety has approved a substitute bill seeking to restructure the Philippine National Police (PNP).

gets ₧16-billion budget for 2023 technical-vocational training program

Visayas towns to benefit from ₧87-M anti-poverty project

US trade chief to meet China minister in sign of warmer ties

By Jenny Leonard & Peter Martin

UNITED STATES Trade Representative

Katherine Tai plans to meet China’s commerce minister in Detroit later this month, people familiar with the matter said, in what would be the most senior in-person encounter between the nations since the US shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon.

The meeting between Tai and Wang Wentao would likely occur on the sidelines of a gathering of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation trade ministers on May 25-26, according to the people, who asked not to be identified citing information that isn’t yet public.

That event was announced last year, and Wang would be expected to attend under normal circumstances. But senior-level contacts between Washington and Beijing have been largely suspended since the balloon incident despite US entreaties. Also, Chinese leaders have only recently begun to travel overseas again as the country emerges from strict controls imposed during the Covid 19 pandemic.

Neither China’s Ministry of Commerce nor state media has announced Wang is headed to the APEC gathering. A USTR spokesman declined to comment on the matter. China’s Ministry of Commerce and the Chinese embassy in Washington didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

There are some indications that communication is set to resume between the world’s two largest economies, which have seen tensions escalate over US support for Taiwan and export controls restricting China’s access to high-end technology.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang met US Ambassador Nicholas Burns in Beijing on Monday for the first time since Qin took the position, a sign that Beijing may soon allow more senior-level discussions.

“The Qin-Burns meeting suggests that Washington’s time in the ‘penalty box’ may be ending,” said Daniel Russel, a former assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs in the Obama administration. “Until now, Burns has largely been denied highlevel meetings.”

The Pentagon has also submitted a request for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to meet Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu in Singapore in June, Bloomberg News reported last week. China has rebuffed Austin’s outreach so far for a call.

Improving relations could open the way to clearing a backlog of bilateral engagements. This includes a longanticipated phone call between President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and a visit to China by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who canceled a trip to China as the balloon incident unfolded. With assistance from Ye Xie, Eric Martin, Yujing Liu and James Mayger/Bloomberg

Imran Khan to face Pakistan court after arrest sparks violent clashes

By Faseeh Mangi & Ismail Dilawar

PAKISTAN opposition leader Imran Khan will appear at an anti-graft tribunal Wednesday after his dramatic arrest sparked violent clashes and prompted his supporters to protest outside the military’s headquarters.

Khan was arrested Tuesday by paramilitary troops on the orders of the National Accountability Bureau, an autonomous anti-graft agency, in relation to a case involving a land deal. He was moved to its headquarters in the garrison town of Rawalpindi for questioning late into the night as angry protests erupted across Pakistan.

The Islamabad High Court said late Tuesday that the arrest was legal, according Khan’s lawyer, Intazar Hussain Panjutha. Khan’s legal team intends to challenge his detention and any request from the NAB to keep him in custody, Panjutha added.

T he arrest came a day after Pakistan’s military issued a rare statement blasting Khan for repeating allegations that a senior military officer was behind his assassination attempt last year. The 70-year-old former cricket star has regularly criticized members of the military, Pakistan’s most powerful institution, since he was ousted as prime minister in April last year.

A prolonged detention for Khan, whose popularity has been surging ahead of an election that must be called by mid-August, threatens to destabilize Pakistan just as it looks to secure more cash from the International Monetary Fund to avoid default. The benchmark KSE-100 Index fell by 1.1% on Tuesday, the most in almost seven weeks.

Economic dysfunction

“ MORE protests, more disruption, more violence, and more political and economic dysfunction is on the way,” said Hasnain Malik, a strategist at Tellimer in Dubai. “Taking the painful decisions the economy needs and holding orderly elections will become even harder now.”

As news of Khan’s detention spread, his supporters in several cities took to the streets and clashed with security forces, which fired tear gas and tried to beat them back. A video from Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, showed some supporters wielding sticks and face masks entering the army’s headquarters in Rawalpindi and shouting angry slogans.

Protesters also stormed the official residence of the top regional commander in Lahore, a rare breach of an area controlled by the military. Both sites were later cleared.

Asean leaders condemn armed attack on aid convoy in Myanmar

By Jim Gomez & Edna Tarigan The Associated Press

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia—

Southeast Asian leaders condemned an armed attack on an aid convoy that the regional group had arranged for displaced people in Myanmar, calling Wednesday for an immediate stop to violence and for the military government to comply with a peace plan.

Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations convened in the picturesque harbor town of Labuan Bajo in southern Indonesia at the start of a two-day summit. Their host, President Joko Widodo, called for unity amid global economic headwinds and major-power rivalry that’s lashing the region.

The 10-nation bloc is also being pressed to address the crisis underway in member state Myanmar.

Asean leaders said in a joint statement Wednesday.

ers planned to express their concern over such human trafficking schemes in a joint statement, a draft copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.

mar’s top general in 2021.

Khan’s party reported at least four people were killed and 20 injured in separate clashes. Protesters also set fire to at least three buildings across Pakistan, while police said dozens of supporters have been arrested. The Interior Ministry suspended mobile broadband services in parts of the country, while complaints of slow Internet service spread on social media.

Detention

IT’S unclear if Khan will be released ahead of the election. The National Accountability Board in the past has detained former prime ministers and top government officials for lengthy periods of time before being released and ultimately found innocent. During Khan’s administration, Shehbaz Sharif, the current prime minister who was then in opposition, was arrested by the NAB and kept in custody for nearly seven months.

Sharif ’s government attempted but failed to arrest Khan over charges in a range of cases in the past few months, in part to avoid stoking public anger that could further increase his popularity. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Tuesday the government has no control over the NAB.

“

Given that Khan was detained by paramilitary forces, this was likely the military acting directly,” said Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Washington-based Wilson Center. “But if so, the civilian leadership, given their long and ugly vendetta with Khan, surely backed the move.”

The Pakistan military wields an outsized influence over politics as well as foreign and security affairs, having directly ruled the nuclear-armed nation for half of its history since its founding in 1947. Most prime ministers have depended on the support of the military to stay in power, including Khan.

Pakistan is grappling with an economy in deep distress. Moody’s Investors Service has warned the nation could default without an IMF bailout as its financing options beyond June are uncertain. It downgraded the nation’s rating to an all-time low earlier this year.

Islamabad is struggling to restart a bailout program from the Washingtonbased lender, which has stalled after the government failed to meet some loan conditions.

“His arr est could foment unrest that weighs on economic activity, heighten the political confrontation between Khan’s party and the ruling coalition, and reduce the chances of International Monetary Fund aid,” said Ankur Shukla, a Bloomberg Economics analyst. With assistance from Francesca Stevens, Khalid Qayum, Srinivasan Sivabalan, Karl Lester M. Yap and Muneeza Naqvi/Bloomberg

Over the weekend, a convoy delivering aid to displaced villagers and carrying Indonesian and Singaporean diplomats came under fire by unidentified men armed with pistols in Myanmar’s eastern Shan state. A security team with the convoy returned fire and a vehicle was damaged, but no one in the convoy was injured, state-run television MRTV reported.

Indonesia, which serves as Asean’s chair this year, had arranged for the delivery of the aid after a long-delayed assessment.

“We condemned the attack and underlined that the perpetrators must be held accountable,” the

For the second year, the top general of member state Myanmar was not invited to the summit. He and his army forcibly took power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 in a power grab that degenerated into a civil strife in what has become Asean’s gravest crisis since its 1967 founding. Asean leaders said they were “deeply concerned with ongoing violence in Myanmar and urged the immediate cessation of all forms of violence and the use of force to create a conducive environment for the safe and timely delivery of humanitarian assistance and inclusive national dialogues.”

In an additional concern involving Myanmar, Indonesian officials said Sunday that 20 of their nationals, who were trafficked into Myanmar and forced to perform cyber scams, had been freed from Myanmar’s Myawaddy township and brought to the Thai border over the weekend. During the summit, Asean lead -

More than 3,450 civilians have been killed by security forces since Myanmar’s military forcibly took power, and thousands more remain imprisoned, said the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which keeps tallies of casualties and arrests linked to repression by the military government.

In April, military airstrikes killed as many as 100 people, including many children, who were attending a ceremony by opponents of army rule, according to witnesses. Human Rights Watch on Tuesday described the strike as an “apparent war crime.”

Indonesia has considerably eased its fierce criticism of Myanmar’s military since assuming the rotating role as Asean’s leader. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said her country is taking “a nonmegaphone diplomacy approach” to encourage dialogue and end violence, which are goals of a fivepoint peace plan Southeast Asian leaders negotiated with Myan -

Under international pressure to do more to address the violence, Asean leaders stopped inviting Myanmar’s top general to their summits after the military seized power, allowing only non-political representatives. Myanmar’s military rulers have protested the move as a violation of the bloc’s non-interference policy.

In a post-summit communiqué to be issued by Widodo on behalf of the Asean leaders, they plan to renew a call for self-restraint in the disputed South China Sea, repeating language used in previous Asean statements.

“Concerns were expressed by some Asean member states on the land reclamations, activities, and serious incidents in the area, including damage to the marine environment, which has eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions, and may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region,” said a draft of the communiqué, which was obtained by the AP.

The leaders will also raise alarm over the trafficking of Southeast Asian workers forced to commit online crypto currency frauds.

Jury finds Trump liable for sexual abuse, awards accuser $5 million

By Larry Neumeister, Jennifer Peltz & Michael R. Sisak

The Associated Press

NEW YORK—A jury found Donald Trump liable Tuesday for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996, awarding her $5 million in a judgment that could haunt the former president as he campaigns to regain the White House.

The verdict was split: Jurors rejected Carroll’s claim that she was raped, finding Trump responsible for a lesser degree of sexual abuse. The judgment adds to Trump’s legal woes and offers vindication to Carroll, whose allegations had been mocked and dismissed by Trump for years.

She nodded as the verdict was announced in a New York City federal courtroom only three hours after deliberations had begun, then hugged supporters and smiled through tears. As the courtroom cleared, Carroll could be heard laughing and crying.

Jurors also found Trump liable for defaming Carroll over her allegations. Trump did not attend the civil trial and was absent when the verdict was read.

Trump immediately lashed out on his social media site, claiming that he does not know Carroll and referring to the verdict as “a disgrace” and “a continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time.” He promised to appeal.

Trump’s lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, shook hands with Carroll and hugged her lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, after the verdict was announced. Outside the courthouse, he told reporters the jury’s rejection of the rape claim while finding Trump responsible for sexual abuse was “perplexing” and “strange.”

“Part of me was obviously very happy

that Donald Trump was not branded a rapist,” he said.

He defended Trump’s absence, citing the trial’s “circus atmosphere.” He said having Trump there “would be more of a circus.”

Tacopina added: “What more can you say other than ‘I didn’t do it’?”

In a written statement, Kaplan said the verdict proved nobody is above the law, “not even the president of the United States.”

Carroll, in her own statement, said she sued Trump to “clear my name and to get my life back. Today, the world finally knows the truth. This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed.”

It was unclear what, if any, implications the verdict would have on Trump’s third presidential bid. He’s in a commanding position among GOP contenders and has faced few political consequences in the wake of previous controversies, ranging from the vulgar “Access Hollywood” tape to his New York criminal indictment.

His GOP rivals were mostly silent after the verdict, a sign of their reluctance to cross Trump supporters who are critical to winning the presidential nomination.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, one of the few vocal Trump critics in the race, said the verdict was “another example of the indefensible behavior of Donald Trump.”

Carroll was one of more than a dozen women who have accused Trump of sexual assault or harassment. She went public in a 2019 memoir with her allegation that the Republican raped her in the dressing room of a posh Manhattan department store.

Trump, 76, denied it, saying he never encountered Carroll at the store and did not know her. He has called her a “nut job” who invented “a fraudulent and false story” to sell a memoir.

Carroll, 79, sought unspecified damages,

plus a retraction of what she said were Trump’s defamatory denials of her claims.

The trial revisited the lightning-rod topic of Trump’s conduct toward women.

Carroll gave multiple days of frank, occasionally emotional testimony, buttressed by two friends who testified that she reported the alleged attack to them soon afterward.

Jurors also heard from Jessica Leeds, a former stockbroker who testified that Trump abruptly groped her against her will on an airline flight in the 1970s, and from Natasha Stoynoff, a writer who said Trump forcibly kissed her against her will while she was interviewing him for a 2005 article.

The six-man, three-woman jury also saw the well-known 2005 “Access Hollywood” hot-mic recording of Trump talking about kissing and grabbing women without asking.

The Associated Press typically does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly, as Carroll, Leeds and Stoynoff have done.

The verdict comes as Trump faces an accelerating swirl of legal risks.

He’s fighting a New York criminal case related to hush money payments made to a porn actor. The state attorney general has sued him, his family and his business over alleged financial wrongdoing.

Trump is also contending with investigations into his possible mishandling of classified documents, his actions after the 2020 election and his activities during the insurrection at the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump denies wrongdoing in all of those matters.

Carroll, who penned an Elle magazine advice column for 27 years, has also written for magazines and “Saturday Night Live.” She and Trump were in social circles that overlapped at a 1987 party, where a photo

documented them and their then-spouses interacting. Trump has said he doesn’t remember it.

According to Carroll, she ended up in a dressing room with Trump after they ran into each other at Bergdorf Goodman on an unspecified Thursday evening in spring 1996.

They took an impromptu jaunt to the lingerie department so he could search for a women’s gift and soon were teasing each other about trying on a skimpy bodysuit, Carroll testified. To her, it seemed like comedy, something like her 1986 “Saturday Night Live” sketch in which a man admires himself in a mirror.

But then, she said, Trump slammed the door, pinned her against a wall, planted his mouth on hers, yanked her tights down and raped her as she tried to break away. Carroll said she ultimately pushed him off with her knee and immediately left the store.

“I always think back to why I walked in there to get myself in that situation,” she testified, her voice breaking, “but I’m proud to say I did get out.”

She never called police or noted it in her diary. Carroll said she kept silent for fear Trump would retaliate, out of shame and because she worried that people would see her as somewhat responsible for being attacked.

The jury awarded Carroll $2 million for Trump’s sexual abuse and $20,000 in punitive damages. For defamation, jurors awarded $1 million for Trump’s October statement, another $1.7 million for harm to Carroll’s reputation and $280,000 in punitive damages.

Tacopina told jurors Carroll invented her claims after hearing about a 2012 “Law and Order” episode in which a woman is raped in the dressing room of the lingerie section of a Bergdorf Goodman store.

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., right, stands with other Asean leaders as the Asean anthem is being played during the 42nd Asean Summit in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. AP/ACHMAD IBRAHIM

Putin tells WWII event West waging ‘real war’ on Russia

By The Associated Press

As more women forgo the hijab, Iran’s government pushes back

By Nasser Karimi & Jon Gambrell

The Associated Press

Putin’s remarks came just hours after Moscow fired its latest barrage of cruise missiles at targets in Ukraine, which Russia invaded more than 14 months ago. Ukrainian authorities said air defenses destroyed 23 of 25 missiles launched.

The Russian leader has repeatedly sought to paint his invasion of Ukraine as necessary to defend against a Western threat. Kyiv and its Western allies say they pose no such threat and that Moscow’s war is meant to deter Western influence in a country that Russia considers part of its sphere of influence.

“Today civilization is once again at a decisive turning point,” Putin said at the annual commemorations celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. “A real war has been unleashed against our motherland.”

Putin has often used patriotic rhetoric that harkens back to the earlier war in an effort to rally his citizens and forces—and May 9 is one of the most important dates in the Russian political calendar. But this year’s celebrations were markedly smaller, at least partially because of security concerns after several drone attacks have been reported inside Russia.

Some 8,000 troops took part in the parade in Moscow’s Red Square on Tuesday—the lowest number since 2008. Even the procession in 2020, the year of the Covid-19 pandemic, featured some 13,000 soldiers, and last year, 11,000 troops took part. There was no fly-over of military jets, and the event lasted less than the usual hour.

“This is weak. There are no tanks,” said Yelena Orlova, watching the vehicles rumble down Moscow’s Novy Arbat Avenue after leaving Red Square. “We’re upset, but that’s all right; it will be bet -

ter in the future.”

The Kremlin’s forces deployed in Ukraine are defending a front line stretching more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles), presumably thinning the ranks of troops available for such displays.

“This is supposed to be a showpiece for Russian military might. But so much of that military might has already been mauled in Ukraine that Russia has very little to show on its parade in Red Square,” said Keir Giles, a Russia expert at London’s Chatham House think tank.

As a display of military hardware it was “very underwhelming,” said Michael Clarke, visiting professor of war studies at King’s College London, noting that the T-34, the iconic World War II tank, was the only tank on display. “Normally they show off all the really modern stuff, and they didn’t have any of those. Nor did they seem to have armored fighting vehicles.… So there was nothing new on display.”

Meanwhile, the traditional Immortal Regiment processions, in which crowds take to the streets holding portraits of relatives who died or served in World War II—a pillar of the holiday—were canceled in multiple cities.

“That seems to be for fear that those people who have lost their relatives in this current war on Ukraine might actually join the processions and show just the scale of the casualties that Russia has suffered in its current war,” Giles said.

Russian media counted 24 cities that also scrapped military parades—another staple of the celebrations—for the first time in years. Regional officials blamed unspecified “security concerns” or vaguely referred to “the current situation” for the restrictions and cancelations. It wasn’t clear whether

their decisions were taken in coordination with the Kremlin.

Last week, Russia claimed it foiled an attack by Ukrainian drones on the Kremlin that it called an unsuccessful assassination attempt against Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denied involvement.

There was no independent verification of the purported attack, which Russia authorities said occurred overnight but presented no evidence to support it.

On a tribune in Red Square, Putin praised soldiers taking part in the war in Ukraine and urged Russians to stand together.

“Our heroic ancestors proved that there is nothing stronger, more powerful and more reliable than our unity. There is nothing in the world stronger than our love for the motherland,” Putin said.

The guest list was also light amid Putin’s broad diplomatic isolation over the war. Initially, only one foreign leader was expected to attend this year’s parade—Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov. That was one more foreign guest than last year, when no leaders went.

At the last minute on Monday, officials announced that the leaders of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan would head to Moscow as well.

As the celebrations unfolded, Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Russian private military contractor Wagner, said his fighters had yet to receive ammunition promised to them by the military—but that they would continue to fight in the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut despite earlier threatening to withdraw them.

In a video published on Telegram, Prigozhin claimed that Russian army units had fled their positions in the city due to the “stupidity of their leadership”—a reference to the Defense Ministry—and that it threatened to charge Wagner troops with treason if they, too, pulled out. Prigozhin’s allegations could not be independently verified, and the Russian military has not commented on them.

The threat of departure marked another flare-up in Prigozhin’s long-running dispute with Russia’s military brass over credit and tactics in the war.

On Tuesday, he contrasted the pomp of the May 9 celebrations,

broadcast across Russia, with the reality on the ground.

“Victory Day marks the victory of our grandfathers; we did not deserve a single bit of this victory. The counteroffensive will be on the ground, not on television,” Prigozhin warned, adding that the Russian state is “unable to defend the country.”

Prigozhin has become known for such inflammatory, headline-grabbing statements, particularly at key moments when attention is focused elsewhere—but issuing them on Victory Day was remarkably bold.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian air force said in a Telegram post that eight Kalibr cruise missiles were fired from carriers in the Black Sea toward the east and 17 from strategic aircraft.

The missiles came hours before European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Union’s executive branch, arrived in Kyiv.

Von der Leyen urged EU member nations to take measures to prevent countries from helping Russia to circumvent the bloc’s sanctions. The EU has noticed that certain products that have been banned to undermine Russia’s war effort are still getting through, she said.

Von der Leyen did not name the countries.

Ukraine is keen to join the EU, but membership is still a long way off. Ukraine is also hoping to join NATO, after moving close to the Western military alliance during the war.

In the latest help from a NATO member, the US was expected to announce Tuesday that it will provide $1.2 billion more in long-term military aid to Ukraine to further bolster its air defenses.

Later in the day, Zelenskyy used his nightly address to mark Europe Day, having decreed Monday that Ukraine will celebrate Europe Day on May 9, and join the rest of Europe in celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany on May 8.

In the address, he drew parallels between “the brutal aggressions of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.”

“It is only a matter of time before the current aggressor loses, like the aggressor who lost 78 years ago, before Russian revanchism is crushed by the bravery of our warriors and the joint power of the free world,” he said.

Turkey’s closely watched vote may set country on new course

By Suzan Fraser

The Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey—In the year in which the Turkish republic marks its centenary, the country is being closely watched to see if a united opposition can succeed in unseating an increasingly authoritarian leader in the Nato-member country.

Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections, taking place on Sunday, could stretch President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rule into a third decade—or they could set the country on a new course.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the secular, center-left Republican People’s Party, or CHP, is the main challenger trying to dislodge Erdogan after 20 years in office.

The 74-year-old is the joint candidate of a six-party alliance that has vowed to dismantle an executive presidential system that Erdogan installed and return the country to a parliamentary democracy with checks and balances.

As well as the opposition alliance, Kilicdaroglu has clinched the support of the country’s pro-Kurdish party, which garners around 10% of the votes. And polls have given him a slight lead. The race is so close, however,

that it is likely to be decided in a runoff between the two frontrunners on May 28.

Erdogan, has lost some ground amid a faltering economy and a cost-of-living crisis. His government has also been criticized for its poor response following a devastating earthquake that struck southern Turkey and killed tens of thousands earlier in the year.

“For the first time in the 20 years since Erdogan came to power, he’s facing a real electoral challenge which he may actually lose,” said Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, director of the German Marshall Fund’s Ankara office, adding that the race was about two competing visions.

“On the one hand, there is President Erdogan’s vision of a security state, a monist society, of power consolidated in the hands of the executive,” he said. “On the other hand, there is the vision, represented by Kilicdaroglu, of a more pluralist Turkey in which no community is othered, one that is getting more democratized and ... there’s a clear division of powers between the executive, legislative and judiciary.”

Erdogan is vying for a third presidential term, having served three terms as prime minister before that. The 69-year-old leader of the conservative and religious Justice and

Development Party, or AKP, is already the country’s longest serving leader. A highly divisive politician, Erdogan has based his electoral campaign on past achievements, presenting himself as the only politician who can rebuild lives following the Feb. 6 earthquake in southern Turkey that leveled cities and killed over 50,000 people.

He has also embarked on a spending spree ahead of the elections, including increasing the minimum wage and pensions, in a bid to offset the effects of inflation.

During his campaign stops, Erdogan has tried to portray the opposition as colluding with “terrorists” as well as with foreign powers wanting to harm Turkey.

In a bid to consolidate his conservative base, he has also accused the opposition of supporting “deviant” LGBTQ rights and of being “drunkards.” On Sunday, hundreds of thousands of his supporters were shown a faked video depicting a commander of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, singing an opposition campaign song. Kilicdaroglu, meanwhile, is a soft-spoken politician who is credited with bringing a previously fractured opposition together. His six-party Nation Alliance, that includes Islamists and nationalists, has vowed to reverse the democratic backsliding and

TEHRAN, Iran—Billboards across Iran’s capital proclaim that women should wear their mandatory headscarves to honor their mothers. But perhaps for the first time since the chaotic days following Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, more women—both young and old—choose not to do so.

Such open defiance comes after months of protests over the September death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country’s morality police, for wearing her hijab too loosely. While the demonstrations appear to have cooled, the choice by some women not to cover their hair in public poses a new challenge to the country’s theocracy. The women’s pushback also lays bare schisms in Iran that had been veiled for decades. Authorities have made legal threats and closed down some businesses serving women not wearing the hijab. Police and volunteers issue verbal warnings in subways, airports and other public places. Text messages have targeted drivers who had women without head covering in their vehicles.

However, analysts in Iran warn that the government could reignite dissent if it pushes too hard. The protests erupted at a difficult time for the Islamic Republic, currently struggling with economic woes brought on by its standoff with the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear program.

Some women said they’ve had enough—no matter the consequence. They say they are fighting for more freedom in Iran and a better future for their daughters.

Some suggested the growing numbers of women joining their ranks might make it harder for the authorities to push back.

“Do they want to close down all businesses?” said Shervin, a 23-year-old student whose short, choppy hair swayed in the wind on a recent day in Tehran. “If I go to a police station, will they shut it down too?”

Still, they worry about risk. The women interviewed only provided their first names, for fear of repercussions.

Vida, 29, said a decision by her and two of her friends to no longer cover their hair in public is about more than headscarves.

“This is a message for the government, leave us alone,” she said.

Iran and neighboring Taliban-controlled Afghanistan are the only countries where the hijab remains mandatory for women. Before protests erupted in September, it was rare to see women without headscarves, though some occasionally let their hijab fall to their shoulders. Today, it’s routine in some areas of Tehran to see women without headscarves.

For observant Muslim women, the head covering is a sign of piety before God and modesty in front of men outside their families. In Iran, the hijab—and the allencompassing black chador worn by some—has long been a political symbol as well.

Iran’s ruler Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1936 banned the hijab as part of his efforts to mirror the West. The ban ended five years later when his son, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, took over. Still, many middle and upper class Iranian women chose not to wear the hijab.

By the 1979 Islamic Revolution, some of the women who helped overthrow the shah embraced the chador, a cloak that covers the body from head to toe, except for the face. Images of armed women encompassed in black cloth became a familiar sight for Americans during the US Embassy takeover and hostage crisis later that year. But other women protested a decision by Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ordering the hijab to be worn in public. In 1983, it became the law, enforced with penalties including fines and two months in prison.

Forty years later, women in central and northern Tehran can be seen daily without headscarves. While at first Iran’s government avoided a direct confrontation over the issue, it has increasingly flexed the powers of the state in recent weeks in an attempt to curb the practice.

In early April, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that “removing hijab is not Islamically or politically permissible.”

Khamenei claimed women refusing to wear the hijab are being manipulated. “They are unaware of who is behind this policy of removing and fighting hijab,” Khamenei said. “The enemy’s spies and the enemy’s spy agencies are pursuing this matter. If they know about this, they will definitely not take part in this.”

Hard-line media began publishing details of “immoral” situations in shopping malls, showing women without the hijab. On April 25, authorities closed the 23-story Opal shopping mall in northern Tehran for several days after women with their hair showing were seen spending time together with men in a bowling alley.

“It is a collective punishment,” said Nodding Kasra, a 32-year-old salesman at a clothing shop in the mall. “They closed a mall with hundreds of workers over some customers’ hair?”

Police have shut down over 2,000 businesses across the country over admitting women not wearing the hijab, including shops, restaurants and even pharmacies, according to the reformist newspaper Shargh.

“This is a lose-lose game for businesses. If they warn (women) about not wearing the hijab as per the authorities’ orders, people will boycott them,” said Mohsen Jalalpour, a former deputy head of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce. “If they refuse to comply, the government will close them down.”

crackdowns on free speech and dissent under Erdogan.

Two other candidates are also in the race for the presidential post but are considered outsiders. They are Muharrem Ince a former CHP leader who lost the last presidential election to Erdogan in 2018, and Sinan Ogan, a former academic who has the backing of an anti-immigrant nationalist party. Ince, who heads the Homeland Party, has come under criticism from Kilicdaroglu supporters who accuse him of splitting the votes and forcing the elections into a runoff.

The main issue for the elections is the economy and high inflation that has eaten away families’ purchasing power.

In Istanbul, teashop owner Cengiz Yel said he would vote “for change” because of the government’s mishandling of the economy.

“We worry about the rent, the electricity, and other bills.” Yel said. “For the past year, I have been starting each new month with more debt.”

Others profess their enduring love for a leader who improved infrastructure in the country and lifted many out of poverty in the early years of his rule.

M ehmet Guzel contributed from Istanbul.

Bijan Ashtari, who writes on Iranian politics, warned that business owners who had remained silent during the Mahsa Amini-inspired protests could now rise up.

Meanwhile, government offices no longer provide services to women not covering their hair, after some had in recent months. The head of the country’s track and field federation, Hashem Siami, resigned this weekend after some participants in an allwomen half-marathon in the city of Shiraz competed without the hijab.

There are signs the crackdown could escalate.

Some clerics have urged deploying soldiers, as well as the all-volunteer Basij force of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, to enforce the hijab law. The Guard on Monday reportedly seized an Iranian fishing boat for carrying women not wearing the hijab near Hormuz Island, according to the semiofficial Fars news agency.

Police also say that surveillance cameras with “artificial intelligence” will find women not wearing their head covering. A slick video shared by Iranian media suggested that surveillance footage would be matched against ID photographs, though it’s unclear if such a system is currently operational.

“The fight over the hijab will remain center stage unless the government reaches an understanding with world powers over the nuclear deal and sanctions relief,” said Tehran-based political analyst Ahmad Zeidabadi.

But diplomacy has been stalled and anti-government protests could widen, he said. The hijab “will be the main issue and the fight will not be about scarves only.”

Sorayya, 33, said she is already fighting for a broader goal by going without the headscarf.

“I don’t want my daughter to be under the same ideologic pressures that I and my generation lived through,” she said, while dropping off her 7-year-old daughter at a primary school in central Tehran. “This is for a better future for my daughter.”

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin declared Tuesday that the West has unleashed “a real war” against Russia, reprising a familiar refrain at scaled-down Victory Day celebrations that may reflect the toll the Ukraine conflict is taking on his forces.

Agriculture/Commodities

Coco products exporter cuts carbon footprint

By VG Cabuag @Villygc

AXELUM Resources Corp., a manufacturer and exporter of coconut-based products, on Tuesday said it managed to reduce its direct carbon footprint by 5 percent last year.

T he company attributed this to lower tonnage of coconut shells used as feedstock to fuel industrial boilers that produce culinary-grade manufacturing steam.

A xelum said it has modernized its boiler equipment to enhance steam output by up to 80 percent without additional shell requirements.

We are witnessing the evolving impact of climate change with the increased frequency and severity of natural disturbances happening in different parts of the world. In response, we have proactively undertaken adaptive measures to mitigate the effects of global warming and other climate hazards within our business,” Romeo I. Chan, the company’s chairman and CEO, said.

In terms of carbon sequestration,

Axelum organizes tree-planting activities including growing napier grass in its organic community farm to promote reforestation, the most basic form of climate protection.

B ased on independent studies, grasslands behave as active carbon sinks by absorbing carbon underground.

Since 2017, Axelum has planted approximately 4,400 mahogany and bamboo seedlings within surrounding areas as part of its sustainability efforts.

In addition, Axelum is finalizing plans to install solar panels in its manufacturing plant to support peak operating hours and reduce dependence on traditional energy sources.

T he company is studying the feasibility of adopting international reporting methodologies to further assess its climate risks and gather deeper insights towards instituting a long-term carbon neutral program.

T he company reported last month that its net income in 2022 rose 37 percent to P983.52 million from the previous year’s P715.33 million on sustained global demand for its products.

A xelum said its sales last year reached P7.04 billion, up 11 percent from P6.36 billion in the previous year, driven by stable volumes, higher

PHL lifts temporary ban on live birds, poultry from California

MANILA has lifted the temporary ban it slapped on imported live poultry, poultry products and by-products, including day-old chicks, from California.

T he Department of Agriculture (DA) issued Memorandum Order (MO) 34 last May 5 which authorized the lifting of the import ban.

“ Based on the official report of US [United States] Veterinary Authorities in the World Organisation Animal Health [WOAH], two out of three counties of California [San Diego and Merced] reported the closure of High Pathogenic Avian Influenza [HPAI] cases has ended with resolved status and no additional outbreaks after, last 10 April 2023,” MO 34 read.

As a country recognized with HPAI regionalization arrangement with the Philippines, state-wide trade restrictions

shall only be imposed if there are three [3] or more counties affected by HPAI.” T he memorandum order took effect immediately.

T he DA issued in November 2022 MO 71 which temporarily banned the importation of live poultry and poultry products from California. The ban was imposed after Manila confirmed the outbreak of bird flu in California.

“ [T]he rapid spread of H5N1 High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza in the United States of America [USA] in a short period of time since its first laboratory detection necessitates a wider coverage of trade restriction to prevent the entry of HPAI virus and protect the health of the local poultry population,” MO 71 read.

F ollowing the issuance of MO

71, Manila suspended the processing, evaluation of the appli -

cation and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance to imported poultry products from California.

T he US is one of the Philippines’s top sources of imported poultry products.

L ast year, the Philippines imported a record volume of 1.356 billion kilograms of meat products as the government resorted to foreign supplies to temper price increases amid domestic production and supply concerns.

D ata from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) data showed that total meat imports in 2022 was 191 million kilograms higher than the 1.165 billion kilograms recorded in 2021.

BAI data indicated that the increase in overall meat imports was driven by the 28.06-percent growth in pork imports which reached 710.362 million kilograms.

T he country’s chicken meat imports last year slightly increased by 1.57 percent to 411.069 million kilograms from 404.711 million kilograms in 2021.

B AI data showed that mechanically deboned meat (MDM) accounted for more than half of the total chicken meat imports last year. The country’s imports of chicken MDM, a vital raw ingredient used by meat processors to manufacture processed goods like hotdogs, rose by 2.74 percent year-on-year to 243.219 million kilograms.

T he Philippines imported 102.686 million kilograms of chicken leg quarters last year and 51.717 million kilograms of chicken cuts. Brazil was the country’s top supplier of chicken meat products at 235.256 million kilograms followed by the United States at 122.931 million kilograms.

Cotabato planters get indemnity checks for damaged crops

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

ATOTAL of 227 agrarian reform beneficiaries from Carmen, North Cotabato received indemnity checks with a combined amount of P708,515 as compensation for their damaged crops, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said.

T he 227 recipient ARBs from barangays Kimadzil, Malapag,

Palanggalan, Aroman, Bentangan, Kibenes, Ranzo, Tunganon, Tupig, Liliongan, Macabenban, and Poblacion were insured under the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp.’s (PCIC) Free Insurance Coverage and were also registered in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) of the government.

C heryll Camariñas, DAR Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer, said the insurance pro -

gram covers the farmers’ crops damaged by diseases, pest infestations, and natural calamities such as typhoons, tornadoes, and earthquakes, among others.

We encourage other ARBs to enlist themselves under the RSBSA to avail of the free insurance program of the government,” she said.

T he PCIC is the implementing agency of the government’s agricultural insurance program. Its principal mandate is to provide

insurance protection to farmers against losses arising from natural calamities, plant diseases and pest infestations of their palay and corn crops as well as other crops. I t also provides protection against damage to or loss of noncrop agricultural assets including but not limited to machineries, equipment, transport facilities and other related infrastructures due to perils insured against.

average selling prices and the impact of a stronger dollar.

Gross margins hit 30 percent due to the larger contribution of highvalue products. “ Sustained global market demand, improved shipping conditions and the strength of the dollar catapulted us to historic levels for 2022,”

Henry J. Raperoga, the company’s president and COO, said.

Looking ahead, we are determined to build on this momentum despite prolonged effects of global macroeconomic headwinds particularly geopolitical armed conflicts overseas and untamed inflation.”

A xelum said it is readying to accelerate its consumer segment with the planned launch of new prime branded offerings to meet increasing requirements for plant-based food.

The company uses all the parts of the coconut allowing it to offer a full-line of coconut products including coconut water, desiccated coconuts, coconut milk powder, coconut milk, reduced fat coconut, sweetened coconut, coconut oil and other coconut products.

FAO: World food prices

up in

April

on

costly rice, meat

THE benchmark index of international food commodity prices rose in April for the first time in a year, amid increases in world quotations for sugar, meat and rice, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

T he FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities, averaged 127.2 points in April 2023, up 0.6 percent from March.

At that level, the index was 19.7 percent below its level in April 2022, but still 5.2 percent higher than in April 2021.

T he FAO Sugar Price Index rose 17.6 percent from March, reaching its highest level since October 2011, due to reduced productions expectations and outcomes in India, China, Thailand and the European Union caused by dry weather conditions as well as to a slow start of the sugarcane crop harvest in Brazil, along with higher international crude oil prices, which can increase demand for sugarcanebased ethanol.

T he FAO Meat Price Index rose 1.3 percent during the month, driven primarily by higher pig meat quotations, followed by poultry prices, which increased amid Asian import demand and production curbs spurred by animal health issues. International bovine meat prices also went up due to a decline in cattle supplies for slaughter, especially in the United States.

Meanwhile, price indices for other

major food commodity categories, with the exception of rice, continued their declining trend.

T he FAO Cereal Price Index dipped 1.7 percent from March and averaged 19.8 percent below its April 2022 value. International wheat prices declined by 2.3 percent, due mostly to large exportable availabilities in Australia and the Russian Federation.

FAO said world maize prices fell 3.2 percent as supplies in South America seasonally increased with ongoing harvests.

A gainst a backdrop of reduced harvests caused by higher input costs and adverse weather, especially outside of Asia, sales to Asian buyers sustained an increase in international rice prices.

“It is important that we continue to track very closely the evolution of prices and the reasons for increases in prices. As economies recover from significant slowdowns, demand will increase, exerting upward pressure on food prices,” said FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero.

At the same time, the increase in rice prices is extremely worrisome and it is essential that the Black Sea initiative is renewed to avoid any other spikes in wheat and maize.”

T he FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index declined by 1.3 percent in the month, registering its fifth consecutive monthly decline. World palm oil prices were stable, while quotations for soy, rapeseed and sunflower oils declined in step with seasonal harvest pressure from a potentially record soybean crop in Brazil.

How a Japanese farmer produces mangoes that sell for $230 each

WEARING a white tank top inside a foggy greenhouse at his farm in Otofuke on the island of Hokkaido in Japan, Hiroyuki Nakagawa plucks ripened mangoes ready to be packed and shipped. Outside the temperature is a freezing -8C on a clear December day, but inside the greenhouse the thermometer clocks in around 36C.

Nakagawa has been growing mangoes in the snowy Tokachi region of Japan’s northernmost island since 2011. He sells them for as much as $230 each. He never thought an experiment in sustainable farming would one day yield the world’s most expensive mangoes.

At first no one took me seriously,” says the 62-year-old Nakagawa, who had previously run a petroleum company. “From here in Hokkaido, I wanted to create something natural out of nature.”

Nakagawa switched to mango cultivation following years in the oil business, where surging prices

convinced him of the need to look beyond fossil fuels. Under the guidance of another mango farmer from the southern prefecture of Miyazaki, who claimed it was feasible to grow the fruit in winter months, Nakagawa founded his farm and established his startup Noraworks Japan. A few years later he trademarked his mango brand as Hakugin no Taiyo, which translates to “Sun in the Snow.”

Nakagawa’s secret is using the two natural resources his homeland of Hokkaido is famous for—snow and onsen hot springs. He stores snow from the winter months and uses it in the summer to cool his greenhouses, tricking the fruits into delaying blooming. Then in the winter he uses natural hot springs to warm the greenhouse and harvest roughly 5,000 mangoes out of season.

T he process allows the mangoes to ripen during the cooler months when few insects are around, which means no use of pesticides. Hok-

kaido’s low-humidity climate also reduces the need for mold-removing chemicals. Plus, harvesting in the winter—when farmers have less work—allows better access to labor at a time when Japan faces a worker shortage, particularly in rural areas.

T he sustainable approach is just an added bonus to the taste, which Nakagawa claims is much sweeter than normal mangoes with a higher sugar content of about 15 degrees brix, and his fruit boasts a buttery smooth texture devoid of stringiness.

T he novelty factor of how they’re produced has intrigued customers and retailers alike. In 2014 the department store Isetan displayed one of his mangoes at its Shinjuku location in Tokyo, and it later sold for almost $400. The eye-popping price for a single mango made headlines, garnering more attention and making it a hard-to-get item. On the official website where customers can place orders, they’re often greeted

with the words “SOLD OUT” in a big, bold red font.

Nakagawa’s clients include restaurateurs such as Asia’s Best Female Chef 2022 Natsuko Shoji, who uses the fruit in her mango flower cakes. He also has customers overseas and ships his mangoes abroad to high-end retailers, such as City’super in Hong Kong.

Since then, Nakagawa has discovered more unexpected benefits of farming in winter. “Because we don’t use pesticides, tea company Lupicia has approached me about using our leaves for mango tea,” he says, gently patting a tree.

Nakagawa isn’t satisfied yet. He aims to raise other tropical produce using the same method to turn Tokachi into a fruit production hub in winter and give the local economy a boost. Next he’s eyeing another juicy fruit known for thriving in warmer climates: peaches.

I like mangoes, but oh boy, I like peaches even more.” Bloomberg News

editorial

‘1 in 5 Filipino youth considered suicide’

Happiness is a difficult thing to measure, but an initiative at the United nations has been trying to figure it out. every year since 2012, the U n sustainable Development solutions network has published its World Happiness Report—a study that examines the connections between happiness and development.

The World Happiness Report 2023 named Finland as the happiest country in the world, with a score of 7.842 out of a total possible score of 10. Among 146 countries in the report, Afghanistan was ranked as the least “happy” country in the world in 2022.

The Philippines dropped 16 places in the 2023 report, as it is now the 76th happiest country in the world, compared to 60th place last year. In Asia, the Philippines ranked as the 10th happiest country.

The United States ranked 15th on the list of the world’s happiest countries. Surprisingly, half of the 334 million Americans are experiencing a measurable level of loneliness, according to US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

“Loneliness is more than just a bad feeling. When people are socially disconnected, their risk of anxiety and depression increases. So does their risk of heart disease [29 percent], dementia [50 percent], and stroke [32 percent],” Murthy said.

“Widespread loneliness in the US poses health risks as deadly as smoking up to 15 cigarettes daily, costing the health industry billions of dollars annually,” the US surgeon general told the Associated Press.

“We now know that loneliness is a common feeling that many people experience. It’s like hunger or thirst. It’s a feeling the body sends us when something we need for survival is missing,” Murthy told the AP in an interview. “Millions of people in America are struggling in the shadows, and that’s not right. That’s why I issued this advisory to pull back the curtain on a struggle that too many people are experiencing.”

Research shows that Americans, who have become less engaged with worship houses, community organizations and even their own family members in recent decades, have steadily reported an increase in feelings of loneliness. The number of single households has also doubled over the last 60 years. But the crisis deeply worsened when Covid-19 spread, prompting schools and workplaces to shut their doors and sending millions of Americans to isolate at home away from relatives or friends. The loneliness epidemic in the US is hitting young people, ages 15 to 24, especially hard. The age group reported a 70 percent drop in time spent with friends during the same period.

The US surgeon general is calling on workplaces, schools, technology companies, community organizations, parents and other people to make changes that will boost the country’s connectedness. He advises people to join community groups and put down their phones when they’re catching up with friends.

In the Philippines, one in five Filipino youth aged 15-24 has considered ending their life. This is among the key findings of the 2021 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFSS), the fifth in the series of nationwide surveys on Filipino youth led by the University of the Philippines Population Institute and funded by the Department of Health.

Participated in by 10,949 randomly selected youth aged 15-24, the study examined two sets of mental health indicators, namely, depressive symptoms and suicidal experiences, which the YAFS study has tracked since 2002.

The UPPI found that the percentage of youth who often felt depressive symptoms substantially increased from 2013 to 2021, with the share of those who often felt loneliness, sadness, and being disliked by other people almost doubling over the period. Incidentally, data collection for YAFSS was conducted in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, whereby physical and social isolation may have gravely affected young people’s disposition.

Filipinos are known for having strong and close family ties. We are generally regarded as a happy people. The support from extended family and friends can help strengthen connections among family members. A good relationship will open up communication between the youth and his or her parents. This can be a life saving safety valve to the depressed and troubled Pinoy teenager. At home, let’s not allow the mobile phone or any other device to become the substitute of in-person interaction.

De-dollarization

John Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

ignoR ance is annoying but is expected. a survey in england in 2018 found that 84 percent of people aged 18 to 24 said they were incapable of completing the relatively simple task of changing a light bulb.

Comedian George Carlin said, “Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” Combine that with the Dunning–Kruger effect, a cognitive bias whereby people with low skill, expertise, or experience overestimate their ability or knowledge. Go to social media and you are exposed to legions of people who believe they know what they are talking about when they do not.

A significant part of the lack-ofknowledge problem is that the 21st century is ruled by emotions and not facts and then analysis coming from in-depth thinking. Search for “Death of the Dollar” and you get two million results. For some it is emotionally satisfying to jump on “Dollar is

dead.” It is as if every morning countless people wake up looking for the next “crusade” to join.

They read headlines such as “Bangladesh finds way to pay Russia for nuclear plant: with yuan;” “India and Malaysia dump dollar, to settle trade in Indian rupee;” and “China, Brazil Strike Deal to Ditch Dollar for Trade” and conclude “Case closed. Dollar is dead.” For some reason they miss “Russia Says It Has Billions of Indian Rupees That It Can’t Use.”

In a globalized economic system, it is desirable to trade with as many partners as possible, in a smooth and efficient manner.

When Brazil exports to countries in Europe or to Japan, and those transactions are conducted in USD, Brazil accumulates USD. Over the

past three decades, competing currencies have not been able to diminish the dominance of the USD because USD reserves are always building, provided that it sells more than it buys, as is the situation with Russia with India. Brazil can then easily use its USD to trade with others.

But the use of the USD is much more than as a trade currency. Banco Central do Brasil has $309 billion reserves of foreign currency of which 80 percent is USD. The Bank of Italy holds 63 percent in USD, Banco Central Chile at 52 percent USD, and Bank of Korea with 50 percent USD.

There seems to be a misconception among the “Dollar-is-dying” folks that Brazil has 2,472,000 kilos of $100 bills in a big vault under the Banco Central do Brasil. In fact, 90 percent of their reserves are in foreign government debt securities.In the global monetary system, keeping money “safe and liquid” means avoiding risk and investing in deep and liquid markets that guarantee a painless turnover if necessary. The US Treasury market is the global leader, with as much as $20+ trillion in size and liquidity. An abundant supply of US Treasuries provides to the rest of the world a safe and liquid asset where countries can recycle the USD proceeds from their

global trades.

There is not any potential alternative to the USD and US Treasuries. Japan? Its government bond market is 60 percent absorbed by the Bank of Japan, and there have been multiple consecutive days where no trades happened in the JGBs. How can you store your FX reserves in such an illiquid market?

Central banks also face a combination of capital controls (China), lack of rule of law (Russia), and frequent episodes of double-digit inflation (Brazil). Do you want to take these risks when storing your FX reserves?

Additionally, public and private entities outside the US have officially accumulated $12 trillion of USDdenominated debt. But the scale of hidden dollar debt around the world is massive, at no less than $65 trillion unrecorded. To put it in perspective, total global GDP is $104 trillion. If you want to break the system and De-Dollarize, you need to deleverage all that dollar debt. An orderly unwind of the US Dollar is a fairytale. De-dollarization of the system can and will happen over a long time, but it will be slow and ugly.

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis provided by AAA Southeast Equities Inc.

Biden: Debt meeting ‘productive,’ default ‘not an option’

By Zeke Miller, Seung Min Kim, Josh Boak & Lisa Mascaro The Associated Press

WasHingTon president Joe Biden and congressional leaders confronted each other on the debt limit impasse Tuesday, ending their meeting with no breakthrough but agreeing to meet again this week to try to avert the looming risk of an unprecedented government default.

Speaking at the White House, Biden described the talks as “productive” even though House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said after the highstakes Oval Office meeting that he “didn’t see any new movement” toward resolving the stalemate.

Lawmakers and their staffs were to continue discussions on the annual federal budget at Biden’s encouragement. Biden and the congressional leaders are to meet again Friday.

After the hour-long discussion in the Oval Office, Biden said he was “absolutely certain” that the country could avert a default, declaring that failure to meet America’s obligations “is not an option.”

Still, time is short. The government is bumping up against its legal limit for borrowing and will not be able to pay all of its bills as soon as June 1 if Congress doesn’t agree to raise the debt ceiling. That failure would send the country into default with wide-reaching economic impact at home and around the world.

Republicans came to the White House hoping to negotiate sweeping cuts to federal spending in exchange for allowing new borrowing to avoid default. Biden, on the other hand, reinforced his opposition to allowing the country’s full faith and credit to be held “hostage” to negotiations—while affirming his willingness to hold talks on the budget only after default is no longer a threat.

“I told congressional leaders that I’m prepared to begin a separate discussion about my budget, spending priorities, but not under the threat of default,” Biden said.

Outside the White House, McCarthy said, “I asked the president this simple question: Does he not believe there’s any place we could find savings?”

As the president welcomed McCarthy, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, he

quipped to reporters, “We’re going to get started, solve all the world’s problems.”

Biden later described the meeting’s tone as “very measured and low-key,” adding, “Occasionally there would be a little bit of an assertion that maybe was a little over the top from the speaker.”

He especially took issue with McCarthy’s branding as a lie the Democrats’ assertion that the Republicans’ budget restraints would hurt veterans.

Still, Biden added, “I trust Kevin will try to do what he says.”

There seemed to be at least a bit of daylight between McConnell, who has let his House counterpart take the lead in negotiations and backed him up ahead of the White House meeting, and McCarthy.

The Senate leader said: “The United States is not going to default. It never has and it never will.” The speaker, though, simply said, “I’ve done everything in my power to make sure we will not default.”

Democrats said there is room to “come together” on spending cuts as part of the budget process, but quickly jumped on McCarthy’s refusal to rule out the possibility of default, with Schumer saying the Republican is “greatly endangering America.”

“To use the risk of default, with all

the dangers that has for the American people, as a hostage and say it’s my way or no way, are mostly my way or no way, is dangerous,” Schumer said.

McCarthy said Biden had directed their staffs to continue discussions, and said the leaders themselves would convene again in person Friday at the White House.

While Biden ruled out default, he also all but dismissed trying to unilaterally prevent it. He said he didn’t believe invoking the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which says the validity of the federal debt shall not be questioned, was a solution to the current impasse.

White House lawyers will pursue the idea further, he added, but “the problem is it would have to be litigated.”

Before the White House meeting, both McCarthy and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted it would be simple to avert default—if only the other side capitulated.

The chasm between these opposite postures had fomented uncertainty that is roiling financial markets and threatens to turn into a tidal wave that swamps the country’s economy. Default, officials say, threatens to disrupt Social Security payments to retirees, destabilize global markets and tilt the nation into a potentially

See “Biden,” A13

G-7 finance leaders

set to grapple with bank risks, debt impasse

By Yuko Takeo & Erica Yokoyama | Bloomberg Opinion

Finance ministers and central bank governors from the world’s wealthiest nations gather in Japan this week with a growing list of urgent issues to discuss, from the risk of more bank failures and the need for debt restructuring to the threat of a US default.

While recent Group of 20 finance minister meetings have struggled for consensus due to divisions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Group of Seven, comprising the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada, has proved to be a more coordinated coalition.

At the G-7’s last get-together in Washington in April, the group reaffirmed its “unwavering support for Ukraine and unity in our condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression.”

The officials this time around meet from Thursday through Saturday in the northern Japanese city of Niigata. Here are the main issues to watch out for:

Financial stability

FolloW ING the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse’s takeover, the world has been looking warily at the state of global financial stability. First Republic Bank’s failure has added to those concerns.

Finance chiefs have so far made assurances that the impact on their economies and markets is limited, and that the regulatory situation has changed for the better since the global financial crisis. Still, they’ve also said they’re monitoring developments closely.

Japan’s Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said Tuesday that G-7 members will discuss how to strengthen the global financial system. The group will outline plans to prevent bank runs of the kind that led to SVB’s collapse, the Nikkei newspaper reported earlier.

US debt cap

FINANCe officials will be keen to hear the latest on the US debt limit stalemate from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. l eading into the meetings, Yellen said there are “simply no good options” for solving the standoff in Washington other than Congress lifting the cap.

President Joe Biden and congressional Republicans are locked in a stare down over raising the $31.4 trillion borrowing limit, with GoP leaders demanding promises of future spending cuts before they approve a higher ceiling. Biden has insisted on a “clean” increase, with budget talks kept separate.

Supply chains

HoW a nation builds its supply chains has become a proxy for its geopolitical colors. America has put pressure on allies to join restrictions on the sale of strategic products such as some semiconductor exports to China. Many in the G-7 are moving in that direction too.

But it’s not just chips. G-7 ministers who met to discuss climate, energy and the environment in Sapporo, Hokkaido, in April discussed ways to improve supply chains of critical minerals essential for the clean energy transition.

Finance leaders agreed to policy guidance for building “resilient” supply chains in April. A senior Japanese finance ministry official said the meeting in Niigata will seek to make

that guidance more specific.

A joint statement may also emphasize improving labor conditions and pushing for clean energy as part of the G-7’s stance on supply chains—a move that would contrast with China’s recent expansion of coal power plants.

Emerging market debt

SR I l anka’s fate continues to hang in the balance as its main creditors— China, Japan, France and others— have yet to strike a deal on how to move forward on its debt. Still, an inaugural creditors meeting was held virtually Tuesday, with China sitting in as an observer. A similar scenario of debt crisis is playing out in Zambia and Ghana, but progress may also come soon for those two nations.

Finance chiefs are also expected to discuss the broader problem of debt that’s piled up in lower and middle-income nations and how to keep Beijing involved in conversations to alleviate the strains.

China has softened its insistence that multilateral lenders like the World Bank take losses on debt along with all other creditors. But it still remains at an impasse in terms of restructuring debts owed by developing nations in distress even after the World Bank made additional efforts to provide ultra-low interest loans and grants to those countries, according to the global lender’s chief.

Russia

FINANCe chiefs are likely to discuss any additional measures they can take to support Ukraine or to punish Russia for its “war of aggression.” So far, they’ve tried to contain Russia through various sanctions, freezing the assets of key officials and supporting Ukraine. Still, the war has dragged on, despite Russia suffering more than 100,000 casualties so far including 20,000 killed since December, according to the US National Security Council.

Inflation

INFl ATIoN around the world has remained fairly sticky, with the european Central Bank insisting that its May rate hike move—though small—won’t be the last. The Reserve Bank of Australia also decided to hike rates again after a pause, in a surprise move that jolted markets earlier this month.

G-7 nations are likely to continue to discuss how to tame prices while also avoiding a further downturn in the global economy.

Crypto C R YPT o assets remain on the agenda. Security concerns over digital money recently increased after North Korea-linked hacking groups allegedly stole $100 million in an attack on a crypto service last year.

Privacy advocates are also worried about a loss of anonymity and the potential for government surveillance, with China the front-runner in the global race to launch a major central bank digital currency. With assistance from Emi Urabe / Bloomberg

loan debt. Referring to the House bill, McCarthy said, “We both said default is not an option—but only one of us took action.”

Meralco ground rules on brownouts needed

brownout, he stood up to switch off the circuit breaker, only to find a sudden switching on of power that seared the innards of the aircon.

LITO GAGNI

There is a need for Manila electric company (Meralco) to be governed by ground rules on brownouts to save households from the damaging effects of power surges that hit air-cons and other appliances. This is especially true with the recent emergence of brownouts due to the lack of reserve power to take care of sudden shortfalls in operating power plants due to tripping or to maintenance schedules.

Such ground rules will clearly spell out when can Meralco switch on the power whenever a brownout occurs, such as one that happened three days back when the Makati area suffered an unscheduled brownout that was resolved in a matter of minutes. The immediate switching on of power led to sudden surges that affected air conditioners, smart TVs and other appliances.

That need is much more pronounced especially with the yellow and red alerts that have been announced due to the tripping of the Bolo-Masinloc 230-kilovolt line 2 that affected the 618-megawatt

Masinloc Units 1 and 2. For now, residents in the Meralco franchise areas have to live with the prospects of rotational brownouts and it is important for the distribution utility to ensure that there are no power surges. Residents may suddenly find themselves without the benefit of aircons in this searing heat index.

For three nights already, A l C Group Chairman D. edgard A. Cabangon told me that he had to endure sleepless nights as the air-con of the condo where he resides conked out due to a power surge. He said he woke up when the air-con stopped whirring and realizing there was a

crackdown

Xi Jinping’S crackdown on perceived threats to national security is roiling the vast industry of consultants and researchers who help global investors understand china, threatening the government’s attempts to lure foreign capital into an economy showing increasing signs of strain.

The latest and most prominent target is Capvision Pro Corp., a global expert network headquartered in Shanghai and New York. Chinese authorities on Tuesday accused the firm of leaking state secrets and being linked to foreign intelligence agencies. In a rare occurrence involving a foreign company, China’s state television on Monday night broadcast footage of officials raiding Capvision’s offices, questioning employees and removing equipment.

The move, which came weeks after authorities interrogated staff at the China offices of US consultancy Bain & Company and targeted New York-based due-diligence enterprise Mintz Group, is part of an anti-espionage crackdown on consulting firms, according to state media.

“Independent research firms and consultants that are from unfriendly countries seem to be the target here,” said Kerry Goh, chief investment officer at Kamet Capital Partners Pte. “Most hedge funds use a variety of research firms like Capvision.”

While some investors say they can turn to other channels to get information about Chinese companies, the environment is becoming increasingly challenging for businesses that provide such services. The head of one China-focused investment advisory firm, which is a client of Capvision, said they are considering shutting down their operations due to the risk of their staff being detained. The person asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Balance interests

PR eSIDeN T Xi’s administration is seeking to balance protecting national security with a goal of encouraging

Mabuti sana kung gumagana ’yung TV, at least nakapanood ako ng NBA championship,” edgard told me, but the said appliance was also affected by the power surge that stopped him in mid-tracks. For edgard, it would have been better if the brownout took a while since he could have switched off the current and waited for when the power would be restored. Unfortunately, that sudden switching on of power led to the power surge that hit the air-con as well as the TV.

The fact that his condo unit has no window since he occupies a higher floor aggravated the situation and he had to suffer through the night.

That is why, for him, it would be advisable for Meralco to have ground rules when switching off the lights.

And that is to make the switching on much, much later when everybody would have already taken the time to switch off the current so that a power surge does not hit the appliances.

After all, Meralco is also governed by other ground rules like the way the distribution utility has to charge consumers their electricity bills such as in the case of computing the amount of system loss or how to

tends to every organization that is trying to collect the data that corporations and governments need in order to do business in China and with China,” Allen said.

input the amount of energy it loses to illegal connections. It does not matter whether Meralco is doing its utmost to prevent electricity theft since it can just pass on the system loss to customers. In a way, Meralco need not be efficient in policing illegal connections.

Why, even in the matter of owning generation capacity for a distribution utility such as Meralco is also governed by ground rules. So why not some ground rules on preventing power surges that affect the appliances. These ground rules are very much needed, especially with the yellow and red alerts that are forthcoming due to the lack of power plants.  edgard told me that in the United States, where he stayed for four years multitasking as a gasoline boy, accountant, cashier and extra hand for absent employees, he read of residents filing civil suits against distribution utilities for the power surges that affect their households.

Aside from the pernicious effects of the power surges on appliances, such phenomena also lead to a sudden uptick in electricity bills due to the onrush of electric current. Imagine the uncontrolled spike that would have been unnecessary if Meralco follows some ground rules. Paging eRC to the rescue.

debilitating recession.

l ast month, House Republicans passed a sweeping bill to slash spending, an opening offer in negotiations. But that legislation has no chance in the Democratic Senate and the White House has threatened to veto it. Republicans hope that bill would achieve $4.5 trillion in deficit savings through cuts in spending, eliminating tax breaks for investing in clean energy, and reversing Biden’s plans to reduce the burdens of student

Already looking past the meeting, Biden on Wednesday is to go to Westchester County, New York, where he plans to deliver a speech on how proposed spending cuts approved by House Republicans could hurt teachers, older adults needing food aid and veterans seeking health care.

It’s part of a broader campaign by Biden to try to paint the Republican cuts as draconian. Aides believe that message both strength-

ens his position in talks with the G oP and boosts his nascent 2024 reelection effort. His Wednesday visit will be to a congressional district won by Biden in 2020 but now represented by a Republican, Rep. Mike l a wler. Because the House Republican bill does not specifically spell out which federal programs would be cut, Democrats have gone on offense warning of steep hits to popular programs. The Democratic-aligned group House Majority Forward announced a $1 million campaign Tuesday amplifying such cuts, while the House Republicans’ campaign com-

foreign investment. The government is taking steps to tighten control over sensitive data, especially in the wake of US sanctions targeting important industries such as chipmaking and given the risk of new sanctions over its support for Russia.  Capvision worked on projects from overseas companies with close ties to foreign governments, and military and intelligence agencies, according to a report shared on Tuesday by the Central Political and l egal Affairs Commission.

Capvision, founded in 2006, said in a statement posted to its WeChat account on Monday that it would uphold national security policies and play a leading role in the healthy development of the consulting industry. Bloomberg calls and e-mails to Capvision on Tuesday were not returned. It has more than 2,000 clients that include hedge funds, management consulting firms and multinational companies, according to its website.

In another example of tougher regulation, Chinese financial data providers recently stopped providing detailed information on the nation’s companies to overseas clients.

Police raids

SINCe the US expanded curbs on China’s access to semiconductor technology in october, Beijing has taken its “obsession with secrecy” to a new level, according to Gregory Allen, senior fellow in the strategic tech program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.

“The most dramatic examples of this are the police raids on international consulting and due diligence firms operating in China, but it ex-

mittee countered with its own effort portraying Democrats as “addicted to spending.”

McCarthy said his caucus would take steps to increase funding for veterans despite their overall proposal. “First of all, cutting the veterans is a lie,” he said.

While calling for a “clean” increase to the debt limit, Biden has said he is open to discussion about how to reduce the federal deficit. His budget plan would trim deficits by nearly $3 trillion over a decade, mainly through tax increases on the wealthy and changes such as letting the government negotiate over pre-

China continues to push for more investment after its reopening from Covid Zero. Premier li Qiang—the country’s No. 2 behind Xi—vowed in March to establish a “broad space” for international companies to develop there. China has welcomed a host of leaders and business delegations, including from Germany and France. l ast month, China’s Politburo urged greater efforts at boosting foreign investment.

Economic woes

“I WoNDeR if the left hand knows what the right hand wants,” said Joerg Wuttke, head of the european Union Chamber of Commerce in China. “Does China want more foreign investment or are they content with unnerving the foreign business community with actions that are not explained or understood by us?”

Recent data shows China’s economy, hit badly by shutdowns during the pandemic, could do with more support. Data released Tuesday showed imports dropped 7.9 percent in April, much worse than the median projection of a 0.2 percent decline, while export growth slowed to 8.5 percent from double digits in March.

“Areas across China are saying ‘we want to increase new investment, we need new investment,’” said Noah Fraser, Canada China Business Council managing director. “But the business landscape is becoming less investable.”

Global investors are souring on the nation’s stocks, with a revival after the country emerged from Covid Zero proving shortlived. The MSCI China Index slumped 2 percent on Tuesday, taking its decline from a January high to 16 percent. Compared with its peak in 2021, the gauge is down more than 50 percent.

“The market is keenly aware of in-

scription drug prices.

In response to McCarthy’s demand to claw back some unspent funds from his sweeping Covid-19 relief package, Biden said he would “take a hard look” at doing so independent of the talks to raise the debt limit.

“We don’t need it all, but the question is what obligations were there made, commitments made, money not dispersed, etc.,” Biden said, adding, “It’s on the table.”

Biden added the debt limit should be raised for “more than a year, so that we can move things along.” The House GoP bill raised the possibil-

creasing restrictions on information flows,” said Brock Silvers, managing director at private equity firm Kaiyuan Capital ltd. “Perhaps authorities doubt the resolve of foreign investors to act on investability concerns, or they may see China’s economy as having outgrown its prior reliance on foreign capital. If we continue on the current path, both ideas may eventually be proven incorrect.”

Trips to China to meet local businesses and do research are off the table for some, cutting off another channel.

“The arrests have many foreign investors worried about visiting China and employing Chinese nationals to conduct market research,” Anne Stevenson-Yang, a long-time China watcher and co-founder of J Capital Research ltd., wrote in a note dated Tuesday. “Several large asset managers, for example, have developed internal “no fly” policies to keep staff from visiting China.”

Diplomats expelled

T He external environment doesn’t suggest the elevated paranoia will abate any time soon. on Tuesday alone, China warned the european Union against sanctioning its companies, while German Chancellor ol af Scholz accused China of increasingly acting as a rival to the eU rather than a partner. Beijing ordered a Canadian diplomat to leave the country, in a tit-for-tat move hours after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government expelled a Chinese envoy from his nation.

For Stevenson-Yang, recent events suggest a permanent shift.

“China’s recent hostility toward any independent reporting on the economy demonstrates that the old China, of openness to foreign investment and cheery growth are things of the past,” she wrote. With assistance from Xiao Zibang, Ishika Mookerjee, Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Lorretta Chen, James Mayger, Sarah Zheng, Sofia Horta e Costa, Jill Disis, Colum Murphy and Lucille Liu / Bloomberg

ity of another showdown over the government’s borrowing authority in the heat of a presidential election next year.

While the financial markets have started to show some jitters, the business community has thus far largely avoided backing either side in the showdown and instead called for a deal to be struck.

“Securing a bipartisan path forward to raise the debt ceiling could not be more urgent,” said Josh Bolten, the head of the Business Roundtable, a group that represents Ceos. “The cost of a default, or even the threat of a default, is simply too high.”

Xi’s latest

snares experts hired by hedge funds, CEOs

NO TOURISM SLOGAN YET–DOT

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

NETIZENS weighed in on the country’s branding campaign, “We give the world our best. The Philippines,” which showed a divided view on overseas Filipino workers and what appeared to be government’s labor-export policy.

O n one hand, Ally (@lilacalil18) said: “A lot of doctor friends here in UK say that Filipino nurses are well trained compared to UK-trained ones. Skills are comparable to junior doctors.” The country branding campaign, featuring FilipinaBritish nurse May Parsons, was quietly rolled out by the Marcos Jr. administration through transit ads on London buses during the Coronation of King Charles III.

O n the other hand, Steve (@ mancerrss) averred: “We give the world our Best. So there’s no one left back home,” echoing Senator Nancy Binay’s reaction on Tuesday, saying the ad bothered her because “it seems that we are offering the world our nurses—which is a bit off, because we are already losing our health workers here.” (See, “Nancy on new country brand: Hanudaw,” in the BusinessMirror , May 9, 2023.) The country brand campaign was rolled out by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Creative Communications (OPACC) headed by popular filmmaker Paul Soriano.

Caught flat-footed

THIS developed as the Department of Tourism (DOT) finally responded to queries on whether “the best” was also going to be the tourism slogan. “No, it’s not. It’s the country brand,” said Tourism Undersecretary for Legal and Special Concerns Mae Elaine T. Bathan, who is in charge of Branding efforts in the department. She did not say, though, when the new tourism slogan will be launched, although government sources who requested anonymity hinted that if the slogan will indeed be changed, this will be launched “definitely within the year.”

T he DOT has already dropped the decade-old “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” slogan in its collaterals, although many tourism stakeholders continue to use it in their materials, and have been pushing for its retention.

T he same government sources added the DOT was also “caught flat-footed” by the launch of the new country brand. Although regular meetings between have been held between key OPACC and DOT officials, the sources averred that there was no mention of when the country brand will actually be launched. The sources underscored that “DOT did not contribute any funds” to the launch of the country brand. (See, “From ‘fun’ to ‘the best’: PHL bares new country brand,” in the BusinessMirror , May 9, 2023.)

Senate panel starts tackling legislated wage hike proposals

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

SENATORS have begun panel deliberations on bills proposing a legislated wage hike, to help pandemic-stricken households recover more quickly than if they relied solely on regional wage boards that Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri had earlier described as being too slow and too thrifty in giving workers relief.

S enator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, who chairs the Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources, presided at a hearing on the proposed legislated across-the-board wage hike and other measures regarding the implementation of wage increases in the private sector.

T he objective is to improve the system being implemented in the country today, especially since no wage increase was implemented following the outbreak of Covid-19, he explained. “During these times, no wage increases have been implemented, but the constant call for wages that will truly meet the basic needs of the Filipino family cannot be denied,” the senator said in Filipino.

I n his opening remarks at the start of hearing, Estrada recalled that “in 2022, all the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards [RTWPBs] issued Wage Orders to increase the minimum daily wages in their respective regions. These Wage Orders were issued in the month of May and June last year.”

The last legislated wage hike implemented in the country was in 1989, with the enactment of Republic Act No. 6727 or the Wage Rationalization Act, but “since then,” the task of determining wage hikes has been reposed in RTWPBs which has representatives from the government, private sector and labor.

Currently, two bills filed by senators propose a P150 daily across-theboard wage increase.

B esides this, the hearings “will also discuss the pieces of legislation that aim to improve the system being implemented in the country today,”

Thankful Nurse Parsons

On Monday, Nurse Parsons (@ mayparsons) posted the bus ad and tweeted: “I hope that by seeing this, my brothers and sisters, Filipino nurses, feel seen, not just in the UK but in the world. Let’s get heard.” She tagged the Twitter accounts of Marcos Jr., the Official Gazette, Ambassador to the Court of St. James Teodoro L. Locsin Jr., the Philippine Embassy in the United Kingdom, several Filipino nurses associations in the UK, British Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils and her embassy and thanked them.

M eanwhile, a politician who declined to be identified said, “The ad is questionable because we’re saying, ‘We give the world our best,’ but when tourists arrive in the Philippines, our airports show the world our worst.”

Troubles have been plaguing the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from power outages and technical glitches affecting the air traffic control system to corruption among the ranks of baggage handlers, Immigration officers, and Customs personnel assigned to the terminals.

Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said he was looking at UK’s Gatwick Airport as a “template for operations” in a bid to improve Naia’s services. Bautista recently accompanied Marcos Jr. on a tour of the airport, which was built in 1958, and served close to 33 million passengers in 2022.

$1.7-B floating solar projects in Laguna Lake approved

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

SUNASIA Energy Inc. and Singaporeheadquartered Blueleaf Energy are investing  $1.5 billion to $1.7 billion in large-scale floating solar projects on Laguna Lake.

S unAsia Energy Inc. and Blueleaf Energy have been awarded by the Department of Energy (DOE) six Solar Energy Operating Contracts (SEOC) with a combined capacity of 610.5 megawatts (MW) for the solar facilities to be installed on the water surface of Laguna Lake, spanning the growing cities of Calamba, Sta. Rosa, and Cabuyao and the towns of Bay and Victoria. Each contract has a 25-year operating period.

BlueLeaf Energy Chief Executive Officer Raghuram Natarajan said the set of six SEOC forms part of its total planned investment projects worth “1.5 to 1.7 billion dollars of investment capital.”

“These projects, in total, are 10 service contracts which could be around 1.3 gigawatts [GW] in terms of capacity. This is the first phase of six service

contracts and we will be coming back for four more service contracts which will be issued very quickly,” added Natarajan.

D OE Secretary Raphael Lotilla awarded the SEOCs on Wednesday afternoon. He was joined by SunAsia Energy President Tetchi Capellan and Natarajan at the turnover.

To date, DOE has awarded a total of 237 solar energy contracts with an aggregate installed capacity of 1,282 MW and potential capacity of 21,452 MW. These have generated around P8.46 billion investments for the country.

The awarding of these contracts accelerates the implementation of the thrust of  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to develop indigenous and renewable sources of  energy. It also represents an additional strategic investment and a firm

commitment to strengthen the country’s renewable energy sector, especially the commercialization of floating solar as an emerging technology,” Lotilla said.

I n September last year, during the state visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Singapore, Blueleaf Energy signed a Letter of Intent to increase its sustainable infrastructure investment commitment in the Philippines.

L otilla said these floating solar projects would provide cost-effective renewable energy production without having to occupy usable land mass that could otherwise be used for other important sectors such as agriculture.

S olar energy is a rapidly developing sector in the country, with increasing interest and investment in recent years. This may be attributed to the country’s abundant solar irradiation throughout the year, making it an ideal location for the development of solar projects.

according to Estrada.

A lso at the hearing, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva backed a decent wage increase for Filipino workers, saying the present minimum wage in the country is not enough for a family to live decently.

V illanueva cited the current daily minimum wage ranging from P306 to P570. According to a study of the IBON Foundation, a Filipino family of five in the National Capital Region (NCR) needs at least P1,161 daily or P25,248 monthly to have a decent life.

A lso at the hearing, the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) said it agreed on the need to review the current minimum wage of P570, but stressed that they cannot yet afford to give any substantial hike.

T hey also asked senators to entrust the task of reviewing the minimum wage to the regional wage boards instead of obliging employers to give pay increases via legislation.

A ccording to ECOP governor Ferdinand Ferrer, businesses have only begun to recover from the impact of three years ina pandemic, and this is reflected in the declining unemployment rate —indicating that employers are only now starting to hire workers.

He stressed that employers also understand the travails of labor, but asked senators to consider as well how the cost of doing business as likewise risen.

Government could help give workers relief by inflation-busting measures in food and transportation, he said.

For his part, Robert Maronilla, another ECOP governor noted that 99 percent of businesses are micro and small establishments live day-by-day and will not be able to bear a huge pay hike.

The business groups noted that in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Philippine is next only to Malaysia in having a high minimum wage.

“ The high inflation rate juxtaposed with the minimum wage further reduces the purchasing power of Filipino workers. With a high inflation rate of 6.6 percent in April 2023, the value of real income has failed to meet the rising cost of living,” Villanueva stressed.

PSALM qualifies 8 firms for Casecnan bid

THE Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) on Wednesday announced that it has qualified eight firms to proceed in the bidding for the sale of the 165-megawatt Casecnan Hydroelectric Power Plant (CHEPP).

T hese entities include  Fresh River Lakes Corporation, Neptune Hydro Inc., Global Hydro Power Corporation, Panasia Energy Inc.,  GigaAce 11 Inc., Belgrove Power Corporation, a consortium comprising EEI Power Corporation,  Soosan ENS. Co. Ltd., Soosan Industries Co. Ltd., Mapalad Power Corporation and Semirara Mining

and Power Corporation (SMPC).

“ PSALM thoroughly scrutinized the eligibility documents of these eight vying entities,” said PSALM TPresident Dennis Edward Dela Serna. “This process laid the groundwork for a successful and judicious sale of the Casecnan plant. We also made sure that the winning bidder will have a good return on investment from the

power plant.”

T he bidding for the Casecnan Plant is scheduled on May 16.

T he CHEPP was turned over to the government in 2021 after the 20-year build-operatetransfer scheme between the CE Casecnan Water and Energy Co. Inc. and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) lapsed on December 11, 2021. It was then placed under the co-ownership of PSALM and NIA, which represents the government’s interest at 60 percent and 40 percent, respectively.

T he state firm is confident that the sale of the Casecnan plant will

be successful, efficient and judicious for PSALM and the winning bidder who will take over its management.

T he CHEPP is a “run-of-river” type of plant with limited impounding area. The water from the reservoir flows into the plant’s powerhouse, down to the Pantabangan lake and into the irrigation channels of the NIA, which will continue its mandate of irrigating farmlands even after the privatization of the CHEPP.

It is located at Sitio Pauan, Brgy. Villarica, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, about 150 km north of Manila. Lenie Lectura

HERO WARS On Wednesday, the Asphalt Art Street Project was launched at San Juan City Hall, with Mayor Francis Zamora, Makati Business Club Executive Director Coco Alcuaz, Boysen Philippines owner Justin Ongsue, and Master Artist Emil Aldrine Alarcon gracing the event. The project, which showcases Philippine National Heroes Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Jacinto, drew inspiration from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiative, which utilizes visual art to enhance street safety and enliven public spaces by integrating artistic interventions into pedestrian structures and roadways. Ironically, Zamora’s camp is embroiled in a controversy over national heroes after Sen. JV Ejercito delivered a speech denouncing City Hall’s transfer of the monuments of Bonifacio, Jacinto and Dr. Jose Rizal, to an obscure part of the Pinaglabanan complex in the city. NONOY LACZA

LOTILLA

Companies

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Jollibee income down 10% sans one-time gains in Q1

By VG Cabuag @villygc

The company said this was due to the P1.8-billion gain on land conveyance and the sale of other properties in the first quarter of 2022.

e xcluding the impact of the oneoff gains, attributable net income grew by more than four times.

“o u r first quarter financial results reflected continued strong momentum, delivering another quarter of strong topline and oper-

ating income growth. Systemwide sales and revenues for the quarter rose by 31 percent and 28.5 percent, respectively, while operating profit grew by 80.9 percent,” Jollibee c eo e r nesto Tanmantiong said. r e venues reached P55.09 billion, 28 percent higher than last year’s P42.85 billion, while systemwide sales, a measure of all sales to consumers both from company

owned and franchised stores, rose 31 percent to P78.63 billion from the previous P59.97 billion.

Same-store sales grew by 22 percent with the Philippine business growing by 31 percent and the international businesses by 8.8 percent.

“We continued to invest in new stores that will help drive sustainable value for our shareholders. We opened 111 stores and our store network grew by 4.7 percent versus prior year. We are on track to achieving our 550-600 new store target for 2023,” Tanmantiong said.

“We delivered strong operating profit growth despite continued macro challenges. We remain focused on navigating through these uncertainties and are confident in our ability to deliver another year

of strong growth.” First quarter systemwide sales in the Philippines rose by 36 percent while the international segment expanded by 23 percent with c h ina, North a merica and eu rope and the Middle e a st each growing 20 percent.

First quarter same store sales in the Philippines jumped by 31 percent driven by the improvement in volume or transaction count and increase in average check.

“We remain focused on continued improvement in our business fundamentals, which resulted in sustained gross profit margin expansion and significant growth in underlying profit performance. We are confident in our ability to execute our strategies and deliver our financial goals for 2023,” Jollibee c Fo r ichard Shin said.

PAL to acquire Airbus widebody jets

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

Legacy carrier Philip-

pine a i rlines (Pa L) said on Wednesday it is purchasing nine a i rbus a 3 50-1000s, which go for around $350 million each.

Under the memorandum of understanding that it signed with French aircraft manufacturer a i rbus, Pa L will acquire ultra longhaul jumbo jets that it will deploy to its operations in North a merica, including to the e a st c o ast of the United States and c a nada.

“The a 3 50-1000 combines greater range capability with the higher capacity we need to serve future demand. It’s the perfect aircraft to enable Pa L to meet its expansion plans in a sustainable way, while offering passengers the highest levels of onboard comfort,”

Pa L President Stanley Ng said.

“We are committed to offering our passengers the best possible travel experience, and these stateof-the-art aircraft will enable us to do just that as we carry out our mission to connect the world, and grow trade and tourism.”

He said the range of the a 3 501000 would enable the airline to fly nonstop transpacific and transpolar routes in both directions all year.

These will include some of the longest commercial flights in the world, such as those linking the Philippines with New yo rk and Toronto.

With an expanded a 3 50 fleet, Pa L will have the ability to once again provide a direct link from the Philippines to eu rope, Ng added.

The a 3 50-1000 is the latest and largest version of the a 3 50 Family of long-range jetliners. The new aircraft will join two a 3 50-900s already in service with Pa L and currently flying to destinations in North a merica, a sia and au stralia.

Ng first bared plans to acquire more long-haul planes in March.

The first of the nine a 350-1000s is slated to be delivered to Pa L by the fourth quarter of 2025, with deliveries continuing until 2027.

“Flying passengers farther and in greater comfort, the a 350 brings a step-change in fuel efficiency and an immediate significant contribution to reduced emissions. These are the attributes that have made the a 3 50 the choice of leading

airlines worldwide. We look forward to working closely with our long-standing customer Philippine a i rlines as it moves forward with its long haul fleet modernization program,” said c h ristian Scherer, a i rbus c h ief c ommercial o f ficer.

Pa L has likewise secured purchase rights on three additional a 3 50-1000s to allow future expansion to new long haul destinations.

The Filipino carrier is beefing

up its fleet as it continues its path to recovery.

This year, Pa L is “doubling” its capital expenditures from the year prior, as it “focuses” on improving its brand image while increasing the number of operating jets this year.

e a rlier, Ng said the company is investing “significantly” in improving its assets, namely the Mabuhay Lounge, a new office, as well as the upgrades and maintenance of its existing fleet.

It is also reactivating 7 of its parked aircraft to end 2023 with a fleet of 75 working jets. This, he said, requires a “huge investment,” but Pa L is determined to increase its capacity leveraging the increased demand for travel.

B1

Bloomberry income rises fourfold in Q1

BLooMberry resorts corp., the company that operates Solaire resort entertainment city, on Wednesday said its income grew fourfold to P3 billion in the first quarter from the previous year’s P679.4 million.

The company said its consolidated net income for the period has surpassed the prepandemic level of P2.2 billion in 2019.

“During the first quarter of 2023, bloomberry delivered an outstanding set of results. Solaire’s VIP, mass tables and slots segments all posted substantial gains as gaming volumes expanded,” enrique K. r a zon Jr., bloomberry chairman and ceo, said.

our performance was highlighted by a 338 percent increase in consolidated net income to P3 billion, driven by still strong domestic demand and increased participation by international patrons from around the region. In addition, consolidated revenues, ebI TDa (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization), and net income have all breached their first quarter 2019 pre-pandemic levels.”

r a zon said the company is optimistic about continued growth as the recovery of international travel progresses. bloomberry’s consolidated net revenues in the first quarter

reached P12.9 billion, an increase of 79 percent from P7.2 billion in the same period last year.

Total gross gaming revenues (ggr) at Solaire was P16 billion, an 80 percent increase from P8.9 billion in the first quarter of 2022. ggr growth continued to be supported by strong domestic demand and an increasing participation of international patrons. Total ggr surpassed the P13.6 billion recorded in first quarter of 2019.

Solaire’s VIP rolling chip volume, mass table drop and slot coin-in were P168.2 billion, P12.1 billion and P84 billion, representing year-over-year growth of 103 percent, 73 percent and 53 percent, respectively. The company said its VIP, mass tables and slots ggr in the first quarter were P6.4 billion, P4.9 billion, and P4.8 billion, representing year-over-year increases of 142 percent, 27 percent and 95 percent, respectively. growth in all segments was driven by higher gaming volumes played, while the VIP and slots segments also benefited from higher win rates. Solaire Korea’s Jeju Sun recorded gross gaming revenues of P1.2 million in the first quarter, a reversal of the gross gaming revenue loss of P8.5 million in the previous quarter. VG Cabuag

Jollibee Foods Corp., the country’s largest fast food company, said its attributable income fell by more than 10 percent to P2.06 billion in the first quarter from last year’s P2.31 billion.

BIR chief cites historic collection for Jan-April

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), under the administration of Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr., recorded a historic feat in reaching the collection goal for January, February, March and April of year 2023. The chief architect of this historic achievement was no less than Commissioner Lumagui.

“We reached our goal for January to April of 2023. In the last thirty years, this feat was only done a handful of times. This is a strong and historic start for the Bureau of Internal Revenue, taking into account that we are recovering from the economic repercussion caused by the pandemic,”

Commissioner Lumagui stated.

The House of Representatives Committee of Ways and Means also commended the efforts of Commissioner Lumagui. During the May 9, 2023, hearing of the said Committee, Chairman and Congressman Joey Salceda recognized the achievement of Commissioner Lumagui.

“I am here to congratulate, on his maiden performance, Commissioner Lumagui,” Congressman Salceda stated.

The future is bright for Commissioner Lumagui and the BIR. This collection record is largely due to his

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

FINANCIAL inclusion is not just about the quantity of people included but also about maximizing their usage of the financial systems.

Speakers at the “Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit Philippines” said this is a phenomenon that the Philippines and the rest of the world should look out for—that it is not just about providing people access to savings accounts, but also enabling them to leverage other financial services.

“I think we tend to ignore this for the Philippines: Digital adoption is not yet very very far,” union Bank of the Philippines Chief Marketing Officer Albert Raymond C. Cuadrante said during the event.

Cuadrante said that while the pandemic has boosted financial inclusion numbers to 50 percent of Filipino adults from 70 percent without access before Covid happened, not everyone that was included “used it to their benefit: they are more transactional.”

A key component to bringing financial inclusion numbers up would be to leverage AI and new technologies to bring other financial services down to the grassroots.

“Obviously, as a technology company, we’re relying on the data. But I

Solons set eyes on ‘failures’ of digital banking operators

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM & Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

Last Wednesday, the Senate announced that probers from its Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies would mount a separate inquiry into recent spate of bank-related scams.

four main programs. “For this administration we need only address four areas of concern. Intensification of Enforcement Activities. Taxpayer’s Service. Integrity and Professionalism. Digitalization. Fixing these areas will bring the BIR to greater heights. I am confident that as long as we address these areas, the BIR will reach its collection goal for 2023,” Commissioner Lumagui stated.

Acting on Senate Resolution (SR) 589, Senator Mark A. Villar is poised to lead the Senate Committee probe into the reported fraudulent bank transactions.

Intended to assess the need to craft remedial legislation, Senate probers are expected to verify and move for tougher safeguards needed to block dubious bank deals.

The inquiry is also meant to assess if the mechanisms put in place

by banks to prevent and detect fraud are enough; and if they carry out sufficient due diligence in order to protect the interest of their clients and the general public.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has said that in the years 2020 and 2021, it received in all 42,456 complaints from consumers and victims of fraud in those two pandemic years.

Nearly half (45.2 percent) of complaints in 2021 pertained to Internet banking and mobile banking account. Topping the cases of online fraud concerns are phishing and identity theft.

The BSP also reported that from

2019 till 2021, at least 2-billion pesos worth of financial transactions were the subject of complaints and involved in hacking and phishing.

Among the most frequent victims were senior citizens, teachers and businessmen.

SIM Card Act flagged

A R ESOL u T ION on the issue is forthcoming in the Lower House as Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene D. Brosas said she would file such to investigate a series of online scams and how digital banking applications are addressing these issues.

Brosas issued a statement as she urged GCash-payment platformoperator G-XChange Inc. to return funds some users said were hacked from their accounts and to strengthen the data-protection mechanisms of the Globe Telecom Inc. subsidiary.

Recently, GCash users have reported problems—including unauthorized fund deductions—with the popular digital payments app.

“GCash should be held accountable for this possible data breach. This caused a huge inconvenience and

compromised the data of millions of users across the country,” Brosas said. “ under their custody are millions of pesos from its users, therefore, the highest security standards must be intact. If it’s this easy for scammers and hackers to get in, it’s also easy to steal people’s hard-earned money,” she added.

The lawmakers also added that despite the implementation of the controversial SIM Card Registration law (Republic Act 11934), such cases of data hacking continue to proliferate.

“This is proof that the SIM Card Registration Act has provided no safeguards against data hackers,” Brosas said.

Last Monday, the House of Representatives endorsed for Senate approval the proposed Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act to protect all persons from various cybercrime schemes by regulating the use of bank accounts and electronic-wallets.

House Bill 7393, which seeks to prohibit and punish financial crimes such as acting as money mule, performing social engineering schemes and committing economic sabotage.

would go further. I think there is no such thing as bad risk. There’s only bad rates and pricing is a huge factor that can be leveraged to bring people into the financial system. So of course, you can price a loan product higher to bring somebody in. Now if we don’t use data after that it becomes predatory. But I think the basic idea behind the digital bank licenses is exactly this. Give the banks a little bit more pricing power, so that they can bring people in and then by nature of them being digital, they can manufacture and leverage the data to then reload you know as much better rates as people progress on their on their financial journey,” uBX Philippines Corp. President John Januszczak said. This also enables lenders to maximize the customer lifetime value (CLTV), Januszczak added, with the consumer journey being hyper personalized.

Panelists at the summit also agreed that financial literacy will be a key component to include more people, while enabling them to leverage financial systems to their benefit.

“Inclusion needs to go together with financial literacy. We have to look at digital financial literacy to navigate [the financial systems] and to practice good financial hygiene,” Alliance for Financial Inclusion Head of Policy Analysis and Guidance Robin Newnham said.

BOC intercepts ₧4.4M worth of cigarettes

THE Bureau of Customs-Port of Zamboanga (BOC-POZ) announced its personnel have intercepted 126 master cases of undocumented cigarettes worth P4.4 million.

In a statement last Wednesday, the BOC-POZ said that it has conducted a seaborne patrol operation in Zamboanga City and intercepted the watercraft carrying the illegal goods.

The statement said members of the BOC-POZ Enforcement and Security Service-Water Patrol Division (ESSWPD) and the Philippine National Police intercepted a watercraft carrying the illegal goods during a seaborne patrol operation in Barangay Recodo in Zamboanga City.

The watercraft was manned by four crew members, three of who were from Barangay Kasanyangan and one from Barangay Southcom, all in Zamboanga City.

Allegedly, the watercraft originated from Jolo, Sulu, and was bound for

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio

THE challenges of climate change should be taken seriously as it would have a huge negative impact on food security and gross domestic product (GDP), BSP Assistant Governor, Policy and Specialized Supervision Sub-Sector Lyn I. Javier said.

In her recent talk before the members of the Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines (BMAP), Javier cited that the World Bank estimates that climate change will create economic damages, which will reach 7.6 percent of the country’s GDP by 2030 and 13.6 percent of GDP by 2040.

The BSP official added that the role of central banks in this situation was highlighted by the former governor of the Bank of England Mark Joseph Carney when he delivered a speech in a major gathering of business leaders in 2015. He said that climate change will cause financial instability.

Javier said climate change will also impact price stability when droughts or floods hit the agriculture sector. She explained these disasters could lead to a shortage in supply that will later result in price increases.

Meanwhile, climate change will affect the operations of banks and financial institutions either directly or indirectly through their clients as they have been exposed to the effects of climate change.

Javier said the BSP has to take action because it recognizes the same risks when implementing their mandate of pursuing price and financial stability.

Along this line, she said, the BSP adopted the “sustainable central banking” (SCB) framework. Javier added this in line with the huge impacts of climate and environmental risks on prices of goods and services and on the stability of financial institutions.

Zamboanga City.

However, no documents were presented to prove the regularity of prior importation of the smuggled cigarettes and their transport to Zamboanga City, the BOC said.

“The master cases of cigarettes were seized pursuant to Section 1113 in relation to Section 117 of RA 10863, or the “Customs Modernization and Tariff Act [CMTA] of 2016, and Executive Order [EO] 245 entitled ‘Amended Rules and Regulations Governing the Exportation and Importation of Leaf Tobacco and Tobacco Products,’” it added. Furthermore, a Warrant of Seizure and Detention will be issued against the cigarettes by the BOC-POZ District Collector Arthur Sevilla Jr.

“[The] BOC-POZ implements intensified anti-smuggling operations and remains steadfast in maintaining close coordination with law enforcement agencies,” a statement read. Raadee

She explained that the SCB framework mandates the BSP to be “an enabler, mobilizer and doer with respect to advocating sustainability in the financial system.”

To get the SCB framework going, Javier said the BSP has to pursue awareness and capacity building Initiatives such as membership in regional or international groups of central banks and supervisors. These include the following: the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS); the Sustainable Banking and Finance Network; the Inclusive Green Finance Working Group of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion; Executives’ Meeting of East Asia-Pacific Central Banks Working Group on Banking Supervision; and, task forces or working groups at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Moreover, the BSP also conducted various studies or preliminary insights on sustainable finance. These include a study titled “Impact of Extreme Weather Episodes on the Philippine Banking Sector using Branch-level Supervisory Data” and “Climate Change and Monetary Policy: Some Preliminary Thoughts.” The BSP, she added, also released a report on the roles of Asean central banks in managing climate and environment-related risks.

SNAFUS involving digital payment operators prompted lawmakers from both Houses of Congress to call for inquiries.

Climate crisis must be taken seriously, BSP official posits

‘Financial inclusion also about usage of systems’

BIR Commissioner Lumagui

Health& Fitness

Safe and cost-efficient contraception can be achieved through Mathematics

By Rory Visco Contributor

THERE was a time when birth control during the early days employed the use of traditional contraceptive methods or TCMs in order to control the size of a family in terms of the number of children, especially in countries with humongous population numbers. S ome used to call it “child spacing.”

Aside from population control, the idea of family planning or child spacing was conceptualized in consideration of a couple’s financial capacity to raise children and provide them with the quality of life they deserve. By doing so, it reflected the kind of knowledge, thinking, attitude, and responsible decision-making that individuals possess in order to ensure that t heir children will grow up healthy and that their overall welfare is taken care of.

According to the National Library of Medicine of the National Center for Biotechnology Medicine, some of the known natural f amily planning methods include the coitus interruptus, more popularly known as the “withdrawal method.” Then there is the calendar method or rhythm method, where menstrual history is tracked to predict the time when a woman is most likely to ovulate and conceive. Using this method helps both ways, such as to ascertain the best days to have sex or days to avoid unprotected sex. This, however, would require the coopera -

tion of both parties when it comes to careful record keeping.

O f course, in some countries, people employ certain customs or beliefs through the use of folk medicine and some herbs, but their efficacy and safety are highly doubtful, especially among practitioners of modern medicine.

To some, the best and safest way when it comes to family planning is through abstinence: it’s cheap, there are no side effects, t hough it frequently places a person’s will power and self-control to the test.

Then came the pills

PREGNANCY happens when a male’s sperm fertilizes the egg released from a woman’s ovary after sexual intercourse. According to webmd.com, the body’s hormones control the release of the egg from the ovary, w hich is called ovulation, and then prepares the body to accept the fertilized egg. The now-fertilized egg attaches to the womb or the uterus, and then develops into a baby.

From the TCMs came the hormonal contraceptives or pills, which webmd.com defined as pills that contain a small amount o f estrogen and progestin hormones, which “inhibit your body’s natural hormones to prevent pregnancy.” One is to stop the body from ovulating, make it hard for the sperm to find an egg, and even change the lining of the womb.

These pills have shown remarkable efficiency and effectiveness in preventing p regnancy if taken exactly as directed.

However, just like any other pill, it has potential health risks like blood clots, mood d isorders, strokes or heart attacks.

Pills made more effective through math

DESPITE the success of hormonal pills, where most contain either or both estrogen and progesterone hormones to block o vulation, a team of mathematicians from the University of the Philippines-Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) conducted a new math research. They discovered that the quantity of hormones in contraceptives can be reduced by as much as 92 percent without affecting its effectiveness.

T he team, composed of UPD-CS Institute of Mathematics (UPD-CS IM) Ph.D. Mathematics graduate Brenda Lyn Gavina, and A ssociate Professor Dr. Aurelio de los Reyes V, together with collaborators Dr. Mette Olufsen of the North Carolina State University, Dr. Suzanne Lenhart of the University of Tennessee, and Dr. Johnny Ottesen of the Roskilde University of Denmark, analyzed the hormone levels of 23 women aged 20 to 34 years old with regular menstrual cycles. Through their research, they found out that estrogen-only contraceptives could still remain effective even if hormone doses were reduced by as much as 92 percent. On the other hand, hormone doses in p rogesterone-only contraceptives could be decreased by as much as 43 percent and yet remain effective.

The team developed a modified menstrual cycle model to track natural hor -

mone levels and the effect of hormones t aken through contraceptives, and then used mathematics to determine the lowest amount of hormones needed to prevent o vulation. Aside from the lower hormone dosages, the study revealed that taking the pills before the tenth day of the menstrual cycle is just as effective in preventing pregnancy if taken daily.

T he study thus opens further opportunities for expanded research in hormonal birth control. “With the rapid development of new implants and injections p roviding continuous administration, there is great potential to implement new treatment scheme minimizing dose,” the researchers concluded in their study, published last April 13 in the journal PLoS C omputational Biology, a popular Mathematics journal.

Reducing the dosage of hormonal contraceptives has been a longstanding objective of safer contraception. Our modeling/ c omputational study suggests an effective and cost-efficient hormonal contraceptive administration,” Dr. de los Reyes said. “We also hope to build on the current model to investigate reproductive health concerns in women like polycystic ovarian s yndrome [PCOS] and ovarian cysts. We would like to caution that our model is not directly translatable to clinical setup [or actual patients] as of yet, but the principles and its proof of concept could be p otentially implemented to achieve safe and cost-efficient contraception.”

Makati Life Medical Center now caters to Makati City’s yellow card holders

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Makati City’s Yellow Card holders now have round-the-clock access to health care, consultations, diagnostic, and pharmacy services as Makati Life Medical Center’s 24/7 primary care services formally opened on May 8, 2023.

“ to day marks a great milestone for the people of Makati, especially our senior citizens, as now they have access to quality primary care services 24/7. i t took several years to complete, but we delivered on our promise to give Makatizens a bigger and more accessible hospital where they can receive medical attention whenever they need it,” said Mayor a b igail Binay.

Located in Barangay Bel- a i r, Makati Life is more accessible to residents of the city’s 1st district. i t s also convenient for City Hall employees and senior citizens who have difficulty commuting to the cityrun Ospital ng Makati (OsMak).

Editor: Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

By Candy P. Dalizon Contributor

WITH t hree million senior citizens still unvaccinated against Covid-19 and only 10 percent with a pneumococcal vaccine, the Senior Citizens party list vowed to ramp up its efforts to improve vaccination coverage among the elderly.

The Coalition of Associations of Senior Citizens in the Philippines Inc. (CASCPI), also known as the Senior Citizens Party-list, is a sectoral group comprising different organizations and individuals representing the interests of the elderly. Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes represents over 12 million senior citizens nationwide as the Senior Citizens Partylist representative in the 19th Congress.

Atty. Charles de Belen, Legal and Legislative Head of the Partylist, cited three reasons why seniors remain unvaccinated.

“Most of the seniors remain fearful of the vaccine or vaccine hesitancy. They are afraid that the vaccine would prejudice their health,” said de Belen, adding that this type of information should be addressed and corrected.

“Vaccines still remain physically and economically inaccessible to senior citizens and less than 10 percent of our senior citizens are aware of vaccines,” he added.

De Belen was one of the speakers during the recent Health Connect media forum titled “Each Sector’s Role in The Big Catch-up.”

Multi-sectoral participation

T H E forum brought together representatives from the health, science, social services, legislative, and local government sectors to discuss collaborative strategies and showcase best practices in improving vaccination rates in the country.

Vaccines are physically inaccessible to seniors who are living alone with no relatives to support them. It may be difficult for them to go to the clinics or to the barangay for vaccination. Majority also cannot afford the cost of vaccines.

Card holders.

Specialized services

a ddi ti O n a L LY, si nce it is open 24/7, Makati Life Medical Center can better serve the medical needs of residents and provide timely care for patients who require more specialized services in a tertiary hospital.

Makati Life has a total of 360 beds and 190 doctor’s clinics. i t o ffers multiple specialty centers which boast of advanced medical technology and modern facilities focusing on prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation services that include a Cancer Center with a linear accelerator for radiation treatment, a Cardiac Center with a cardiac catheterization lab for angiography, an open heart surgery, and organ transplantation surgeries. t a lso has a Physical Rehabilitation Medical Center that will use robotics in treating joint and soft tissue ailments.

t h e hospital also features a hybrid operating room combining diagnostic imaging and surgical theater to manage complex surgeries effectively.

i t a lso has a certified heating, ventilation, and airconditioning (HVa C ) system for a clean, germ-free

environment.

Private, public partnership

Makati Life is a partnership between Life n u rture i nc orporated (L ni ) and the City Government of Makati. i t i s the country’s most significant public-private partnership (PPP) hospital to date. City Ordinance n o 2021-021 authorized Binay to sign a PPP agreement with Life n u rture i n c. for the hospital’s construction, operation, and management.

Binay stated that Makati Life Medical Center is “a testament to the city’s commitment to providing excellent health care that is accessible, affordable, and of the highest medical standards.”

t h e mayor quickly assured Makatizens that although Makati Life accepts private individuals, their health care services are still accessible to Yellow Card holders, including the city’s senior citizens and City Hall employees.

t h ey are also guaranteed hospital beds if they need to be confined for further treatment. t he hospital’s “Yellow Card” zone prioritizes Makati Yellow

Nestlé launches five Nature’s Bounty supplements in PHL

By roderick l. Abad Contributor

tWO years after acquiring the core brands of t h e Bountiful Company for $5.75 billion, n e stlé has launched n at ure’s Bounty in the Philippines, with five supplements that are nonGMO (genetically modified organism) and contain no artificial flavors, colors and sweeteners. n at ure’s Bounty, globally, has about 450 different kinds [of products]. t h is is just the first of 10 phases of product launches that we’re going to have,” t i na Samaco, cluster business manager for the Philippines, t hai land and Vietnam of n e stlé Health Science, said during their media kick off last May 4 in Pasay City.

a c cording to her, obtaining this high-growth brand has made n e stlé a global leader not only in vitamins and minerals, but also in nutritional supplements. She noted: “ t h e main thrust of n e stlé is really to provide everything our consumers need in terms of health and well-being.”

B eing free from infirmity or disease can be difficult to achieve at all times. However, there are ways to prevent these illnesses, one of which is taking health supplements.

i t h as been proven that with the supplements, they make people achieve goals by having these products with the right amount of proper nutrients,” n estlé Health Science Medical & Scientific

a f fairs Manager d r. Jimmy Bautista explained.

a m id the glut of such products in the market at present, the company sees to it that it offers what Filipinos really need today—Fish Oil, Ginkgo Biloba

e x tract, Melatonin, L-Carnitine and L- a r ginine.

t h ey are the first five products that we initially brought here in the country because they already have high awareness among the consumers and there’s already a need,” n estlé Health Science Marketing Lead Moe Javier pointed out.

Fish Oil de R i V e d from the tissues of oily fish, it contains omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid ( e Pa ) and docosahexaenoic acid ( d H a ) t h ey are considered “good” fats that aid in maintaining triglyceride levels within a normal range and reducing risk of coronary heart disease. With such attributes, fish oil helps take care of the heart better.

“Cardiovascular disease is the n o. 1 killer in the Philippines. So we made sure that it’s part of the first phase of our launch,” she said.

n at ure’s Bounty Fish Oil is odorless and enteric coated to minimize fishy burps and is purified to eliminate mercury so it’s guaranteed to have only the purest ingredients.

Ginkgo Biloba Extract

a L SO known as maidenhair, Ginkgo Biloba is a plant that has been used since ancient times to heal various health ailments. i n fact, it’s reported to be “the most commonly ingested herb for brain health”. Hence, it’s now mostly utilized to treat dementia and a l zheimer’s disease, as well as sharpen the mind.

d r. Bautista cited that studies have proven that it helps dilate the blood vessels and makes the blood less sticky. t h e end result will be better blood cir-

culation in the brain.

t hat means more oxygen goes to the brain and rehabilitation also of post-stroke patients is better, so memory is preserved,” he said.

S erved in easy-to-swallow capsules, n at ure’s Bounty Ginkgo Biloba is convenient to take once a day.

Melatonin

t O r emedy the occasional sleeplessness or enhance the quality of rest, melatonin promotes tranquil sleep. ta king it makes one feeling refreshed, revitalized, and ready for the day.

Melatonin, often referred to as the “sleep hormone,” is naturally produced by the brain. i t makes a person fall asleep faster and stay in slumber longer.

“ We know that it has been very popular during the Covid-19 pandemic, and at the height of the health crisis, it continues to be so. t hat ’s the reason why we also included it in our initial batch of supplements,” said the marketing lead of n e stlé Health Science.

Guaranteed quality, n at ure’s Bounty Quick d i ssolve Melatonin comes in a natural cherry flavor with no artificial ingredients.

L-Carnitine

t H i S e ndogenous substance produced naturally by the body is a fat burner. L-Carnitine assists in boosting metabolism and supports heart health. a l so, it plays a pivotal role in making fatty acids available for muscle tissue, which improves exercise performance and recovery.

Unfortunately, not everyone would have suffi -

O sMak patients may also be referred to Makati Life for specialized tests and services.

Integrated medical records

tH e c ity is also working to fully integrate the medical records of both hospitals, so OsMak patients can have their check-ups at Makati Life and not have to worry about providing their patient history.

By doing this, Binay said Makati’s healthcare system would come full circle. Makatizens now have more options to choose from when it comes to their health.

t h e rest of the hospital’s services will be available in the next few months.

Patients can walk in at any time but may also book an appointment by calling 8888-2020, 0917658-5433, or 0947-990-7362.

t h ey can also send an email to 24.7connect@ makatilife.com or visit the website:  www.makatilife.com f or more information about the services offered.

cient amounts of L-Carnitine in the body. So we recommend to take in extrinsic or external L-Carnitine to improve the metabolism because the calories that we take in can be converted into energy,” d r. Bautista shared. “a t t he same time, theoretically and medically proven, would be the fatty acids from our fat stores are converted into energy. So you keep those unwanted fats at bay or away.”

t h e best way to do so is to take n at ure’s Bounty L-Carnitine. i t i s laboratory tested and found with high quality.

L-arginine FOR healthy blood flow, vascular function, wound healing and heart health, L- a r ginine is known for these benefits. i t i s one of 20 amino acids that help the body build protein, which is essential in repairing cells and making new ones.

L- a r ginine is very special to our hearts as n e stlé Health Science because we’re more exposed to it in the medical side,” Javier said. “But we’ve seen also during the height of pandemic that there have been a lot of patients because of the limited manpower in the hospitals. t he y needed L- a r ginine to prevent bed sores.”

n a ture’s Bounty L- a r ginine is available in a 1000mg 30 count bottle.

“a t n at ure’s Bounty, we’re serious about supporting your health through our products that are backed by science. We want more for our consumers, which is why we never settle when it comes to making wellness solutions that work harder and are formulated to be stronger and protect you longer,” d r. Bautista stressed.

t he newly-launched n a ture’s Bounty products are now available

“Only 4 percent of the 12 million senior citizens have a monthly income or pension of around P30,000 and above. Majority live below P10,000 to P15,000 pension. In fact, more than 50 percent of them have access only to the social pension that we were able to increase to 1,000 per month,” said de Belen.

The implication of this, de Belen said, is the elderly may have to choose between having a vaccine which costs P1,000 to P3,000 or spending the money to buy food.

Points of action

T O address these problems, the Senior Citizens Partylist came up with points of action which include a partnership with the PCOO-FOI arm (Presidential Communications Operations Office- Freedom of Information) to combat disinformation involving vaccines and information awareness campaigns through town hall meetings and social media platforms.

The group also supports house to house inoculation not just for Covid-19 but also for influenza and pneumococcal vaccines. Likewise, the group calls on government clinics and hospitals to ensure that they have enough supplies of vaccines for distribution and inoculation.

De Belen also discussed the Senior Citizens Partylist’s legislative agenda for vaccination.

“Make immunization accessible through legislation by expanding the available free vaccines to senior citizens under House Bill 2097 which recently passed the first reading in Congress.”

“Establish a Vaccine Institute in the Philippines under HB 6042 that has already been transmitted to the Senate and provide overall health and wellness to senior citizens by legislating for free annual medical checkups, establish Geriatric hospitals in every region in the Philippines and expand senior citizen discount to vitamins and supplements,” de Belen shared.

Through these efforts, the group aims to reduce the morbidity and mortality among seniors due to diseases that could have been prevented through vaccination.

Health Connect forum

T HE f orum organized by the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association (PHAP), Philippine Foundation for Vaccination (PFV), Philippine Medical Association (PMA), and Sanofi Pasteur Inc., focused on “Each Sector’s Role in the Big Catch-up” to ensure the protection of people of all ages against vaccine preventable diseases.

According to PHAP Executive Director Teodoro Padilla, Health Connect started in 2020 as a platform to provide medically verified information for people to make informed decisions about their health. The forum remains relevant especially at this time.

“Due to the pandemic, among other reasons, we are witnessing the sharpest decline in immunization coverage rates not only in the Philippines but in many other countries,” said Padilla.

Padilla added that the Big Catch-up campaign seeks to emphasize the collective work and urgent action required to protect the people from vaccine preventable diseases.

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Let’s get ‘vaxxed’ for family protection

IT is good to see that everyone is back to their usual activities. It is also great to see most schools at 100 percent in face-to-face or at least hybrid learning. On the other hand, all these in-person interactions also expose us and our families to health risks. It is good that global wellness brand Watson’s recently launched their “Watsons Vaxxed Office Hit” campaign, which highlights how vaccination can protect Filipinos from the ill-effects of flu, HPV and pneumonia.

Vaxxed Office Hit features a series of trailers and posters for what appears to be movies with postapocalyptic themes. Through compelling illustrations delivered in eye-catching, movie trailer-style materials, the campaign encourages the public to sign up for their flu, HPV and pneumonia vaccines.

“We invite everyone to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their loved ones and their community. It is the safest and most effective way to stop infectious diseases,” shares Dr. Lulu Bravo, executive director, Philippine Foundation for Vaccination.

“There are many diseases to watch out for, but advances in medicine have allowed us to protect ourselves through vaccination. Watsons is making it easier to protect ourselves by making immunization more accessible and affordable,” shared Jared de Guzman, Watsons customer director.

This year, the dominant flu strain circulating the globe is Influenza A (H3N2) and it has been associated with more severe flu seasons. Meanwhile, subtype H3N2 is known to cause more severe illnesses in young children and older adults. For his part, Dr. Eroll Yabut of the Health Promotion Bureau of the Department of Health lauded the attention-grabbing and educational materials.

“It really makes you think about your health and what you will do after watching. It’s important for people to get vaccinated as it is our best bet against preventable diseases.” Yabut also noted that lack of proper information on vaccines is a big contributor to vaccine hesitancy, and that awareness efforts like Watsons Vaxxed Office Hit campaign can help meet this gap.

In a separate statement, Teodoro Padilla, executive director of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP), shared, “The Covid-19 pandemic has immensely contributed to the decline in vaccination coverage in the Philippines and many other countries. We are pleased to collaborate

EMOTIONS are expressions of our deepest selves. However, they are oftentimes overlooked or totally ignored. Licensed psychologist Jonice Webb, PhD explained that acknowledging these feelings may be more challenging for those with families that discount sentiments.

“When you grow up with emotional neglect, you may learn that your feelings are irrelevant and burdensome,” she stated. “You may not get to learn some very important skills, such as how to name, put them into words, and manage or share them.”

Webb, the best-selling author of Running On Empty: Overcome Your Childhood Emotional Neglect and Running on Empty No More: Transform Your Relationships, likewise stressed the importance of finally listening to oneself toward healing your own life.

“Your emotions are the essence of who you are,” she noted. “They help you to know and trust yourself, connect and motivate you, and assist you in finding meaning to make sense of the world. They give you invaluable information that provides you with a roadmap for how to live your life,” she added. The Benilde Well-Being Center (BWC) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, sharing Webb’s goal to build awareness of the long-lasting, often invisible effects of childhood emotional neglect on people’s adult

with Watsons Philippines in ‘The Big Catch-up’ campaign to stress the urgent call for the people to help protect themselves from vaccine-preventable diseases. It is time for us to get back on track because vaccines help people of all ages live full and healthy lives.” PHAP represents the innovative medicines and vaccines sector in the country. There are more than 25 safe and effective vaccines that can stop diseases, protect health, and mitigate outbreaks. Below are three diseases that can be prevented by vaccines:

■ INFLUENZA. Influenza, or the flu, is a contagious respiratory illness that infects the nose, throat and even the lungs at any time of the year. It is marked by fevers, chills, coughing, a sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, and fatigue.

It is transmitted through close contact with an infected person, or even touching objects contaminated by the virus. Compared to the common cold, the flu is worse and its symptoms are more intense. It causes mild to severe illness, and even death. Up to 650,000 people worldwide die from the flu each year. This year, the dominant flu strain circulating the globe is Influenza A (H3N2) and it has been associated with more severe flu seasons. Meanwhile, subtype H3N2 is known to cause more severe illnesses in young children and older adults.

■ PNEUMONIA. Pneumonia is a lung infection that causes the air sacs to be filled with fluid or pus. Its symptoms include coughing, fever, sweating, chills, shortness of breath, chest pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, and nausea and vomiting. Pneumonia is caused by a variety of factors such as viruses, bacteria and fungi. It is the single largest infectious cause of death in children around the world.

■ HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV). Human Papillomavirus, or HPV, is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the world. There are usually no symptoms and it goes away on its own, but the virus may cause painless growths or lumps around the genital area. It is usually transmitted via sex or skin-to-skin sexual contact with an individual who has the virus. If untreated, HPV infections can cause cancer.

Watsons continues to lead the way in promoting and providing access to holistic health and wellness solutions, expert care and advice, and a platform for health literacy. The global brand in health and beauty retail is offering vaccination services for the Influenza A (H3N2), pneumonia, and HPV in its network of more than 1,000 stores in the Philippines. For more information about Watsons’ products and services, you can visit www.watsons.com.ph or download the Watsons app on the App Store or Google Play. ■

lives, highlighted the expert’s methodology to improve life. Here are the points, published on PsychologyToday.com, one of the world’s largest publishing enterprise exclusively dedicated to mental health and behavioral science:

1. Live life in the present moment. Reflect in the here and now. Become oriented of what’s going on inside of you and around you.

2. Be more self-aware. Reconnect the brain to your body. Become integrated, which allows you to identify what you want and need.

3. Make decisions that better suit you. Uncover your passion. Make decisions that align with who you are.

4. Care less about what other people think. Self-doubt is common if you are out of touch with yourself. It makes you more vulnerable to other’s opinions.

5. Feel more connected to others. Open up with your feelings. Otherwise, it will be difficult for others to connect with the real you.

6. Be more authentic and genuine. Understand and embrace what’s going on internally and the external world will notice.

7. Improve setting limits with others. Emotional awareness creates an invisible boundary between you and others that allows for healthy relationship boundaries.

8. Be in control of your emotions. Acknowledge and process them. Figure out what to do next and hold power.

9. Feel energized. Emotions are energy inside of you, which are meant to guide you to take action.

10. Have more direction and motivation. Once you take note of this energy, the choices you make will come naturally.

11. Physical health improvement. Being in touch with your emotions will lead to better sleep, less stress and other health benefits.

12. Feel more fulfilled with life. You will garner confidence and ease in decision-making. You will be more connected to yourself and others.

PHOTO BY CDC ON UNSPLASH

BDO Foundation rehabilitates 140 health centers in a span of 10 years

IN just a little over a decade, BDO Foundation has successfully rehabilitated 140 rural health units (RHUs) all over the Philippines as part of efforts to help improve the health and well-being of Filipinos in underserved communities.

In the past few months alone, the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank rehabilitated four health facilities in Bohol: Sikatuna Rural Health Unit, Talibon Municipal Health Center, Sagbayan Municipal Health Unit and Jagna Rural Health Unit I. In Surigao del Norte, the foundation renovated Lipata Barangay Health Center, Rural Health Unit - Del Carmen and Santa Monica Rural Health Unit. It also refurbished Pinili - Mothering Center in Ilocos Norte and Batad Primary Care Facility in Iloilo.

BDO Foundation’s initiative in the aforementioned provinces benefits more than 198,000 people.

With each renovated RHU, the foundation contributes to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal no. 3 to ensure healthy lives and promote the wellbeing of all people at all ages. Through its ongoing rehabilitation program, which started in 2012, the foundation helps

improve the healthcare delivery system in the country, one of the goals under the Philippine health agenda.

BDO Foundation improves the RHUs, particularly their layout, interiors and exteriors, lobbies and waiting areas, offices, birthing clinics, consultation and treatment rooms, pharmacies, furniture and fixtures. Using available space, it also constructs breastfeeding stations, play areas for children and waiting lounges for senior citizens.

With these improvements in place, rehabilitated health centers stand to receive high assessment scores from the Department of Health and accreditation from PhilHealth. Upgraded health facilities benefit mothers and babies, children, persons with disabilities, senior citizens and other patients, most of whom cannot afford to go to hospitals. Rehabilitated RHUs also benefit indigenous peoples in remote communities and Filipinos in disasteraffected areas.

“Typhoon Ursula and Typhoon Agaton damaged our facility and affected our ability to serve our constituents,” Batad municipal health officer Dr. Maria Rhesyl De La Rosa remembered. “By renovating our RHU, you enabled us

to continue providing free health and nutrition services to our community particularly the patients who are most in need.”

According to Sikatuna municipal health officer Dr. Paz Maniwang, the rehabilitation of their health center “will enable the local government to allocate a budget for the procurement of more medicines and medical supplies.”

For Jagna municipal health officer

Dr. Shaira Lyn Cagulada, one of the most significant benefits of the project is the ability to accommodate and screen more patients. With the improved layout and interiors of their RHU, Dr. Cagulada plans to “shift from the traditional writing of patients’ records to electronic medical records.” The rehabilitation of health centers— critical as the country continues to recover from the pandemic—was made possible with the support of BDO and BDO Network Bank officers, who recommend health centers that need assistance.

BDO Foundation recently rehabilitated nine rural health units in Bohol, Ilocos Norte, Iloilo and Surigao del Norte as part of efforts to help improve the delivery of primary healthcare services in disadvantaged communities.

Apollo Skin Solutions Holds Exclusive Wellness Camp for a day of rejuvenation and pampering

SHARING the love for self-care and its mission of providing affordable yet high-quality skin care products, Apollo Skin Solutions recently held an exclusive wellness camp for a day of pampering and self-care.

During this event, PHILUSA Corporation President Neogin Evangelista said that as one of PHILUSA Corporation’s homegrown brands, the company’s mission of providing practical yet accessible products to the market is the driving force behind its longevity.

“Apollo Skin Solutions has been a trusted heritage partner of Filipino households in traditional skin remedies for more than 30 years and continues to provide highquality products for people who seek to have healthy-looking and moisturized skin. Our Apollo Petroleum Jelly, Apollo Sebo De Macho, Apollo Lip Balm, and Apollo Castor Oil are reliable wellness products that will help you rediscover beauty.”

In a short talk conducted by certified dermatologists with extensive practice in anti-aging and procedural aesthetic dermatology Michelle Manuel explained that to achieve glowing, vibrant skin, healthy habits should always be incorporated. From drinking a minimum of three liters of water daily to using sunscreen to protect the skin, a diet that involves a lot of fruits and veggies all play a part in helping achieve a youthful glow.

The Apollo Petroleum Jelly has long been an ultimate staple both for beauty and health care. From relieving symptoms of eczema, soothing diaper rash, and eye makeup remover to moisturizing hands and feet, this inexpensive and effective product is surely one can’t live without at home or in the bag. For athletes or even those who are into high-impact workouts, this product also helps to ensure skin areas predisposed to skin chafing are well lubricated.

Monica Rural Health Unit is one of the three RHUs that were rehabilitated by the BOD Foundation.

PLDT Global Corp‘s retail arm TINBO supports DMW‘s jobs fair for OFWs at Blas Ople Building in Mandaluyong City

TINDAHAN ni Bossing (TINBO), the one-stop gateway for digital services created by PLDT Global Corporation’s retail arm, supported the “Trabaho sa Ibayong Dagat, Handog ng Tahanan ng OFW” Jobs Fair organized by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Labor Day. PLDT Global is the international unit of the country’s leading digital services provider PLDT Inc.

Held at the Blas F. Ople Building in Mandaluyong City, the job fair gathered 32 licensed recruitment firms with over 15,000 job opportunities overseas, including work for construction workers, engineers, health care workers, restaurant workers, and seafarers.

“We are honored to be part of this initiative by the DMW. As part of our commitment to support Filipinos

everywhere with access to digital services, PLDT Global’s TINBO is here to provide our overseas kababayans with the technology and services that can help them care for their families back home,” said Albert V. Villa-Real, President and CEO at PLDT Global.

Customers can register via tinbo.ph to get a Smart Virtual Number (SVN), that serves as their Philippine mobile number whenever they are outside the country.

Through PLDT Global’s partnership with DMW, customers can also use their SVNs as their registered number in the DMW, which enables the agency to provide updates on their Overseas Employment Certificate application, as well as important government announcements while overseas.

Their SVN, powered by Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), PLDT Inc.'s wireless unit, also allows TINBO users to receive calls and texts at local rates (Smart to Smart) without a physical SIM, including one-time passwords (OTPs), for secure payment transactions.

With TINBO, overseas Filipinos can buy load, data packs, even gaming PINs for their families in the Philippines. They can also conveniently pay their Philippine billers, access digital banking needs via Maya, and enjoy other digital services.

According to Dr. Manuel, Vitamin C is a must in collagen production and a vital ingredient in making the skin healthy and youthful. However, she reminds us that active relaxation is also a must both for our physical and mental health.

“Apart from nourishing our bodies with food, know that nothing ages like chronic stress. When we produce stress hormones (cortisol), it indirectly leads to an overproduction of sebum (oil), which causes acne to break out. Meditate, practice deep breathing, and of course, exercise,” she said.

For radio jock, events host, and mom of two Colleen Mateo, one of her most important staples nowadays is the sebo de macho. “I recently underwent an open surgery for my gall bladder removal and one of the biggest concerns aside from recovery is wound healing. Kaya naman itong sebo de macho talaga ang lagi kong ginagamit. Kahit naman nung bata pa tayo ito naman talaga ang affordable na ointment pang iwas peklat.”

Made of pure mutton tallow, the Apollo Sebo de Macho provides moisturization benefits for the skin. Dr. Manuel’s for fresh scars is to gently massage the area with sebo de macho, “I used this a lot when I was a teenager whenever I get wounds. Thankfully, the scars I had on my legs are gone now. Did the sebo de macho work? Maybe. But when I went to medical school, I learned that the act of massaging the wound is a great practice which helps in speeding up the healing of the damaged tissue and to break up the scar tissue.”

For the 24-year-old professional choreographer Aira Casim, her ultimate must-have is the petroleum jelly. “I have been dancing for quite a while and I develop calluses. So I really cannot do away with petroleum jelly. It really helps moisturize my feet.”

Another millennial considering Apollo Skin Solutions her everyday staple is fashion and lifestyle content creator Janeska Margaux. “I usually deal with dry skin, that's why I always use the Apollo Petroleum Jelly. It helps me feel more confident whenever I post OOTD content on social media.”

With petroleum jelly as the most accessible occlusive or moisturizing agent with versatile qualities, dermatologists like Dr. Manuel puts a premium on its multipurpose benefit. From helping seal the skin with a water-protective barrier, it also works wonders with other ingredients, making it an ideal base for most skin care products and an active ingredient in managing eczema.

Another product that makes Apollo Skin Care Solutions a favorite Filipino brand is the castor oil and lip balm. “Even if I am at home or if I need to vlog, I always use Apollo Lip Balm in pretty in pink. Favorite ko sya kasi fresh in an instant without the heavy make-up,” says Colleen. “And for the castor oil, part na talaga ito ng beauty regimen ko, para sa akin thick brows and lashes are life!”

For only Php60 7g, the Apollo Lip Balm is formulated with Vitamin E, has a light strawberry flavor, and is paraben-free. Made of US-sourced pure petrolatum, this is an assurance of its authentic but still affordable quality.

Another exciting addition to the Apollo Skin Solutions family is castor oil. Made of 100% pure, cold-pressed castor oil, this brow and lashes nourishing formula that helps to stimulate the growth of strands are also lightweight and easy to use anytime, anywhere. Available in a conveniently packaged mascara bottle and applicator, it’s also made affordable for only P 89.

For those who love sports and workouts, Apollo Skin Solutions is a cult favorite, especially its petroleum jelly and sebo de macho for minor wounds. Other products such as castor oil and lip balm are considered a holy grail to achieve a more put-together look without being overly done.

“The Apollo Wellness Camp is also a reminder that beauty and wellness should never be put on hold. We’ll never be at our best for our loved ones if we don’t prioritize our well-being,” adds Apollo Skin Solutions brand manager Nicole Alejandro. Apollo Skin Solutions is available at all Mercury Drug Stores, leading groceries, and supermarkets nationwide. For more updates, follow Apollo Skin Care Facebook and Apollo Skin Care Instagram. For more information on Apollo’s line of trusted and proven skin solutions, visit PHILUSA Corporation.

THE Santa

DMW Undersecretary Maria Anthonette Velasco-Allones visits PLDT Global’s TINBO booth at the OFW jobs fair last May 1, 2023.

APOLLO Skin Solutions products

FIGHT ON AGAINST CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE. Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos (second from left), Diabetes Philippines President Dr. Francis Pasaporte (third from left), AstraZeneca Asia Vice President Sylvia Varela (extreme right) and Sweden Ambassador Annika Thuborg (extreme left) recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement to became part of ACT NOW or Addressing Complications Today through Network Of Warriors. The group advocates more awareness for the fight against chronic kidney disease, a progressive disease that can eventually lead to kidney failure.

Photo by Nonoy Lacza.

Envoys&Expats

US, South Korea to strengthen six PHL cities’ climate resilience

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica) recently signed a P111.5-million ($2 million) grant partnership agreement to boost the capabilities of the cities of Batangas, Borongan, Cotabato, Iloilo, Legazpi and Zamboanga in adapting to, mitigating and managing the impacts of climate change and natural disasters.

Through the grant funding, Koica will support the implementation of the USAID’s five-year, P836.5-million ($15 million) “Climate Resilient Cities Project” that will benefit the above-mentioned partner-cities.

The former’s technical assistance will enhance the capacities of the said local government units (LGUs) in developing guidelines for and using climate-adaptation technology. More than 180 Philippine officials and stakeholders will also be invited to participate in capacity-building programs organized in the Philippines and the Republic of Korea (ROK)/South Korea.

USAID and Koica will also aid the six LGUs and other stakeholders for more effective spreading of climate-related information to local communities; increased access to climate financing for economic

and social development; and promotion of natural climate solutions that strengthen cities’ resilience to climate change.

In addition, the US and South Korean governments will soon launch a joint effort to prevent and reduce marine pollution in Manila Bay. The collaboration also seeks to enhance knowledge and influence social and behavioral changes for marine pollution reduction and prevention.

This latest agreement follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding in April 2021, when the two leading development agencies agreed to strategically collaborate on priority programs, which include climate change-related initiatives, to advance development in the Philippines.

“As the US and Korea are among the largest bilateral donors in the Philippines, this momentous partnership of USAID, Koica and the Philippine government will bring together our accumulated experiences and technical expertise to build climate change and disaster resilience in the country,” Country Director Kim Eun-sub of Koica said.

“For 70 years the US and Korea have [united] to pursue mutual goals based on our core values of democ-

racy and human rights,” averred Mission Director Ryan Washburn of USAID Phils. “The US has pledged to [boost this alliance and broaden the focus to address issues of key importance to the region, and of] the world.”

Washburn added that, particularly, they will deepen their linkage in tackling the climate crisis, reducing plastic waste, and promoting advanced technologies: “We will also enhance our economic cooperation and people-to-people ties.”

The Philippines consistently places high in global rankings on climatechange risk and vulnerability. With an average of 20 typhoons per year frequented by floods, landslides, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, the Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone nations.

According to the 2022 World Risk Index the country ranked first out of 193 countries with the highest

UHC, ICT applications high on DOH, Japan health agenda

THE Health Department’s officer in charge (OIC) Maria

Rosario Singh-Vergeire met with Health Minister Kato Katsunobu of Japan and their respective teams to discuss proposed collaborations to boost the country’s healthcare sector.

“With the combined initiatives of Japan and the Philippines, we are truly able to continue the realization of UHC [Universal Health Care] in the country, and allow all Filipinos to have access to health-care services wherever they may be in the country,” said Vergeire.

disaster risks. Between 2011 and 2021 it incurred more than P670billion worth of damages and losses due to tropical cyclones alone. The negative impacts of climate change and disasters severely impede national economic development and worsen poverty.

Thus, a top priority for sustainable development is to reinforce climate-resilience systems. The USAID-Koica tie-up bolsters the Philippine government’s 20232028 strategy framework goal of enhancing “adaptive capacity and resilience of communities and ecosystems to natural hazards and climate change.”

The US-ROK alliance will turn 70 years in 2023. In their leader’s statement in May 2022, President Joe Biden and President Yoon Sukyeol agreed to strengthen the global comprehensive strategic alliance beyond the Korean Peninsula.

DND hails Malaysia’s support in Sudan repatriation efforts

DEFENSE officer in charge

(OIC) Carlito Galvez Jr. praised the Malaysian government for its valuable support that enabled the safe transit of Filipinos working in Sudan.

Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said Galvez personally expressed his gratitude when newly appointed Malaysian ambassador to the Philippines Dato’ Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino bin Anthony visited the Department of National Defense (DND) headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on April 25.

“Highlighting the longstanding defense relations of the two countries, DND OIC [Galvez] further expressed his deep appreciation to Malaysia for sharing valuable information on the security situation in Sudan, which contributed to the Philippine government’s repatriation of Filipinos in Sudan,” Andolong said. “Both sides committed to work closely in monitoring the developments in [the African nation] for the safety and

wellbeing of affected citizens.”

Andolong shared that Galvez also thanked the Philippines’s Asean neighbor for its contribution to the Mindanao peace process.

“In response to [the DND OIC’s request for Malaysia’s continued assistance to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Ambassador Castelino assured of] Malaysia’s commit-

ment in working toward a just and lasting peace and prosperity in the southern Philippines,” the spokesperson relayed.

According to the DND, Galvez also lauded the close diplomatic ties between the Philippines and Malaysia, as signified in the recent state visit of the latter’s prime minister Anwar Ibrahim to the Philippines in March.

Malaysia is considered one of the closest defense partners of the Philippines in the region, as both countries work together with Indonesia in a trilateral security cooperation to address common maritime security challenges.

“Furthermore, as fellow founding members of [the Southeast Asian bloc], the Philippines and Malaysia pursue practical cooperation under the Asean Defense Ministers’ Meeting and ADMMPlus, as well as other multilateral fora based on common security interests and in support of Asean centrality,” Andolong said. PNA/Priam Nepomuceno

Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa, secretary to the minister of Health for Labor and Welfare Sato Yasuhiro, deputy assistant minister of the International Policy Planning minister’s secretariat Ozawa Tokio, Office of Global Health Cooperation deputy director Goto Takahiro, deputy director of the International Affairs Division Kei Saruwatari, section chief for Policy Planning Kiho Noguchi, as well as other officials of the Department of Health (DOH) were also in attendance.

The meeting included discussions surrounding the country’s ongoing Covid-19 projects, Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) health initiatives, and expanding UHC within the country through the help of the health capacities of Japan.

Likewise, the introduction of information and communications technologies in the health-care sectors was also tackled. The officials

discussed ways the Japanese government may provide guidance in gradually bringing technological advancement to the local healthcare front, provide easier access to medical devices, and implement countermeasures through more efficient methods.

A pertinent point raised by Katsunobu was their interest in collaborating to address mental-health issues in both countries; to which, the Health OIC highlighted the DOH’s long-time tie-up with JICA for the country’s Substance Abuse Program. Vergeire also expressed the DOH’s gratitude to Katsunobu’s team for their time to meet with the DOH and efficiently discuss collaborative efforts that will bolster expanded coverage of UHC within the country.

“I would like to thank…Minister [Katsunobu, Ambassador Koshikawa], and their team for extending Japan’s assistance in further improving the state of health care in the country,” Vergeire stated. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

ACCIONA places premium on occupational health, safety

MORE than 200 leaders and professionals from the public and private sectors recently joined Spanish infrastructure and renewable energy conglomerate ACCIONA for its first-ever Health and Safety Day in the Philippines, where it commemorated the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, held annually to promote the prevention of occupational accidents, diseases, and deaths.

The event covered occupational safety, risk management, emergency response, and applicable technologies, tackled innovative solutions for ensuring employee well-being and reducing work place hazards, while highlighting practical safety skills at work.

As keynote speaker, bestselling author of The Safety Anarchist Sidney Dekker emphasized the importance of work place safety resources and awareness. Other resource persons included representatives from the ACCIONA Group and PERI led by Tseung Kwan O, who is behind the first desalination plant in Hong Kong which supplies the region with 5 percent of its water consumption.

“As a global company that develops and manages sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy solutions spanning the entire value chain, ACCIONA puts the welfare of the planet, the markets we are present in, and our partners at the center of what we do,” Ruben Camba, ACCIONA’s director of Infrastructure in Southeast Asia, said. “In today’s evolv-

ing business landscape, we believe that a safe and healthy working environment remains a fundamental principle and right at work. Beyond ensuring our employees’ and subcontractors’ safety and health, we must proactively promote risk-free working environments and a culture of prevention and well-being, leveraging [on] our global learnings and experiences.”

ACCIONA, the first infrastructure and energy company to achieve net-zero carbon emissions globally, has emerged as one of the most extensive construction and water contractors in the country, incorporating modern and sustainable technologies, designs, and innovations in milestone projects, including the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway as part of the consortium of Cebu Link Joint Venture with Metro Pacific Investments Corp., railway lines connecting Malolos with Clark International Airport, the drinking water treatment plant or DWTP-Putatan II in Muntinlupa for Maynilad Water Services, and the DWTP-Laguna Lake with a target final treatment capacity of 150,000 cubic meters per day. Said projects have employed more than 5,000 local workers. Beyond its infrastructure projects, the company is committed to social responsibility in the Philippines by establishing its corporate foundation, acciona. org, which aims to provide safe, affordable and sustainable access to energy, water, and sewerage systems to disadvantaged communities. Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

CLASSICAL MUSIC Ambassador Marco Clemente of Italy addresses the audience at a concert inside the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City on May 7. The concert, organized by the Italian Embassy, featured rarely performed ballet music from the operas of Giuseppe Verdi performed by the Manila Symphony Orchestra. Verdi’s music is widely regarded as the “pinnacle of Romantic drama and passion in music.” PNA/AVITO C. DALAN

SHARING JOY Ambassador Ilan Fluss (middle), his wife Gila (extreme right) and Israeli percussionists Rhythmania witness the performance of the foster children housed at the Laura Vicuña Foundation in Quezon City. The envoy’s orphanage visit was part of Israel’s 75th Independence Day celebration in the Philippines. PNA/JOEY O. RAZON

LIT MOMENT The Rizal Monument was illuminated in European Union colors of yellow and blue to mark #EuropeDay2023 on May 7, with (from left) Consul Zsolt Ipolyi-Keller of the Embassy of Hungary, Deputy Exec Director Jezreel Apelar of the National Parks and Development Committee, Deputy Head of Mission Dalibor Mička of the Czech Republic Embassy, Ambassador Anke Reiffenstuel of Germany, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Ma. Elena Algabre, Ambassador Luc Véron of the EU Delegation to the Philippines and his spouse Nicole Weismann, First Secretary Frederic Grillet, and Deputy Head of Mission William Korbl of the Embassy of Romania. EU EMBASSY

DEFENSE chief Carlito Galvez Jr. (right) and Malaysian envoy Dato’ Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino bin Anthony DND/PNA

KOICA Phils. country director Kim Eun-sub (left) and USAID Phils. Mission Director Ryan Washburn US EMBASSY

JAPANESE health minister Kato Katsunobu and DOH OIC Maria Rosario Vergeire DOH

TWO leading foreign development-aid agencies will bolster the capacities of Philippine cities in addressing the effects of climate-induced disruptions.

Sports

B8 Thursday, May 11, 2023

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

Editor: Jun Lomibao

STRONG PERFORMANCE FOR 37-YR-OLD ARCILLA

By Jun Lomibao

PHNOM PENH—So who says Joseph Arcilla is old?

Arcilla summoned all remaining strength he had in his 37-year-old legs and arms to rout Muhammad Anugerah of Indonesia, 4-1, and secure Philippines’ third gold medal for the virtual overall championship in 32nd Southeast Asian Games’ soft tennis competition on Wednesday at the National Olympic Stadium.

A rcilla was in his elements all day long as Team Philippines—backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee— teetered in fourth and fifth places in the medals race where Vietnam and Thailand started to take over.

He whipped hometown bet Yi Keaverak, 4-2 (7-4), at noon in Group A preliminaries and followed it up with a 4-1 rout of of Laos’ Lekki Vongphakdy, before surviving his longest match in the tournament, a close 8-6 victory over Thailand’s Kawin Yannarit en route to the goldmedal match against the Indonesian.

“ That match against the Thai wore me down,” said Arcilla, younger brother of the Johnny Arcilla who remains as the country’s No. 1 tennis player at age 43. “That’s where I got the cramps.”

What kept me going was our psychologist’s advice to always think positive,” he said.

The win allowed Arcilla to retain the men’s singles title and the Philippines to rule the soft tennis competition as the Filipinos surpassed their 3-0-1 gold-silver-bronze haul in the 2019 Philippines SEA Games, with their 3-1-

CAMBODIA 2023

1 harvest here.

C ambodians finished second with a 2-2-4 tally, followed by Indonesia at 2-2-1.

A rcilla also led the Philippines to the men’s team bronze, with PSC commissioners Fritz Gaston and Wawit Torres cheering them on.

B ambi Zoleta fell to Indonesian Dwi Pitri in the women’s singles, 4-3 (7-4), to settle for the silver.

Z oleta was part of the PH women’s team that grabbed a gold on Tuesday, with Christy Sañosa, Fatima Ayesha Amirul, Noelle Conchita Mañalac and Virvienica Isearis Bejosano, and doubles’ champion doubles champion Bien Zoleta-Manalac and Princess Catindig.

W ith the gold medal machines of Vietnam and Thailand going

full throttle to wrest the top two spots in the medal tally board five days after the games officially started, the Philippines slipped to fifth overall from fourth, raising concerns if Filipino athletes could muster enough strength to duplicate the country’s 52-gold haul last year in Vietnam that was good for fourth in the medal tally.

A s of 8:30 p.m., Vietnam showed the way with a harvest of 42-41-52, with Thailand close behind (41-3150), followed by host Cambodia (4039-45) and Indonesia (30-28-54).

I n contrast, the Philippines only had 26 gold medals to show, along with 40 silver and 49 bronze medals.

A d ay after finally becoming a SEA Games champion in long jump, Janry Ubas settled for second in the decathlon, one of four won so far by

YULO: I GOT WHAT I AIMED FOR

By Josef Ramos

PHNOM PENH—Carlos “Caloy”

Yulo got what he aimed for in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games— medals and a warmup toward his journey back to the Olympics.

“ The medals here are so important and the experience I got here is what I really treasure most as I head to my next competition,” said Yulo, who won gold in the regional games in men’s allaround and parallel bars and silver in rings and the men’s team event.

Yulo heads to Singapore for the Asian artistic gymnastics from June 10 to 18, a qualifier for the world championships in Antwerp, Belgium, from September 30 to October 8.

Yulo won five gold medals at the Hanoi SEA Games last year but couldn’t duplicate the feat because the Cambodians limited two the number of individual events an athlete here could compete in. The hosts? They privileged themselves by getting themselves eligible in all events.

The Philippines won a total of four gold medals with the other two coming from Yulo’s cousin John Ivan Cruz in floor exercise and Juancho Miguel Besana in vault.

I’m so proud of my teammates [Ivan and Juancho] for doing their best and

finding a way to win,” said Yulo, a former world champion in floor exercise and vault. “Our weeklong training camp, though short, in Manila before traveling here was the key to our successful campaign here.”

Yulo praised the Vietnamese, especially in the rings where he lost to Van Khanh.

The Vietnamese are really strong…in pommel horse, rings and bar…their skills and difficulties have improved so well,” he said. “I couldn’t beat them now but maybe next year.”

“ SEA Games competitions are not really easy. We face different problems in the apparatus so we must prepared hard,” he added.

Yulo flew back to Tokyo on Wednesday morning to resume training for the Asian championships.

PHL badminton team bags bronze

PHNOM PENH—The Philippines settled for the women’s team of badminton bronze medal following a 0-3 loss to Indonesia 0-3 Wednesday in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games at the Morodok Techo National Stadium.

Mikaela Joy De Guzman lost to Komang Ayu Cahya Dewi, 21-13, 21-5, in the first singles and Airah Mae Nicole Albo and Thea Marie

Pomar succumbed to Febriana

Kusuma and Amallia Pratiwi, 21-11,

21-12, in doubles play.

Bianca Carlos fought gallantly in the second singles but lost steam against Ester Wardoyo, 21-19, 21-9.

C arlos said the team is still proud of their achievement despite falling short of making it into the gold-medal round.

“ We feel very blessed at this point, to be able to match up with them and play against powerhouse teams that used to crush us before,” said Carlos, noting their stunning 3-0 win against Malaysia for a place

Filipino athletes, while John Cabang won a bronze in the 100m hurdles.

The swimmers were limited to one medal, a bronze, courtesy of Jarond Lang Hatch in the men’s 50m butterfly.

Gilas Pilipinas opened its bid for a third straight women’s basketball crown, whipping Cambodia 114-54 at the Morodok Techo Elephant Hall 2.

But the Gilas men will be severely tested Thursday when the squad battles the naturalized-heavy Cambodian side, with the winner likely to gain the inside track in the battle for the gold.

R aising hopes of a Pinoy fightback were the boxers, with seven of them advancing to the finals.

in the semis.

“ Even if we lost 3-0 to Indonesia, we still played the best we could, so it’s really an improvement for Team Philippines,” she said. Th medal for the Philippines since Ronel Estanislao and Joper Escueta bagged the men’s doubles bronze in the 2015 games in Singapore. A ction in the men’s and women’s singles events fires off on Friday, May 12.

Dismal SEAG bid helps prepare Filipinas for WC coach Stajcic

PHNOM PENH—The Philippines beat Vietnam, 2-1, at the end of pool play on Tuesday night but the Southeast Asian Games experience would augur well enough for the Filipinas preparations for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in July.

This has no effect in our preparations [for World Cup],” the Filipinas’ Australian coach Alen Stajcic said. “It’s just another group of matches in an experienced group.”

Stajcic said the Filipinas failure to the advance to the semifinals— where they could have matched their bronze-medal finish or surpass it with either a first-ever gold or silver— hardly hardly their preparations for the World Cup in Australia.

The heroic of the team’s top-scorer Sarina Bolden and Halli Long went for naught after Myanmar repulsed Malaysia with a 5-1 rout.

The Philippines and Myanmar wound up with 2-0-1 win-draw-loss

Playoffs roller coaster

WITH the Milwaukee Bucks already out of the running in the ongoing National Basketball Association (NBA) Playoffs, the supposedly clear path to the Finals has forked out in many different directions, thanks to the unexpected turnout of things and teams fighting for survival. T he way things stand, any one of the teams still

Gilas takes on heavily-reinforced Cambodian side in men’s hoops

PHNOM PENH—Gilas

Pilipinas will need not only the momentum from a rout of Malaysia but all the strength it could possibly muster this early in the men’s basketball action of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.

The Philippines goes up against host team Cambodia that’s parading six naturalized players with Justin Brownlee manning the foreign reinforcement for Gilas that’s hard pressed to win back the gold it lost to Indonesia last year.

But Indonesia—all of a sudden— isn’t the only stumbling block for what used to be the region’s one and only basketball powerhouse.

“ They are a tough team,” Gilas head coach Chot Reyes said. “You saw the three guys in the 3x3. They have another three. They have like six

the Philippines’ expense, trounced Singapore, 85-60, Wednesday. C ambodia has naturalized players Sayeed Pridgett, Brandon Peterson and Darrin Dorsey, members of the triumphant 3x3 squad. We have to be able to adjust and pivot during the game. We have very little knowledge about their games as a team,” Reyes said. “We have some information as individuals, but as a team, very little.”

It’s really a matter of how we can adapt. Our adaptability is going to be tested,” he added.

Gilas practiced at an outdoor court near the Elephant Hall 2, the basketball venue within the sprawling Morodok National Stadium complex. R eyes also expressed concern over the basketball playing surface, which is usually used in volleyball and badminton games. “ We shouldn’t be playing on a surface like this. This is the situation that we are dealt with. We just have to embrace and accept it,” he said.

records but Myanmar advanced alongside Vietnam a better goal difference.

The other two semifinalists are Cambodia and Thailand.

O n hindsight, Stajcic said the team should have been more aggressive at the start of the game to ramp up the possibility of securing more goals.

“ We tried to waste the clock in the first minutes of the game to show that we have a positive attitude,”

competing can win the NBA Championship this June. But pinpointing just who that would be has become trickier. And yeah, murkier.

T he Bucks were the acknowledged favorites to win it all after finding themselves leading the NBA standings for the third time in the last five years. Then came that rocky patch in the first round of the playoffs and that eventual Game 5 misfortune where Miami’s Jimmy Butler forced overtime with a spectacular alley oop. And then the Heat proceeded to dismantle the Bucks in the extra session and win the series, 128-126

A fter the Bucks said bye-bye, pundits saw that as a green light for the Boston Celtics, the erstwhile league leader at the start of the season until the Bucks overtook them at a shaky point in their lives in January this year. Boston had reclaimed the No. 1 seed and that could only be good, right? Not that simple.

True that with the top seed out of the picture, it was Boston in the driver’s seat again, authorized to flaunt home court advantage anytime, anywhere against anyone for the rest of the post-season. In fact, the Celtics are the favorites to win the 2023 NBA Championship. Until today (Wednesday).

said Stajcic, who, however still praised his team for the win.

“ Yes, we had our best performance in the tournament. And we saved it for our toughest opponent,” added Stajcic as the Philippines handed Vietnam a second straight defeat following the Filipinas’ 4-0 rout in the AFF Women’s Championships.

But five games into the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Celtics suffered their unlikeliest loss of the playoffs: a 115-103 drubbing from the Sixers where they were totally outplayed. The Home Boys shot only 39.8% from the field versus Philadelphia’s 50.6%. They were also outrebounded, 49 to 36. W hat are the odds?

T he odds have changed. The Celtics are no longer the fair-haired boys of the NBA Playoffs. Up there instead as the favorites to win the NBA 2023 Championship are the Denver Nuggets who have been consistent since Day 1. Next in line are the Philadelphia 76ers because of their derring do, and the surging Los Angeles Lakers. Expectations of Boston have gone down and they are now only at No. 4.

The Phoenix Suns odds stand at 13, followed by the Miami Heat at 16. The defending champs, the Golden State Warriors are not getting anything higher than 17 in the odds. And the New York Knicks stand at 81.

Still, don’t count the old favorites out. Teams like Golden State are still stacked with talent and insured with postseason experience. Anybody can still make a big run and overturn the odds. You’ll never know in this atmosphere.

Brandon GanuelasRosser topscored against Malaysia with 15 points and Justin Brownlee added 11 points. Michael Phillips was also impressive with nine points and 15 rebounds. The Philippines-Cambodia men’s game is set at 6 p.m. (Manila time) while the Gilas Pilipinas women take on at Singapore at 3 p.m. also local time.

Josef Ramos

THE Philippines’ CJ Perez in action against the Malaysians. ROY DOMINGO

W ho would’ve thought, for example, that the Los Angeles Lakers who had struggled to make the playoffs, are now in contention to win it all come June? The LeBron James-led army is ready to shock the world, say some experts.

W ho would have foreseen the level of heat that Miami can dispense in these playoffs? Coach Erik Spoelstra sees his team as the Navy Seals: “We feel like we’re Navy Seals. You just drop us off in a parachute and we compete.”

T he Phoenix Suns still have their dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker who are just absolutely wild right now. These two average 54 points, 10 assists and 10 boards together.

A s for the Nuggets, they’ve got the two-time MVP (Nikola Jokic) on their team, right?

I f the Celtics still want to crawl out of the hole they dug for themselves, this is what they need to do. Be consistent and unforgiving with the defense. Don’t live by the three or you’ll die with the three. What if you bring back the (Al) Horford-(Robert) Williams III two-headed monster in the paint? Focus. Focus. Focus. Th at being said, let’s keep on watching the show.

CARLOS YULO hugs Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino after winning gold medal in the bars. ROY DOMINGO

JOSEPH ARCILLA wins a Southeast Asian Games gold medal at age 37 while Agatha Wong flashes her trademark grave and skills in women’s taijiquan of wushu. ROY DOMINGO