BusinessMirror May 19, 2023

Bangko

ng Pilipinas (BSP)

at risk,” he said.

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

The Federation of Philip -

pine Industries (FPI) said the country’s economic performance in the succeeding quarters will improve and will be driven by the construction industry.

“I think [GDP] will improve because we just came from a pandemic. n o t all companies can get back to its feet right away,” Jesus Arranza, FPI chairman, said on the sidelines of the Global Anti-Illicit Trade Summit held in Taguig City

on May 18. The summit was organized by the e co nomist Impact.

Arranza said construction will drive GDP growth. “ Lumaki ‘yung construction. It is a big contributor.”

While he believes that manufacturing can also help improve the Philippines’s economic performance, Arranza said smuggling is hurting the sector.

“Manufacturing is having a lot of problems with smuggling. The worst is its problem with the substandard products because it is not only robbing manufacturers and dislocating workers, but it is also putting our consumers

l a st week, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) announced that the country posted a GDP growth of 6.4 percent in the first quarter. This was the slowest in eight quarters.

PSA data showed GDP growth was at 8 percent in the first quarter of 2022 and 7.1 percent in the fourth quarter of last year.

The main contributors were wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, 7 percent; financial and insurance activities, 8.8 percent; and other services, 36.5 percent.

Major economic sectors—Agriculture, forestry, and fishing; Industry; and Services—all posted positive growths in the first quarter of 2023 with 2.2 percent, 3.9 percent, and 8.4 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, a recent nationwide survey conducted by Pulse Asia showed that nine out of 10 Filipinos believe that the government should support the Philippine manufacturing sector, saying it has the capacity to accelerate the growth of the country’s economy.

This meant that the Monetary Board (MB) kept the prevailing interest rates on BSP’s overnight reverse repurchase facility at 6.25 percent. The interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities were also maintained at 5.75 percent and 6.75 percent, respectively.

The BSP also said maintaining interest rates are expected in the near-term and that monetary authorities are “unlikely to raise [and will also be] reluctant to cut” interest rates at least in the next 2 to 3 policy rate settings.

“If the current forecast is maintained, we are unlikely to raise [rates] but also reluctant to cut because the problem is if the US is raising policy rates and we are cutting, the market seems to see that as a trigger for a significantly weaker peso,” BSP Governor Felipe M. Medlla said in a press briefing on Thursday.

“For some reason, the market seems to think that the policy

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

FI l I PI no-Ch I n e S e bu sinessmen urged Manila and Beijing to further “widen the doors” of tourism as a way to build understanding and reduce distrust caused by the territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea.

Dr. Cecilio Pedro, president of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) said the private sector is helping President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. promote tourism.

As its first salvo, FFCCCII brought a delegation from

h u angshan City, renowned for its majestic mountain.

l e d by Yong l a ng, Secretary General of h u angshan Municipal Committee, the Chinese delegation from h u angshan City is in the Philippines to sign a sisterhood city agreement with local executives from Marcos’ hometown, l ao ag City.

“The key here is understanding. h o w do we promote understanding? They come here. We go there. o nc e you understand each other, it’s very easy for you to invest,” Pedro said.

Pedro, founder and president of the toothpaste brand h ap ee, said the Chinese government is

keen on following through on its commitment to President Marcos to help boost tourism.

“Right now, the Chinese are pooling together resources so that they can bring Chinese tourists coming over to the Philippines. There are Chinese delegations coming over to promote tourism and economic development,” he said.

In 2019, China was the Philippines’s number one source of foreign tourists with 1.9 million visitors who spent their holidays in Boracay, Cebu, Bohol and Palawan.

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

De S PIT e a ll the issues on smuggling, hoarding, profiteering and agricultural cartels, no one has ever been convicted since the enactment of Republic Act (RA) 10845, Sen. Cynthia Villar said Thursday, as she pressed for the passage of a measure creating special courts against farm smuggling. Presiding over a Senate hearing of the Committee on

The

Sentral

decided to pause its aggressive monetary policy tightening campaign as it believes that inflation is now “firmly on track” to hit the government’s target.

aUS t ralIan Foreign Minister Penny Wong, right, speaks besidePhilippine Foreign af fairs Secretary Enrique Manalo during a joint press conference at a hotel in Makati city on thursday May 18, 2023.

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However, due to the pandemic, Chinese nationals were not allowed to leave China until only last January.

Pedro said he is confident that Chinese tourists will come back to the Philippines and that will China become the top source of international tourists again. “Ang problema natin ngayon ay ‘yung visa. Medyo naiipit sila (Chinese). We have discussed this with the Department of Foreign Affairs,” he said.

“China said they are also opening up. They will give more visas. Kaya lang we are also very careful in choosing the right people to come over. Baka may mga illegal. Ayaw natin ‘yun,” Pedro added.

He said there is there is a perception that President Marcos is “less friendly” with China, compared to his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte.

“He (Marcos) is more Chinese than Digong (Duterte). He has Chinese blood,” Pedro said.

The FFCCCII said he was part of the Philippine business delegation during the visit of Marcos to China last January.

Kung hindi ako kasama ni Presidente sa China, siguro di ko maintindihan ‘yun,” he said when asked by the media during a press briefing. “ Pero ang direksyon ng pangulo ay kaibigan ang lahat.”

He said the policy of President Marcos of being “a friend to all, an enemy to none” entails a lot of work.

He believes the Philippines can play a pivotal role in bridging China and the United States in promoting better understanding.

“China is not only promoting China. But it is also promoting peace among nations. Hindi ‘yung away. The agenda of China is peaceful coexistence. How do we live with our neighbors, how do we encourage investments both ways” Pedro said.

The Chinese tourism market has been tapped by many countries as a key economic driver. In 2019, 155 million Chinese travelled abroad, spending around $254.6 billion, making them one of the biggest tourism spenders.

Domestic spending to propel tourism sector gains by 2028

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

According to the just-approved National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2023-2028, under the conservative baseline scenario, total receipts generated from domestic and inbound travelers at P4.5 trillion, will expand the share of the tourism sector to 14 percent of the economy, as expressed in GDP, by 2028. This slightly surpasses the pre-pandemic P3.8-trillion total receipts in 2019, which accounted for 12.9 percent of the GDP, or the total amount of goods and services produced by the local economy. Government economic managers have targeted a GDP growth between 6.5 percent and 8 percent from 2024 to 2028.

On Tuesday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. approved the third itera -

tion of the NTDP, which serves as the administration’s blueprint to grow the economy by supporting policies, programs, and projects that enhance the tourism sector. Unlike the Plans of the previous administrations, however, the NTDP 2023-2028 has no indicative cost in its implementation, i.e., estimates how much government has to spend on improving infrastructure like roads, bridges, ports, and airports to help lift the tourism industry, well as private sector investments in building hotels and resorts, modernizing air fleet or seacraft, and the like.

6.3M tourism jobs

U N DER t he new Plan, by the time Marcos Jr. steps down in 2028, there should have been 137.5 domestic trips

taken, and 11.5 million international tourists who have visited the Philippines, up from the 85.1 million domestic trips and 4.8 million international visitors projected this year. (See, “235M traveled across globe in 1st quarter of 2023—UNWTO,” in the BusinessMirror, May 18, 2023.)

By 2028, jobs in the tourism sector should have grown to 6.3 million, equivalent to 12.9 percent of the country’s total employment, from the projected 5.3 million jobs, equivalent to 11.8 percent of total employment this year. While tourism jobs are projected to rise in 2028, they still fall short of the 13.6-percent share to total employment recorded in prepandemic 2019.

In a statement, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said tourism is one of the few industries that can create opportunities and livelihoods in many of the Philippines’s farthest, most remote communities, and across all sectors of society. Though the country has a very productive tourism industry, she also recognized that it has also been hounded by challenges.   DOT goals

“S O it is by unlocking all of these roadblocks that we would be able to fully develop the tourism industry guided by the National Tourism Development Plan,” she said.

FPI…

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Majority or 62 percent of Filipinos believe local manufacturing activities can contribute to economic growth through creating livelihood opportunities for local service businesses needed to support manufacturing operations. At least 62 percent also noted that the manufacturing sector can contribute to the economy by making goods more affordable and accessible to Filipino consumers. Meanwhile, half of Filipinos or 50 percent said they also believe

Anti-agri…

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Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform on measures seeking to amend RA 10845 or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Law, Villar said the law was enacted for the purpose of protecting farmers and the local agricultural industry from smuggling.

However, the lawmaker lamented that “we could barely feel the positive impact of this law.”

Among the amendments proposed in the Villar bill are: inclusion of acts of hoarding, profiteering, and cartel of agricultural products in its list of crimes involving “economic sabotage” and the creation of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Task Force, the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Court, and a special team of prosecutors to assist the task force in the expeditious prosecution of cases under the law.

“The bills we are tackling will amend certain sections of RA 10845 otherwise known as the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, to include the acts of hoarding, profiteering and cartel of agricultural products as economic sabotage,” she added.

The senator reminded that in 2016, the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, was enacted for the purpose of protecting local agricultural industry and farmers from agricultural smuggling.

Moreover, she recalled that early this year, the Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform conducted a hearing in aid of legislation

To achieve the Plan’s targets, the DOT aims to improve tourism infrastructure and access to destinations; improve connectivity in destinations and digitalize travel procedures; equalize the development and promotion of tourism products; diversify the tourism portfolio; maximize domestic and international tourism; strengthen its ties with local and national local stakeholders, thus enhancing the overall experience of every tourist in the country.

Despite having attained an historic-high of 8.3 million international travelers in pre-pandemic 2019, data show the Philippines still lagging behind its neighbors. That year, Thailand attracted 40 million foreign tourists, followed by Malaysia at 26 million, Singapore at 19 million, Vietnam at 18 million, and Indonesia at 16 million.

But the pandemic, which led to the closure of many borders, has forced the DOT to look inward and implement better policy to encourage domestic tourism. At the height of the pandemic in 2021, the NTDP cited international visitor spending at P41.5 billion, which was just 6.8 percent of the P612 billion recorded in 2019. On the other hand, domestic travel spending surged to P1.62 trillion in 2021, or close to 50 percent of the P3.3 trillion spent in 2019.

the manufacturing sector increases local and foreign investment that will generate more quality jobs and employment opportunities.

With these economic benefits, the survey respondents identified actions the government should take to spur the growth of manufacturing and other industries.

Sixty-one percent of Filipinos cited a need to provide opportunities for training to workers to upgrade or learn new work skills; 50 percent believe there is a need to provide more incentives that are competitive with other countries, and 45 percent believe there is a need to develop more economic zones.

on the soaring market price of onions noting that the committee found out that “cartels over import the onions thereby fixing the price of local onions.”

The senator also noted that “hoarders, in collusion, store these supplies in the cold storage to create a shortage so that the price would go up,” lamenting that it was “a clear scenario of price manipulation.”

“We were also baffled to find out that with all the issues on smuggling, hoarding, profiteering and cartel of agricultural products, no one has ever been convicted since the law was passed in 2016,” she said.

The senator reported that through that hearing, the panel was able to come up with Committee Report No. 25 on the Soaring Market Prices of Local Onions, including recommendations as follows:

1) Amendment of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016 to include profiteering, hoarding and smuggling in its list of crimes involving economic sabotage;

2) Creation and establishment of the “Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Task Force” directly under the control and supervision of the Office of the President to serve and protect the entire agricultural sector;

3) Creation of an Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Court that shall try and hear the cases in violation of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, which is the subject matter of Senate Bill No. 1963; and, 4) Creation of a Special Team of Prosecutors from the Department of Justice that shall be assigned to assist the Task Force in the expeditious prosecution of criminal and other cases involving economic sabotage under this law.

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rate differential of 100 to 125 basis points is what can lead to a more stable peso or more or less not making the dollar too strong relative to the peso,” he added.

Given this, the BSP expressed its willingness to cut the reserve requirement (RR) ratio by 200 basis points next month. The “ideal time” to do this, Medalla said, is on June 30 when BSP’s pandemic policies are set to expire.

During the pandemic, the BSP allowed banks to use loans to MSMEs not affiliated with conglomerates as alternative compliance with the reserve requirements against deposit liabilities and deposit substitutes. This arrangement expires next month.

“If we do not cut the RR, unless we do something about it, we tend to tighten monetary conditions because right now, loans to medium- and smallscale industries qualify as reserves until the end of June. So if we do not extend that policy, then we must offset it by cutting reserve requirements,” Medalla said.

The BSP has already raised policy rates by 425 basis points since last year. This is the first pause that was implemented since the MB started monetary tightening to cool inflation.

Inflation has already slowed to 6.6 percent in April, according to the latest data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority. However, core inflation remains elevated at 7.9 percent during the period.

The BSP now expects inflation to average 5.5 percent this year, lower than the February estimate of 6.1 percent. The increase in commodity prices is also expected to average 2.8 percent in 2024, slower than the 3.1 percent estimate made in the last monetary policy report. The central bank expects inflation to remain elevated in the coming months but will return to the target range by the last quarter of 2023. However, there are still risks to inflation including the weak to moderate El Niño that is expected to hit the country in June to August this year and remain until early 2024.

In an interview with BusinessMirror on the sidelines of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Annual Governor’s Meeting earlier this month, Medalla flagged the “severity” of the expected El Niño to be a greater factor to consider in terms of its impact on inflation. (https://businessmirror.com. ph/2023/05/04/bsp-flags-el-ninosinflation-impact/)

“Now, what we’ve done is the baseline forecast that was earlier announced does not yet take into account the 10 basis point possible impact of El Niño. But rather, the potential effect of El Niño is included in the risk matrix that we have. It’s an upside risk to the inflation outlook,” BSP Deputy Governor Francisco Dakila Jr. said during the briefing.

The MB also noted that while GDP growth has remained robust in the first quarter, demand indicators have also pointed to a potential moderation in recent months, suggesting that previous policy rate increases by the BSP continue to work their way through the economy.

Moreover, the MB is encouraged by the recent mounting of whole-of-government actions to ease constraints on food supply.

Moving forward, the BSP said it will continue to monitor developments affecting the outlook for inflation and growth. The BSP said it is ready to resume monetary tightening as necessitated by emerging data, consistent with its primary mandate to promote price and financial stability.

DOMESTIC travelers are expected to pack a wallop into the economy by contributing a projected P3.8 trillion in revenue by 2028, outpacing the P701-billion share of inbound tourists.

By Raadee S. Sausa @raadeeboy

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) recovered a stash of shabu worth P19.3 million concealed inside an abandoned luggage at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) on Wednesday, May 17.

I n a statement, the BOC said that the luggage belong to a still unidentified Ugandan passenger who arrived in the Philippines via Ethiopian Airlines flight number ET628 and Philippine Airlines flight number PR 737.

“ The luggage underwent X-ray, K9 sniffing, and 100 percent physical examination, which revealed 2.846 kilograms of shabu hidden inside a range of tools along with other personal effects,” the BOC said. Meanwhile, PDEA has confirmed the estimated value of the seized shabu to be worth P19.3 million.

T he seized luggage will undergo forfeiture proceedings as authorities investigate the passenger for possible violation of Republic Act (RA) 9165, or the Comprehensive Drug Act, and RA 10863, also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

C ustoms Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio reiterated BOC’s commitment to prevent the illicit entry of goods into the country.

Furthermore, BOC-Naia District Collector Yasmin Mapa said that they would continue to intensify border security and enhance coordination with partner agencies to combat illegal drug smuggling.

The Nation

House probe confirms existence of cartel behind skyrocketing price of onions in ’22

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz  @joveemarie

THE House Committee on Agriculture and Food has concluded its three-month probe into the sudden increase in onion prices last year, and concluded that an onion cartel is allegedly “very much alive” in the country.

In a news conference, Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo and  House Committee on Agriculture and Food Chairman Mark Enverga formally asked law enforcement agencies to smash the onion cartel.

“

That’s why we are calling on the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation], PCC [Philippine Competition Commission], and DA [Department of Agriculture]: Please work together to expose the Onion Cartel. With the push of Speaker Martin Romualdez and the diligence of Chair Mark Enverga, the committee worked hard to investigate and completely break the Onion Cartel that little by little brings torture to our farmers and people,” said Quimbo.

According to Enverga, the committee report, as well as the panel recommendations, will be released in the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, Quimbo tagged companies and personalities allegedly involved in the cartel.

“It did not help that many of the witnesses were not at all cooperative and truthful with their testimonies. But at the end of the day, the docu-

ment doesn’t lie. A careful scrutiny of numerous public documents, including General Information Sheets, registries of the Bureau of Plant Industry and the Department of Trade and Industry; the income statements submitted to the SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission] and the Committee, the inventory reports submitted to the Committee led me to the conclusion that the Onion Cartel is very much alive in our country,” said Quimbo.

Reigning onion queen

ACCORDING to Quimbo, Leah Cruz is allegedly the “reigning undisputed onion queen.”

“She often says that she has abandoned the industry, that she no longer import onions, that she only does farming and trucking in the onion industry. This is not true based on the documents,” said Quimbo.

Leah Cruz operates the biggest onion cartel in the country. She does this through a SEC registered corporation called Philippine VIEVA Corporation, which was established in 2013. This was created at the time when she was first tagged as ‘sibuyas queen’ in a series of news reports in 2012. She is the effective majority owner of the company,” added Quimbo.

Q uimbo said three companies are also allegedly found under Cruz —Yom Trading, La Reina, and Vegefru Producing Store—the largest importers of yellow onions in 2022, with a total volume of 5,445.66 met-

ric tons (MT) or 68.74 percent of total imported volume.

T heir imports of red onions in 2022 reached 7,648.81 MT or 41.02 percent of total imported volume, the lawmaker said.

It is clear that she continues to import onions despite all her denials. She lied to us in Congress, although he was under oath,” Quimbo alleged.

T he lawmaker said PhilVIEVA is a fully vertically integrated corporation that covers almost all operations in the onion industry, from farming, trading, cold storage and trucking.

In other words, from head to toe, they are involved in the onion industry,” Quimbo said.

“ The existence of PhilVIEVA is doubtful. The members of PhilVIEVA do not have joint operations. They said they have almost no joint income. Their statements about the business purpose of the corporation are not consistent. But they are each other’s customers. And they are also investors of each other. We can see their relationship in an Onion Matrix,” Quimbo said.

T he lawmaker also said even though Cruz has been reportedly blacklisted in the DA as an importer, she could allegedly import through her partner in PhilVIEVA.

A side from PhilVIEVA, Quimbo said, they allegedly also use dummy corporations, and this allegedly includes onion importers Vegefru Producing Store and Rosal Fruit and Vegetable Trading.  They are out of PhilVIEVA, but

it also belongs to Leah Cruz. When we asked her in the hearing if she knew the owner of these dummy corporations, Leah Cruz bluntly said that she did not know who the owner was. But again, the documents don’t lie. Based on the public documents submitted by these corporations, we discovered that the registered telephone numbers of these corporations are identical to the phone numbers of Ms. Lea Cruz’s office. They don’t know each other but they have the same telephone numbers? What are they, partyline? How is PhilVIEVA being used to increase onion prices? To be able to manipulate the price, you must have control of a lot of supply of onions. This is where PhilVIEVA’s power comes from,” said Quimbo.

T he lawmaker said first they allegedly target the local farmers and farmers will be charged at the farm gate in two ways.

“First, the lack of cold storage will be used as an excuse because farmers do not have access to cold storage.... Second means of controlling supply is to corner the importation of onions,” she said.

Citing Philippine Statistics Authority data in 2022, Quimbo reiterated that the projected shortage of onions should be small.

“In fact, the shortage was only going to be about 7 percent. Therefore, the price increase of more than 400 percent from July to December 2022 is not justified. Based on the testimonies of the cold storage operators here

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

THE Court of Appeals (CA) has denied the plea of the Mandaluyong City government to reconsider its decision declaring as unconstitutional its ordinances that prohibit males from back riding on motorcycles as part of the city’s measures to curb criminality perpetrated by motorcycle riding men.

I n a seven-page resolution penned by Associate Justice Raymond Reynold Lauigan, the CA’s Former Fifth Division held that Mandaluyong City failed to raise new arguments that would warrant the reversal its decision issued on September 28, 2021.

T he CA, in its September 28, 2021 decision, reversed and set aside the ruling of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Mandaluyong City Branch 212, which denied the petition filed by lawyer Dino de Leon assailing

the constitutionality of the Mandaluyong City Ordinance No. 550, S-2014, 595, S-2015, and 694, S-2018 or the so-called  Motorcycle Ridingin-Tandem Ordinances.

T he ordinances prohibit males from back riding on a motorcycle, except if the driver is their firstdegree family member if they are 7 to 10 years old.

D e Leon filed the case after he was apprehended on March 7, 2019 while riding on a motorcycle ride hailing service Angkas for violating the city’s anti-riding-in-tandem ordinances.

H e then filed a petition before the Mandaluyong RTC seeking to declare the subject ordinances unconstitutional.

T he trial court dismissed de Leon’s case, prompting him to elevate the issue before the CA.

I n reversing the trial court’s decision, the CA said the subject ordinances are unconstitutional for

being oppressive as they limit male back riders’ movement and mode of transportation even though there is no direct link or available statistical data presented to show that motorcycle riding criminals are males.

T he CA also said the city government failed show that there are no other alternatives for the accomplishment of the purpose which are less intrusive of private rights.

T he appellate court said the ordinances are “discriminatory both as to gender and as to the use of motorcycles as a mode of transportation and depended on broad generalizations.”

In its motion for reconsideration, the city government insisted that the enactment of the ordinances is a valid exercise of police power.

“ The ordinance was enacted for the general welfare of all Mandaleños by maintaining security, peace and order in the City,” the city government said.

It also maintained that the said ordinances are not unfair, oppressive and unreasonable.

The regulation, not prohibition of the use of motorcycles by certain male riders was necessary in order to curb the rising number of crimes, including robbery and murder, perpetrated by motorcycle  riding-in-tandems,” the petitioner said.

However, the CA said the grounds raised by the petitioner “are mere rehash of matters already considered and passed upon” by it.

Verily, we are one in the prevention of crimes for the City of Mandaluyong’s peace and order. However, we cannot uphold the constitutionality of the subject ordinances when, among other things, the mechanisms provided therein are beyond what is necessary for the accomplishment of the purpose that respondent-appellee City of Mandaluyong aspires…,” the decision read.

18 suspects, including 5 Chinese nationals nabbed in illegal mining op in Misamis Oriental–DENR

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

AUTHORITIES uncovered an illegal mining operation in Misamis Oriental and arrested 18 suspects, including five Chinese nationals, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reported on Thursday.

T he authorities confiscated several heavy equipment used in the illegal mining operation.

T he illicit operation, the DENR said, damaged some 7.6 hectares of land along the Iponan River in Opol town. Satellite imagery also showed massive excavations and forest destruction in the area.

A raid carried out by joint operatives from DENR Region 10 on Saturday, May 13, was led by Regional

Executive Director Henry Adornado and DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations-Mindanao Joselin Marcus Fragada, together with personnel from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and agents of the Northeastern Mindanao Regional Office of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

The team was also joined by members of the Philippine Army 4th Infantry Division Special Forces. The field team of Adornado, who immediately ordered a surveillance that confirmed the illegal activities, first received reports of the illegal activities.

“I hope that the recently conducted joint operation and the succeeding monitoring and rehabilitation efforts will bring about positive changes and bring to life

again the Iponan River,” DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga said in a statement.

“I am calling on concerned government agencies, other stakeholders, and the communities along the Iponan River and elsewhere in the country to take consistent active measures to combat illegal mining operations in their area,” she added.

The suspects were brought to the detention facility of the NBI Northeastern Mindanao Regional Office at Capitol Compound, Cagayan de Oro City, and are now facing charges for violation of several environmental laws, including Republic Act (RA) 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act, RA 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act, and Presidential Decree 705 or the

Forestry Code of the Philippines.

Adornado also explained the mining operation has no pertinent permit. An investigation is ongoing to determine who is financing the illegal activity.

The DENR’s satellite image allowed the different government agencies to monitor and observe mining sites, and confirm and track of their activities.

The DENR has been using current and emerging space science and technology applications across the country to combat illegal activities.

Early this year, the DENR partnered with the Philippine Space Agency to develop and generate maps, systems, and tools that could monitor forest areas using satellite remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and geography.

in the nine hearings, the cold storages are full. So there is no reason to increase the price of onions to 700 per kilo. Clearly, the price increase is artificial. It is clear as day that this is the result of a conspiracy by the onion cartel,” she said.

‘Stronger’ evidence

MOREOVER , Enverga said Leah Cruz was able to have her way in the onion industry even before current administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. “ I think this time the evidence linking them again is stronger,” said Enverga.

It is for this reason that Enverga said officials like former DA secretary William Dar, Marcos’ predecessor in the department, has some explaining to do.

Based on the diagram presented by Cong. Stella Quimbo, former Sec. Dar has a lot of explaining to do,” Enverga said.

Katulad ng sinabi rin ni Cong. Stella for a cartel to fly kinakailangan may kasama rin sa gobyerno, hindi mangyayari ang cartel o hindi magiging successful iyung operations kung walang kasabwat,” Enverga said.  Enverga and Quimbo, however, credited President Marcos for giving attention to the cartel problem through the House leadership.

It can be recalled that Speaker Romualdez ordered the House inquiry last February in order to give the public answers about the onion price surge.

PBBM OKs adjustment in AFP fixed term law

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. shortened the fixed term and adjusted the compulsory retirement age of several key military positions under a new law.

O n Wednesday, the President signed Republic Act (RA) No. 11939 amending RA No. 11709, which was passed into law just last year.

Under RA 11939, the maximum tour of duty of the following military officials were reduced from three years to just two consecutive years: Commanding General of the Philippine Army; Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force; and Flag Office in Command of the Philippine Navy.

T he tour of duty of the Superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy was also shortened from four years to only two years.

T he new legislation reiterated that after the maximum tour of duty of the said officials, they would not be eligible for any other position in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) unless they are promoted to the position of Chief of Staff, which still has a fixed threeyear term.

It also set the compulsory retirement age for second lieutenant/en-

sign (0-1) to lieutenant general/vice admiral (0-9) upon reaching the age of 57 years old.

T he same retirement age will also apply to enlisted personnel.

T he new law also expanded the definition of active duty to include the recognition of service academy/ foreign military training institutions as part of the number of days/ months/years of cadetship.

A lso extended was the maximum tenure of Brigadier General/Commodore (0-7) from three years to five years and for colonel/captain (PN) (0-6) from eight to 10 years.

T he President was also given the power to extend the tenure-ingrade of offices in the permanent grades of Captain, Major, and Lieutenant Colonel, or their equivalent up to two promotional cycles “when necessary.”

R A 11939 also increased the authorized number of officers in active force in general/flag officer grade from 1 percent to 1.25 percent of the AFP Table of Organization.

Its provisions will cover even enlisted personnel appointed and/or promoted under RA 11709.

T he Department of National Defense was tasked to come out with the implementing rules and regulations of RA 11939 30 days after it takes effect.

BFAR detects ‘red tide’ in 4 provinces

THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has detected “red ride” in four different provinces.

I n its latest bulletin, the BFAR said “shellfishes collected and tested from coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol; San Pedro Bay in Samar; Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur; and Lianga Bay in Surigao del Sur are still positive for paralytic shellfish poison or toxic red tide that is beyond the regulatory limit.”

A ll shellfish and acetes or “ala -

mang” are not safe for human consumption in the said areas, the BFAR said.

“ Fish, squids, shrimps, and crabs are safe from human consumption provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly, and internal organs such as gills and intestines are remove before cooking,” the bureau added.

T he presence of red tide happens when harmful algae experiences a population boost, creating toxins that are harmful to people and animals. Raadee S. Sausa

male motorcycle back riders

Vittorio V. Vitug

DBM okays release of ₧15B for 5,000 classrooms

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox

Mindanao Bureau Chief

DAVAO CITY—Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman on Monday approved the release of P15 billion for the construction of almost 5,000 classrooms nationwide.

T he DBM said 1,194 sites nation-

wide would be constructing 4,912 classrooms. The cost would total P15,151,709,646.

“ The timely release of these funds, a joint request of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Education [DepEd], demonstrates that the Marcos administration does not hold back on investing in education. We need to build and repair classrooms to keep

up with increasing enrollment in our public schools,” Pangandaman said.

T he total construction cost would also include the replacement and completion of kindergarten, elementary and secondary school buildings and technical vocational laboratories, installation or replacement of disability access facilities, construction of water and sanitation facilities, and site improvement.

Some P131,427,470 of the total amount would be used for engineering and administrative overhead (EAO) expenses. This includes the hiring of individuals; conduct of preliminary and detailed engineering activities; pre-construction activities; construction project management; testing and quality control; acquisition, rehabilitation and repair of related equipment and parts;

training, communication, per diem, and transportation expenses; and contingencies related to pre-construction activities.

V ice President and Education

Secretary Sara Duterte earlier identified classroom shortage as the most urgent education issue and has committed to closing gaps in school infrastructure, the DBM said.

“Our schoolchildren need to be in

an environment conducive to learning and fun. They need to be inside a safe, clean and conducive classroom to learn well. They are our best investment,” she added.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier said in his budget message to prioritize the construction of new classrooms under DepEd’s Basic Education Facilities (BEF) as face-to-face classes started to resume.

DA exec assures ‘open importation’ of sugar with 30 to 40 participating importers

By Raadee S. Sausa @raadeeboy

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) assured on Wednesday

the “open importation” of sugar with the expected participation of some 35 to 40 importers.

At least 35 to 40 importers. We will be importing sugar [and] the Presi-

dent [Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.] has finalized the [importation] 150,000 metric tons [MT],” DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said.

“Although it is an open importation, it has to be selected on the basis of their qualification based on SRA [Sugar Regulatory Administration] standard,” he said.

Panganiban also said that production shortfall may necessitate the importation of sugar. “Our production…is only 1.7 million metric tons [MMT], compared to what we require, which is 2.2 metric tons [MT], so [we fell] short [by] 440,000 MT…,” the DA official added.

Moreover, the government has targeted the imported sugar to be delivered by September this year.

“ We need the 150,000 MT before September 30, 2023. And then the SRA will issue the sugar order [SO]

already. We assure the [availability of the] SO before the end of the month,” Panganiban added. We will be expecting the prices will be ranging from P80 to P90 per kilo, once the sugar arrives,” he said.

E arlier, SRA Acting Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona assured the planned importation would be “above board” and open to all eligible international traders.

T he controversial importation of 440,000 MT under SO 6 issued on February 15 was awarded to three

companies handpicked by the DA, namely, All Asian Countertrade Inc., (240,000 MT); Edison Lee Marketing Corp. (100,000 MT), and S&D Sucden Philippines Inc. (100,000 MT).

T he arrival of part of the imports six days before the SO was signed prompted Sen. Risa Hontiveros to call for a Senate probe, claiming such importation could be tantamount to smuggling.

Meanwhile, the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW) also “vehemently opposed” the plan to

import more sugar and instead called on relevant government agencies to impose a price cap. We have not imported the entire 450,000 MT and we are planning to buy another 150,000 MT. For us, the additional importation will give an extra commission to the [DA] and SRA officials who approved it and provide billions in income to complicit sugar traders, while the price of sugar in the retail markets in the country remains high,” said NFSW secretary general John Milton Lozande.

Magna carta designed to protect seafarers’ interest, Rep. Salo says

THE chairman of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs assured labor groups on Thursday that the House-approved Magna Carta of Seafarers bill is designed to protect seafarers.

House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs Chairman Ron Salo told the BusinessMirror that the magna carta bill seeks to advance the welfare of all Filipino seafarers on ships plying international and domestic maritime routes. R ecently, groups of seafarers ap -

pealed to Congress to delete the escrow provision in the Magna Carta of Seafarers bill, which they described to be “antiseaman, anti-labor and pro-manning contrary to the intent of the bill which is to protect seafarers.”

A mor Seaman, Federation of Free Workers (FFW), National Associations of Trade Unions (NATU), All Filipino Workers Confederation (AFWC), Philippine Association of Migrant Workers (PAMWA) said the escrow provision of the bill will “burden disabled seaman

and family of deceased seaman.”

The escrow provision provides that the disability/death benefits adjudged by labor courts will only be released after final disposition of cases by higher courts which can take seven or more years based on studies,” the groups said in a statement sent to the BusinessMirror

But Salo said, “I would respectfully like to dispel the misconception and the misinformation that the escrow provision will burden seafarers and

their families. The escrow provision is included in the Magna Carta precisely to protect seafarers and their families.”

“As the provision is crafted, all salaries, benefits, and other entitlements legally due to seafarers will be immediately released upon determination by the labor arbiter or the NLRC (National Labor Relations Commission). What is to be placed in the escrow are only those contested amounts or discretionary awards such as awards of moral or exemplary damages,” said the lawmaker.  Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

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₧300B invested to improve aging PHL transmission system–NGCP report

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

THE National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has so far invested P300 billion to improve the country’s aging transmission system.

It said Thursday that 3,729 circuit-kilometers of transmission lines, 28 new substations, and an additional 31,190-megavolt amperes (MVA) of transformer capacity has been installed in the past 14 years.

From 2009 to 2022, the company completed 56 projects, which include the following: the Mariveles-Hermosa 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission line, expanding the transmission capacity in the area to accommodate more than 2,500 megawatt (MW) of generation from the Bataan Peninsula; the Luzon Voltage Improvement Projects Stages 1, 3, and 4, which MVA capacity to boost voltage; the San Jose-Quezon 230 kilovolt (kV) Transmission Line 3 project, widening the power corridor serving Metro Manila; and the Pagbilao 500kV Extra High Voltage Substation, which accommodated the connection of around 1,420MW from power plants in Quezon province.

For Visayas, NGCP energized its Cebu-Negros-Panay 230kV Backbone Stage 1, interconnecting Cebu, Negros, and Panay for faster and more efficient power sharing; the Ormoc-Babatngon 138kV Transmission Line, reinforcing power transmission delivery in the Leyte and Samar provinces; the Calong Calong-ToledoColon-Cebu 138kV Transmission Line, constructed to create an N-1 system between Negros and Panay grids; and the Bohol 138kV Backbone Line, which solved the overloading condition and provided a more stable and reliable transmission network in Bohol.

I n Mindanao, NGCP completed the MaramagBunawan 230kV Transmission Line, the first 230kV transmission line in the region; the VillanuevaMaramag 230kV Transmission Line, linking north -

ern and southern Mindanao; the Aurora-Polanco 138kV Transmission Line, which mitigated voltage fluctuations in Zamboanga del Norte all the way to Misamis Occidental.

Just recently, it energized the P52-billion MindanaoVisayas Interconnection project (MVIP), a landmark undertaking connecting the power grids of Visayas and Mindanao. The MVIP will provide a more reliable and sustainable transmission service as well as promote energy resource sharing.

T he grid operator is set to undertake more transmission projects to improve transmission backbones and alternative transmission corridors.

T he company is set to complete critical projects such as the Hermosa-San Jose 500kV Transmission Line Project, Cebu-Negros-Panay Stage 3 Backbone Project, Nabas-Caticlan-Boracay Transmission Line Project, Cebu-Bohol Interconnection Project, and commence new projects approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission such as the Batangas-Mindoro Interconnection Project.

NGCP’s P300 billion grid expansion, reinforcement, and upgrading initiatives from 2009 to present, as well as those in the pipeline, are meticulously planned by our engineers and updated year after year with careful consideration for the needs of every single area in the country,” NGCP said.

“We continue to be hopeful that improvements in all three sectors of the power delivery system are in sync with each other, so that one sector is not made to be the sole or principal solution to challenges in the other sectors,” NGCP stressed.

Caramat: CIDG seizes ₧11.68B worth of counterfeit goods in last four years

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) reported on Thursday that it has confiscated an estimated P11.68 billion worth of smuggled or counterfeit goods in the past four years.

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Brig. Gen. Romeo M. Caramat Jr. revealed on Thursday that P11,680,758,414.20 was the estimated value of confiscated items by the PNP on cases of involving illicit trade from 2019 to April 30,2023.

T his, Caramat noted, is equivalent to 962 cases filed with PNP alone.

Of the total amount confiscated within four years, PNP data showed “others,” which includes garments, bags, motor vehicle parts, among others, comprised the largest chunk of confiscated items. The said category amounted to P10.043 billion worth of confiscated items with 413 cases filed.

T his was followed by tobacco/cigarettes with an estimated value of P1.49 billion with 520 cases filed.

PNP figures also showed that there were basic commodities confiscated. For rice, P500,750 was the estimated value of confiscated items with two cases filed. For sugar, P858,000.

A mong the basic commodities, onions led in terms of estimated value of confiscated items with P137.61 million with five cases filed. Meanwhile, for fertilizer and agri-inputs, P5.37 million was the estimated value of confiscated items.

According to the PNP official, most of the data from illicit trade cannot easily be monitored and traced since most of the trade is being done on a cyber platform.

“ We cannot get the data kasi most of the illicit trade is being done on a cyber platform. As we all know we don’t have the capability,” Caramat said at the Global Anti-Illicit Trade Summit organized by Economist Impact on Thursday in Taguig City.

“ We are still in the process of upgrading our information tech system so hindi pa talaga na -cover lahat, hindi pa namo -monitor lahat ng illicit trade sa bansa But we expect na mas marami pa kaysa sa recorded data,” he added.

T he PNP official pointed out that the data he showed came from the ones reported to the agency alone. But he said, “More pa rin ‘yung illicit trade na nangyayari sa ating bansa.”

Explaining the trend of counterfeit goods entering the country, Caramat did not share figures but said illicit trade increases yearly.

Zambales Rep. Maniquiz bats for free graduate education for govt workers

By Henry Empeño | Correspondent

BOTOLAN, Zambales—Rep. Doris “Bing” Maniquiz of the Second District of Zambales filed on Tuesday a proposal for free graduate education of government employees in state-owned schools, pushing further the national policy to provide quality education in all levels.

Taking note of government thrust for quality education and the need for efficient delivery of public service, Maniquiz proposed House Bill No. 8159, or “An Act Granting Free Tuition for Government Employees Enrolled in Graduate Education Master’s Program at State Universities and Colleges.”

T he Zambales lawmaker said this would help civil servants become “better-educated professionals who would in turn improve government service.”

Maniquiz noted that the national government has been pushing for quality education from pre-school to tertiary levels, thus the need “to take this further with my proposal in order to maximize results.”

“ I believe it is very important to complement

and strengthen State programs to develop human resources and improve government bureaucracy,” she added.

Under House Bill No. 8159, qualified government employees can take master’s degrees in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) for free.

Beneficiaries would be government workers in career or non-career positions, including employees of government-owned and/or controlled corporations and local government units, who have successfully applied for a maximum of two-year master’s program.

However, applicants who were already granted government-sponsored graduate scholarship; students who fail to comply with the admission and retention requirements of the SUC; and those who fail to complete their master’s degree within a year after the period prescribed in their graduate education program cannot join the program.

Maniquiz recognized the need for the free tuition program upon noticing government employees, mostly teachers, queuing for cash assistance from local government units during school enrolment.

The World

By Seung Min Kim & Lisa Mascaro The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—An optimistic President Joe Biden declared Wednesday he is confident the US will avoid an unprecedented and potentially catastrophic debt default, saying talks with congressional Republicans have been productive. He left for a G-7 summit in Japan but planned to return by the weekend in hopes of approving a solid agreement.

Biden’s upbeat remarks came as a select group of negotiators began meeting to try and hammer out the final contours of a budget spending deal to unlock a path for raising the debt limit as soon June 1. That is when the Treasury Department says the US could begin defaulting on its obligations and trigger financial chaos.

“I’m confident that we’ll get the agreement on the budget and America will not default,” Biden said from the Roosevelt Room of the White House. Later Wednesday evening, negotiations resumed behind closed doors at the Capitol.

Democrat Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have traded blame for a debt-ceiling impasse for weeks. But Biden said of the latest White House session with congressional leaders that “everyone came to the meeting, I think, in good faith.”

McCarthy was upbeat, too, though contending Biden had given ground. The president said the budget talks were still separate from the debt limit issue, but the speaker said Biden had “finally backed off” his refusal to negotiate.

“Keep working—we’ll work again tonight,” McCarthy told reporters later. “We’re going to work until we can get it done.”

Biden said that every leader at Tuesday’s Oval Office meeting—Vice President Kamala Harris, McCarthy, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.—agreed the US must not default on its obligations.

“It would be catastrophic for the American economy and the American people if we didn’t pay our bills,” Biden said. “I’m confident everyone in the room agreed…that we’re going to come together because there’s no alternative. We have to do the right thing for the country. We have to move on.”

He said he would be in “constant contact” with White House officials while at the summit in Hiroshima. He is canceling stops in Australia and Papua New Guinea that were to follow so he can return to Washington on Sunday.

Biden and McCarthy tasked a handful of representatives to work swiftly to try and close out a final deal. They include Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president; legislative affairs director Louisa Terrell and Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young for the administration, and Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., a close McCarthy ally, for the Republicans.

McCarthy, who has said he would personally be involved, said he planned to stop by the talks later Wednesday. He said he would be in Washington for the weekend while negotiations are underway.

Agreement by the negotiators would still leave any deal needing approval by Democratic Senate and Republican House.

Democrats are upset about the possibility of new work requirements for some recipients of government aid. And Republicans want much tougher budget restraints than the Democrats support.

The positive comments by Biden and McCarthy suggest they believe they can gain the backing of their parties’ lawmakers.

McCarthy was flanked Wednesday on the Capitol steps by some of the most conservative Republicans from the House and Senate in a feisty show of support.

The national debt currently stands at $31.4 trillion. An increase in the debt limit would not authorize new federal spending; it would only allow for borrowing to pay for what Congress has already approved.

The contours of an agreement have begun to take shape, but the details of spending cuts and policy changes will make or break whether the divided Congress can strike a bipartisan deal with the White House.

In exchange for lifting the debt limit to keep paying the bills, newly majority House Republicans are trying to extract steep budget caps of no more than 1 percent growth a year over the next decade, alongside bolstered work requirements.

Negotiators are preparing to claw back some $30 billion of unspent Covid-19 aid, now that the government has lifted the pandemic emergency. And they are working on a potential agreement for permit changes that would speed the development of energy projects that both Republicans and Democrats want, though the details remain daunting.

But Democrats are not at all willing to accept the 10-year cap on spending that Republicans approved in their own House bill, and the Democrats are instead pushing for a shorter window of budget cuts.

Biden is facing fierce blowback from progressive Democrats after he opened the door to tougher work requirements. But he insisted Wednesday any new work requirements would be of “no consequence” and that he’s not willing to impact health programs, presumably referring to Medicaid.

Asked about that, the Republicans behind McCarthy—who support more work requirements on Medicaid, food stamps and cash assistance programs—broke out in laughter at the Capitol.

The Republicans scoffed aloud as helicopters with the presumably departing Biden flew overhead.

McCarthy, who depended on Donald Trump’s backing to become the new speaker, still has work to do to keep his narrow House majority in line for any final deal, particularly among the hardline Freedom Caucus conservatives who almost blocked his election earlier this year for the gavel.

Former President Trump has encouraged Republicans to “do a default” if they don’t get everything they want from Biden.

“Bipartisanship is needed,” Schumer said Wednesday. “It’s the only way to go.”

As backup on Wednesday, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries launched a process that would force a vote on raising the debt limit.

It’s a cumbersome legislative discharge procedure, but Jeffries urged House Democrats to sign on to the measure in hopes of gathering the 218 majority backers including Republicans needed to put it in motion.

“Emerging from the White House meeting, I am hopeful that a real pathway exists to find an acceptable, bipartisan resolution that prevents a default,” Jeffries said in a letter to colleagues.

“However, given the impending June 1 deadline and urgency of the moment, it is important that all legislative options be pursued in the event that no agreement is reached.”

Pope takes cellphone call during general audience

In between, Francis stopped the proceedings in St. Peter’s Square midway through to take a cellphone call. The Vatican didn’t provide any information on the content.

Members of the LGBTQ+ group Mosaiko said they wanted to visit Francis at the audience on Wednesday to send a message of inclusion and unity on the international day against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.

“The appeal we want to send to Pope Francis is for the church to finally, let’s say, to welcome us,” Tiziano Fani Braga, the group’s coordinator, said after the audience. “We try to be an integral part of the church, as all believers are, without discrimination and to fight all discrimination.”

Also in the square were 15 survivors of clergy sexual abuse and their companions who left Munich on May 6 on a bicycle pil -

grimage to Rome. They are trying to draw attention to a campaign to change the way the Catholic Church deals with priests who rape and molest children and vulnerable adults, and how it cares for victims.

The group delivered a letter to Francis urging him to “do everything in your power to ensure that in all corners of the universal Church the issue of sexual and spiritual abuse is seen, addressed and prevented through appropri -

ate preventive measures.”

The letter acknowledged initial steps have been taken, but that more must be done and “a clear signal must be sent to perpetrators and bishops who have not fulfilled their responsibilities and who, to a certain extent, still do not do so today.”

Francis’ weekly catechism lesson focused on the life and vocation of St. Francis Xavier, and ended with another appeal for peace in Ukraine. AP

Loud explosions heard as Russia targets Kyiv with cruise missiles

By Susie Blann

The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine—Loud explosions were heard in Kyiv early Thursday morning, and the city’s Military Administration said falling debris caused a fire in a non-residential building.

The scope of the Russian attack against the capital was unclear, and there was no immediate information on casualties.

It was the ninth time this month that Russian air raids have targeted the capital, a clear escalation after weeks of lull and ahead of a much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive using newly supplied advanced Western weapons.

The attack was carried out by strategic bombers from the Caspian region, probably using cruise missiles, and Russia later deployed reconnaissance craft over the capital. According to preliminary information, all enemy targets were destroyed, Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv Military Administration, said in a Telegram post.

Debris fell on two districts and the fire at a garage complex was

By Patpicha Tanakasempipat

extinguished. There was no information so far about any victims, Popko said.

In the southern region of Odesa, one person died and two were wounded in a Russian missile attack, Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesperson for the Odesa military administration, said on Telegram.

“Most of the enemy’s missiles were shot down over the sea by

the Air Defense Forces. Unfortunately, an industrial object was hit: 1 person died, two were injured,” Bratchuk said.

Earlier this week, Ukrainian air defenses, bolstered by sophisticated Western-supplied systems, thwarted an intense Russian air attack on Kyiv, shooting down all missiles aimed at the capital, officials said.

The bombardment, which targeted locations across Ukraine, included six Russian Kinzhal aeroballistic hypersonic missiles, the most fired in a single attack in the war so far, according to Ukrainian air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat. The cruise missiles used Thursday were apparently X-101 and x-55 types developed during Soviet times.

The hypersonic missiles used Tuesday have been repeatedly touted by Russian President Vladimir Putin as providing a key strategic competitive advantage and among the most advanced weapons in his country’s arsenal. The missiles are difficult to detect and intercept because of their hypersonic speed and maneuverability.

Sophisticated Western air defense systems, including American-made Patriot missiles, have helped spare Kyiv from the kind of destruction witnessed along the main front line in the country’s east and south. While most of the ground fighting is stalemated along that front line, both sides are targeting other territory with long-range weapons.

won’t back a candidate from a party planning to amend the country’s lese majeste law.

But Pita remained defiant on Thursday, saying “we have a lot of momentum and my coalition is taking shape.”

added two more small parties to the coalition, raising its number in the 500-member House of Representatives to 313, Pita told reporters in Bangkok on Thursday, a day after leaders of the newly formed alliance met formally.

Pita, leader of the Move Forward Party that won the most seats in the May 14 vote, said parties in the coalition are preparing for different scenarios to mitigate risks of it failing to clear the parliament hurdle. The Harvard-educated Pita requires the backing of a minimum 376 lawmakers in a joint sitting

of the lower house and the Senate that will select the new prime minister.

Pita’s bid to take the top job has faced challenges including opposition from a majority of the members of the Senate,

stacked with allies of the pro-military establishment of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha, and other conservative parties.

Bhumjaithai Party, which came third with 70 seats, ruled out its support for Pita, saying it

O n Move Forward’s controversial stance on changes to the royal insult law, Pita said there were differences among the coalition partners and he remained confident that the parties can reach a consensus on how to proceed on the issue.

Cholnan Srikaew, leader of Pheu Thai that’s linked to influential former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who lives in exile, said the lese majeste law known as Article 112, wasn’t a deal breaker for the party.

W hile Move Forward has pledged to amend the lese majeste law, which punishes criticism against King Maha Vajiralongkorn and other members of the royal family, Pheu Thai has maintained that the issue should be settled in parliament. Bloomberg News

VATICAN CITY—The Vatican’s Wednesday general audiences are often chances for ordinary people to get rare access to Pope Francis, and this week’s gathering was no different: A group of LGBTQ+ Catholics got a papal photo, and clergy abuse survivors from Germany who biked to Rome handed Francis a letter demanding a better response from the church to the crisis.

ACOALITION of Thai pro-democracy parties, which swept Sunday’s election, is on course to form the next government, its leader Pita Limjaroenrat said, seeking to quell concerns about its ability to muster enough support to elect him as the prime minister.

The group

POPE Francis talks on the phone during his weekly general audience in the St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. AP/ANDREW MEDICHINI

of graves, mostly unnamed, where the remains of civilians killed by Russian forces are buried, close to a town cemetery near Brovary, east of the capital Kyiv, Ukraine on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. AP/EFREM LUKATSKY

Biden says ‘America will not default’; confident of deal with GOP lawmakers

The World

Pakistani police besiege Imran Khan’s home as deadline to hand over suspects expires

By Babar Dogar

The Associated Press

LAHORE, Pakistan—Pakistani police kept up their siege around the home of Imran Khan as a 24-hour deadline given to the former premier to hand over suspects allegedly sheltered inside expired on Thursday. The siege and the authorities’ demand for the suspects, wanted in violent protests over Khan’s recent detention, have angered the former prime minister’s many followers and

raised concerns about more clashes between them and security forces.

Last week, Khan’s supporters attacked public property and military installations after he was dragged out of a courtroom and arrested in a graft case. At least 10 people were killed in clashes with police across the country in the days that followed. The violence subsided only when Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered Khan’s release.

The popular opposition leader was freed from custody over the weekend and returned

to his home in an upscale district of Lahore, Pakistan’s second largest city and the capital of the Punjab region. Dozens of his supporters have been staying there with him, along with private guards. Police, who on Wednesday surrounded the residence, say they want 40 suspects handed over.

The ultimatum for Khan ended at 2 p.m. local time, but there were no immediate signs of unusual movement by police. Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, invited reporters to the house to witness any police raids on

the premises. Typically between 200 to 300 of Khan’s supporters, holding sticks, guard his residence around the clock, but most disappeared overnight. Police have barricaded a key road leading to the house and asked residents to use an alternate route.

“Probably my last tweet before my next arrest,” the 70-year-old popular opposition leader tweeted on Wednesday, after the siege started. “Police have surrounded my house.”

Later, Khan addressed his supporters

saying that the police can only search his house with a search warrant and “not barge in, creating chaos.”

According to Amir Mir, a spokesman for the Punjab provincial government, police were ready to use firearms if attacked. He told a news conference Thursday that at least 3,400 suspects linked to the clashes have been arrested and that more raids are planned.

Pakistani authorities have said they would prosecute civilians involved in recent anti-government protests in military courts.

The announcement has drawn criticism from the advocacy group Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, which oppose trials of civilians in the military courts. Military trials in Pakistan are usually held behind closed doors, depriving civilians of some of their basic rights, including contracting a lawyer of their choice.

The Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.

The World

World leaders land in Hiroshima for G-7 meeting; Ukraine war high on agenda

By Adam Schreck The Associated Press

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida kicked off his summit diplomacy by meeting with US President Joe Biden after his arrival at a nearby military base. He was due to hold talks with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak a bit later in the day, before the three-day summit opens on Friday.

The Japan-US alliance is the “very foundation of peace and security in the Indo- Pacific region,” Kishida told Biden in opening remarks.

“We very much welcome that the cooperation has evolved in leaps and bounds,” he said.

“When our countries stand together we stand stronger and I believe the whole world is safer

when we do,” Biden said.

The US president exited Air Force One in heavy rain and briefly greeted troops on arrival at the nearby Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni.

As G-7 attendees made their way to Hiroshima, Moscow unleashed yet another aerial attack on the Ukrainian capital. Loud explosions thundered through Kyiv during the early hours, marking the ninth time this month that Russian air raids have targeted the city after weeks of relative quiet.

“The crisis in Ukraine: I’m sure that’s what the conversation is going to start with,” said Matthew P. Goodman, senior vice president for economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, said there will be “discussions about the battlefield” in Ukraine and on the “state of play on sanctions and the steps that the G-7 will collectively commit to on enforcement in particular.”

G-7 leaders and invited guests from several other counties are also expected to discuss how to deal with China’s growing assertiveness and military buildup as concerns rise that it could try to seize Taiwan by force, sparking a

wider conflict. China claims the self-governing island as its own and its ships and warplanes regularly patrol near it.

Security was tight in Hiroshima, with thousands of police deployed at numerous points throughout the city. A small group of protesters was considerably outnumbered by police as they gathered Wednesday evening beside the ruins of the Atomic Peace Dome memorial, holding signs including one which read “No G7 Imperialist Summit!”

In a bit of dueling diplomacy,

Ecuador president dissolves legislature trying to oust him

By Regina Garcia Cano & Gonzalo Solano

Associated Press

The

QUITO, Ecuador—The president of Ecuador dismissed the legislature Wednesday in a move that promised more turmoil around a conservative leader who has been unable to enact a business-friendly agenda as the South American country experiences an alarming rise in crime.

In disbanding the National Assembly, Guillermo Lasso made first use of the Ecuador presidency’s nuclear option under the constitution in conflicts with the legislative branch. His first move was to push a package of tax cuts, but criticism was swift and an appeal to stop him was filed hours after he announced his decision in a televised message in which he accused lawmakers of focusing “on destabilizing the government.”

“This is the best possible decision,” he said after describing his move as a way to give Ecuadorians “the power to decide their future in the next elections.”

Armed soldiers then surrounded the National Assembly in the capital. Lasso had been locked in a showdown with legislators who wanted to impeach him for not stopping a deal between the state-owned oil transport company and a private tanker company, accusations he denies.

Hours later, the president of the National Electoral Council, Diana Atamaint, said that its office will set the date for the next elections in no more than seven days. She anticipated that Ecuadorians would go to the polls to elect a new president and a new Assembly in no more than 90 days.

Lasso’s Wednesday decision prompted Ecuador’s top military leader to warn that the armed forces would crack down on any violence.

The president appeared to have the support of the armed forces but faced opposition from Indigenous Ecuadorians. Protests by the powerful Confederation of Indigenous

Nationalities have nearly paralyzed the country in recent years, and the group’s leader appeared outraged.

Lasso “launched a cowardly selfcoup with the help of the police and the armed forces, without citizen support,” Leonidas Iza Salazar said.

Lasso can now govern for up to six months by decree under the oversight of Ecuador’s Constitutional Court.

Lawmakers had accused Lasso of not having intervened to end a contract between the state-owned oil transport company and a private tanker company. They argued Lasso knew the contract was full of irregularities and would cost the state millions in losses.

During a legislative session Tuesday, Lasso noted that the contract predated his administration. He also said that the state-owned company experienced losses of $6 million a year before he took office, and that it has seen $180 million in profits under his watch, something he has rejected as untrue.

Called the “crossed death” because it cuts short the mandate of both the assembly and the president, the option to disband the congress and temporarily rule by decree was established in Ecuador’s constitution in 2008 as a means of avoiding protracted periods of political paralysis.

His move can be appealed to the Constitutional Court, which has traditionally taken a long time to

resolve any petition it receives. The Social Christian Party, which supported impeachment proceedings, filed a petition Wednesday arguing that there are no grounds for the dissolution of the Assembly.

After Lasso announced his decision, the head of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces, Gen. Nelson Proaño, called on Ecuadorians to maintain respect for the law and warned against rupturing the constitutional order through violence.

If violence erupts, the armed forces and police “will act firmly,” he said.

In neighboring Peru, conflicts between the opposition-led legislature and president also led to attempts to oust each other last year. Then-President Pedro Castillo tried to dissolve Congress and head off his own impeachment in December. Lawmakers quickly voted him out of power and law enforcement arrested him, which resulted in months of deadly protests carried out for the most part by Indigenous peoples and peasants.

The National Electoral Council now has seven days to call presidential and legislative elections, which must be held within 90 days. Those elected will finish the terms of Lasso and the lawmakers he ousted, which had been set to end in May 2025. Lasso can choose to run in the election.

Lasso, a former banker, was

Chinese President Xi Jinping is hosting the leaders of the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan for a two-day summit in the Chinese city of Xi’an starting Thursday.

During the meeting in Hiroshima, Kishida hopes to highlight the risks of nuclear proliferation. Leaders are expected to visit a memorial park that commemorates the 1945 atomic bombing by the US that destroyed the city and killed 140,000 people.

North Korea’s nuclear program and a spate of recent missile tests have crystalized fears of a potential attack. So have Russia’s threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. China, meanwhile, is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal.

The leaders are due to discuss efforts to strengthen the global economy and address rising prices that are squeezing families and government budgets around the world, particularly in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The debate over raising the debt limit in the US, the world’s largest economy, has threatened to overshadow the G-7 talks. Biden plans to hurry back to Washington after the summit for debt negotiations,

scrapping planned meetings in Papua New Guinea and Australia.

The British prime minister arrived in Japan earlier Thursday and paid a visit to the JS Izumo, a ship that can carry helicopters and fighter jets able to take off and land vertically.

During their bilateral meeting Thursday, Sunak and Kishida are expected to announce a series of new agreements on issues including defense; trade and investment; technology; and climate change, Sunak’s office said.

The G-7 includes Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and Italy, as well as the European Union.

A host of other countries have been invited to take part. The G-7 hopes to strengthen its members’ ties with countries outside the world’s richest industrialized nations, while shoring up support for efforts like isolating Russia. Leaders from Australia, Brazil, India, Indonesia and South Korea are among those participating as guests. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to join by video link.

T he Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed reporting from Air Force One.

elected in 2021 and clashed from the start with a strong opposition in the 137-member National Assembly. He defended himself before Congress on Tuesday, insisting there was no proof or testimony of wrongdoing.

Dismissed Assemblywoman Paola Cabezas told the Ecuavisa television network that her party, which was a main force behind the impeachment process, “will abide by the decree.”

“We will go home...This is an opportunity for us to get out of this crisis,” she said.

Lasso’s governing powers are now limited. Constitutional attorney Ismael Quintana explained that the president can only address economic and administrative matters, and the Constitutional Court will have to approve his decisions.

Shortly after dissolving the Assembly, Lasso announced that he signed his first emergency decree, reducing taxes for hundreds of thousands of families.

Ecuador has experienced an increase in drug-related violence, including several massacres in prisons over the past two years. Kidnappings, extortion and petty crime are also on the rise, angering Ecuadorians across the country who feel the government has not done enough to stop this.

Will Freeman, fellow for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said mass protests are likely in the coming days.

“It’s also hard to imagine Lasso is making this move without the tacit support of top brass in the military,” he said. “In the past, protests have tended to turn destructive quickly—and security forces have also cracked down.”

The US State Department in a statement said it supports “Ecuador’s democratic institutions and processes” and urged “government institutions, civil society, and citizens to ensure democratic processes are carried out for the benefit” of Ecuadorians.

China: Special envoy met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv

BEIJING—China said Thursday its special envoy met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during talks in Kyiv earlier this week.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the meeting came amid discussions between envoy Li Hui and Ukraine’s foreign minister and other government officials.

“There is no remedy to resolve the crisis,” Wang told reporters at a daily briefing. “All parties should create favorable conditions and accumulate mutual trust for the political settlement.”

The visit followed an earlier phone call between Zelenskyy and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Over two days, Li and Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba discussed “ways to stop Russian aggression,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Kuleba briefed Li, a former Chinese ambassador to Moscow, “about the principles of restoring a stable and just peace based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”

According to the statement, Kuleba repeated his government’s position that Ukraine wouldn’t accept any proposal involving the

loss of its territories or the “freezing of the conflict.”

Xi’s government says it’s neutral and wants to serve as mediator in the 15-month-long conflict, but has supported Moscow politically and economically.

China sees Moscow as a diplomatic and military partner in opposing United States domination of global affairs. Beijing has refused to criticize the invasion and used its status as one of five permanent United Nations Security Council members to deflect diplomatic attacks on Russia.

Beijing released a proposed peace plan in February, but Ukraine’s allies largely dismissed it, insisting that Russian President Vladimir Putin must withdraw his forces. Zelenskyy’s own 10-point peace plan also includes a tribunal to prosecute war crimes committed by Russia.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said Li also will visit Poland, France and Germany, but didn’t give details of his schedule.

Political analysts see little hope for a peace agreement because neither Ukraine nor Russia is ready to stop fighting.

African countries are also undertaking a peace initiative over the war in Ukraine. AP

HIROSHIMA, Japan—World leaders landed Thursday for a Group of Seven meeting in Hiroshima, the site of the world’s first atomic bomb attack, with Russia’s war in Ukraine expected to be high on the agenda.

Garcia Cano reported from Mexico City. Associated Press writer Gisela Salomon contributed to this report from Miami.

SECURITY forces guard the National Assembly in Quito, Ecuador on Wednesday, May 17, 2023.

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso on Wednesday put an end to impeachment proceedings against him by dissolving the opposition-led National Assembly, which had accused him of embezzlement. AP/DOLORES OCHOA

IN this photo provided by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Press Office, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, center left, and Li Hui, Chinese envoy, center right, during their talks in Kyiv, Ukraine on Wednesday, May 17, 2023.

President Joe Biden walks down the steps of Air Force One at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Iwakuni, Japan on Thursday, May 18, 2023. Biden is traveling to attend the G-7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan. AP/SUSAN WALSH

Avoiding the ‘ticking time bomb’ scenario

Abr And new world of misery awaits Filipino workers in the informal sector when they reach retirement age and are no longer economically productive. That’s the “ticking time bomb” scenario described by University of the Philippines School of Labor and Industrial relations (UP-SOLAIr) Professor Emily Christi A. Cabegin, who warned that the government may have to spend millions of pesos to take care of thousands of informally employed workers that are not covered by a pension scheme once they retire.

“Because of our demographic transition, there will be more elderly people in the coming years than there are now, so the government will have to allocate more funds in order to keep them at least out of the poverty level,” Cabegin told the BusinessMirror in an interview last week. (Read, “Millions sans pension a ‘ticking time bomb,’” in the BusinessMirror, May 15, 2023)

She said eight of every 10 workers are informally employed and therefore not covered by labor laws and mandated to become members of the Social Security System (SSS).

While the informally employed may opt to become voluntary members of SSS, they would have to do so at great cost since they would have to pay on their own without the share from employers, which their formally employed counterparts enjoy. Cabegin said a possible remedy to this terrible future situation is the inclusion of a provision in the latest version of the Magna Carta of Workers in the Informal Economy bill to create a social security scheme for the informally employed that will be partly funded by the government. Unfortunately, the MACWIE bills have been pending in Congress for over a decade.

Cabegin said such legislation will allow more informally employed people to afford SSS membership, granting them not only pension in the future but also a much-needed social security coverage to boost their current productivity such as sickness benefit, maternity benefit, unemployment benefit, among others.

“If you are going to cover them right now under the SSS, you don’t have to worry about covering them in the future because they already have a pension,” Cabegin said, stressing that the “window” for the government to implement the reform should be in the coming years, when most of the informally employed are still in the working age.

Based on the latest Census of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), over 69 million of the country’s 108 million population are below the 65-year-old retirement age as of 2020.

With the country’s declining fertility rate, Cabegin said the country’s pension system will eventually be strained by shifting demographics. “It will be more difficult for a lower working age population to support a bigger elderly population,” she said.

The current administration is already engaged in a similar pension reform as it tries to fix the “unsustainable” pension for military uniformed personnel. Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno explained that the MUP pension is automatically indexed to the salary of the personnel of the same rank, which means that if the salary of the incumbent is doubled, retirees would see their pension jump by 100 percent.

“Right now, the situation is so bleak that if you compare the current operating expenditures of the whole AFP and the capital outlays, it is actually much less than the amount of pension that we are allocating for the retirees,” Diokno said.

The average pension of a retired military uniformed personnel is around P40,000 a month, which is almost nine times more than the P4,528 a month that an average SSS pensioner is receiving. It is also three times higher than the average GSIS pension of P13,600. Under the SSS and GSIS, people contribute a part of their income for the fund. Military personnel do not contribute a single peso in the current system. Taxpayers shoulder their pension funds through appropriations in the annual budget.

There are big challenges facing the country’s pension systems that the Marcos administration is trying to fix. For example, Diokno suggested a key reform on the pension system of the military, which will gradually require MUPs to contribute for their pensions to reduce government expenses. On the other hand, there’s a pressing need to increase the minimum level of support to the workers in the informal sector to avoid the “ticking time bomb” scenario described by Professor Cabegin.

It would do well for our lawmakers to approve a Magna Carta of Workers in the Informal Economy bill that creates a social security scheme for informally employed Filipinos. This life-changing legislation will help avert a catastrophic situation where millions of retired informal sector workers remain economically insecure.

Keeping

our

guard up post-Covid

Better Days

EArLy this month the World Health Organization (WHO) ended Covid-19’s status as a public health emergency of international concern. This has been in place since January 30, 2020 so understandably there was a collective sigh of relief from people of all nations, including here in the Philippines, whose lives have changed drastically while dealing and living with the virus. Even I can’t help but recall the early days of the pandemic when I was infected, got very sick and was hospitalized.

It was in the middle of March 2020 and at the time, there was little information about the virus and people were succumbing to it on a daily basis. I consider myself very lucky to have hurdled that ordeal and will constantly be grateful to God, my family and friends who supported me and kept me strong and most importantly, to the health workers who took care of me and every other patient confined at the hospital in spite of the extreme risks on their own health and safety.

Department of Health (DOH) Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire was quick to clarify that what the WHO did was only to lift the public health emergency of international concern status of Covid-19 and not a declaration that the pandemic is over. The announcement of the WHO

did not come as much of a surprise anymore—our economy is back on track, our doors are open again to tourists and most of the businesses are back to pre-pandemic operations. From January to March 15 this year, the Department of Tourism recorded 1.15 million international tourist arrivals—boosting its confidence of hitting its year-end target of 4.8 million. This is almost half of the 2.65 million total international tourist arrivals in 2022 that was equivalent to P214 billion in revenues. There is ample reason for optimism in the country but from what we are seeing as far as new infections of Covid are concerned, we cannot afford to let our guard down. The DOH reported 12,414 new cases last week, representing a 31 percent increase in daily infections. The total number of

active cases now stands at 15,895, the highest tally in four months. The utilization rate for intensive care unit beds for Covid patients is at 18.8 percent while the non-ICU bed utilization rate was at 21.7 percent. In the past two weeks, the region with the most number of new Covid-19 cases was the National Capital Region, followed by Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Western Visayas and Bicol.

It appears that the current rise in the number of new cases has something to do with the new Omicron subvariant named Arcturus, which experts have described as being able to evade immunity and is more contagious than the previous variants.

OCTA Research says the positivity rate in the country is now at 23.6 percent and that this could go up to 25 percent in Metro Manila. However, the organization did note that it does not expect health care utilization to reach critical levels.

Clearly, Covid is still a threat to many of us but the effects are no longer as bad as the early years and a lot of this can be attributed to the vaccination of many of our population. Many people are still getting sick now but in most cases, what they have experienced is somewhat similar to the common flu. We steered the passage of Republic Act 11525 or the Covid-19 Vaccination Act of 2021, which facilitated the procurement and rollout of the nationwide inoculation of our people against the deadly virus. During a hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee last

week, Vergeire noted that the number of wasted Covid-19 doses could reach 60 million by September unless the government ramps up its vaccination program. She said vaccination rates remain low in the provinces and that the country as a whole has an average of 46,000 Filipinos getting vaccinated in a week. Vergeire also disclosed that there are even fewer people getting booster shots now. We cannot afford to be complacent and let our guards down. For those who are still unvaccinated or who have not yet received their booster shots, take the opportunity to get yourself protected. We should also continue to observe the basic health protocols that we have learned to live with over the past three years. This includes wearing face masks when we’re not feeling well or if we are at crowded areas or confined spaces. These are but just minor inconveniences that could very well help in preventing the further spread of Covid or worse, the possibility of the imposition of stricter health protocols—a situation no one wants to see or experience anymore and one that we can no longer afford to have at this time.

Senator Sonny Angara has been in public service for 18 years—9 years as Representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and 9 as Senator. He has authored, co-authored, and sponsored more than 330 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.

E-mail: sensonnyangara@yahoo.com Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @sonnyangara

The Filipino travelers: A look into migration

THE recent story of a tourist who missed her flight due to a lengthy interview with a bu reau of Immigration (bI) officer has been the subject of much mainstream coverage. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated case, as a Filipino seafarer also met the same predicament even after showing all his employment documents.

These stories encouraged more travelers to share similar experiences that resulted in offloading or missed flights, even if pertinent data and documents for their work or travel abroad have been provided. Such stories raise eyebrows because the Filipino migrants in the country are viewed by their families as hope for a better life.

While there is no consensus on a single definition of “migrant,” the International Office of Migration (IOM) defines a “migrant” as a person who relocates from his regular

abode for various reasons, whether temporarily or permanently, within a nation or across an international border. Demographers typically define migration as a move that crosses a specified political boundary, such as a county, or moves into a different labor market to establish a new place of residence.

Piché (2013) defines migration in terms of three key factors: a change in location, a change in job, and a change in social relationships. A change in location is often the principal indicator among the prevailing

definitions of migration. In terms of scale, migration can be interregional (among countries), intracontinental (between countries on the same continent), intercontinental (between continents), and rural-tourban migration.

International labor migration is one of the most critical migratory trends in today’s global society. This has been increasingly observed, especially in the third quarter of the 20th century, where both domestic and international migration have been prevalent because of rapid and persistent economic expansion, rising internationalization of economic activities, decolonization, and emerging processes of economic development in the Third World (Arango, 2018).

The Philippines continues to have one of the fastest expanding

economies in Asia and is a significant country that sends migrants, with more than two million migrants sent abroad in 2017 alone (Development Bank and World Bank 2018). According to the Department of Tourism, the total number of foreign tourists entering the Philippines from February to December 2022 was 2,025,413. By contrast, from April to September 2021, 1,830,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were thought to have been employed abroad (PSA, 2021). However, the Department of Migrant Workers estimates a higher figure, as they reported that about 800,000 were deployed in 2022. When people migrate, they move from one geographic area to another, from one administrative region to another, or when they leave their country of origin for a foreign country or territory, permanently or temporarily. They seek a different way of life, i.e., establishing a new household along with a job opportunity or a unique professional experience and career development. On whatever scale, the movement transforms the place of origin and the place of See “Eagle Watch,” A19

sonny M. angara

Mildred M. es tanda

How Thailand’s election winner used TikTok to eke rare progressive triumph

By Pathom Sangwongwanich & Low De Wei Bloomberg Opinion

ThAIlANd’S election-winning Move Forward Party had a TikTok advantage: while all the country’s big parties used social media to get their message out, Move Forward did it more effectively and creatively, helping it capture younger voters and outperform pre-balloting polls.

The party, which unofficially won 151 seats in the 500-member lower house, didn’t avoid more traditional campaigning, such as street posters and door-to-door stops. But its consistent reliance on social media platforms—especially TikTok—helped translate virtual popularity into actual votes more effectively than other parties.

“Move Forward uses user-generated content on TikTok because young people are on this platform and TikTok has the most users,” said former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra—whose daughter was the face of the rival Pheu Thai party— in a talk on the chatroom app Clubhouse. “Content went viral thanks to ‘organic election campaigners,’” he added, referencing Move Forward’s ability to engage volunteers to extend the party’s messaging.

It’s not the first time that social media has played a key role in a regional election: In neighboring Malaysia, a conservative Islamist party relied on it to appeal to young Malay voters and win the most seats of any single party during general elections last November. In the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also used social media to paint a rosy picture of his father’s former dictatorship to younger voters, who helped deliver him a landslide victory in presidential elections last year.

As the Thai election neared and Move Forward built support among a younger, tech-savvy demographic, its official account on TikTok saw the number of followers surge to about 2.8 million from below 400,000 at the start of April.

In addition, the number of followers on party leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s official Twitter account climbed to more than one million before the vote. One campaign video, released a day before the election date, reached the same milestone on the party’s official Twitter account.

There were 54.5 million Internet users in Thailand in January 2022, equivalent to about 78 percent of the total population, according to DataReportal. While Facebook is the most popular, with more than 50 million accounts in the country, TikTok is also widely used, with nearly 36 million users.

Thaksin acknowledged Move For-

Eagle Watch . .

continued from A18

destination’s demographic composition, economy, services, policies, and environment. The benefits of international migration are numerous. It aids in the growth and development of their countries of destination through their labor. The remittances and skills migrants pick up are beneficial to their home countries and themselves. The advantage of migration to the world is realized mainly by migrants themselves, who then remit these benefits to their families back home. According to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), since 2010, the percentage of remittances to the Philippines has been largely steady, ranging between 9 percent and 10 percent. Last February 15, 2023, BSP said personal cash remittances increased by 3.6 percent to $36.14 billion in 2022. This accounted for 8.9 percent of the Philippine GDP. However, the migration process also presents significant difficulties. Numerous migrant workers, particularly unskilled ones, experience exploitation. Some countries have few labor and human rights

Jessie and her Letters to the World

Tito Genova Valiente annoTaTions

ward’s efforts, saying it essentially derailed the marketing campaign of Pheu Thai, the party he backed. But he also laid the blame for Pheu Thai’s shortcomings at what he called votebuying by other parties and “information operations,” without giving details or saying who he thought was responsible.

Social media favorite

MOv E Forward tapped a range of strategies to draw attention, from a focus on fiery speeches by Pita and other candidates on issues like the monarchy, to more casual discourses on local food.

The varied approach helped some of the party’s candidates score breakout hits, such as Move Forward’s Rukchanok Srinork, a cat-loving activist who first gained popularity on Clubhouse discussions. The 28-yearold, known as “Ice,” attracted further attention during the campaign with posts featuring her canvassing votes while riding around on a bicycle, and others of her holding a blank board, asking users to help introduce her by filling in the blank and then featuring their submissions.

The number of followers on Rukchanok’s TikTok account surged in less than a month by more than half a million, and she triumphed in the Bangkok constituency she contested with a 20 percentage-point margin against the scion of a political heavyweight family that has dominated the seat for decades.

The party “has been most effective at using social media to communicate directly to its supporters, and this is something that’s quite novel in Thai politics,” said Napon Jatusripitak, a visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

Nowhere was payoff more clearly seen than in Thailand’s capital, where Move Forward managed to sweep 32 of Bangkok’s 33 house seats. The one candidate to survive the onslaught was Pheu Thai’s Theerarat Samrejvanich, who also attracts a devoted social media following.

Referring to Move Forward, Napon said, “They have used social media platforms as a way to bridge the gap between social movements and parliamentary politics, there’s no other party like this.”

protection for migrant workers. Some have poor working conditions. Externalities from the international labor migration trend have become a significant worldwide issue affecting international, regional, and national policy.The National Migration Survey 2018 finding states that every migration event is unique in terms of time, decision-making, and motivation, making it more complicated to study and categorize different types of migration. The phenomenon of migration has traditional or widely accepted determinants used by different agencies, governments, institutions, and individuals to curb its impact on households, cities, countries, and continents in different areas of the globe. It is worthwhile asking if the demographic mix and migration patterns have changed enough to warrant reassessing the variables that motivate people to relocate despite risks. While there can be similar migratory patterns found in the past migrants that are still evident in many modern societies today, there could also be emerging factors that prompt individuals to migrate.

The letter goes: “I am sorry to hear about your cancer journey too but applaud you that you are still working.” It is a letter sender approximating her experience with the disease that my cousin, Jessie, was also going through. This was Jessie’s reply: “When my lung cancer metastasized to my brain I agreed to the recommendation of brain radiation on the hope that it would eliminate those lesions or at least retard their growth or spread, already more than a dozen of 3-6 mm all over both ‘hemispheres’.”

Jessie was a doctor and this shows in her next paragraph: “When 3 lesions recurred I requested for a targeted radiation called Gamma Knife Surgery on its claim to destroy only the cancer cells in lesions targeted at radiation delivery, and that normal neurons would be unharmed.” Jessie continues: “Unfortunately, while the lesions regressed, the brain changes surrounding the 2 or 3 lesions targeted caused a massive right-sided hemispheric edema that slightly shifted to the left at which time I was advised to undergo surgery or suffer the progression of the left shift.”

Jessie would recover and at this stage she would write how “in 2005 on my first break and partial recovery from the toxic impact of the radiation and some from my medications, I managed to organize KISSROOT on the ideas that were rooted to my experience…and on the inspiration of my parents, my father, and his civic concerns, accepting fish, shrimp, baked products, even a bleating goat for his legal services to the poor…”

KISSROOT was Jessie’s project. It is good to listen to hear her now speak of this organization she so painstakingly organized and dreamt of seeing through: “What KISSROOT does is not enough at this time, but I am hopeful that sometime in the

near future it would be showered with sufficient dollars to solidify its goals to relieve deprivation, etc, among the impoverished, beginning with the precious undernourished children of the Philippines.”

Haduk-Ugat, that was the translation into English of the name of the said project. In the language of the island, one could see human lips touching one’s roots or beginnings.

Jessie would never see how KISSROOT moved a community in the most significant way because in 2011, one snowy afternoon, past three, US time, at four in the afternoon, Philippine time, she passed on.

This summer, she is coming back to the island in the form of a tribute to be given to her during the last leg of the 2nd Bikol Book Festival. A group of writers who are part of this edition of the festival began this celebration that doubled as a pilgrimage.

The band of writers from Bikol region and other parts of the country with the National Book Development Board traveled from Naga in Camarines Sur, to Calabanga, back to the city and then to the town of Tigaon. Albay was next. On the third day, the ardent pilgrims moved again from Naga where they retired at night to conduct a whole day of fora and discussions on the power and source

By Wyatte Grantham-Philips | AP Business Writer

WAShINGTON—emily Reed lost her younger sister Jessica more than 10 years ago. For much of the last decade, she’s visited Jessica’s Twitter page to help “keep her memory alive.”

Twitter became one of the places where Emily processed her grief and reconnected with a sister she describes as almost like a twin. But Jessica’s account is now gone.

Last week, owner Elon Musk announced Twitter would be purging accounts that have had no activity for several years. That decision has been met by an outcry from those who have lost, or who fear losing the thoughts and words of deceased loved ones linked to now-inactive accounts.

Reed immediately returned to Jessica’s page as she had done a day or two earlier after learning of the purge. In place of Jessica’s page was an “account suspended” message that suggested it may be in violation Twitter rules.

Reed’s tweet recounting her shock over the loss of the account has received tens of thousands of responses. Others shared similar experiences of pain upon learning that the account of a deceased loved one had vanished.

“Having these digital footprints... is super important to me,” Reed, 43, told The Associated Press.

The advent of social media has come with new way in which people mourn, returning to the place where they connected with friends and family in the past. In addition to memories and physical traces left behind, snippets of lives are now being captured in the digital space.

It is something that social media platforms have wrestled with for recent years.

Twitter backed off an attempt to purge inactive accounts in 2019, years before Musk arrived, due to a

similar backlash.

Other social media sites have found ways to allow people to mourn those they’ve lost.

Facebook and Instagram allow users to request an account be deactivated, or a memorialization of the account. Memorialized accounts show the word “Remembering” next to the person’s name.

“In this modern age, we have these electronic reminders of people—[including] little snippets of a thought they had on a particular day or pictures that they shared,” said Shira Gabriel, professor of psychology at University at Buffalo. Looking through a late loved one’s social media can be both a healthy way to process grief and gather as a community in remembrance, Gabriel said.

The prospect of that resource disappearing “can bring about a sense of mourning again,” Gabriel said. “There is a real psychological cost of getting rid of this digital thumbprint that was left behind and this ability for community members to gather in one spot.”

It is unknown if Musk will backtrack on the decision to purge. The billionaire CEO of Tesla has launched policies that have rattled users and advertisers alike and shown little interest in amending those policies in response.

Musk named a new CEO last week, Linda Yaccarino, a former NBCUniversal advertising executive, who will have her hands full with a platform seemingly now in a perpetual state of chaos.

Deleting inactive accounts can be seen as fulfilling a promise Musk

of folktales, translation, copyrights, and artificial intelligence in Nabua, some 40 kilometers away. Late afternoon saw the group in neighboring Iriga City to launch a book. Then it was time to go to Sorsogon, to its port town of Pilar, where a ferry would take them to San Fernando, in the island of Ticao in Masbate.

Except for the long stops and seemingly repeated vigils in the city of Naga, the celebration is a coming home, a pilgrimage.

Jessie had the same peripatetic life, opting for decisions that were extraordinary like the time she told her parents how she wanted to take a break from her medical internship in favor of a workshop in Silliman University under the Tiempos. Or her quick travels to Ticao where she would haul with her luggage of books on literatures made heavier by medical books she still needed to read for her study.

In the middle of her illness, she would write me long letters, in thick cursive shapes that would have been single-spaced if typed, outside of the longer typewritten letters. Cancer never dulled her. At one point, I told her to take it easy. This prompted her to write on some more:

“A huge part of my efforts that may look frantic to you is indeed frantic,

The advent of social media has come with new way in which people mourn, returning to the place where they connected with friends and family in the past. In addition to memories and physical traces left behind, snippets of lives are now being captured in the digital space.

made when he bought the company, particularly winnowing down junk accounts and bots, said Samuel Woolley, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism and Media.

There are good reasons to preserve inactive accounts, and also reasons to delete them, Woolley said, but he is leery of the “one-size-fits-all” approach. Advocates of purging accounts cite skewed metrics caused by inactive accounts or bogus on social media platforms. Yet on top of emotional pain for some users mourning late loved ones, deleting inactive accounts could also mean losing tweets that documented historical events, commentary and breaking news on the app over the years.

“Twitter operates in many ways like a library of data,” Woolley said. “Just because someone hasn’t been active for 30 days or a few years, doesn’t mean their tweets don’t still have a great amount of relevance.”

Musk did say the reasoning behind removing inactive accounts was to free up unused Twitter handles, or user names, and that those inactive accounts would be archived.

What exactly that means is not known—including what inactive accounts will look like when they’re archived, and whether they’ll be easily accessible. Other details of the plan are also unclear, such as the number of accounts to be removed and whether the policy will be evenly enforced.

my way of therapy for me so that I deflect my reality to what is positive and not to the nightmare that is hidden in the claws of that very real and deadly crab inside me.”

“It is not easy every day to wake up very tired and to want to sleep all day, but to resolve not to do that because it will only lead to extending my life without much purpose. I take KISSROOT [her philanthropic organization] concerns and issues to the extreme so I can look at the other extreme of being alive, and to know and feel that I can still move my fingers, and that I can continue to piece together words, even with intermittent brain freeze, hearing loss, and loss of sensations, and to know that whatever I do for this organization is always intended for those less fortunate than I am, and that is meaningful to me, and that is what keeps me going to a frantic scale, whenever I can scale the extreme.”

This and more were Jessie’s letters to the world and not to writing, which is just as well. I could see her giddy, giggly even, smiling, a girl-woman, a priestess she sometimes imagined in her hysterical moments, a poet. In Ticao Island where she was born, Jessie Clemente Badillo is going to be honored not for her pains but for her poetry.

grieving

While Reed and others saw the inactive accounts of loved ones disappear last week, the account belonging to the late father of controversial internet personality Andrew Tate still appears to be on the site, for example.

On Twitter, Tate said he was fine with Musk’s decision, but asked that his father’s account remain active as he “still [reads] his account daily.”

Picking and choosing accounts for deactivation would “create precisely the kind of tiered system that Musk says he wants to avoid,” Woolley said.

When contacted by The Associated Press for comment, Twitter responded with an automated e-mail. Twitter’s trust and safety lead Ella Irwin also did not respond.

According to Twitter policy, the social media platform determines an account’s inactivity through log-ins. Twitter says that users should log in at least every 30 days.

Twitter users are able to download an archive of their own data through the app, but not for accounts they don’t possess login credentials. Reed, for example, noted that her family wasn’t able to get into Jessica’s account over the last 10 years. The only traces they have now are some screenshots that Reed’s other sister luckily captured before the purge.

Reed talks about the importance of Jessica’s Twitter and Facebook pages during her journey with grief —from following her sister’s difficult journey with cystic fibrosis, a progressive genetic disorder that Reed also has, to cherishing tweets that showed “the joy and...the vibrancy that came out of her words.”

Over time, the image and memories of someone who has passed away can slowly change in your mind— “like a fading photograph,” Reed said. Having online resources, she added, can help keep a “person’s memory alive, in a way that just your own personal memory can’t.”

Twitter is purging inactive accounts including people who have died, angering those still

45th CATHOLIC MASS MEDIA AWARDS

WHO CAN NOMINATE?

PROFESSIONAL LEVEL :

Entries may be submitted by any person or organization wishing to direct the attention of the CMMA to a meritorious program, series, article, material and the like. A person or a company may submit more than one entry in each category. Entries need not be Christian and nominees need not be Catholics. All entries must be those media works released from May 2022 to April 2023.

STUDENT LEVEL:

All bona fide students enrolled in any of the participating schools, colleges and universities within the school year 2022-2023.

ADVERTISING

Best TV Ad-Branded

Best TV Ad-Public Service

Best Digital Ad-Branded

Best Digital Ad-Public Service

MUSIC

Best Inspirational Song-Religious

Best Inspirational Song-Secular

Best Music Video

PRINT / E-PUB

Best Children’s Magazine

Best Editorial Cartoon

Best Investigative Report

Best Local Community / Parish Newspaper

Best News Coverage

Best News Photograph

Best Opinion Column

Best Short Story

Best Special Feature

Best Comic Story

Best Children’s Short Story

Best Youth Magazine

Best Family-Oriented Magazine

RADIO (AM OR FM) / PODCAST

Best Business News

Best Counseling Program

Best Public Service Program

Best Drama Program (Episodic or Serial)

Best Educational Program

Best Entertainment Program

Best News Commentary

Best News Program

Best News Feature

TELEVISION

Best Adult Educational / Cultural Program

Best Children and Youth Program

Best Comedy Program

Best Drama Series / Program

Best Entertainment Program

Best News Magazine

Best News Program

Best Public Service Program

Best Special Event Coverage

Best Talk Show

Best Tv Special (One-Time feature)

Best Station ID

FOR INQUIRIES PLEASE WRITE OR CALL:

THE CMMA Secretariat Office: 5/f Dominga Building III , 2113 Chino Roces Ave. corner Dela Rosa Street, Makati City 0922-8568220  0922-8356147

thecatholicmassmediaawards@yahoo.com www.facebook.com/Official CMMA

SUBMISSION OF ENTRIES FOR CMMA:

 Student—April 24–June 23, 2023

 Professional—April 24–June 30, 2023

SOCIAL MEDIA

Best Website

Best Vlog

STUDENT CMMA

Best Student Organ-Grade School

Best Student Organ-High School

Best Student Organ-College

Best Short Film (Documentary or Narrative)

Best TV Production (Documentary or Narrative)

Best Student Public Service-Radio Ad

Best Student Public Service-Print Ad

Best Student Public Service-TV Ad

Best Literary Publication

SERVIAM AWARD

Individual

Corporate / Institutional

ST. JOHN PAUL II AWARD

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

B1

Friday, May 19, 2023

Gov’t renews Chevron PHL’s lease on assets for 25 yrs

By Lenie Lectura @llectura & Andrea San Juan @andreasanjuan

“With the MOU signed, BLCI, a GOCC, which is a subsidiary of the NDC chaired by Secretary Pascual, entered into an agreement with CPI to renew the latter’s lease of certain parcels of land where the company’s energy infrastructure is situated until 2050,” the DTI said in a statement issued last Wednesday. Moreover, the DTI noted the renewal of CPI’s lease for another 25 years “is expected to contribute greatly to the Philippine government’s efforts to facilitate economic recovery and expansion.”

Pascual emphasized this collaboration between CPI and BLCI is “essential” in fulfilling one of the country’s “most important objectives,” which is pursuing energy security.

“This shall help address energy supply and cost-related challenges and will provide Filipino consumers access to reliable, safe and affordable energy,” the DTI’s statement read. Good housekeeping IN a message sent to reporters through Viber, the DTI revealed it was last March when CPI “formally

notified BLC of its intent to renew certain parcels of land under the 2010 Lease Renewal Agreement for a period of 25 years, for a total lease period of 75 years or until 2050.”

This intent was backed by the Department of Energy (DOE). In a 2023 letter to the DTI, the DOE said it has favorably endorsed and supported CPI’s continued use and operation of its terminals in these areas to ensure the stability, advancement, energy development objectives and security interests of the country, which are all critical for the economic growth and development of the Philippines.

Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla said Chevron’s presence over the many years in the Philippines represents “a seal of good housekeeping.”

“We have supported this step and I hope this will encourage Chevron to actually increase its footprint the Philippines. Our demographics show that the country continues to grow and that I expect Chevron will grow fully with us,” Lotilla said.

Crucial role

FOR his part, CPI Chairman Billy Liu said the MOU between CPI and BLC “underpins the intention

of both parties to work towards a mutually satisfactory agreement for the renewal of CPI’s lease.”

Liu added that their terminals form the core of a network of over 600 service stations and terminals “that play a crucial role in supplying the fuel needs of the transportation, maritime, aviation and power generation sectors in the Philippines.”

The lease covers the following areas: San Pascual, Batangas; LapuLapu, Cebu; San Fernando (Poro), La Union; and, Sasa, Davao City.

CPI said it intends to maintain significant investments on the leased premises consisting of energy infrastructure that are indispensable for the continued, safe and environmentally-sound operation of its terminals.

Aside from the Chevron Batangas Terminal, CPI’s other major terminals services the fuel needs of major growth regions. The Lapu-Lapu Cebu terminal provides fuel for Central Visayas. The Sasa terminal in Davao services Mindanao while The Poro Point terminal provides quality fuels to Northern Luzon.

“Today is a momentous occasion that marks a continuous and longtime partnership. I’m glad we are signing this MOU because despite

our differing interests [as], you, in the private sector and we, in the government, have come together to strengthen our ties further and align our goals in the rebuilding of our nation’s economy,” said BLC President Lilia L. Arce.

Investor confidence

IT was last Monday when the DTI announced that United States Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay L. Carlson and Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual witnessed the signing of the MOU between CPI and BLCI, a subsidiary of the National Development Co. (NDC).

Speaking as NDC chairman, Pascual said the MOU signing is a “testament” to the outcome of the Philippine government’s efforts to strengthen US-Philippines economic relations.

“We are delighted to know that there is this intent on the part of [CPI] and [BLCI], as documented in this MOU, to renew the lease on Batangas Land’s assets,” Pascual said.

“This is a testament to continued investor confidence in the Philippines. And it signifies the country’s ability to provide a long-term enabling environment for growth of global companies that choose to do

business in the country,” the Trade chief added.

Private-public partnership

GOVERNMENT Corporate Counsel Justice Rogelio V. Quevedo, one of those who witnessed the MOU signing, expressed elation “to witness this ceremony to show the continuing commitment of the US businesses in the Philippines. “I look forward that with the thrust of this administration to encourage more private public partnerships, we will be seeing more American businesses renew their commitment to the Philippines economy,” Quevedo said. “I hope that the Office of Government Corporate Counsel will be having more ceremonies like this and the approval of the contracts, especially, in private-public partnership.” Currently, Chevron operates through two subsidiaries in the Philippines. Aside from CPI, Chevron Holdings Inc. (CHI) supports the company’s global business through back-office processes such as finance, human resources, information technology, downstream shared services and procurement. Chevron markets Caltex fuels, lubricants and other petroleum products in the Philippines.

BATANGAS Land Company Inc. (BLCI), a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) and Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI) have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to renew the energy firm’s lease of assets for another 25 years, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

‘High inflation poses threat to full recovery’

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

In the Mindanao Development Forum (MDF) last Thursday, Neda Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said inflation, including in Mindanao, has already started a downward trend. This augurs well in achieving the 2-percent to 4-percent inflation target of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

However, domestic issues such as constraints in local food production and importation policies, the spread of animal diseases, and supply chain disruptions remain threats that could increase commodity prices.

“High inflation poses a significant threat to full recovery, especially from the economic and social scars inflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic,” Balisacan said. “Broadly, uncontrolled commodity price increases hinder economic progress, human development, and poverty reduction.”

The government’s newly created Economic Development Group (EDG), co-chaired by the Department of Finance (DOF) and the Neda secretaries, met for the first time last Wednesday to discuss pressing economic issues.

The EDG identified the potential impact of the impending El Niño crisis, slow global economic growth affecting the country’s trade performance, and the efficient implementation and consistent monitoring of highpriority government projects as among the country’s challenges.

In order to address high inflation, the Department of Agriculture and Neda proposed preparatory activities to adequately equip, prepare, and assist farmers in coping with the looming El Niño phenomenon.

Examples of these activities include retooling and strengthening the government’s disaster response, conducting weekly monitoring of local field conditions, conducting regional assessments, ensuring adequate buffer stocks, and promoting early planting for the dry season in water deficit areas.

The government will also create dashboards of relevant socioeconomic and sectoral statistics that will be instrumental in providing timely recommendations and policies related to importation and measures to

address high food inflation in the country. These are expected to serve as a “single source of truth” to expedite data processing in government and to foster harmonization of initiatives across agencies.

“We remain hopeful that this declaration will continue, but we must remain vigilant.

Our commitment is to bring down inflation rates to within the 2 percent to 4 percent target by the fourth quarter of 2023,” Balisacan said on Thursday.

Mindanao focus

AT the MDF, Balisacan also shared the government’s efforts in Mindanao, particularly on peace and security through the Philippine Development Plan (PDP).

In the PDP, Balisacan said, the government is committed to support the smooth and complete transition of the Bangsamoro government by providing assistance to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority in various areas.

These areas are institution building, personnel development, economic management, fast-tracking of normalization and transformation programs, and strengthening intergovernmental relations mechanisms between the national and Bangsamoro governments.

“These strategies, in partnership with our local and international development partners, are crucial for sustaining the gains of the peace process, especially in achieving social and economic development in conflictaffected communities,” Balisacan said.

The government will also focus on improving connectivity in Mindanao through the expansion of infrastructure projects.

Out of the 194 infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) recently approved under the Marcos administration’s Build-Better-More program, Balisacan said Mindanao is home to 51 IFPs, accounting for about a quarter of the total projects.

Balisacan said the infrastructure projects include roads and bridges, urban transport, air, maritime, and rail infrastructure. There are also a number of agriculture-related

Associations and the current shifts

transforming organizations

IREAD with keen interest a recent study published in the McKinsey newsletter entitled, “The State of Organizations 2023: Ten Shifts Transforming Organizations” by Patrick Guggenberger, Dana Maor, Michael Park and Patrick Simon.

Out of the ten most significant shifts facing organizations today outlined in the study, six could resonate with associations:

1. Efficiency reloaded. More than a third of leaders in the study list efficiency as a topthree organizational priority. Boosting efficiency is about more than managing immediate crises or getting the same work done with fewer resources. It means more effectively deploying resources to where they matter most. Many associations do not have the luxury of large fund reserves and, thus, it is essential they use these lean resources to where they matter most to their members.

2. Leadership that is self-aware and inspiring. Leaders today need to be able to lead themselves, lead a team of peers in the C-suite and exhibit the leadership skills and mindset required to lead at scale, coordinating and inspiring networks of teams. To do this, they must build a keen awareness of both themselves and the operating environments around them. Association leaders are in the same vein: they need to be conscious of their own actuations toward themselves, their organizations and members, their key stakeholders.

3. Walking the talent tightrope. Business leaders have long walked a talent tightrope, i.e., carefully balancing budgets while retaining key people. In today’s uncertain economic climate, they need to focus more on matching top talent to the highest-value roles. McKinsey research shows that between 20 percent and 30 percent of critical roles in many organizations are not filled by the most appropriate people. Associations also suffer from recruiting and retaining

projects such as irrigation, flood management, water supply projects, post-harvest facilities, and logistics.

The Neda Secretary noted that infrastructure played a critical role in supporting the island group’s rapid growth and its sustained contribution to our food and agriculture sector.

This is mainly because Mindanao regions account for 38 percent of the country’s gross value added in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. Balisacan said key commodities such as bananas and pineapples, grown in Mindanao, also account for a significant share of the country’s agricultural exports.

“In support of our food security agenda, the Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project, valued at P6.6 billion, was approved by the Neda Board earlier this year as one of the highimpact infrastructure projects,” Balisacan said.

“This project aims to enhance agricultural productivity, resilience, and market access for organized farmers and fisherfolk across selected ancestral domains in all regions of Mindanao,” he added.

EDG matters

THE EDG also discussed updates on the monitoring system for the country’s infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) under the government’s Build-Better-More program.

The group also discussed the development of high-frequency monitoring systems for priority budget items, other government projects, and agriculture matters, and the proposed policy responses and contingency plans for addressing the impact of El Niño.

Neda said it is currently developing a public dashboard for the IFPs to enhance transparency and accountability among implementing agencies. The dashboard will also help in identifying and addressing bottlenecks and constraints that may hinder the timely implementation of the projects.

Currently, the Department of Transportation tracks the progress of major transportation projects with respect to their right-of-way acquisition and construction, while the Department of Public Works and Highways monitors the progress of strategic projects related to traffic decongestion, seamless and inclusive connectivity, and sustain-

able and resilient communities.

Meanwhile, the Department of Trade and Industry also emphasized the need to bolster efforts in developing domestic industries by addressing constraints to production and developing a strong, innovative export ecosystem to accelerate growth amid a challenging global economic outlook. In a sectoral meeting held last March, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. approved the creation of the EDG to assist the Executive Branch in harmonizing, coordinating, complementing, and synergizing the efforts that will ensure the country’s rapid, inclusive, and sustained growth. The EDG is expected to provide the President its recommendations on the various issues discussed.

Representatives and principals from other member government agencies were present, including the Presidential Management Staff, the Departments of Trade and Industry, Budget and Management, Agriculture, Public Works and Highways, Transportation, Information and Communications Technology, Energy, Science and Technology, Tourism, Interior and Local Government, and Labor and Employment.

talent, especially during the pandemic. As such, they have instituted ways to adopt to the situation through people reskilling and upskilling.

4. “True hybrid.” Since the Covid-19 pandemic, about 90 percent of organizations have embraced a range of hybrid work models that allow employees to work from offsite locations for some or much of the time. It’s important that organizations provide structure and support around the activities best done in person or remotely. Associations are similarly situated. Anecdotal information reveals that associations currently employ anywhere from full work-from-home arrangements to three days or four days in office and a day or two for remote work.

5. Making way for applied AI. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is more than just a potential opportunity to boost a company’s operations; it can also be used to build better organizations. Companies are already using AI to create sustainable talent pipelines, drastically improve ways of working and make faster, data-driven structural changes. Associations have been known to be slow in adapting to new technologies but progressive and well-funded associations have been leading the way in using AI in their operations.

6. Increasing speed, strengthening resilience. Half of the respondents in the survey say their organization is unprepared to react to future shocks. Those able to bounce forward and quickly out of several crises may gain significant advantages over others. Associations are also catching up fast to being more agile and flexible in the way they do things.

Octavio Peralta is currently the executive director of the Global Compact Network Philippines and founder and volunteer CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives, the “association of associations.” E-mail: bobby@pcaae.org.

DESPITE the recent slowdown in inflation, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) still believed high commodity prices still pose a threat to the country’s socioeconomic recovery from Covid-19.

ONE of the cleft patients receiving post-surgery care from the Palawan surgical team.

When the best just isn’t good enough

Philippines brand: “We give the world our best. The Philippines.” Included in the ad is a photo of FilipinaBritish nurse May Parsons, holding up a syringe, splashed with the text: “The nurse who gave the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine. A Filipina.”

‘ACOUNTRY Brand is built on two main pillars—business and tourism. Within those two clearly defined categories, you cover all the different elements that make up a Country Brand,” said international communications expert Didier Lagae. “Business covers living and working, investing and exporting. Meanwhile, the high volume of income that tourism contributes each year to the GDP [gross domestic product] of most countries, makes it a strategic sector that governments usually can’t afford to ignore,” said the multiawarded public relations professional in an interview with PR Week on February 18, 2021.

Lagae that year published his book A Country Brand, A Branded Country, on the importance of creating one and its impact and ensuing opportunities from which a nation can benefit. “A Country Brand matters to more than just the tourist board or a Chamber of Commerce,” he said. “A strong Country Brand helps companies export their goods to a global audience. It helps hoteliers book out all their rooms. The right Country Brand helps cities land contracts for businesses, for business headquarters; it helps to attract investment in national industries and it helps to attract people—convincing highly in-demand talent to relocate,” he added. (https://bit.ly/42HoJNz)

Which is why the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) has been insistent in creating a National Branding Council, which can help develop and implement a comprehensive branding strategy for the country. MAP sent President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. a position paper on May 3, underscoring this need. But no sooner had the business group sent in its position paper to Malacañang, a bus in London was spotted in the week of King Charles III’s coronation, wrapped with an ad featuring the new

It was later revealed to this writer that the country brand was created by popular filmmaker Paul Soriano, who happens to be the Presidential Adviser on Creative Communications. He told this paper: “The team who worked on the campaign’s thinking and creatives volunteered to be part of this campaign,” adding that the initiative was a priority of President Marcos Jr....“that our countrymen can be proud to call ourselves Filipinos anywhere in the world.” So I’m sure Soriano and his collaborators’ hearts are in the right place, when they created it.

(See “‘The best’ for rollout in the US, Middle East,” in BUSINESSMIRROR, May 12, 2023.)

When I asked MAP president Benedicta DuBalabad for her reaction on the country brand, she referred me to her organization’s position paper. “[We are] for a structural reform. As it is now, the branding is fragmented under a ‘bits and pieces’ framework. We want a unified, holistic, sustained country branding,” she emphasized.

I understand where Du-Balabad is coming from. For instance, the Board of Investments, an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry, uses the tagline “Invest Philippines” in many of its materials for foreign business executives. The Department of Tourism (DOT), on the other hand, uses (well it used to, anyway) “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” to underscore how much travelers will enjoy exploring the country. According to Soriano, he is discussing with the heads of select government agencies such as DOT for their own versions of “the best” branding.

But does the brand have equity? Is it clear and identifiable? Does it inspire and do we feel positive when we read, “We give the world our best”? Is it understandable? Judging from the barrage of criticism the country brand has received from an astute lawmaker, well-meaningful communications experts, and experienced advertising professionals, the brand bewilders.

Senator Nancy Binay said “the best” branding was, at best, “so vague.” She was disturbed that the transit ad seems “we are offering the world our nurses—

which is a bit off, because we are already losing our health workers here. We don’t want to commodify our people, and we don’t want to be tagged as a labor exporting country.” (See “Nancy on new country brand: Hanudaw?” in BUSINESSMIRROR, May 9, 2023.) Echoing this, Alan German, president of Agents International, a firm founded by his father, the great Reli German (Tama na! Sobra na!), said on Teleradyo’s SRO recently, “If it is a national branding, the impact is lessened, because there are so many aspects that can come in—investments, exports, etc. but again...it’s like we’re in a market [selling our workers].”

Speaking to Soriano’s plans for other government agencies to develop their own versions of country brand, he added: “It’s more difficult to remember a number of modified slogans instead of just one which is modular, that can be applied for all. When you say, ‘Just do it,’ that’s Nike, whether it’s Nike apparel, Nike shoes, Nike gyms, it applies. ‘Love ko ‘to’ is McDo, whether it’s a sundae, burger, their chicken, it’s just one. There has to be a total consistent alignment.”

Meanwhile, Lagae, who is founder and CEO of Marco, a leading international communications agency, and helped create global campaigns for Mexico and Morocco (Invest in Morocco), explains how to build a country brand. “The first step in building a powerful Country Brand starts with finding the answers to deceptively simple questions: What do you want to be as a country? Who are your targets? What is your brand promise as a country? How do you want to be perceived? A proper set of answers is based on a thorough benchmarked analysis of who you compete with and, remember, your competitors will be different for the tourism and business sectors.”

But he also stressed that for a country brand to work, it also has to have “buy-ins from the relevant industries, institutions, and governing bodies. You need to consult with and convince the right people— chambers of commerce, titans of industry, regional governments. They are best placed to tell you what’s missing.”

Which is probably what is missing most of all from the country brand. Soriano and his creative collaborators discussed it internally, and with

Top bank funds operation of cleft patients in Palawan

ALIGNED with the key pillars of its mission to enrich lives and build communities, Security Bank participated in Operation Smile’s medical mission to provide surgical and comprehensive care for cleft patients at the Narra Municipal Hospital in Palawan City. The mission, led by Operation Smile Philippines (OSP), in partnership with Security Bank, Coral Bay Nickel Corp., Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corp., and Colgate-Palmolive Philippines sent 48 specialist cleft care volunteers including surgeons, pediatricians, anesthesiologists, orthodontists, nurses and speech pathologists to administer the treatments needed.

“Since 2020, Security Bank has been a partner that we can always count on. Its mission of Better Banking goes beyond financial services. It also supports the advocacies of various non-government organizations such as Operation Smile,

whose ultimate goal is to improve the lives of Filipinos who are suffering from cleft conditions,” says Emiliano Romano, Operation Smile Philippines executive

director. Security Bank and OSP have been working together to elevate the quality of life of those suffering from cleft conditions.

The

Their joint initiatives have included cleft awareness campaigns, the Nutrition Pilot Program, and the First Swing for Smiles Golf tournament.

“We applaud Operation Smile’s 40 years of helping Filipinos in need of cleft treatments. OSP’s programs are very much aligned with our advocacies, which include health and wellness. We’re proud to support OSP and make a difference in the communities where we operate,” says Sanjiv Vohra, president and CEO at Security Bank.

In 2022, Security Bank (www. securitybank.com/sustainability) donated P1.4 million to OSP to build 14 consultation rooms at the Cebu Comprehensive Cleft Care Center of Excellence. The rooms will benefit 10,000 patients over the next five years, allowing for an environment that will foster safe and quality cleft surgery and care. OSP targets construction completion by end 2023.

TODAY’S HOROSCOPE

Eugenia

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS

DAY: Dario Franchitti, 50; Polly Walker, 57; Grace Jones, 75; Pete Townshend, 78.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Get down to business and make the changes that get you closer to your dreams. Opportunity is all around you, but it’s up to you to recognize and take advantage of what’s available. Turn your space into a place that puts your mind at ease and inspires you to follow your heart and dreams. Talks will lead to romance and a detailed look at possibilities. Your numbers are 8, 12, 17, 29, 32, 38, 40.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Consider what’s meaningful and enjoyable, and set a course to take you where you want to go. The goal is to eliminate stress by heading in a direction that offers comfort and satisfaction. Reconfigure your path to match your desire. ★★★

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Check your options and consider what will help you reach your objective. Reach out to an expert or attend a conference that will broaden your vision and help you see how you can use your skills to advance.

★★★

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Refuse to let anyone take advantage of you. Listen, and you’ll see who you can trust not to take advantage of you. Sign up for something you want to learn or explore. Knowledge and experience are the keys to your success. ★★★

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Use your expertise to help others. Your suggestions will give hope to those in need and help you establish what you have to offer. You’ll advance if you are willing to do the work in a unique and timely fashion.

★★★★

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Observe how others handle situations and proceed cautiously. You’ll likely upset someone if you overreact or fall short when dealing with responsibilities. A steady pace and less drama will get you where you want to go.

★★

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Think, learn and make your decisions clear to others. Spend time with someone you love, and make plans that will encourage you to do more together. Sign up for an event or volunteer for a cause, and new relationships will blossom. ★★★★★

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Physical work will rectify any anxiety you feel. Put your energy where it counts, and you’ll feel better about yourself and your accomplishments. Make a change at home that adds to your comfort, releases stress and encourages a change in your living arrangements.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Something will pull you in an unexpected direction. Go with the flow, reach out to those you work well with and use your home base as your headquarters for your pursuits. Romance is in the stars, and the time to initiate travel, communication and plans is now. ★★★

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Channel your energy into sorting through unfinished business and updating paperwork that has a due date. Don’t trust or leave something important in the hands of someone unreliable. ★★★

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t labor over what’s wrong when putting your energy behind something that offers the rewards you want is within reach. Stay focused on the opportunities, host an event and spend time romancing someone you love. ★★★

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Ensure you understand what others expect of you before committing. Emotional matters will escalate if you discuss sensitive issues. Be willing to stand up for your beliefs, regardless of the outcome. Have faith that when one door shuts another will open. ★★

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Count your savings and move money around, invest in something that will help you raise your worth, and discuss your intentions, feelings and plans with someone you love. Put your energy where it is sure to bring the highest return. Romance is favored. ★★★★

BIRTHDAY BABY: You are deliberate, intuitive and forceful. You are expressive and active.

‘spring collection’ BY BART GOLD

Show BusinessMirror

A sort of an archaeology of reading

MISSING tombs and found readers are just two of the many concerns that the writer-delegates to the 2nd Bikol Book Festival had to contend with. The weeklong and more celebration of writing and reading began with a tribute to an educator, with some of the ceremonies bringing the writers and the representatives of the National Book Development Board to cemeteries or memorial sites.

But there is another issue writers as well educators had to face and this has to do with statistics on reading and literacy. Following the study of Unicef, less than 15 percent of schoolchildren in the country can read simple texts. The study cites the school closure during the pandemic as the reason for this dismal showing. The latest Unicef assessment also mentions the learning poverty rate registering more than 85 percent, a phenomenon described further as the proportion of 10-year-olds who cannot read simple stories. This reading ability connotes understanding skill as well.

The pandemic framing of the sad numbers reflected by those reports softened the realities about us as an archipelago of readers or, in this case, nonreaders. From hereon, it is easier to extrapolate how we are in daily lives, demonstrate our abilities to think and, thereby, make decisions. From hereon, a celebration about reading and, backtracking, writing takes on a quixotic, idealistic tone, but not necessarily a hopeless exercise.

Without meaning to, we ourselves in this movement behind book festivals are really no more like teachers than warriors braving fields to where we bring our ideas and ideals about reading literatures.

The celebration entails book donations. Very simple enough: you want people to read, then give books to people to read. You want young people to read, then provide these young people materials to read. You want children to know what books are and what splendid worlds they can visit and experience, then study what good things these children should read. And produce those books appropriate for their ages or compelling enough to make them like reading. The NBDB Book Nook, one of its flagship projects, aims to bring books authored by Filipino writers to places or locations not usually serviced by publishing houses or bookstores.

In the second book festival, Bikol edition, there are writers and publishers who grapple with materials if only to shape them for children, in particular. Ani Almario, for example, the educator and woman behind Adarna House, the pioneering children’s book publishing house, is so specific with her vision,

SOfIA, AllEN ExPlORE THE wORld

Of lUCId dREAMING IN dIGITAl

SERIES

opting to talk about the dark age of reading during the lockdown brought on by Covid-19. If reading is here, can languages be far behind? Or the problem of languages?

The Bikol Book Festival deals with languages by way of the trope of a journey. The writers almost like itinerant storytellers travel the length (limited as this is at present) to tell the tales of those who also deal with the virtues of languages. And what are the virtues of languages but in the enchantment of bringing them into a relationship with other languages through translations. Two of our noted translators are gracing the festival: the multiawarded poet Marne Kilates and Danton Remoto, who, outside of his achievements in literature, is known for his advocacies under the LGBTQIA+. They share their multiple experiences with “dakit-taramon” (lit. transfer of speech) as they persist to look into languages, imagined and reimagined.

Translation must not remain on the level of thinking. The festival will highlight books in different languages and books translated from English to other Philippine languages. Delfin Fresnosa, the Sorsoganon whose grave was found in time for last year’s tribute to him, will be in the spotlight again as his stories are translated from their original English to Filipino and Bikol. Fresnosa’s translators—or interlocutors—are Jun Dio, a lawyer and filmmaker, and Juan Escandor, an accomplished journalist. Both are Sorsoganons.

The art and discipline of translation dovetails into histories of words and languages. An important work is launched during the festival. This is the dictionary

FOLLOWING their successful team-up in their first-ever primetime series Luv is: Caught in His Arms, Sparkle talents Sofia Pablo and Allen Ansay are set to solidify their love team via GMA Public Affairs’ digital drama series In My Dreams, which airs online beginning May 18.

The six-part narrative series follows the story of Sari (Sofia), a certified NBSB who feels she has no control over anything in her life. One day, she stumbles upon an article about lucid dreaming and attempts to achieve it until she finally does. In her dream, she meets a handsome young man named Jecoy (Allen). With her consistent lucid dreaming, the two reunite each night and eventually fall in love.

Will the romance she found in her dreams become a reality? With the unique storyline, Sofia and Allen welcomed the chance for them to explore their roles.

“[It was] really enjoyable kasi since kakaiba nga po ’yung kwento, nakapag-explore [ako] ng kakaibang acting style,” shares Sofia. “Mas na-realize ko po na may mga kailangan [at pwede] pa akong gawin kasi maganda ’yung twist ng kuwento,” says Allen.

Joining Team Jolly are fellow Sparkle artists Elijah Alejo, Cheska Fausto, Tanya Ramos, Juancho Trivino and Sanya Lopez. Adding excitement to the romance-magic realism series are content creators Ashley Rivera, Christian Antolin, Berniecular, Alexis Vines, and Prince Adrian Dagdag.

In My Dreams is from the team behind the hit series The Lost Recipe. This latest digital series airs from Tuesday to Thursday at 6 pm on GMA Public Affairs’ Facebook page and YouTube channel.

well known to scholars of Bikol societies and cultures, Marcos de Lisboa’s Vocabulario de la Lengua Bicol monumental in many ways—from its physical heft to the generational efforts put into the production of said work. Evelyn Caldera Soriano, a descendant of the Arejola patriots of the 19th century revolution, worked on what her mother Leticia had started, which is an English translation of the dictionary in which survives those words long before colonization had altered many of the concepts.

Reading (and writing) of course, with its problems and possibilities, does not exist in a vacuum. Economics and technologies, among many other factors, have effects on those human activities. Nick Pichay, another lawyer in this year’s team of writers, talks about copyright, social media, ethics, and writer’s unions. These are elements that counter the freedom that we attribute to the development of arts and literatures. Roland Tolentino, a former dean and a prolific writer whose writings are always at the cusp of the upheavals in all kinds of communities, has been tasked to address the issues of literature and artificial intelligence. As in the first Bikol Book Festival, the act of reading has always been linked inextricably to the traditions of producing the materials to be read. Writers who have pioneered literary movements either in the person of a bishop, Msgr. Teotimo Pacis, who managed the translation of the Bible and the Roman Catholic Missal, or in the scholarship of Ma. Lilia F. Realubit, whose mission it was to recover the unheralded materials from the peripheries, are remembered and paid homage to. n

Of family hurt and healing

VETERAN actor Tony Boy dela Rea, who previously worked with seasoned director Elwood Perez back in the 1970s and 1980s, plays a starring role in his new movie, Paghilom Now a movie producer, together with his sister Avelina dela Rea, former commissioner of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), they have set up a new movie outfit called Cine Silang. Filipinos highly value family bonds. Our parents and siblings can be a source of strength and a shelter to go to during troubled times. For many, the dream of providing a better future for their family is one of the driving factors to succeed in life. Another powerful factor is the dream to maintain family tradition as to a chosen profession.

However, many of these bonds can also become a shackle that could limit the potential of people. There are children who are forced into a career they did not want but do it to please their parents even if it was against their will. They suffer silently as they have to obey their parents, especially their father. Others who choose to live their lives by their own rules pay the price of cutting relations with their family, some permanently.

As producer of this movie, Tony Boy embarked on this project because of his passion for movies, while Nette wanted to leave a legacy for their family. “We want our audience to appreciate their family more after watching this film. This is a feel-good movie that aims to highlight that there will always be ways to heal as long as we learn to forgive. It is a hard lesson we all have to learn,” Tony Boy dela Rea shared.

The film was shot in Silang, Cavite, where the Dela Rea family traces its roots and with the goal of showcasing the beauty of the

town, especially their ancestral home and the resort they built where much of the shooting was done. It also features one of the oldest churches in the Philippines with a white marble retablo, the only retablo built by Jesuits in the Philippines and the second oldest in the country. The movie was directed by Tejay Gonzales with Lala Servano as the assistant director. Paghilom (Sa Luha ng Buhay) is rated general patronage and will be shown in selected theaters nationwide.

NO MORE PROJECT TOGETHER

WHAT’S this we hear from a very reliable source about this network’s two top stars not being on good terms? This is reportedly the reason why their project together was shelved. It is also said to be the reason why we cannot expect another project with them together. The actor reportedly changed his mind about working for the actress because she is not good for his career, which is kind of true. He also feels that the actress exudes bad energy. So, for now, the project is shelved. The actor has reportedly told his close associates that he will try to avoid working with her always for this reason.

IT’S A NO

AS his son and girlfriend continue to mark relationship milestones together, the actor’s dislike for the girl continues to grow. The actor and his wife, also an actress, have always been wary of the girl and her motives for entering into a relationship with their son but they tried to give her a chance. The thing is, the son, who’s also in show business, is said to be a battered boyfriend. The girl is reportedly quite domineering and would not hesitate to hurt her boyfriend physically if she doesn’t get her way. Another thing that annoys the actor is that their son’s girlfriend won’t go out with him if they’re chaperoned. She wants them to go on dates with him only and not with a driver or personal assistant. The actor and his wife aren’t strict parents but they want the best for their kids. Despite their objections, however, there is nothing they can do because their son is madly in love with the girl.

SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR

THE guy fancies himself to be an impresario but in reality, he is someone with an unsavory reputation in the industry he is in. The guy started out strong and built a good name for himself in the fashion and modeling industry. But as he became richer and more famous, he started to become a suspicious character. He reportedly owes money to a lot of people and is said to have reneged on his organization’s obligations to a number of companies. According to his detractors, the guy used the money he borrowed from people to travel with his boyfriend, a starlet.

PERSISTENT SUITOR

HOW true is the rumor that the seasoned actor is wooing this sexy actress, who is kind of attracted to him but is being held back by many questions. No one knows if the actor and the mother of his kids who’s also an actress are still together. The sexy actress and her longtime beau have just split and if she ever enters into a new relationship, she would prefer it that the guy was single. But there’s no denying that the actor is a persistent suitor who could sweep a girl off her feet. It would be interesting to see if the sexy actress succumbs to his charms.

Good enough...

Continued from B4

select heads of government agencies, but may have overlooked speaking with the stakeholders who are supposed to benefit from it. (I understand from my sources that even the Private Sector Advisory Council, formed to strengthen the collaboration between government and private sectoral groups, didn’t see the country brand before it was rolled out.) It’s not creative communications we need, but plain communication.

I’m sure Soriano thinks he and his group have already given their best in developing this country brand. But maybe in talking to stakeholders concerned, truly listen to their recommendations (and yes! process the criticisms too!), they could improve the tagline some more. Maybe then they can serve up a brand that truly represents our dreams and aspirations for ourselves, and our nation. n

FROM left: (seated on floor) Lance Raymundo and Genesis Esquerra; (second row) Azenith Briones, Jane Umali and Tony Boy dela Rea; (third row) Nette dela Rea, Teejay Gonzales and Lala Servano.

PR, marketing leader Stratworks announces executive reshuffle

PEOPLE-CENTERED leadership, strategic thinking, and creative storytelling are the backbone of great agencies. For more than two decades, these have made Strategic Works, Inc. (Stratworks) an industry leader in PR and marketing communications.

Stratworks reaffirms their calling to utilize its people’s limitless talents to help brands build deeper connections with their consumers. In line with this mission, the agency recently reorganized its executive suite, appointing a new managing director and key executives to lead the company.

Directors who have been in the company’s executive committee for the past 15 years, now hold new positions effective April 2, 2023. Mark Christian Parlade, previously the agency’s Public Relations Director is now the Managing Director.

“Mark’s humility and willingness to learn, and putting people and relationships first have proven instrumental not only in his own growth, but the growth of people he works with as well. His handson leadership and collaborative approach have helped establish Stratworks as a leading, award-winning PR agency with an excellent reputation for being instrumental in building a strong brand reputation for their clients,” said Donna Nievera Conda, Stratworks president and co-CEO, about Parlade.

As Managing Director, Parlade will be responsible for the leadership and development of Stratworks’ business. He will play a vital role in leading its highperformance team to meet the company’s growth goals and deliver client delight.

“The times have changed but our mission from when we founded the company 24 years ago hasn’t: for us to help brands play relevant roles in people’s lives,” said Nievera Conda. “We’ve done this by having an ear to the ground on what people want, need and love.”

“Stratworks leads the industry with memorable campaigns and close partnerships with clients. We couldn’t have done this without the dedication of our team,” added Stratworks co-CEO Oliver Conda. “In this light, we are proud to announce the promotion of our passionate and experienced executives to key positions in the company.”

In addition to Parlade, top long-serving executives were also promoted. From previous director positions, Liezl Rustia is now Senior Vice President for Activations and Digital Marketing; Rey Ganayo, has been promoted to Vice President for Strategic Planning and Data Analytics; and Robbie David, is now Vice President for Client Service.

Ronald Cabanilla, who had been heading the finance department was bumped up to Finance Director; while Strategic Business

Unit Head Cathy Albaniel has been named Human Resources, Admin and IT director, a move that welcomes he r into the agency’s executive committee. At the heart of Stratworks’ success is effective storytelling, a strength that allows its client brands’ numerous campaigns to resonate with their customers and develop brand love and loyalty. This strength is constantly fueled by the agency’s deep roster of talented creatives who never fail to apply insightful knowledge, experience, and heart in their work.

Most notably, this has resulted in the agency cultivating deep and fruitful longrunning relationships with some of the biggest brands both in the Philippines and around the world, such as Jollibee, PLDT Home, The Walt Disney Company, Cebuana Lhuillier, Universal Robina Corporation, and HP, to name a few.

The 6th Edition of Livestock Philippines: A Pivotal Event in the Agri Livestock Industry to be held in July

A concurrent event with this year's Livestock Philippines, Aquaculture Philippines, will open a platform for discussions catering to the entire value chain in aquaculture, from its production to processing. It's an affirmation of Livestock Philippines' commitment to inclusive growth and diversification in the agriculture industry.

In an effort to connect, educate, and collaborate with industry professionals, Informa Markets is organizing several roadshows leading up to Livestock Philippines 2023. These events, open to all and free of charge, will feature presentations by industry experts and provide a platform for interaction and learning.

The roadshow schedule for 2023 includes:

■ Poultry Roadshow: May 23, 2023, at Lima Park Hotel, Lipa-Malvar City, Batangas;

SEC Commissioner is winner of Stevies‘ ‘Thought Leader of the Year’ for fintech initiatives in PHL

THE work of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), led by Commissioner Kelvin Lester Lee, to grow Financial Technology (Fintech) in the Philippines has brought pride to the Philippines after Lee was recognized as the top winner in the category of “Thought Leader of the Year” by the Asia Pacific Stevies Award.

In winning the Gold Prize, Lee's exceptional contributions to the field of Fintech have garnered recognition from the international community and cemented his position as a leading authority in the Asia-Pacific region, triumphing over other winners from the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, and India.

Apart from the Gold Prize, Lee also won the coveted Grand Stevie Award for the Philippines, a recognition presented to the highest-scoring nomination from each of the four nations that submitted the most nominations to the competition, after getting an impressive score of 8.83/10 from international jurors.

As an incumbent Commissioner of the SEC, Lee has been instrumental in spearheading groundbreaking initiatives within the realm of Fintech. His noteworthy accomplishments include his involvement in the pioneer cohort of the University of Cambridge's Fintech and Regulatory Innovation Programme, which significantly influenced his drive for a meticulous and balanced policy approach to Fintech regulation.

In recognition of his vision and advocacy, Lee played a pivotal role in the establishment of the SEC‘s PhiliFintech Innovation Office (PhiliFINNO) in 2021. This office, working under guidance, focuses on fintech regulation and policy recommendations, positioning the Philippines as a frontrunner in embracing technological advancements while prioritizing investor protection.

To maintain a healthy marriage b etween encouraging innovation and ensuring investor safety, Lee has also crafted the SEC‘s “delicate balancing act” policy. This policy enables the SEC to foster an environment conducive to Fintech growth while upholding its responsibility as a financial regulator to safeguard the interests of investors.

The Commissioner‘s influence extends beyond national boundaries, as he is frequently invited to speak at Senate hearings, sit on panels, and deliver keynote speeches on Fintech policy. His expertise and insights on Fintech, Fintech policy, and Fintech regulation are sought after

both in the Philippines and internationally.

Noteworthy platforms where he has shared his knowledge include events organized by the University of Cambridge, the Asian Institute of Management, the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc., the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Cambodia, the Fintech Alliance, and the World Economic Forum, among others.

Lee's dedication to advancing Fintech has taken him to Hong Kong, Singapore, London, and Cambridge, where he has shared his expertise and contributed to shaping the global Fintech landscape.

In December 2022, the SEC official’s Fintech policy work and thought leadership led to him being honored as one of the Philippine Blockchain Champions by the Blockchain Council of the Philippines. This recognition acknowledges his invaluable contributions in driving the adoption of blockchain and Web3 technologies in the Philippines, positioning the country as a prominent blockchain hub in Asia.

In January 2023, Lee also solidified a partnership with the University of the Philippines Law Center through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), paving the way for joint research and capacity-building projects focused on digital assets, blockchain, nonfungible tokens, and decentralized finance.

As a regulator, Lee remains guided by the SEC‘s overarching approach to Fintech, striking a delicate balance between regulatory objectives, such as investor protection, and fostering an environment that embraces the innovative potential of Fintech.

Sercomm Philippines inaugurates state-of-the-art, green facility in Carmelray Industrial Park 1

THE Philippine livestock industry eagerly anticipates the return of a landmark event this year. The 6th edition of Livestock Philippines, a premier international trade fair for innovative production and processing in poultry and livestock, is set to take place from July 5 to 7, 2023. This significant event will unfold at the World Trade Center, promising an even more dynamic and comprehensive platform for industry professionals.

Last year's edition saw unprecedented success, strengthening Livestock Philippines' reputation as a leading event within the agriculture industry. The event facilitated the showcasing of innovative products, bridged connections between local and international exhibitors, and hosted several thousand trade buyers.

Livestock Philippines 2023, with its focus on food security, safety, and sustainability in swine and poultry production, is set to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the agrilivestock industry. By fostering collaboration

and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders, the event aims to drive meaningful progress towards a more secure, safe, and sustainable future for all.

Livestock Philippines 2023 is primed to build upon the successes of its predecessors. This year's fair will underscore the importance of livestock in the Philippine economy and aim to contribute further to the growth of the agri-livestock industry in the Philippines. With the event's broad array of technical seminars, conferences, and activities, attendees will gain invaluable knowledge about market trends, the latest industry developments, and much more.

Several highlights are set to make this year's Livestock Philippines event stand out. Participants can look forward to the technical conferences and seminars and the industry forum. Additionally, the Sustainability Square and Innovation Theatre will provide unique opportunities for attendees to engage with cutting-edge concepts and products in the livestock sector.

■ Poultry Roadshow: June 14, 2023, at SMX Convention Center Clark, Angeles City, Pampanga; and

■ Swine and Feeds Roadshow: June 15, 2023, also at SMX Convention Center Clark, Angeles City, Pampanga.

These roadshows present a unique opportunity to gain industry insights, network with key stakeholders, and take part in discussions on the future of the Philippine livestock industry.

As the 6th edition of Livestock Philippines draws near, it is set to once again bring together key industry players, decisionmakers, and business owners from across the globe. This event serves as a testament to the resilience, innovation, and enduring significance of the Philippines livestock industry.

In summary, Livestock Philippines 2023 promises to be a pivotal event for everyone involved in the agri livestock industry in the Philippines and beyond. It's not merely a trade fair; it's a celebration of the industry's accomplishments and a gathering of minds to shape its future.

SERCOMM Philippines, an affiliate of Sercomm Corporation, marked the grand opening of its new and advanced factory center, located in Carmelray Industrial Park 1 in Calamba, Laguna. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) government officials and academic leaders were on hand for Factory Phase I opening ceremony.

Sercomm Philippines is a world-class professional networking equipment manufacturing site aiming to become Sercomm’s regional hub to serve North America and Southeast Asia markets, providing a one-stop integrated service of R&D design, manufacturing and quality assurance. With a more than P2.5 billion investment, the manufacturing center is expected to attract local talent and create job opportunities, with an expected total employment of 5,000 employees. The 20,000 square meter facility, which specializes in wireless telecommunication devices such as 5G and fiber products, is a state-of-the-art, eco-friendly building adhering to the highest energy conservation standards.

To cope with growing business, Sercomm also plans to construct Factory Phase II.

Once completed, the manufacturing and R&D center will be 48,000 m2, and the total capacity will be further expanded to 40

million units in 2025.

Sercomm, the parent company of Sercomm Philippines, is a leading global manufacturer of telecoms and broadband equipment. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, Sercomm’s global operations network covers markets in North and Central America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific.

Trade and Industry Secretary Fred Pascual said, “The Philippines has abundant natural resources and a vibrant and tech-savvy talent pool. Among the leading companies in the industry that have chosen to establish manufacturing facilities in the Philippines is Sercomm that is pioneering innovation. We at DTI welcome, with optimism, Sercomm‘s establishment of cutting-edge facilities in the Philippines, strengthening the country's industrial competitiveness and facilitating employment generation.”

“The Philippines’ sufficient talent and geographical location between Eurasia and the Pacific Ocean makes it a suitable design and manufacturing center for North America and Southeast Asia. With the strong support of DTI in its inception, Sercomm chose Philippines to be its strategic regional operation center,” James Wang, Sercomm Group Chairman stated, “The new Sercomm Philippines facility is an eco-friendly green building, where technology is integrated into humanities, and it also reflects the corporate commitment of sustainability.”

KEY EXECUTIVES STEERING STRATWORKS: (clockwise from right, seated) Mark Christian Parlade, Managing Director; Rey Ganayo, Vice President for Strategic Planning and Data Analysis; Robbie David, vice president for Client Service and Liezl Rustia Senior Vice President for Activations and Digital Marketing.

SERCOMM Chairman James Wang (center), is flanked on the right by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Ana Carolina P. Sanchez and Silvestre H. Bello III, Chairman of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) on his left as Sercomm company executives, Taiwanese trade officials, the local government of Calamba, and VIP guests lead the ribbon cutting of Sercomm Philippines' grand launch in Calamba, Laguna,

A FIREWORKS display highlights the closing ceremony of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh as Thailand Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan receives the games federation flag from Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh on Wednesday. AP

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Despite the host nation’s desire for golds going into the 32nd SEA Games, a mini-Olympic style event for the region of 650 million people, it was 5,000-meter runner Bou Samnang’s finish, in last pace and in tears, on May 8 that captured hearts and earned praise from Prime Minister Hun Sen.

What really held my attention was the way she kept running, despite the heavy rain, and despite being in last place,” he said. “To reward her determination, my wife and I will honor her with $10,000.”

W ith Cambodia experiencing unprecedented success at the event, it could afford to celebrate glorious failure.

I n 21 previous appearances at the SEA Games, the country had won 78 gold medals, yet on home soil it took center spot on the podium 81 times and placed fourth out of eleven countries in the standings behind Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.

“ The number of medals we have earned is one thing, but I am more proud of the fact that our thousands of guests have enjoyed their time here and that the Cambodian people have been inspired to watch—and participate—in sporting events,” Hun Sen said this week.

The SEA Games opened on May 5 with fireworks and celebrations and closed Wednesday.

O ne reason for the gold rush was Cambodia taking advantage of rules that allow the host nation to include three sports of their own on the program. That led to one of the controversies. Cambodia’s

Sports

OU SAMNANG’S determined but distant finish in driving rain and a wild ending to the football final were two of the defining images of Cambodia’s first staging of the Southeast Asian Games.decision to include Kun Khmer on the program, the local variant of Muay Thai, as the kickboxing event is more widely known, led to Thailand’s fighters boycotting the event. In their absence, Cambodia’s men won 14 gold medals.

Then there was a flag flap, when organizers had to apologize to Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam after their flags were displayed upside down at the opening ceremony.

A nd, on the penultimate night of the games, the gold medal match in men’s soccer made global headlines as the referee handed out multiple red cards following a mass brawl involving players and staff from both Indonesian and Thailand teams.

Indonesia ended up winning 5-2 in extra time for its first SEA Games soccer title since 1991.

I ndonesia national team manager Kombes Sumardji sustained a cut lip in the melee.

Actually I was going to hold back but instead I was the one who was hit,” he said. “I don’t have a problem, this is part of the struggle.”

The Football Association of Thailand issued a statement Wednesday to apologize for the “off-field chaos that occurred during the match” and which “has caused great damage to the Thai national football team.”

Th ai soccer officials planned to establish a committee to investigate once the team flies home and said there could be “severe punishment” for players or staff involved.

The incident isn’t likely to tarnish the memories for Cambodians who flocked to events at the newly developed sport complex on the outskirts of the

The government spent a reported $118 million on hosting the games, which included free tickets for spectators and free accommodation and food for 11,000 athletes and officials. It didn’t go unnoticed by hosts or visitors.

The ‘Free Games’ is a new concept in our history and has great significance for every participant,” Vietnam Olympic Committee Secretary General Tran Van Manh said. “Lots of people have come and lots of people are supporting the games, and there are also many sponsors. After the games there will be a lot of investment and tourism.” AP

Bravo Zulo, Balintaugan Const grab early lead in CGFI golfest

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Tournament at the Camp John Hay Golf Club in Baguio City.

Jeremiah Guanso made 35 points, Francis Banastao contributed 28 points and Rolly Tangalin and Sonny Liwan chipped in 27 and 25, respectively, for 113 points and a huge 25-point advantage over Palm Grove 2, which produced 88 at the par-69 John Hay course.

Jun Candy Ambasing made 25

RAVO Zulo Security Inc. and Balintaugan Construction led their respective divisions at the start Thursday of the first Cordillera Golfers Foundation Inc. Invitationalpoints for Palm Grove 2 and got support from Randy dela Cruz (23) and Jason Ayugat (22). The 18 of William Biano counted as the last team score in the four-day event co-hosted by Pinewoods Golf and Country Club.

I n Seniors A, Douglas Puckett came home with 36 points as Bravo Zulo Security Inc. tallied 122 to erect an 11-point lead against MCS-Wednesday Club of Mimosa Team 1. Noel Sebastian backstopped Puckett with 31, Goody Ignacio counted with 29 while Dai Tsuchiya carded a 26.

C risostomo Garbo led MCS-

CHOOKS-TO-GO President Ronald Mascariñas makes a donation to the Sisters of Mary.

UNITY BEHIND SEAG GOLD–PANLILIO

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Panlilio, president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), also thanked the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) for lending their players to the national team.

A s a result of the gold medal conquest, Panlilio called for every Filipino fan to unite for the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup which the country is hosting from August 25 to September 10.

A job well done,” said Panlilio, also the CEO and president of PLDT and Smart, as he congratulated the players and coaches led by Chot Reyes.  Gilas defeated Cambodia, which had five naturalized American players, in the gold medal play, 80-69, on Tuesday.

I’m very happy we redeemed ourselves, thank you to the players, coaches Chot, Tim [Cone] and Jong [Uichico] for their sacrifice, hard work and resilience,” he said. “My personal gratitude to Governor Alfrancis Chua [Ginebra] for all he has done. The gold is back to where it belongs.”

Now that SEA Games is over and we’re very happy that we redeemed ourselves, we switch our focus on the World Cup,” he said.

“And that’s the bigger task at hand with 99 days to go.”

He thanked the PBA and UAAP for supporting the SEA Games campaign.

“On behalf of the SBP, I would like to thank UAAP, the PBA, its team owners and the Board of Governors again for allowing their players to be part of the Gilas team,” he said.

T he PBA players were Justin Brownlee, CJ Perez, Christian Standhardinger, Chris Ross, Calvin Oftana, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Marcio Lassiter, Arvin Tolentino and Chris Newsome.

The UAAP collegiate players were Adamson University’s Jerome Lastimosa, Ateneo’s Mason Amos and De La Salles’s Michael Philips. R eyes, meanwhile, said that the road to redemption was never easy and that he’s done his part to serve the country regardless of how Filipino fans translate the victory.

It’s nothing to them [fans]. If I lose again, they will hate me again for sure,” Reyes said. “I’m already used to it and that’s part of the job.”

It’s huge, very huge,” said Reyes on the SEA Games campaign. “This is a thankless job. I’m not a politician or a business tycoon, but this is ‘puso,’ all about how you serve your country— and my way of serving my country is to coach the national team.”

He reiterated his decision not to coach a team to the SEA Games again.

Wednesday with 31, with the pair of 28s from Danilo Abad and Dominico Hermoso Jr. and 26 from Emiliano Mendoza accounted for the squad’s 111 total.

P hilex Mines, meanwhile, drew 33 from its COO Eulalio Austi, 27 from retirned police general Alexander Pumacha, 20 from Ferdinand Dimaiisip and 19 from Joser Siasat for 99 points.

A playa was a point as Ely Lagman and Mar Bustos came through with similar 27s. Paeng Ding and Ramon Aldana supported with 24 and 20, respectively.

BAGUIO City-based Douglas Pucket scores 36 points at Camp John Hay to help Bravo Zulo Security Inc. lead the Seniors A division with 122 points.

‘Chooks’ gives to Sisters of Mary

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The assistance guarantees students in the religious institution would receive education and opportunities they deserve.

The support came before the Manila Chooks! squad represents the country in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Manila Masters set this weekend at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City.

C hooks-to-Go President Ronald Mascariñas made the pledge to Sisters of Mary and also arranged a monthly Chooks-to-Go oven-roasted feast on top of providing 50 basketballs for the institution’s students.

“ In all our undertakings, we are driven by a profound purpose—that of bridging the gaps that divide our society,” Mascariñas said. “Our commitment extends far beyond mere assistance

HOOKS-TO-GO pledged recently a total of P2.8 million in annual financial support to Sisters of Mary Boystown and Girlstown in Silang, Cavite.and entertainment, for we believe that our collective actions have the power to shape a brighter future for our fellow Filipinos.” We view our position as a privilege, and it is through our endeavors that we humbly contribute to the advancement and unity of our beloved nation,” he added.

Manila Chooks! cagers Mac Tallo, Paul Desiderio, Brandon Ramirez, Dennis Santos, Cj Payawal, and head trainer Chico Lanete also graced the event, while singer Chloe provided the entertainment.   T he Manila Masters, a FIBA level 10 tournament—the top competition on the 3x3 pro circuit—will draw fancied teams UB Huishan of Serbia, Riga of Latvia, Amsterdam HiPRO of the Netherlands and Sansar MMC Energy of Mongolia.

The event has a $40,000 prize for the champion, while the second and third placers will take home $30,000 and $22,000, respectively.

Paris Games vows to carry torch for LGBTQ rights

ARIS—Organizers of the Paris Olympics, who gave rainbow colors to their logo Wednesday to mark the international day against homophobia, transphobia and biphobia, aren’t limiting themselves to promises of inclusive Games next year. They say they also intend to seize on the Olympic spotlight to push a broader message that LGBTQ rights need to progress outside France, too.

A s the French capital set out plans for a Pride House that will celebrate LGBTQ people during the Olympics and Paralympics, organizers pledged that Olympians and campaigners will be given “plenty of opportunities” to speak for LGBTQ rights at next year’s event.

We strongly believe that Paris 2024 has a fantastic opportunity to communicate and demonstrate that this situation has to evolve,” said Tony Estanguet, the organizing committee president.

T he International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2021 relaxed how it implements a rule which historically had stopped athletes from making political, religious

or other statements of belief or identity at the Olympics and it allowed the wearing of rainbow colors at the Tokyo Games in 2021. In Paris, athletes will also be “free to speak and to share their messages” when they’re not competing, Estanguet pledged.

“ There are plenty of opportunities for athletes, for associations, to use the platform of the Games to demonstrate that there [are] some situations [that are] not acceptable, that we have to evolve,” he said. Th at hasn’t always been the case at the Olympics. LGBT activists who waved rainbow flags in Moscow’s Red Square and protested in St. Petersburg were arrested during the 2014 Olympics in Russia. What was then a new Russian law banning gay “propaganda” also cast a chill over those Winter Games in Sochi and helped stifle any Olympians who might otherwise have wanted to speak up for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.

Th is week also saw the closure of a safe space for the LGBTQ community in Beijing, a critical blow for advocacy groups in the city that hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics. AP

By Josef Ramos

capital, Phnom Penh. Its centerpiece is the Chinesebuilt Morodok Techo National Stadium, with a capacity of 60,000.

ASKETBALL chief Al Panlilio described as a job well done Gilas Pilipinas’s successful campaign in the recent Cambodia 32nd Southeast Asian Games where the country regained the crown by beating the American-reinforced host team.PANLILIO

HOME OF PHL MASTERS Villamor Airbase Administrator Col. Eric Gatchalian (right) and Colo Ventosa, general manager of the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc., sign the Memorandum of Agreement renewing their partnership to stage the International Container Terminal Services Inc. Villamor Philippine Masters set from May 24 to 27 at its home, the Villamor Golf Club in Pasay City. Also in photo is Lt. Gen. Stephen Parreño, Commanding General, Philippine Air Force.

Motoring

SuzukibringSintheS-PreSSoAgSvAriAnt

SUZUKI Philippines kept its promise and brought in the highly-anticipated Automatic Gear Shift (AGS) variant of the New S-PRESSO. For the most part, the small hatchback with SUV features retained the manual version’s exterior elements of a hip, bold, and robust stance. But the main upgrade is the sought-after automatic transmission AGS (Auto Gear Shift).

“The New S-PRESSO AGS will address the demand of our customers who have been waiting for the automatic version for quite some time now. We fully understand why the S-PRESSO has become a status symbol and a bold statement of one’s lifestyle, especially the young generation who wants to make a mark and fulfill their commitments in life,” said Norihide Takei, Director, and General Manager for Suzuki Automobile.

Retained design elements

Ex T ERIOR-W ISE the black resin grill and the “gripping-design” headlamps, and the

black resin front and rear bumpers were retained. The C-shape rear combination lamp design was also retained. This small five-seater hatchback rolls on 14-inch twotoned alloy wheels wrapped in 165/70 R14 rubbers. Inside, the unique instrument panel with a vibrant display in the middle sits just on top of the center dash. The new S-PRESSO AGS now comes with a new generation display audio featuring a seven-inch touchscreen display infotainment system compatible with both Apple Carplay and Android Auto, along with the clustered power window controls. In addi-

tion, the vehicle’s compact body has a spacious 239-liter luggage space to accommodate more cargo.

Auto Gear Shift

S U ZU k I S state-of-the-art AGS system was first introduced locally in the Dzire subcompact sedan several years back and lately with the latest generation Celerio subcompact hatchback. The AGS transmission is an automated manual transmission featuring Intelligent Shift Control Actuator that automatically operates the shift and clutch to bring convenience to manual driving. Mated to an updated and improved 1.0-liter k 10C DUALJET gasoline engine, the power output is 66 horsepower and 89 N-m maximum torque.

Apart from the AGS transmission, another notable and new feature is the Engine Auto Stop-Start System (EASS). This unique feature shuts off the engine during idle or traffic stops. The feature meets certain conditions to prevent unnecessary fuel consumption and help limit exhaust emissions, including engine noise.

Safety and pricing

FOR peace of mind, the new S-Presso AGS

offers numerous advanced safety features.

The frame design centers on Suzuki’s TECT (Total Effective Control Technology) concept. It is a structural design that efficiently absorbs and disperses energy during a collision. Standard safety features include an anti-lock brake system (ABS) and Electronic

Invest in charging stations–SP Zubiri

SENATE President (SP) Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri made such an impact when he graced the recent Lexus RZ 450e launch, saying the entry of the full electric car will spur investment, employment and sustainability. His speech in full:

“Good morning, and thank you to the Lexus team, headed by Chairman Alfred Ty and President Atsuhiro Okamoto, for having me here today.

“As a longtime advocate of clean and sustainable energy, I am very excited to join you all for the Philippine launch of the first-ever Lexus battery electric vehicle (BEV)!

This is an important development for three reasons: investment, employment and sustainability. I am very hopeful that the RZ 450e’s launch will be a big step in greening our economy, and inviting more investors to support sustainability efforts in our transportation sector.

“For the RZ 450e to become a success, alongside all future BEV ventures, by Lexus and other manufacturers, I do challenge and encourage manufacturers to also invest in more accessible charging stations.

Battery disposal

“W E want BEVs to not only be the responsible choice, but also the practical one—freeing motorists of having to make a choice between ease of use and social responsibility.

“My hope is that by creating a strong foundation for private motorists to go electric, we will be able to prepare our public transport sector to shift to clean energy as well, as the next logical step in our PUV (Public Utility Vehicle) modernization.

I also urge the industry to develop better battery disposal and recycling processes. We have to be conscientious about making all aspects of the EV industry sustainable. Just as we reduce the carbon footprint of our vehicles, we must also review all the steps from manufacturing to waste disposal, and ensure that every single step is designed to respond to the needs of our planet and of our people.

“Advancements in these areas of better waste disposal and more accessible charging ports will not only provide a smoother transition into green transport, it will also create job opportunities for scores of skilled Filipino workers, toward a truly green economy—a goal which I know we in

Stability Program (ESP), Dual Airbags, seatbelts with pre-tensioners, rear parking sensors, and Hill-Hold Control, among others. The new Suzuki S-Presso retails at P660,000 and is available in Sizzle Orange, Fire Red, Metallic Granite Gray, and White body colors.

government share with Lexus Philippines. Incentivize

“Of course, we in the Senate are ready to work with you all toward a greener transport sector. We are ready to incentivize the BEV manufacturing and repairs industries, and we are ready to extend benefits to green motorists as well, through priority vehicle registration, dedicated parking spaces, and so on.

“Ready. That’s our key word. We are all ready and willing to make that drive toward a green future. We just have to work together to get there.

With innovators like Lexus leading the way, and with strong government support, I believe we can all take the Filipino people to that future.

“So congratulations to Lexus, and may this BEV venture open more opportunities for our country and our people. Maraming salamat po!”

Indeed, no private endeavor will succeed without genuine government support.

PEE STOP Spencer Yu’s BMW drumbeater, Brennan Ramos, has a shout out intriguing enough to merit attention: “A new stylish alternative.” He refers to the BMW 3 Series Touring that will be launched shortly. I’m sure former Senate President Tito Sotto will grace the occasion—TitoSen being the most avid BMW fan this country has ever known. Cheers!...Deepest condolences to the loved ones of Hernando “Dick” Neri, who passed on recently after a lingering illness. He was calm as the wind and gentle as the morning mist. Rest in peace now, Pareng Dick.

Story & photos by Randy S. Peregrino

The new Suzuki S-Presso AGS variant in Fire Red color

UniqUe and dark-themed interior highlighting the instrument panel on top of the center dash

TeSTed and proven thrifty 1.0-liter K10C dUALJeT g asoline engine now mated to AGS system

DOT 50th Anniversary

DOT moves forward at 50 with high hopes for tourism industry

headway that the tourism industry obtained under the Marcos administration.

DOT’s National Tourism Development Plan was approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last March and will serve as the blueprint on how DOT intends “to continue and grow the impact of tourism upon the Philippine economy in the next few years.”

“ Under the leadership of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. we have been called upon to transform the Philippine [tourism industry] into a tourism powerhouse in Asia. With your partnership, collaboration, and your unwavering support, I can say that we have begun the work of transforming the industry and giving the Philippines a more significant role in the ASEAN and in the world,” she added as she presented the plan during the Stakeholders’ National Summit organized by the DOT.

Tourism powerhouse

Under the NTDP 2023-2028, the DOT shall endeavor to “establish a Philippine tourism industry anchored on Filipino culture, heritage, and identity, which aims to be sustainable, resilient, and competitive in order to transform the Philippines into a tourism powerhouse in Asia.”

The Plan formalizes the specific strategies to be pursued under the main objectives and strategies that were earlier laid out by the DOT and anchors on the strategic values of Philippine Identity, Sustainability, Resilience, and Global Competitiveness.

To recall, when she took after as Tourism Secretary, Frasco, upon close consultation and coordination with Philippine tourism stakeholders identified the following seven main

objectives of the NTDP:

nImprovement of Tourism Infrastructure and Accessibility;

nCohesive and Comprehensive Digitalization and Connectivity;

nEnhancement of the Overall Tourist Experience;

nEqualization of Tourism Product Development and Promotion;

nDiversification of the Tourism Portfolio through

Multidimensional Tourism

nMaximization of Domestic and International Tourism; and

nStrengthening Tourism Governance through Close Collaborations with National and Local Stakeholders.

Positive trajectory for Philippine tourism

Frasco noted that, even prior to the finalization of the tourism

blueprint for the next five years,

the DOT has closely collaborated with tourism stakeholders in carrying out the President’s vision through its various plans and programs, citing the most recent international accolades and nominations received by the Philippines and its tourism destinations, as well as the positive tourism figures seen last year as a manifestation of the significant

The tourism chief reported 2022 to be a fruitful year for the Philippine tourism industry, underscoring that last year’s international arrivals reached 2.65 million, exceeding the initial target of 1.7 million foreign visitors. This figure, she noted, translated to P214 billion or roughly US$ 4 Billion in estimated revenues, thereby boosting the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the post-pandemic era and exceeding the targeted revenue of Php155.03 billion by 38.06 percent.

High hopes maintained amid challenges

While she acknowledged some existing challenges including the country’s ranking in the World Economic Forum 2021 Travel and Tourism Development Index, which went down two places from its 2019 ranking, Frasco expressed the DOT’s determination and optimism on achieving the targets laid out in the NTDP 2023-2028, among which is the target of 4.8 million international arrivals and attainment of pre-pandemic (2019) domestic tourism levels this year. “ The momentum for recovery and growth has begun. We’ve eased restrictions. We’ve continued

Continued on C5

ON its 50th founding anniversary, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is moving forward with its plan to transform the country into a tourism powerhouse with a projected arrival of 52 million overseas visitors over a period of five years from 2023 to 2028.

DOT 50th Anniversary

Marcos administration to push medical tourism with strategic global partnership—DOT chief

THE Philippines is positioning itself as an emerging medical and wellness tourism destination in Asia with the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) recent partnership with a global leader in the medical and wellness industry.

The tourism chief made the announcement last May 5, 2023 as the DOT formally inked an agreement with Dubai-based Agora Group, the “pioneer and leader in providing business solutions and productivity in the health and wellness tourism,” to be a partner for the prestigious and high-level gathering of tourism stakeholders and medical professionals at the First International Health and Wellness Tourism Congress (IHWTC) 2023. The event is slated for June 8 to 9, 2023 in Dusseldorf, Germany.

The agreement was formalized by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and Agora Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hadi Malaeb, at one of the country’s leading medical facilities, The Medical City in Pasig.

In her remarks, the tourism chief emphasized that the event is a manifestation of how the DOT, under the Marcos Administration, conveys its “seriousness” in prioritizing medical tourism as a marketable product around the world. In a bid to strengthen the Philippines’ position as a health and wellness tourism hub in Asia, as well as globally.

We are giving the Philippines a fighting chance at becoming a tourism powerhouse in Asia. And we recognize that medical tourism and wellness tourism hold one of the keys to this endeavor, because we have the people, we have the facilities, and we are adjusting government policies to ensure that the climate for medical tourism to thrive will ensue,” she said.

Viable global destination

The Philippines’ intent to sponsor the global congress is anchored on the current strategic position and potentials as a “serious regional contender.” This, as the DOT is currently operating under the seven-point agenda

embodied in the National Tourism Development Plan for 2023 to 2028, particularly, the diversification of product portfolio through multidimensional tourism, thus, the aggressive push for the development of a highly competitive health and wellness tourism product.

In fact, the Philippines has 23 health facilities internationally accredited and recognized by the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua). In terms of ease of access to care, there are 63 private hospitals in close proximity to four international airports with almost no waiting time for appointments and treatment. These, apart from the Philippines’ cost of treatments that are competitively lower compared to Western countries and other countries within Asia.

The Philippines is also one of the biggest English-speaking countries in the world where hospitals employ English-speaking healthcare workers and are mostly recognized by foreign insurance companies.

Frasco then emphasized that the partnership with Agora is a welcome development for the industry as it conveys great confidence in the potential of the Philippines as a next emerging medical health and wellness destination in Asia.

With the Philippines’ natural wonders that have been recognized numerous times not only in Asia but in the global arena, the Secretary also added that traveling visitors can “heal after their procedure” on the beach, in the mountains, and they can also enjoy delicious Filipino food and the distinct brand of Filipino hospitality. In the case of medical tourism, the Philippines is also offering the signature Filipino “hilot” at various tourism-accredited resorts and spas in the country.

We are also looking at our islands, including Boracay, as a potential destination for Filipino wellness as well as CALABARZON that have a host of wonderful offerings in terms of wellness,” the tourism chief added.

She also puts emphasis on how special the Philippine medical healthcare workers are, primarily the Filipino diaspora.

“Everywhere that I’ve been in the world since becoming Secretary of Tourism and I say this all the time. I’ve always heard a positive story about a Filipino worker abroad and mostly it’s about doctors, nurses, and caregivers, stories from foreigners who have felt the compassion, the care, the commitment to duty, and the willingness to go the extra mile to help those in need. That diaspora is very well replicated in all our medical personnel here in the Philippines, wherever you may find yourself in our over 7,000 islands and that is why we are very confident in pitching for the Philippines as the next emerging medical tourism and wellness destination in Asia,” she said.

Further, she emphasized that under the Marcos Administration, the focus is to improve the essential pillars of tourism development such as the building of tourism infrastructure, enhancing connectivity, and digitalization of

processes recognizing as well the need to further enhance the availability of medical tourism facilities across the country.

Apart from hard infrastructure, the DOT is also improving soft infrastructure by embarking on an ambitious goal to train 100,000 tourism frontliners this year under its Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) program.

More opportunities for PH tourism workers

In a separate interview, Frasco expounded that the partnership with Dubai-based Agora Group for the International Health and Wellness Tourism Congress would also open massive opportunities for the country’s health and wellness offerings and to market the Philippines, especially from the most coveted Middle East tourist market.

Asked specifically how the Philippines will attract more visitors for this aspect as it competes with other countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar with prime healthcare facilities, the

tourism chief recognized that those countries already have the “wealth of medical facilities.”

But she said what gives the Philippines an advantage is “the culture of care and compassion shown by Filipinos who are in these facilities give us the strategic advantage that people from the Middle East are already familiar with the level of care that Filipinos can give.”

Pursuing Medical Tourism

In 2004, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo through Executive Order No. 372 identified service industries which the Philippines has the potential to be globally competitive which included health and wellness, among others.

In pursuit of the objective of the DOT to diversify its portfolio, Frasco underscored the potential of medical tourism in ensuring the growth of the Philippine tourism industry.

When I first came into the fold of the department, one of the things that we discussed was how we can engage with our partners in the medical tourism and wellness sector. The work towards that has been through collaboration with our medical tourism partners, our wellness providers, as well as our government agencies involved in ensuring that the policies that are in place to fashion this as a marketable product around the world are in such a manner that it would ensure the growth of this industry,” she added.

In its initial presentation to the DOT, Agora Group Dubai estimated the global health and wellness tourism to be worth $45.5 to $72 billion, with 14 to 16 million cross border patients and an average spend of $3,800 to $6,000 per visit.

International Health and Wellness Tourism Congress (IHWTC) 2023

The two-day IHWTC 2023 stands to be an important platform for promoting the health and wellness tourism offerings of the Philippines

which is also a high-level closed-door gathering of tourism stakeholders mostly from the medical and wellness industry who will come only by invitation, and with an expectant 100 corporate buyers with a combined budget of $2 billion.

“The signing of this partnership with Agora is one that we welcome with great hope and optimism knowing that it’s been in the pipeline for 20 years,” she said, adding that this would also open up massive opportunities for the country’s health and wellness offerings and to market the Philippines especially from the most coveted Middle East tourist market.

For his part, Malaeb expressed his gratitude to the DOT for sponsoring the global event, citing that he himself has expressed the worldrenowned Filipino brand of hospitality.

“Thank you all for the effort and the welcoming of hospitality that I have witnessed since I arrived here. Huge thank you to the Department of Tourism for being the title sponsor of the event,” Malaeb said.

“I am very proud to be a partner of the Department of Tourism of the Philippines in order to promote the destination as a medical and wellness destination to some of the best and largest buyers of that product and service in the world,” he added.

The Medical City President and CEO Dr. Eugenio Jose Ramos also thanked both parties for choosing the hospital as the venue for such momentous event.

“It a pleasure and honor that you have chosen The Medical City as the institution that would sponsor this Memorandum of Agreement signing between the Philippines, through the Secretary and Mr. Hadi,” he said.

The event was also witnessed by DOT OIC-Undersecretary for Tourism Development Verna Buensuceso, Office of Product and Market Development (OPMD) Director Paulo Benito Tugbang, and Agora Group Philippine Representative Angel Bognot.

DOT 50th Anniversary

DOT lauds PATA’s initiative to rebuild tourism communities in Laguna, Pagsanjan Falls

world for decades.

“PATA Philippines was founded just a few years after the founding of the Department of Tourism. And since then, PATA in the Philippines has been instrumental not only in bringing attention to the Philippines, but most importantly, in championing Philippine tourism all over the world,” she added.

Showcasing Filipino artistry through heritage weaves C lad in elegant and intricately weaved Filipiniana and Barong Tagalog, Frasco and her husband walked the finale of the show wearing the creation of world-renowned veteran fashion designer Renee Salud for the fashion show with a cause.

The association celebrated their golden year by raising funds through a fashion show for a cause that would help restore and rebuild communities within the three neighboring towns of the province of Laguna–Cavinti, Lumban, and Pagsanjan—where all roads lead to the famous threedrop Pagsanjan Falls.

In her speech, PATA Philippines chair Maria Paz Alberto delivered the good news that for the first time, all three local chief executives of Cavinti, Lumban, and Pagsanjan, Laguna agreed to work together to reboot Pagsanjan Falls as a tourism destination as well as to help its tourism community.

With its proximity to Metro Manila, PATA said Pagsanjan has

also been identified as a tourist magnet particularly for the South Korean foreign market which is currently the top source of international arrivals for the Philippines.

Why did we choose Pagsanjan?,” Paz posed a question before 400 attendees of the gala mainly from the hospitality and aviation industries at the Manila Hotel.

“

We wanted to help the boatman and their families who have suffered tremendously because if we don’t have tourism, there will be no one’s going to Pagsanjan Falls. This is an opportunity for us to work together with you to support the life not just of the boatmen and their families in her family, but make it a green and sustainable community,” she explained.

A s a response, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco manifested her support to the good cause initiated by PATA.

“I am in full support of the advocacy of PATA to help in the recovery of the Pagsanjan Falls. The Department of Tourism will not only ensure that Pagsanjan will recover but also restore its former glory as one of our key destinations in the country,” she said.

The Secretary also delighted the organizers from the private sector when she, along with her husband, Deputy House Speaker Duke Frasco, pledged P200,000 from their personal funds to support PATA’s advocacy on tourism education.

Th is, as she recalled how their initiative from Liloan town in Cebu started in 2008 now have close to 16,000 scholars across the 5th District of Cebu at present.

“I fully support your advocacy and as a token of my and Congressman Duke’s support to PATA for tourism education, we would like to pledge in our own personal capacity, the amount of P200,000,” the tourism chief said.

Banner year

The Secretary also made a special remark by emphasizing the important role of the private sector to the growth, at the same time, recovery of the tourism industry in the Philippines, citing, only by “listening to the actual facts on the ground” from tourism stakeholders and frontliners that the Department can craft policy and implement programs that are responsive to their needs.

Frasco then emphasized how instrumental PATA was in championing Philippine tourism to the

For his part, Manila Hotel president Atty. Joey Lina, who welcomed guests at the iconic property, also commended the efforts of the DOT for leading the industry away from the ill effects of the pandemic.

The first four months of 2023 is even better than the entire 2019, that is based on our observation and based on our actual record here at the Manila Hotel,” he explained, noting a tourism rebound for Manila Hotel in particular.

So, that’s good news for everyone. And we hope and pray that the trend will continue and that 2023 will be a banner year for Philippine tourism. The projection is that the total economy of the country will rebound by 2024 and we are still in 2023 just in the first four months and we can already see a rebound of the Philippine economy,” he emphasized.

We are very happy with what’s happening with tourism in the country with Secretary Frasco at the helm of DOT,” the pillar for the private sector added.

The tourism chief was joined by esteemed tourism stakeholders and veteran players in the travel and hospitality sector including PATA International former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Liz Ortiguera, Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) president Bob Zozobrado, and Philippine Airlines president and COO Capt. Stanley Ng.

DOT Undersecretary for Tourism Regulation Coordination and Resource Generation (TRCRG) Shahlimar Hofer Tamano was also dashing in Wear Your Culture’s modern take on the Filipino Barong, as well as DOT’s marketing arm, Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Chief Operating Officer (COO) Marga Nograles and her husband, Civil Service Commission (CSC) chairperson Karlo Nograles, who both showcased the creation of Cebu’s fashion designer Philip Rodriguez.

Founded in 1951, PATA is a not-for-profit association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. Among its functions is it enhances the sustainable growth, value and quality of travel and tourism to-from-and-within, the region in partnership with private and public sector members.

IN a show of support to the private sector stakeholders, Department of Tourism (DOT) officials came in full force for a fund-raising gala organized by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Philippines Chapter at the Manila Hotel last May 12, 2023.

DOT pays tribute to tourism frontliners during anniversary

TO celebrate the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) 50th founding anniversary last May 11, 2023, DOT officials led by Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco gathered tour guides and leaders of tour guide associations to a simple reception at Casa Blanca in Intramuros as a way to recognize the frontliners’ efforts to champion Philippine tourism amid the pandemic and various challenges.

“ Today we mark the 50 years of the Department of Tourism and I felt it necessary to celebrate this day not only with the officials and employees of DOT but, most importantly, with those who have been in the frontlines of tourism who have carried upon their shoulders the responsibility of campaigning for our country, of convincing our friends from all over the world to keep coming back to our country and who have by your example shown us what it means to love the

Philippines,” Frasco said as she delivered her message at the lunch with tourism frontliners. I could not find it in my heart to celebrate it with anybody else other than our frontliners,” she added.

S peaking before some 50 leaders of the Federation of Professional Tour Guides Association Inc. (TGFED) , as well as National Capital Region-based associations such as the Accredited Tourist Guides Services Cooperatives Incl (ACTSCOOP), Fort

Santiago Volunteer Tour Guides Inc. GUIDES Inc. (NCR Multi-Lingual Tour Guides Association), Japanese Speaking Tour Guides Association (JASTA), MultiLingual Accredited Tour Guides Association of the Philippines (MULATGAP) and tour guides, Frasco took the time to share her experiences as threeterm Mayor of Liloan in Cebu before her appointment as the country’s DOT chief.

N oting how her previous post allowed her to see firsthand how the tourism industry was devastated and deprived by the pandemic, Frasco said, “Therefore, it is a sense of urgency that I would like to bring to the Department, as well as a local perspective. One that always takes into consideration the welfare, the opinions, the concerns, of those who are on the ground and in the frontlines. Because I firmly believe that none of our tourism projects and plans can succeed if we are unable to translate into actual implementation by our tourism frontliners.”

To recall, the DOT initially organized a listening forum with tour guides and associations in March, where Frasco underscored the invaluable role that tourism frontliners such as tour

guides play in the realization of the Department’s endeavors, particularly in promoting the country’s rich culture and heritage.

A s she cited the country’s recent global accolades, Frasco said it is incumbent upon the DOT to support those that continue to champion the Philippines, which include the tour guides, tour operators, travel agents, as well as each and every single component of the tourism value chain that contribute to the success of our industry.

A s a token of appreciation for the tourism frontliners’ dedication, Frasco personally gifted each of the attendees with goodie baskets filled with essentials that they may find useful in carrying out their duties as tour guides, including a lapel microphone, sunglasses, hat, and other accessories.

Every time that you go out in the field and share the Filipino story, you help our Filipino families that are dependent on the tourism industry, you help in nation building, you help our country rise to its full potential. So I urge you, our dear tour guides, to continue to tell the good news about the Philippines, to continue to tell the Filipino story with love,” Frasco enthused.

celebration

DOT moves forward at 50 with high hopes for tourism industry

to aggressively promote our destinations through the DOT’s constant and unyielding presence in various exhibits in the Philippines and all over the world. And people are traveling now and are traveling with a vengeance. By promoting the Philippines through the biggest international tourism and trade fairs across Asia and Europe, we are re-introducing the Philippines to the world, and bringing no less than the best of the best of the country and the Filipino people,” the tourism chief enthused.

The Philippines already is a global destination upon the strength of our islands

and beaches, our diving and biodiversity, and our hospitality as a people. Our future growth hinges on investments in meeting and conventions, health and wellness, lifestyle and entertainment, as well as domestic and international cruising. But most importantly, becoming a truly global destination demands that we provide an authentic Filipino experience for our visitors – creating distinctly Filipino experiences through our food and farms, our fashion and festivals, our arts and crafts, our traditions and practices, and the Filipino brand of service,” she added.

In closing her comprehensive presentation of the DOT’s plans

and programs enclosed in the NTDP 2023-2028, Frasco once again enlisted the support of the stakeholders present.

“With your partnership, your collaboration, and your belief—your continued belief—in the strength of the tourism industry, we are confident that not only will we be able to accomplish the recovery for this much-battered industry, but more importantly, accomplish a true transformation of the tourism industry that will allow the Philippines to take a primary role in the ASEAN and the world as a tourism powerhouse in Asia, because the Filipino people deserve nothing less,” enthused Frasco.

Continued from C1

DOT 50th Anniversary

Building memories and a different MICE experience at Villa Caemilla

By Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

IN 2021, multi-sectoral partners and stakeholders together with the Department of Tourism Region VI, Tourism Promotion Board and the local government of Malay came together to form the Boracay MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) Alliance. The establishment of the alliance will allow focused efforts in creating sustainable tourism development projects while synergizing stakeholders to create long-term solutions and opportunities for all partners.

O ne of the establishments that joined the alliance last year was Villa Caemilla Boutique Hotel, the hotel that offers award winning luxury on White Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Villa Caemilla is a 10-minute transfer from the jetty port

and a 15-minute walk along the beach path from Station 2. H owever, when discussing MICE, what comes to mind are big hotels and venues that can accommodate up to 1,000 delegates. Where does a boutique hotel like Villa Caemilla fit in?

There are other small companies that need to do their strategic planning for the year and they decide to do it in a hotel. We here at Villa Camaella can cater to these small companies because they know that they will have their privacy and a working area,” said Wesley van der Voort, Villa Caemilla’s Resort Manager.

Goals

Van der Voort said he decided to join the MICE Alliance because he strongly believes that by working together with other establishments and institutions to come up with an action plan,

they will be able to achieve their goals.

“ I think it is really great to be part of a creative organization like the MICE Alliance. It is similar to the partnerships that we have in the chamber where we have projects where we can work cohesively together,” he noted.

O riginally from the Netherlands, van der Voort came to Boracay about 14 years ago to spend a vacation and to see some friends. He enjoyed his stay in Boracay so much that he kept extending his stay. Eventually he decided to return to Boracay and became Villa Caemilla’s resort manager. He also became the President of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce Inc. – Boracay.

“ I care most about Boracay’s beaches and its people. Throughout the years, we all became part of something like the Boracay closure and then

the pandemic. It has built a very strong community. The local residents and the resident expats have all gone through the same thing and have experienced how strong a community we actually are,” Van der Voort said.

Beneficial for Boracay

WHILE Villa Caemilla will not be able to attract the big conventions and events, van der Voort said overall, the Boracay MICE Alliance with be good for the island. For the island, the alliance will be great because it will get in more groups, more corporate events and it will benefit everyone at the end of the day. While Villa Caemilla cannot compete with the bigger hotels, we will be able to cater to the smaller groups. The main goal of this alliance is to continue business, see if there are changes that need to be made and to make sure that we succeed after the pandemic,” he said.

Savoy Hotel Mactan Introduces Exquisite Filipino-Spanish Dinner Buffet at Savoy Cafe

SAVOY Hotel Mactan is delighted to announce its latest culinary offering, the Spanish Delights, Filipino Flavors dinner buffet, available exclusively at Savoy Cafe. This delectable promotion showcases a fusion of Filipino and Spanish cuisine, offering guests a gastronomic journey that celebrates the rich flavors and vibrant cultures of both nations. The buffet will be available every Friday and Saturday evening throughout the month of May.

The Spanish Delights, Filipino Flavors dinner buffet presents an array of tantalizing dishes that combine traditional Filipino favorites with Spanish influences. Guests will

have the opportunity to savor an extensive selection of mouthwatering appetizers, main courses, and desserts carefully crafted by Savoy Cafe's team of expert chefs.

Indulge in a culinary adventure as you sample the array of FilipinoSpanish delicacies, including classic dishes like paella, adobo, lechon, caldereta, and a variety of tapas. Each dish is prepared with the finest ingredients, ensuring an authentic and unforgettable dining experience. To complement the flavors, an array of refreshing beverages, including local juices, mocktails, and soft drinks, will be available.

Th is initiative is a testament to our commitment to offering unique

and exciting dining experiences for our guests," said Executive Chef Coke Semblante Jr. We are thrilled to showcase the culinary fusion of Filipino and Spanish cuisine, allowing guests to indulge in a diverse array of flavors. We invite everyone to join us and embark on a delightful culinary journey.

The dinner buffet is available at Savoy Cafe every Friday and Saturday evening from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM throughout the month of May. The buffet is priced at an affordable P888 NETT per person. Children's rates and policies apply to this promotion, providing a family-friendly dining experience.

Savoy Cafe is renowned for its inviting ambiance, attentive service, and delectable dining options. With its dedication to culinary excellence and passion for providing exceptional guest experiences, Savoy Hotel Mactan continues to set new standards in the region's hospitality industry. For more information, you may contact us +032 494 4000 / +63 917 3127562 or email sales@ savoymactan.com. You may also follow us on our social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) at Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown | Facebook / @savoymactannewtown / Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown.

B oracay has experienced a great deal of challenges over the past three years. First there was the closure of the island to enable its rehabilitation. Since there closure was for six months, van der Voort related that he and his team were able to budget their expenses accordingly.

T he minute Boracay opened, business picked up immediately and the tourists started to pour into Boracay. However, the pandemic happened and everything ground to a halt. van der Voort started to give back what they could to the local residents by giving out food packs.

Stay or go?

DURING those times, van der Voort allowed his employees to decide whether they would stay on at the resort or go home to their families.

I told them to look for part time jobs that would be a source

of stable income. For those who decided to stay, the only thing I could promise was food and that they would have a roof over their head,” he related. W ith everything slowly returning to some level of normalcy, van der Voort said Villa Caemilla can go back to providing the full VC or Villa Caemilla experience. “ We lowered our rates a little in order to be competitive. We want to go back to providing our guests their memorable experiences, whether it be a birthday or a wedding proposal. We want to be the place where we create memories for you,” he said. One good thing that came out from this pandemic is that we got to know each other well. You never know what the universe is going to bring us. We have come out of these challenge strong and we hope to go back to our usual routine soon,” van der Voort said.

Guests having a great time at Villa Caemilla.

The façade of Villa Caemilla

DOT 50th Anniversary

DOT welcomes resumption of chartered flights to PHL top destination Boracay

ceived before the pandemic. We thank our partner agencies especially the Department of Foreign Affairs for heeding our appeal to resume the processing and issuance of Philippine visas to Chinese tour groups, shortly after we manifested the necessity of regaining China as our largest source of inbound travelers,” Frasco said.

We look forward to other interventions such as the implementation of an electronic visa system to facilitate the ease of entry into the country of our tourists,” the DOT Chief added.

THE Department of Tourism

(DOT) has expressed its optimism on the continual recovery of the country’s tourism industry, with the return of group travel and chartered flights from its top source markets including China. Boracay Island on April 18 welcomed a total of 180 Chinese tourists aboard a chartered OK Airlines flight from Changsha, China to Kalibo, Aklan, the first chartered flight from China since the market

reopened for international travel since January 8.

To give the visitors a preview of the warm Filipino hospitality, the DOT led a welcome reception for them upon their disembarkation at Kalibo.

“ We are very happy to welcome the resumption of chartered flights from China into Kalibo. This only manifests the fact that Boracay remains a popular destination for Chinese tourists. Together with the local government and our very ac-

tive private stakeholders, we shall aggressively pursue the promotion of sustainable and responsible tourism in Boracay so that more will come to enjoy its beauty in the long run,“ said Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.

It may be recalled that Chinese tourists were the number one foreign visitor in Boracay numbering about 434,175 in 2019, and prior to the global tourism standstill brought about by the COVID-19

pandemic. The Philippines also received a total of more than 1.7 million visitors from China by the end of 2019.

During the high-level convergence meeting between the DOT, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Immigration (BI) that transpired last March 24, Secretary Frasco underscored the importance

of visa reforms that will ease entry for the country’s top source markets such as China.

A s a result of the agencies’ convergence, all Philippine Foreign Service Posts (PFSPS) in the People’s Republic of China have resumed the processing and issuance of Philippine visas to Chinese tour groups since April 11.

“

The DOT looks forward to equaling, if not surpassing, the number of Chinese visitors we re-

Frasco has earlier expressed the DOT’s intention to maintain strong ties with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MOCT) in China which, to recall, included the Philippines as among the 20 nations to be part of its pilot areas for outbound tourism group tours.

The Department currently has two satellite offices in mainland China, one in Beijing and another in Shanghai that facilitate the assistance in the promotion and marketing of Philippine tourism to the Chinese market.

Mangoes to propel Guimaras tourism into new heights—local exec

Fishery and Eco-Tourism Expo at the provincial capital grounds, followed by a series of events leading to the four-day highlights on May 19 to 22.

Starting May 19, there will be the MangoEat-All-You-Can where for a fee of P150, one can feast on the product for 30 minutes and enjoy entertainment from nightly live bands, the coronation of Miss Guimaras, street dance and cultural competition and a program commemorating the 31st provincehood of Guimaras on May 22.

This year, the Provincial Economic Devel-

opment Office introduced a fast lane for those who wanted a hassle-free comfortable and seamless Manggahan experience through its "VIP" packages.

Perks and privileges like a free ride between Iloilo and Guimaras, express lane at the Mango-Eat-All-You-Can and refreshing freebies come with the purchase of Manggahan Gold, Manggahan Premium, and Manggahan Group tickets.

Meanwhile, the governor said the Iloilo Commercial Port Complex will cater to fourwheel private and public no-cargo vehicles

that will board the FF Cruz Shipping Corporation roll on, roll off vessels due to the projected large influx of travelers and visitors to Guimaras during the duration of the festival. Fiber boats have been allowed to ply the Jordan to Iloilo City and vice versa routes until 2 a.m. while roll on, roll off vessels will have special trips to cater to guests even during nighttime. Guimaras Vice Governor John Edward Gando said Republic Act 11118 declared May 22 as a special non-working holiday in the province. (PNA)

By Perla Lena, PNA

GUIMARAS will use its mangoes, dubbed as the sweetest in the world, as an anchor to promote other attractions in the province as it celebrates its 2023 Manggahan Festival with the theme, “Mangoes and More.”

Governor JC Rahman Nava, in a press conference, acknowledged that the mango is the main commodity of the province.

We will capitalize on that and even-

tually expand and showcase some other products. That's what we are doing right now," he said.

Since mangoes are a showcase of their agricultural produce, they created a festival, adding value to the product. " Tourism transcends all sectors. It involves everybody. Tourism is the best value adding to the economy of Guimaras," the governor said.

The Manggahan Festival kicked off on April 29 with the opening of the Agri-

DOT taps C. Luzon LGUs to identify emerging tourism sites

By Zorayda Tecson

THE Department of Tourism in Central Luzon (DOT-

3) has tapped local government units (LGUs) in identifying and rediscovering emerging and less traveled destinations in the region.

D OT-3 Regional Director Richard G. Daenos cited the need for the LGUs to unlock their tourism potentials and opportunities in a bid to boost the local tourism industry.

As an initial step, Daenos said DOT-3 has conducted a tourism rapid assessment (TRA) through its planning unit for partner LGUs.

“The TRA aims to promote key destinations and rediscover emerging and less traveled destinations in the region,” he said in a statement.

T he DOT official said among the potential travel destinations that were initially identified were the Paper Tree Resort and Picnic Area, PawiCare, San Sebastian Church, and Clay Avenue, all in San Narciso town, Zambales province.

He said the tourism industry, if properly planned and managed, has the ability to stimulate local economic growth, provide social welfare, and preserve the natural and cultural resources of the LGUs.

Daenos said he also visited Willy Layug’s farm located in Betis, Guagua town in Pampanga to discuss

plans to help the woodcarvers' community ensure sustainability and to safeguard their practice.

“ Our goal is to make Central Luzon a center for fun and adventure deeply rooted in its rich culture and heritage, both tangible and intangible with shared responsibility with the local communities,” he added.

Meanwhile, the number of tourism front liners in the region who have undergone Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) training has so far reached 5,000.

Daenos thanked their partner Provincial Tourism Offices, along with their tourism stakeholders from all seven provinces in Central Luzon as they met and surpassed their FBSE 5,000 mark.

“Beyond the numbers, we are proud to witness how the FBSE program has helped transform our trainees into becoming excellent industry workers exemplifying Filipino core values. As we endeavor to bring out the good and positive values in every tourism stakeholder, we hope to see more of our FBSE graduates champion service excellence in the industry,” he added.

T he DOT-3 has been conducting the FBSE training for the tourism front liners in the region as part of its continuous efforts to strengthen the overall tourism experience in the region branded by Filipino hospitality. (PNA)

EXPO. Guimaras features other commodities available in the province other than its sweet mangoes in the ongoing Agri-Fishery and Eco-Tourism Expo at the provincial capital grounds. The province celebrates its annual Manggahan Festival which will culminate with the celebration of the 31st provincehood commemoration of Guimaras on May 22, 2023. (PNA PHOTO BY PGLENA)

AMID A HARVEST OF AWARDS, YOUR SUPPORT COUNTS MOST

THE pandemic tested the media industry, forcing newsrooms around the world to overhaul the way they do their job while following strict health protocols in order to survive a deadly infection.

The BusinessMirror, the country’s premier national business daily, was tested like everyone else, and survived, even continuing to live up to its promise to provide a broader look at today’s business.

In November 2021, the business broadsheet was recognized as the “Business News Source of the Year” for 2020 by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (Ejap), the country’s premier organization of business reporters, editors and wire agencies. It was a 4-peat for BM, having gotten the same honors for the years 2017, 2018 and 2019.

And, as in the past Ejap awards, it also swept half of the individual categories, with its seasoned reporters adjudged as best in their respective coverages.

Earlier in 2021, the BusinessMirror was given the Pro Patria Award by the Rotary Club of Manila, for “its commitment of valuable resources for the protection of free expression and its resilience in disseminating fair and truthful information resulting in an informed and enlightened citizenry.”

It was just the latest recognition from the prestigious Rotary Club, which named it “Business Newspaper of the Year” for 2018-2019, and again in 2020. In all, it has received six top

Rotary journalism awards in its short 16-year existence.

The BusinessMirror has also consistently reaped top awards in the Brightleaf Journalism Awards for Agriculture and the Philippine Agricultural Journalists-San Miguel Corp. (PAJ-SMC) Binhi Awards, also for the best in agriculture journalism.

The BusinessMirror was also repeatedly adjudged the leading daily in biotechnology journalism, a recognition bestowed by the Jose G. Burgos Jr. Biotechnology Journalism Awards.

T he “broader look” mantra also drew recognition from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) which named the BusinessMirror, at its first awards rites in 2018, as the inaugural “Data Champion.”

In the first “Bantog Science for the People” awards for media from the Department of Science and Technology, the BusinessMirror got the top award for the Institution category for Print; and the grand prize in the individual category for science journalist Stephanie Tumampos.

In 2018, Environment Reporter Jonathan Mayuga received the Luntiang Aligato award from the Climate Reality Project, a nonprofit organization founded by Nobel Laureate and former US Vice President Al Gore.

T he Broader Look at biodiversity was also recognized. It was named among the Asean Champions of

Biodiversity, for the Media Category, by the Asean Centre for Biodiversity.

T he Broader Look also extended to the paper’s corporate social responsibility. It organized and staged the first-ever recognition rites for the best of the Philippines’s friends in the world, with the “MISSION PHILIPPINES: The BusinessMirror Envoys & Expats Awards.” The initiative won a Gold Anvil in 2019.

Distinguished institutions in government have also repeatedly recognized the BusinessMirror’s role in spreading the word about the work they do—information that shines a light on good governance and committed public service to uplift people’s hopes. Most notably, these are the Social Security System and Pag-IBIG Fund. Sixteen years, two of them in a pandemic, have tested the promise of a Broader Look. But they are also a measure of the unstinting support of friends—advertisers and news sources alike—and readers who continue to believe in that promise.

THANK

YOU, EVERYONE. YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT IS OUR MOST IMPORTANT TROPHY.