BusinessMirror May 23, 2024

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto @reine_alberto

THE zero-percent tariff on electric vehicles (EVs) and its parts and components will enhance the ease of doing business in the Philippines and advance the country’s climate ambitions, according to Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto. This, after the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Board, the highest policymaking body of the agency and is chaired by the President, decided not to impose any tariffs on EVs, their parts, and components until 2028. (See: www.busi-

nessmirror.com.ph/2024/05/17/ neda-no-tariffs-on-electric-vehiclesparts-until-2028/)

Tariffs are taxes imposed by the government to raise revenues. With the zero percent rate of import duty, this could spell possible losses in the much-needed revenues.

In a statement by the Department of Finance (DOF) on Wednesday, Recto said this “strategic move” places the Philippines at the “forefront” of green technology, attracting “more sustainable” investments.

“It will spur the creation of high-quality jobs, foster innovation, and offer Filipinos more

eco-friendly vehicle choices. Ultimately, it will bring us closer to reaching our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent in 2030,” Recto said.

The tariff exemptions on EVs also include e-motorcycles, ebicycles, nickel metal hydride accumulator batteries, e-tricycles, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) jeepneys or buses. The tariffs on these articles shall be reduced to zero percent until 2028.

“With the expanded measure, EVs will be more accessible and affordable to consumers, thereby accelerating the country’s tran-

sition to environment-friendly transportation solutions,” the DOF said.

Tariff exemptions on EV parts, components and completely knocked-down (CKD) EVs could incentivize interested parties to assemble or even manufacture in the country, which will boost the manufacturing sector and generate employment, the DOF added. Aside from the expanded EO 12, EV owners are exempted from the “number coding” road congestion measures and given priority registration and renewal with the Land Transportation

Some analysts, such as Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort, told BusinessMirror it could lead to inflation averaging 4 percent in June and 4.4 percent in July this year.

Nonetheless, Ricafort said, there is still a possibility that inflation will average 2 to 4 percent this year. This will justify rate cuts, especially if the United States Federal Reserve cuts rates.

“[A] weaker peso [will] increase importation costs/prices and would lead to some pick up in overall prices/inflation,” Ricafort told this newspaper on Wednesday.

“[This will also be] due to normalizing base/denominator effects, but 2024 average could still be within the BSP [Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas] inflation target range of 2 percent-4 percent,” he added.

By Ada Pelonia

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

HE Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza) is alloting P350 million for hyperbaric chambers to be distributed in five destinations starting next year.

In an interview, Tieza Assistant Chief Operating Officer Jetro Nicolas F. Lozada told the BUSINESSMIRROR that the destinations which will receive one hyperbaric chamber each were Boracay in Aklan, Dauin in Negros Oriental, Camiguin Island, Puerto Galera, and Daangbantayan in Cebu. “Barring any changes in shipping schedules, the supplier said the units will arrive in the first quarter of 2025,” he said, noting the conflicts in the Middle East, which have forced

cargo ships to traverse circuitous routes to transport products.

Hyberbaric chambers are used to treat divers suffering from decompression sickness when they surface too quickly. This leads to the formation of nitrogen bubbles in the blood, causing fatigue and pain the joints and muscles.

The Philippines was recognized as Asia’s Leading Dive Destination at the World Travel Awards last year. Dive tourism contributed some P73 billion in visitor receipts in 2023, almost double the P37 billion generated in 2022, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).

Breaking ground in Boracay ON Tuesday, Tieza and its parent unit, the

THE government should have explored other options for importation to obtain buffer stock, according to an economist.

Roehlano Briones, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), issued the statement after the House of Representatives approved Tuesday the bill that seeks to amend the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), giving the National Food Authority (NFA) the power to import rice as a last resort.

“I think we could actually explore other options for being able to obtain the buffer stock... allowing other entities like Department of Trade and Industry [DTI] to do the importation on behalf of NFA, that could have been considered,” Briones told BusinessMirror via phone.

Briones also expressed concern over the definition of “emergency.”

“The current definition of emergency that is

used for buffer stocking is meant during calamity,” he said, partly in Filipino.

“Apparently the definition is being taken or the association is being made that emergency includes instances of price increase and alleged manipulation,” Briones said.

Under the new Section 6 of the bill, the Agriculture Secretary could declare an emergency which is referred to in the bill as a food security emergency under the conditions where there are: shortage in rice supply, sustained increase in rice prices, and extraordinary increase in rice prices.

For Briones, this could be “problematic.” He worried that non-emergency cases [may be used], but for whatever reason it’s being invoked in order to allow the NFA to import...I find that problematic,” he said. According to the bill, the NFA would only

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

DOF: ZERO TARIFF ON EVS, PARTS TO BOOST EODB

Office (LTO) under the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (Evida).

A 30-percent excise tax discount on motor vehicle user charges is given to EVs, while hybrid vehicles are granted 15 percent off. EVs are also issued a special type of license plate under the law.

The DOF expressed confidence that these incentives will attract more investors to establish operations in the Philippines, covering manufacturing, research and development, and infrastructure development in the EV industry and will generate revenues for the government.

“All of these reforms are a testament to the President’s commitment to roll out a red carpet for investors and the Philippines’ strong resolve to create a vibrant and sustainable EV ecosystem. The policy environment for investments in the country has never been more open and liberalized than it is now,” Recto said.

“The Department of Finance will continue to act fast on measures that will further promote ease of doing business to attract more productivity-enhancing investments in the country,” the Finance chief added.

Non-wage benefits eyed for PHL nurses, medical staff

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

THE Department of Health (DOH) is now studying providing nonwage benefits to Filipino nurses and other medical workers to encourage them to stay in the country.

Last Wednesday, DOH Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa announced he is coordinating with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to provide health insurance to healthcare workers on their Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

“So a subsidy will be provided. It will be small amount but it will allow them to get health insurance for themselves and even their family,” he said.

Jonathan L.

DOH is now also eyeing providing medical workers with housing through the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and scholarships.

Herbosa said they hope this will help persuade medical workers to continue working in local health facilities.

The DOH chief made the remark after he announced that the government already lifted the 7,500

Co., told BusinessMirror that if inflation remains elevated, hopes of an earlier rate cut could be delayed by the BSP. Ravelas said while their earlier

deployment cap for medical workers, which was imposed during the pandemic.

“There is currently no deployment cap and we will not put a deployment cap—that’s free choice if you want to work,” Herbosa said.

DMW Undersecretary Bernard P. Olalia said the deployment cap was lifted after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issued Proclamation No. 297, which ended the Public Health Emergency last July.

DOH said the non-wage benefits and the higher number of schools producing medical professional will helpfully help address the 190,000 labor shortage in the country’s healthcare system.

“And based on that what is observed that in the Philippines with our current population, we need over 500,000 but we only have 300 plus thousand currently registered with our PRC [Professional Regulation Commission]...so we need to produce more,” Herbosa said.

inflation forecasts did not see inflation breaching 4 percent, the increase in commodity prices between May and July are seen higher.

What is clear right now, according to Unionbank Chief Econonist Ruben Carlo Asuncion, is that the BSP’s recent pronouncements seem to point to allowing the peso to “weaken for a while.”

“I think that this is a momentary weakness and I believe that the BSP seems to be willing to let the USDPHP weaken for a while. The mediumterm expectation is that of strengthening as interest rates expected to ease still toward the end of this year,” Asuncion said.

Depreciation-price spiral

ATENEO de Manila University economist Leonardo Lanzona said the depreciation of currencies such as what is happening to the Philippine peso could lead to a “depreciation-price spiral.”

A depreciation-price spiral, Lanzona explained, happens in four stages. The first is for the domestic currency to depreciate due to market forces and second, lead to an increase in imported commodity prices or higher inflation.

The third stage is when higher inflation places a downward pressure on the currency “as the demand for the Philippine peso declines.”

Lanzona said the last stage is the further depreciation of the local currency and the continuation of the spiral.

“Combating a depreciationprice spiral requires a comprehensive and coordinated approach, balancing short-term measures to stabilize the currency and control inflation with longterm reforms to enhance economic resilience and growth,” Lanzona said.

Lanzona said these interventions focus on the BSP such as raising interest rates to help improve the value of the Philippine peso or intervening in the foreign currency market.

However, given the impact of high interest rates on the economy, Lanzona said the BSP may not have any choice on the matter; otherwise, it risks the depreciation-price spiral.

As to a possible intervention in the market, Ravelas said the BSP has made it clear that it will only intervene if it sees that the market is “on a one-way street” where the peso continues to depreciate.

“So far, in my opinion no

‘Power

intervention is needed. The USD/PHP is reacting to the Fed Narrative ‘Fed’s Waller Needs Several More Months of Good Inflation to Cut’ and the fact that BSP is less hawkish,” Ravelas told BusinessMirror.

Ricafort said the BSP could still intervene or defend the peso given that the currency’s performance is comparable to the performance of other currencies in the Assean at the start of 2024.

He added that the BSP has had a good track record of defending the peso over the past 18 years or from 2004 to September 2022.

Ravelas noted that over the past 1.5 years, the peso was capped at P56.99 to the US dollar while in the past 18 years, it was capped at P56.4 to P56.5 to the greenback.

However, Lanzona said not all the weight of the currency depreciation should be placed on the shoulders of the BSP.

“The problem is that only the BSP has responded to the inflation problem. But while this is necessary, it is not sufficient. The government needs to create the necessary conditions for growth through an effective strategy, and not simply rely on infrastructure,”

Lanzona said.

He said the government can resort to implementing fiscal policies such as cutting the budget deficit to reduce inflation and managing external debt to increase demand for the peso.

Lanzona also recommended that the government undertake structural reforms in order to reduce the country’s dependence on imports.

The government, he said, must also increase productivity and competitiveness to drive up the value of the peso.

On Tuesday, the Philippine peso fell to its weakest level in almost two years on expectations that the United States Federal Reserve could delay its rate cuts, according to the BSP.

Data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) showed the peso closed at P58.28 to the US dollar. This is the weakest level of the peso in 18 months.

The BAP data showed the Philippine peso closed at P58.275 to the greenback in November 8, 2022. In that year, the peso first breached the P58 level in September 2022 and continued trading at this level until November 2022. (See: https:// businessmirror.com.ph/2024/05/22/ peso-falls-to-18-month-low-as-fedsignals-rate-cut-delay/)

be allowed to import once

DOT, broke ground for the Hyperbaric Chamber Center beside the Ciriaco S. Tirol Memorial Hospital in Boracay. Asked why the island was selected among the first to receive the equipment, instead of heavy scuba diving areas like Palawan or Bohol, Lozada explained that many of the divers on the island “are beginners; those who are getting their cerificates. [Also] Boracay is Boracay [i.e., a key tourism destination], and there are a lot of local dive shops.”

While waiting for the deliveries of the hyperbaric chambers, Tieza will construct their housing, he said. The unit in Daangbantayan will service Malapascua, another popular diving spot, and will be beside a hospital as well.

Lozada added that five hyperbaric chambers were turned over in 2014 to Panglao Island, Mandaue in Cebu, Mabini in Batangas (servicing Anilao), Puerto Princesa, and Zamboanga. The one in Zamboanga, though, has been “pulled out and will be transferred to Coron in Palawan, where most of technical diving is.” Construction of the chamber’s housing in Coron is currently ongoing.

For the new batch of hyperbaric chambers, a public bidding was conducted and closed in February, which was won by Deutsche Motorgeräte Inc. (DMI), the Philippine distributor of Haux-Life Support hyberbaric chambers from German company. DMI also supplied the first batch of hyperbaric chambers in 2014, said Lozada.

Tieza earlier alloted some P200 million for the procurement of hyperbaric chambers and construction of their housing facilities in 2018, but the project stalled due to the ensuing pandemic in 2020.

120 dive destinations in PHL LOZADA said Tieza has the option to retain ownership of the next batch of hyperbaric chambers, even as those delivered in 2014 had been turned to the host local government units or the host government hospital.

“Some LGUs want Tieza to retain ownership as their budgets sometimes are not enough to maintain the chamber,” he explained. Diving, Water Sports, and Marine Protected Areas are among the primary tourism products under the category of Ridge-to-Reef Experiences of the DOT’s National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028.

The agency’s Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving was allocated its own budget of P9.53 million in 2023, the first time it received government funds since its creation in 2009 under Republic Act 9593 (Tourism Act of 2009).

At the Philippine International Dive Expo (Phidex) 2024 in February, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said, “As one of the megabiodiverse countries in the world, we are home to more than 500 species of corals and 2,000 species of fish. Therefore, this distinction for the Philippines we take to heart with a firm commitment to ensure not just the marketability, but more importantly, the sustainability of our dive industry.”

She added that DOT had expanded dive tourism offerings to emerging and lesserknown destinations, “bringing our total to approximately 120 dive destinations across the Philippines today.”

However,

Ravelas, senior adviser at professional services firm Reyes Tacandong &

DOH Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa

ASIAN HOSPITAL CELEBRATES 22 YEARS, LAUNCHES ALAGANG DESERVE, ALAGANG SULIT 2.0

PREMIER medical institution Asian Hospital and Medical Center celebrates 22 years of excellence and compassionate healthcare this month of May. A series of events and activities were held to celebrate Asian Hospital’s unwavering dedication to fairness, integrity, teamwork, excellence and respect.

Among the activities that were organized include the Employee Recognition Award, the introduction of a new ambassador and the introduction of new equipment, packages and service bundles.

Employee Recognition Program

ASIAN Hospital held its Employee Recognition Program last May 13, 2024 at the Crimson Hotel Manila and was attended by the leadership team headed by President and CEO Dr. Beaver Tamesis.

In his remarks, Dr. Tamesis said the main goal of every employee at Asian Hospital is to bring comfort to patients and to assure them that the hospital only wants the best for them.

“Bringing comfort to patients is something that every single one of us can and must do. We work with patients. We give them comfort. It is our job to help our patients, comfort them and reassure them that everything was done for them,” he said.

New ambassador

THE anniversary celebration was also a good opportunity for Asian Hospital to introduce voice over artist Inka Magnaye as their new ambassador. Magnaye is famous for doing the in-flight announcement of Philippine Airlines.

She serves as the tour guide in the latest video produced by Asian Hospital titled “Alangang Asian, kaya ‘yan.” In the video. Magnaye explains what the hospital’s campaign #AlgangSulitAlagangDeserve is all about and introduces the various institutes that make Asian Hospital one of the country’s premier healthcare destinations. Stay tuned for more projects, campaigns and activities lined up.

New packages/bundles

AS part of its “Alagang Sulit, Alagang Deserve” campaign, Asian Hospital has come up with a number of value-based packages that range from Cataract to Coronary Angiogram and Kidney Transplants. The Coronary Angiogram, Standard Usage package costs P64,500 while the conditional usage package costs P67,500. A colonoscopy, on the other hand, costs P12,500.

If a patient plans to avail of the Kidney Transplant Package, it will cost P1.48 million.

Other packages include Arthroscopic ACL Repair which

costs P72,000; ILD Package Pulmonary Function Test and CT chest at P22,900; Lap Sleeve Gastrectomy Package A at P510,000 and Z Benefit Total Knee Replacement Package with PF and implant at P335,000. To know more on other packages and bundles, interested patients may call AHMC Info Hub at 8-771-9000 loc. 5913.

New equipment/CT Scan

ASIAN Hospital recently acquired the newest and advanced 256 Slice CT Scan, With the new and improved seamless scheduling process, the hospital can accommodate more patients. CT Scan results will be available in four hours.

The hospital also acquired an additional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine and a

new Bone Mineral Densitometry. Coming soon to Asian Hospital is a SPECT-CT Scan.

New training laboratory

THE opening of the Florence LimChan Simulation Laboratory is a significant step forward in Asian Hospital’s dedication to advancing healthcare education and training. With the help of state-of-the-art

stimulation technology and innovative teaching methods, the hospital will strive to enhance the skills and abilities of the nursing professionals to provide outstanding patient care.

The laboratory will offer reallife simulations that aim to improve the nurses’ skills, teamwork, interdisciplinary communication, critical thinking and clinical judg-

ment among healthcare personnel. The Florence Lim-Chan Nursing Simulation Laboratory is dedicated to Florence Lim-Chan, the mother of singer Jose Marie Chan.

Online Patient Portal

ASIAN Hospital utilizes different digital systems that aim to ease the patient’s stay and ultimately improve the patient’s healthcare journey.

Included in the patient portal is the Online Concierge which is a Metro Pacific Health-initiated platform where patients can scan their facilities, housekeeping and dietary needs. The goal of this tool is to de-clog the nurses and clinical assistants from non—medical requests and for them to focus on medical care.

The Patient Portal, on the other hand, is an in-house system that is progressively being developed. This portal creates a more convenient way for patients to view their online results or select procedures from the hospital.

Wellness Card Upgrades

ASIAN Hospital recently launched the AHMC Senior Wellness Club which provides a supportive environment where members can share wellness tips, personal stories, and engage in a variety of activities designed to enhance their quality of life.

For a joining fee of P1,800, members can enjoy a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, enjoy monthly activities and food and refreshments during these monthly activities.

“We owe immense gratitude to our incredible patient-partners and tireless workforce. Your trust has been our guiding light, igniting our passion to deliver Alagang Deserve, Alagang Sulit, care that goes above and beyond,” Asian Hospital said in a social media post.

“As we celebrate this milestone, let’s not only look back at our achievements but also look ahead with determination and optimism. Together, let’s continue to push boundaries, innovate and strive for excellence in healthcare,” they added.

Follow AHMC Social Media pages @AsianHospitalPH for more updates.

Return to old school calendar starts this year

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

PRESIDENT Marcos has approved the gradual return to the old school calendar starting School Year 2024-2025.

Thus, the Presidential Communications Office said, classes will start on July 29 this year and end on April 15, 2025.

“In response to public concerns on the schedule of classes, President Marcos on Tuesday approved to start reverting the country’s school calendar to the traditional arrangement,” the PCO said.

The PCO said this marks the gradual return of the school year to June of every year until the end of March.

Under Department Order 003 dated February 19, 2024 and signed by Vice President and Education

Secretary Sara Duterte, SY 20242025 was supposed to start on July

29, 2024 and end on May 16, 2025.

Undersecretary Michael Poa, Department of Education (DepEd) spokesman, said the President’s order reverting to the old calendar covered public schools, but private schools may also follow.

Poa told reporters that the President’s decision was a result of the meeting between him and Duterte on Tuesday, May 21.

He said that this will pave the way for SY 2025-2026 to begin on June 16, 2025 and end on March 31, 2026.

“As you could see, we could now really go back to the normal or original June to March cycle of our school calendar,” Poa told reporters in Pilipino.

“If we end on April 15, and then start the next school year on June 16, we still have a pretty good number of school days. We are still close to the 180 days prescribed by our curriculum specialists,” Poa added

in Pilipino.

He said that DepEd is set to release a Department Order regarding the new calendar for next school year.

The current school year (20232024) is set to end on May 31.

Marcos met with Duterte at Malacañan Palace to discuss the two options for the implementation of the School Year (SY) 2024-2025 calendar in light of the shift to the old school calendar.

In that meeting, Duterte presented two options, wherein the first option was to have 180 school days with 15 in-person Saturday classes. Meanwhile, the second option was to have 165 school days with no inperson Saturday classes.

Duterte said both options would end the SY on March 31, 2025.

However, Marcos said the 165day school calendar was “too short” because such an arrangement would “significantly reduce the number

of school days and contact time that may compromise learning outcomes.”

Marcos also said he did not want students going to school on Saturdays to complete the 180-day school calendar because it would “jeopardize their well-being and demand more resources.”

“Let us just extend the school days so we can lengthen class duration, but let’s not adjust Saturday classes. So, the school day will remain the same. Follow the standard.”

Poa confirmed that schools will no longer be mandated to conduct Saturday classes, following Marcos’s decision.

“Since we will end SY 20224-2025 on April 15, we’ll already meet the number of school days required. We no longer need to add more school days through holding Saturday classes,” Poa said in Pilipino. With Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Manila, 8 other Philippine cities among top 1,000 global cities

By Roderick L. Abad @rodrik_28

NINE cities in the Philippines have made it to the 2024 Global Cities Index released on Monday by Oxford Economics, with Manila securing a spot above the second quartile ranking.

This study assesses the 1,000 largest cities in the world, which are located in 163 countries, based on 27 indicators in five categories: Economics, Human Capital, Quality of Life, Environment, and Governance.

“By analyzing these five dimensions in depth, the Global Cities Index provides a nuanced understanding of each city’s strengths and areas for improvement, empowering policymakers, investors, employers, and residents to make informed decisions,” the United Kingdom-based think tank said in a statement.

Overall, Manila settled at 256th place. It was not referred, though, in the report as being the Philippine capital itself or the entire National Capital Region since any of the component cities of the latter is not included on the list.

Category-wise, Manila is just a notch short of the Top 100 to be the 101st in terms of human capital. On the other hand, the country’s center for commerce and trade is at 150th place in the economics segment 238th in the environment space; 461st in quality of life; and 614th in governance.

Cebu City is the second urban center in the country that is among the largest urban economies worldwide, claiming the 436th place. It’s main strength is environment (24), but weak in quality of life (683).

Akin to the Queen City of the South, Cagayan de Oro, which is at 487, excels in the field of environment (338), yet fails in quality of life (626)

Rounding off the first half of the 2024 Global Cities Index is Davao City (500).

This progressive part of Mindanao fares well in environment (229) with its teeming rich natural resources and clean surroundings. It’s rated low in human capital at 645.

Like the above-cited cities, except

for Manila, the succeeding urban areas are also doing good ecological-wise, but mostly bad in people resources.

Based on highest to lowest placements, Angeles City (ranked 502 overall) top spot is in the environment category at 191 and lags in human capital at 634; Bacolod (538), environment (12), human capital (739); Dagupan (604), environment (220), human capital (701); Zamboanga City (695), environment (48), economics (961); and General Santos (723), environment (101), human capital (915).

The inaugural Oxford Economics Global Cities Index is lorded over by New York in the United States, closely followed by London in the UK; San Jose in the US; Tokyo, Japan; and Paris, France. Completing the Top 10 are Seattle, the US; Los Angeles, the US; San Francisco, the US; Melbourne, Australia; and Zurich, Switzerland.

Apart from Manila, other Southeast Asian capitals that are included in the cut are Singapore (42) in Singapore: Kuala Lumpur (135), Malaysia; Bangkok (192), Thailand; Jakarta (284), Indonesia; Hanoi (304), Vietnam; Dhaka (540), Bangladesh; Vientiane (589), Laos; and Yangon (680), Myanmar.

“Cities are the epicenters of human civilization, where innovation, diversity, and progress converge. However, the complexity of urban dynamics often obscures our understanding of what makes a city truly successful,” said Mark Britton, director of city services at Oxford Economics.

He said, combining the results of their Global Cities Index with their forecasts enables organizations and policymakers to make “more informed strategic decisions.”

“While the Index scores cities based on how they are performing now, there is potential for significant movement within the rankings in the coming years, as the 1,000 Global Cities navigate the concurrence of several global trends. These include economic turbulence, political instability, high debt levels, trends in globalization, pressures on healthcare and housing, and the effects of climate change. There are several global trends that have the potential to buck these rankings,” he stressed.

‘Toxic’ Jesus medallions sold to raise funds–group

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

AN advocacy group for a zero waste and toxics-free society has detected excessive lead on religious medallions with an embossed face of Jesus Christ crowned with thorns in front and the words “Jesus Nazareno Quiapo Church” engraved at the back.

In a statement, EcoWaste Coalition said the medallions are being sold for P20 each from the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno, which initiated the sale to raise funds for the renovation of its adoration chapel and the baptistery.

Initial screening performed by the group using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device found the medallions laden with over 100,000 parts per million (ppm) of lead. A confirmatory analysis conducted by a private laboratory detected 255,000 ppm of lead in the analyzed sample, way above the permissible limit of 100 ppm.

While it acted in good faith and for a good cause, Quiapo Church was not aware of the standard specifications, particularly about the lead content limits for jewelry.

According to EcoWaste, during the dialogue on May 18, 2024, the group disclosed to the church organizations that the standards are not publicly accessible on the website of the Department of Trade and Industry (which the Quiapo Church searched) as a copy of the standards can only be had for a fee.

To guide the general public, particularly silversmiths, these standards

Economy

Water scarcity worries congressmen

By Jovee Marie dela Cruz @joveemarie

THE House of Representatives, in collaboration with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), is actively working on solutions to address the pressing problems of water scarcity and efficient water use that impact the agricultural sector, megacities, businesses, and educational institutions.

The chairman of the House Committee on Public Works and Highways, Rep. Romeo Momo of Surigao del Sur, who led a series of meetings aimed at converging water-related projects between these agencies, emphasized the need for a coordinated effort to

manage the country’s water resources. Momo said that during the rainy season, the country experiences an abundance of water, often leading to flooding. However, in the dry season, and especially during El Niño events, water supply becomes a significant

concern.

The convergence of efforts aims to create sustainable and effective solutions for the nation’s water management challenges, he said.

“I fully support the President’s [Marcos’s] and the Speaker’s [Ferdinand Martin Romualdez’s] wish to converge water-related projects of these two agencies. During the rainy season, we get lots of water, even resulting in flooding, while during the dry season, or worse, during El Nino, water supply is a big concern. We have to do something to properly and effectively utilize our water resources so that this recurring problem due to climate change will be addressed,” the lawmaker said.

The meetings, held at the House of Representatives, were part of a larger effort to support the priority programs of the President and Romualdez. These discussions focused on projects ranging from flood control to the construction of sabo dams and water catchment basins.

“The President is right in saying

that water is a national issue that must be addressed on a national level. We see now that water shortages aren’t just a problem in the provinces and the agriculture sector, but also in our mega-cities, which then impact the public, businesses, schools, and many others,” Momo, an engineer and a retired DPWH official said.

“It is high time for us to, once and for all, bring solutions to the table and ensure that the public can and will benefit from them,” the lawmaker added.

In a sectoral meeting at Malacañang last week, Marcos called for the reorganization of the functions of various water agencies because of the need to balance the water requirements for irrigation, household, and industrial use.

The chief executive also instructed Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan to integrate the agency’s flood control management programs with the other sectors to conserve water for irrigation, as well as household and power generation use.

Local firm gets USTDA grant for connectivity project’s feasibility study

THE Filipino company Responsible Internet Sustainability Effort Inc. (Rise) has received a grant from the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) for its feasibility study to improve internet services in the country, especially in underserved communities.

USTDA Director Enoh Ebong awarded the grant to Rise co-founder and chief executive officer Rhett Jones at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Taguig City.

“USTDA partners with companies like Rise to improve access to affordable and reliable internet connectivity for underserved communities in the Indo-Pacific. Planning the deployment of innovative technology is part of our strategy to promote inclusive economic growth,” Ebong said.

“USTDA is pleased to launch this project at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum. It is just one demonstration of our unwavering commitment to promote trade, investment, and economic cooperation with the Philippines,” she added.

Rise has chosen California-based Connectivity Capital LLC to conduct the feasibility study.

should be made readily available by DTI so that compliance will not be a problem and untoward incidents can be easily avoided, the Church representatives added.

In keeping with the group’s advocacy against heavy metals and other hazardous substances in consumer products to protect human health and the environment, the EcoWaste Coalition screened the five Jesus Nazareno medallions that it bought for chemicals of concern using a handheld XRF analyzer, a scientific device that can identify and quantify certain elements like lead in jewelry and other materials.

As measured by the XRF analyzer, the five medallions screened positive for lead at levels exceeding 10 percent or over 100,000 parts per million (ppm). Under the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, as well as the applicable Philippine National Standard, the maximum limit for lead in children’s jewelry for all substrates shall not exceed 100 ppm.

Following the XRF screening, the group submitted a sample of the Jesus Nazareno medallion to the SGS, a global testing company, for confirmatory analysis.

According to the test results, the 255,000 ppm of lead detected on the medallion “exceeds permissible limit.”

The EcoWaste Coalition has provided the office of rector and parish priest Fr. Rufino “Jun” Sescon, Jr. with a copy of the laboratory test report on March 13 and the sale of the Jesus Nazareno medallions was consequently halted, which the group commended.

The study will focus on Rise’s project to expand carrier-neutral internet exchange infrastructure through its business unit GetaFIX.

Expanding GetaFIX’s internet exchanges will enable data to travel shorter distances to reach users, improving both speed and reliability.

The project will also open investment opportunities in the country, as this will drive demand for new data centers to house internet exchange infrastructure.

“We’re thrilled and honored that USTDA would choose to support GetaFIX, its members and partners in expanding to more communities,” said Jones, who is also the GetaFIX founder.

“Having grown to the Philippines’ largest internet exchange already, GetaFIX is ready to make an even bigger impact and keep living our motto ‘when we share, everyone wins,’” he added.

US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson has also welcomed the support of USTDA to the efforts of improving internet connectivity in the country.

“This grant from USTDA will support efforts to bring affordable connectivity to remote communities, enabling access to the digital economy for every Filipino,” the US envoy said in a statement.

Aside from Rise, USTDA also awarded the grant to Bangladeshi telecommunications company CdNet

PRI on track to train 100 percent of PH train workers by 2025

THE Philippine Railway Institute (PRI) is on track to train 100 percent of all operations and maintenance (O&M) workforce and train drivers in the rail sector by 2025 as the country lays more railroad tracks.

In a statement Wednesday, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said the PRI has reached its target of training 76.01 percent of O&M workforce and 72.06 percent of train drivers as of May, heading into an overall target of 80 percent by December and 100 percent in June 2025.

“Equipping railway human resources—operators, engineers, and other personnel—with the latest rail technology, the railway sector can level up passenger experience,” the DOTr said.

The facilities used include training simulators supplied by the Japanese government.

These simulators, it said, allow the digitalization of major rail projects such as the Metro Rail Transit Line 7, North-South Commuter Railway, Metro Manila Subway, and the Light Rail Transit Line 1-Cavite Extension.

The PRI, established in 2019, was created to ensure efficient, reliable and safe railway transportation services.

The training institution and licensing body ensures that all persons who

will operate and maintain the trains, as well as other personnel involved in operations, will have the skills and qualifications.

During the 8th Joint Coordination Committee Meeting on Wednesday, the DOTr, PRI, the Embassy of Japan, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency discussed the onset of the 2nd phase of the PRI-Technical Assistance Project.

The project’s second phase would include a digital transformation action plan with focus on railway maintenance through virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality training.

During the event, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said boosting the competency of the country’s railway personnel would also elevate its transportation system to global standards.

“PRI has adapted to this administration’s nationwide vision. Its scope has expanded to encompass the entire country, with the potential to serve Southeast Asian nations in the future upon completion of its training center,” Bautista said.

On Tuesday, at least 2,867 personnel completed the basic and fundamental training courses, or 76.01 percent of O&M personnel in the railway sector. PNA

Communications Ltd for a feasibility study to develop a trusted sub-sea fiberoptic cable system in the South Asian country. PNA

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Thursday, May 23, 2024

By Joseph Wilson The Associated Press

BARCELONA, Spain—Norway, Ireland and Spain recognized a Palestinian state on Wednesday in a historic move that drew condemnation from Israel and jubilation from the Palestinians. Israel ordered back its ambassadors from Norway and Ireland. It was a lightning cascade of announcements. First was Norway, whose Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said “there cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition.”

Gahr Støre said the Scandinavian country will officially recognize a Palestinian state as of May 28. “By recognizing a Palestinian state, Norway supports the Arab peace plan,” he said.

Several European Union countries have in the past weeks indicated that they plan to make the recognition, arguing a two-state solution is essential for lasting peace in the region.

Norway, which is not a member of the European Union but mirror its moves, has been an ardent supporter of a twostate solution between Israel and the Palestinians.

“The terror has been committed by Hamas and militant groups who are not supporters of a two-state solution and the state of Israel,” the Norwegian government leader said. “Palestine has a fundamental right to an independent state.”

The move comes as Israeli forces have led assaults on the northern and southern edges of the Gaza Strip in May, causing a new exodus of hundreds of thousands of people, and sharply restricted the flow of aid, raising the risk of famine.

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

The Scandinavian country “will therefore regard Palestine as an independent state with all the rights and obligations that entails,” Gahr Støre said.

Norway’s recognition of a Palestine state comes more than 30 years after the first Oslo agreement was signed in 1993. Since then, “the Palestinians have taken important steps towards a twostate solution,” the Norwegian government said.

It said that the World Bank determined that Palestine had met key criteria to function as a state in 2011, that national institutions have been built up to provide the population with important services.

“The war in Gaza and the constant expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank still mean that the situation in Palestine is more difficult than it has been in decades,” the Norwegian government said.

Also Wednesday, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris made his announcement, saying it was a move coordinated with Spain and Norway, “an historic and important day for Ireland and for Palestine.” He said the move was intended to help move the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to resolution through a twostate solution.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that his country will recognize Palestine as a state on May 28. Sánchez, Spain’s Socialist leader since 2018, made the expected announcement to the nation’s Parliament on Wednesday. Sánchez has spent months touring European and Middle Eastern countries to garner support for the recognition of Palestine, as well as a possible ceasefire

in Gaza. He has said several times that he was committed to the move.

Earlier this month, Spain’s Foreign Minister José Albares said he had informed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken of his government’s intention of recognizing Palestine.

The fast-moving developments drew Israel’s condemnation. Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz ordered Israel’s ambassadors from Ireland and Norway to immediately return to Israel, as Norway said it would recognize a Palestinian state and Ireland was expected to do the same.

“Ireland and Norway intend to send a message today to the Palestinians and the whole world: terrorism pays,” Katz said.

He said that the recognition could impede efforts to return Israel’s hostages being held in Gaza and makes a cease-fire less likely by “rewarding the jihadists of Hamas and Iran.” He also threatened to recall Israel’s ambassador to Spain if the country takes a similar position.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed Norway’s recognition of a Palestinian state and called on other countries to follow.

In a statement carried by the official Wafa news agency, he says Norway’s decision, announced Wednesday, will enshrine “the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination” and support efforts to bring about a two-state solution with Israel.

The Associated Press writers Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, Jill Lawless in London and Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem contributed to this story.

Ben Swanton of The 88 Project, a group that advocates for freedom of expression in Vietnam.

Norway, Ireland, Spain recognize Palestinian state in historic move Vietnam’s top security official To Lam confirmed as president

By David Rising The Associated Press

BANGKOK—Vietnam’s top security official To Lam was confirmed Wednesday as the nation’s new president. He oversaw police and intelligence operations over a period when rights groups say basic liberties have been systematically suppressed, and its secret service was accused of violating international law.

Lam was confirmed by Vietnam’s National Assembly after his predecessor resigned amid an ongoing anti-corruption campaign that has shaken the country’s political establishment and business elites and has resulted in multiple toplevel changes in government.

Vietnam’s presidency is largely ceremonial, but his new role as head of state puts the 66-year-old in a “very strong position” to become the next Communist Party general secretary, the most important political position in the country, said Nguyen Khac Giang, an analyst at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was elected to a third term in 2021, but at age 80, he may not seek another term after 2026.

Trong is an ideologue who views corruption as the gravest threat facing the party. As Vietnam’s top security official, Lam has led Trong’s sweeping anti-graft campaign.

Following Lam’s confirmation as president, Deputy Public Security Minister Tran Quoc To was appointed to take over from him at the ministry in an interim role.

Lam spent more than four decades in the Ministry of Public Security before becoming the minister in 2016. His rise took place while Vietnam’s politburo lost of six of its 18 members amid the expanding anti-graft campaign, including two former presidents and Vietnam’s parliamentary head.

Lam was behind many of the investigations into high-profile politicians, said Giang.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is seen as the other major contender to possibly succeed Trong, Giang said.

The current vice-speaker of Vietnam’s parliament was confirmed Monday as the National Assembly speaker after his predecessor, Vuong Dinh Hue, resigned amid the anti-graft campaign. Until his resignation, Hue was also widely seen as a potential successor to Trong.

This unprecedented instability in Vietnam’s political system has spooked investors as the country tries to position itself as an alternative for companies looking to shift their supply chains away from China.

A flood of foreign investment, especially in manufacturing of high-tech products like smartphones and computers, raised expectations it could join the “Four Asian Tigers”—Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, whose economies underwent rapid industrialization and posted high growth rates.

But the scandals and uncertainty— including the death sentence for a real estate tycoon accused of embezzling nearly 3 percent of the country’s 2022 GDP—have brought with them uncertainty and bureaucratic reticence to make decisions. Economic growth slipped to 5.1 percent last year from 8 percent in 2022 as exports slowed.

During Lam’s years heading the Public Security Ministry, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other watchdog organizations have strongly criticized Vietnam for its harassment and intimidation of critics.

In 2021, courts convicted at least 32 people for posting critical opinions about the government and sentenced them to multiple years in prison, while police arrested at least 26 others on fabricated charges, according to Human Rights Watch.

Under Tam’s watch as Vietnam’s top security boss, civil society faced further curbs, foreign aid restrictions introduced in 2021 were tightened in 2023, the country jailed climate activists, and laws were introduced to censor social media, said

“With To Lam’s ascent to the presidency, Vietnam is now a literal police state,” said Swanton, adding that the Vietnamese ruling Politburo was now dominated by current and former security officials. He said he expected further intensification of repression and censorship.

While Vietnam was under a Covid-19 lockdown in 2021, a video surfaced showing Turkish chef Nusret Gokce, popularly known as Salt Bae, feeding Tam a gold-encrusted steak in London. Despite efforts to censor it, the video went viral, stoking widespread anger from people enduring virus lockdowns that exacerbated economic deprivations.

Meantime, a Vietnamese noodle vendor named Bui Tuan Lam, who followed the video with a parody of Salt Bae, was arrested on charges of spreading antistate propaganda and sentenced to five years in prison.

It was also under Lam’s tenure as public security minister, in 2017, when German authorities say Vietnamese businessperson and former politician Trinh Xuan Thanh and a companion were abducted and dragged into a van in downtown Berlin, in what officials there called “an unprecedented and flagrant violation of German and international law.”

Vietnam has maintained that Thanh surrendered to Vietnamese authorities after evading an international arrest warrant for nearly a year. Germany said he and his companion were kidnapped, and responded by summoning Vietnam’s ambassador for talks and expelling its intelligence attaché.

Thanh was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018 after being put on trial in Vietnam.

Announcing espionage-related charges in 2022 against a man accused of being part of Thanh’s abduction, the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office said the kidnapping was an “operation of the Vietnamese secret service” carried out by Vietnamese agents and members of its embassy in Berlin as well as several Vietnamese nationals living in Europe.

Thursday, May 23, 2024 A13

Israel’s block of AP transmission shows how ambiguity in law could restrict war coverage

By David Bauder Ap Media Writer

NEW

YORK—Israel’s shutdown and seizure of an Associated Press video camera that provided a live glimpse into Gaza alarmed many journalists, who worried Tuesday about wider implications for coverage of a war largely fought out of the world’s sight to begin with.

After widespread condemnation, including a call by the Biden administration for Israel to back off, authorities returned the AP’s equipment late Tuesday. Israel had justified its move by saying the agency violated a new media law that bans Al Jazeera, since the Qatari satellite channel is one of thousands of customers that receive live AP video.

By early Wednesday, the AP’s live video of Gaza was back up in Israel.

The camera confiscated earlier, located in the southern Israeli town of Sderot, was not the only one the AP operated in Israel or Gaza—the company would not say how many it uses regularly—nor is the AP the only news organization to do so. Agence France-Presse confirmed it has frequently used such cameras in Israel and also sells its images to Al Jazeera.

“Israel’s move to restrict AP’s work today is extremely concerning and a clear attack on press freedom,” said Phil Chetwynd, AFP’s global news director.

News organizations expressed worry about the potential ambiguity in how Israel’s law could be enforced. What, they asked, prevents Israel from shutting down the news cooperative’s operations in the country altogether?

“It also could allow Israel to block media coverage of virtually any news event on vague security grounds,” Israel’s Foreign Press Association said in a statement.

Others are likely watching Israel’s actions ISRAEL also denies foreign journalists entry into Gaza to cover a war that began following Hamas’ October 7 attacks inside the Jewish state, and has been criticized for not doing enough to protect Palestinian journalists and civilians.

The country “seems to be grasping at anything that hurts Al Jazeera,” said Thomas Kent, former president and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and an international consultant on media ethics. Its latest step damages a reputable news organization at a time the country would seem to want independent news coverage, Kent said.

A democracy acting in this way also sends a disturbing signal to authoritarian countries, he said. “You have to look at the larger picture,” said Kent, also a former standards editor and international correspondent at the AP. “They’re giving fuel to other countries that would love to seize equipment and shut down transmissions.”

The move against the AP set off a debate within Israel. Yair Lapid, opposition leader to the Netanyahu government, called it an “act of madness.” Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, who accused the AP of violating the country’s law, said it clearly states that any device used to deliver content to Al Jazeera could be seized.

“We will continue to act decisively against anyone who tries to harm our soldiers and the security of the state, even if you don’t like it,” Karhi responded to Lapid on X.

The AP’s camera in Sderot was operated 24 hours a day and was also attended by staff members. A staffer can be used to move or focus the camera to cover news that may be happening, and also to avoid capturing military moves. The AP says it complies with military censorship rules that prohibit the broadcast of troop movements that could endanger soldiers.

Stationary cameras are common

NEWS organizations frequently place cameras that can operate remotely at various places around the globe, either in an area where news is happening or simply to provide a view of a city skyline.

These shots have many uses—providing a backdrop for a television station reporting on developments, or as a livestream feature on a website. Earlier in the Gaza war, footage from such cameras helped news organizations conduct forensic investigations into who was responsible for a military strike on a Palestinian hospital.

The AP is the biggest supplier of live video news coverage to newsrooms across the world, said AP Vice President Paul Haven, the agency’s head of news gathering.

“Our live video provides a window of what’s happening around the world on any given day, allowing audiences to see events for themselves as they unfold,” Haven said.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was “deeply disturbed” by Israel’s actions on Tuesday. Carlos Martinez de la Serna, CPJ program director, said the country should allow all international media outlets, including Al Jazeera, to operate freely in the country.

While Israel’s return of the equipment is a positive development, the underlying issue has not disappeared.

“We remain concerned about the Israeli government’s use of the foreign broadcaster law and the ability of independent journalists to operate freely in Israel,” said AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton.

Ukraine faces looming energy crisis as Russian attacks cripple power grid

KBy Samya Kullab

The Associated Press

YIV, Ukraine—Sustained Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid in recent weeks have forced leaders of the war-ravaged country to institute nationwide rolling blackouts. Without adequate air defenses to counter assaults and allow for repairs, though, the shortages could still worsen as need spikes in late summer and the bitter-cold winter.

The Russian airstrikes targeting the grid since March have meant blackouts have even returned to the capital, Kyiv, which hadn’t experienced them since the first year of the war. Among the strikes were an April barrage that damaged Kyiv’s largest thermal power plant and a massive attack on May 8 that targeted power generation and transmission facilities in several regions.

In all, half of Ukraine’s energy system was damaged, Foreign

Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

Entire apartment blocks in the capital went dark. The city’s military administration said at least 10 percent of consumers were disconnected.

For many, it is a taste of what might be in store if Ukraine doesn’t find other electricity sources before winter.

With no end in sight to the attacks on the power grid and without a way to adequately defend against them, there are no quick

fixes to the electricity shortages, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko explained. Ukraine is appealing to Western allies for more air defense systems and spare parts to fix its Soviet-era plants.

“With each attack we lose additional power generation, so it just goes minus, minus, minus,” Halushchenko said Tuesday while standing outside a coal-fired plant in central Ukraine that was destroyed in an April 11 attack. Any efforts to repair the plant would be

futile until the military can defend it from another attack.

“Should we repair (power stations) just for them (Russians) to renew strikes while we are unable to defend ourselves?” the minister asked.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock joined him on the plant visit, underscoring Ukraine’s desperation to close the power gap as quickly as possible.

The first major test of the grid will come in July and August, when consumption can mirror levels in the sub-freezing winter months, the minister said.

By mid-May, Kyiv’s residents began to feel the consequences of Russia’s attacks. A cold snap drove up consumption, forcing Ukrenergo, the main transmission system operator, to introduce controlled blackouts throughout the country. Ukraine can’t generate enough power to cover evening peaks, and the shortage is greater than the country’s ability to import electricity from Poland, Slovakia and Romania.

The April 11 attack on the plant destroyed generators, transformers and turbines—every necessary part to generate electricity, said Yevhen Harkavyi, the technical director of Centerenergo, which

operates the plant.

Five missiles hit the facility that day, and workers were still clearing away rubble on Tuesday as snow-like tufts of poplar cotton fell through a hole in the roof.

The plan for winter is to restore power generation as much as possible, said Harkavyi. How that will happen isn’t clear, he conceded: “The situation is already too difficult.”

Ukraine is hoping to acquire parts from long-decommissioned German plants. Harkavyi said Ukrainian teams recently went to Germany to evaluate the equipment, which was taken offline because it doesn’t meet European Union environmental standards. It remains to be seen how willing European allies will be to invest in Ukraine’s coal-fueled energy sector given their own greener goals.

The teams are still evaluating how to get the equipment back to Ukraine, he said.

“This is the first question,” he said. “The second question is what Ukraine is crying about: We need active protection with air defense systems, and we hope that Mrs. Minister (Baerbock) has seen the scale of destruction and will do everything possible to call for help from the whole world.”

Iran’s supreme leader presides over funeral for president, others killed in chopper crash

By Jon Gambrell The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—Iran’s supreme leader presided over a funeral Wednesday for the country’s late president, foreign minister and others killed in a helicopter crash, as tens of thousands later followed a procession of their caskets through the capital, Tehran.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei held the service at Tehran University, the caskets of the dead draped in Iranian flags with their pictures on them. On the late President Ebrahim Raisi’s coffin sat a black turban—signifying him as a direct descendent of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.

“Oh Allah, we didn’t see anything but good from him,” Khamenei said in the standard prayer for the dead in Arabic, the language of Islam’s holy book, the Quran. He soon left and the crowd inside rushed to the front, reaching out to touch the coffins. Iran’s acting president, Mohammad Mokhber, stood nearby and openly wept during the service.

People then carried the coffins out on their shoulders, with chants outside of “Death to America!”They loaded them onto a semitruck trailer for a procession through downtown Tehran to Azadi, or “Freedom,” Square, where Raisi gave speeches in the past.

In attendance were top leaders of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, one of the country’s major power centers. Also on hand was Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, the militant group that Iran has armed and supported during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war raging in the Gaza Strip. Before the funeral, Haniyeh spoke and an emcee led the crowd in the chant: “Death to Israel!”

“I come in the name of the Palestinian people, in the name of the resistance factions of Gaza...to express our condolences,”Haniyeh told those gathered.

He also recounted meeting Raisi in Tehran during Ramadan, the holy Muslim fasting month, and heard the president say the Palestinian issue remains the key one of the Muslim world.

The Muslim world “must fulfil their obligations to the Palestinians to liberate their land,” Haniyeh said, recounting Raisi’s words. He also described Raisi calling the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war, which saw 1,200 people killed and 250 others taken hostage, an “earthquake in the heart of the Zionist entity.”

The war since has seen 35,000 Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip and hundreds of others in the West Bank in Israeli operations.

Also expected to attend services in Tehran were Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a delegation from the Taliban of Afghanistan, including their Foreign

Minister Amir Khan Mutaqqi. Even Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry traveled to Tehran, despite diplomatic relations between the countries being severed after the 1979 revolution. Egypt and Iran have recently discussed reestablishing ties.

But notably, none of Iran’s living past presidents—other than Khamenei— could be seen in state television footage of the prayers. They include reformist Mohammad Khatami, hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and relative moderate Hassan Rouhani—all individuals who maintain some political cachet within Iran’s tightly controlled political system.

Authorities offered no explanation for their absence from the event, which comes weeks ahead of a planned June 28 presidential election. As of now, there’s no clear favorite for the position among Iran’s political elite—particularly no one who is a Shiite cleric, like Raisi.

Iran’s theocracy declared five days of mourning over Sunday’s crash, encouraging people to attend the public mourning sessions. Typically, government employees and schoolchildren attend such events en masse, while others take part out of patriotism, curiosity or to witness historic events.

For Iran’s Shiite theocracy, mass demonstrations have been crucial to demonstrating the legitimacy of their leadership since millions thronged the streets of Tehran to welcome Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979 during the Islamic Revolution, and also attended his funeral 10 years later.

An estimated 1 million turned out in 2020 for processions for the late Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was slain in a US drone strike in Baghdad. In that ceremony, Khamenei openly wept over Soleimani’s casket alongside Raisi. On Wednesday, Khamenei appeared composed, though he later hugged family members of the dead on his way out.

Whether Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and others draw the same crowd remains in question, particularly as Raisi died in a helicopter crash, won his office in the lowest-turnout presidential election in the country’s history and presided over sweeping crackdowns on all dissent.

Prosecutors already have warned people over showing any public signs of celebrating his death and a heavy security force presence has been seen on the streets of Tehran since the crash.

Over 3K births daily in ’23; both births, marriages dip

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

OVER 3,000 babies were born every day in 2023, according the latest data from Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

There were a total of 1.21 million births in the January to December period in 2023. Divided by 365 days in a year, this means there were 3,324 babies born every day in 2023.

This is lower than the 3,987 babies born every day in 2022 when there were as many as 1.455 million babies born between January and December in that year.

“With the cut-off date by end of March 2024 in processing the birth certificates, this is lower by 16.6 percent than the total registered births of 1.455 million in the same period in 2022,” PSA said.

PSA said among regions, Region IV-A (Calabarzon) recorded the highest number of registered births from January

to December 2023 at 195,695 or 16.1 percent of the total births in the country. This a contraction of 9.73 percent from the 216,792 births recorded in the region in 2022.

The National Capital Region (NCR) registered 153,540 births from January to December 2023, or a 4.1-percent decrease from the 160,132 births registered in the same period in 2022.

“Among its cities/municipality, Quezon City recorded the highest number of registered births at 32,573 or 21.2 percent of the total births in the region,” PSA said. PSA data showed births in Quezon City declined 3.14 percent from the 33,630 babies born between January and December 2022.

Meanwhile, PSA said Cavite recorded the highest number of registered births from January to

December 2023 among provinces at 53,960 or 4.4 percent of the total births in the country.

This was followed by the provinces of Rizal with a total of 41,560 or 3.4 percent share and Bulacan with 40,763 or 3.4 percent of all babies born in 2023.

Marriages

DATA from the PSA also showed there were a total of 358,774 marriages registered marriages between January and December 2023.

This translated to having nearly a thousand or 983 couple's marriages registered in 2023. In 2022, the PSA data showed there were 1,231 marriages registered daily.

“With the same cut-off date in processing the birth certificates, this preliminary count is lower by 20.2 percent than the total registered marriages of 449,428 in the

Convergence program on water to help attain rice sufficiency goal

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez expressed confidence on Wednesday that the convergence program, integrating flood control efforts with broader water management strategies, would enable the Philippines to achieve rice self-sufficiency.

In an interview, Romualdez said the program aims to align the Department of Public Works and Highways' (DPWH) flood control initiatives with the National Irrigation Administration's (NIA) water conservation efforts, ensuring efficient use of the country's water resources.

Besides ensuring water for irrigation, he said the program is expected to likewise provide bulk water sources for drinking water, hydroelectric power, and aquaculture, aside from saving the lives and properties of our people during floods triggered by monsoon rains or typhoons.

"This would lead us to, I believe, rice self-suffi-

ERC, BOI ease energy investors’ concerns

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and the Philippine Board of Investments (BOI) have teamed up to address investors’ concerns in the energy sector.

They signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Monday to facilitate investments related to energy, power consumption, and connectivity, as both agencies recognize the importance of ensuring energy security for economic sustainability. Furthermore, the MOA aligns with the government's policy to sustain efforts to improve the business environment through streamlined procedures and close coordination among government agencies involved in investments and addressing investors' issues and concerns.

“We appreciate this collaboration because we know this is how we can contribute to fostering a positive business climate in the Philippines,” said ERC Chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta.

The BOI, meanwhile, emphasized that investment facilitation is a crucial pillar for generating investments in the Philippines.

“It is necessary to execute this MOA, as it is essential to understand how we perform our functions. This will make doing business in the Philippines easier for investors, thereby attracting more investments into the country,” Executive Director Bobby Fondevilla of the BOI’s Investments Assistance Center (IAC) said. Lenie Lectura

ciency due to higher productivity before the term of the President ends in 2028. That’s the target, that’s the goal, that’s our aspiration, and I believe we’re on our way to that,” Romualdez said during the meeting between DPWH, NIA, and the lawmakers to discuss the program.

With over P349 billion allocated for flood control in 2024, Romualdez emphasized the significant opportunity to fund projects serving multiple purposes.

For his part, House Committee on Public Works and Highways Chairman Romeo Momo of Surigao del Sur, who led a series of meetings aimed at converging waterrelated projects between government agencies, emphasized the need for a coordinated effort to manage the country's water resources. Momo pointed out that during the rainy season, the country experiences an abundance of water, often leading to flooding.

However, during the dry season, and especially during El Niño events, water supply becomes a significant concern.

The convergence of efforts aims to create sustainable and effective solutions for the nation's water management challenges, he said.

“I fully support the President’s [Ferdinand Marcos Jr.] and the Speaker’s [Ferdinand Martin Romualdez] wish to converge water-related projects of these two agencies. During the rainy season, we get lots of water, even resulting in flooding, while during the dry season, or worse, during El Nino, water supply is a big concern. We have to do something to properly and effectively utilize our water resources so that this recurring problem due to climate change will be addressed,” the lawmaker said.

“The President is right in saying that water is a national issue that must be ad-

same period in 2022,” PSA said.

Among regions, Calabarzon recorded the highest number of registered marriages from January to December 2023 at 56,146 or 15.6 percent of the total marriages in the country.

NCR registered 49,538 marriages from January to December 2023, or a 9.3- percent decrease from the 54,629 marriages registered in the same period in 2022.

Among its cities/municipality, Quezon City recorded the highest number of registered marriages at 15,011 or 30.3 percent of the total marriages in the region.

The provinces of Cavite, Batangas and Bulacan registered the most numbers of marriages from January to December 2023 with 15,018 or a 4.2 percent share; 13,620 or 3.8 percent share; and 10,565 or 2.9 percent share, respectively.

dressed on a national level. We see now that water shortages aren’t just a problem in the provinces and the agriculture sector, but also in our mega-cities, which then impact the public, businesses, schools, and many others,” Momo, an engineer by profession, said.

In a sectoral meeting at Malacañang last week, President Marcos called for the reorganization of the functions of various water agencies because of the need to balance the water requirements for irrigation, household, and industrial use.

The President reiterated the importance of the integrated water resource masterplan, managing water resources amid El Niño, and mitigating floods during La Niña.

President Marcos directed the relevant agencies to further explore foreign funding for identified priority investment areas for both local and international stakeholders.

The President also sought the continued development of NIA dams for multipurpose use to include agricultural irrigation, fresh water supply, power supply, and flood control.

In April last year, President Marcos signed an executive order creating DENR’s Water Management Office (WMO).

‘Iloilo City Rises’ legacy book out

HE Iloilo City Government and partners launched a book that presented the city's progress under Mayor Jerry P. Treñas on Monday, May 20 at the Iloilo Convention Center. The book, entitled “Iloilo City Rises: Padayon sa Pag-uswag,” chronicles the southern city’s remarkable achievements, development, and transformation into a vibrant and progressive metropolis as well as a center of the arts, culture and heritage in the Visayas.

“The launch of our legacy book signifies not just the culmination of a project, but the beginning of a new chapter as we continue to move forward creating a better future, with our past accomplishments as our source of motivation and inspiration,” said Treñas, who led the launching together with other City Hall officials, sponsors and the book’s editorial team.

The 256-page publication was authored by five Ilonggo writers, five photographers and two contributors. It has seven chapters which include A Livable, Lively Urbanscape written by Ma. Luisa Mabunay; Between Heritage and Modernity by Vicente S. Salas; Ahead of the Curve by Ted Aldwin Ong; Pagpalangga in Iloilo City, and Classrooms of the Future by Hazel P. Villa; and Living in Harmony with Nature, and

Rhythm and Pulse by Rhick Lars Vladimer T. Albay. Villa, who was also one of the writers of the coffee table book “A Rich and Noble Land” published 17 years ago, said the new follow-up book “speaks volumes about how we have changed as a city and as a people.”

“I thank God for giving me the opportunity to chronicle these important years in the evolution of modern Iloilo City, and I look forward to a third volume. It is commendable of the Iloilo City Government to release this book at a time when we are receiving global attention for the city’s initiatives in various aspects of governance. There are so many learnings from this book aside from the excellent photography,” she added.

Former Tourism Secretary Narzalina Lim, the editorial and production director of the book, said the book tells stories from the point of view of the Ilonggos themselves, how the dramatic, miraculous transformation of the city took place and continues to unfold.

“We chose five Ilonggo writers, all residents of the city, to tell stories about various facets of its development. With five Ilonggo photographers and two contributors, who took hundreds of photographs, 300 of which are in the book, we have produced a testament to the

Was Wescom chief’s convo manipulated?

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

IT could be worse: the outcry over the alleged wiretapping by Chinese government officials of a phone conversation between a ranking Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) official and a Chinese military attaché has barely died down, when senators raised Wednesday a worse possibility: the wiretapped conversation may have been manipulated to make it appear that a secret deal was hatched to handle tensions in the West Philippine Sea. The chair of the Senate Defense Committee, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, raised this possibility as the former Western Command chief who was allegedly wiretapped strongly denied having said crucial details in the recorded conversation. Estrada vowed to file appropriate remedial measures stemming from what he noted was the apparent manipulation of the recorded exchange. Nakakabahala itong wiretapping incident kaya dapat meron tayong gawing hakbang tungkol dito. At mas nakakabahala na kayang-kaya tayong manipulahin nitong mga Chinese officials, kayang i -manipulate ang isang conversation, pag-uusap para tayo ay guluhin at paghinalaan pa ang isang bemedalled officer katulad ni Vice Admiral (Alberto) Carlos na tapat na naglilingkod sa ating bayan [This wiretapping is concerning so we must take steps on this. And it’s even more alarming that certain Chinese officials could be capable of manipulating our conversation, discussion, in order to sow turmoil and cast suspicion on a bemedalled officer like Vice Admiral (Alberto) Carlos who has served the country well] ,” Estrada said.

Estrada’s statements were made during the initial investigation on the alleged wiretapping of the conversation between the Chinese Embassy in Manila and Carlos, the chief of the AFP Wescom who has gone on leave.

Vice Admiral Carlos, during the

hearing, repudiated reports that he forged an agreement with China compromising the country’s national interest.

Carlos admitted receiving a phone call in early January from a Chinese military attaché whom he identified as Senior Colonel Li. He said that the supposed agreement on a “new model” to handle the WPS issue was never part of their conversation that lasted only about three to five minutes.

The AFP official said he did not give consent or was asked for his permission to record such conversation.

Carlos revealed to the committee that the official had reached out to him two days ago. “But I did not reply,” Carlos told senators.

“He sent me a message two days ago Sir but I did not acknowledge,” the AFP official said, adding that he is willing to disclose full details in an executive session. “Does he feel guilty for leaking it (ng phone conversation)?” Estrada asked Carlos, to which the latter replied: “That is a reasonable assumption Sir.”

Padilla defends Carlos IN the same hearing, Sen. Robin Padilla asked the National Intelligence Coordination Agency (NICA) if the Wescom/’new model’ case is being treated as a possible espionage.

NICA deputy director general for special concerns Restituto Santos replied that the agency submitted proposal to their chairman to amend the old espionage law.

Estrada observed that “if this is a “Commonwealth Act” statute, “It has to be amended because it’s all obsolete already.”

Padilla stressed that he is an “admirer of Admiral Alberto Carlos,” whom he described as a good soldier, adding he feels hurt every time a good soldier’s patriotism is put in question.”

He then asked that Carlos be excluded from succeeding hearings, saying the controversy is something for the Departments of Justice and of Foreign Affairs to handle.

indomitable spirit of the Ilonggos who, inspired by the right leadership, rallied behind their political leaders to transform Iloilo City to what it is today,” she shared during the launching ceremony.

Former senator Franklin M. Drilon, a true-blooded Ilonggo himself, was among those who graced the event. He was acknowledged by Treñas as the one who brought in so many developmental projects for Iloilo when he was still a senator, and even until now in his private capacity.

“Iloilo City Rises takes the reader on a journey across time and space, celebrating our vibrant development as Ilonggos. More importantly, the book pays tribute to Ilonggos' unyielding fortitude and optimism under the most difficult circumstances,” he said in his speech.

The book is dedicated to Oscar M. Lopez, an Ilonggo scholar, writer, and historian who believed in Iloilo's potential and the one who led the publication of the book “A Rich and Noble Land.”

The book is co-published by the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI) and Kasingkasing Press. Treñas, meanwhile, expressed his gratitude to the editorial team, the sponsors and everyone, who in one way or the other, contributed in the making of the book.

Continued from A

The Albay solon explained that “by legalizing divorce, the Philippines acknowledges the need to provide options for individuals trapped in unhappy and irreparable marriages. This recognition reflects an evolving understanding of the complexities and challenges that can arise within marital unions.”

He assured critics of the measure that a divorce law will not destroy marriages because “divorce does not put asunder a marriage as the union has long perished. What will be before the Family Court is a cadaver of a marriage. Divorce is not the monster plaguing a marriage. It is marital infidelity, abandonment, violence, and cruelty, among others, that are the devils that destroy marriages.”

The veteran legislator also said that a divorce law “is constitutional as the Constitution does not prevent the Congress from enacting a divorce law, even as it does not offend the dogma of the Catholic Church, which has its own canonical dissolution of marriage. All other Catholic and Christian countries in the world have long legitimized divorce.”

He also clarified that the bill does not recognize no-fault, quickie, drive-thru, email, or notarial divorces as there are limited and reasonable grounds for divorce and a petition will have to undergo judicial scrutiny in order to prevent abuse and collusion of the parties, which is penalized. Lagman maintained that divorce is not for everybody. “It is for those who have just and valid causes to be adjudicated by the proper court. It is only an alternative remedy and will not apply to the overwhelm-

ing majority of Filipino married couples who have enduring and loving marriages,” he said.

Lagman, also the principal author of the reproductive health law, called the divorce bill an apt sequel to RA 10354.

“These sister measures are pro-women legislation since the RH law guarantees a woman’s right to freely determine the number and spacing of her children and mitigates maternal death, while a divorce law liberates a wife from an abusive relationship by ending a damaging and damaged marriage, which will help her regain dignity and self-respect,” Lagman held. He also argued that a divorce law is pro-children. “Divorce is not the worst thing that can happens to children. Having to live in a home filled with strife, discord, and violence is much worse.”

Bro. Eddie objects CIBAC Party-List Rep. Bro. Eddie Villanueva expressed disappointment and concern over the approval of the absolute divorce bill.

“Approving the bill simply means disregarding Malachi 2:16 in the Bible, which says that ‘God hates divorce’ and acting as if we know better than Him. We should have realized that annulment and legal separation exist to remedy problematic marriages without rebelling against God, insulting Him, and drawing the curses of disobeying Him. May God have mercy on our nation!” said Villanueva.

“We have explained and warned our colleagues of the ill effects of the measure; the accountability is now between them and God,” added the CIBAC solon. Bro. Eddie voted against the bill.

Covid-19 still deadly: Protect yourself, mask up if you’re vulnerable

THE recent report from the Department of Health serves as a stark reminder that the threat of Covid-19 is far from over. Despite a slight increase in the number of cases, it is crucial for individuals, particularly those belonging to the most vulnerable groups, to remain vigilant and prioritize their safety by wearing masks.

The statistics provided by the DOH indicate that there were 877 new Covid-19 cases reported from May 7 to 13 2024, with an average of 125 cases reported per day. W hile this increase may be relatively small compared to previous surges, it is a clear indication that the virus is still actively circulating within the community. (Read the BusinessMirror report: “Slight increase in Covid cases not basis for travel restrictions,” May 21, 2024).

W hat is even more concerning is the fact that five deaths were recorded during the two-week period from April 30 to May 13 These tragic losses remind us of the severity of the virus and the potential consequences it can have, especially on individuals who are more susceptible to severe illness.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also highlighted the presence of three new variants of the respiratory ailment, known as JN.1.18, KP.2, and KP 3 W hile further assessment is needed to determine their transmissibility and impact on immune response, it is crucial not to underestimate their potential threat.

In light of these developments, it is imperative for ever yone, especially those belonging to the most vulnerable groups, to continue adhering to preventive measures. Wearing masks remains one of the most effective ways to protect oneself and others from the transmission of Covid-19. Masks act as a physical barrier reducing the risk of respirator y droplets carr ying the virus from spreading to others.

It is important to remember that we are all responsible for the well-being of our communities. By wearing masks, we show our commitment to safeguarding the health of those around us, particularly those who may be more susceptible to severe illness. Vulnerable individuals, such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, rely on the collective efforts of society to minimize the spread of the virus and protect their lives.

W hile the DOH has stated that travel restrictions are not currently necessar y, it is crucial to remain cautious and prioritize public health The low-risk status of all regions in the countr y should not be taken as a reason for complacency. Instead, it should ser ve as an opportunity to strengthen preventive measures and ensure they are consistently followed.

Furthermore, the availability of dedicated Covid-19 intensive care unit beds and the low occupancy rates provide some relief in terms of healthcare capacity. However, this should not lead to a false sense of security. We must continue to monitor the situation closely, accurately report Covid-19 cases, and be prepared to respond swiftly if the situation worsens.

The global situation also demands our attention. The World Health Organization’s data reveals that Covid-19 cases and deaths have decreased during the 28-day period from April 1 to 28, 2024. However, caution must be exercised when inter preting these trends due to decreased testing, sequencing, and reporting delays in many countries.

With over 775 million confirmed cases and over 7 million deaths reported globally as of April 28, 2024, the magnitude of the pandemic remains significant.

The estimates obtained from wastewater sur veillance suggest that the actual burden of cases could be significantly higher than what is officially reported. Overall, the situation in the Philippines appears stable, with low Covid-19 activity and no immediate signs of a dangerous surge. However vigilance is still required. Health authorities must continue monitoring the situation closely, while also encouraging the public to take sensible precautions. Wearing masks, especially if we belong to the most vulnerable groups, is a simple yet impactful step we can all take to protect lives and contribute to the collective fight against the deadly virus. Let us not forget that ever y life saved is a victor y in this ongoing battle against Covid-19.

The peso depreciation

893-1662; 814-0134 to 36. E-mail: news.businessmirror@gmail.com www.news.businessmirror@gmail.com Printed by BROWN MADONNA Press, Inc.–Sun Valley Drive KM-15, South Superhighway,

OOUTSIDE THE BOX

F all the assets and markets that I have traded during the past 45 years, including equities, bonds, commodities, metals, and cryptos, absolutely none are more exciting and profitable than foreign exchange.

Your PSE stock went up 40 percent today? Fantastic. Bitcoin is 20 percent higher since the first of May? Congratulations. Gold and copper are at historic highs. Wonderful.

You could have bought Japanese yen on May 16th at 154.10 to the US dollar Yesterday the yen traded at 156.40 and it was 1.78 percent higher than your purchase price. No big deal. Except a $1,000 (around P58,000) trade would have earned you if you sold at 156.40—a net profit of about $890 or P51,620 for an 89 percent profit in five days.

The reason for this type of profit performance is only the result of being able to trade with large leverage, meaning that $1,000 controls and profits (or loses) from the movement of $50,000 or even $200,000 worth of currency. I would NEVER recommend to anyone that they trade foreign exchange no matter how attractive the ads from Octa, Exness, and FxPro tell you Trading will be easy, but you will not Trade Like a Pro or Trade Like an Expert even with copy trading. “Un-

Wcover Your Potential,” says one FX broker The only potential you may uncover is that FX trading can become addictive like casino gambling. Stay far away from leveraged FX trading until and unless you have made prof itable paper trades for several months.

Philippine Peso Hits 18-Month Low at 58 per Dollar” and “Up oh! The Philippines peso touched the USD-P58 level for the first time in almost two years.” But then again, “On May 20, 2024, the foreign exchange market saw USD/JPY continuing its upward trend, with yen reaching 156.40, the lowest level in 34 years. W hat most people do not understand is that the currency exchange rate is like two sides of a balance beam scale. If the value of the yen goes higher, the other currency’s value against the yen must go lower A silly but accurate example. “Shares of International Container Terminal were stronger against the Philippine Peso as the ICT price was up 1.71 percent today.” Investors traded/‘exchanged’ their PHP for shares of ICT.

By Rodrigo Orihuela & Ken Parks

HAT began with a Spanish suggestion that Javier Milei took drugs has rapidly descended into an all-out diplomatic brawl that’s among the worst since the UK ambassador flew out of Buenos Aires over the Falkland Islands more than four decades ago.

now on there won’t be an ambassador in Buenos A ires,” Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares announced on Tuesday at a

conference. Spats come and go. France and Italy have traded barbs over the Mona Lisa and made up. Argentina has had its fair share of fights with archrival Brazil but also Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. This particular brawl, though, could be more serious and more consequential, partly because of domestic politics

footprint in a countr y known for its debt defau lts, where the presence of Banco Santander SA and Telefonica SA are a key par t of the social infrastructure. Spain also happens to be home to the largest A rgentine community abroad. T hey share a common lang u age and c u lt ur al references—and tend to love each

What is the value change of other regional currencies against the USD this year? The Taiwan dollar and the Korean won have lost about 5 percent against the USD with the Thai baht down 6 percent. The Indonesian rupiah has fared better losing only four percent. The PHP is not an outlier.

The USD has increased in value against the PHP by 5 percent this year from 55.40 to 58+ ICT has increased in value against the PHP from 246.80 to 339.00 or 37 percent. Had you exchanged all your PHP for ICT shares, you would have made a US dollar profit of $1.36 ($4.48 to $5.84) per share or 30 percent.

W hat is the value change of other regional currencies against the USD this year? The Taiwan dollar and the Korean won have lost about 5 percent against the USD with the Thai baht down 6 percent. The Indonesian rupiah has fared better losing only four percent. The PHP is not an outlier W hy do exchange rates change?

The basic reason is the search for profitability, in the same sense that investors bought ICT, gold, BTC, silver copper cocoa, nickel, and the New York stock market hoping the price would appreciate.

The fundamentals of foreign exchange rate conditions are centered on interest rates—how much can I get if I buy local currency debt or place bank deposits—and inflation as to how much risk for currency depreciation.

Local interest rates for 10-year

government bonds are high at 6.63 percent versus 2.75 (Thailand and Vietnam) and about the same as Indonesia at 6.91. So, what is the peso problem as Phi l ippi ne econom ic growth remains strong and inflation is relatively stable? W hile HSBC first said, “Buy USD; Sell PHP when 57 was reached, they now say (May 19, 2024) “We are now moving towards a sell on rally stance as the upward trend might soon be halted as the BSP historically limits the level to 58.”

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is expected to “forcefully” defend the peso. Governor Eli Remolona said the BSP had been actively inter vening in the foreign exchange market recently, but “ in small amounts.” All well and good. Longer term though, is where the concern comes in. April 19, 2024: “The BSP is expected to make its easing move later this year no matter what the US Federal Reser ve would decide on the timing of its rate cut.”

The BSP must balance the potential but unknown effect on inflation if rates are lowered, the potential but unknown effect on economic growth if rates remain at the current level, and the potential but unknown effect on the peso exchange rate either way. There was some grumbling recently that BSP policy makers are the highest paid government officials. Anyone that thinks they can handle the job for a lower price is welcome to submit their resumé.

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

The fact is that within a space of mere weeks, Argentina has managed to have an epic fallout with its second-biggest foreign investor, and neither side seems to be seeking an off-ramp.

other’s football.

W hat Sanchez has done is really inexplicable,” A rgentine Economy

Minister Luis Caputo wrote on X. “The only thing he has done by taking something personal to a state level is showing his political immaturity, because there must be few countries that love each other as much as Spain and Argentina.”

T he reason why the two sides haven’t buried the hatchet probably comes down to two leaders who stand at opposite sides of the political spectrum and are happy and sufficiently media-savvy to know how to use this drama as a distraction from their problems back home.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez published a video during Argentina’s campaign last year endorsing Milei ’s rival, Sergio Massa—so that didn’t exactly endear him to the new power structure in Argentina.

Milei then decided to make a point by attending a rally hosted by a farright opposition party in the past weekend and saying Tuesday that Sanchez should get counseling for his inferiority complex” and get a lawyer for his wife, who is under investigation for alleged influence peddling. See “Argentina,” A

The tit-for-tat dates to the start of May, when Spain’s transport minister said Milei had ingested “substances.” The minister was referring to a TV inter view Milei gave during last year’s presidential campaign, when he asked people to stop talking in his ear apparently because his ear piece was malfunctioning.

John Mangun

‘It felt like we had crashed’:

Singapore Airlines passenger describes turbulence terror

OBy Danny Lee, Shikhar Gupta & Siddharth Philip

NE moment Toby Pearl was ensconced in his economy-class seat in row 43 aboard a flight from London to Singapore. The next all hell broke loose, with personal belongings, food and even people being hurled around the cabin, crashing into overhead lockers and causing oxygen masks to deploy from the ceiling.

The massive Boeing Co. 777 aircraft operated by Singapore A irlines Ltd. had hit a pocket of turbulence so violent that it left one person dead and scores of others seriously injured. Pearl said he was among passengers who rushed to provide first aid immediately after the impact, but they were unable to help a 73-yearold Briton, who died of a suspected heart attack.

“The seat belt light came on and almost immediately after the turbulence hit, I myself, followed by a large amount of others, were thrown in the air hitting the roof,” Pearl said in response to written questions after the aircraft made an emergency landing in Bangkok. “It felt like we had crashed, I thought the plane was going down. You could hear the smashing of glass in the back of the cabin.”

Cruising at an altitude of 37,000 feet (11,200 meters) and with a good two hours left before the aircraft was due to touch down in Singapore, the twin-aisle plane was suddenly and forcefully shaken by what Pearl described as a “big hit” that took ever yone off guard, followed by a smaller, “more manageable” impact.

T he a ircraft sw iftly began an emergency diversion into Bangkok, according to data by flight tracking ser v ice Flightradar24. Emergency crews said seven people were critically injured and admitted to hospital. Others, including Pearl, received medical checkups and complimentar y helpings of hamburgers before being cleared for their onward journey.

Rare fatalities

WHILE high-alt it ude t urbu lence

isn’t a rare occurrence, resulting fatalities are. The phenomenon can be caused by rising pockets of hot air or cumulonimbus clouds that are often accompanied by gusts and storms. At higher altitudes, aircraft might encounter sudden clear-air turbulence caused by differences in the speed of air masses.

About 240 events of severe turbulence were reported to European planemaker Airbus SE between 2014 and 2018. Injuries to passengers and crew occurred on 30 percent of longhaul flights where such events were reported, and 12 percent of shorthaul flights, according to a briefing document on the phenomenon.

A irl i nes adv i se passengers to keep their seat belts fastened at all times, though many people unbuckle once the pilot turns off the signs to make themselves comfortable on long journeys.

“More than 75 percent of these injuries related to turbulence happen at high altitude more than 30,000 feet, at these altitudes you get clear air turbulence that is unpredictable,” said Hassan Shahidi, the CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation. “The aircraft is designed to withstand these kinds of shocks, but when you have passengers not wearing seat belts they are not protected.”

Russia corridor FLIGHT SQ321 took off from London Heathrow at 10:38 p.m. local time on May 20 on what should have been an uneventful 13-hour flight to Singapore’s Changi A ir port. The airline flies the route from London four times a day, twice using the Boeing 777, and twice with the A irbus A380 super jumbo. At 56 travelers, the biggest group of passengers was from Australia, followed by 47 from the UK and 41 from Singapore, according to the airline.

The aircraft overflew Eastern Europe, and then crossed the Black Sea into Georgia and toward Tajikistan, taking the narrow corridor that airlines now use to avoid Russian and Iranian airspace. The Boeing then bore south and crossed the Indian subcontinent.

Invest igators w i ll l i kely look at t he t imel ine and fl ight data after t he plane crossed t he Bay of Bengal into Myanma r and onwa rds into T h a i land to deter m ine wh at went w rong. Just as t he jet was over Myanma r, data on Fl ightRada r24 shows t he plane bu mping up and down before settl ing back at its prev iou s c rui si ng alt it ude some four m inutes later

The plane declared an emergency shortly thereafter and proceeded to land in Bangkok at about 3:45 pm local time.

Pearl, a 21 year-old British tourist en route to Australia to go on a yearlong backpack ing advent ure, said once the first wave of chaos had subsided, cabin crew and passengers provided first-aid support to those in need aboard the flight. Anyone with medical experience was asked to make themselves known, with some doctors and a nurse among the 211 passengers, he said.

“I was delivering CPR, swapping in and out with another customer,” said Pearl, who says he has worked in a hospital as a health care support worker Pearl said he was diagnosed with a possible broken rib.

First-aid help

PASSENGERS with serious injuries were admitted to a hospital near the Suvarnabhumi A ir port on the outskirts of Bangkok, while those with minor or no injuries were being cared for at the air port and then awaited their transfer to Singapore.

Pearl was for tunate enough to be able to cont inue his t rip, and sat in a blocked-off zone w it h fellow passengers who h ad endured t he h a rrow ing experience to complete his jour ney to Singapore. T h at fl ight, Pea rl was soon infor med, was t hen delayed by t hree hours—t hough few people seemed to really ca re, he sa id.

“I think people are still in such shock,” Pea rl sa id. “It def i n itely makes you anxious about going on a plane.” With assistance from Charlotte Ryan, Patpicha Tanakasempipat, Thomas Kutty Abraham and Pathom Sangwongwanich /Bloomberg

Japan trade deficit shows weak yen is weighing on economy

By Yoshiaki Nohara

JAPAN’S imports rebounded in April as the weak yen boosted their value, pushing the nation’s trade balance into deficit and highlighting the increasing economic burden stemming from the currency’s plunge.

Imports gained 8.3 percent from a year ago, the Finance Ministr y reported Wednesday, compared with the consensus estimate of an 8.9 percent increase. The trade balance registered a ¥462.5 billion ($3 billion) deficit, flipping from a ¥387 billion sur plus.

Exports advanced 8.3 percent, compared with the consensus of an 11 percent increase.

Exports were boosted by shipments of cars, as the sector recovered from a certification scandal that disrupted factor y operations at Daihatsu Motor Co., a Toyota subsidiar y, for most of the first quarter Expor ts of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and electronic components includ ing chips also advanced. Imports got a boost from crude and aircraft.

The trade deficit, a negative factor for gross domestic product, reflects the growing economic pain associated with Japan’s beleaguered cur-

rency. W hile the weak yen has helped boost earnings for exporters such as Toyota Motor Corp., it has also driven up costs of imports of ever ything from fuel and food to raw materials needed for manufacturing.

“My main scenario is that things will go in the right direction as costpush inflation cools and consumption recovers with the impact of wage hikes,” said Taro Saito, an economist at NLI Research Institute. “But my risk scenario is that a weaker yen will worsen ongoing cost-push inflation and damage consumption.”

With Japan’s currency trading around a 34-year low versus the dollar a majority of Japanese firms in a sur vey reported it’s becoming more of a problem as it pressures them to pass on rising costs of raw materials to customers via price hikes. Some have looked for the Bank of Japan to respond, as the wide interest gap versus the US is a key factor driving the trend. Gover nor Kazuo Ueda

The trade deficit, a negative factor for gross domestic product, reflects the growing economic pain associated with Japan’s beleaguered currency. While the weak yen has helped boost earnings for exporters such as Toyota Motor Corp., it has also driven up costs of imports of everything from fuel and food to raw materials needed for manufacturing.

warned against excessive yen weakness earlier in May.

Strong demand in overseas markets, especially in the US, carries mixed ramifications for Japan. It may help the economy retur n to growth in the current quarter thanks to robust exports. It also underscores the strength of the US economy. By region, exports to the US and China rose 8.8 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively, while those to Europe fell 2 percent.

“Japan’s stronger April exports are a good sign that second-quarter GDP will rebound from a drop the prior quarter that was largely due to weak outbound shipments. An acceleration in auto exports helped d rive last mont h ’s faster overall

gains,” said Bloomberg economist Taro K imura.

Strength in the US economy has prompted economists to push back their expectations for rate cuts by the Federal Reser ve. The dollar has benefited as a result.

The yen averaged 151.66 to the dollar in April, almost 15 percent weaker than a year ago, the Finance Ministry said. Recent sharp moves in the yen after it fell beyond 160 per dollar in late April suggest that ministry authorities intervened in the foreign exchange market to support it.

The weak yen has become a focal point not only for trade, but also for the economy and policymaking. It revives concerns over cost-push inflation, which weighs on consumption, as the Bank of Japan waits and sees if high wage growth would help consumers shrug off rising living costs with resurgent spending, which could kindle demand-led inflation.

The world’s fourth-largest economy contracted in the three months through March with consumers and companies c utt ing spend ing. It’s largely projected to rebound in the quarter through June, although there are some concerns over the potential for stagflation, wherein prices rise even as growth sputters. Bloomberg

China hints at retaliation in trade clash with Europe

BEIJING hinted it could retaliate against the European Union in a trade dispute that shows signs of escalating the same way as China’s contest with the US.

If the EU keeps pursuing investigations into Chinese firms then China will “ver y likely have to take a series of measures to hit back,” said a post on Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account linked to China’s state media. Beijing has regularly used such channels as a way of signaling its thinking about trade.

The EU is investigating Chinese subsidies across a range of industries, threatening tariffs for electric carmakers and keeping firms out of rail and energy tenders. President X i Jinping visited Europe this month seeking to dissuade the bloc from going down the same path as the US, which last week announced new charges on some imports from China—raising concerns in Beijing that American allies may follow suit.

T he Chinese state-med ia post didn’t specify any countermeasures, but it quoted a lawyer who noted that the EU relies on China as a buyer of agricultural goods such as wine and dair y, as well as aircraft. The Chi-

nese Chamber of Commerce to the European Union echoed the warning, saying that “European wine and dair y products may find themselves caught in the crossfire.”

C hi nese act ion i n suc h a reas would likely have a limited economic impact to start with as those three industries only comprise about 3% of Chinese imports from Europe in the past year Still, if the two sides start tariffing each other or using other means to curb trade and investment, it would increase risks for companies around the world that are already having to deal with the effects of the US-China trade dispute.

“There’s likely to be a much larger puzzle with many more moving parts,” said Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, director of the European Centre for International Political Economy in Brussels. For now, China’s signaling via social media and trade groups is “a threat that the government would be able to walk away from” without appearing to back down, he said.

The EU is investigating Chinese subsidies across a range of industries, threatening tariffs for electric carmakers and keeping firms out of rail and energy tenders. President Xi Jinping visited Europe this month seeking to dissuade the bloc from going down the same path as the US, which last week announced new charges on some imports from China—raising concerns in Beijing that American allies may follow suit.

Histor y suggests that food and beverages are at high risk of being targeted in a trade tit-for-tat. China in the past has blocked Australian wine and barley, fruit from the Philippines and salmon from Nor way among other cases, citing grounds like food safety or anti-dumping.

If C hina moves aga inst European exports, it could open doors for other producers. France is the largest European exporter of wine to China. But China’s wine imports have been shrinking for years, and

it recently removed punitive tariffs on Australian wine.

T his past weekend, China announced a probe into alleged dumping of chemicals by the EU, as well as the US and others. In Januar y China launched an anti-dumping investigation into EU liquors including cognac —an issue that came up during X i ’s talks in France.

EU leaders say the bloc’s industries are at risk from China’s subsidized production, and don’t enjoy fair access to Chinese markets. Some members have been cautious about responding with tariffs, but European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said after meeting X i that Europe is prepared to deploy all the tools available.

The investigations that have upset Beijing include a probe into EV producers, which could lead to tariffs as early as July, as well as inquiries that led Chinese firms to pull out of tenders to provide solar energy in Romania and trains in Bulgaria. Europe supports its farmers with tens of billions of euros in subsidies ever y year, and has sought to keep agriculture apart from broader trade disputes. Bloomberg

Ether ETF hopes are revived on flurry of application updates

CBy Isabelle Lee, Sidhartha Shukla & Emily Graffeo

RYPTO markets are increasingly optimistic about regulatory approval for US exchange-traded funds investing directly in Ether amid a flurry of activity at potential issuers, exchanges and the securities regulator.

T he Sec urit ies and Exc h ange Commission requested that the New York Stock Exchange and Cboe Global Markets update so-called 19b-4 filings that propose rule changes to allow the planned funds to trade, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified since the matter is private.

That’s a sign that prospects for SEC approval may be rising though a green light is by no means guaranteed, one of the people said. The agency also sought to have all filings resubmitted using the same language, one of the people said.

Updated documents were duly posted later Tuesday, including for ETFs from ARK 21Shares, Fidelity Investments, Invesco Ltd., Franklin Resources Inc. and VanEck.

Staking scrubbed MEANWHILE, Fidelity Investments on Tuesday updated its S-1 registration statement with the SEC for its proposed spot-Ether ETF. Among other things, the issuer said it will keep the Ether it buys

out of programs that pay rewards for blockchain maintenance—known as staking in the industr y’s jargon— and that it will not invest in derivatives. Grayscale Investments LLC also scrubbed staking language for its proposed spot-Ether ETF. Staking has been a hot-button issue for Ether since it raises questions about whether the token should be treated as a security.

The increased activity among the SEC, investment firms and exchanges comes before a May 23 deadline for the regulator to approve or deny one application from VanEck.

“Given the political ‘backroom’ d rama, approval w i ll be seen as significant regulator y relief for the sector,” Bernstein analysts Gautam Chhugani and Mahika Sapra wrote in a note on Tuesday. “And ahead of US presidential elections, we would expect a softer regime.”

Ether rally

ETHER is the native token of the Et he re u m blockc h a i n, t he most important commercial highway in

The batch of new US Bitcoin ETFs have attracted almost $13 billion in net inflows to amass nearly $59 billion in assets since their launch on Jan. 11, and they have been hailed as one of the most successful product category debuts in the industry’s history. On April 30, Bitcoin and Ether spot ETFs also started trading in Hong Kong and are currently managing $294 million in assets.

cr ypto. The token has surged about 23 percent this week and was trading at approximately $3,780 as of 9 a.m. in Singapore on Wednesday.

“We expect s i gn i f i cant ETFdriven inflows to ETH, as has been the case with BTC ETFs since their approval,” Standard Chartered analyst Geoff Kendrick wrote in a recent note. Kendrick estimated that the spot-Ether ETFs can lead to inflows of about $15 billion to $45 billion in the first 12 months after approval. In Januar y, the SEC faced a similar deadline for spot-Bitcoin ETFs and ended up approving 10 of the funds simultaneously. Those approvals were also preceded by a flurr y of paper work amendments requested by the regulator A lack of similarly robust interaction with the regulator prior to Monday had led some issu-

ers to brace for rejections, Bloomberg reported on May 17. The batch of new US Bitcoin ETFs have attracted almost $13 billion in net inflows to amass nearly $59 billion in assets since their launch on Jan. 11, and they have been hailed as one of the most successful product categor y debuts in the industr y’s histor y. On April 30, Bitcoin and Ether spot ETFs also started trading

Fund discount

BY a na rrow ma r g i n of votes, t he Hou se of Representat ives approved Hou se Bi ll 93 49 on Wednesday, a im ing to establ ish absolute d ivorce as an alter nat ive means of end ing irrepa rably broken or dysf unct ional ma rriages.

The bill, which was voted on by 126 affirmative, 109 negative, and 20 abstentions, provides limited grounds and welldefined judicial procedures for divorce and aims to save children from the pain, stress, and agony brought about by their parents’ marital clashes or irreconcilable differences, as well as grant the divorced spouses the right to marr y again for another chance at marital bliss.

Under t he bi ll, troubled couples may f i le a petition for absolute d ivorce using t he follow ing g rounds: 1) legal sepa ration under A r ticle 55 of the Family Code of t he Phi l ippines, as mod if ied; 2) annu lment of ma rriage under A r t icle 45 of the Family Code of the Philippines, as mod if ied; 3) sepa rat ion of t he spouses in fact for at least f ive yea rs at t he t ime the petition for absolute divorce is f iled, and reconciliation is highly improbable; 4) psyc holog ical incapacity as prov ided in A r t icle 36 of t he Fam i ly Code of t he Phi lippines; 5) irreconci lable differences; and 6) domest ic or ma rital abuse to include acts under Republ ic Act 9262, or t he Violence Aga inst Women and

T heir C hi ld ren Act of 2004.

T he most recent instance of the lower c hamber g rant ing f inal approval to a pro-d ivorce bi ll was on March 19, 2018, during t he 17t h Cong ress by a vote of 134-57 w it h two abstent ions.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, the main proponent of the proposal, said that the

MBy Henry Empeño

ASINLOC, Zambales—Despite

bully ing tactics by Chinese militia boats and t he repor ted C hinese pol icy to deta in “t respassers” who cross C hinese borders in t he Sout h C hina Sea, local f isher men who depend on l ivel ihood f rom t he resource-ric h Bajo de Masinloc or Sca rborough Shoal a re not about to g ive up t he f ight.

Leona r do C u a r esma, c h a ir man of t h e New Mas i nloc F i s h e r men’s Assoc i at i on (NMFA) sa i d f i s h e r folk i n Zambales a r e u ndete rr ed by t h e t hr eat of j a i l t i me and w i ll cont i n u e f i s hi ng i n t h e s h oal, w hi c h l i es w i t hi n t h e Phi li pp i nes’ 200-na u t i cal m i le excl u s i ve econom i c zone. A repor t in t he Hong Kong-based Sout h C hina Mor ning Post last week sa id t hat under a new reg u lat ion of t he 2021 C hinese Coast Gu a rd (CCG) Law, t he CCG cou ld “deta in” foreigners suspected of i llegally crossing C hinese borders for up to 60 days w it hout t rial.

T he pol icy, w hic h was i ss ued afte r a s u ccessf u l c i v i l i an res upply m i ss ion to Sca r borou g h took off f rom t hi s town on May 15, repor tedly wou ld take effect on Ju ne 15.

Of t hi s new t hr eat, C u a r esma told B usiness M irror i n an i nte r v i ew h e r e on Monday t h at local f i s h e r men wo u ld l i kely s hru g it off, as t h ey a r e al r eady h a r dened to va ri o u s dange r s w hi le f i s hi ng i n open sea. “ Matagal na k aming tak ot,” he sa id. “We h ave long been af ra id i n t hi s k i nd of work.

We h ave faced stor ms before and si nce

t he C hi nese took over Bajo de Masi nloc, we encou ntered more danger Now we a re u sed to it.” Accord ing to Cu a resma, t here is no way for Zambales f isher men to susta in t heir

l ivel ihood ot her t han f ishing at t he v ic inity of Bajo de Masinloc, whic h t rad it ionally prov ided bumper ha r vests for ever yone, even foreigners f rom ot her count ries who

vent ure in t he a rea. “We really have no c hoice, as t his is a quest ion of our econom ic sur v ival. So, we

approval signifies that the Philippines is now on the verge of aligning with the international practice of absolute divorce. Accord ing to Lagman, t he proposed Divorce Act a ims to resc ue couples, espec ially abused or abandoned w ives, f rom ext reme suffering. He stressed the impor tance of recogni zing t hat absolute d ivorce leg islat ion isn’t a one-si ze-f its-all solut ion. Rat her, he sa id it’s crafted for t he exceptional situations faced by married couples st uck in tox ic, dysf unct ional, or abusive relat ionships, espec ially for w ives enduring the agony of irreparably broken ma rriages. He emphasi zed t hat d ivorce, cont ra r y to common bel ief, isn’t t he worst outcome for a fam i ly. T he enduring yea rs of physical v iolence, emot ional abuse, inf idel ity, and subject ing c hi ld ren to a host i le home env ironment, along w it h w itnessing da i ly d iscord and constant confl ict, a re fa r more damag ing t han t he opt ion of d ivorce, he sa id. Lagman asser ted t hat “as t he only count r y in t he world besides t he Vat ican where d ivorce is st i ll i llegal, t his is a clea r and resound ing v ictor y and signals the imminent liberation for Filipino w ives who a re entombed in tox ic, abusive, and long-dead ma rriages.” Lagman, who defended t he measure and faced 12 inter pellators in debates t hat spanned long hours and nine session days, also emphasized that the passage on the third reading of the absolute d ivorce bi ll signif ies a signif icant shift in soc ietal att it udes towa rds ma rriage and relat ionships.

Lifestyle diseases still top killers of Filipinos–PSA

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

Lw i ll cont inue to f ish t here,” Cu a resma sa id. “Anyway, we a re not doing anyt hing i llegal nor provocat ive.”

C u a r esma and local f i s h e r men mann i ng 110 small f i s hi ng boats j o i ned last week t h e “At i n Ito” flot i lla t h at s u ccessf u lly p r ov i ded s u ppl i es of food and f u el to F i l i p i no f i s h e r men i n t h e v i c i n ity of Ba j o de Mas i nloc.

T he f i sher folk leader expla i ned t h at suc h act ion show ing sol ida rity w it h act ivist g roups to asser t Phi l ippine sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal was a necessar y cont ribut ion to foster awa reness among t he publ ic and urge pol it ical leaders to take sim i la r act ion.

“If t he affected sectors l i ke us don’t make any move to high l ight our pl ight, how wou ld our leaders see t he sit u at ion we a re in?” Cu a resma sa id.

“As I tell my fellow f i s h e r men, we shou ldn’t g ive in to C hinese bu lly ing because if we d id, we m ight wake up one day and f ind out t hat all t he seas a re al ready owned by t he C hinese, even our munic ipal waters,” he added. As of Tu esday, ba r ely t hr ee weeks befo r e t h e s u pposed C hi nese coast g u a r d pol i cy wo u ld take effect, Ram i l Nava rr o, a 3 7-yea r -old f i s h e r man, sat on a l i g ht boat d r ydocked nea r t h e mu n i c i pal f i s h po r t h e r e. T he boat, he sa id, i s be i ng repa ired for deep sea redeployment and w i ll se r ve as one of t he l i g ht boats t h at wou ld lay down nets for t he mot he r boat to h au l. Deepsea f i s hi ng ope r ator s he

t he count r y,” PSA sa id. T he data also showed deat hs caused by neoplasms came i n second w it h 63,788 deat hs or 10.7 percent of t he total, whi le Cerebrovasc u la r d iseases were t he t hird lead ing cause, account ing for 59,829 recorded cases at 10.1 percent of t he total f rom Janu a r y to December 2023

PSA sa id deat hs due to d iabetes mell it us recorded 37,633 cases or a 6. 3 - percent sha re, mak ing it t he four t h lead ing cause of deat h; whi le deat hs due to pneumonia, whic h ranked f ift h, recorded 36,262 cases or 6.1 percent sha re. Meanwhi le, deat hs caused by exter nal factors suc h as malnutrit ion, falls, acc idental d rowning and submersions, and intent ional self-ha r m were mov ing up in t he l ist of top causes of deat h

T h e r e we r e a total of 4, 3 46 deat h s ca u sed by malnu t rit i on r ank i ng it 2 3r d out of t he 50 cau ses of deat h i n 202 3 f rom its 24t h r ank i ng i n 2022. Nonet h eless, t h e nu mbe r r ep r esented a 15.4 dec r ease i n t h e nu mbe r of deat h s att ri b u ted to malnu t rit i on f r om t h e 5,1 3 6 r eco r ded i n 2022. T he PSA data also showed t h at falls k i lled 3,456 Fi l ipinos in 2023 W hi le t his represented a 21.4-percent decl ine f rom

By Samuel P. Medenilla

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

WBy Lenie Lectura @llectura

ESTERN Mindanao Power Corp. (WMPC), a unit of Alsons Power, may shut down its diesel power plant in Zamboanga City due to fuel supply constraints.

WMPC on Wednesday said it has informed relevant government agencies that it is expected to exhaust its fuel supply in the coming weeks. Consequently, the plant may need to cease operations, causing rotating brownouts in Zamboanga City and nearby areas.

Previously, WMPC was engaged in a non-firm Ancillar y Ser vices Procurement Agreement (ASPA) with the National Grid Cor poration of the Philippines (NGCP). This agreement enabled WMPC to provide critical power support to maintain grid stability in Mindanao and ensure a con-

sistent power supply in Zamboanga City and nearby areas. However, this non-firm ASPA expired last April 25. W hile NGCP awarded a new firm ASPA to WMPC in April 2023, its implementation is currently on hold pending approval from the Energy Regulator y Commission (ERC). Under a non-firm ASPA, power plants are not guaranteed to provide ancillar y ser vices to the power grid at all times. From Januar y to March WMPC faced approximately P50 million in losses as power plants holding new firm ASPA contracts received provisional authority from NGCP In

this arrangement, plants with nonfirm ASPAs, such as WMPC, were deprioritized.

“Unless the ERC approves our ASPA, we w ill lack the necessar y f u nds to recover our losses and procure fuel for the continued operations of WMPC,” said Jose Luis Angco, vice President and business manager for plant operat ions at WMPC. “Operating a diesel plant is costly. Without an approved and acceptable ASPA, we will incur unrecoverable losses that affect our ability to replenish our fuel stock. This will force us to reduce and eventually halt our operations.”

The ERC has acknowledged the higher fuel costs associated w ith diesel plants. Nevertheless, these plants are crucial as they ser ve as safeguards against potential blackouts, particularly during periods of increased power demand, such as those experienced during El Niño events.

However, diesel plant operations are not viable without an acceptable

FASPA contract, as they struggle to recover their operational costs. They are often contracted only during peak demand periods and are compensated only a fraction of the necessar y charges, mak ing t hese payments insufficient to cover fuel and other operational expenses throughout the entire year

“Currently, WMPC operates as a Must-Run Unit participating in the W holesale Electricity Spot Market [WESM] However, this setup is not sustainable. We anticipate incurring significant losses after the summer season when the plant might be dispatched for voltage correction at a reduced rate of between P3 to P6 per kilowatt hour (kW h),” said Angco.

“We aim to continue providing the necessar y ancillar y ser vices to support NGCP in ensuring a sustainable power supply in Zamboanga all throughout the year Nonetheless, the approval of our ASPA is crucial for us to continue operations, as it allows us to recover costs and maintain our activities.”

Alsons Power unit to shut down plant in Zamboanga KKR to invest in Phinma Education

By VG Cabuag @villygc

INVESTMENT firm KKR Singa-

pore Pvt Ltd. will acquire a significant stake in Phinma Education Holdings Inc., which operates schools in the Philippines and Indonesia.

The transaction involves separate deals that include the existing shareholders of the company, which will exit Phinma Education.

Phinma Education has signed an investment agreement with Phoenix Investments II Pte. Ltd., an investment vehicle of funds managed by KKR and R ise Edu Pte. Ltd., an investment vehicle of funds managed by Kaizenvest (Kaizenvest III), an educat ion-foc used private equity fund focused on emerging markets in South and Southeast Asia.

The agreement pertains to the issuance amounting to P4.5 billion of newly issued shares by Phinma Education.

T he f u nds managed by KKR, meanwhile, have entered into an ag reement to acquire all of t he shares in the company owned, di-

rectly or indirectly, by Asian Development Bank (ADB), Nederlandse Fi nanc ieri ngs-Maatsc h appij voor Ontw ikkelingslanden N.V. (FMO) and Kaizen Private Equity II Pte. Ltd. (Kaizenvest II), who all invested in the company in 2019. After the deal, KKR w i ll own 30.67 percent of the company and while Kaizenvest III will have 3.73 percent. Meanwhi le, ADB, FMO and Kaizenvest II will no longer be, directly or indirectly, shareholders of the company.

Under the investment agreement, KKR will be entitled to three members of the board seats in Phinma Education out of the 11 directors.

“Upon closing of the transactions mentioned above, which are subject to the fulfillment of certain closing conditions including clearance by the Philippine Competition Commission, Phinma Cor p. will remain as the majority shareholder of the company,” Phinma said.

The company said it has waived its rights in relation to the offering and issuance of new shares pursuant to the investment agreement.

Phinma Education’s mission of delivering quality, affordable education to underser ved communities aligns strongly with our Global Impact strategy. We will look to leverage KKR’s deep experience investing in education companies globally to support the management team’s vision to scale the company and become a leading education platform across Sout heast Asi a,” George A itken, managing director and head of global impact for Asia Pacific at KKR, said.

“W hen Phinma first entered the education business two decades ago, we wanted to help improve the lives of young Filipinos in need and in turn, their families. Our commitment to this mission remains steadfast to this day. This collaboration between Phinma Education and KKR, a likeminded strategic partner puts us in a better position to serve and uplift the youth of the Philippines and Southeast Asia,” Ramon R. del Rosario Jr chairman and CEO of Phinma, said.

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of the year, subject to approval of the Philippine Competition Commission.

DENR issues violation notice to TVIRD unit

THE Department of Env ironment and Natural ResourcesEnv ironmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) Caraga Region has issued a notice of violation (NOV) to Greenstone Resources Corp. (GRC). The agency issued the NOV to the mining firm for water pollution and violation of the terms of its environmental compliance certificate (ECC) because of the failure of an old tailings facility last May 11. GRC, a wholly owned subsidiary of TVIRD that operates the Siana mines, blamed the seismic activities and heavy downpours that affected the structural integrity of the company’s Tailings Storage Facility 3 The NOV was issued following an investigation conducted last May 12 by EMB Caraga led by OIC Regional Director Dennis Celestrial on the company’s facilities and operation in Mainit, Surigao del Norte, which showed a crack along the foot of the TSF 3 embankment.

The heavy flow of the tailings from the TF3 damaged 25 houses in Barangay Siana, in the town of Mainit, Surigao del

Norte, and affected electrical distribution lines and some coconut trees. The spill from the tailings also crossed the barangay road.

TSF 3 is an old Tailings Storage Facility used by the company’s previous owner No casualty was reported on the incident as GRC and the community implemented safety measures. The company said it also voluntarily reported and stopped its operation.

According to the EMB that conducted the investigation, the eroded tailings downstream of the TSF and those still inside the facility are exposed and vulnerable to runoff water during heavy downpours any time of the day and are liable to be washed into the nearest bodies of water

The report further stated that the risk of polluting Magpayang River and other waterbodies farther downstream is “very high ” because of the volume of unsecured tailings.

“These tailing materials may still contain chemicals as a result of the mineral processing some time ago therefore it shall be considered as haz-

ardous wastes,” it added. The DENR-EMB reported that based on the findings of the investigation, the company violates the conditions of GRC’s ECC issued in April 2009, and Section 10.14 of DENR Administrative Order 2014-02 or the Revised Guidelines for Pollution Control Office Accreditation. Meanwhi le, t he erosion of t he sed i ments i n cer ta i n a reas of Bar angay Si ana i s a v iolat ion of Sect ion 27 of Republ ic Act (RA) 9275 or t he Phi l ippi ne Clean Water Act of 2004, whic h prohibits “d i sc h a rg i ng, deposit i ng or cau si ng to be deposited materi al of any k i nd d irectly or i nd irectly i nto t he water bod ies or along t he ma rg i ns of any sur face water, where, t he same sh all be l i able to be washed into suc h sur face water whic h cou ld cau se water pollut ion or i mpede nat ur al flow i n t he water body;” and “d i sc h a rg i ng, i n ect i ng or allow i ng to seep i nto t he soi l

CNOOC w i ll be delivered by an

bs i d i a r y of F ir st Gen Co r p. (F ir st Gen), and Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd (Tokyo Gas) h ave f inal i zed t h e ir l iqu ef i ed nat ur al gas (LNG)

(SHA) and

t i on ag r eement (SSA). Unde r t he SHA and SSA, Tokyo Gas w i ll s u bsc ri be fo r s h a r es and become a s h a r e holde r i n FGEN LNG Cor p. (FGEN LNG), t he own-

e r and ope r ato r of t h e i nte ri m offs hore te r m i nal p ro j ect located i n Batangas C ity. “T he exec ut ion of t he SHA and SSA r ep r esents t h e next p h ase of t h e pa r t i es’ j o i nt development of t h e p r o j ect,” F ir st Gen sa i d i n a d i sclos ur e on Wednesday.

T he SHA w i ll gove r n t he ri g hts of FGEN LNG Hold i ngs and Tokyo Gas w it h respect to t he owne r ship and ope r at ions of t he project. T he SHA w i ll become effect i ve once t he necessa r y reg u lator y app rovals a r e sec ur ed. Last mont h , F ir st Gen LNG awa r ded t h e cont r act fo r t h e second s hi pment of t h e company’s LNG s u pply r e quir ement to CNOOC Gas and Powe r Tr ad i ng & Ma r ket i ng L i m ited (CNOOC). T he LNG cargo to be prov ided by

ava i li ng SSS benef its or apply i ng for loan prog r ams becau se of t he ir employers’ non- rem ittance of cont ribut ions. “SSS prev iou sly v i sited t he four employers duri ng Race oper at ions to rem i nd t hem to

pay t he cont ribut ions of t he ir workers. However t hey fa i led to settle t he ir cont ribut ion del i nquenc ies despite rece iv i ng v iolat ion not ices f rom SSS,” Macasaet was quoted i n t he statement as say i ng. T he legal act ions taken by SSS aga i nst b u s i ness establ i s hments for fa i l i ng to dedu ct and rem it t he mont h ly cont ri b ut ions of t he ir employees p roved t h at SSS was se riou s and dete rm i ned to penal i ze t hem, Macasaet added. Not ices of v iolat ion and show cau se orders to erri ng employers were i ssued by SSS, compell i ng t hem to settle t he ir cont ribut ion del i nquenc ies and comply w it h t he ir obl igat ions u nder Republ ic Act 11199 or t he Soc i al Sec urity Act of 2018.

SSS V ice President for Oper at ions Legal Ser v ices D iv ision and Race Team Coord i nator Renato Jac i nto S. Cui si a sa id employers a re mandated by law to reg i ster t he ir bu si nesses w it h t he SSS and repor t all t he ir employees w it hi n 3 0 days f rom t he act u al employment date.

“It i s not ju st a legal obl igat ion, but a mor al responsibi l ity of employers to deduct f rom t he employee’s sala r y t he employee’s sh a re i n t he mont h ly SSS cont ribut ion and, toget her w it h t he employer ’s sh a re, rem it it to t he SSS,” Cui si a added.

Ea rl ier, SSS i ssued v iolat ion not ices to over 1,200 del i nquent employers ac ross t he cou nt r y duri ng a sync hronou s Race oper at ion to rem i nd t hem of t he legal consequences of fa i l i ng to rem it t he ir employees’ cont ribut ions. Reine Juvierre Alberto

Th ave g rown doubt-

f u l of t he Fed del iveri ng t he two

r ate reduct ions t h at were priced i n ju st last week i n t he i mmed iate after mat h of a ben ign i nfla-

t ion read i ng for Apri l. T he swaps

BOC: Revenue collection overshoots target by 3.9%

By Reine Juvierre Alberto

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) announced on Wednesday that its total revenue collections as of mid-May rose by 7 percent year-onyear to P330.27 billion, bolstering the agency’s confidence that it could raise P1 trillion this year.

Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio announced the figures in an Executive Committee meeting with Finance Secretar y Ralph G. Recto and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) last May 15. The preliminar y report showed that the total revenues further exceeded the BOC’s target of collecting P317.87 billion by 3.9 percent, or P12.41 billion, the BOC added. Rubio also repor ted to the Finance chief its f irst-quar ter repor t on the volume of impor ts, including oil and non-oil commodities, according to the BOC. T he BOC seized an estimated P28.02 billion wor th of goods smuggled to the countr y from Januar y to April this year T he agency attributed this to its “enhanced”

STATE-RUN Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) will soon roll out cards with a quick response (QR) code function for easy disbursement of cash aid to beneficiaries of the government’s social amelioration programs.

In a statement on Wednesday, LandBank President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz and Traxion founder and CEO Ann J. Cuisia signed a memorandu m of ag reement last May 9, to facilitate the enhanced payment option.

The LandBank said the cards with QR codes will provide beneficiaries with an alternative method to receive and access their funds immediately and ensure timely assistance from government agencies, particularly in times of emergencies and other special subsidy payouts.

border protection. This is the result of 132 apprehensions conducted by the BOC, intercepting general merchandise, counterfeit goods, cigarettes and tobacco, and various illegal drugs discovered at different ports in the countr y.

Meanwhile, the BOC marked a total of 7.01 billion liters of fuel as of mid-May under its fuel marking program to ensure that oil products sold in the market are tax-compliant. According to the BOC, the bureau marked fuel worth P908.52 billion since the program from September 4, 2019 to May 9, 2024.

The BOC also provided updates to the Department of Finance (DOF) on the Philippines Customs Modernization Project (PCMP), detailing its

During

“The

ma rket i s now ant ic ipat i ng a rou nd 40 basi s poi nts of r ate c uts for t he end of t he yea r w it h t he f irst f u ll 25 basi s poi nt of easi ng priced i nto t he November pol icy meet i ng. A cont i nu ed soften i ng i n US data ove r t h e next t hr ee to f i ve mont h s wo u ld allow t h e cent r al bank to cons i de r lowe ri ng bo rr ow i ng costs at t h e end of 2024, Fede r al Rese r ve Gove rno r C hri stop h e r Walle r sa i d Tu esday. Meanw hi le, E ur opean Cent r al Bank Pr es i dent C hri st i ne Laga r de i nd i cated t h at a c u t i s p r obable next mont h w i t h t h e r ap i d ga i n i n cons u me r -p ri ce g r owt h now la r gely conta i ned “W here mac ro and potent i al pol icy d ivergence h as been more appa rent, pol icymakers h ave kept a keen eye on Fed shi fts to l i m it t he extent of c urrency volat i l ity,” t he analysts w rote. If cent r al banks a rou nd t he globe sta r t c uts “relat ively ea rl ier and more agg ressively” t h an t he Fed, t h at cou ld help t he US to reac h its i nflat ion goal, t hey added. Bloomberg News

Stronger-than-expected British inflation prompted traders to sharply pare back bets on interest rate cuts and denied Prime Minister R ishi Sunak a totemic economic victor y. The Consumer Prices Index rose 2.3 percent from a year ago in April, the Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday, compared with 2.1 percent forecast by economists.

W hi le t he data put t he Bank of England’s 2 percent inflation target within reach and was the lowest level since a cost-of-living crisis began to take hold almost three years ago, it was at the upper end of what economists had been anticipating. Investors unwound bets on easing by the BOE, almost eliminating the chance of a June rate cut, which had been in play as recently as Tuesday. Traders now aren’t fully pricing in the first move by the central bank until November

The pound rose its strongest level against the euro in more than two months as traders increasingly see a greater chance of the BOE taking longer to start easing than the European Central Bank. ECB President Christine Lagarde told Ireland’s RTE on Tuesday that a June cut was probable.

Economists in the UK zeroedin on ser vices inflation, which was

Ortiz said Traxion, as the bank’s newest fintech-enabling partner, will provide technical expertise in the implementation of its plan to integrate QR code functionality into the cards to facilitate “convenient, seamless, and secure cash disbursements,” specifically under the government’s social amelioration programs.

“We expect to further accelerate our efforts to promote QR Ph code-enabled person-to-person and person-to-merchant payments with our partnership,” Ortiz added.

To meet t he requirements of government agencies in collecting fees and charges, Traxion will also provide technology solutions under the partnership that enable QR Ph person-to-person (P2P) and personto-merchant (P2M) payments, which will complement LandBank’s digital

little changed at 5.9 percent as price growth remained strong in the hospitality sector The central bank, which is watching the number closely for signs of domestic inflationar y pressures, had expected a reading of 5.5 percent. A core gauge of prices that excludes volatile food and energy costs fell to 3.9 percent from 4.2 percent.

“The higher-than-expected readings for both headline and ser vices inflation in April are enough to scupper the chances of a June rate cut from the Bank of England,” Bloomberg economists Dan Hanson and Ana Andrade wrote in a note. “It now looks likely the easing cycle will begin in August.”

Both Sunak’s Conser vatives and the opposition Labour Party seized on the data in an effort to set the narrative and prove their grasp on voters’ concerns as they gird for an election expected in the second half of the year Less optimistic market bets on rate cuts will likely slow a reduction in mortgage costs that have become a symbol of the economic pressures on British households.

Sunak, who made reducing inflation a key goal for his first year in office, hailed the data as evidence that price growth was “back to normal,” add ing t hat “brighter days

banking offerings.

The LandBank added the adoption of QR codes in payment ser vices is aligned with the thrust of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to ensure the safety, efficiency, and reliability of payment systems to promote inclusive economic growth

Furthermore, LandBank said the agreement also covers onboarding over 200 Traxion partner cooperatives to the LANDBANKasama Program, expected to boost the bank’s reach in rural areas.

“With Traxion’s end-to-end phygital banking and payment solutions, LandBank can leverage the latest advancements in hybrid technology to ser ve all customer types, across generations, and locations. The extensive technology deployed will reduce the cost of doing business, ex-

are ahead.” Labour’s would-be chief Treasur y secretar y Darren Jones, however, told Bloomberg Television that the failure to hit the CPI target showed it was “not game over ” yet for high inflation in the UK.

The year-on-year decline in price g rowt h was la rgely d riven by a 12-percent drop in the UK’s energy price cap, a mechanism designed to protect consumers from sharp moves in natural gas and electricity costs.

Apri l is a crucial month because many bills, such as mobile phone contracts, impose annual increases in that month

“There was another large fall in annual inflation led by lower electricity and gas prices, due to the reduction in the Ofgem energy price cap,” said Grant Fitzner, chief economist at the ONS. “Food price inflation saw further falls over the year These falls were partially offset by a small uptick in petrol prices.”

The upside sur prise will increase the focus on May wage and inflation data due out in the days before the BOE’s Monetar y Policy Committee meets on June 20. The nine-member panel has stressed the importance of such indicators in determining whether underlying price pressures have eased enough T he BOE has signaled t hat it

tend LBP’s agency banking activities, and empower the enablers Traxion has been supporting,” Traxion CEO Cuisia said.

Under t he LANDBANKasama Program, the state-run Bank partners with client cooperatives, associations, rural banks, local government units, micro, small and medium enter prises, and private entities to help provide basic banking ser vices on behalf of the Bank. These services include cash withdrawal, cash deposit, fund transfer, bills payment, and balance inquir y, it added.

T he prog ram benef its cl ients, including beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer Program of the government, who need to travel to other towns and cities to conduct basic financial transactions.

Reine Juvierre Alberto

may cut interest rates this summer, if price pressures cool as expected. On Tuesday, BOE Governor Andrew Bailey had said during an appearance in London that he anticipated “quite a drop” in April’s inflation to “much nearer to target than it was before,” adding that he hadn’t seen the figure. W hile the first batch of jobs data last week showed more signs that the labor market is loosening, wage growth remained stubbornly elevated at 6 percent levels the BOE sees as too high to keep inflation down sustainably. It means that the second round of labor market figures due just over a week before the BOE decision is seen as crucial to the thinking of rate-setters.

Sepa r ate data on Wednesday showed that input prices for producers fell 1.6 percent compared to a year earlier potentially pointing to easing inflation pressures in the pipeline for consumers. However factor y gate prices rose 1.1 percent, the strongest rate in almost a year “Falling inflation closes in on Bank of England’s target but may not be enough to sway an early rate cut,” said Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG

BUSINESSMIRROR

Health& Fitness

Editor: Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

FDA warns the public vs buying drug products from unauthorized sellers

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

THE Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory on May 15, 2024 reiterating the warning against accessing drug products from medical doctors, unauthorized clinics, and other health facilities.

“Under Republic Act [RA] No. 10918, dispensing was defined as the sum of processes performed by a pharmacist from reading, validating. and interpreting prescriptions: preparing; packaging; labeling; record keeping; dose calculations; and counseling or giving information, in relation to the sale or transfer of pharmaceutical products with or without a prescription or medication order. Dispensing

is an exclusive activity of a pharmacist, to be conducted only within a licensed establishment.”

FDA spokesperson Atty. Pamela Sevilla said that the announcement or advisory is a reiteration of a previous advisory that was issued way back in 2017, FDA Advisory 2017-286.

“From time to time, we make sure to check policies, advisories, or regulations within the FDA in order for us to im-

prove our regulations for the consuming public to benefit from. Because with so many issuances within our Agency, sometimes the public also questions whether these are in still in effect. So that is one way for us to communicate to them that these policies, advisories, regulations are still in effect,” she said.

“We issue these advisories so that the public is also aware of the laws/policies that we are implementing in the FDA,” she added.

Appropriate licenses

FOLLOWING Republic Act [RA] No. 3720, as amended by RA No. 9711, the Department of Health issued Administrative Order No. 2020-0017 requiring all establishments that sell or offer for sale drug products to first secure the appropriate License to Operate [LTO] or authorization from FDA prior to engaging such activities,” she added.

Medical doctors, as part of their practice, utilize drug products, the FDA advisory stated.

However, several doctors procure, store, sell and offer for sale drug products to their patients:

1. Without proper authorization issued by FDA, which is a violation of RA No. 3720 as amended by RA No. 9711

2. Without the supervision of a pharmacist, which is a violation of RA No. 10918

3. Without issuing receipts, which is a violation of existing trade and revenue regulations; and

4. Without observing good distribution and storage practices, which is a violation of standards implemented by FDA.

Likewise, the FDA reiterated that all licensed drug manufacturers and distributors are not authorized to sell to unlicensed retail outlets, including clinics of medical doctors.

The FDA also advised the public not to avail of medicines from clinics of doctors unless the abovementioned requirements are met.

St. Luke’s Medical Center Quezon City unveils new robotic system

By Candy P. Dalizon Contributor

REMIER healthcare institution St.

PLuke’s Medical Center (SLMC) takes surgical innovation to the next level with the acquisition of the da Vinci Xi robotic system for its Quezon City facility. This follows its successful launch at the Global City branch early this year, offering patients access to this cutting-edge technology for optimal outcomes.

With the da Vinci Xi in place, SLMC-QC is now well-positioned for potential partnerships with other medical institutions in the area seeking access to advanced surgical technology. The institution also became the only hospital in Quezon City that offers this service.

During the launch of the new robotic system, Dr. Dennis Serrano, SLMC President and CEO, recounted that the hospital had been running program at Global City for 14 years without knowing whether the hospital would be able to recoup their investment.

“It was a very large investment but to our surprise we were able to recover the investment in five years. This return of

investment is a secondary concern. Our primary concern is to give the best and state of the art care to our patients,” he said.

Emotional burden

HE added that for patients, surgeries are a big emotional burden because they worry about how fast they can recover from the procedure and will there be pain.

“This robotic surgery system is the answer to these concerns because it offers the best results for our patients. And that is the raison d’etre of our existence and justifies why we are doing what we are doing,” Dr. Serrano added.

Manufactured by the company Intuitive Surgical, the da Vinci Xi is a robotic surgical system that uses a minimally inva-

sive surgical approach. It is equipped with sophisticated features and user-friendly controls that empower surgeons to execute complex procedures with improved precision and efficiency. This leads to shorter recuperation periods, fewer complications, and superior patient clinical outcomes.

The da Vinci Xi has the capacity to conduct minimally invasive procedures across a range of specialties, including urology, gynecology, and general surgery. This versatility allows SLMC to provide comprehensive care for a diverse set of patient needs.

Another key feature of this new robotic system is enhanced visualization. It offers 3D high-definition visualization, providing surgeons with a crystal-clear view of the surgical site. This heightened visibility allows for precise maneuvering and greater accuracy during procedures.

SLMC leaders said it is committed to ensuring patients have access to the most recent advancements in surgical technology. The procurement of the da Vinci Xi robotic system exemplifies its commitment to providing high-quality patient care and upholding its mission of offering world-class healthcare services.

Advocates appeal for urgent enactment of Teen Pregnancy Prevention Bill

By Roderick L. Abad Contributor

IN their collective fight against the growing adolescent pregnancy problem nationwide, Save the Children Philippines, together with government agencies, civil society organizations (CSOs), and adolescent advocates, called for the immediate enactment of the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill, which aims to empower adolescents to prioritize education and health over parenthood.

During a press briefing last May 13, 2024 they underscored the critical need for inclusive sexual health dialogues within communities and government institutions.

The proposed bill garnered support from key organizations, including the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on the Welfare of Children, Commission on Population and Development, Family Planning Organization of the Philippines, Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development, Young Feminist Collective, Oxfam Pilipinas, and Global OFW Advance Movement.

Growing by numbers

GOVERNMENT reports show a troubling trend: an increase in pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 14. From 2016 to 2020,

registered births to mothers in this age group grew by 11 percent, translating to an average of five to seven births daily.

Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (2020), 59.5 percent of these births were fathered by adult men aged 20 and over, or nearly six out of every 10 adolescent births. Alarmingly, about one in every five registered adolescent births lack information about the father’s age.

This issue is particularly pronounced among the 10 to 14 age group, where more than 40 percent of adolescent births lack father’s age information, compared to just 17 percent in the 15 to 19 age group.

Collective voice

GIVEN these concerning statistics, different advocates have spoken out about the need for comprehensive education and open dialogue on sexual health.

For Sydney, a passionate adolescent advocate, open conversations about sexual health within families and communities are not indecent but a fundamental right. She said that sexual health espouses broader rights beyond mere activity and ought to be discussed openly and respectfully.

On the other hand, Julia Mari, representing the Young Feminists Collective, emphasized the significance of honoring motherhood by empowering young people

to make informed decisions about parenthood. The bill, she noted, seeks to protect their future by equipping them with the knowledge and resources necessary for their well-being and success.

Meanwhile, Pastor Jo Biasong, a family planning advocate and evangelist, pointed out the need to build safe and supportive spaces within religious congregations. He said that protecting a child is integral to fostering open dialogue and enabling children to advocate for their rights within church communities.

On the government side, DepEd Assistant Secretary Dexter Galban shared the critical link between adolescent pregnancy and overall well-being. He cited the implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education in the DepEd, beginning with age-appropriate information and progressing as learners mature. This program aims to prioritize youth and contribute to national development.

New strategies

UNDERSECRETARY Angelo Tapales of the Council for the Welfare of Children stressed the need for new ways to address these challenges. He emphasized the importance of believing that children can make decisions best for them.

Mylin Mirasol Quiray, acting division chief of the Commission on Population and Development, urged Malacañang

EXPERTS URGE PREVENTIVE MEASURES VS. SPIKE IN ILLNESSES AMONG CHILDREN

By John Eiron R. Francisco

PEDIATRICIANS observed in the last quarter of 2023 a recurring wave of illnesses among children, attributing it to their exposure to new viruses, contact with infected peers and a lack of essential vitamins.

According to General Pediatrician Mary Joan Millonado during the 50th anniversary celebration of Ceelin at the Unilab Bayanihan Center on Friday, May 17, 2024 children are particularly susceptible to respiratory infections such as rhinovirus, the common cold, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other viral groups due to their still-developing immune systems.

She emphasized that a children’s immune system is not fully mature until they reach the age of three to four years old.

“They’re really prone to developing, especially respiratory and bioinfections,” Millonado said.

However, the American Academy of Pediatrics states that it is normal for children of this age to experience 10 to 12 respiratory infections in a single year. Yet, Millonado emphasized that there are measures parents can take to protect their children.

She noted that the pandemic has taught everyone the importance of proper handwashing and avoiding touching their faces, which remain effective preventative measures.

Additionally, maintaining proper sleep hygiene, ensuring children get adequate sleep, and keeping them active through regular exercise are crucial. However, many parents admit challenges in providing outdoor time due to limited access to open spaces, particularly those residing in condominiums.

Nonetheless, health experts said that there are various ways to promote activity at home, including non-physical games and indoor games.

“It’s also the time of the year for our children to get updated with the yearly flu shots,” Millonado said.

Meanwhile, in April 2024, the Department of Health (DOH), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), participated in the World Immunization Week under the Essential Programme on Immunization (EPI). This global initiative aims to provide equitable access to life-saving vaccines for all children, irrespective of their geographic location or socioeconomic status.

to re-issue Executive Order 141, making adolescent pregnancy a national priority beyond family concerns. She noted the significant effect of adolescent pregnancy on girls’ lives and the national economy.

The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill (HB 8910) was overwhelmingly backed in the Lower House with 232 affirmative votes. But its Senate counterpart, Senate Bill 1979, faces uncertainty as it awaits consideration for the second reading.

Advocates stress the urgency of passing the bill. Aurora Quilala, deputy executive director of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development, cited extensive consultations and alignment with ground realities, stressing the critical need for legislative action. With Congress soon adjourning and reconvening in July, crusaders are urgently pressing for the bill’s passage. They particularly urge the Senate to conduct the second reading promptly.

Quick action is crucial before the legislative session pauses for recess until after the State of the Nation Address in July and shifts attention to re-election campaigns in October. Advocates emphasize the importance of advancing this legislation swiftly to address the pressing issue of adolescent pregnancy in the Philippines.

The local campaign, titled “50 Years of Immunization: Kapag Bakuna ay Kumpleto, Lahat Protektado! ” highlights the country’s efforts to safeguard children, adolescents, pregnant women, and the elderly from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs).

In a statement, WHO Representative to the Philippines, Dr. Rui Paulo de Jesus, emphasized that immunization is a fundamental component of primary health care and that every child has the right to be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Despite the significant impact of vaccinations over the past five decades, the 2022 WHO and UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC) reported that 637,000 children in the Philippines remain unvaccinated, putting them at higher risk of disease.

Meanwhile, Millonado highlighted the importance of a nutritious diet, supplemented with vitamins C and zinc, to boost children’s immune systems.

When asked about the importance of administering vitamins even when a child is sick, nutritionist and dietitian Maria Joanna Cruz-Balili explained that illness, stress, and deficiencies can cause a rapid decline in vitamin C and zinc levels.

She emphasized that when these nutrients are deficient, the immune system becomes even more compromised, further lowering its defenses. Therefore, parents must consistently provide their children with both vitamin C and zinc supplements to maintain their immune system’s strength.

THE ribbon cutting ceremony led by Dr. Dennis Serrano (second from left), President and CEO, St. Luke’s Medical Center.

Japan passes revised law allowing joint child custody for divorced parents for the first time

TOKYO—Japan’s parliament on Friday passed a revision to the country’s civil code that will allow divorced parents the option of joint child custody, a change that brings the nation in line with many

will allow divorced parents to choose either dual or single custody while requiring them to cooperate in ensuring their children’s rights and wellbeing.

Under the current law, child custody is granted to only one divorced parent, almost always the mother.

The change comes as divorces are increasing in Japan and a growing number of divorced fathers hope to stay in touch with their children. A number of highwho blamed their former partners for abducting their children and returning to Japan also encouraged the change.

The revision requires the sharing of child rearing costs by the parent who is not the main custodian.

part-time workers with low incomes, do not receive In cases in which domestic violence or abuse by either parent is suspected, the other person will have sole custody, according to the revision.

Supporters of joint custody say it allows both divorced parents to play a role in child rearing.

Opponents, including rights groups and some victims of domestic violence, have raised concern that the new system could make it harder for parents to cut ties with abusive spouses and that they may not be allowed a real say in custody decisions.

legislation during parliamentary debate to require authorities to make sure the custody decision was not one-sided.

Chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters that the revisions address concerns raised by domestic violence victims and their families. But the improvements don’t go far enough and the risk remains high for vulnerable members in the families, said Kazuko Ito, a lawyer who has campaigned against the revision.

Under the revision, divorced parents who choose joint custody must reach a consensus on their children’s education, long-term medical treatment and other key issues, and will need to seek a family court decision if an agreement cannot be reached. Either parent can make decisions about their children’s daily activities, such as private lessons and meals, or emergency treatment. The revision is to be AP

PASTRY BRAND CONTINUES TO CELEBRATE ‘ULTIMATE DREAM-MAKER’

WE pinoys cherish our moms not only as life-givers but rather as those who made life more meaningful—those who guided us and enriched our lives. Our moms have been our sources of encouragement toward our dreams that we thought were not possible...until we reached them. Their unwavering love and support have built many dreams, making them the ultimate dream-makers.

To us, this dream-maker is anyone who extends love to another being. In the second installment of “Goldilocks Presents” watch how Nicole made Mother’s Day extra special in “Sweet Surprise,” directed by Dan Villegas and written by Shai Advincula-Antonio. Indeed, what better way to make our mom feel special, Mother’s Day or not, with a dreamy Goldilocks cake.

As timeless as a mother’s love, Goldilocks offers an Uberry Dreamy treat—the Ube Dream. Moms will surely delight in layers of soft ube chiffon generously infused with real halaya and luscious ube mousse. These rich layers and textures are perfectly complemented by the velvety smoothness of Goldilocks’ ube cream icing. Refreshing macapuno jelly strings crown this masterpiece. For only P699, Goldilocks’ Ube Dream easily punctuates a sumptuous brunch or dinner, and take the moment as an opportunity to rediscover what your mom is passionate about. Whether it’s a class she’s always wanted to take or simply expressing genuine encouragement, now is the time to make your dream-maker’s dreams come true. Consumers may order the Ube Dream or any of their Goldilocks favorites via GrabFood or FoodPanda, or through www.goldilocksdelivery.ph.

Parentlife BusinessMirror

Caring for baby’s sensitive skin

BABIES’ skin is incredibly delicate. Factors like environmental irritants, allergies and genetic predispositions can contribute to issues like dryness, itchiness, and even conditions like eczema. This can be distressing for both babies and their moms, who naturally want to get and provide the best care possible most especially for their baby’s skin.

With the vast number of choices moms need to make every day, moms are now more discerning with products they buy. In fact, when it comes to their baby’s skin, they are keener than ever and choose products with natural ingredients.

Aveeno Baby harnesses the power of oats which can be found in its selection of wash and shampoo and lotion products designed to address various skin concerns.

Aveeno Baby’s Daily Moisture and Soothing Relief contain natural colloidal oatmeal which protects the skin, helping to lock in moisture while soothing sensitive to dry baby skin. Meanwhile, Dermexa contains triple oat complex and ceramides to

Just like baby’s skin, there are facets of motherhood that are naturally sensitive. New mom and Aveeno Baby brand ambassador Iza CalzadoWintle, who is celebrated for her authenticity and

warmth, opened up about the transformative moment when she embraced motherhood at the recent Watson’s Mom and Baby Fair.

“Becoming a mother is like discovering a whole new purpose within yourself,” shared Calzado-Wintle. “It’s a journey of love, growth and vulnerability, where every tear shed, and every smile shared becomes a testament to the beauty of life.”

Iza also discussed how becoming a mother especially as she juggles motherhood with her career as a well-loved celebrity. “Motherhood has been a profound journey of self-discovery. It has taught me the importance of cherishing the present moment, of embracing the imperfect beauty of life, and of prioritizing what truly matters,” she said. “Balancing a career in the limelight with motherhood has been triumph. But through it all, I’ve learned to trust my instincts, to lean on my loved ones for support, and to especially Deia’s skin needs.”

Amid the glitz and glamour of her career, Iza candidly shared her inner struggles of balancing her life with the quiet moments of motherhood, as she confronted issues of mom guilt and self-doubt.

“Balancing the demands of motherhood and a career has been challenging, especially when grappling with feelings of mom guilt,” she admitted. “There are times when I question if I’m doing enough for Deia. But I’ve learned that mom guilt is natural, a testament to the depth of our love. Through self-compassion, I’ve found strength and grace in embracing the imperfections of motherhood.”

When asked about Deia’s delicate skin, Iza enthusiastically shared why she chose Aveeno Baby for her little one, “I really love using Aveeno Baby on purpose. I can see and feel how the power of Aveeno

Baby’s oats helps in keeping Deia’s skin moisturized soothed skin.”

Aveeno Baby marketing manager Claire Ericta Khadka echoed Iza Calzado’s sentiments, emphasizing the brand’s unwavering commitment to supporting mothers in their quest for nurturing skincare solutions.

“At Aveeno Baby, we understand that motherhood is a journey of the heart. Our products are formulated with love and care, designed to nurture both baby’s delicate skin and a mother’s soul in moments of tenderness and grace. Aveeno Baby harnesses the which provides the nourishment, moisturization and protection to baby’s delicate skin. We aspire to give moms the sense of security that they too can comfortable with their skin.”

In addition to the moving exchanges with Iza, pediatric dermatologist Dr. Gisella Adasa shared invaluable insights in understanding and nurturing baby’s sensitive to compromised skin. They explored the reasons behind skin sensitivity in infants, navigating the delicate balance of caring for their little vulnerability. It is important that moms are able to support their babies’ sensitive skin by using products that are mild yet nurturing. It would be best if these oats.”

Aveeno Baby has a committed dedication to Through heartfelt conversations and trusted skincare solutions, Aveeno Baby and Iza Calzado-Wintle extend a hand of love and understanding, inviting mothers to embrace the tender beauty of their journey.

FROM ITCHY SKIN TO HEART DISEASE: HOW KIDNEY DISEASE CAUSES A CHAIN REACTION OF HEALTH WOES

THE kidneys are small, bean-shaped organs only about 5 inches big, but don’t let their small size fool you. Sitting just below the rib cage, they are

impurities, regulates blood pressure, maintains electrolyte balance, and produces hormones crucial for red blood cell production and bone health. Whew, what a fantastic job they do every single day.

hardworking organs play a powerful role in maintaining our well-being, that having kidney problems can set problems.

“Given all the work the kidneys must do, developing kidney issues, like chronic kidney disease, or CKD, which other areas of your body like your skin and your heart,” explains Eladio Miguel M. Peñaranda Jr., MD chief of the section of nephrology of the top hospital in the Philippines Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed, www. makatimed.net.ph).

Some people with malfunctioning kidneys do complain about itchy skin that can range from mildly

bothersome to unbearably lifedisrupting, and gout too. “There are many possible reasons why people with kidney problems experience this, and it could be because there’s an accumulation of toxins in the body,” shares Peñaranda. “The same excess waste buildup also leads to uric acid building up in your blood that triggers gout. Having too much uric acid creates small urate crystals, which settle in your joints and cause sudden attacks of pain and swelling.”

With the kidney controlling the balance of minerals, like phosphorus, calcium and potassium in the body,

problems in these organs may

“Healthy kidneys can easily get rid of excess phosphorus. Otherwise, high levels of this mineral can also decrease the calcium levels in bone, making you more at risk of fractures and osteoporosis,” says Peñaranda.

“Moreover, potassium controls the electrical signals of your myocardium or the muscular layer of the heart controlling your heartbeat. When there’s too much potassium, it can result in an irregular heartbeat.”

Similarly, kidney damage increases risk for more serious health issues

like heart disease, which remains the leading cause of death among Filipinos.

“This is because kidney disease can lead to increased strain on the heart as it works harder to supply blood to the kidneys,” notes Peñaranda. Considering their impact and these small organs should always be factored into our proactive approach to maintaining health, MakatiMed reminds.

Some people with kidney disease reaches an advanced stage, when treatment only involves alleviating symptoms and slowing down the progression of the disease.

“To keep kidneys healthy, it’s crucial to add more veggies and fruits to your plate, stay hydrated, workout regularly, limit cholesterol and salt intake, reduce alcohol consumption, quit smoking, and control blood sugar and blood pressure,” underlines Peñaranda. “If you suspect kidney issues, see a doctor immediately and ask if you can get tested. Diagnosis requires blood and urine tests. Taking these steps can preserve your kidneys and prevent a surge of health issues that’ll keep you from living life to the fullest.”

Gerard S. Ramos

AVEENO Baby team together with Iza Calzado-Wintle and Dr. Gisella Adasa

BOOKLOVERS

This Viral Stretchy Ice Cream is Siargao’s Newest Summer Treat

is l and by storm and it s un ike anything you ’v e e v er experienced before. Meet Cuppy the Phi ippines first - e v er stretchy ice cream! I magine a frozen dessert that stretches and pu ll s l ike taffy bursting w ith f l a v or in e v ery gooey bite. T hat s the magic of Cuppy the brainchi l d of passionate coup l e Lyka Chiang and N atch A l onso.

L ocated at Siargao s famous Catangnan Sunset Bridge , other w ise kno w n as A FAM Bridge , Cuppy I ce Cream in v ites dessert enthusiasts to indu ge in a one - of - a - kind experience. As the sun sets o v er the horizon , v isitors can sa v or the creamy stretchy and gooey goodness of Cuppy a de ectab l e treat that promises to redefine the traditiona l ice cream experience.

What sets Cuppy I ce Cream apart is its stretchy texture and unique mouthfee l, a first - of - its - kind offering in the Phi l ippines. The inno v ati ve approach to ice cream - making has garnered attention and excitement making Cuppy a must - try for those seeking a unique and memorab e cu inary ad v enture in Siargao.

“The concept of Cuppy is inspired by the popu ar Midd l e E astern ice cream that is kno w n for being stretchy and che w y,” Lyka exp l ains. “ With Cuppy w e created our o w n recipe so it s just the right ba l ance of s w eet , creamy, and stretchy, creating a tru y unique experience that is both foreign and fami l iar at the same time. With our recipe , w e focus on enhancing taste and mouthfee w ithout re ying on artificia f a v oring. We don’t w ant to compromise the qua l ity just to make it stretchy.” she adds. Being a ne w and unfami iar concept Cuppy gets a v ariety of feedback from their customers , some of w hom are comparing it to cheese and bubb e gum. Our customers are

NFA paddy rice inventory jumps fourfold in May

By Ada Pelonia @adapelonia

THE National Food Authority’s (NFA) unmilled rice inventory as of May 15 quadrupled after the NFA Council raised the agency’s palay buying price.

MBy Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

the Phi l ippine Statistics Authority ( PSA ) The sur vey co vers forma estab ishments emp oying at east 20 w orkers. T he data sho w ed 7 8. 4 percent of job v acancies for ski ll ed agricu l tura

”

T he data sho w ed there w ere a tota of

2 ,1 5 1 job v acancies for ski ll ed agricu tura l, forestry and fishery w orkers. T his w as composed of 1, 68 7 hard - to - fi ll positions and on y 4 65 easy - to - fi ll positions.

I n terms of the number of job v acancies in estab l ishments emp l oying 20 or more w orkers the Agricu ture , F orestry and F ishing industry had a tota l of 3 , 039 job v acancies.

Some 63.9 percent or 1, 9 41 of these job v acancies are considered hard - to - fi ll jobs w hi l e 36. 1 percent or 1, 098 jobs w ere considered easy - to - fi ll jobs. Among the tota number of job v acancies 239 25 4 or 5 1 .5 percent w ere hard to fi ll T he remaining 4 8.5 percent w ere easy - to - fi ll or job v acancies that had no difficu ty during recruitment.

“The top three reasons w hy job v acancies

w ere considered to be hard - to - fi ll w ere fe w or no app l icants app ying for the job v acancy

[4 3. 1 percent ], app icants expecting a high sa l ary [17 .2 percent ], and app l icants l acking needed competency or ski ll [17 1

percent ],” PSA said. n the S LE, from September 202 1 to August 2022 some 35.8 percent of the 36 3 4 2 estimated number of forma estab l ishments emp l oying 20 or more w orkers had posted job v acancies.

J ob v acancies , PSA said refer to unfi ll ed job openings that are immediate l y a v ai ab l e for p l acement and w here acti ve recruitment steps are being undertaken.

A tota l of 4 6 4, 593 v acant positions w ere recorded for estab l ishments emp oying 20 or more w orkers. Administra -

ti v e and Support Ser v ice Acti v ities had the highest share to tota l job v acancies at 4 3. 1 percent.

T his w as fo ll o w ed by Manufacturing at 20 percent , and Who l esa l e and Retai Trade; Repair of Motor Vehic es and Motorcyc es at 11 percent.

T he Other Ser v ice Acti v ities except Acti v ities of Membership Organizations recorded the east number of job v acancies at 6 4 9 or 0. 1 percent of the tota

T he data a l so sho w ed entry -l e v e l positions w hich are starting positions that require l itt l e to no experience , comprised the majority or 82.6 percent of the tota job v acancies.

T his w as fo ll o w ed by junior e v e position at 1 3.6 percent , w hi e senior and executi v e positions recorded shares of 3.5 percent and 0.3 percent respecti v e y.

T his month , the PSA said the se v ere dry spe ll has caused the agricu ture and fisheries sector to shed more than a mi ll ion jobs in March 202 4 Based on the March L abor F orce Statistics, the number of emp l oyed F i ipinos rose by 5 7 2 000 to 4 9. 1 5 mi ll ion in 202 4 from the 4 8.58 mi ll ion posted in the same period of 2023.

H o w e v er, agricu ture and forestry, as w e ll as fishing and aquacu ture posted the argest dec l ines in emp oyment w ith a combined 1 .33 mi ll ion jobs ost in March 202 4 (See: https://businessmirror. com.ph/2024/05/09/dry-spell-causesagriculture-fisheries-1-million-jobloss/)

THE Af ri can sw i ne feve r (ASF) vacc i ne h as entered t he t hird and f i nal stage of t ri al, a sen ior off ic i al of t he Depa r tment of Ag ric u lt ure (DA) sa id Wednesday. Ag ric u lt ure Undersecreta r y Deog r ac i as V ictor B. Savellano also sa id on t he sidel i nes of t he openi ng ceremony of t he L ivestock and A qu ac u lt ure Phi l ippi nes 2024 i n Pasay C ity t h at t he gover nment i s also look i ng i nto mec h an i sms for its d i st ribut ion. “ Sa ASF vacc i ne n a m a n n asa t hir d p h ase n a tayo, y ung last t ri al, and hopef u lly matapos na k aagad k asi ‘ y un ang hinihing i ng lahat [T he ASF vacc i ne i s on its last t ri al, and we hope t ri als w i ll conclude i mmed i ately as all stakeholders a re awa it i ng it], Savellano told repor ters. He added t h at t he Food and D ru g Adm i n i st r at ion (FDA) and t he Bureau of An i mal Indu st r y

(BAI) a re work i ng closely to h asten t he approval process for t he vacc i ne to f ig ht a fatal hog d i sease t h at nea rly dec i mated hog fa r ms st ruck by ASF.

Savellano expressed conf idence that the vaccine rollout cou ld beg in by December He said the gover nment’s priority is to help backyard raises who constitute around 70 percent to 80 percent of the countr y’s hog producers. W hen asked i f t he gover nment wo u ld p r ov i de t h e vacc i nes to fa r mers for f ree, Savellano sa id t he gover nment h as f u nds to help. May pondo naman y ung gobyerno, siguro y ung talagang nangangail a nga n. Pa g -aa ra l a n pa n a min kung pa n o y ung i mplement i ng ru les and reg u lat ions [IRR] noon. [T he gover nment h as f u nds, so we’ll probably foc u s on t hose really i n need of it. But we w i ll st udy its IRR],” he sa id.

In t h e meant i me, Savellano

urged t he publ ic to cooper ate w it h local gover nment u n its (LGUs) i n ens uri ng t h at b iosec urity measures a re i n place to prevent t he spread of t he d i sease.

“Gusto namin mak ipat ulungan sa lahat, espec i ally mga LGUs. Yung pag t ugon natin sa biosecurity [measures] k ailangan sama-sama tayo doon. [We want to cooper ate w it h ever yone, espec i ally w it h LGUs. O ur response towa rd biosec urity measures shou ld be done collect ively],” he sa id.

He cla i med t h at s i mple b i osec uri ty meas ur es l i ke foot bat h s i n a ir po r ts and po r ts s h o u ld be p u t i n place, pa r t i c u la r ly on fa r ms. T he FDA ea rl ier conf ir med t h at BAI h ad appl ied for cer t i f icat ion of t he Avac vacc i ne f rom V ietnam, whic h wou ld be s ub ject to preassessment. (See: https:// businessmirror.com.ph /2023/08/21/ manila-must-speed-up-accredi-

FAO asks youth to help protect bees

THE Food and Ag ric u lt ure O r gan i zat ion of t he Un ited Nat ions (FAO) recently ur ged you ng people to lea r n more about bees and poll i nator s, i nclud i ng t r ad it ional and hi g h -tec h beekeepi ng. FAO D ir ecto r -Gene r a Q u Dongy u sa id t he yout h can help safeg u a rd t he v ital role bees play i n ag ric u lt ure, ecolog ical balance and biod ive r s ity prese r vat ion. Q u made t he rema rks at a World Bee Day 2024 celebr at ion held i n Rome. “Small creatures w it h enor mous potential, bees and ot her poll inators play a crucial role for l ife on ea r t h T hrough t heir met ic u lous pollination work, they help increase t he quantity, qual ity and d iversity

COFFEE f ut ures surged, w it

of our food, w it h about 75 percent of t he world’s crops dependent on it. Hence t he need to value and protect t hem,” sa id FAO.

Q u sa i d t hi s t r anslates i nto r eplac i ng h a r mf u l ag ri c u lt ur al pr act ices w it h poll i nator -f riendly pr act ice. For beekeepe r s, it means promot i ng t he s u sta i nable u se of locally adapted bees and plants. For gove r nments and pol icymake r s, i mplement i ng pol ic ies t h at ens ure h a r mony between ag ric u lt ure and bees, and for cons u me r s, it means be i ng ca ref u l and i nfor med w hen c hoos i ng products, c heck i ng w he re and how food was produced.

“We need you ng fa r me r s and beekeepe r s w ho can add ress t he many c urrent c h allenges and w ho can cont ri bute to i nnovat ion i n t he product ion c h a i n,” sa id Fr ancesco Lollobrig ida, Italy’s Mi n ister of Ag ric u lt ure, Food Sove re i gnty and Forest r y, i n t he speec h read on hi s be h alf by Stefan i a Costanza, Deputy Pe r manent Representat ive of t he UN i n Rome. Poll i nat ion i s c rit ical to our d iets,” sa id Jeff Pett i s, pres ident of Api mond i a—t he Inte r nat ional Fede r at ion of Beekeepe r s’ Assoc i at ions, i n hi s rema rks duri ng t he ce remony, “ i f we really want to protect 3 0 percent of our planet by 20 3 0, we need to act on t he i mpor tance of protect i ng bees to prese r ve biod ive r s ity and combat cl i mate c h ange.” D uri ng t h e ce r emony, FAO and Ap i mond i a extended t h e ir

tation-purchase-of-asf-vaccineslawmaker/)

Savellano also sa i d t he FDA and BAI a re set to sign a memor andu m of ag reement t h at wou ld fastt r ack t h e vacc i ne r ollo u t. However, it h as been postponed. (See: https: // businessmirror. com.ph / 2024 / 05 / 08 /da-go vernment-wants-to-fast-trac klaunch-of-vaccine-v s-asf/ ) ASF i s a deadly sw i ne d i sease t h at affects domest i c p i gs and w i ld boa rs. It h as been repor ted i n sever al cou nt ries, suc h as V ietnam, C hi na, Indonesi a, T h a i land, Malaysi a,

“It’s a quite unique dynamic in the market,” Illy said, adding that “for certain k inds of preparation, like instant coffee, robusta is more impor tant.” Illy sa i d t h at cl i mate c h

beans used in instant coffee have surged this year as droughts hur t production in Vietnam, the top g rower of the variety, before easing earlier this month Rains have helped to improve the supply picture, but more may still be needed. Also suppor ting prices is high demand for

B8 THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2024

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

Editor: Jun Lomibao

Korean shoots ace, Bisera up in Villamor

Calderon Cup junior netfest in Isabela

CLOSE to 200 youngsters from all over Cagayan Valley battle for top honors and ranking points in the Mayor Doc Totep Calderon Cup National Junior Tennis Championships beginning Friday in Roxas, Isabela.

The juniors tournament presented by Dunlop features competitions in five age groups in both the boys’ and girls’ singles divisions at the Lado del Rio Resort.

It precedes the open singles and doubles events which will showcase the nation’s top players and emerging talents.

The age categories are the 10-andunder unisex and 12-, 14-, 16- and 18-and-under divisions.

The open championships are set from May 28 to June 2 featuring the Legends division, including the men’s doubles for various age groups, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.

The other legs will be hosted by the Tuguegarao Tennis Club and the municipalities of Aparri and Ballesteros for the nationwide initiative spearheaded by Palawan Pawnshop president and CEO Bobby Castro. According to event organizer Bobby Mangunay, this program aims to nurture tennis talent across the country. For details, contact 0915-4046464.

The tournament enjoys strong support from the Palawan Pawnshop National Tennis Championships and Cagayan Valley Tennis Federation.

Calderon expressed enthusiasm for the tournament as well as CAVALTEF president Rolly Guañez.

By Aldrin Quinto

AN eagle provided the lift for Ryan Monsalve but it was Korea’s Rho Hyun Ho who soared early with an ace in the opening round on Wednesday of the Philippine Masters at the Villamor Golf Club.

A hole-in-one on the 195-yard No. 4 highlighted Rho’s bogey-free five-under 67, putting him just a stroke ahead of Monsalve.

The 24-year-old Monsalve looked on the way to the early lead with eagle on the par-5 No. 2 but ended up alone in second place at four-under 68 in the P2 million championship.

Rho hit 5-iron and watched the ball sail straight to the flag, but said he didn’t realize he made the ace.

“I didn’t even know it went it until my sister told me,” said Rho, who banked P20,000 courtesy of the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. “That’s when I realized I made a hole-in-one.”

Rho, who topped last year’s Philippine Golf Tour (PGT) qualifying, birdied No. 2 and also made birdies on the 16th and 18th.

Monsalve suffered a bogey on the third hole but played steady the rest of the way, hitting birdies on Nos. 6, 8 and 13.

Former junior world champion Aidric Chan, the top performer on this year’s PGT Qualifying School, was three under on the outward nine before trading a bogey for a birdie on the way back for a 69 and solo third place.

Lloyd Jefferson Go, eyeing his second PGT win after topping the Palos Verdes Championship in Davao, had a rollercoaster round 71 with four birdies and three bogeys for joint fifth as Dutchman Guido Van Der Valk barged into the youngsters’ party also with a 71 on a tough course that yielded only five scores under par. Sean Ramos also nailed an eagle on a windy day at the tight Air Force golf course, firing a three on No. 8. But bogeys on Nos. 12 and 14 and doublebogey on the 16th pushed him down to

a big group in sixth spot at even-par 72 in the fourth leg of the series supported by official apparel Kampfortis Golf. Gerald Rosales, Dino Villanueva, Rupert Zaragosa, Art Arbole, Jerson Balasabas, Russell Bautista, Michael Bibat, Rico Depilo, Ivan Monsalve, Japan’s Suzuki Daiya and amateur golfer Jeffren Lumbo all submitted 71s. Three-time Asian Tour winner Angelo Que and four-time PGT Order of Merit winner Tony Lascuna were fired one-over 73s and stood in joint 18th with Elee Bisera, Mark Jovan Alcazar, Reymon Jaraula and Japan’s Daiki Ueda. Apo Golf Classic champion Jhonnel

Ababa found himself in deep trouble early, going five over after a doublebogey on No. 12 before hitting birdies on the next two holes on the way to a 75. He shared 36th place with Paul Echavez, Jay Bayron, Zanieboy Gialon, Josh Jorge, Francis Morilla, Edmar Sal-

vador, Arnold Villacencio and Korea’s Tae Won Kim.

Bisera leads Kim, Cons

i

Del Rosario

FLORENCE BISERA birdied the closing hole to score a 70 for the first-round lead in the Ladies PGT Villamor Masters.

Bisera made birdies on Nos. 4 and 15 before suffering her lone bogey, on the par-4 No. 16, for a one-stroke lead over Seoyun Kim.

The Korean started on the back nine and had three birdies and two bogeys. She was even on her homeward nine despite a wayward driver.

“My irons were fine and in times of trouble, I managed to save par,” said Kim.

Defending champion Harmie Constantino, winner at Palos Verdes and Caliraya Springs, put herself in position for a third straight title after submitting a 73.

Three-over through 13, the pintsized but explosive shotmaker calmed her nerves and finished with a flourish with birdies on No. 16 and 18 on the course where she first made a name for herself in the junior ranks.

Pauline del Rosario, seeing action on the domestic tour while on a short break from the Epson Tour, survived a disastrous back nine but still wound up within striking distance after a 74.

The 25-year-old Del Rosario, who pulled out of this week’s Copper Rock Championship in Utah on the Ladies Professional Golf Association’s development tour due to a pollen allergy, was one-under on the front nine before a tough stretch going back. Birdie on No. 13 was followed by an 8 on the par-4 No. 14 then bogey on the next hole before she recovered with a birdie on the 16th.   Del Rosario shared fourth spot with Mikaella Fortuna and Gretchen Villacencio.

Apo Golf champion Sarah Ababa fired a 75, which was matched by Chihiro Ikeda. Apple Fudolin was alone in ninth after a 76, while Velinda Castil completed the top 10 with her 77.

Kazakhstan-bound road team train in Zambales

MEMBERS of PhilCycling’s national road team completed recently a five-day training camp in Zambales ahead of their participation in the 2024 Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC) Championships for Road in Kazakhstan in June.

A total of 35 cyclists took part in the training camp hosted by Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane and supported by Rep. Doris “Nanay Bing” Maniquiz of the province’s Second District at the Balin Sambali in Iba and at Camp Kainomayan in Botolan.

“The training camp’s important not only to keep the athletes in harness for the Asian championships but for them to bond them together further as a national team,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham

THE noose gets tighter, the game gets better. Basketball fans are tuned in to the battles for survival happening now in the National Basketball Association (NBA). It is the highest point of the Playoffs, the Eastern and Western Conference Finals.

To get to this stage, the four teams with dreams of winning the championship still very much alive had to pass through ordeals of fire and ice, slay dragons, manage pain and somehow emerge from it all unscathed, bloodied perhaps, but unbowed.

“Bambol” Tolentino, who also heads the PhilCycling.

The championships are set June 5 to 12 in Almaty, and the PhilCycling team’s trip to Kazakhstan’s largest city is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and the POC.

The ACC will also confer Tolentino the 2024 Merit Award for his exemplary contribution to cycling’s growth in Asia.

EL SEGUNDO, California— Barbie dolls will honor tennis champion Venus Williams and eight other athletes as part of a project announced by Mattel on Wednesday.

The others being depicted as dolls are gymnasts Rebeca Andrade and Alexa Moreno, soccer players Mary Fowler and Christine Sinclair, boxer Estelle Mossely, swimmer Federica Pellegrini, paratriathlete Susana Rodriguez and track and field sprinter Ewa Swoboda.

“Throughout my career, I’ve always been driven by the idea of shattering glass ceilings and staying true to myself, and Barbie’s mission couldn’t resonate more deeply with that ethos,” said Williams, who has won seven Grand Slam singles titles. The brand wanted to note “the impact of sports in fostering self-confidence, ambition, and empowerment among the next generation,” Mattel’s Krista Berger said. AP

INDIA and Kazakhstan won in straight sets to kick off action in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Challenge Cup for Women on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

India encountered a strong third-set resistance from Iran before wrapping up a 25-17, 25-23, 25-21 win in Pool A that took an hour and 24 minutes, while Kazakhstan had a practically easier time against Singapore, 25-15, 25-9, 25-17, behind Kristina Belova’s 15 points in Pool B action.

The national road cycling team is composed of riders from Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance, 7-Eleven-Cliqq by Roadbike Philippines, Excellent, D’Reyna and Go-for-Gold. They are handled by head coach Reinhard Gorantes and deputy coaches Virgilio Espiritu, Marita Lucas, Mark John Lexer Galedo and Joey de los Reyes.

So Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals was disputed Wednesday by the league-leading Boston Celtics and their new nemesis, the gritty and resilient Indiana Pacers. They were sixth place in the East, but managed to eliminate third seeded Milwaukee in the first round, the New York Knicks in the second, and are now up against the 64-18 Celtics. They’ve come a long way, Baby.  Out West, the Dallas Mavericks buoyed by their doublebarreled scoring machine of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are duking it out today, Thursday, against the thunderous Minnesota Timberwolves. What a duel that’s going to be.

The Celtics have been the easy pick to win in the eliminations, what with their league-best win-loss record that have earned them the No. 1 overall rating during the regular season. They cruised through Miami after surviving one bumpy ride in Game 2 of the first round and won, four-one. They eliminated badly undermanned Cleveland in five games in a testy way—not as dominantly as expected against the Cavs.

But they still had their aces, one of whom was the eternally youthful Al Horford who stood in for the injured Kristaps Porzingis, and the heirs of Boston’s glorious past—the two Jays of Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Now the tougher test begins. Boston is in its sixth ECF finals appearance in eight years and third straight season. They are patently the stronger and more experienced team

“I feel very proud and happy,” India’s team captain Kovat Shaji Jini said. “The Iran team’s very good but we focused on our service and digging and we got good results.” Outside spiker Anagha Radhakrishnan was consistent for India all match long and finished with 13 kills and three service aces for 16 points and outside hitter Kambrath Anusree scattered 16 points on top of 13 kills and Shaalini Saravanan had 12 points.

“We were fourth place but now we want to win a medal in this championships so,” said Jini, referring to last year’s tournament in East Java where Vietnam won the crown over host Indonesia and the Indians losing to Chinese Taipei in

over the Pacers who have not made it to the division finals since 2014 and last made the finals in 1999 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.

But these 2024 Indiana Pacers are a different breed altogether. Against Boston on Wednesday, they lived up to their names and matched the pace of the game the Celtics played. They brought it to Boston in the three-point battle. They rebounded just as hard.

The Celtics outrebounded the Pacers by just one (44-43), with Indiana getting more defensive rebounds and Boston scoring three more in the offensive side.

The Pacers outnumbered the Celtics meanwhile, 38-30, in the assists department, with crucial points scored off those brilliant assists.

But alas, the Pacers also outdid the Celtics in turnovers (22-15) and in fouls committed (23-15).

Long story short, the Celtics defense held, and that was the thing that kept Fort Boston together. Joe Mazzulla’s men stole the ball three times more than Indiana and scored two more fastbreak points off those steals. They edged out Rick Carlisle’s army in the paint too and finished with two more paint points than Indiana.

But all is not lost for the Pacers. With the way they played Game 1, they almost brought the league leaders to their knees. It is not surprising though why they would think of Game 1 of the ECF as TOTGA (the one that got away).

the bronze medal match.

India goes for payback against Chinese-Taipei at 1 p.m. on Thursday in the event organized by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation headed by President Ramon “Tats” Suzara and supported by Meralco, PLDT, Smart, Akari, AyalaLand, Nuvali, Foton, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Sports Commission, Mikasa, Senoh, Asics, Maynilad, Makati Shangri-La, Rebisco, Cignal, OneSports, OneSports+ and PilipinasLive.

Belova had y eight kills and seven aces for the Kazakhs, who weren’t exactly used to playing in a different time zone.

“It’s very difficult in terms of time difference because it’s 7 in the morning back home,” Kazakhstan team captain Sana Anarkulova said. “It’s so early and our people are still asleep, but we’ll try to perform well.”

Defending champion Vietnam played Hong Kong and Australia faced Chinese Taipei in the other games set late Wednesday. Pilipinas Alas debuts against Australia on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Pool A after Indonesia takes on Hong Kong at 10 a.m. in Pool B and Vietnam clashes with Singapore in Pool B at 4 p.m.

Jaylen Brown was the magician who pulled off that well-guarded, awkward three-point shot that tied the game at 117 and sent it to overtime. They should’ve fouled him, pundits said, with the Pacers up by three. Yeah, but perhaps Pascal Siakam was thinking: what if he sinks those three free throws? What if it becomes a four-point play?

So the basketball gods took over in OT. Jayson Tatum scored 10 points in overtime for a total output of 36. All Boston did was capitalize on some late mistakes by the Pacers to own Game 1.

“Look, a lot of things had to go wrong for us and right for them. They did. We have to own it,” said Rick Carlisle post-game.

Now the focus shifts to the West. The Mavs are coming off a captivating six-game series win over the best-in-thewest Oklahoma City Thunder. The Timberwolves are still high—and mighty!—after winning a don’t-blink-first seven-game series that dispatched the defending champs, the Denver Nuggets.

This is King Kong vs. Godzilla in all its glory. Although the Timberwolves and Ant Edwards have been absolutely fearsome, there are those who say that the combined experience and wisdom of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have a value all its own.

Let’s watch.

Envoys&Expats

The Philippines’s top envoy advocates ‘economic diplomacy’

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

IT was 3 a.m. on June 27, 2022 when Enrique A. Manalo, then-Philippine ambassador to the United Nations in New York, received a call.

Half-awake, h e g r abbed hi s phone, and read the caller ID: It was a former high-ranking member of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s cabinet.

“The President wants to know if you are willing to ser ve as his secretar y of Foreign Affairs [SFA],” Manalo was asked.

“W hat can I say? But ‘Yes.’” he recalled. “It’s an honor of course.”

The invitation to head the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)—one of the most highly-regarded institutions in the government—was not a “total sur prise” for the 70-year-old diplomat.

But the timing could have been better, as he had to fly back from New York as soon as possible to make it in time for the presidential inauguration on June 30, 2022. Foreign dignitaries were scheduled to arrive then. Manalo was sworn in by the Chief Executive on the latter’s first day in office.

Unlike other foreign affairs secretaries, Manalo didn’t require much

time to “learn the ropes,” so to speak. Not only is he a career diplomat; he became acting secretar y during the Duterte administration, and also ser ved as undersecretar y for policy under the administrations of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III.

Perhaps the advantage is, you know what problems you will probably face, [as well as] ‘the rules of the game,’ because you’ve been exposed to that,” he explained.

“I really didn’t have much time to learn anymore, because on my first day, we already had a briefing. I really had an idea of what our issues were,” the SFA told the BusinessMirror “But of course, it stops there. After that, you must learn to deal with whatever happens.”

China on his mind

TWO months after assuming presidency, Marcos Jr flew to Indonesia and Singapore. It’s a clear indication that the DFA, under Manalo’s helm, can influence the new administra-

t ion t his yea r T he back-to-back visits waved the flag of neutrality, and emphasized that the Asean remains at the center of Philippine foreign policy.

Four months later the department brought the president to China, making it his next stop after the two Asean countries.

Despite t he harsh w inter and breakout of the Covid-19 Omicron variant in Januar y 2023, Marcos Jr went ahead with his trip and met President X i Jinping.

“T he v isit of the President to China was precisely to show that we are ver y much open to improving our ties,” Manalo said. However, just a few months after, the countr y witnessed a more aggressive China Coast Guard in the Ayungin Shoal.

“It’s not li ke we woke up one morning and said: ‘Oh, we’ll shift all right,’” Manalo stated. “After his visit to China, there were water cannon incidents. So naturally, we have to react. We cannot just allow things to take shape, especially if they affect our sovereignty, or our own security.”

The SFA conceded that the dispute in the West Philippine Sea/South China Sea (WPS/SCS) has been lingering for years. He stressed though that recently, it has become increasingly challenging.

“T he President said we’re still committed to resolv ing whatever disputes we have through diplomatic means. But again, as I said, these

new developments make it worse [and] create bigger challenges for us,” he said.

Aside from confronting China directly, the DFA sought out new friends and partners, then signed up for alliances.

Manalo is an expert on multilateral diplomacy, having been assigned to the United Nations in Geneva and New York. He said he has been reaching out to the European Union and other countries such as Australia, Japan and “of course, the United States.”

Economy is key to security

WHILE geopolitics is keeping him busy lately, Manalo’s “main emphasis” under his helm is “economic diplomacy.”

T he Phi l ippines’ top d iplomat finished Economics, both in his undergraduate and Master’s degrees earned from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. He was also employed at the National Economic and Development Authority or Neda before joining the foreign ser vice.

“‘R icky’ [Manalo] is really an economic expert among our batch of foreign-ser vice officers from the getgo,” retired ambassador Antonio Rodriguez told the BusinessMirror

In most of his event speeches, Manalo would always preface the kind of diplomacy that he is espousi ng, al ign i ng w it h t he econom ic

team’s goal for the Philippines to be at level with Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

“It is impor tant to f rame t he Philippines’s foreign-policy agenda in the context of our aim to become an upper middle-income economy by 2025 and, in the longer ter m, to realize the national aspiration for all Filipinos to enjoy stronglyrooted, comfor table and sec ure lives by 2040,” Manalo shared in his remarks at the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines last Februar y. W hen the agenda for the trilateral summit among Marcos Jr President Joseph Biden of the US, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan was being deliberated, the SFA’s marching orders to his team is to push for more economic cooperation. W hen asked why economic diplomacy is on top of his agenda, he replied: “Without economic security, you really can’t be secure Of course, we cannot forget about promoting our own defense and national security. But it’s through economic growth and development that we can even make things more secure.” In April 2024, economic leaders assured the President that the Philippines is really on the road to [achieve upper middle-income status] by next year or this year.” Since Marcos Jr assumed office in 2022, the countr y has become a darling in the eyes of the international community.

Aside from more than a dozen trips overseas by the Chief Executive, many dignitaries are coming to the Philippines not just to improve diplomatic relations, but to explore government-to-government or other commercial deals. Last year alone, Manalo had 65 meetings with ministers and other high-ranking officials—17 of them were solely focused on bilateral visits.

Manalo attributed this to the growing national economy, which is becoming

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES

(PAL) is the first Asian airline to adopt a modern system meant to hike fuel savings, which they can monitor, and control live from the pilots’ flight deck.

The countr y’s flag carrier recently announced its partnership with OpenA irlines—the leading provider of fuel-management solutions for airlines—to integrate SkyBreathe® OnBoard into its operations. This collaboration marks a significant step for ward in the airline’s commitment to environmental responsibility and operational efficiency.

SkyBreathe® OnBoard is a userfriendly digital solution that uses advanced algorithms based on the world s largest fuel-efficiency database and real-time data to provide live assistance on fuel-saving initiatives in the cockpit.

The solution is part of the SkyBreathe® eco-flying platform—the leading fuel-management software today used by 66 airlines worldwide to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions and increase efficiency and savings.

SkyBreathe® OnBoard is designed to engage pilots and achieve additional fuel savings on-the-go.

Fo r example, t h e i nteg r ated

“Direct Assistant” enables pi lots to

sav ings compa red to nor mal operat ions, resu lt i ng i n a quick ret ur n on investment. By pioneering the integration of this groundbreaking solution, PAL strengthens its position as a forwardthinking leader in the Asia-Pacific region, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to environmental stewardship and innovation.

“Our dynamic [ties] with OpenA irlines reinforces our commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration w ithin the av iation ecosystem,” said PAL president and CEO Capt. Stanley K. Ng. “Since we started working with OpenA irlines

in 2022 with the implementation of SkyBreathe® Analytics, we have achieved significant fuel savings.”

Ng added that PAL has decided to bring the partnership further by adopting the latest innovation from the platform, engaging pilots in applying fuel-efficient initiatives at the right time during the flight: “We are convinced that bringing SkyBreathe® OnBoard will further improve PAL’s operational performance.”

“D uri ng t he fl ight, pi lots a re busy per for ming many tasks, and it’s hard to know which, when, and how to apply f uel best practices. SkyBreathe® OnBoard resu lts from years of dedicated [research and development, as well as] collaboration w ith pilots to build an app that can push relevant and timely notif ications on

hi g h ene r gy prices, and c h allenges related to supply-c h a i n d i s rupt ions and i nf r ast ruct ure. Add it i onally, t h e s ur vey’s latest ed it ion h as i ncor por ated quest ions on d i ve r s i f icat ion meas ures of compan i es.

“It’s encour ag i ng to see s uc h conf idence f rom bu s i nesses i nvolved i n Ge r man- Phi l ippi ne relat ions, forecast i ng a bu ll i sh local economy,” ent hu sed GP CCI pres ident Ma rie Anton iette Ma ri ano.

“T hi s opt i m i sm s urely poi nts to a t hri v i ng env ir onment i n t h e Phi l ippi nes for bot h i nvestment and job c reat ion ove r t he next 12 mont h s.” Ma ri ano sa i d t h e se ri es of events i n t h e f ir st qu a r te r of 2024, i nclu d i ng Fore i gn M i n i ste r Annalena Bae r bock of Ge r many’s v i s it i n Janu a r y, Pr es i dent Fe r d inand R. Ma rcos Jr.’s s u bse qu ent off i c i al t ri p to Ge r many i n ea r ly Ma rc h and conven i ng t he second Joi nt Econom ic Comm i ss ion m iddle of t h at mont h h ave ev idently played a c ru c i al r ole i n bolste ri ng t h e b i late r al r elat i ons

i ne f ir ms a r e st i ll u pbeat i n t h e ir b u s i ness s it u at i on. T h e same t r end i s r epo r ted on company expectat ions, w hic h showed pos it ive res u lts, w it h majority (61 pe rcent) of t h e r espond i ng f ir ms fo r ecast i ng conf i dence i n b u s iness development fo r t h e next 12 mont h s.

Notably, local econom ic project i ons i n t h e next 12 mont h s s i gn i f i cantly i nc r eased by 17 po i nts at 55 pe rcent. Investments and employment also followed t hi s t r end, w it h h e i g htened p r o j ect i ons at 44 pe rcent and 61 pe rcent, r espect i vely (f r om 3 9 pe rcent and 54 pe rcent i n t h e t hir d qu a r te r of 202 3).

Top risks ENTER P RISES i dent i f i ed t h e ir p ri ma r y c h allenges, w i t h econom i c pol i cy cond it i ons topp i ng t h e l i st du e to complex r eg u lat i ons, f r e qu ent pol i cy c h anges, and extens i ve b ur eau c r acy c r eat i ng an u np r ed i ctable env ir onment.

H i g h ene r gy p ri ces also pose a s i gn i f i cant conce r n, i mpact i ng p r of it ma r g i ns and ope r at i onal costs, pa r t i c u la r ly fo r ene r gyi ntens i ve secto r s l i ke manu fact uri ng. Add it ionally, hurdles suc h as s u pply-c h a i n d i s ru pt i ons and i nf r ast ru ct ur e a r e t i ed fo r t hir d, w it h bot h facto r s cont ri b ut i ng to ope r at i onal i neff i c i enc i es. “To cap ital i ze on t h e c urr ent econom i c opt i m i sm, it’s i mpe r at i ve t h at t h e Phi l i pp i ne gove r nment wo r k closely w i t h b u s inesses to r esolve t h ese

i es i n f i nd i ng s ui table

s u ppl i e r s o r b u s i ness pa r tne r s, and t he hi g h costs assoc i ated w it h expand i ng b u s i ness ope r at i ons. Mo r eove r , w h en assess i ng

t h e ir p r epa r edness to h andle i nte r nat i onal c ri ses and geopol it i cal ri sks, t

prises and supply chains are under increasing pressure to embrace sustainability reporting and full transparency. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will launch the full “Sustainabi ity Reporting Form (SuRe Form)” later this year, with reporting due for Philippine businesses in 2025. Under the “Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism,” exports to Europe will be subjected to carbon tax on their emissions starting 2026 that will pose major trickledown effects for Phi ippine businesses by affecting export competitiveness.

W hile local companies are increasingly seeking to embark on sustainability, many lack the expertise and resources, especially w ith SMEs accounting for 99.5 percent of existing businesses in the countr y. Recognizing this, STACS ESGpedia and GCNP have taken active steps to support businesses and equip them with the necessary digital tools to

Using the free ESGpedia Starter Tool, companies and SMEs can report common ESG metrics and calculate their GHG emissions in accordance with GHG Protocol and ISO14064 methodologies. The digital platform simplifies various ESG standards and frameworks, as well as automatically converts operational data like fuel, refrigerant, and electricity consumption to GHG emissions under the standard

&Expats

Malaysia hosts exclusive Iftar event for media, unveils logo on 60th year of relations with PHL

IN a splendid celebration of faith, unity, and longstanding friendship, the Embassy of Malaysia hosted an exclusive “Iftar” event for members of the local media.

This year’s event was not just a testament to the sacred month of Ramadan, but also a commemoration of the 60th anniversary of robust bilateral relations with the Philippines, according to the deputation. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar is a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide. It marks the month in which the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad: a time of fasting, reflection, and community.

Muslims fast from dawn until sunset, as they abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs. This act is one of the “Five Pillars of Islam” intended to bring the faithful closer to God and to remind them of the suffering of those less fortunate.

The Iftar or the meal with which the fast is broken at sunset, is a moment of joy and celebration shared with family, friends and the community. It begins with the eating of dates, followed by a prayer and a meal. This tradition not only embodies the spirit of Ramadan, but also fosters a sense of belonging and unity among those who participate.

The event was an opportunity for members of the media to engage in cultural exchange, deepen their understanding of Islamic traditions, and partake in the breaking of the fast in an atmosphere of camaraderie and goodwill, while savoring an exquisite spread of traditional delicacies. In Malaysia, it is celebrated with people of all faiths.

This year’s Iftar event at the depu-

tation was especially meaningful, as it marked the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and the Philippines. In the past six decades, both have nurtured a bond built on mutual respect, understanding and cooperation spanning various sectors like trade, education, and security.

The embassy said it takes immense pride in celebrating this milestone alongside the cherished month of Ramadan, which highlights the shared values and enduring friendship between the two countries.

Driving growth

WITH trade and investment being key components of the diplomatic ties, the embassy is focused on driving growth for Malaysia and the Philippines, focusing on targeted sectors which include infrastructure (construction and building materials), digitalization, and halal products

Citing opportunities in growing infrastructure and development projects in the Philippines, the embassy, under its trade office MATRADE-Manila, coordinated the “Mid-Tier Market Immersion Mission” from March 12 to 15. During the immersion, five Malaysian mid-tier firms from the construction and building-materials sector participated in the immersion

in Davao and Manila.

ProgramsarrangedbyMATRADEManila included a seminar on doing business with Malaysia, site visit to the National Government Administrative Centre in New Clark City, engagements with local partners at the Philippine World Building and Construction Expo 2024 Mani la, and networking sessions with relevant authorities, associations and industry players. These are part of the trade office’s efforts to establish and strengthen the presence of Malaysian companies in the Philippines.

In addition, the embassy also collaborated with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corp. back in March 2024 and organized “DEX Connex,” which focused on information communica-

tions technology or ICT and digitalization to support Malaysian tech companies’ growth in the Philippine market, while fostering collaborative relationships between high-tech firms in both countries.

The two-day program, held at the embassy in Manila, saw the participation of 35 Malaysian high-tech companies who engaged with 50 potential partners and Chief Information Officers or CIOs in the Philippines.

As for the halal sector, the embassy is now actively promoting the “Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS),” to be held from September 17 to 20 in Kuala Lumpur

Last year nearly 40,000 trade visitors from 100 countries attended the event in the Malaysian capital city:

Bangla film, food fest delights UP audiences

THE v ibrant cu ltural tapestr y of Bangladesh unfolded at the University of the Philippines-Diliman from May 6 to 8 as its embassy in Manila, in collaboration w ith the UP Film Institute (UPFI), arranged the three-day “Bangla Film and Food Festival.” It celebrated the rich cu ltural heritage of the South Asian nation, as it showcased outstanding f ilms and delectable cu linar y traditions.

T he event k icked-off w ith a formal ceremony in the after noon of May 6, as Ambassador F. M. Borhan Uddin and Prof. Robert Rownd jointly inaug urated the event through a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Distinguished guests from various sectors g raced the opening, who included off icials from the Depar tment of Foreign Affairs, envoys and members of the diplomatic cor ps, UP facu lty members, media personalities, members of the local Bangladesh community, and a larger number of enthusiastic students. In his welcome rema rks, Prof. Rownd emphasi zed t he signif icant st rides made by Bangladesh ’s f i lm indust r y in recent yea rs. He u nderscored t he fest ival’s comm itment

to present t he sa id cou nt r y’s d iverse c inema t h at offered v iewers a deeper insight into t he its cu lture. In his rema rks, Udd in emph asi zed t he profou nd sign if icance of c u lt ural exc h ange in fostering mut u al u nderstand ing and apprec i ation between the two friendly count ries. He u nderscored t he fest ival’s role as a platfor m t h at showcased Bangladesh ’s c inemat ic bri ll i ance and presented its rich cu linar y heritage to a global aud ience. “We a re del ighted to i naug urate a celebrat ion of [our] cu lt ural ric hness and c u l ina r y exper t ise,” sa id Udd in. “T hrough t he med iu m of c inema and c uisine, we a im to forge deeper bonds of f riendship and u nderstand ing, [as our g uests emba rk] on a sensor y journey t hrough t he hea r t and sou l of Bangladesh.”

He acknowledged t he fest ival’s role in st rengt hen ing bi lateral t ies between Bangladesh and the Philippines, and expressed his g rat it ude to Prof. Rownd and t he ent ire UPFI team, as he looked for wa rd to t heir cont inued collaborat ion. T he inaug ural mov

From food and beverages, cosmetics, halal ingredients, Muslim-friendly tourism, Islamic finance and fintech, as well as modest fashion and lifestyle, MIHAS covers the entire spectrum of the Islamic lifestyle demands. The trade office of the embassy is currently actively recruiting Philippine buyers and exhibitors to participate. For more details on the event, contact manila@matrade.gov.my

Official logo announced THROUGHOUT this “special year,” the embassy has lined-up numerous programs and events encapsulating the multiple facets of Malaysia-Philippines relations. Recently, it organized a logo-design competition for the 60th anniversary of Malaysia-Philippines bilateral relations.

Among 54 entries, the panel of judges selected three outstanding designs—all by talented Filipinos based in the Philippines.

Jayven Villamater bagged the top prize with a design reflecting the national flowers sampaguita and bunga raya These intertwined flowers symbolize the shared history, culture and heritage of both nations as “brothers and sisters” in Southeast Asia. He won P35,500, and a round-trip ticket from Manila to Kuala Lumpur courtesy of AirAsia Philippines.

Patricia Joyce Basmayor’s entry won second place, as she will receive P25,000. The third spot went to Kent Michael S. Telebanco’s work, good for a cash reward of P15,000.

AMBASSADOR F. M. Borhan Uddin leads the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

THE envoy welcomes guests to the event.

GUESTS and students partake of the Bangladeshi banquet.

AMBASSADOR Malik Melvin Anthony Castelino takes questions from the media

PUBLIC Works and Highways director Sharif Madsmo Hasim (from right) and Usec. Emil K. Sadain observe the cooking of lemang—a traditional Malaysian dish.

CHEF Ammar Syafiq Ayob serves the lemang.

THE ambassador delivers his welcome remarks.

THE ambassador with embassy officials and members of the Philippine media.

Envoys&Expats

PHL, Japan seal deals for more PCG patrol vessels, scholarship project

THE Philippines and Japan on May 17 signed an agreement for the acquisition of five additional 97-meter class patrol vessels for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

A ¥64.38-billion Japanese official development assistance (ODA) loan under the third phase of the “Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project (MSCIP)” for the PCG will finance the procurement of multirole response vessels (MRRVs).

“On May 15, I visited a 97-meterclass multipurpose vessel and heard from Admiral [Ronnie Gil] Gavan about the rigors of the PCG’s operations We reaffirmed the importance of deepening cooperation between Japan and the Philippines,” Ambassador

the situation surrounding the Philippines has continuously been serious, the PCG is standing in a frontline for protecting our common interests and rules-based maritime order.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the support, which covers the development of required support facilities for the PCG, will also improve the latter’s capabilities in addressing transnational crimes.

“This occasion signifies not only the deepening of bilateral relations between the Philippines and Japan, but also underscores our unwavering commitment to enhance our maritime safety capabilities for the benefit

of our nation, and the broader maritime community,” Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo said.

The PCG previously acquired 10 44-meter class and two 97-meter class MRRVs under Japan and the Philippines’s MSCIP Phases I and II.

The two 97-meter patrol ships BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702) and BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV9701)—the biggest in the PCG fleet were used to patrol the West Philippine Sea/South China Sea, and have escorted civilian boats resupplying Filipino troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre in the Ayungin Shoal.

Officials from the Department of Finance, Department of Transporta-

Spanish film fest kicks-off with a special dedicated to sports

THIS yea r ’s PEL ÍCULA >Pel i k u la Span i s h F i lm Fest i val sta r ts ea rly, w it h a spec i al sect ion ded icated to spor ts. Coi nc id i ng w it h t he last matc h of La Liga,” whic h i s Spa i n’s football leag ue system’s top d iv i sion f rom May 23 to 26, four Span i sh lang u age f i lms w i ll be sc reened at t he S h ang ri-La Plaza’s Red Ca r pet T heat re i n Mandaluyong C ity, prior to t he ma i n fest ival whic h w i ll be held on t he f irst week of October 2024.

T he mov ies a re: “Dí as de futbol ” (Dav id Se rr ano, 200 3): A g roup of f riends who, u n h appy w it h how t heir l ives t ur ned out, attempt to for m a football team, ju st l i ke when t hey were you ng, to see i f t hey can f inally w i n somet hi ng i n t he ir l ives.

“La Gran Familia Español” (Daniel Sánchez Arévalo, 2013): During the World Cup Final in South Africa, while all of Spain comes to a standstill, a wedding takes place, and a family with five children also faces the most important game of their lives.

“Futbolín” (Juan José Campanella, 2013): An animated f ilm about shy boy Amadeo, who w ill have to face a sk illed rival known as “El Crack,” counts on the invaluable help of some foosball players led by the “Wing:” a charismatic right w inger “C ampeone x” (Jav ier Fesser 2023): Sequel to t he 2018 f i lm “Campeones,” whic h was also shown i n t he 2018 Pel ik u la Fi lm Fest ival, a team of “c h ampions” abandons basketball for t r ack and f ield. Between t he

tion, PCG and the Japan International Cooperation Agency witnessed the ceremony.

Japan is t he Phi l ippines’s top bilateral ODA partner, with a long history of support for the latter’s development priorities spanning infrastructure, health human resources, agriculture, education, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, among many others.

Scholarship project SPEAKING of education, an exchange of notes on “The Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship” by Japanese Grant Aid (JDS) was also signed by Manalo and Endo.

The government of Japan committed ¥327 million (approximately P121 million) through the agreement, which will fund the Master’s degree education of 20 young Filipino civil servants for Academic Year 2025 to 2026 at premier Japanese universities.

The JDS is a component of Japan’s support for the Philippines’s human resource-development init iat ives, aiming to enhance the JDS fellows’ expertise in their respective fields, thereby contributing to the development of the country. Since 2002, Japan has supported a total of 439 Filipino JDS Fellows. With a report from Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA

The Philippines’s top envoy advocates ‘economic diplomacy’

Continued from C

VUCA world and climate diplomacy

MANALO has ser ved in the Philippine foreign ser vice for more than 40 years. W hile he already knows the means to navigate the ins and outs of international relations, it seems like “ever y day is a sur prise,” as the world enters into the new phase of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, or “VUCA.”

“The world is a little bit different than it was before the pandem i c; t he refore, s i nce our work is really dealing with foreign affairs, we feel it here especially,” he commented.

At the tail-end of the pandemic, the Russian invasion of Uk ra ine commenced and d i srupted food and energy supplies worldw ide. T hen in October 2023 the strife between Israel and Hamas was reign ited, compl icat i ng t he other concomitant issues related to conflicts in the Middle East, as well as “proxy wars” in the region.

“I’m not saying that there weren’t a lot of tensions and work before. But now, it seems as if ever y day, we have lots of activities going on,” he noted.

For instance, he said, the Middle East conflict has been going on for decades. However when Israel retaliated big time over the October 7 Hamas siege in southern Israel, it directly affected the Philippines. Three Filipinos were taken hostage, whose families appealed for them to be rescued or released. Then, there were 137 Filipinos and their Palestinian families who needed to be rescued or

extricated from the imminent ground attack by Israeli forces in Gaza Strip.

“Fi l ipinos a re almost ever ywhere in the world, even at sea, especially seafarers. Many of these incidents now affect us directly, like in the Middle East. Even in the Red Sea where there are ships being held, you know, the odds are, there will be Filipino sailors,” he remarked.

As the pandemic triggered the attention of Filipinos to embrace technology and social media, he obser ved that, in a way, more of our countr ymen have become keenly aware of world affairs than ever

Apart from the twin geopolitical tensions in Europe and the Middle East, Manalo imparted that “climate diplomacy” has also been added to their long list of work scope.

“[Climate change was bad 5 to 10 years ago. But now I can’t see how anyone can deny its effects],” the SFA said. “Of course, the Philippines is no stranger to natural disasters. So, it seems to be getting worse—unless we find ways to build resilience.”

Managing the 3 ‘ols’

THIS writer quizzed the secretar y: “W hat keeps you up at night?”

“My healt h was Manalo’s quick reply. “The biggest concern is how to maintain a peaceful, stable area and how we can, t hrough d iplomat ic means, protect, promote the interests of communities. So that’s behind all our efforts here at the department that includes protecting and promoting the rights and interests of Filipinos abroad.” W hen asked to expou nd

more about his health he said that, with all his travels, he is worried that he is gaining more weight.

“They say diplomacy is three ‘ols:’ protocol, alcohol and cholesterol,” he quipped. “So, the key is to protect your cholesterol and sugar intake, as well as food and alcohol. But you see, that’s part of our job.”

“So, again, like managing disputes,” he urged, “we should manage our health.”

Had it not for his appointment as SFA, Manalo would have already been a retired ambassador His many accomplishments notwithstanding, does he still think of a particular legacy that he would like to leave behind?

“Maybe, hopefully, my legacy is [to be the one who] can finally fix the ADB building. Hopef u lly when I leave, we will have air conditioning on a regular basis. That’s a good enough legacy for me, and that’s all I would really like aside from collecting my pension,” he mused.

T he DFA Bui ld i ng along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City, donated by the Asian Development Bank 50

SECRETARY Enrique A. Manalo and Ambassador Endo Kazuya sign the exchange of notes at the Department

Kazuya Endo said in his speech “As