BusinessMirror May 25, 2023

THERE are 72 transmission projects, including six Energy Projects of National Significance (EPNS) of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines that were not completed on time, but the NGCP told senators there were reasons beyond their control that caused this.

Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta told lawmakers at the Senate Committee on Energy hearing on Wednesday that her office approved a total of 348 projects.

Of these, 33 projects in Luzon, 19 in Visayas, and 14 in Mindanao experienced delays in implementa-

tion. On top of the 66 projects cited by the ERC, there are six more projects that are tagged significant energy projects for power generation, transmission, and/or ancillary services, including those required to maintain grid stability and security, and which are in consonance with the policy thrusts and specific goals of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Philippine Energy Plan (PEP).

Among the delayed EPNS projects are the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP), originally scheduled to commence operation in December 2020; the Cebu-Negros-Panay 230 kilovolts (kV) backbone stage 3 project, originally set for completion also last December 2020; and the Her-

mosa–San Jose 500 kV transmission line project, originally set for completion in 2019.

Delays not intentional

THE NGCP, for its part, said the delays in the implementation of these projects “are not intentional.”

“It is not because we don’t want to fi nish them. It’s because many hurdles were encountered, like right of way (ROW),” NGCP spokesperson Atty. Cynthia Alabanza explained to senators, speaking partly in Filipino.

New transmission lines and expanding substation capacity are equally important as increasing power supply. Power plants generate electricity that is delivered to customers through transmission

WASHINGTONBASED World Bank said it will continue to support the Philippines in terms of its economic development, particularly in achieving the country’s goal of attaining upper middle-income country status.

In a statement, the World Bank said the recent visit of its Managing Director for Operations Anna Bjerde ended in a reaffi rmation of the multilateral lender’s support to the economic development of the Philippines.

Bjerde met with various government officials that included Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla,

DOT EYES INT’L MICE EVENTS TO LIFT INBOUND TRAVEL

MANILA and Cebu play host to a number of international meetings and conferences that tourism officials hope will help lift inbound arrivals this year.

e biggest, so far, is Rotary International’s annual convention, where more than 25,000 members from all over the world are expected to gather on June 3 to 8 at three sites: the World Trade Center, SMX Convention Center (SMXCC), Mall of Asia Arena, and the Philippine Interntional Convention Center (PICC).

“Manila’s diverse and lively culture reflects the global mosaic of our organization, making it the ideal city for our members and participants to connect and celebrate our friendships, cultures and the kaleidoscope of experience we bring to improving lives and strengthening communities around the world,” said Rotary International president Jennifer Jones in a news statement. e 119th international convention is the fi rst to be held in Manila. For her part, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said, “Guests will be welcomed with the legendary Filipino hospital-

THE Philippines is the most attractive investment destination in the world, according to the biggest delegation from European Union (EU) businesses. ey gave the vote of confidence in a meeting on Tuesday with House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez. At the meeting, six representatives from visiting EUAssociation of Southeast Asian Nation (EU-Asean) Business Council (EU-ABC) expressed their interest to expand EU business and trade relations with the Philippines.

Romualdez welcomed the EUABC’s effort as he also informed them of the initiatives of Congress, in line with the policies of the Mar-

cos Jr. administration to “make the Philippines a more inviting host for business investments and economic activities.”

“We’re here to see how can help. We would like to support, we would like to assist. We’d like to be aware of the challenges so we could address them together,” he said.

For his part, Noel Clehane, global head of Regulatory & Public Policy for BDO and Board Member of EU-ABC, informed the Speaker that they have been engaging with EU lawmakers to push for a free trade agreement with the Philippines, among others.

“We have been highlighting

and distribution power lines. “First of all I would like to clarify and express our apologies for the delayed projects. I wasn’t able to express it clearly, but we admit we have delayed projects. But we are doing something about it and we are hoping to energize a second one by today. We are all praying for a good result so we can give you some good news,” Alabanza said. “ is does not mean that transmission never had a problem; it’s normal to have a disturbance on a day to day [basis],” she added, while agreeing with one resource person that “it’s our ability to recover and manage these glitches along the grid” that’s at stake.

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to them that this region [Asean], particularly the Philippines, is the most attractive in the world for European businesses,” he said.

Moreover, Clehane said their excitement about business prospects in the Philippines is borne by an annual survey that they have been doing for the past eight years.

As a result, he said EU lawmakers are now “becoming more alert” to exploring expanded trade relations with the Philippines.

Jens Ruebbert (managing director & regional head Asia/Pacific for Landesbank Baden-Wurttemberg and vice chairman of the EU-ABC), also noted the strong growth and solid economic fundamentals of the Philippines. The Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) posted a growth of 7.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022, resulting in a 7.6-percent full-year growth in 2022, and has grown by 6.4 percent in the first quarter of 2023.

“That’s extremely well recognized in the business world,” Ruebbert said. He also noted that inflation is on the downtrend, the peso is stable as opposed to currencies in other countries, while the interest rate environment is “an equation of what’s going on in the world.”

“Probably the highest hike in the region has helped you to sustain and get things under control.

So big congratulations for the economic situation, which is I think the basis for motivating European Union and other foreign companies to further invest and further extend trade with the Philippines,” he added. Raadee S. Sausa

Senate OKs on 2nd reading bill setting up specialty centers

Zubiri said he recently issued several endorsement letters for constituents from Mindanao in urgent need of treatment at the PHC.

The substitute bill—a result of key amendments introduced by Sen. Pia Cayetano—merges different proposals relating to specialty hospitals and centers, including the bill introduced by himself.

comes to health,” Go said, adding: “We should bring government service to the people.”

Go earlier pushed for the Malasakit Centers—the one-top shop for assistance from relevant government agencies—housed in state hospitals—to make medical service “accessible to the people, especially the poor.”

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Alabanza said the DOE has been assisting NGCP with ROW issues, which are the major causes of delay for transmission projects across the country. She added that NGCP has been proactive in seeking the DOE’s assistance to issues on permitting and ROW concerns.

Last week, principal author Senator Christopher Lawrence Go sponsored the Committee Report on Senate Bill (SB) 2212 or the proposed “Regional Specialty Centers Act,” stressing the need to provide access to specialized health care services for Filipinos.

On Wednesday, as the chamber voted on second reading on the

measure, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri expressed relief and the hope that Filipinos “from faraway places” like Mindanao would not have to spend so much time and resources to line up for precious slots in the PHC, or the National Kidney Center or the Lung Center, all of which are in Metro Manila.

Zubiri is also a principal author, with other senators—Juan Edgardo Angara, JV Ejercito, Francis Escudero, Pia Cayetano, Jinggoy Estrada, Imee Marcos, Robinhood Padilla, Ramon Revilla Jr., Sherwin Gatchalian and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa—standing as coauthors. Go explained in his sponsorship speech that the bill aims to establish specialty centers in select DoH hospitals throughout the country, with mental health services among the specialties included.

“Our countrymen need not be burdened to access the service of the government, especially when it

The envisioned specialty centers will be more cost-efficient and practical, compared to building entirely new facilities, Go said, adding that time needed to build such is also a luxury the poor cannot afford.

The bill, seen to be approved on third reading before the Senate adjourns on June 3, mandates the DoH to establish specialty centers in identified DoH-hospitals in each region within five years. The initial focus would be on heart, lung, and kidney centers, replicating the capabilities of the National Specialty Centers in the National Capital Region. Butch Fernandez

WB VOWS TO BACK PHL GROWTH, UMIC GOALS

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and Management Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, among others. “The post-pandemic recovery is underway in the Philippines, with

strong domestic demand weathering global headwinds. Since 2022, its economy has been growing rapidly, aided by a substantial reduction in Covid-19 cases that facilitated a full economic reopening,” Bjerde said in a recent statement.

“The World Bank is committed to supporting the Philippines achieve long-term inclusive and sustainable growth, attain upper middle-income country status, and eventually become a predominantly middle-class society by 2040,” Bjerde added.

Bjerde said social protection for the poor and most vulnerable from disasters amid the climate crisis will continue to be among the World Bank’s priorities in the Philippines.

Bjerde noted that climate shocks, such as extreme weather events, temperature rise, ocean acidification, will “hamper economic activities, damage infrastructure, hurt the poor and vulnerable most.”

“We welcome opportunities to support the country’s climate adaptation and mitigation programs to help address these challenges,” she said.

The World Bank said it has been a partner of the Philippines for over 75 years, providing support to the country’s development programs and projects.

In a separate statement, the Department of Finance (DOF) said the World Bank agreed to support the government’s priority areas through engagements in smart

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ity, treated with service excellence, and delighted by our award-winning beach, nature and heritage destinations, making for a memorable immersive experience rich in the diversity of Filipino culture.”

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is targetting to attract some 4.8 million international travelers this year, up from the 2.7 million in 2022.

She added, the country is “setting our sights on reclaiming our primary position as one of Asia’s most preferred destinations for international meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions [MICE].”

Under its MICE Roadmap, the DOT is looking to position the Philippines among the top 10 MICE destinations in the International Congress and Convention Association’s global ranking, by 2030.

According to the Tourism Promotions Board, the marketing arm of the DOT, other major international MICE events this year include the

All of NGCP’s projects are well laid out in its 10-year Transmission Development Plan, she said. In the next 13 years, the grid operator is committed to invest approximately P440 billion across 211 projects which are aimed to support the growing electricity demand in the country and to make the country’s power backbone continuously reliable. NGCP holds the sole and exclusive concession and franchise for operating the Philippines’s transmission network.

NGCP assistant corporate secretary Atty. Ronald Concepcion said despite the company’s best efforts, delays in the completion of certain projects could not be avoided due to the pandemic.

He said construction works had to be temporarily suspended due to quarantine regulations. Even when restrictions were eased, NGCP could not fully resume work on the projects because of health and safety protocols. Other factors, such as disruptions in the supply chain, which affected the manufacturing and delivery of parts and equipment, as well as issues relating to rights of way, added to the delays.

agriculture and food security, transition to renewable energy (RE), disaster risk management, strengthening the education system, and water sanitation.

“The WB noted the opportunities for the Philippines to further boost investments and long term growth given its young and skilled labor force and sound macroeconomic policies,” the DOF said in a statement on Wednesday.

The DOF disclosed that some of the programs discussed during the meeting were the Teacher Effectiveness and Competencies Enhancement Project (TEACEP) and Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) Scale-Up.

The proposed TEACEP aims to improve the quality of and access to teaching in Kindergarten to Grade 6 in the regions of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Region lX (Zamboanga Peninsula), and Region Xll (SOCCSKSARGEN).

On the other hand, the PRDP Scale-Up will build on previous PRDP to further improve farmers’ and fisherfolks’ access to markets and increase income from selected agriculture and fisheries (value chains.

The DOF said World Bank-International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) is the Philippines’ third largest official development assistance (ODA) partner, with active loans and grants amounting to around $6.8 billion, which is 21.2 percent of the country’s total ODA.

Worldchefs Asian Presidents Forum on July 31 to August, where some 250 delegates are expected; the 20th Asian Pacific Confederation of Chemical Engineering Congress (1,000 delegates) from September 4 to 9 at the SMXCC; the International Conference of Physics Students (400) on September 7 to 14; the 11th Asian Congress of Endometriosis (1,000) on September 25 and 26 at the Marriot Grand Ballroom; the 6th Asean Opthalmology Society Congress (over 2,000) from October 17 to 20 at the SMXCC; and the 6th International Rice Congress (1,500) on October 16 to 19 at the Philippine International Convention Center.

There will also be exhibitions such as the Asian Summit and Real Estate Expo (500 delegates) from June 29 to July 1 at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, Cebu; and incentive tours like that of GSL Company (130 participants) from June 6 to 10 at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa in Cebu, and that of Yakult (400 participants) on June 14-18, and June 21-25 at the JPark Island Resort, also in Cebu.

Separately, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas expects about 800 del-

“NGCP asks for the patience of this Honorable Committee and the public as it strives to accelerate the completion of its projects. NGCP clarifies that proper, mindful, and responsible generation and transmission planning are key to a stable grid. Basic principles such as individual island selfsufficiency, decreased interisland interdependency, and transmission redundancies must be considered,” he said.

Most importantly, the grid operator stressed the need for a holistic approach to power planning. “Development in all sectors involved in the power industry must be coordinated, with due attention given to each. Focus and attention must be given to ways forward in the short, medium, and long term, especially in rationalizing and optimizing generation planning. We all owe it to our consumers to provide reliable and quality power supply and services for the amount they are paying for,” he said.

The DOE earlier urged the NGCP to fasttrack the completion of the Cebu-NegrosPanay, and Mindanao-Visayas transmission projects. On a recommendation of Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Dimalanta said the ERC will come up with a benchmark to assess the operational performance of the NGCP.

“Submit to us an action plan on this and how much is being collected on those delayed projects and how much is that on per kilowatt hour,” Gatchalian told Dimalanta during the hearing. Based on his own records, Gatchalian earlier said that only six out of 16 transmission projects considered to be EPNS were completed as of March this year, with an “average period of delay of about three years.” This represented about 37.5-percent completion rate. The 10 ENPS transmission projects currently under construction, meanwhile, also have an “average period of delay of almost 5 years.” Gatchalian also revealed that out of 168 projects under the Transmission Development Plan, excluding 56 projects that are in the pre-construction stage, only 30 projects have been completed, while 138 projects are delayed.

egates for the 2023 Global Policy Forum, which it is cohosting with the Alliance for Financial Inclusion from September 12 to 15 at the PICC. The BSP has partnered with the Tourism Congress of the Philippines, the Philippine Tour Operators Association, and Rajah Travel Corp. for tours of the delegates.

The DOT is looking to complete a MICE Tourism strategic action plan by June, in which projects will help attain the agency’s goals under its MICE Roadmap 2030.

Developed with tourism stakeholders and other lead government agencies, the roadmap targets an increase in MICE revenues to P25 billion by 2030; a rise in the gross value added (GVA) of the MICE industry to P1.4 billion; a lift in the GVA of MICE to 0.01 percent of the gross domestic product; and improvement in the delegate expenditure per meeting to 19 percent.

The DOT also sees the expansion of usable exhibition space to some 171,000 square meters by 2030 from some 71,000 sqm in 2017, and an annual 3-percent increase in MICE arrivals, under said roadmap, which was unveiled in 2018.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Budget

THE Senate on Wednesday approved on second reading a bill setting up specialty centers in Department of Health (DOH) regional hospitals, in a bid to decongest long queues of patients from all over the country seeking advanced treament in the Philippine Heart Center and similar specialty institutions in Metro Manila.

DOTr chief invites biz chambers to invest in big-ticket infra projects

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

THE Department of Transportation persuaded business chambers on Wednesday to invest in big-ticket infrastructure transport projects.

According to Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista, he “cajoled top

officials of the” European Union-Association of South East Asian Nations (EU-Asean) Council and European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) to look into the agency’s projects for possible investments.

He highlighted the “added value of projects” that are being implemented in partnership with international financial institutions, foreign gov-

ernments and business groups.

D ue to budgetary constraints, project financing from foreign business groups presented the most viable option to undertake these projects, Bautista.

“

The biggest obstacle has always been fund-sourcing, considering the strained national budget of our government after coming out of the

pandemic,” he said.

Bautista dangled projects such as the proposed privatization of the operations and management of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and New Manila International Airport as an option for private sector investment.

He also touted infrastructure projects in various transport sectors, such as railways, maritime and road,

including the Metro Manila Subway, North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), LRT 1 Cavite Extension Project, MRT 7, and MRT 4.

We have offered various infrastructure transport projects to international financial institutions, private investors, and professional associations and industry groups,” he said.

He noted that private sector par-

ticipation in infrastructure development is an important segment in the new administration’s thrust.

“It’s important because they can assist us in financing the projects through PPP so we hope that the investors from their countries can be supportive of many projects of DOTr. We have PPP projects for airports, rails and for roads and for maritime,” Bautista said.

CCC turns to socmed to entice public support for positive action vs climate change

THE Climate Change Commission (CCC) is tapping social media to encourage the public’s positive action against the destructive and hazardous effects of climate change.

T he CCC led by Commissioner Albert dela Cruz recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) in Malacañang with the Kapisanan ng Social Media Broadcaster ng Pilipinas Inc. (KSMBPI).

“With this MOA signing, we at the Climate Change Commission would like to manifest our resolute determination to address the problem of climate change in our country by talking directly to our people through various interactive social media platforms and networks nationwide. Climate Change is a very serious problem that impacts not only the Filipinos but the entire humanity

By Raadee S. Sausa @raadeeboy

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R.

Marcos Jr. issued the sugar import order to members of the inter-agency group created to monitor the movement of the supply and prices of food and commodities, a Department of Agriculture (DA) official said.

“It was President Marcos himself who ordered the importation of sugar —by selected importers—to address inflationary pressures and keep the prices of the commodity in the market from rising further,” Senior Agricul-

due to its real threat on humankind extinction if left unattended,” de la Cruz said in a statement.

The Philippine contribution to the global carbon footprint is less than 1 percent yet our country is among the top 4 most vulnerable nations in the world to the deadly effects of climate change” dela Cruz added.

K SMBPI chairman Dr. Michael

ture Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said during a Senate hearing on Tuesday.

“He [President Marcos] said, ‘let’s import through selected importers of sugar,’” he told the Senate Blue Ribbon committee chaired by Sen. Francis Tolentino.

T he committee was hearing allegations of “government-sponsored sugar smuggling” raised by Sen. Risa Hontiveros.

Panganiban was apparently referring to the importation of 440,000 metric tons of sugar allegedly without the approval from the Sugar Regula-

Raymond Aragon, meanwhile, expressed elation for the privilege of being of service to the public by being tapped by the CCC to help the government in its climate change advocacies.

“ We are glad to be afforded this rare privilege of serving our people directly through our partnership with the Climate Change Commission. We intend to sustain this collaboration with the CCC for the greater

tory Administration (SRA).

He said Marcos issued the import instruction after a meeting with members of the inter-agency group created to monitor the movement of the supply and prices of food and commodities.

Panganiban said Marcos, who concurrently sits as DA Secretary, had acknowledged that domestic production of sugar would not be enough to meet local demand.

He also said the President based his instruction on a report submitted by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) that the price

interest of our beloved country and people,”Aragon said. A nongovernment organization that advocates proper and righteous social media broadcasting, KSMBPI believes in the power of proper training and education, through the group’s Technical Education and Skills Development Authorityrecognized free online courses.  Jonathan

of sugar was already causing inflationary pressures on other goods.

The President called me and told me about the situation on inflation. The President said the inflation of sugar is too high at 8.7 percent, according to Balisacan,” Panganiban said, referring to Neda Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.

“On that basis, the President recommended the importation immediately because of the high cost of sugar in the marketandtheinflationrate,”headded. Moreover, Panganiban clarified that the President did not name the sugar importers.

PBBM ordered sugar importation being questioned by senator, Panganiban says

OCD steps up preparations for supertyphoon ‘Mawar’

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

THE Office of Civil Defense

(OCD) reminded on Wednesday government rescue teams to be on alert as it intensified its preparations for Supertyphoon “Mawar,” which is expected to hit the country this weekend.

O CD Assistant Secretary and spokesman Raffy Alejandro IV also

reminded local officials whose areas are located in the direct path of the typhoon to step up preparations and move residents to safer places if necessary.

A lejandro said local officials should preemptively evacuate residents, especially those who are living in flood and landslide-prone areas of the country as Mawar has been forecasted to bring intense rains.

T he OCD has specially alerted

regions and provinces located in the country’s eastern seaboard where the typhoon is expected to enter the country.

However, we are now also alerting local government units on the western seaboard as the tropical cyclone will also intensify and pull southwest monsoon that will cause strong winds and rains,” Alejandro said.

T he OCD spokesman has advised agencies and local officials to ensure

the readiness and availability of emergency relief assistance through stockpiling and prepositioning.

The OCD and its regional offices are monitoring the situation and coordinating with concerned NDRRMC [National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council]-member agencies,” he said.

A s of Wednesday morning, Mawar is located 2,215 kilometers east of the Visayas.

Panel approves bill for ‘comprehensive’ sexual education for Pinoy adolescents

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

AHOUSE committee recently approved a consolidated bill that seeks to provide a more “comprehensive” sexual education to Filipino adolescents in a bid to prevent unintended pregnancies.

T he House Committee on Youth and Sports Development approved the substitute bill for the proposed Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act during its 6th regular meeting last Tuesday.

T he substitute bill seeks to make “significant” strides in “safeguarding the rights and well-being of Filipino adolescents” by providing a “compre-

hensive” policy that would address the various sexual and reproductive health needs of adolescents.

T he bill would provide age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education; access to information and services; and measures to prevent unintended pregnancies and reduce adolescent childbearing to achieve its goals. The bill also institutionalizes the social protection of adolescent parents and their children.

PLCPD [Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development] urges both chambers of Congress to take immediate action by engaging in thorough discussions and casting their votes on the bill,”

Rom Dongeto, Executive Director of PLCPD said.

“ We cannot afford to keep young people uninformed. We must guarantee their access to accurate information, education, and suitable reproductive health services,” Dongeto added.

T he proposed legislation would establish an Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Inter-Agency Council and mandate the implementation of a National Program of Action and Investment Plan for the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancies as well as development of a Communitybased and Culturally-Sensitive, Age and Developmentally-Appropriate Comprehensive Adolescent Sexual-

ity Education (CASE).

P LCPD noted that adolescent pregnancy remains a “significant” concern in the Philippines as the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) highlighted the “alarming” rate of pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 14 despite a declining trend in the past five years.

Citing Philippine Statistics Authority, the PLCPD said there were 2,299 births among girls aged 10 to 14 in 2021, while the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recorded 133,000 families led by minors. The group noted that these exemplify “the far-reaching consequences on families throughout the country.”

Manila court finds ‘Bikoy’ guilty in oust Duterte perjury plot case

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

AMANILA court has found Peter Joemel “Bikoy” Advincula guilty of perjury over his claim that human rights lawyers Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno, Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III and Theodore Te were part of Project Sodoma, an alleged opposition plot to oust then President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

In a 16-page ruling, the Manila Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 17 Presiding Judge Karla Funtila-Abugan also ordered Advincula’s imprisonment from three months up to one year as penalty for his crime.

A dvincula’s claim that several prominent personalities critical to the Duterte administration were behind the circulation of his so-called  “Ang

Totoong Narcolist” video wherein he accused members of the Duterte family of involvement in illegal drug trade in the country.

In 2019, Advincula made a public appearance at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame where he recanted all of his allegations against the Dutertes.

This led to the filing of sedition complaint by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) against former Vice President Leni Robredo, 2019 “Otso-Diretso” opposition senatorial candidates and more than 30 other oppositionist and religious figures who were allegedly behind the release of Advincula’s video.

In 2020, the case against Robredo, Diokno, Tañada and Te and several others were dismissed by the Department of Justice but filed charges for

conspiracy to commit sedition against former senator Antonio Trillanes IV and nine others.

A fter they were cleared by the DOJ, the three human rights lawyers filed the perjury complaint against Advincula.

In convicting Advincula, the trial court held that the prosecution was able to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

“In this case, the totality of the prosecution evidence, when put ‘under severe testing,’ amounts to proof beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of perjury,” the trial court declared.

Advincula claimed that the alleged plot to oust Duterte was hatched on March 4, 2019 at the Leung Hall of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU).

Diokno and Tañada denied Advincula’s accusations, saying that they

were at ADMU on the said date to attend a media forum.

T he two presented the video coverage of the event.

Te, on the other hand recounted that on May 2, 2019 he was asked by someone who knew him as the head of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) to extend assistance to a certain person, who turned out to be Advincula.

A fter their short meeting, Te said he made an assessment based on his three decades of experience as a FLAG lawyer that the accused was not credible, thus, he has reservations on taking him as a FLAG client.

A fter consulting with Diokno, a fellow FLAG officer, Te said they both agreed not to represent Advincula and instead referred him to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).

US-Asean biz council to help keep Asean SME Academy going

She said these will help them participate in cross-border trade.

T he Asean SME Academy was first publicly launched in 2016 as an online learning platform for the Asean MSMEs as part of azzzz collaborative initiative between the US-Asean Business Alliance for Competitive SMEs and ACCMSME for the implementation of the Asean Strategic Action Plan for SME Development 2016—2025, the US-Asean Business Council noted.

The Academy is an official Asean platform, co-managed by the Council, the BSMED under Philippines Department of Trade and Industry, and the PTTCGMEA. The Academy platform is a public and private sector partnership that aims to further empower Asean SMEs, especially in digital transformation.

A ccording to the Council, the pandemic and the acceleration of the digital economy have encouraged the Academy to better position itself in

supporting Asean SMEs.

With that in mind, the Council noted the Academy underwent a “revamping” project in 2021, as the Asean SME Academy 2.0—an upgraded version of the Academy—was launched on April 8, 2022.

As of April 2023, the US-Asean Business Council said there are over 13,000 active visitors and 3,400 users accessing the Academy daily. There were 110 courses offered by 21 public and private

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institutions for the Academy.

T he contributors include Adobe, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Baker McKenzie, International Labour Organization, Cisco, Dell, FedEx, Google, Corteva, Hawlett Packard, Inclusive Business Action Network (iBAN), Mastercard, Meta, Microsoft, OpenSAP, PayPal, Salesforce, UL, Visa, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative.  Andrea E. San Juan

PMFTC bid to recover ₧2.7-B refund junked

The said provisions also barred the filing of any suit or proceeding in any court for recovery of taxes alleged to have been erroneously or illegally assessed.

However, the provision also states that the BIR commissioner “may, even without written claim therefore, refund or credit any tax, where on the face of the return upon which payment was made, such payment appears clearly to have been erroneously paid.”      T he CTA en banc did not give merit to PFMTC’s argument that the two-year prescriptive period for filing of claims for refund is not jurisdiction and must be suspended for reason of equity and other special circumstances or may be tempered on moral and equitable grounds.      B ased on the court records, the

payments of excise taxes were made from February 20, 2014 until December 17, 2015.

T hus, the CTA en banc explained that both the administrative and judicial claims for refund should have been filed on or before February 20, 2016, at the earliest, and on or before December 17, 2017, at the latest.      However, PMFTC filed its administrative claim before the BIR and the judicial claim before the CTA only on June 13, 2019 and July 11, 2019, respectively.

T he PMFTC sought the refund after the Supreme Court, in a decision issued on April 17, 2017, affirmed with finality the decision of the trial court which declared null and void Revenue Regulation No. 17-2012 and Revenue Memorandum

Circular (RMC) No. 90-2012 issued by then Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima for allegedly violating the Constitution and imposing tax rates not authorized by Republic Act No. 1035, otherwise known as the Sin Tax Reform Law.

Thedecisionstemmedfromthepetition for declaratory relief filed by the Philippine TobaccoInstituteInc.(PTI)arguingthatthe excise tax rate of either P12 or P25 under RA No. 10351 should be imposed only on cigarettes packed by machine in packs of 20’s or packaging combinations of 20’s and should not be imposed on cigarette pouches of 5’s and 10’s.

Section 11 of RR No. 17-2012 imposes an excise tax on individual cigarette pouches of 5’s and 10’s even if they are bundled or packed in packaging combi-

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nations not exceeding 20 cigarettes.

O n the other hand, RMC No. 902012 provides for the initial classifications in tabular form, effective January 1, 2013, of locally- manufactured cigarette brands packed by machine according to the tax rates prescribed under RA No. 10351 based on the (2010 BIR price survey of these products, and suggested net retail price declared in the latest sworn filed by the local manufacturer or importer.

On January 16, 2013, prior to the payment of excise tax on its cigarette packs of l0’s, petitioner wrote the BIR stating that the payment was being made under protest and without prejudice to its right to question the issuances before the court.

BusinessMirror A9 www.businessmirror.com.ph Thursday, May 25, 2023

Description: ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No. NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

Working with the construction team, architectural / design team and clients. Responsible for negotiating and maintaining the balance between design goals, projects schedules and project financial performance. ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No. NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

Basic Qualification: ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No. NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

Basic HAMASE, TOSHIHIRO Senior Advisor Brief Job Description: To perform various field, contract resource manpower, quality, safety, delivery of materials, completed the facilities of quality owner could satisfy within construction period and achieve the target accompanied with schedule and completed the work within construction period.

Qualification: Graduate of engineering courses. With relevant experience in main office on toenec corporation in Japan in the construction industry, bother commercial and industrial. Basic Qualification: Graduate of engineering courses. With relevant experience in main office on toenec corporation in Japan in the construction industry, bother commercial and industrial. Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 VPC CORPORATE SOLUTIONS INCORPORATED 11/f 100 West, Sen Gil Puyat Ave. Cor., Washington St., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati 159.

- Php PHAM XUAN DAT Vietnam-speaking Customer Service Officer Brief Job Description: Maintains financial accounts by processing customer adjustments.

TSUNEO Basic Qualification: Foreign language speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 WNS GLOBAL SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC. 9/f 1880 Bldg., Eastwood City Cyberpark, Bagumbayan, Quezon City 160.

Manager CHADHA, NAMITA Senior Group Manager - Training Brief Job Description: Responsible for the management of and coordination among members of the Training Team.

Job Basic Qualification: Vast knowledge and experience in training people in contact centers. Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 *Date Generated: May 24, 2023 In the ad material of Notice of Filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on May 23, 2023, the name FERNANDEZ BAUTITSTA, PABLO MANUEL under the company WHG CUSTOMER SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC. (WILLIAM HILL ONLINE), should have been read as FERNANDEZ BAUTISTA, PABLO MANUEL and not as published. Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE National Capital Region located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication. Please inform DOLE National Capital Region if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

China presses Dutch minister for access to chipmaking tech

By Joe Mcdonald AP Business Writer

Rain, winds lash Guam as Typhoon Mawar closes in and residents shelter

By Grace Garces Bordallo & Jennifer Sinco Kelleher

The Associated Press

HAGATNA, Guam—Typhoon Mawar aimed its fury at the tiny US territory of Guam on Wednesday as residents with nowhere to go hunkered down to face the devastating winds and torrential rains from what was expected to be the worst storm to hit the Pacific island in decades.

The US military sent away ships, residents stockpiled supplies and anyone not living in a concrete house was urged to seek safety elsewhere ahead of the typhoon, which was forecast to arrive as a Category 4 storm with winds of 140 mph (225 kph) but could possibly strengthen to a Category 5, the most powerful. The last time a Category 5 directly hit Guam was 1962.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Guam said they were seeing “almost whiteout conditions” at their office and hearing low rumblings and shaking shutters and doors as the storm intensified Wednesday afternoon.

“Stay inside. Trees are coming down; power lines are coming down,” said Brandon Aydlett, a meteorologist with the service. “Everything is changing—it is too dangerous to be outside.”

Many communities on the 212-square-mile (549-square-kilometer) island had lost power by the afternoon and some to the south had lost water service. A flash flood warning was issued for the entire island as forecasters predicted as much as 25 inches (64 centimeters) of rain in addition to a life-threatening storm surge of 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 2 meters).

Chinese frustration with curbs imposed by the Netherlands, Washington and Japan on chip technology has added to political strains at a time when Beijing is threatening to attack Taiwan and is increasingly assertive toward other Asian neighbors. There was no indication the Netherlands changed its restriction on the supply of lithography machines available only from a single Dutch company that use ultraviolet light to etch tiny circuits on next-generation processor chips. Lack of that tool is holding back Chinese efforts to develop chips for smartphones, artificial intelligence and other advanced applications.

“As for the issue of lithography machines, China has

serious concerns about this,” Qin Gang said at a joint news conference. “We should work together to jointly protect the normal trade order between us, the international trade rules and to jointly keep the global industrial and supply chains stable.”

The Chinese ambassador to the Netherlands earlier threatened possible unspecified retaliation, but the ministers gave no indication they discussed that in their 2 1/2-hour meeting. “We have shared our national security concerns,” said the Dutch minister, Wopke Hoekstra. “I’ve, of course, clearly listened to his, and this is typically an issue where we will continue our dialogue.”

Beijing appears to be trying to improve relations with European governments and possibly split some away from alliances with Washington.

Political analysts have suggested that is part of the motivation behind Beijing’s decision to send an envoy to discuss a possible settlement of the Ukraine war. Analysts see little hope of peace but say the initiative gives Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government a chance to deflect Western criticism of its friendly relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Qin appealed for patience while the envoy, Li Hui, visits European governments to discuss a possible “political settlement.”

Hoekstra, who also is the Dutch deputy prime minister, said he and Qin “talked extensively about the

war” but gave no details.

“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine must stop and Europe and Netherlands will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes and whatever necessary,” Hoekstra said.

Qin tried to downplay security fears about Beijing. “What China exports is opportunity, not crisis,” he said.

The Chinese minister complained about the “abnormal phenomenon” of what he said was fears about China being exaggerated by unspecified “intelligence departments.”

“Then their accusations are being exaggerated by the media,” Qin said. “The result is that it erodes the popular support for the friendship between our two countries.”

Anxious retirees, social service groups are making default contingency plans

By Fatima Hussein & Darlene Superville

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—Phoenix retiree

Saundra Cole has been watching the news about the debt limit negotiations in Washington with dismay—and limiting her air conditioning use to save money just in case her monthly Social Security check is delayed due to a default.

For her, air conditioning is no small thing in a city where the average daily high hits 94 degrees in May. If the government can’t make good on its obligations, she says, “I would be devastated.”

“What I’m worried about is food banks and electricity here because you know, we’ve had deaths with seniors because of the heat,” says Cole.

Politicians in Washington may be offering assurance that the government will figure out a way to avert default, but around the country, economic anxiety is rising and some people already are adjusting their routines.

Government beneficiaries, social service groups that receive state and federal subsidies and millions more across the country are contemplating the possibility of massive and immediate cuts if the US were to default on its financial obligations.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned last week that a default would destroy jobs and businesses, and leave millions of families who rely on federal government payments to “likely go unpaid,” including Social Security beneficiaries, veterans and military families.

“A default could cause widespread suffering as Americans lose the income that they need to get by,” she said.

The number of people potentially impacted is huge. According to the Census Bureau, in 2020 roughly 35% of US households included someone receiving Social Security benefits, 36% received Medicaid benefits and more than 13% of the total population received food stamps.

A recent poll by The Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 66% of Americans said they’re

very or extremely concerned about the impact on the US economy if the debt limit is not raised and the government defaults, though only 21% said they’re following the debate closely.

Robert Gault, 63, who depends on a $1,900 monthly Social Security disability payment, says an economic default “would make life so real awfully hard on me.” The former longtime factory worker said he suffers from chronic back pain caused by degenerating disks in his spine.

Gault, who lives in Bradford, Pennsylvania, near that state’s border with New York, said he thinks about the debate—and the stalemate—in Washington a lot.

He hasn’t made any drastic changes to the way he lives, but said, “I’m more conscientious of everything and I think about everything I do now.”

Negotiations between the president and congressional leaders are down to the wire as they try to break an impasse. GOP lawmakers have been pressing for spending cuts in exchange for agreeing to increase the government’s borrowing authority and President Joe Biden wanted a “clean” debt ceiling increase without conditions.

Without a deal, the US could default as soon as June 1, according to Yellen.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was asked Monday if people should start preparing for default, and insisted “no,

no, no, no.”

But people on fixed incomes and organizations that serve the poor— already feeling the after-effects of the pandemic and dealing with inflation—are bracing for a potential debt default that would deal an overwhelming blow to their finances.

Clare Higgins, executive director of Community Action Pioneer Valley in Massachusetts, said demand at the organization’s food banks has skyrocketed since the start of the pandemic, and is growing again.

With a possible debt default, she said, she’s seeing more demand for food from the three pantries that the organization either runs or financially supports.

“Yes, demand has gone up—but it was already up before,” she said.

“We’re already behind the eight-ball in what we’re able to pay teachers,” she said of the organization’s head start and early learning programs. “And the inflation that has happened in the economy has already reduced our ability to stretch the dollar.”

Higgins said while she’s hopeful that Biden and McCarthy can reach a compromise, she’s concerned the deal will include Republican-sought budget cuts that would affect the organizations she manages. And if a default does happen, Higgins said, “I hope it’s for a short period.”

professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, said the notion of older people and recipients of government benefits doomsday prepping for disruptions every time budget season comes around is symptomatic of a “dysfunctional” democracy.

“It’s not how a healthy democracy handles its business,” he said, adding that the consequences of the brinksmanship will impact the government’s ability to function and plan in coming years.

“In this era of hyper-polarization, the way you get compromise is walking right up to the edge of economic catastrophe and threatening default—on the other side we have a president almost threatening to invoke the 14th Amendment to do away with the debt ceiling,” he said. “This is the stuff of partisan politics.”

Adriene Clifford, 58, knows about balance sheets because she is an accounting professor in New York state. The Delhi resident said she was concerned enough about possible disruptions to the banking system in the event of a default that she withdrew money from the bank “just to tie me over.”

“I’ve been most concerned about the banking system going down and the FDIC not being there,” Clifford said. She was referring to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the independent federal agency that exists to maintain stability and public confidence in the US financial system.

At the Kids’ Stop Learning Center in Rome, Georgia, Lance Elam, owner of the family business that has been in operation since 1984, says he’s not worried that a default will actually occur. But he still has done the calculation on how long operations could last without the subsidies that the organization receives for its three locations in Rome and Cartersville, Georgia.

“We have enough liquid funds to carry on for six to eight months,” he said, adding that state and federal funds helped the Kids’ Stop Learning Center stay in business through the pandemic.

“We have so many kids on our waiting list,” he said, that the center would likely begin dropping kids who couldn’t pay without subsidies and prioritize families that can pay out of pocket.

Ahead of the storm, Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero ordered residents of coastal, low-lying and flood-prone areas of the territory of over 150,000 people to evacuate to higher elevations. The highest point on the island is Mt. Lamlam in the southwest at 1,334 feet (406 meters). But much of the beachfront tourist district of Tamuning, where many resort hotels are located, is close to sea level.

In low-lying Agat along the southern coast, resident Reuel Drilon began preparing Friday and spent the weekend tying down patio furniture and trash containers. Nearly every home in the village, he said, has a mango tree—which officials warned could be ripped from the ground and become roadblocks and deadly flying projectiles.

“A lot of folks are keeping their eyes on trees,” he told The Associated Press before the storm hit. “Down south, we have a lot of coconut trees and mango trees.”

Guam is a crucial hub for US forces in the Pacific, and the Department of Defense controls about a third of the island. Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson, Joint Region Marianas commander, authorized the evacuation of defense personnel, dependents and employees in areas expected to be affected.

The military said it moved its ships out to sea as a standard precaution. It sent its aircraft off the island or placed them in protective hangars. Any personnel remaining on the island were sheltering in place. About 6,800 U.S. service members are assigned to Guam, according to the Pentagon.

With rain from the storm’s outer bands already falling over the island as of late Wednesday morning, the typhoon had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph) with gusts peaking at 170 mph (274 kph), said Landon Aydlett, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Guam. Its center was about 75 miles (120 kilometers) southeast of the island and was moving to the north-northwest.

The weather service warned of “considerable damage” from a “triple threat” of winds, torrential rains and life-threatening storm surge of 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 2 meters), with dangerous surf of 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 meters). It said the storm could hit Wednesday afternoon in the southern part of Guam, which lies west of the International Date Line and is a day ahead of the US mainland and Hawaii.

If Guam doesn’t take a direct hit, it will be very close, said Patrick Doll, the lead weather service meteorologist in Guam. Mawar is a Malaysian word that means “rose,” he noted.

School buses picked up residents at island community centers and transported them to 11 elementary schools outfitted as shelters. Civic workers in various villages warned residents to secure loose objects in their yards and seek shelter immediately. Some spread the word by megaphone, while others turned to social media. Power flickered off and on as the rain and wind intensified, and officials said nearly 900 people were in shelters.

Leon Guerrero urged residents in a YouTube message to remain calm and ordered the National Guard to help those in low-lying areas evacuate, saying, “We are at the crosshairs of Typhoon Mawar. Take action now.”

Guerrero said an emergency declaration approved by President Joe Biden will support the mobilization of resources into Guam, which is “especially crucial given our distance from the continental US.”

The storm was moving at 6 mph (10 kph) but had an eye 17 miles (27 kilometers) wide, meaning people at the typhoon’s center could see calm conditions for over three hours and conclude, far too soon, that the worst is over, Doll said. As the eye leaves, the winds could rise to 150 mph (241 kph) in minutes, so people should remain sheltered until the government gives the all clear.

“Folks may say, ‘Hey it’s over, we could go outside and start cleaning up,’” Doll said. “That is totally wrong.”

Joshua Paulino, a client manager at Xerox Guam, was sheltering at home in the central village of Chalan Pago with his wife, two sons and mother after the family closed the shutters and secured outdoor objects. He worried that the storm could dump rain on the island for a long time, since it was forecast to pass by gradually.

“This storm is moving very slowly so that is making me really uneasy,” Paulino said by text message.

And an ocean away in Los Angeles, Marichelle Tanag was fretting from afar after her parents, who are in their 70s and have survived many typhoons in their decades on the island. They boarded up windows, stocked up on a couple of weeks of food, prepared the generator and filled bathtubs with water. Their home in Tamuning, also in central Guam, is made of concrete, but she worried about it nevertheless.

“Will the house stand? ... If not, will they be able to go to another place of safety if needed, as fast as possible, and not get in the way of any of the flying debris?” Tanag said by phone.

Rota, an island in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, was also under a typhoon warning, Doll said. Tinian and Saipan, in the Northern Marianas, were under tropical storm warnings. Some people in those areas are still in temporary shelters or tents after Category 5 Super Typhoon Yutu in 2018, Doll noted.

Kelleher reported from Honolulu. AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein and Associated Press writers Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu, Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles and Sarah Brumfield in Washington contributed.

BEIJING—China’s foreign minister pressed his Dutch counterpart Tuesday for access to advanced chipmaking technology that has been blocked on security grounds and warned against allowing what he said were unfounded fears of Beijing to spoil relations.

DUTCH Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra attends a joint news conference with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang, not pictured, following their meeting in Beijing, China on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. THOMAS PETER/POOL PHOTO VIA AP

A MIX of fresh and canned food items are placed in grocery bags at Bread for the City on May 10, 2023, at the food pantry in Washington. Politicians in Washington may be offering assurance that the government will figure out a way to avert default, but around the country, economic anxiety is rising and some people already are adjusting their routines. AP/JACQUELYN MARTIN

Agriculture/Commodities

Local chicken inventory more than doubles

DRESSED chicken in local cold storage facilities more than doubled, with imports accounting for a chunk of the May 15 volume, according to the latest report from the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS).

Data from NMIS, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, showed that dressed chicken in cold storage facilities reached 48,672.06 metric tons (MT) on May 15. The volume is 111 percent higher than the 23,002.13 MT recorded on May 16, 2022.

NMIS data showed that imports accounted for 31,641.14 MT of the dressed chicken inventory. Local poultry in cold storage facilities reached 17,030.92 MT.

L ast year, imports accounted for 15,343.53 MT or more than half of the dressed chicken of the inventory.

C old storage facilities in Region 4-A had the largest chick -

en inventory at 16,019.35 MT, followed by Region 3 which had 15,186.06 MT.

T he agency said its dressed chicken inventory data only included fresh chilled chicken from accredited cold storage facilities. NMIS’s data did not include mechanically deboned meat of chicken.

N MIS data also indicated that the country’s frozen pork inventory on May 15 was also higher compared to last year’s level. Pork in cold storage facilities reached 67,359.87 MT, or nearly 33 percent higher than the 50,668.89 MT recorded a year ago. Similar to the dressed chicken inventory, there were more imports than locally produced pork in cold storage facilities—64,214.05 MT of imports versus 3,145.82 MT of local pork.

L ast year’s inventory also had more pork imports at 50,036.22 MT.

Group urges govt to study carefully SRP scheme for onions

By Raadee S. Sausa @raadeeboy

THE Department of Agriculture

(DA) should see to it that the suggested retail price (SRP) scheme for onions will not unduly burden vendors in wet markets, according to a consumer group.

Bantay Palengke said the onion SRP may be difficult to implement particularly if price monitoring will only be done in wet markets. We welcome the announcement of DA Spokesperson Kristine Evangelista and we are one with them in ensuring that the price of onion will be controlled. However, we

suggest that they also take a look at the price being offered by traders to our lowly vendors,” Bantay Palengke Convenor Lester Codog said in a statement on Wednesday. We think it will be very difficult to impose price if it means vendors will earn too little or even zero.”

T he DA, farmers groups and other agriculture stakeholders last week agreed on a suggested retail price of P150 per kilo for red onions and P140 per kilo for white onions. Codog said vendors would be hard pressed to comply with the SRP if middlemen will sell onions at a very high price.

As consumers, we really want prices to go down. But because we also talk to our suking tindera, they inform us that they can’t help but raise prices if traders will not offer lower rates,” he said. “Trading prices must also be monitored to ensure that onion price will be controlled.”

Earlier, House Speaker Martin Romualdez has cautioned the DA on its plan to impose the onion SRP.

Extreme care should be taken to ensure that in the imposition of the SRP, the interest of stakeholders such as the consumers, the traders, the market vendors, and especially

our onion farmers are suitably protected,” Romualdez said.

T he SRP is expected to protect customers from “unconscionably high prices” during market uptrends.

Romualdez also said ending cartels will stop price manipulation and ensure stable prices of commodities like onion.

“As the hearings of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food have indicated, dismantling the onion cartel is a key element in ensuring the stable price of this commodity. Unless we destroy this cartel, this problem will haunt us again and again in the future.”

Damosa Land breaks ground for the UP PSAE campus in Agriya

HOMEGROWN developer for

sustainable real estate in the South, Damosa Land, welcomes to its premier integrated township Agriya the University of the Philippines Professional School for Agriculture and the Environment (UP PSAE).

Together with the Anflo Management and Investment Corp. (ANFLOCOR), Damosa Land and the University of the Philippines held a groundbreaking ceremony last April 21 for the first campus of UP PSAE.

T he companies also signed the Deed of Donation declaring the turnover of the 31,800-square-meter property to the UP PSAE which is set to be home to 14 graduate and post-graduate agriculture-focused programs ranging from Agribusiness Management, Agroforestry, Animal Science, and many more.

Today, we are not only groundbreaking for the establishment of this building, but also we’re paving the way for the advancement of agricultural education here in Mindanao,” said Cary Lagdameo. “ Instead of sending our best

and brightest students to different parts of the country and the world to study this field, we can now provide opportunities for them here in Mindanao—the food basket of the Philippines.”

A s an advocate for the agricultural heritage of Southern Philippines, Damosa Land said it takes pride in this project as it continues to uplift and spur growth for the local agrisector. The upcoming UP PSAE campus, set to finish construction by October 2024, can accommodate up to 200 students of agriculture who share the same vision of elevating the agri-business competencies of communities in Mindanao.

U PLB Chancellor Jose Camacho Jr. who was also present during the groundbreaking event said, “Right at the very start, our vision is to make UP graduate education more accessible—especially here in Mindanao. We aim to contribute to human resource development of not just the universities but also the public and private institutions like the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environment

and Natural Resources.”

Damosa Land, an innovator for green communities, has been ramping up its efforts to fully integrate the Agriya township and promote sustainable and eco-friendly developments within Panabo City and the rest of Davao. Deeply rooted in its agricultural heritage, Agriya boasts of residential, commercial, and tourism segments that showcase Davao’s abundant flora and fauna—highlighting its rich biodiversity, generous banana produce, and nature-centric environments.

Gu ided by its mission to uplift communities, Damosa Land continues to show progress in the multiawarded real estate project Agriya with the full blast construction and development of its other components such as its residential subdivision Ameria, the Agriya Commercial Strip, and its agri-tourism feature Naturetainment. The company continues to find ways to recapture the emerging real estate audience and showcase Davao’s natural beauty in their own unique ways.

B eyond enriching its Agriya

township, Damosa Land is able to provide an avenue for local agriculture talent to be trained in Davao, the major agri-business center in the country, instead of seeking educational opportunities elsewhere.

With our strong background in banana production and export, Damosa Land has always fought for the cultivation and appreciation of our local produce,” said Lagdameo.

By tapping educational opportunities for empowering homegrown agriculture talent, we can take our commitment beyond and better address the challenges of the industry with the incoming generation. Together with the UP community and UP-PSAE, we are optimistic that this partnership will allow us to train our agri experts who can then contribute and hone a competent agri sector.”

A griya was hailed as Best Residential Green Development and Best Township Development by PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards in 2020. Ameria, for its part, bagged the Best Eco-Friendly Housing Development in 2022 and Best Housing Development in 2020.

T he May 15 inventory was also higher than 60,060.89 MT recorded on April 17 and last week’s 66,037.47 MT.

Cold storage facilities in Region 4-A had the largest frozen pork inventory at 23,824.51 MT followed by the National Capital Region which held 19,682.74 MT.

T he frozen pork inventory covers the stock inventory in accredited commercial and in-house cold storages (slaughterhouses and meat processing plants), according to the NMIS.

T he agency said frozen pork inventory includes local and imported carcass, primal parts and specialty cuts of local and imported pork.

T he national government lowered tariffs on pork products to beef up domestic supply as African swine fever, a disease that is fatal to hogs, decimated local farms.

FAO pushes for more public and private investments in tea sector

THE Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said the tea sector should get more public and private investments given its potential to fight poverty and hunger, particularly in rural communities.

FAO recently celebrated International Tea Day 2023 at its Rome headquarters where it trained the spotlight on smallholder tea producers and their importance for the sustainability of the sector.

“ We want to celebrate their achievements, but also raise awareness about the significant challenges they face, and the urgent need to mobilize political will to support them,” said FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu.

“ We must all work together and leverage all possible means, including increased and targeted public and private investments, to transform the tea sector.”

F AO noted that tea is the world’s most consumed drink, after water, and can bring health benefits and wellness to consumers. Over the past decades, the global tea industry has seen rapid growth, with a remarkable rising number of consumers globally. Especially, tea consumption by the youth segment of the market has expanded.

A dditionally, the tea sector contributes to socioeconomic development, representing a major source of employment and income for millions of poor families worldwide.

Global tea production amounts to over $18 billion annually. Around 13 million people are involved in global tea production. It is estimated that in the four major producing countries (China, India, Kenya and Sri Lanka), around 9 million tea farmers are smallholders.

Significant challenges SMALLHOLDERS, many of whom are women, account for 60 percent of global tea production and they are the “backbone” of sector, the FAO official said. He said “tea constitutes the main source of subsistence for millions of poor families, mostly in lower-income countries,” but they face several challenges, including low farm gate prices, weak extension services, limited market channels, poor access to credit and technology, and obstacles to meet quality standards.

“

We need to build on these developments and make every effort to ensure that the tea sector benefits smallholder growers and rural communities, not only in the short, but also in the longer term.”

Q u also said small-scale tea operations should constantly innovate and explore new ways of doing things better in order to remain viable in an increasingly competitive market setting.

“ Digitalization and innovationdriven solutions, as well as access to finance, are essential to the future sustainability of the tea sector and to increase its contribution to the 2030 Agenda and achieving the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals]. This is where support is needed most.”

I n his address to the ceremony the Minister for Plantation Industries of Sri Lanka Ramesh Pathirana, said Sri Lanka is one of the four largest tea producing countries, while smallholders take major part of the tea sector. However, economic downturns in the recent years have impacted the tea production, while the country has started to promote digital solutions to help tea farmers improve tea quality and quantity.

Cash-strapped Argentina needs rain now to save crops from drought

ARGENTINA’S farmers need precipitation to arrive within the next three weeks to stand any chance of emerging from a disastrous drought that has shriveled harvests and slashed agricultural exports.

Growers in the heart of the Pampas growing region, the so-called zona nucleo, need fresh rain in the coming days to moisten fields so they can sow wheat, said Cecilia Conde, chief crop analyst at the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange. Failing that, the bourse would have to cut back its forecasts for expanded acreage and higher production, which are predicated on the La Nina climate pattern coming to an end.

A griculture is key to Argentina’s economy since the cash-

strapped central bank needs US dollars from crop exports to arrest a slide of the peso.

Farmers are struggling to recover from three consecutive years of drought. Soy fields being harvested now will produce the least in two decades of record-keeping at the grain exchange, while last season’s wretched wheat crop slashed Argentine exports by two thirds.

A rgentina, a top global food producer, has two growing seasons in the year: wheat and barley, then soy and corn.

El Niño

CONSISTENT rainfall isn’t likely until El Niño is better established in a few months. But some showers are predicted over the next few

days and weeks.

Government weather maps published Monday night forecast up to 50 millimeters (2 inches) in the next week across much of the zona nucleo. That would dampen fields just enough to get wheat seeds in the ground, according to the Rosario Board of Trade.

Forecasters have said for months that rains would come as a La Nina climate pattern makes way for El Niño, which brings wetter weather in Argentina. But showers in the zona nucleo failed to arrive in the first quarter and have been largely elusive in the second quarter.

Robusta coffee

MEANWHILE , robusta coffee climbed to the highest since 2008

as forecasts for lower output in key producers threaten to tighten global supply.

P roduction in Indonesia, the third-biggest robusta grower, is projected to fall by 20 percent to 8.4 million bags in 2023-24 after heavy rains hindered pollination, while the increased humidity hit bean quality. Brazil’s coffee production is also seen falling, mostly due to lower robusta yields. Output and stockpiles are also expected to drop in top exporter Vietnam.

“ Demand remains strong for robusta and the differentials have picked up in Indonesia and Vietnam, so we don’t know how much longer this rally can continue,” said Ryan Delany, founder of the Coffee Trading Academy. Bloomberg News

BUSINESSMIRROR FILE PHOTO

editorial

How to make Filipino content creators thrive

Online video piracy in the Philippines has become pervasive, growing to 20 million users in 2022 with revenue leakage of $781 million, according to a Media Partners Asia (MPA) report. “if online piracy is not brought under control, the illegal activity could claim 31 million users by 2027 with annual leakage of $1 billion,” the report added. MPA is an independent provider of research, advisory and consulting services across the media and telecoms sectors in Asia Pacific.

The House Committee on Trade and Industry in February approved the proposed comprehensive reform of the Intellectual Property Code, and a bill allowing the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines to block web sites showing infringed content. Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda said House Bill 799 and House Bill 7028 seek to support Filipino digital creatives. (Read, “House panel OKs bill protecting IP rights of content creators, creative,” in the BusinessMirror, February 14, 2023)

“Let’s run both horses and see which one goes faster. But we need siteblocking powers urgently because that will help put an end to stealing from Filipino content creators and creative. You cannot own what you cannot defend. That’s why these powers are just as important as actions to promote content creation,” Salceda said.

A 2023 study conducted by YouGov and commissioned by AVIA and CAP showed that almost 60 percent of Philippine consumers watch pirated content—an alarming number that has a direct impact on the Philippine creative industry and consumer safety.

However, the study also showed growing consumer awareness of the damage caused by piracy, with 90 percent of consumers believing that piracy has negative consequences for the Philippines.

The study also showed a path ahead with 45 percent of Philippine consumers believing a government or court order for Internet Service Providers to block pirate websites would be the most effective measure to reduce piracy in the country.

CAP General Manager Matt Cheetham said: “The evidence continues to show that site blocking, when implemented in an efficient and effective way, and ensuring the necessary elements of due process, is an incredibly powerful tool to both stop online piracy and protect consumers from the unseen harm caused by piracy, and we applaud Congressman Salceda for his determination to address the issue.”

Cheetham also noted that earlier this month, Senator Jinggoy Estrada introduced a proposed legislation in the Senate (Senate Bill 2150). “With the successful passage of Congressman Salceda’s bill in the House, we look forward to the successful passage of a counterpart measure in the Senate that will allow the Philippines to grow its economy and protect its consumers from online harm,” he added.

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) earlier said it recently completed the draft rules on voluntary site-blocking together with local ISPs—the latest progress in its push for a site-blocking regime to save the Philippine creative economy from enormous revenue and job losses from piracy.

IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba said site-blocking is part of the agency’s efforts to create an environment for a trusted and robust intellectual property (IP) enforcement system. “This is to assure rights holders in the creative economy that if they have issues concerning their IP rights, they can rely on an IP enforcement system that is prompt, responsive, efficient and effective,” Barba said.

“However, IP enforcement and protection efforts cannot be successful without the IP rights holders initiating the process to go after their infringers. The prosecution of IP cases is not automatic. Hence, we need copyright owners to be more aware of their rights and the processes to efficiently exercise their rights and seek redress,” Barba added.

Site-blocking is one piracy control that has been drawing national attention in recent months, given its success stories in slashing piracy consumption in other countries. It would do well for concerned authorities, particularly IPOPHL, to issue the rules and regulations on the site-blocking procedures, which will guide ISPs to block or prevent access to pirated websites. There is an urgent need to roll out effective strategies to address digital piracy in the country.

BusinessMirror

Why delist?

John Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

WHAt do the following Philippine corporations have in common: eagle Cement, Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Splash Corp., San Miguel Brewery, Chemrez technologies, Alaska Milk, travellers international Hotel Group, and Cosmos Bottling?

All these companies voluntarily delisted from the Philippine Stock Exchange for a variety of reasons, including going out of business, being absorbed by a “parent company,” and simply not wanting to be a publicly owned corporation with traded shares.

Why does a company “go public” and become listed on a stock exchange in the first place?

Corporations “go public” for three fundamental reasons. Family-owned companies, particularly at the second and sometimes third ownership generation, sell shares to “take money off the table.” Ownership of private companies does not have liquidity and the stock market provides the most efficient way to convert the hard asset into cash.

An Initial Public Offering is the most efficient even if not the easiest way to raise capital and at a premium to actual asset value,

including intangibles like goodwill. Borrowing funds for expansion costs money and requires guaranteed payback.

Further, there is the valid concept that it is easier to raise one dollar each from a million people than to raise a million dollars from one person.

A public company also has an immediate boost in financial credibility as it is a “fact” that private companies keep two sets of books: one accurate and one for the tax authorities. Lenders, particularly from international sources, are much more inclined to look at loaning to listed companies rather than to unknown private firms.

The actual business interests of a public company increase in credibility too as clients and customers of a listed firm know that management has shareholders looking over executive shoulders for any shady

Ruben

By Ellen Knickmeyer | The Associated Press

WASHinGtOn like the blue and yellow flags that popped up around the US when Russia invaded Ukraine 15 months ago, US popular support for Washington’s backing of Ukraine has faded a little but remains widespread, a survey by the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and nORC shows.

It found that half of the people in the US support the Pentagon’s ongoing supply of weapons to Ukraine for its defense against Russian forces. That level is nearly unchanged in the past year, while about a quarter are opposed to sustaining the military lifeline that has now topped $37 billion.

Big majorities among both Democrats and Republicans believe Russia’s attack on Ukraine was unjustified, according to the poll, taken last month.

And about three out of four people in the US support the United States playing at least some role in the conflict, the survey found. The findings are in line with what

Ukraine’s ambassador says she sees when she makes appearances at think tanks, fancy dinners, embassy parties and other events to rally vital US backing for her country.

“I feel the support is still strong,”

Ambassador Oksana Markarova said, even as tensions with China, domestic politics, mass shootings and other news often top Ukraine’s war in US news coverage these days. “There are other things happening at the same time,” she said. “But I feel the very strong bipartisan support.”

When it comes to specific kinds of US backing for Ukraine, popular support for US sanctions against Russia has experienced the most sig-

practices. Certainly, public companies—think Enron and Bre-X Minerals—can be crooked. But it is the private firms like Elizabeth Holmes’ Theranos Inc. and Lincoln Savings and Loan Association (at the heart of the five scandals during the 1980s savings and loan crisis) that take fraud to a higher level.

However, Metro Pacific Investments (MPI) plans to delist from the Philippine Stock Exchange. BusinessMirror, April 28, 2023: “A consortium that includes Manuel V. Pangilinan and Japan’s Mitsui is taking conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. private.”

Why delist? Notice the terms of the offering. “The tender offer price represents a premium of 22 percent over the 12-months volume-weighted average trading price [P4.63 per share] of MPIC on the PSE.” The share price of a listed company is determined by the market. “The bidders feel that the intrinsic value of MPIC’s core investments has not been fully reflected in MPIC’s share price for some time.” The problem with being “public” is that retail investors are rude. In January the market price was P3.50, went to P4.50 in February,

and the “little guys” (presumably) took profits and the price retreated back to P3.50.

Further, apparently all the public cares about is making money, not about the company itself. “Public companies are often under pressure to deliver short-term results to meet quarterly earnings expectations. By going private, MPIC could take a longer-term view and make strategic investments without worrying about how they might impact quarterly earnings.”

How dare an investor buy shares to make a profit when they can hold for the longer-term company profits? After all, if I bought at P3.29 last December 19—the 2022 daily closing low—and received a P0.076 cash dividend on March 27, 2023, that is a 2.17 percent return.

However, buying at P3.50 and selling at P4.50 yields a 28 percent profit. But what about the advantage of being public for raising new cash? Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said there are a lot of ways of raising money even as a private entity. So why go public in the first place?

On a personal note, I will be sharing with you one “Secret to Success” that I learned from being a losing poker player, at youtube.com/@NoNonsenseJM. Thank you.

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.

Half of US public approves of Washington’s arms deliveries to Ukraine in war’s 2nd year

In all, 62 percent regard Russia as an enemy—or top enemy—of the United States. And 48 percent are very worried about Russia’s influence around the world. At the same time, 50 percent say they have a favorable opinion of the Russian people, compared with 17 percent who have an unfavorable view.

nificant drop, falling from 71 percent a year ago to 58 percent this spring, although that’s still a majority.

The decline in support for the sanctions may reflect people’s concern that the efforts to isolate Russia economically have contributed to inflation, analysts said.

Overall, however, the findings show that a couple of early concerns US policymakers had about the strong material assistance for Ukraine have yet to be realized: that public support would crater if the war dragged on, and that the heavy assistance to Ukraine would become

The actual business interests of a public company increase in credibility too as clients and customers of a listed firm know that management has shareholders looking over executive shoulders for any shady practices. See “Half,” A13

a partisan wedge issue, splitting Democrats and Republicans.

“There’s no ground-swelling of American Ukraine fatigue here, and that has always been the fear,” said Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corp. research center.

For Cameron Hill, a 27-year-old state employee and Republican in Anadarko, Oklahoma, there was much to dislike about Russia’s war and its leader, Vladimir Putin: the statements from Putin that Hill took as misleading propaganda, his heavyhanded rule, and Russian fighters’ attacks on civilians and other abuses.

From the start of the Ukraine war, “there was killing of civilians, raping,” Hill said. “It didn’t seem like a moral-run military in the first place.”

By contrast, video showing the courage of a Ukrainian fighter as he appeared to be executed by Russian fighters stood out to Hill. “His last words were something along the lines of ‘Slava Ukraini,’” or Glory to Ukraine, Hill said.

Fruits of Marcos travel tree

By Bloomberg News

Sergey Belov’s role in charge of what are known as “field institutions” that effectively channel funding from the state budget to combat troops draws little attention. Unlike Governor Elvira Nabiullina and other top officials, he isn’t under international sanctions.

Belov, 52, became deputy governor of the Bank of Russia in May last year and oversees the field offices alongside the system of cash circulation. A graduate of the Defense Ministry’s economic academy, he previously ran the central bank’s division in Sevastopol, a city on the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea that Putin annexed in 2014.

It’s without recent precedent for the official in charge of the central bank’s military functions also to hold civilian responsibilities, according to Nikolai Krotov, a historian of finance in Russia.

Run by the central bank on behalf of the Defense Ministry, the field institutions carry out banking transactions to ensure they bypass commercial lenders and avoid any exposure of state secrets. By law, they are a military branch subject to military regulations.

The Bank of Russia operates almost 90 such field offices that are assigned to work near frontline units. They meet banking needs from opening a current account or handling cash withdrawals to money transfers and even issuing their own payment cards.

Though large swathes of the economy have been enlisted to support the invasion, the Bank of Russia has sought to cast itself as a bastion of technocrats focused on fine-tuning monetary policy in a country under siege from unprecedented international sanctions.

“The appointment of a specialist with a military background to be responsible for cash circulation seems to befit the spirit of the times,” said Oleg Vyugin, a former first deputy governor at the Bank of Russia. “Now is the time in Russia for those from the military and security milieu—they have certain opportunities for a successful career in many civilian sectors.”

Vital cog

T H E central bank didn’t respond to a request to comment. When asked about the field institutions at a news conference in April, Nabiullina said only that they are functioning as intended.

The obscure department that was managed before Belov by the central bank’s chief accountant has become a vital cog of the war economy as the Kremlin tries to coax more Russians to volunteer to join the fight by offering financial incentives and benefits.

Belov’s reach has expanded with Russia’s occupation of parts of four regions of eastern and southern Ukraine after a government decree this year empowered the field institutions to handle budget resources for residents in the territories. In February, he attended a meeting held in the occupied city of Mariupol on providing financial services.

Russia’s lower house of parlia-

The obscure department that was managed before Belov by the central bank’s chief accountant has become a vital cog of the war economy as the Kremlin tries to coax more Russians to volunteer to join the fight by offering financial incentives and benefits.

ment also passed a draft law in March to transfer responsibility for paying the wages and allowances of all armed forces personnel to the field institutions and lenders selected by the government, to ensure security of data about the military.

The central bank under Nabiullina has enjoyed an enviable degree of autonomy in Russia and once earned the title of the “most orthodox” in developing Europe. After she attempted to resign following Russia’s February 2022 attack on Ukraine, Putin nominated her for a new five-year term.

It was around the same time that the bank began to retrofit for the new reality. In March last year, it bought sleeping bags, tents and wood stoves for its field institutions.

Within weeks, Belov—who had led the field institutions department since 2021—was promoted to the role of Nabiullina’s deputy, though without becoming a voting member of the board of directors that decides on policy.

His elevation was a sign of the importance attached to the position and also symbolic because of who he replaced—Mikhail Alekseev, a veteran banker and former chairman of the Russian subsidiary of Italy’s UniCredit SpA, who became subject to US sanctions in April last year.

Military merit

B E LOV ’ S official biography is sparse.  A native of Tambov, southern Russia, he spent most of his career at the central bank, starting as a “senior cashier” at the field institutions. He was awarded the Order of Military Merit by presidential decree in 2009.

Belov’s time in Crimea following the annexation meant he was present when Russia introduced the ruble and built a new financial system, experiences likely to be useful as Russia strives to absorb the other occupied areas. Ukraine is poised to unleash a counteroffensive aiming to take back the territories.

Demand for cash increased after Russia replaced Ukraine’s hryvnia with the ruble in those areas in January, Bank of Russia Deputy Chairman Alexey Zabotkin told reporters in a briefing Monday.

Sergey Dubinin, Russia’s central bank chief from 1995 to 1998, described the field offices as “an intermediary between allocated budgetary funds and the actual military divisions.” While they maintained close ties with the military, he said he couldn’t recall the bank having a deputy governor with a military background. With assistance from Gem Atkinson / Bloomberg

Hague in the Netherlands in March issued arrest warrants for Putin over Russia’s mass deportation of Ukrainian children.

ALMOST 11 months now since assuming the highest post in the land, President Ferdinand r Marcos Jr. proved he isn’t trip wary. In fact, we can say, he is on travel mode.

Of course, part of his delegation, almost always, are his alter egos, including Secretary of Trade and Industry Alfredo Pascual as the main man since most of the President’s trips are trade and investment-related.

The President has already been to 13 countries, the most recent of which was his second visit to Indonesia for the 42nd ASEAN Summit. That was just a couple of days after the US and UK trips. As we all know, his first overseas trip as our head of state was in Indonesia in September 2022, upon the invitation of President Joko Widodo.

Now, as space will allow, let me share this. For the President, with his desire to strengthen bilateral relationship on the economic, political, socio-cultural and military aspects, it becomes necessary that he touches base with the leaders of the countries

After the US trip, Trade Secretary Fred Pascual reported that the Philippines secured P71.5 billion worth of investment pledges from American firms. This will generate close to 7,000 jobs for our Juan and Juana de la Cruzes. That adds to the potential employment from Japanese corporations, where the figures would reach over 30,000 heads that will be given the opportunity, the chance to have a good-paying job.

essential to the advancement of our national interests.

Supply of coal for the coal-powered plants has been assured by Widodo. For some time, there was a gap in the supply of coal from Indonesia and that worries the Philippine leader. Now, no more.

Widodo agreed also to help our fishery sector to solve the issue of galunggong importation. PBBM has been obsessed with it considering that the Philippines, as an archipelago, should be abundant with the specie.

From Japan, Marcos secured investment pledges amounting to P715 billion, which would create 24,000 jobs for Filipino workers. Aside from this, Japan’s PM Fumio Kishida committed the infra loan for the NorthSouth Commuter Railway Project and its extension amounting to P165

billion, which China reneged on. For the AFP, they will grant us UH-IJ Huey multi-role helicopters to boost our limited military capabilities.

After the US trip, Trade Secretary Fred Pascual reported that the Philippines secured P71.5 billion worth of investment pledges from American firms. This will generate close to 7,000 jobs for our Juan and Juana de la Cruzes. That adds to the potential employment from Japanese corporations, where the figures would reach over 30,000 heads that will be given the opportunity, the chance to have a good-paying job.

In their meeting with various American companies, Pascual cited the importance of enhancing bilateral relations with other countries, neighbors included, as it plays an important role in pursuing economic recovery and post-pandemic expansion of various businesses in our land.

On one-on-one meetings, Pascual shared that Moderna, who supplied part of our Covid -19 vaccines, announced plans to put up an enterprise solutions hub that will provide business services across the Asia Pacific Region. Great. Pascual shared, too, the news that Maxeon Solar Technologies, a global leader in solar innovation, plans to bring its latest solar technology, Max 7, to the Philippines. With that plan, the most advanced solar cells in the world will soon be Philippine-made. Not for long, the cheap Xi Jinping junk will be gone for good.

Nuscale and Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. engaged in small and micro modular reactor tech, Xero Motorcycles that produces high-end electric motorcycles and Atento, which is involved in BPO, will hire about 1,000 workers.

Another reputable firm, Optum, the biggest healthcare provider in the US, will invest P800 million to set up a health info management services, generating about 1,500 jobs in Mindanao. On the other hand, Analog Devices will hire a thousand engineers for a research and development center that they will set up.

For military assistance, among others, the US announced its transfer of three C-130 aircraft and two coastal patrol vessels. More than that, President Biden assured counter offensive action in case the Philippines is attacked by China, or by whoever, in accordance with our MDT. Well, undoubtedly, these are sweet fruits of the travel tree.

Trump’s freewheeling, stream-of-consciousness speaking style draws legal attention amid probes

By Trenton Daniel & Eric Tucker | The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—Donald Trump speaks about his legal woes in a way that would make most defense attorneys wince.

A recent sampling: In a March interview on Fox News, the former president said he had “the right to take” classified documents with him to his Florida resort and wouldn’t say he hadn’t looked at the records since leaving office. During a CNN town hall this month, Trump said he told a Georgia elections official “you owe me” votes in the 2020 election.

At the same town hall on May 10 he insulted a female writer as a “wack job”—only a day after that same woman, E. Jean Carroll, won a $5 million judgment against him in a civil suit alleging defamation and sexual assault. On Monday, Carroll amended a lawsuit to hold him liable for the town hall remarks.

Trump, the leading contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has never hesitated to offer his opinion or joust with his antagonists. The problem, legal experts say, is that the former president is under intensifying scrutiny from state and federal prosecutors, and those same prosecutors can use the former president’s statements against him in a variety of ways.

“Any utterances by a defendant, whether they are confessions, denials, observations, nonsensical gibberish, or just plain goofy are nothing but pure gold for prosecutors,” said Julieanne Himelstein, a former assistant US attorney in Washington.

Trump has found himself under investigation by prosecutors stretching from New York to Georgia.

He was indicted in March by a Manhattan grand jury on charges related to hush-money payments

made on his behalf during the 2016 presidential campaign. On Tuesday, a New York judge set the trial to begin on March 25, in the midst of the primary contests. Trump, appearing via videoconference, threw his hands up in frustration at the timing of the trial and glowered at the camera.

A local prosecutor in Georgia is investigating whether the former president and his allies broke the law in seeking to overturn his 2020 election loss. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis suggested last week that indictments could come in August. Meanwhile, a Justice Department special counsel is probing the former president’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection and the discovery of classified documents at Mar-a-Largo, Trump’s Florida home and resort.

In recent media appearances and during rallies, Trump has made comments that could be seen as incriminating or, at the very least, complicate his legal team’s ability to beat back charges. He seemed to get into particular trouble during a May 10 town hall hosted by CNN.

The former president spent nearly an hour discussing a range of issues while also commenting on the investigations in ways that run counter to generally accepted legal advice. Not only did he re-insult Carroll and provide Fulton County’s prosecutor more fodder for her probe but he also gave the Justice Department an opening by claiming he couldn’t recall whether he had shown classified documents to anyone.

Joyce Vance, a law professor who

vorable view of Putin.

In recent media appearances and during rallies, Trump has made comments that could be seen as incriminating or, at the very least, complicate his legal team’s ability to beat back charges. He seemed to get into particular trouble during a May 10 town hall hosted by CNN.

served as a US attorney in Alabama under President Barack Obama, opined on Twitter: “There were prosecutors and agents taking notes tonight.”

Trump also suggested that he was personally involved in taking records to Mar-a-Lago—“I was there and I took what I took and it gets declassified,” he said. That statement is at odds with arguments made by his own lawyers, who as recently as last month suggested in a letter to Congress that the document removal was the “result of haphazard records-keeping and packing” rather than an intentional decision by Trump.

The statements are being made as the documents investigation shows signs of winding down and as Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith zeroes in on the question of potential obstruction, drilling into the failure by Trump and his representatives to return the classified records in his possession despite being issued a subpoena to do so.

Trump’s penchant for public statements was on display in the last special counsel investigation he faced. He famously told an interviewer in 2017 that he was thinking of “this Russia thing” when he fired former FBI director James Comey. His lawyers sought to explain away that statement by noting that he had also said that he knew that firing Comey

would prolong, rather than shorten, the Russia probe.

Legal scholars said that prosecutors might not be able to use some of Trump’s comments if they are not relevant to the charges or might be deemed prejudicial by a judge. They also may not need to play them to jurors because other evidence is much stronger. While

Trump said on CNN that he told Brad Raffensperger “you owe me” votes, he was also tape recorded asking the Georgia elections official to “find” him more votes. The call came in January 2021 as Trump was desperately trying to overturn Georgia’s election result.

“It’s not inculpatory any more than the fact that we already have a recorded phone call,” said Anthony Michael Kreis, a law professor at Georgia State University. “It might be more damning had we not had the actual recording of the phone call.”

Former prosecutors and defense attorneys say a client’s public comments can hamstring how they present their cases to a jury. It can reveal their strategy and lock them into certain lines of attacking the prosecution’s case. Such comments might also encourage t hem to do everything they can to keep their client from taking the witness stand.

For example, they said, Trump may have admitted to taking classified documents from the White House but his lawyers wrote, “The purpose of this letter is not to opine about whether these documents are actually classified or have been declassified.”

If Trump were to ever testify, prosecutors could use such contradictory statements to poke holes in his story, making it harder for his defense team to tell the jury a coherent narrative.

The vast majority of US adults believe that Russia has committed war crimes during the conflict, including 54 percent who say Russia is the only side that has done so. The International Criminal Court at The

Older adults are more likely to view Russia’s invasion as an unjustified attempt to overthrow Ukraine’s government—79 percent among people 45 and older, compared with 59 percent for those 44 and under.

In all, 62 percent regard Russia as an enemy—or top enemy—of the United States. And 48 percent are very worried about Russia’s influence around the world. At the same time, 50 percent say they have a favorable opinion of the Russian people, compared with 17 percent who have an unfavorable view. Only 8 percent of people in the US say they have a fa-

Americans’ view of Russia and its leader has already been a flashpoint in US politics, as when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis drew criticism this spring for dismissing Ukraine’s fight against Russian forces as a “territorial dispute.” The remark was associated with a drop in support for DeSantis, a prospective Republican

presidential candidate.

When it comes to the war itself, “it’s unfortunate that it’s going on as long as it is. And I can’t imagine, you know, living there, and that would be my life everyday, with bombs going off,” said Laura Salley, 60, a college mental-health counselor in Easton, Pennsylvania, and a Democrat.

“But if we pull back, I’m pretty

sure that Russia would find that as an opportunity to encroach again,” Salley said.

(The poll of 1,180 adults was conducted April 13-17 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the US population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.)

PreSIDeN T Vladimir Putin has increasingly put ru ssia’s economy on a war footing since his invasion of Ukraine. The central bank is also being enlisted for the fight under a decorated military officer installed as a deputy governor.

Putin’s central bank is also on the battlefield in Ukraine

A14 Thursday, May 25, 2023

MARCOS TO DICT: HELP LGUS ADAPT TO E–GOV

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday directed the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to enable local government units (LGUs) to adapt to the e-Gov system as part of the government’s digitalization initiative.

T he Presidential Communications Office said in a statement on Wednesday that Marcos issued the directive to Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan Uy during the sectoral meeting in Malacañang on DICT’s pending projects and cybersecurity concerns.

Let’s capacitate our LGUs so they can adapt to the system,” Marcos told Uy.

U y explained to the President that with the system, the local governments will save a lot of money and “boost” income generation.

So, our downloading will be easier.  They can save from this. And their income generation capacity will increase tremendously because there will be efficiencies in the collection,” Uy said.

At the meeting, the President also mandated the conduct of regular upgrades. “So again it all boils down to that. That’s really the essence of digitalization. Let’s be sure that we are able to upgrade this system. Set it up to get them (LGUs) ready, so they know how to operate it,” Marcos said.

T he DICT announced in December 2022 that the e-Gov system, which includes the e-Gov Super App, a platform aimed at ensuring the digitalization

of government systems in the Philippines, including LGUs.

A lso part of the government’s e-Government Priority Projects are: centralizing government cloud services; e-Report, for citizens’ feedback and complaints; and, e-Gov App which will integrate all government services into one platform.

T he e-Gov Super App is set to be launched early next month, the Palace noted.

A side from the e-Government Priority Projects, DICT’s Priority Initiatives include the Broadband ng Masa, National Broadband Plan (NBP), Free Public Internet Access Program, National Government Data Center (NGDC), and Enhancing ICT competency through Upskilling and Reskilling.

I n 2022, the Philippines ranked 71st out of 131 economies in the global Network Readiness Index, a significant jump from the 85th ranking in 2021, and this was traced to good performance on e-commerce legislation, high tech exports, and information and communication technology (ICT) services exports.

M eanwhile, the DICT reported at the sectoral meeting of the President in Malacañang that the agency is now targeting 10,000 additional sites under its Free Public Internet Access Program (FPIAP).

S ecretary  Uy said the sites will be located in 1,364 localities nationwide. As of last April 23, he said FPIAP covered 3,961 sites in 493 localities. A ndrea E. San Juan

US-Asean biz council to help keep Asean SME Academy going

THE US-Asean Business Council signed an agreement with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Philippine Trade Training Center to renew their commitment to implement the Asean small and medium enterprise (SME) Academy, an Aseanwide online learning platform meant to make small merchants in the region globally competitive.

According to a statement released by the US-Asean Business Council on Tuesday, the Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Trade and Industry and Philippine Trade Training Center during the 15th Asean Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME) Meeting.

The MoU demonstrated a significant commitment from the Council and ACCMSME, formalizing the continuity of collaboration for Asean small and medium enterprises (SMEs) the Asean SME Academy,” the US-Asean Business Council’s statement noted.

A ccording to the Council, this agreement acts as an “amendment” from the previous MOU signed in 2019, before shifting to virtual during the pandemic.

M argaret Hanson-Muse, chief operations officer of the Council, said with the amended MOU, the Asean SME Academy platform could “expedite the digital transformation in the region for the SMEs, considering they are the backbone of the economy.”

Moving forward, the US-Asean Business Councill will continue its effort to empower ASEAN SMEs through the ASEAN SME Academy

Maharlika bill certified, but BSP share bugs senators

well on the credibility of the BSP,”

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

and our SME Program. It is our aspiration to give necessary support and assistance to the ASEAN SMEs to better navigate their business in the digital economy along with our members,” she added.  T hrough the lens of the Philippine government, DTI Undersecretary for Regional Operations Group and Chair for ACCMSME 2023 Blesila A. Lantayona  said this “renewal of commitment to implement the ASEAN SME Academy is very timely—especially after what we have all gone through in the past couple of years.”

L antayona recounted the events during the pandemic when almost everyone was required to stay home and online learning “boomed to widespread popularity.”

Now that we have returned to face-to-face ACCMSME meetings, online learning platforms such as the ASEAN SME Academy is here to stay – and with this new MOU, we can expect to see the Asean SME Academy to become even better,” Lantayona noted.

Ph ilippine Trade Training Center-Global MSME Academy (PTTCGMEA) Executive Director  Nelly

Nita Dillera said the renewed MOU will allow her agency to continue to support and assist in reaching and building Asean MSMEs and make them “globally competitive” by providing a one-stop learning platform, tools, and resources available “anytime and anywhere” to every Southeast Asian country.

Dillera urged enterprises to maximize the use of the platform and “learn from the vetted practices of global companies through the modules.”

MALACAÑANG

has certified anew the Maharlika Investment Fund bill as an urgent measure, enabling the Senate to pass it on second and third reading in one sitting, even as its chief sponsor continued to be grilled

T he Palace certification, dated May 22, allows  lawmakers from both chambers to fast-track final plenary approval, clearing the way for the President to sign the measure to be enacted into law.

T he MIF bill was passed earlier by an overwhelming majority in the House, after the Palace certified the House version. I n the letter to the Senate leadership read on the floor on Wednesday, the Palace stressed the urgency of creating the Fund, noting how global developments have constrained efforts to fund vital projects that could help the local economy’s growth goals.

By next week, the Senate is tar -

geting to pass the MIF bill. I t was conveyed to senators that the Executive is keen to see its enactment into law ahead of the President’s next State-of-theNation address before a Joint Session of Congress in late July.

Senators on Wednesday spent most of the session interpellating Banks committee chairman Sen. Mark Villar, main sponsor of the measure.

He had to repeatedly assure Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian that the bill’s mandating the BSP to contribute to the MIF’s seed fund will not impair the central bank’s ability to respond to shocks in the local financial system.

“A change in tune will not reflect

Gatchalian repeatedly said, as he asked both Villar and the economic managers to justify how the BSP had a “change of heart”—from hastily begging senators in 2016 to approve the buildup program raising BSP’s capitalization, then only P50 billion, to now saying that they can live with delaying such buildup, if only to allow BSP to chip in to Maharlika.

V illar explained that since 2016, authorities have had more flexibility in building up BSP’s capitalization, and the more urgent concern now is priming the economy, which is struggling to recover from the pandemic while dealing with high inflation. “From a whole-of-nation approach, there’s really need to prime the economy at this point, especially after Covid 19,” Villar said, adding that this “would require us to look for additional sources for spending,” especially for infrastructure.

V illar insisted that there is no intent to derail the BSP capitalization, “but we’re doing something to prevent us from entering a worse” economic condition in the short and long term.

Gatchalian recalled BSP Deputy

Governor Vicente Aquino saying in 2016 that there’s a need to hike BSP capitalization from P50 billion to P250 billion.

He noted a 12-fold growth in the total banking resources since 1993, when the BSP was created from the old central bank, while the size of BSP’s balance sheet ’s has also grown eightfold since its creation in 1993.

Despite all this, the authorized capitalization of BSP has remained P50 billion, which has taken more than 20 years to be fully subscribed.”

M ajority Leader Joel Villanueva also weighed in on the need to consider the impact of delaying the BSP capitalization

How prepared is BSP in absorbing shocks given its P50-billion capitalization?” he wanted to know, adding that if companies routinely undergo stress tests, a similar exercise should be done with BSP and the banking system.

For his part, Sen. Chiz Escudero asked to see documents showing that the envisioned Maharlika Investment Council which will run the fund, meets the constitutional requirements for creating a new GOCC.

bid to recover ₧2.7-B

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

THE Court of Tax Appeals en banc has junked the appeal of leading cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris, Fortune Tobacco Corporation (PMFTC) to reverse the ruling issued by the tax’s court’s second division denying its bid to recover P2.7 billion in tax refund representing excise tax paid for cigarette packs containing less than 20 sticks for the taxable period on January 1, 2014 until December 31, 2015.

I n a 16-page decision penned by Associate Justice Ma. Belen Ringpis-Liba, the CTA en banc said it found “no compelling reason” to set aside the CTA’s Second Division’s findings in its decision issued on November 25, 2021 and resolution dated April 21, 2022.

T he Court’s second division denied the PMFTC’s petition assailing the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) decision denying its demand for a refund or issuance of a tax credit certificate.

T he said CTA division held that petitioner’s administrative and judicial claims were filed out of time,

thus, it is no longer entitled to the claim for refund or issuance of tax credit for alleged erroneous or excessive paid excise taxes.

After a thorough evaluation of the factual antecedents of the prese Wnt case, the arguments of the parties, as well as the relevant laws and jurisprudence on the matter, the Court en banc finds that the present petition for review are mere restatements of those which were previously raised in petitioner’s prior pleadings and which had already been correctly and adequately discussed by the court Division in

the assailed decision,” the CTA en banc declared.

It maintained that the two-year prescriptive period under Section 229 of the National Revenue Code of 1997, as amended, is “mandatory and jurisdictional.”      T he CTA noted that under Sections 204(C) and 229 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, “no credit or refund of taxes or penalties shall be allowed unless the taxpayer files in writing the Commissioner a claim for credit or refund within 2 years after the payment of the tax or penalty.”

on issues such as delaying the central bank’s capitalization buildup to allow it to contribute to the MIF.

ROBOTICS IN ACTION From left: Bennieson Co, owner of Nullspace Robotics Philippines; Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano; Jeffrey Ian Dy, Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Upskilling of the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT); and Valenzuela Mayor Weslie Gatchalian celebrate the opening of Nullspace Robotics Philippines at Uptown Mall in Taguig City. Founded in 2008 in Singapore, Nullspace Robotics is a leading provider of technology education, offering enrichment programs that introduce children to engineering and programming concepts through hands-on learning. Exciting activities include building and programming robots, creating games, and working on electronic projects. ROY DOMINGO

Companies

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Thursday, May 25, 2023

AllDay swings to profitability as revenues hit ₧2.44B in Q1

By VG Cabuag @villygc

AllDay said its revenues rose by 6 percent to P2.44 billion from the previous year’s P2.29 billion.

“AllDay’s performance in the first quarter continues to validate our strategy and concept of a truly world-class and elevated supermarket experience that we have brought to more Filipinos throughout the country,” AllDay Chairman Manuel

B. Villar Jr. said.

“We look forward to the rest of 2023 as we continue to finetune and deploy the AllDay blueprint, reaching even more Filipinos in our communities of operation.”

AllDay President and CEo Frances Rosalie T. Coloma said the company is focused on the supermarket chain’s operational efficiencies as a

potential driver to further sustain its performance in adapting to shifting consumer behavior.

“our first quarter performance in 2023 is pleasing in the regard that we have validation of our capability to sustain exceptional results driven by the extraordinary behaviors and circumstances of the pandemic,” she said.

“Now that the country has returned to normal, we look to our now 36 locations across the country and the many operational opportunities we can harness to deliver efficiency, and ultimately value, to our stakeholders.”

AllDay Supermarket ended the

quarter with total assets of P9.18 billion, total liabilities of P2.49 billion and a shareholder’s equity of P6.69 billion.

The company recorded fire losses in 2022 when its store outlet in Alabang, Muntinlupa was severely damaged by fire. As a result, the company wroteoff certain inventories and property and equipment with the net carrying value amounting to P58 million and P112.2 million, respectively.

“Thus, the total losses from fire amounted to P170.5 million, not taking into account the insurance claims which were received in the latter part of 2022.”

ACEN files shelf registration for preferred share offering

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

ACEN Corp. has filed an application with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the shelf registration of up to 50 million shares that would be offered in several tranches.

The filing was done last May 23, ACEN said in a disclosure to the stock exchange on Wednesday.

“The company filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in respect of the company’s shelf registration of up to 50 million

preferred shares with a par value of P1 per preferred share to be offered in one or more tranches which may be comprised of one or more series per tranche, at the discretion of the company, under the securities program,” ACEN said.

ACEN proposed the public offer and sale of up to 25 million of such preferred shares, 12.5 million of which will be priced at P1 per share, with an oversubscription option of up to 12.5 million shares.

ACEN has about 4,200 megawatts (MW) of attributable capacity from owned facilities in the Philippines, Australia, Vietnam,

LVMH slides again as cracks appear in luxury’s bull case

Eu R o P EAN luxury giants LVMH and Kering SA fell, extending a rout that’s wiped out about $56 billion from the sector over the past two days, with sentiment starting to turn after a stellar rally this year.

Shares in Birkin bag maker

Hermes International and un ited Kingdom trench coat company Burberry Group Plc also declined as investors took profits in the sector, which has been a big outperformer this year. Fears that a resurgence of Covid in China could lead to fresh restrictions and hit demand in the key luxury market, as well as worries about an economic slowdown in the uS , have dented optimism this week.

The slump follows a stellar year for luxury firms’ shares, helped by China’s reopening from its Covid Zero policy and estimate-beating results in the latest earnings season. Hermes has gained more than 30 percent this year while Richemont, the Swiss jewelry maker that owns the Cartier brand, is up more than 20 percent.

“Luxury specifically may be affected by the perception that there are few near-term catalysts after a strong run of performance,” said Swetha Ramachandran, lead manager of the GAM Luxury Brands Fund. The sector “is caught in the middle of a selloff in quality growth stocks.”

Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Luca Solca agreed, saying there is

likely some profit-taking happening in the sector, with uS macroeconomic uncertainties and the resurgence of Covid in China among reasons for declines this week. “It is the stocks that have risen the most getting a downward correction: Hermes, LVMH, Moncler,” he said.

Record valuation multiples for some stocks in the sector is also playing a part. Bloomberg Intelligence strategists Laurent Douillet and Tim Craighead warned last week that the sector was “priced for perfection” after this year’s rally.

Still, some analysts don’t see positive fundamentals for luxury companies changing.

The recent weakness is “not fundamentally driven,” Morgan Stanley analysts led by Edouard Aubin wrote in a note dated May 23. The uS bank held a luxury conference in Paris this week where industry executives pointed to a “continued moderation in trends in the uS , compensated though by robust trends elsewhere.”

A separate luxury conference was also held by HSBC in the French capital this week. Analyst Erwan Rambourg told Bloomberg that “the general mood this week was positive.” Both conferences were closed to the media.

Previous periods of economic uncertainty—such as 2014, 2018 and 2022—have typically only briefly interrupted long-term outperformance for the luxury sector. Bloomberg News

Indonesia, and India. Its goal is to be the largest listed renewables platform in Southeast Asia, with 20 gigawatts (GW) of renewables capacity by 2030.

Its net income in the first quarter grew to P2 billion, a fivefold increase from the same period last year. Its revenues rose 23 percent to P9.1 billion on higher generation due to better wind resources, as well as the start of commissioning of new power plants in the Philippines and in Australia.

The subsidiary of Ayala Corp. said in April that it will ramp up the development of power projects to 2 gigawatts (GW), or 2,000 megawatts (MW), per year to hit

its 20GW target capacity by 2030.

ACEN currently has about 4,000 MW, or 4 GW, of attributable renewables capacity in operation and under construction across the Philippines and the region.

ACEN President Eric Francia said the company has been averaging about 1GW of capacity per year across its portfolio in terms of additional projects. It earlier aspired to have 5GW of renewable energy (RE) capacity by 2025. For this year, ACEN has over 2,400MW of projects under construction and will probably spend as much as P70 billion to expand its RE portfolio.

B1

Dito puts up 5G micro sites in Makati village

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

DITo Telecommunity Corp. has piloted the installation of street level 5G micro sites in Dasmarinas Village in Makati.

The micro sites aim to “provide comprehensive coverage speed and capacity for the whole of the village.”

“Dito has provided a solution that is the first of its kind in the Philippines that is aimed at breaking this impasse together with our partner solutions provider Huawei for this project,” said DITo Chief Technology of ficer Rodolfo Santiago.

Historically, exclusive villages are averse to the deployment of telco sites in their vicinities, citing health concerns.

“These Dito micro sites are installed in street lamp posts in strategic locations in and around the village to provide ‘true’ 5G or stand-alone 5G connectivity to residents of Dasmarinas Village, and not the hybrid 4G-5G currently offered by the two other telcos,” Santiago said.

He added that this technology has “far-reaching effects” especially for areas where tower-building is prohibited or not allowed.

“This launch is testament to the ongoing commitment of Dito in the Philippines to provide world class service to our countrymen wherever they may be,” Santiago said.

In April, the company said it will partner with a satellite company to reach far-flung areas in the Philippines.

Santiago said the group is in “advanced talks” with British-Indian company oneWeb Network Access Associates Ltd. to bring Dito’s telco services to remote areas in the Philippines.

“The talks are in the advanced stages. It’s more of checking whether it’s okay—the commercial rates.”

According to its website, one Web utilizes low earth orbit (LEo) satellites to provide Internet connectivity to its end users. It claims to have 648 satellites with 12 synchronized orbital planes 1,200 kilometers above ground.

AllDAy Marts Inc., the Villarled operator of AllDay Supermarket, said it recorded a net income of P88.57 million in the first quarter, a reversal of the previous year’s net loss of P75.57 million.

Davao city council plans for investment, savings

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

DAVAO CITY—The City Development Council of Davao del Norte’s Panabo City convened last month government and policy-makers to a discussion of this year’s investment and savings plan as it continued to attract visits from other local governments on its best practices on local administration.

Council chairman Mayor Jose E. Relampagos led discussions that centered on the approval of a supplemental development investment program, disaster risk-reduction (DRR) activities and the city investment program.

The meeting has also declared a policy of generating savings from its 20-percent development fund.

Also last month, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Panabo City Negosyo Center invited several business organizations to a business continuity planning seminar to help them handle and manage well their

respective businesses especially during crisis situations. Participants include food processors, retailers, creative industry, cooperatives and associations. Topics were about risk management, disaster preparedness and business continuity strategies.

Meanwhile, the city’s Market Complex Technical Working Group visited the Pagadian City Commercial Center on April 3 to April 5 to help the former gain more insight in managing its market, currently being constructed from its old site.

The City Commercial Center is under the Pagadian Economic Enterprise Department. The Panabo City market complex would also be managed by the City Economic Enterprise Management and Development Office.

Pagaidan City Mayor Samuel S. Co welcomed the Panabo City team and briefed the latter on the operation of its City Commercial Center, which was established in 2010.

Senate version of tax amnesty extension bill OK with Salceda

documents required for filing.

By Raadee S. Sausa

HOUSE Ways and Means Chair

Ma. Clemente “Joey” S. Salceda (Albay,

“No more bicam for that one; no need, anyway: [the] House Ways and Means Committee concurs with the provisions of the Senate version,” Salceda said.

On top of the House version’s provisions—which extends the estate

district)

tax amnesty period to June 2025— the Senate version also extends the period of debts covered to May 2022. The Senate version also provides for the electronic filing of estate tax amnesty applications. Senate Bill (SB) 2219 also limits the number of

“We agree; so, we will move for adoption. If they can transmit by Monday, we will ratify by Monday. Anyway, I expect the House to wait for the Senate’s formal transmittal the whole day Monday,” Salceda added.

The lawmaker added “this is a most urgent priority for the House leadership.”

“So, you can count on immediate adoption by the House once we receive the formal transmittal from the Senate,” Salceda said adding he has also been in constant communication with his Senate counterpart, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian “to hammer out any style issues.”

The Senate also shortened the period for issuing the implementing rules and regulations from 60 days to 30 days.

Salceda earlier estimated that as much as 920,000 Filipino families

have unsettled estates that could benefit from the amnesty.

The lawmaker explained that the amnesty is also consistent with the full estate tax forgiveness envisioned under the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, “set to be [President Ferdinand R. Marcos’s] most significant legislative accomplishment on his first year,” Salceda said.

Asked about the exchange of statements between Salceda and the Senate leadership days prior regarding the need to rush the bill, Salceda said, “Well, that’s part of the job. And it looks like we will get this job done by Monday—House and Senate.”

“We will get what we want—enactment before [the day of the] SONA [State of the Nation Address]. And they will get what they want: their additional provisions. All’s well that ends well: a congressional majority working for the people.”

BOC’s

use of cross-border electronic invoicing eyed

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) announced it is “ready to adopt” cross-border electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) in its digital transformation program that is targeted to simplify and speed up facilitation of trade and eliminate technical smuggling.

Customs Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip C. Maronilla said the bureau does not stop from improving its system, and cross border einvoicing is something that caught the BoC’s interest.

The BOC statement cited the case of Indonesia, which lost $12 billion in duties and taxes on gold imports. A statement by the BOC said this could have been prevented by cross border e-invoicing, which prevents the tampering of goods description and HS [harmonized system] codes. The latter is a standardized numerical method of classifying traded products used by customs authorities around the world to identify products when assessing duties and taxes and for gathering statistics.

The statement quoted Samahang Agrikultura ng Pilipinas (Sinag) President Rosendo O. So as saying that the tampering of the HS Code “is very rampant.”

“It is done by unscrupulous importers in connivance with some corrupt customs personnel,” So said adding that tampering of HS code is common in the importation of meat and steel products.

The BOC statement also cited a 2021 report by the UN Comtrade Data on meat trade, covering HS Codes 0201 to 0210, which showed that all countries reported exports to the Philippines amounted to $2,265,193,202. “But the reported Philippines import from all countries was only showed $1,850,598,993 or a difference of $414,594,209, which is equivalent to around P20.730 billion.”

“The same report also showed a big disparity in 97 other different HS Codes wherein the all countries reported export to the Philippines amounted to $149,866,915,512

Insular Life paid less claims, grows income in 2022

percent to P1.9 billion.

22 years or since 2006.

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

while the reported Philippine imports from all countries was only $124,390,447,217 or a disparity of $25,476,468,295,” the BOC said.

“The disparity is attributed to the tampering of the HS codes.”

Maronilla, who is also concurrent Customs spokesman, was quoted in the statement as saying that undervaluation and misdeclaration were the most common schemes used by unscrupulous importers and brokers to evade payment of correct customs duties, resulting in billions of pesos in tax losses that could have otherwise been use to fund vital government projects and provide assistance to the marginalized sectors of society.

“It is new to us but we are open to it. We can integrate it in our system,” Maronilla said. “Any innovations or upgrades in our system that would speed up trade and eliminate corruption is always a welcome development. We are ready for it.”

On a yearly basis, the BoC is losing billions of pesos in foregone duties and taxes, due to undervaluation, misdeclaration, misclassification and underdeclaration as shown in a 20-page report of the Federation of Philippine Industries, the BOC statement read.

E-invoicing refers to the electronic authentication of tax invoices through an invoice registration portal. Each invoice is issued a unique invoice reference number which is later used for invoice matching and auto populating tax return and waybill forms. This concept is the same in almost all countries that have implemented e-invoicing.

The system is already being used by some countries in Asia that include Singapore, India, South Korea, Japan and Vietnam. In European Union member countries, e-invoicing on business to government transactions is mandatory. Recently, Finland, Italy and France, among other EU countries, have expanded the purview of e-invoicing to businessto-business transactions, the BOC statement read.

THE Insular Life Assurance Co.

Ltd. (Insular Life) it paid lesser gross benefits and claims last year as it observed a “substantially” lower death and health claims experience from its clients.

Considered as the country’s first and largest Filipino-owned life insurer, Insular Life said last Wednesday it paid P9.35 billion in gross benefits and claims last year, about 19-percent lower than the P11.52 billion it paid in 2021.

Meanwhile, the insurer said its total amount of new business annualized premium equivalent rose last year by an annualized rate of 43

“This represents the highest growth in the top 10 life insurers and an improvement in its ranking from its former 12th place to 9th place,” Insular Life’s statement read.

Furthermore, the insurer said its consolidated net income in 2022 rose by more than a third to P5.2 billion from P3.87 billion in 2021.

Insular Life attributed the 34.36-percent increase in its fullyear consolidated net income to “strong” consumer spending fueled by the reopening of the country’s economic post-Covid-19 pandemic.

Based on documents published by Insular Life on its website, the insurer’s consolidated net income last year was the highest in at least

Likewise, the insurer’s consolidated revenue rose by about 12 percent on an annual basis to a 22-year-high of P25.9 billion, eclipsing its previous record level of P24.9 billion that it registered in 2016. Insular Life’s consolidated revenues in 2021 was at P23.2 billion.

Furthermore, Insular Life said the consolidated members’ equity also went up by 18 percent to P50.6 billion, compared to the P42.8 billion recorded in 2021.

“We credit the significant improvement in our sales performance to the commitment of our agency, bancassurance and group business.

The men and women behind our distribution channels champion the

noble mission of helping Filipinos achieve their financial goals and secure the best future for their families,” Insular Life President and CEO Raoul Antonio E. Littaua was quoted in the statement as saying.

Citing the ranking released by the Insurance Commission, Littaua said Insular Life is now ranked second in net worth, third in net income and fourth in assets.

“These attest to Insular Life’s financial stability and its capability to deliver its commitments to its policyholders when they become due,” he added.

However, Insular Life’s consolidated assets last year declined slightly to P148.5 billion from P149.8 billion in 2021.

Veteran woman banker named 11th LandBank CEO

SEASONED banker Lynette V. Ortiz was sworn in last Wednesday as the new president and CEO of the Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) following her recent appointment by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Ortiz brings with her over 30 years of extensive experience in local and international banking.

Ortiz formally took her oath as the 11th President and CEO of LandBank before Finance Secretary and LandBank Chairman Benjamin E. Diokno at the Department of Finance building in Manila. She succeeds Cecilia C. Borromeo who held the post for four years.

Prior to her appointment in LandBank, Ortiz served as the first Filipino CEO of the Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) Philippines, a post she held since October 2016. She led strategies to grow the local franchise across the various client segments and deliver sustainable financial performance.

Ortiz also held various senior posts in risk management, treasury, corporate finance and capital markets in foreign and local institutions.

“I recognize the highly important role of LandBank in nation-building, and I am keen to contribute and infuse ideas and innovations that will further fortify the Bank in fulfilling its social mandate. I hope to bring in a fresh perspective drawn from my experience working in global organizations,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz has spearheaded several landmark transactions in both domestic and international capital markets for Philippine and ASEAN issuers.

She serves as First Vice President in the Board of the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) and is also a member of the BAP Executive Committee.

Ortiz vowed to build on the gains of LandBank in supporting agriculture and other key industries, expanding financial inclusion, delivering assistance to marginalized and vulnerable sectors and supporting other players in advancing inclusive development agenda.

“With the support of the entire LandBank team,

we will work to make our operations more dynamic and responsive to address the changing needs of our highly diverse customers and stakeholders, while remaining viable and competitive,” Ortiz was quoted in a statement as saying.

A strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, Ortiz was named UN Women 2021 Philippine Women’s Empowerment Principles Awards Champion for Leadership Commitment recognizing her role in setting strong corporate commitments and inclusive leadership.

Pagcor cancels accreditation of offshore gaming firmed linked to criminal activities

THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) announced last Wednesday it has cancelled the accreditation of offshore gaming customer relations service provider CGC Technologies Inc. (CGC).

The cancellation of CGC’s accreditation came barely a week after Pagcor issued a stern warning to its offshore gaming licensees and its accredited service providers who are involved in illegal activities, the gaming

regulator said through a statement.

“Investigations confirm that CGC, an accredited service provider operating under offshore gaming licensee Oriental Game Ltd. (OGL), was involved in criminal activities thus warranting the cancellation of its accreditation,” the Pagcor statement read. “It was also found that CGC violated some of the conditions attached to its accreditation.”

The Pagcor said that alongside the cancellation order is the “forfeiture

of CGC’s Performance Bond effective immediately.” Likewise, Pagcor imposed a fine of $350,000 to its offshore gaming licensee OGL “for its failure to ensure the legitimate conduct of CGC’s business.”

Pagcor Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco was quoted in the statement as again reminding all offshore gaming licensees and service providers to abide by the Philippine laws to avoid severe consequences.

Tengco also noted that those with

cancelled accreditations and licenses must immediately cease their operations.

“Continued operations despite the cancellation of their accreditation or licenses shall be considered illegal. Immediate action will be taken against those who are engaging in such,” the Pagcor chief said.

“Pagcor strongly advocates responsible gaming to curb all forms of social ills being linked to gaming.

This is the reason why we continue

to forge close partnership with other government agencies. Through proper regulation and cooperation with our law enforcement agencies, we will continue to ensure that revenues from regulated gaming will be used for more worthy causes, especially nation-building,” Tengco added.

Prior to the cancellation of its accreditation, CGC was issued a suspension order after being subjected to an inter-agency search operation on May 4, 2023. The company was

embroiled in various allegations including credit card fraud, serious illegal detention, and human trafficking activities.

During the inter-agency special operation, CGC was found to be operating six buildings inside the Sun Valley Business Hub in Mabalacat, Pampanga, but only two were accredited by Pagcor. Personnel working in the hub are of mixed nationalities including Indonesians, Vietnamese, Nepalese, Bhutanese and Chinese.

Jose

2nd

said he will recommend the adoption by the House plenary of the Senate version of the Estate Tax Amnesty Extension bill once it is approved on third reading on Monday.

IN this May 24, 2023 photo, Lynette V. Ortiz (right) takes her oath as the 11th President and CEO of the Land Bank of the Philippines before Finance Secretary and LandBank Chairman Benjamin E. Diokno (left) at the Department of Finance building in Manila. CREDIT: LanD Bank of ThE PhILIPPInEs

Why do so many Black women die in pregnancy? One reason: Doctors don’t take them seriously

By Kat Stafford The Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Angelica

Lyons knew it was dangerous for Black women to give birth in America.

As a public health instructor, she taught college students about racial health disparities, including the fact that Black women in the U.S. are nearly three times more likely to die during pregnancy or delivery than any other race. Her home state of Alabama has the third-highest maternal mortality rate in the nation.

Then, in 2019, it nearly happened to her.

What should have been a joyous first pregnancy quickly turned into a nightmare when she began to suffer debilitating stomach pain.

Her pleas for help were shrugged off, she said, and she was repeatedly sent home from the hospital. Doctors and nurses told her she was suffering from normal contractions, she said, even as her abdominal pain worsened and she began to vomit bile. Angelica said she wasn’t taken seriously until a searing pain rocketed throughout her body and her baby’s heart rate plummeted.

Rushed into the operating room for an emergency cesarean section, months before her due date, she nearly died of an undiagnosed case of sepsis.

Even more disheartening: Angelica worked at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the university affiliated with the hospital that treated her.

Her experience is a reflection of the medical racism, bias and inattentive care that Black Americans endure. Black women have the highest maternal mortality rate in the United States—69.9 per 100,000 live births for 2021, almost three times the rate for white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Black babies are more likely to die, and also far more likely to be born prematurely, setting the stage for health issues that could follow them through their lives.

“Race plays a huge part, especially in the South, in terms of how you’re treated,” Angelica said, and the effects are catastrophic. “People are dying.”

To be Black anywhere in America is to experience higher rates of chronic ailments like asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s and, most recently, Covid-19. Black Americans have less access to adequate medical care; their life expectancy is shorter.

From birth to death, regardless of wealth or social standing, they are far more likely to get sick and die from common ailments.

Black Americans’ health issues have long been ascribed to genetics or behavior, when in actuality, an array of circumstances linked to racism—among them, restrictions on where people could live and historical lack of access to care—play major roles.

Discrimination and bias in hospital settings have been disastrous.

The nation’s health disparities have had a tragic impact: Over the past two decades, the higher mortality rate among Black Americans resulted in 1.6 million excess deaths compared to white Americans. That higher mortality rate resulted in a cumulative loss of more than 80 million years of life due to people dying young and billions of dollars in health care and lost opportunity.

A yearlong Associated Press project found that the health challenges Black Americans endure often begin before their first breath.

The AP conducted dozens of interviews with doctors, medical professionals, advocates, historians and researchers who detailed how a history of racism that began during the foundational years of America led to the disparities seen today.

women are twice as likely to develop severe maternal sepsis, as compared to their white counterparts. Common symptoms can include fever or pain in the area of infection. Sepsis can develop quickly, so a timely response is crucial.

Angelica Lyons’ case

ANGELICA LYONS ’ pregnancy troubles began during her first trimester, with nausea and severe acid reflux. She was prescribed medication that helped alleviate her symptoms but it also caused severe constipation.

In the last week of October 2019, while she was giving her students a test, her stomach started to hurt badly.

“I remember talking to a couple of my students and they said, ‘You don’t look good, Ms. Lyons,’” Angelica recalled.

She called the University of Alabama-Birmingham Hospital’s labor and delivery unit to tell them she was having a hard time using the bathroom and her stomach was hurting. A woman who answered the phone told her it was a common pregnancy issue, Angelica said, and that she shouldn’t worry too much.

“She made me feel like my concern wasn’t important, and because this was my first pregnancy, I decided not to go because I wasn’t sure and thought maybe I was overreacting,” Angelica said.

The pain persisted. She went to the hospital a few days later and was admitted.

She had an enema—a procedure where fluids are used to cleanse or stimulate the emptying of bowels—to alleviate her constipation, but Angelica continued to plead with them that she was in pain.

“They were like, ‘Oh, it’s nothing, it’s just the Braxton Hicks contractions,’” she said. “They just ignored me.”

She was sent home but her stomach continued to ache, so she went back to the hospital a day later. Several tests, including MRIs, couldn’t find the source of the issue.

Angelica was eventually moved to the labor and delivery floor of the hospital so they could monitor her son’s heartbeat, which had dropped slightly. There, they performed another enema that finally helped with the pain. She also was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a dangerous condition that can cause severe pregnancy complications or death.

Then she began to vomit what appeared to be bile.

“I got worse and worse with the pain and I kept telling them, ‘Hey, I’m in pain,’” Angelica said. “They’d say, ‘Oh, you want some Tylenol?’ But it wasn’t helping.”

She struggled to eat dinner that night. When she stood up to go to the bathroom, she felt a sharp pain ricochet throughout her body.

“I started hollering because I had no idea what was going on,” she said. “I told my sister I was in so much pain and to please call the nurse.”

What happened next remains a blur. Angelica recalls the chaos of hospital staff rushing her to labor and delivery, putting up a blue sheet to prepare her for an emergency Csection as her family and ex-husband tried to understand what went wrong.

She later learned that she nearly died.

“I was on life support,” recalled Angelica, 34. “I coded.”

She woke up three days later, unable to talk because of a ventilator in her mouth. She remembers gesturing wildly to her mother, asking where her son, Malik, was.

He was OK. But Angelica felt so much had been taken from her. She never got to experience those first moments of joy of having her newborn placed on her chest. She didn’t

her

Sepsis in its early stages can mirror common pregnancy symptoms, so it can be hard to diagnose. Due to a lack of training, some medical providers don’t know what to look for. But slow or missed diagnoses are also the result of bias, structural racism in medicine and inattentive care that leads to patients, particularly Black women, not being heard.

“The way structural racism can play out in this particular disease is not being taken seriously,” said Dr. Laura Riley, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. “We know that delay in diagnosis is what leads to these really bad outcomes.”

In the days and weeks that followed, Angelica demanded explanations from the medical staff of what happened. But she felt the answers she received on how it occurred were sparse and confusing.

A spokesperson for the University of Alabama at Birmingham said in a statement to The Associated Press that they couldn’t talk about Angelica’s case because of patient privacy laws. They pointed to a recent internal survey done by its Obstetrics and Gynecology department that showed that most of its patients are satisfied with their care and “are largely feeling respected,” and said the university and hospital “maintain intentional, proactive efforts in addressing health disparities and maternal mortality.”

Angelica’s son, Malik, was born eight weeks early, weighing under 5 pounds. He spent a month in intensive care. He received home visits through the first year of life to monitor his growth.

While he’s now a curious and vivacious 3-year-old who loves to explore the world around him, Angelica recalls those days in the ICU, and she feels guilty because she could not be with him.

“It’s scary to know I could have died, that we could have died,” Lyons said, wiping away tears.

Racist medical practices

FOR decades, frustrated birth advocates and medical professionals have tried to sound an alarm about the ways medicine has failed Black women. Historians trace that maltreatment to racist medical practices that Black people endured amid and after slavery.

To fully understand maternal mortality and infant mortality crises for Black women and babies, the nation must first reckon with the dark history of how gynecology began, said Deirdre Cooper Owens, a historian and author.

“The history of this particular medical branch…it begins on a slave farm in Alabama,” Owens said. “The advancement of obstetrics and gynecology had such an intimate relationship with slavery, and was literally built on the wounds of Black women.”

Reproductive surgeries that were experimental at the time, like cesarean sections, were commonly performed on enslaved Black women.

Physicians like the once-heralded

J. Marion Sims, an Alabama doctor many call the “father of gynecology,” performed torturous surgical experiments on enslaved Black women in the 1840s without anesthesia.

And well after the abolition of slavery, hospitals performed unnecessary hysterectomies on Black women, and eugenics programs sterilized them.

Health care segregation also played a major role in the racial health gap still experienced today.

Until Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Black families were mostly barred from well-funded

white hospitals and often received limited, poor or inhumane medical treatment. Black-led clinics and doctors worked to fill in the gaps, but even after the new protections, hospitals once reserved for Black families remained under-resourced, and Black women didn’t get the same support regularly available for white women.

That history of abuse and neglect led to deep-rooted distrust of health care institutions among communities of color.

“We have to recognize that it’s not about just some racist people or a few bad actors,” said Rana A. Hogarth, an associate professor of History at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. “People need to stop thinking about things like slavery and racism as just these features that happened that are part of the contours of history and maybe think of them more as foundational and institutions that have been with us every step of the way.”

Some health care providers still hold false beliefs about biological differences between Black and white people, such as Black people having “less sensitive nerve endings, thicker skin, and stronger bones.” Those beliefs have caused medical providers today to rate Black patients’ pain lower, and recommend less relief.

The differences exist regardless of education or income level. Black women who have a college education or higher have a pregnancy-related mortality rate that is more than five times higher than that of white w omen. Notably, the pregnancy-related mortality rate for Black women with a college education is 1.6. times higher than that of white women with less than a high school degree.

In Angelica Lyons’ home state of Alabama, about 40 mothers die within one year after delivery. The toll on Black mothers is disproportionate.

The state’s infant mortality rate for 2021 was 7.6 deaths per 1,000 live births. The disparities between Black and white babies is stark: The infant mortality rate in 2021 for white mothers was 5.8, while the infant mortality rate for Black mothers was 12.1, an increase from 10.9 from the prior year.

Black babies account for just 29 percent of births in Alabama, yet nearly 47 percent of infant deaths.

A 2020 report by the Alabama Maternal Mortality Review Committee found that more than 55 percent of 80 pregnancy-related deaths that they reviewed in 2016 and 2017 could have been prevented.

Alabama launched its Maternal Mortality Review Committee in 2018 to investigate maternal deaths. But Dr. Scott Harris, Alabama’s Department of Public Health State Health Officer, said work remains to collect a fuller picture of why the disparities exist.

“We certainly know that from national numbers as well that Black women have worse maternal outcomes at every income level, which is pretty startling,” said Dr. Harris. “Age matters and just overall ZIP code matters. Unfortunately, where people live, where these children are born, is strongly associated with infant mortality. I think we’ll see something similar for maternal outcomes.”

And concerns about access and barriers to care remain.

In Alabama, 37 percent of counties are maternity care deserts— more than 240,000 women live in counties with no or little care. About 39 percent of counties don’t have a single obstetric provider.

Alabama is not alone in this. More than 2.2 million American women of childbearing age live in maternity care deserts, and another 4.8 million such women reside in counties with limited access to maternity care.

Angelica Lyons said she wanted to seek maternal care at another hospital but the University of Alabama was

the only one near her home equipped to handle her high-risk pregnancy, which included high blood pressure near the beginning.

Dr. Harris acknowledged the lack of access to care is a barrier for Black women who live in the state’s rural areas. Much of the state’s public health efforts are targeted along the rural Black Belt, which gets its name from the rich soil but it was also a region where many plantations were clustered.

Centuries later, the Black Belt continues to be a high-poverty region with a large Black population. More than half of the nation’s Black population lives in the South.

“We’ve talked a lot about structural racism and the impact of that on African American women and how it has no place in society,” Harris said. “I think we have to publicly call it what it is.”

Not the only one

ANGELICA LYONS’ traumatic birth experience was not the only one in her family. After two miscarriages, her younger sister, Ansonia, became pregnant in 2020, and it was difficult.

Doctors told her she was suffering from regular morning sickness, though she was vomiting blood.

She was eventually diagnosed with an excessive vomiting disorder, hyperemesis gravidarum, and was extremely dehydrated. Ansonia spent months in and out of the same hospital where her sister had been treated.

“They said, ‘Welcome to the pregnancy, sweetheart. This is what pregnancy is,’” Ansonia, 30, recalled. “I told her, ‘No, this is not normal for me to be throwing up 10 to 20 times a day.’ My own primary care wasn’t listening to me.”

Ansonia said throughout her pregnancy she encountered hospital staff that made stereotypical jokes, calling her child’s father her “baby daddy,” a trope often lobbed at Black parents.

“She said, ‘So, your baby daddy, where does he work?’” Ansonia recalled. “I said, ‘I don’t know what a baby daddy is but the father of my child is at work.’ She asked where he worked and I told her he had two businesses and she acted like she was surprised.”

Ansonia said staff assumed she didn’t have any health insurance, when she had insurance through her employer.

Ansonia has Type 2 diabetes and had issues with her blood pressure and heart throughout the pregnancy. She started to see a cardiologist and by the time she was 21 weeks pregnant, she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. She was placed on a medley of medications, and her doctors decided to deliver the baby early via C-section.

Ansonia was scared, given everything she witnessed her sister go through nearly two years prior.

“There were several times I told my boyfriend that I thought that I was going to die,” she said.

The C-section went well. Ansonia’s son, Adrien, was due in July 2021 but he was born at the end of May.

He spent his first five days in the intensive care unit, and then was hospitalized for another two weeks for some early breathing problems.

Cesarean delivery rates are higher for Black women than white women, 36.8 percent and 31 percent, respectively, in 2021.

Problems continued for Ansonia after the delivery. She ended up needing a blood transfusion and was unable to see her son for his first few days of life.

A few months postpartum, she was still vomiting and having fainting spells that led to her being admitted to the hospital off and on. Her arms suffered from bruising from needles used to treat her throughout the pregnancy. She had always been slow to heal from any bruising, a common problem for diabetics.

Yet a doctor who had been involved throughout her entire pregnancy questioned why she had bruises on her arms and asked if she “smoked weed” or took any other recreational drugs.

The hospital declined to comment, citing patient privacy laws.

“I said, ‘This is from me being stuck so many times and having to be in the hospital.’ I told him I don’t do any drugs,” she said.

He still sent her blood work off to be tested. The tests came back negative.

“That just made me not trust them, it made me not want to go back,” she said.

Agony of Black mothers

THERE are indications that the sufferings of Black mothers and their babies are being recognized, however late.

In 2019, US Rep. Lauren Underwood, an Illinois Democrat, and Rep. Alma Adams, a North Carolina Democrat, launched the Black Maternal Health Caucus. It is now one of the largest bipartisan congressional caucuses. The caucus introduced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act in 2019 and again in 2021, proposing sweeping changes that would increase funding and strengthen oversight. Key parts of the legislation have been adopted but the bill itself has yet to be approved.

Biden’s budget for fiscal year 2024 includes $471 million in funding to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity rates, expand maternal health initiatives in rural communities, and implicit bias training and other initiatives. It also requires states to provide continuous Medicaid coverage for 12 months postpartum, to eliminate gaps in health insurance. It also includes $1.9 billion in funding for women and child health programs.

US Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra told The Associated Press more must be done at all levels of government to root out racism and bias within health care.

“We know that if we provide access to care for mother and baby for a full year, that we probably help produce not just good health results, but a promising future for mom and baby moving forward,” he said.

Bitter truth of racism

SHELONDA LYONS always taught both her daughters the bitter truth of racism, hoping it would prepare them to navigate life growing up in Birmingham, the Deep South city known for its place in civil rights history.

“When we were young, she was showing us those images of all the Black people being hung, being burned on the trees,” Angelica said, pointing to a book that remains on the family’s coffee table. “She wanted us to understand it, to know where we lived and that racism was something that we might have to deal with.”

But Shelonda never could have prepared for the treatment her daughters endured during their pregnancies. She remembers feeling helpless and angry.

“It’s like a slap in the face to me because at what point do you realize that you’re dealing with human beings? That it doesn’t matter what color they are,” she said, adding that now she worries any time they or her grandsons need to go to the doctor. “I don’t have a lot of trust.”

Angelica underwent two surgeries in the weeks that followed her Csection to repair internal damage and address her infection. She had to wear a colostomy bag for several months until she healed.

More than three years later, her stomach remains disfigured.

“I love my child, I love him all the same but this isn’t the body I was born with,” she said. “This is the body that they caused from them not paying attention to me, not listening to me.”

Kat Stafford, based in Detroit, is a national investigative race writer for the AP’s Race and Ethnicity team. She is a 2022 Knight-Wallace Reporting Fellow at the University of Michigan.

Obesity in children is rising dramatically, and it comes with major—and sometimes lifelong—health consequences

By Christine Nguyen University of Southern California

IN the past two decades, children have become more obese and have developed obesity at a younger age. A 2020 report found that 14.7 million children and adolescents in the US live with obesity. Because obesity is a known risk factor for serious health problems, its rapid increase during the Covid-19 pandemic raised alarms.

SM Store Bataan opening brings the best shopping experience, convenience, and rewarding all shoppers with amazing deals and discounts. Vice Governor Cristina M. Garcia (center) leads SM Store’s ribbon cutting ceremony with SM Engineering, Design and Development Corp Inc.

Without intervention, many obese adolescents will remain obese as adults. Even before adulthood, some children will have serious health problems beginning in their preteen years.

To address these issues, in early 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics released its first new obesity management guidelines in 15 years.

I am a pediatric gastroenterologist who sees children in the largest public hospital in California, and I have witnessed a clear trend over the last two decades. Early in my practice, I only occasionally saw a child with a complication of obesity; now I see multiple referrals each month. Some of these children have severe obesity and several health complications that require multiple specialists.

These observations prompted my reporting for the California Health Equity Fellowship at the University of Southern California.

It’s important to note that not all children who carry extra weight are unhealthy. But evidence supports that obesity, especially severe obesity, requires further assessment.

HOW OBESITY IS MEASURED

S

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great retail and great design, the new store’s vibrant merchandise complements the mall’s Scandinavian interiors, using natural elements such as wood, metal and muted color palettes.

Located right at the heart of Balanga City, the two-level approximately 12,200 sqm SM Store (www.smstore.com) brings to Bataan a vibrant mix of local and global brands. It is also tactically positioned around the city’s bustling zone which is near the transportation terminal complex, schools, hospitals and residential areas giving every customer a convenient and rewarding shopping experience, truly making SM Bataan an ultimate shopping destination for everyone.

Here are some reasons why it is worth one’s visit.

n ‘WE’VE GOT IT ALL FOR YOU.’ True to its tagline, SM Store Bataan has everything for everyone—from everyday essentials to fashion and home finds. These include a vast selection of quality products at reasonable prices—ladies’, men’s and children’s fashion, accessories to home, and beauty products. It’s a one-stop-shop for all your needs, ensuring high quality but affordable products with excellent customer service.

n SHOPPING IS MORE FUN WITH AMAZING DEALS, DISCOUNTS. Be one of the lucky 100 shoppers on or before June 17 as SM Store Bataan gives away up to P300,000 worth of SM Gift passes which you can win. Also, get exclusive discounts from the retail’s banking partners.

n IT’S MORE THAN JUST THE SHOPPING ExPERIENCE. SM Store also provides services that go beyond shopping such as bills payment, currency exchange, and a Gift Registry.

A Personal Shopper service offers convenience and sameday delivery for urgent and specific needs. You can also avail of free delivery via its Personal Shopper service from now until June 17 within 5KM of the store.

Recently, I have been getting a lot of questionable texts pretending to be from an established financial institution. There will usually be a click-through link. I would usually warn my family about it. At the same time, due to the extreme heat followed by sudden rain, the flu virus is definitely catching up on too many people. I thought of sharing an article that involves protection methods against both these nuisance “virus” affecting us and our families.

According to Yeo Siang Tiong, Kaspersky general manager for Southeast Asia, securing digital wallets is a shared responsibility. Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. The recent multimillion incident involving a top digital wallet provider in the Philippines shows two things: (1) that cybercriminals continue to target fintech institutions; and (2) that securing these convenient technologies is really a shared responsibility.

A recent report shared that phishing attacks were deployed to sneak into the e-wallet accounts of the victims to conduct malicious transfers. Phishing remains one of the most prevalent and damaging threats in the cybersecurity landscape, primarily because it works. Last year, Kaspersky’s solutions blocked 822,536 financial phishing targeting businesses in Southeast Asia, of which nearly 52,914 financial

THE World Health Organization defines obesity as “abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health.” Measuring fat composition requires specialized equipment that is not available in a regular doctor’s office. Therefore most clinicians use body measurements to screen for obesity.

One method is body mass index, or BMI, a calculation based on a child’s height and weight compared to age- and sex-matched peers. BMI doesn’t measure body fat, but when BMI is high, it correlates with total body fat.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a child qualifies as overweight at a BMI between the 85th and 95th percentile. Obese is defined as a BMI above the 95th percentile. Other screens for obesity include waist circumference and skin-fold thickness, but these methods are less common.

Severe obesity carries a heightened risk of liver disease, cardiovascular disease and metabolic problems such as diabetes. As of 2016, almost 8 percent of children ages 2 to 19 had severe obesity. Other health problems associated with severe obesity include obstructive sleep apnea, bone and joint problems that can cause early arthritis, high blood pressure and kidney disease. Many of these problems occur together.

HOW OBESITY AFFECTS THE LIVER

THE liver disease associated with obesity is called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. To store excess dietary fat and sugar, the liver’s cells fill with fat. Excess carbohydrates in particular get processed into substances similar to the breakdown products of alcohols. Under the microscope, a pediatric fatty liver looks similar to a liver with alcohol damage.

Occasionally children with fatty liver are not obese; however, the greatest risk factor for fatty liver is obesity. At the same BMI, Hispanic and Asian

children are more susceptible to fatty liver disease than Black and white children. Weight reduction or reducing the consumption of fructose, a naturally occurring sugar and common food additive—even without significant weight loss—improves fatty liver.

LINKS BETWEEN OBESITY AND DIABETES

FATTY liver is implicated in metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions that cluster together and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

In a telephone interview, Dr. Barry Reiner, a pediatric endocrinologist, voiced his concerns to me about obesity and diabetes.

“When I started my practice, I had never heard of type 2 diabetes in children,” says Reiner. “Now, depending on which part of the US, between a quarter and a third of new cases of diabetes are type 2.”

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease previously called juvenile-onset diabetes. Conversely, type 2 diabetes was historically considered an adult disease.

However, type 2 diabetes is increasing in children, and obesity is the major risk factor. While both types of diabetes have genetic and lifestyle influences, type 2 is more modifiable through diet and exercise.

By 2060, the number of people under 20 with type 2 diabetes will increase by 700 percent. Black, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander and Native American/ Alaska Native children will have more type 2 diabetes diagnoses than white children.

“The seriousness of type 2 diabetes in children is underestimated,” says Reiner. He added that many people express a misconception that type 2 diabetes is a mild, slow-moving disease. Most patients had more than one complication. Although rare, a few patients experienced heart attacks and strokes. When people with childhood onset diabetes became pregnant, 24 percent delivered premature infants, over double the rate in the general population.

HEART HEALTH

CArdIOvAsCuLAr changes associated with obesity and severe obesity can also increase a child’s lifetime chance of heart attacks and strokes. Carrying extra

online financial transactions, only half (25 percent) said yes. This data is alarming because, despite Filipino respondents’ knowledge of such online threats, the action to install a safety net against this is still lacking. It’s crucial for everyone to understand that everyone has a role to play in cybersecurity.

weight at 6 to 7 years old can result in higher blood pressure, cholesterol and artery stiffness by 11 to 12 years of age. Obesity changes the structure of the heart, making the muscle thicken and expand. Although still uncommon, more people in their 20s, 30s and 40s are having strokes and heart attacks than a few decades ago. Although many factors may contribute to heart attack and stroke, obesity adds to that risk.

TALK ABOUT BEING HEALTHY, NOT FOCUSING ON WEIGHT

VENUS KAlAMI a registered dietitian, spoke with me about the environmental and societal influences on childhood obesity. “Food, diet, lifestyle and weight are often a proxy for something greater going on in someone’s life,” says Kalami.

Factors beyond a child’s control, including depression, access to healthy food and walkable neighborhoods, contribute to obesity.

Parents may wonder how to help children without introducing shame or blame. First, conversations about weight and food should be age appropriate.

“A 6-year-old does not need to be thinking about their weight,” says Kalami. She adds that even preteens and teenagers should not be focusing on their weight, though they likely already are.

Even “good-natured” teasing is harmful. Avoid diet talk, and instead discuss health. Kalami recommends that adults explain how healthy habits can improve mood, focus or kids’ performance in a favorite activity.

“A 12-year-old isn’t always going to know what is healthy,” Kalami said. “Help them pick what’s available and make the best choice, which may not be the perfect choice.”

Any weight talk, either criticism or compliments for weight loss, may backfire, she adds. Praising a child for their weight loss can reinforce a negative cycle of disordered eating. Instead, cheer the child’s better health and good choices.

Dr. Muneeza Mirza, a pediatrician, recommends that parents model healthful behavior.

“Changes should be made for the whole family,” says Mirza. “It shouldn’t be considered a punishment for that kid.” THE CONVERSATION

phishing incidents are targeting users in the Philippines.

Clearly, they have seen in this unfortunate incident that the effect of a successful phishing attack can result in identity theft, financial loss, and reputational damage for both individual consumers and businesses. The good thing is that their study showed Filipino respondents are aware of the phishing dangers in digital payments, and that 48 percent who were surveyed believed that antivirus software is required to protect their money and data online.

However, when asked if they have installed an antivirus and/or any other security solutions in the devices they use for

To prevent more damaging complications from a phishing attack, like data breaches, Kaspersky suggest deploying a comprehensive defensive concept that equips, informs, and guides your team in their fight against the most sophisticated and targeted cyber attacks, like the Kaspersky Extended Detection and Response (XDR) platform. Remind your employees about the basic signs of phishing emails: a dramatic subject line, mistakes and typos, inconsistent sender addresses, and suspicious links. Always report phishing attacks. If you spot a phishing attack, report it to your IT security department and, if possible, avoid opening the malicious email. This will allow your cybersecurity team to reconfigure anti-spam policies and prevent an incident. Supply your employees with basic cybersecurity knowledge. Since phishing attempts can be confusing, and there’s no guarantee of avoiding all accidental clicks, protect your working devices and your enterprise perimeters with a holistic cybersecurity expert.

The second virus that needs prevention is of course, the influenza virus. Influenza can be a critical illness that can lead to complications, hospitalizations, and even death in high-risk people. Seasonal influenza occurs globally and is estimated to infect symptomatically or asymptomatically in 5 unvaccinated children and 10 unvaccinated adults. In addition, up to 5 million people fall severely ill because of the flu, and every year, up to 650,000 people are at risk of dying globally because of influenza-associated respiratory diseases. A flu vaccine helps your immune system provide optimal protection against the flu, enabling you to live your life to the fullest. For vaccinated children as young as six months and older adults, a flu shot can be lifesaving. Flu vaccine protection declines over time due to the constant changing of the flu virus strain. Due to this, vaccines are annually reviewed and produced to ensure optimal protection against the current flu virus.

If we want to have a great year ahead, the best time to get your flu shot is before the flu season starts. In the Philippines, influenza viruses circulate year-round with multiple annual peaks. Increased activity is seen from June to November. If you can get vaccinated as early as you can, the better. To know more about the benefits of flu vaccine and to get your flu shot, talk to your health-care provider today.

We need twice the protection

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Sustainable Turkish cuisine back with Centenary of the Republic of Türkiye

PANAta Awards 2023 accepting entries until May 26

ACELEBRATION of brand excellence and effectiveness is once again in the offing with the call for entries at the PANAta Awards 2023.

This year, the event has been made earlier with the deadline of entries earmarked on May 26. The timeline adjustment reflects brand builders’ preference and sentiments as they expressed in the last survey that this is the ideal schedule when there are lesser brand activation programs and thus more time to prepare their campaign documents.

SHAPED by more than a thousand years of diverse cultures and traditions, social heritage and stories, Türkiye presents its exquisite and diverse flavors to the world through the “Turkish Cuisine Week” food festival at The Peninsula Manila’s Escolta buffet restaurant from May 23 to 27, 2023.

On the occasion of the centennial anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye, “Turkish Cuisine Week” will be celebrated throughout the world for the second consecutive year from May 21 to 27 and aims to introduce Türkiye’s rich gastronomic culture to a broad global audience through the embassies and consulates of the Republic of Türkiye.

This year’s special menu consists of local dishes from the city of Antakya (ancient name: Antioch) in Hatay province, which is included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and renowned for its diverse cuisine. Boasting more than 650 dishes, Hatay’s gastronomy is a Mediterranean cuisine characterized by its use of fresh vegetables, quality olive oil, legumes, and cereals.

As Hatay’s cuisine is the showpiece of this year’s Turkish Cuisine Week, Escolta’s different buffet stations will feature mouth-watering Biberli Ekmek (flatbread with red pepper paste), Zeytin Salatası (olive salad), Humus (mixed chickpeas and tahini dip), Kısır (fine cracked-wheat bulgur salad), Tepsi Kebabı (oven-baked kebab), and Künefe (Kadayıf dessert with cheese), among many others.

The buffet selection will also showcase

other regional Turkish dishes that will be prepared using local ingredients and traditional cooking techniques. It will showcase all aspects of Turkish cuisine, including Turkish coffee, Turkish tea, and the most quintessential of all Turkish sweets – Turkish Delight.

Escolta’s Turkish Cuisine Week will not only feature authentic and unique recipes but also highlight the philosophy of sustainability of one of the oldest and richest cuisines in the world, which emphasizes natural healthy local products and a waste-free palate.

Those eager to experience a taste of Turkey can dine in Escolta Buffet Restaurant from May 23 to 27, Tuesday to Saturday. The lunch buffet costs P2,600 for adults and P1,300 for children under 12 years old. The dinner buffest costs P3,000 for adults and P1,500 for children under 12 years old. All prices are inclusive of 10% service charge and prevailing government taxes.

The Peninsula Manila Turkish Food Festival would not be possible without the generous support of our partners – Turkish Airlines and The Peninsula Istanbul – who are donating a round-trip ticket to Istanbul and a two-night stay at The Peninsula Istanbul for diners.

To take part in the contest: FOLLOW @ThePeninsulaManila on both Facebook & Instagram and the Embassy of Turkey on Facebook and Twitter @ phinturkey.

Share and post your Escolta “Turkish Cuisine Week” food festival dining

experience from May 23 to 27, 2023

Tag five friends who are food enthusiasts and who will comment on guest diner’s post/s Post photos and/or videos on Facebook & Instagram Tag @thepeninsulamanila and @ thepeninsulaistanbul

Pin the location of The Peninsula Manila on post/s Share guest’s experience by using #PenMoments #TurkishCuisineWeek

“We are very excited to share Türkiye’s rich culinary traditions with the Philippines. Our chefs have prepared a diverse and rich menu, including a large selection of Turkish specialties that we hope you will enjoy at The Peninsula Manila,” says H.E. Niyazi Evren Akyol, Ambassador of the republic of Tukey.

“We are thrilled to be introducing our guests to a true Turkish dining experience in partnership with the Embassy of Türkiye,” says The Peninsula Manila General Manager Masahisa Oba.

“This is specially exciting as our newest sister property – The Peninsula Istanbul – recently opened its doors early this year.”

Turkish Cuisine Week is celebrated globally from May 21-27. For inquiries or further information on The Peninsula Manila’s Turkish Cuisine Week, please call +63 (2) 8887 2888 (trunk line), extension 6691 and 6694 (Restaurant Reservations), e-mail Dining PMN@peninsula.com, or visit the website peninsula.com/manila and https://turkishcuisineweek.com/

Automotive industry pro Mark Saberola named Editor-in-Chief of Negosentro Media and launches Kuya Mark Video Podcast

IN an exciting development for the Auto & Tech space, NegoSentro Media has appointed experienced automotive industry professional Mark Saberola as the new Editor-inChief for their Auto & Tech website. Alongside this, they are introducing a fresh video podcast series, featuring Saberola, who will adopt the persona of “Kuya Mark.”

Mark Saberola, also known as “The Talyer Mentor,” brings to his new role at NegoSentro Media’s Auto & Tech platform an exceptional breadth of expertise in the automotive business. From his early career at Ford Motor Company to establishing the successful ValuePlus Auto Service franchise, Saberola’s career trajectory exemplifies a unique blend of handson experience and leadership acumen.

Further bolstering his credentials is his technology startup, AutoServed, which reflects his profound grasp of innovation and technology within the automotive sector. Saberola’s diverse insights and experiences are set to make a significant contribution to NegoSentro Media’s Auto & Tech platform.

The podcast will feature enlightening conversations with personalities from both the auto and tech spaces, as well as other areas of interest. Saberola’s goal is to create a platform for diverse voices, promoting innovation, industry insights, and inspiring success stories.

The Kuya Mark video podcast

will be a highlight of Saberola’s role at NegoSentro. The twice-monthly podcast will cover a broad spectrum of topics, from insider insights into the auto industry to discussions on tech innovations and beyond. Each episode, lasting approximately eight to ten minutes, will feature Saberola’s engaging style and in-depth knowledge, making it a must-watch for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Homer Nievera, NegoSentro’s Chief Digipreneur, said, “Mark is the perfect choice for me. Besides being a co-alumnus at the Asian Institute of Management, his years of balanced experience in the motoring industry are commendable. We are thrilled to have Mark spearhead this new initiative. His knack for engaging storytelling, will make ‘Kuya Mark’ a standout addition to our lineup of digital content.”

Saberola expressed his excitement about this new venture: “I’m thrilled to join NegoSentro Media and launch the Kuya Mark podcast. It’s a fantastic platform to share insights, engage with our audience, and discuss anything and everything about cars and the tech space.”

“We have been searching for a year now for an EIC for our motoring niche, and Mark is a perfect fit. As someone who’s well-versed in both motoring and tech, he will drive the publication to new heights,” adds Nievera.

NegoSentro Media’s appointment of Saberola and the launch of the Kuya Mark podcast are strategic steps to enhance their Auto & Tech content, offering a fresh and engaging perspective to their audience. Stay tuned for the inaugural episode of Kuya Mark’s video podcast, promising a unique blend of information, inspiration, and entertainment.

In view of diverse business magnitude and objectives, a separate category has been allocated for SMEs so that they do not have to compete with the multi million budget of the bigger brands. This is the award for Brand Effectiveness through Business Growth where the entries are asked to show how they have maximized the use of data in propelling the brand’s direction. The brand’s creative use of media is highlighted in the category Brand Effectiveness through the use of Marketing Channels. This is broken down into two subcategories to include single use and integrated campaign. Big budgets are not always required to achieve results as not all channels are always to be utilized. One just has to be creative and focused. Thus, these categories.

The latest addition of awards are in recognition of the brand’s significant partners in accomplishing its communication plans. These include Creative Agency of the Year, Media Agency of the Year and the Media Network of the Year. Only Brands/Clients can nominate for these categories. Here, harmonious and productive relationships of the involved parties and contribution to business growth are analyzed. Quantitative and qualitative tests developed by a professional psychometrician will be the basis for the results.

Having a well-known and respected figure associated with a brand can increase its visibility, credibility, and ultimately drive

sales. In the Philippines, endorsements from popular actors, actresses, singers, and athletes make a valuable contribution to the effectiveness of the campaign. As brands take a painstaking effort in its selection, a category on the Most Effective Use of a Brand Ambassador has been included. Both the Ambassador and the Brand get a Trophy.

The role of a newbie in the execution of a successful campaign cannot be overlooked. For this reason, an award for Rookie Brand Builder of the Year was also announced. This award is given to brand managers with two to three years’ experience in brand work whose discipline echoes the values of PANAta Awards - excellence in marketing and responsible brand building.

To submit entries, visit https://applications. pana.com.ph/panata-awards/. Early Bird submission gets a discounted rate until May 19, 2023! Announcement of winners and live awarding ceremonies are scheduled in September 2023.

For inquiries email alucero@pana.com.ph or visit PANA Facebook page and www.pana. com.ph

STATE-RUN Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) is prepared to provide the necessary financing to all players in the energy industry in support of the National Government’s efforts to accelerate initiatives to meet the country’s rising demand for power fueled by a rapidly expanding economy, a top official said.

DBP president and chief executive officer Michael O. de Jesus said the bank’s loan programs for the energy sector would be beneficial to firms seeking to expand capacity or venture into power generation projects especially in underserved areas of the country.

“DBP is ready to provide the necessary financial and technical assistance to all firms that are seeking new opportunities to meet the expanding energy requirements, especially in areas of the country where there is a resurgence of economic activity,” De Jesus said.

DBP is the eighth largest bank in the country in terms of assets and remains a relevant and reliable partner of the national government in serving the financing needs of strategic and critical economic sectors, particularly infrastructure and logistics, micro, small and medium enterprises, social services,

and the environment.

Under the Philippine Energy Plan 2020 to 2040 of the Department of Energy, the Philippines peak power demand would grow four-fold at an annual increment of 6.6 percent to reach 54,655 megawatts (MW) in 2040 from 15,282 MW recorded in 2020.

De Jesus said at present, DBP’s loan programs for the energy sector are lumped under its Financing Utilities for Sustainable Energy Development (FUSED), which has already contributed more than P78.489 billion in investment in the energy sector.

He expects that by 2030, DBP would have provided P58 billion in funding for additional investments in power generation and distribution including exploration and development of indigenous energy sources, construction of additional power plants and transmission network and establishment of energy facilities to ensure steady and reliable power supply.

“We are one with President Marcos in his objective of increasing access to affordable, reliable, modern and sustainable electricity services which are crucial in our unrelenting drive for economic growth,” De Jesus said.

INSULAR Life (InLife) expressed its support for the general directions and plans of new Insurance Commissioner Atty. Reynaldo Regalado, which include digitalization and plans to increase insurance penetration and health insurance coverage especially among OFWs.

Regalado also expressed his wish to make insurance more inclusive for the benefit of more Filipinos. These were among the key items discussed during the InLife delegation’s courtesy call to the commissioner. Executive Chairperson Nina D. Aguas led the InLife delegation which

included Trustee Luis Y. Benitez, Trustee and Insular Health Care President and CEO Maria Noemi G. Azura, and Corporate Secretary and Chief Legal and Governance Officer Atty. Renato S. De Jesus.

During the meeting, they also talked about InLife and Insular Health Care’s special projects and agreed to collaborate for gender and development through the InLife Sheroes Advocacy and Movement. InLife Sheroes, through its program for women empowerment, will conduct financial literacy seminars and health and wellness education for the Insurance Commission’s employees.

EXECUTIVE Chairperson Nina D. Aguas (2nd from left) led the InLife delegation which included (from left) Trustee Luis Y. Benitez, Trustee and Insular Health Care President and CEO Maria Noemi G. Azura, and Corporate Secretary and Chief Legal and Governance Officer Atty. Renato S. De Jesus.

InLife supports new Insurance Commissioner‘s plans for digitalization, increased health, insurance coverage

DBP to offer loan programs to all energy industry players to meet PHL‘s rising demand for power

FROM the left, H.E. Mr. Niyazi Evren Akyol, Turkish Ambassador; Mr. Ilhamı Kılıç, Turkish Chef; Chef of Peninsula Manila; Madame Indri P. Akyol, Spouse of the Turkish Ambassador. Çerkes Tavuğu (Circassian Chicken)

Envoys&Expats

Locsin: King Charles III keen on visiting PHL anew

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

This, as he presented his credentials to His Majesty King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on May 16.

In a statement, the Philippine Embassy in London said “Locsin holds the distinction of being the first [head of mission in London and the first Philippine ambassador to present credentials to the king after his coronation on May 6].”

Locsin congratulated the monarch on his recent coronation, and conveyed optimism for stronger relations between the Philippines and the United Kingdom.

“The King expressed gratitude for the contributions of Filipinos in the UK, particularly health-care workers, and expressed hope to meet with and engage the community more,” the embassy said.

Charles in town?

THE King said he is looking forward to an opportunity to come to

the Philippines again “soon,” the Embassy shared.

As crown prince, King Charles went on a state visit to Manila in 1997 after the Hong Kong handover to China, then met with former president Fidel V. Ramos.

In his tweet, Locsin said the 62nd British monarch asked him about former first lady Imelda Marcos, then assured that “she was in good health.”

Locsin shared with the king that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. studied in the UK in the 1970s: “I told him that ‘the young President Marcos’—as I refer to him—went to school in England. He asked where. I said the Catholic boarding school, Worth…and then, Oxford.”

Phil. delegation

FOLLOWING the credentialspresentation ceremony, the ambassador and Mrs. Ma. Lourdes Barcelon-Locsin signed the Buckingham Palace guest book.

During the presentation, King Charles III was assisted by Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office permanent undersecretary Sir Philip Robert Barton KCMG OBE, and His Majesty’s marshal of the Diplomatic Corps William Alistair Harrison CMG CVO.

Aside from his wife, the ambas-

sador was accompanied by Deputy Head of Mission and Consul General Rhenita B. Rodriguez, Minister and Consul Ana Marie L. Hernando, Third Secretary and Vice Consul Beatriz Alexandra G. Martinez, as well as Third Secretary and Vice Consul Emilio O. Lopue Jr.

Ukrainians celebrate World Vyshyvanka Day

THE World Vyshyvanka Day is an international holiday dedicated to preserving the iconic Ukrainian embroidered clothes as a symbol of the material and spiritual heritage of Ukrainians.

Every year on the third Thursday in May, Ukrainians and friends of Ukraine from more than 100 countries wear vyshyvanka in celebration of this tradition. This year, it was celebrated on May 18.

The idea of commemorating this day originated in 2006 at Chernivtsi National University by its student Lesia Voroniuk, and gradually became international in scope.

In conditions of war, for the second year in a row, vyshyvankas are being worn by Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines. The World Vyshyvanka Day is symbolic and Ukrainians—wearing the special outfit—declare that they are the brave citizens of the independent state fighting for their freedom.

Embroidery is not only part of the national clothing of Ukraine; it is one of the most recognizable elements of that nation’s heritage—a symbol of freedom and love for their country. Each region has its own traditions of embroidered, symbolic ornament elements. Ukrainian tra-

DIPLOMATIC DISPATCH

Malou Talosig-Bartolome

ditional embroidery has more than 300 stitches and 20 techniques.

Vyshyvanka is popular not only on the territory of Ukraine. For many years embroidered patterns have conquered even catwalks worldwide.

In 2015 vyshyvanka was recognized as the “Main Trend of the Year,” according to American Vogue magazine. In 2016 the New York Times also gave this same status to the Ukrainian national dress.

With the beginning of the full-

scale invasion, when the interest in Ukraine and its culture had a fresh impetus, Ukrainian vyshyvanka became a global fashion trend anew.

Every year politicians and stars from all over the world wear vyshyvanka. Ukrainian designer from the Lviv region Halyna Shunevych creates exclusive embroidery clothing for world leaders. Exclusive vyshyvankas are already in the wardrobe of Boris Johnson, as well as the presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. In March 2023 a vyshyvanka was presented to Malaysian prime minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Denys Mykhailiuk, chargé d’affaires (CDA) of Ukraine to Malaysia which also holds jurisdiction over the Philippines, shared that “today, vyshyvanka is not only a symbol of Ukraine: This is a symbol of our freedom and identity. Wearing [it], we show our unity, bravery and beauty of the Ukrainian soul.”

The CDA confirmed that “next time when we have the opportunity, we will definitely present vyshyvanka to [President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.] as a sign of gratitude for the support of Ukraine.”

Taiwan seeks support to participate in World Health Ass’y, WHO confabs

WITH the World Health Organization (WHO) marking its 75th anniversary this year, Taiwan views it as an excellent opportunity for the international community to enhance public-health efforts, while working toward the ultimate goal of achieving “Health for All.”

According to a statement from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Teco) in Manila, Taiwan had been a valuable global partner in the fight against Covid-19. Despite its antipandemic contributions, however, it “continues to be excluded from WHO, and the World Health Assembly [WHA] due to unjusti-

fiable political considerations,” which “seriously jeopardizes the right to health of the 23 million people of Taiwan.”

Teco added: “[It also dents WHO’s efforts to make global-health architecture more resilient, hindering health emergency prevention, readiness] and response.”

As such, the island-state calls on its diplomatic allies and like-minded partners to support its participation as an observer in the WHA which is happening until May 30, as well as in all WHO meetings, activities and mechanisms.

Working with global partners, Teco said Taiwan has demonstrat-

ed its commitment to sharing its expertise and successful pandemic response methods with other countries through bilateral and multilateral platforms. Moreover, the latter has been developing medical countermeasures to Covid-19, while boosting its capacity to innovate critical drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Since the pandemic, the islandstate has issued 13 export licenses for its herbal formula NRICM101 to help countries in the region combat the pandemic.

In a dynamic world of converging challenges, Teco confirmed that “Taiwan is willing and able to help

JOHAN FORSSELL blushed when he was told he looked like James Bond-Remington Steele starrer Pierce Brosnan after the press conference last Thursday.

Or perhaps, his complexion was not used to the 30°-Celsius midafternoon humidity of Manila...

But the 45-year old Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation of Sweden—a seasoned politician that he is—was quick to turn around the compliment.

You know, every day, I am always reminded of the Philippines with a smile on my face,” Forssell beamed. “Whenever I bring my daughter to school, she is always greeted by her teacher—a Filipina. Her name is Rose.”

Visit in the Philippines

UNLIKE other foreign dignitaries who came to the Philippines on a swing trip from other Asian countries, Forssell flew more than 9,000 kilometers last week from his nation in Scandinavia.

Just seven months into office as trade minister, he said Manila was his second in Asia that he visited. The first was in India a few months ago for a trade mission.

There is a growing interest for Swedish investments in the Philippines,” he confirmed. “We are not talking about next year, but in the next 10, 15, 20, 30 years.”

He cited the “underlying economic growth” and the young Filipino population as one of the main attractions for investments in the country.

During his stay, the minister met his counterpart, Trade Secretary Federico Pascual. He also interfaced with other key members of the Marcos cabinet: Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla, and Socioeconomic Planning chief Arsenio Balisacan.

A side from furniture giant IKEA, other notable Swedish local investments are through Scania, Atlas Copco, Ericsson, Volvo, SKF, Transcom, Saab, and Epiroc.

Swedish exports to the Philippines in 2022 were valued at $152 million, which is more than US$10 million than the initial once poured-in by IKEA in 2018.

M ajority of Swedish shipments to the Philippines are machinery (40 percent), wood (18 percent) and paper products (17 percent).

On the other hand, Philippine exports to Sweden in 2022 account to $12 million. Most of the imported products are also in machineries, which comprised 75 percent of the total Philippine exports. The rest are fish and fruits.

FORSSELL

T he country’s shipments to Sweden rose by 126.9 percent compared with its prepandemic level in 2019, according to the Swedish National Board of Trade.

We believe the Philippines is moving in the right direction. [We had a straightforward dialogue with its government, especially on] human rights,” he said.

Forssell foresees promise in all sectors, including in agriculture: “I tasted the excellent Philippine mango myself. There’s a potential there.”

T he minister disclosed other sectors that Sweden is interested to invest in: energy efficiency and transmission, transmission, “green” transition, as well as security and defense.

FTA negotiations

ASIDE from boosting its bilateral trade relations with Sweden, Forssell would like to see the Philippines and the European Union revive talks on the matter. His country is a member of the 27 political and economic bloc in Europe. “Free-trade agreement [FTA] negotiations have been going on for several years.

It has not yet been finalized,” he explained. “I guess [some] momentum was lost…When the time is right, we should restart those negotiations.”

T he Philippines and the EU are currently preoccupied with the negotiations to renew the inclusion of Manila to the EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+). Under this preferential trade scheme, 6,270 goods from the Philippines can enter the EU market without tariffs.

T he GSP+ privilege accorded to the Philippines will expire this year. However, the European Parliament has threatened that it would not renew the GSP+ privilege to the country unless it complies with human-rights obligations.

Forssell believes that FTA negotiations between the Philippines and the EU are more important than the GSP+.

“There is a growing understanding within the EU that [such discussions are the right steps] to take,” the minister concluded.

HAVE the chance to visit the entire European Union (EU) for two days on May 27 and 28, as the Capital Commons Park in Pasig City will be converted into a “Euro Village” that will offer an exciting and dynamic sample of culture, arts, music, food and gastronomy, products, crafts, languages, sports—all in one hub.

wherever there is a need.” Since the onset of the health emergency, the latter has worked with the Philippine government in its response to challenges by providing medical supplies and face masks.

“Taiwan’s participation in WHO and the WHA is a pragmatic issue— not a political one. [It stands firm in its vow to uphold] the principles of professionalism, pragmatism, and making contributions,” the Tecoissued statement read. The statement added: “Taiwan will continue to act as a force for good in the world to help bolster the resilience of the global-health network.”

Find the best novelties from Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Romania and Finland. In solidarity with Ukraine in these trying times, the Euro Village will also feature participation from the said nation.

Dr. Ana Isabel Sánchez Ruiz, deputy head of the EU Delegation, said that “the essence of the Euro Village is to make these vibrant and diverse cultures accessible to the…Filipinos, [while opening] up markets and trade opportunities.”

She added that culture has always been at the core of Europeans’ unique diversity: “We want to share this uniqueness with Filipinos,” with the Euro Village project marking the celebration of the founding anniversary of the bloc every May 9.

From bread and rye, waffles, sau-

sages, dairy products and beer, to special concerts and sports demonstrations, the Euro Village has lovely surprises in one go.

For those who want to learn a European language but do not have the time to try, the Euro Village cultural and language center will bring French, German, Italian and Spanish lessons—thanks to the collaboration of Alliance Française de Manille, Goethe Institut, Instituto Cervantes Manila and the PhilippineItalian Association.

Those interested in European music, or would like to jam with artists, the Euro Village will have guest performers from Romania, Ukraine, and a serenade from the Manila String Machine, who will be rendering European songs and pieces.

To ensure that this EU’s initiative promotes a sustainable lifestyle and reduction of greenhouse emissions, the EU has engaged with Green Space, Scholars of Sustenance Philippines and EcoNest as sustainability partners.

Admission is open to the public for free from 4 p.m. to 12 midnight.

For more details, visit facebook.com/ EuroVillage. A digital passport awaits one’s journey through the borderless expo. Jazzminne P. Bingcoy

DIPLOMAT, lawmaker and journalist Teodoro Locsin Jr. is now officially the country’s ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Court of St. James.

KING CHARLES III (from left) receives the credentials of Ambassador Locsin, as Mrs. Lourdes Barcelon-Locsin looks on. TWITTER: @PHILIPPINESINUK

Swedish minister bullish on long-term trade ties

Travel within EU in 2 days at the first ‘Euro Village’

THE national dress of Ukraine is a symbol of unity and bravery.

Uy ahead by 2 shots over Ikeda, Monsalve in Villamor

DANIELLA

UY closed out with backto-back birdies to break off a three-way tie and wrest a two-stroke lead over Chihiro Ikeda and Marvi Monsalve in the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Villamor Philippine Masters at the Villamor Golf Club on Wednesday.

Bucking a shaky stint off the mound all day, Uy banked on her big recovery shots to get going, birdying the tight No. 1 and the par-three No. 4 then overcoming a couple of mishaps with scrambling pars before gaining strokes on the last two holes.

I saved a lot of pars, my drived are often stymied,” said Uy, who previously squandered a couple of chances for a second Ladies Professional Golfers Tour (LPGT) win on late-hole struggles, including in the recent Luisita Championship which she yielded to Harmie Constantino in sudden death after leading by three in one stretch in regulation.

Her strong finish at the start of this week’s 54-hole, P1 million championship, however, should augur well for her drive for a follow-up to her breakthrough win at Riviera-Langer in bubble setup in 2021.

UY banks on big recovery shots all day. ROY DOMINGO

Sports

B8 Thursday, May 25, 2023 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

RATES SURGES IN 1ST ROUND

But I have to hit more fairways and greens tomorrow [Thursday],” said the former Junior World champion, who will be slugging it out with two hungry aces in Day 2 of the fifth leg of this year’s circuit put up by ICTSI.

I keda, the reigning Order of Merit champion who has never seriously contended for the championship after four legs, mixed three birdies against the same number of bogeys to match Monsalve’s even-par card in hot conditions.

M onsalve, toughened up by stints in the Thailand Ladies Professional Golfers Association, holed out with a birdie on the ninth, her closing hole, to line herself up for a crack at a first LPGT diadem.

It was a pretty wild round. Actually, I made a lot of bogeys— five,” said Monsalve, who actually sizzled on a backside start with three birdies against a bogey after six holes. But she bogeyed Nos. 16 and 18 and put to naught her fourth birdie on the first hole with back-to-back bogeys from No. 4.

But a last-hole feat saved Monsalve a share of second place with the veteran campaigner vowing to minimize her mistakes in the second round while hoping to draw the breaks off the tee.

“ I had a tough time hitting the fairways, had a lot of bad bounces,” she rued.

K orean Kim Seoyun, also due for a big finish after a close brush with the championship at Caliraya Springs, birdied the 18th to rescue a 74 while Constantino, who also claimed the inaugural Match Play crown here last year, hobbled with a four-bogey, one-birdie card on a course she calls home for a 75.

OENARD RATES produced a rare two-eagle feat in a round and spiked a fiery seven-under 65 with a three birdie-binge from No. 12 to seize a four-stroke lead over Jhonnel Ababa and young Korean Rho Hyun Ho at the start of the International Container Terminal Services Inc.

(ICTSI) Villamor Philippine Masters at the Villamor Golf Club Wednesday.

R ates missed tying the course record set by Vic Santia in the late 1990s with a flubbed downhill putt from 12 feet on the par-five 18th but his brilliant 34-31 highlighted by eagles on the par-five No. 8 and on the par-four 15th in sweltering heat proved enough to net him a big cushion in pursuit of a first Philippine Golf Tour crown since 2018.

A baba also shot an eagle on the par-five No. 2 but fumbled with three frontside birdies although he recovered in time with a four-birdie binge at the back to shoot a 69 and match flightmate Ho’s three-under card for joint second in the P2.5

STREAKING Brice Baisa sets out for another two-title romp in the Palawan Pawnshop junior tennis circuit even as Sandra Bautista seeks to dominate the girls’ side in the Zentro National Championships unfolding Thursday at the Zentro Recreational Event courts in Apalit, Pampanga.

Baisa gets the top seeding the boys’ premier category following a sweep of the 18- and 16-under titles in the Iloilo, Roxas City, Bacolod, Imus and Cainta stops of the country’s longest talentsearch presented by Dunlop.

But the rising Puerto Princesa star faces a formidable challenge in pursuit of a sixth “double” as siblings Frank and France Dilao, along with Kianfrederick Sulit, Cyrus Javier, Teddy del Rosario Jr. and Seth Torrecampo go all-out to halt his streak and fuel their respective title bids in the Group I tournament held under the Palawan PawnshopPalawan Express Pera Padala program put up by Palawan Pawnshop president

Jmillion championship which used to be part of the country’s version of four majors. Comebacking Toru Nakajima also hit two late backside birdies to card a 70 for a share of fourth with Reymon Jaraula, Nilo Salahog and back-toback The Country Club Invitational champion Guido van der Valk, while Keanu Jahns, runner-up to absentee Tony Lascuña in the inaugural Villamor Match Play Invitational last November, bucked a two-over 38 card with a birdie-eagle feat from No. 12 to lead the 71 scorers, who included pro-am winner Jay Bayron, Marvin Dumandan, Rolando Marabe, Jr. and Gerald Rosales.

But the day belonged to Rates, who flourished despite lack of competitive play in the first five legs of this year’s circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. I really didn’t expect to score this low. I just tried to relax and hit as many fairways and greens,” said Rates, who battled back from six shots down in regulation then edged Finland’s Janne Kaske on the second playoff hole to snatch the PGT Asia Summit Crown in Lipa City, Batangas five years ago.

But he has struggled since, going winless in 2019 and in bubble tournaments during the pandemic. The diminutive shotmaker from Mt. Malarayat skipped the Visayan swing of this year’s circuit due to illness, wound up 26th at Caliraya Springs and didn’t see action again in the recent Luisita Championship.

Decision-making also played a big role to his early surge. Holding a 2-iron while facing a 232-yard second shot on the par-5 No. 8, he opted for a 5-wood to battle the gust, the ball landing on the right side of the green and kicking to the left 10 feet way past the hole.

He drained the putt for eagle then snapped a three-par run with a birdie-birdie-birdie spree, including a tap-in on No. 13 and a 25-footer on the next. He then went for conservative play on the short but tight par-4 No. 15, hitting his 5-iron tee shot to the center of the fairway then hacking a 9-iron approach from 115 yards that went it. We didn’t see it drop but I knew it was on target,” he said. A couple of unfancied bets also

Wild and wooly playoffs Part 2

amateur Gary Sales and Lucio Osabel floundered in frontside finishes on a flat but tight course that punishes even the slightest of mistakes.

Rebounding from a double-bogey mishap on the par-3 12th with an eagle on the next and a birdie on the 14th, Sales charged into the mix with a birdie-birdie feat from No. 1. But the owner of Villamor pro shops reeled back with bogeys on Nos. 3, 5 and 9 and slipped to joint 13th instead with 72 in a tie with Art Arbole, Rico Depilo and Bonifacio Salahog.

I mpressive with a five-birdie, one-bogey card at the back, Osabel dropped six strokes in the last six holes, marred by a double bogey on the par-4 No. 5 for a 42 and a 74 to fall to the group of Frankie Minoza, Elmer Saban, Russell Bautista, Dan Cruz, Fidel Concepcion and Jelbert Gamolo behind Korean Kim Seong Guk, Gabriel Manotoc, Elmer Salvador

Baisa targets sixth straight title in Apalit

and CEO Bobby Castro. Frank and France Dilao, however, take the 1-2 rankings in 16-under play with Baisa settling for No. 3 followed by Zachary Morales, Torrecampo, Arthur Joson, Albert Manigque and Sulit, respectively. Bautista, meanwhile, eyes a strong start coming off a break as she banners the 16-under field that includes Erynne Ong, Cadee Dagoon, Ronielle Oliveros and Ayl Gonzaga. The Imus, Cavite lass also top-bills the 18-U division that also features No. 2 Jean Silva, Estela Frias, Shiloh Cruz, Angelica de Jesus, Glydel Guevarra, Son de Lee Escanilla and Althea Liwag.

The five-day tournament—backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, Unified Tennis Philippines and Universal Ten-

rivalry, but would also decide which team gets more Larry O’Brien trophies in its trophy room.

But that proved to be just a dream as the wild and wooly NB A Playoffs continued to be just that and more. Imagine, the first-seed Milwaukee Bucks unbelievably bombed out of the first round, unceremoniously booted out by the eighth seed Miami Heat.

The LA Lakers, prone to a string of losses in the regular season, rallied in the last few days of regular play and made it to seventh place and contended strongly in the playoffs.

But in the Western Conference Finals, the mighty Lakers were swept by the cool and steady Denver Nuggets. In the Eastern version, the second-seed Boston Celtics who made mincemeat of the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of the second round got wiped out by the white-hot Heat in Games 1 to 3, two of which were played in the hostile fortress of Boston.

B ut Wednesday in Game 4, just when everybody was ready to write the Celtics off and call them every manner of dirty name, they refused to die. Jayson Tatum, much maligned in this series for not showing up against Miami, bailed his team out anew and breathed new life into the series.

So there will be a Game 5 in Boston, and for the

nis Rating—also serves as prelude to a big 12-day tournament in the Davao Region—the Mayor Bradly Bautista men’s and women’s singles Open starting June 6 in Malita, Davao Occidental.

A lso to be disputed are the men’s and women’s doubles Open, the mixed doubles Open, juniors and Legends seniors titles.

For details and listup, contact tournament organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

Meanwhile, Morales is ranked No. 1 in the boys’ 14-under play in Zentro Group I tilt, that includes David Vytiaco, Jan Cuenza and Dean Palaroan, while Dagoon and Ong are tipped to dispute the girls’ tiara along with Ave Maria Policarpio and Kylie Cautivo.

moment at least, Al Horford’s lifelong dream of owning a championship ring is still alive.

W ill this be the clapback moment for Boston?

“ We’re not thinking of winning four games in a row,” JT said after the game. “We came out here to win one, and we did that. We’ll just take it one game at a time.”

So it’s back to Boston on Friday, and whatever happens there—an extended series or mission accomplished for Miami—here are some of the realizations we’ve had about this season’s NBA Playoffs:

1 Heroes are born in the playoffs.

A mazing Miami has shown this best, with its small platoon of undrafted players doing the most damage all playoffs long. Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Caleb Martin have all contributed to the merciless barrage of points and strong defense that have kept the Boston Celtics from executing their brand of play. Separately, Jimmy Butler’s name and his stark confidence are written all over this Eastern Conference battle for supremacy.

2 You gotta have heart. But more than heart, you gotta have will.

S ure, a team’s big heart will show the way and make improbable things happen when things are dire. But

MELVIN JERUSALEM will take a cautious stance when he defends his World Boxing Organization minimum weight belt for the first time against Puerto Rico’s Oscar Collazo on Sunday at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California.

A newbie in the pros, the 29-year-old Bukidnon native said he won’t let his 26-year-old opponent to find his rhythm in the 12-round fight.

The Puerto Rican, Jerusalem said, is a tactical fighter because of his amateur background.

“He [Collazo] is an old timer in the amateurs and he’s undefeated there in six fights before going pro,” Jerusalem’s trainer Michael Domingo told BusinessMirror on Monday through chat message from the US.  So far, Melvin is now doing just a spar play as the fight gets near and he’s okay. Jerusalem and Domingo are in their final few days of training after arriving in the US last week.

“Melvin is just four pounds over and it’s so easy to trim down,” Domingo said. “He’s in good condition.”

The limit in minimum weight is 105 lbs or 48 kgs.  Jerusalem, who owns a 20-2 winloss record with 12 knockouts, scored a impressive secondround technical knockout to snatch Japanese Masataka Taniguchi’s WBO belt in Osaka last January 6.  Collazo, on the other hand, defeated former world champion Vic Saludar last July via unanimous decision before knocking out Mexican Yudel Reyes in the fifth round last January 28. Josef Ramos

Sotto remains with Hiroshima in Japan league

By Josef Ramos

ZACHARY “KAI” SOTTO signed a one-year extension with the Hiroshima Dragonflies in the Japan B.League on Wednesday. Sotto, 21, confirmed on his Instagram page that he remains with the Dragonflies for the 2023-24 season.

Sotto said in his post that he’s grateful for another opportunity at Hiroshima where he gets the chance to play against fellow Filipino imports Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, Dwight Ramos and Bobby Ray Parks. The lanky 7-foot-3 center averaged nine points, six rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.29 blocks in 24 games late in the B.League season. He delivered his team to the playoffs, but eventually lost to the Chiba Jets.   Sotto will also participate in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Summer League in July to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA.

“

The NBA is my biggest dream, so I will continue to work hard in the United States this summer. To all the Dragonflies fans, I know there may be some irregularities next season, but I will do my best in the given environment so that I can give you good news,” Sotto said in his post.

H iroshima management said that Sotto could opt out to his contract if he gets picked in the NBA.

even more than heart or the strong desire to win, the determination to keep on ploughing, to pay attention to the little things, to persist and believe and wait for the right moment—all these will make the bigger difference when the going gets tough. It’s refusing to lose and working piecemeal to get the prize. It’s called will power, or mental toughness. It’s imposed on the opponent and the situation, with purpose.

3 You can’t fight Fate. Destiny is a blind date.

W ho woulda thought Miami would make it this far and trump all other higher-seeded teams in the East? Who woulda thought the Celtics, manhandled by Miami for three straight games would find their groove with their backs to the wall in hostile Miami? Destiny is beckoning to these two teams as it is to the Denver Nuggets who are in the NBA finals for the first time! Who will Destiny favor this season?

H ere are wise words to remember about Fate from the Law of Attraction: “What’s meant to be yours is already making its way to you. What was never yours is always fleeing from you. With time it will all make sense, but for now, bear the confusion and focus on living fully in the present.”

Just watch the games. And cross your fingers.

HELPLESS AT CENTER FIELD The Boston Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran helplessly watches as the Los Angeles Angels’ Mickey Moniak’s hit flies over the fence for a homerun during the first inning of their Major League Baseball game in Anaheim, California, Tuesday. The Angels won, 4-0. AP

JOENARD RATES misses the Villamor course record by one stroke. ROY DOMINGO

DANIELLA

Editor: Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

On World Thyroid Day, look out for the symptoms of possible thyroid ailments Smoking can trigger thyroid problems–expert

By Candy P. Dalizon Contributor

If you have been experiencing unexplained weight gain, which happens to be one of the most common signs of an underactive thyroid gland, you might have what is known as hypothyroidism. Actresses Bea Alonzo and Ria Atayde recently revealed that t hey have hypothyroidism which makes it harder for them to lose weight.

The other symptoms of this thyroid disease are tiredness, constipation, dry skin and coarse hair, cold intolerance, forgetfulness, and menstrual irregularities. If you have any of these signs or symptoms, it might be time to get your thyroid checked.

Today is World Thyroid Day and it is celebrated worldwide to increase awareness and understanding of thyroid disorders,

including their signs, causes, and treatments.

Butterfly-shaped gland

T H e thyroid is a small, butterflyshaped gland in the front of your neck that produces hormones that affect nearly every organ in your body and control metabolism, weight, breathing, heart rate, and many other functions. Thus, thyroid issues can impact many aspects of your life.

e x perts however point out that there are other thyroid diseases aside from hypothyroidism. Dr.

Patricia Puno-Ramos, an endocrinologist from The Medical City Ortigas, said the most common thyroid diseases in the Philippines are goiter, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and thyroid cancer.

Dr. Puno-Ramos explained

that goiter is the general term for abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland, it can be non-toxic or toxic and it can be due to thyroid mass or nodules. Non-toxic goiter is the enlargement of thyroid gland with normal thyroid hormone levels while toxic goiter is an enlarged thyroid gland with increased thyroid hormone levels. Goiter including those caused by thyroid mass or nodules can either be benign or cancerous. Symptoms may include a lump in the neck, feeling of tightness in the throat area, hoarseness of voice, difficulty swallowing, and neck vein swelling.

In contrast to unexplained weight gain, unexpected weight loss could be a sign that your thy -

roid hormones are too high, also known as hyperthyroidism. The condition is also often called overactive thyroid. Aside from weight loss, its symptoms may include rapid heart rate or palpitations, diarrhea, excessive sweating or heat intolerance, tremors, menstrual irregularities, bulging eyes, and sleep disturbances. No signs and symptoms eV e N if you are not experiencing any signs or symptoms of a thyroid disorder, you may still have it.

Dr. Puno-Ramos said thyroid diseases can also go unnoticed such as those with subcentimeter thyroid nodules or subclinical hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Subclinical thyroid diseases

usually do not present with the usual signs and symptoms of overactive or underactive thyroid and are often discovered only during thyroid hormone level determination through blood test.

Dr. Puno-Ramos cited the Philippine Thyroid Diseases Study (PhilTiDes 1) which stated that subclinical hyperthyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism are the most common thyroid function abnormalities among Filipinos comprising 5.33% and 2.18% of the general population, respectively.

Moreover, thyroid nodules are not as easy to identify but catching one early on can help you detect and treat more serious conditions including thyroid cancer. Dr. Puno-Ramos said consult an endocrinologist or check with your doctor to know if you may need to be screened for a thyroid disorder.

Dr. Puno-Ramos enumerated the diagnostic exams for patients with thyroid problems that are available at The Medical City e n docrine, Diabetes and Thyroid Center ( e D TC). These tests include the following - thyroid function tests (TSH, FT3/ T3, FT4/T4), neck or thyroid ultrasound, thyroid scan, fine needle aspiration biopsy, and thyroid antibody testing.

Living and dealing with hyperthyroidism

By Rory Visco Contributor

AS more people become aware of common ailments such as hypertension, kidney, liver, heart and other diseases, it seems that health concerns related to the throat may not be attracting too much attention.

In fact, even studies related to the throat may already be too outdated already. It was way back in 2012 when a Philippine Thyroid Diseases Study (PhilTiDes-1) was done, which showed the prevalence of thyroid function abnormalities in the country was at 8.53 percent among adults, and among disorders related to the thyroid, goiter is most common with 10.12 percent.

Thyroid talk

THAT butterfly-shaped gland called the thyroid is found in front of the neck. How important is the thyroid gland? This organ regulates the body’s metabolism, temperature, and heart rate, and makes hormones that con -

trol how energy in our body is used.

The thyroid can be either overactive or underactive. Being underactive, or hypothyroidism, means the thyroid does not make and release enough hormones into the body This in turn slows down metabolism, thereby causing constipation, weight gain and makes a person get tired too quickly.

On the flipside, hyperthyroidism or overactive thyroid happens when the thyroid produces too much hormones than what the body needs. This causes rapid weight loss, heart palpitations, and anxiety, having trouble sleeping, increased bowel movements, skin dryness, among other symptoms. Many studies have pointed to iodine deficiency, or low intake of iodine-rich food such as milk, eggs, and seafood, long considered as the top natural source of iodine, as the common culprit for thyroid disorder.

In terms of treatment, a thyroidectomy, or surgery that removes a part or even the whole thyroid, can be done. However, this is not performed that

Intensified surveillance systems

ON M ay 11, 2023, the World Health Organization lifted the public health emergency of international concern (PH e I C) status for monkeypox, which was declared in July 2022.

WHO declared mpox, previously known as monkeypox, a public health emergency of international in July 2022.

The Department of Health (DOH) has recognized the proclamation of WHO regarding the lifting of the PH e I C on Monkeypox.

“This signifies that the world is on its road to recovery, providing a global opportunity to effectively respond to future pandemics as well,” the DOH said.

T H e DOH said that they intensified its surveillance systems and immediately employed necessary containment measures to prevent the spread of the disease. It may also be noted that the Philippines did not declare its own PH e on the said disease.

“However, it is still important to stay alert of its possible resurgence. If you have a travel history to countries with Monkeypox, and then have symptoms like fever, lymphadenopathy or ‘kulani,’ and rashes, seek immediate medical attention.

The department also reminds the public that our layers of protection—such as wearing masks, iso -

much as hyperthyroidism can also be treated effectively through noninvasive methods.

Feeling of weakness

IN the case of Vanessa Rue-Macalagay, who has been living with hyperthyroidism since 2015, she felt something was wrong when she suddenly felt so weak that she had difficulty getting out of bed, going to work or doing household chores.

“At first I thought it was a heart problem because I was experiencing palpitations and my weight started to drop tremendously. It also had had trouble sleeping and I didn’t have the appetite to eat food that I’d say it was exhausting physically, that my relatives told me to better go see an endocrinologist to check if I have thyroid concerns,” Macalagay narrated.

The moment the endocrinologist told her she has hyperthyroidism, Macalagay said the first thing she asked was if it was curable. The doctor responded positively by saying yes, though she had to be very patient. An -

other question that popped into her mind was if her ailment will prevent her from getting pregnant and have a child even if she was still single at that time. The doctor quickly assured her that she can despite her illness as long as she is able to manage it.

And Macalagay was happy that surgery was out of the equation in terms of her treatment since her doctor was not too keen about it and was just told to be patient.

“I’m taking oral medications that were adjusted when I got pregnant as my temporary maintenance to manage my hyperthyroidism and hopefully eventually be cured totally. I was informed about undergoing radiation as an option but it also has its risks that I needed to be aware and mindful of,” she said.

Support system

MACALAGAY said at present, she feels generally fine but still needs to be mindful of her oral medications because without them, she would feel very weak and will again feel the

symptoms she experienced before she discovered she had hyperthyroidism.

“Overall, I’m able to do the things that I love to do but when it comes to activities that would require physical strength/stamina, I still need to do it with moderation so I don’t experience palpitations.”

But what’s really important and valuable to her is the support her family accorded to her in dealing with her situation. She recalled how her then-boyfriend and now husband would accompany her during her regular check-ups with the doctor, and of course her siblings and the rest of her family who were really mindful of her condition.

“I think it’s important that aside from family and friends’ support, I also got involved in communities with people who have the same condition as mine. I got to realize how common this condition is and be able to not just get support from them but also encourage others, that our illness is curable and there is hope that we can hold on to,” Macalagay emphasized.

Vaccine

WH O said that there is a vaccine recently approved for preventing monkeypox.

lating when feeling symptoms, and frequent handwashing—can aid in preventing disease transmission,” the DOH said.

The DOH assured that it will remain vigilant and continue to guarantee the public that the Philippines is capable of containing the Monkeypox virus in the country.

What is monkeypox?

M ON k e Y PO x is an illness caused by the monkeypox virus.

It is a viral zoonotic infection, meaning that it can spread from animals to humans. It can also spread from person to person through skinto-skin contact, including direct contact with the rash, hugging, kissing,

or sexual contact.

Symptoms

C OM MON symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headaches, muscle pain and back ache, low energy, swollen lymph nodes, and rash with blisters on face, hands, feet, body, eyes, mouth, or genitals.

Monkeypox spreads from person to person through close physical contact with someone who has a monkeypox rash, including through face-to-face, skin-to-skin, mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-skin contact.

This may include direct contact with the rash, or through hugging, kissing, or sexual contact.

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

THYROID i s a gland in your neck that helps regulate various body functions, including your metabolism. One’s lifestyle habits may impact in the function of the thyroid.

Likewise, thyroid disorders happen when your thyroid produces insufficient or excessive thyroid hormones.

Are smokers more likely to encounter thyroid problem?

ACCORDING to Via Medica Journals in Poland, many studies have shown that cigarette smoking exerts multiple effects on the thyroid gland as smoking seems to induce changes in thyroid function tests, like decrease in thyroid stimulating hormone or TSH and increase in thyroid hormones.

“However, these alterations are usually mild. In addition, tobacco smoking may also play a role in thyroid autoimmunity,” it read, adding that many studies have confirmed a significant influence of smoking on Graves’ hyperthyroidism and particularly on Graves’ orbitopathy.

“Here, smoking may increase the risk of disease development, may reduce the effectiveness of treatment, and eventually induce relapse.”

Hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism

W H ICH i s more life-threatening hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism?

If left untreated, Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan of HealthJustice Philippines said, both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can lead to serious complications.

“How do we protect our thyroid then? Aside from proper diet, clean and healthy environment, and avoiding stress, quitting smoking is also the best thing to do,” Dr. Galvez Tan, who is also a former Health Secretary, said.

The body’s production of thyroid hormones, Dr. Galvez Tan said, may be affected by the toxins present in cigarette smoke.

“This can cause thyroid problems by interfering with iodine,” Dr. Galvez Tan said as he encouraged those experiencing any unusual symptoms, they should see their physician right away.

Thyroid cancer

T H e D epartment of Health (DOH), meanwhile, said that thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine-related malignancy in the Philippines. It ranks seventh overall based on the agency’s latest statistics.

“Its incidence increases every year, especially in females and in the reproductive age group,” the DOH said.

Warning signals

WARNING s ignals for thyroid problems include ahard mass in the anterior neck; nodules of the thyroid in men; rapid enlargement of a longstanding goiter in older patients; cervical lymph node enlargement; hoarseness, difficulty of swallowing, and difficulty of breathing associated with goiter.

Some countries are recommending vaccination for persons at risk like someone who has been a close contact of someone who has monkeypox, including health workers.

WHO does not recommend mass vaccination against monkeypox at this time.

Monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted infection. Monkeypox can spread through close contact of any kind such as face-to-face, skinto-skin, mouth-to-mouth, mouthto-skin, or sexual contact.

Anyone with direct contact with a monkeypox rash, even without sexual contact, may be infected with it.  Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

e a rly detection can be done through fine needle aspiration biopsy of solitary nodules, or of unusually prominent, hard or rapidly growing nodules in multinodular goiter.

“I would also advise that for early detection, ultrasound of the thyroid gland should be included in addition to fine needle biopsy,” Dr. Galvez Tan said.

Almost 95 percent of thyroid cancer in the Philippines are well differentiated carcinoma, and are highly curable by appropriate surgery alone.

Radioactive iodine is the main mode of treatment for metastatic lesions.

Approxim Ately one out of eight women are at risk of developing thyroid problems in their lifetime while 1.6 billion people are reportedly at risk of developing thyroid disorders.

Pinoys told to take charge of their health; know blood pressure numbers

By Candy P. Dalizon

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) an estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30 to 79 years worldwide have hypertension, most (or two-thirds) are living in low- and middle-income countries. Unfortunately only half or an estimated 46 percent of adults with hypertension remain unaware that they have the condition.

Hypertension is blood pressure that is higher than normal. High blood pressure increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, the leading causes of death in the country.

“Many people do not know what their blood pressure is. They know their weight, height, waist circumference but not their BP. Some do not even know what hypertension is,” said Dr. Alejandro Diaz, current Vice President of the Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH).

Raising awareness

T H e PSH is spearheading May Measurement Month (MMM) 2023 in the Philippines in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH) and OMRON Healthcare, a leader in the field of clinically proven, innovative medical equipment.

Launched in 2017, MMM was initiated worldwide by the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) aimed at raising awareness of the importance of blood pressure measurement. It is the largest free high blood screening in the world. The campaign has screened about five million people in 100 countries. In the Philippines, a total of 736,376 persons participated since 2017.

The MMM aims to screen more Filipinos across more municipalities nationwide with the help of local health organizations and volunteers. The campaign, which kicked-off on May

17 in celebration of World Hypertension Day, will run until July 31, 2023.

The MMM 2023 campaign will also teach people about proper blood pressure monitoring to enable them to monitor their blood pressure accurately in the comfort of their own homes.

“Prior to the pandemic, BP screening was done physically in the following MMM screening sites—hospitals and clinics, schools, pharmacies, workplace, public area [outdoors], etc. During the pandemic, we innovated via Zoom. We took the opportunity of engaging our students, organizations, Rotary, and so many more. We were teaching our patients how to take their BP correctly, using a PSH validated device,” shared Dr. Diaz.

Home BP monitoring

T HI S goal of raising awareness about proper blood pressure monitoring and promoting better health has been at the core of the MMM campaign since it started in 2017. This year, given the opportunities of the hybrid setup, the campaign has empowered people to measure their blood pressure through HBPMs (home BP monitoring).

“Our mantra is that an accurate measurement leads to a correct diagnosis of hypertension,” said Dr. Arnold Benjamin Mina, one of the members of the PSH Board of Trustees.

The doctors led by Dr. Diaz and Dr. Mina who were present during the kick-off last week at Marco Polo Hotel in Ortigas gave tips and demonstrated how to get accurate blood pressure measurements using HBPMs.

How to take accurate BP measurementCorrect blood pressure measurement and interpretation is essential in the diagnosis and management of hypertension.

Dr. Mina shared information from

the 2020 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Hypertension in the Philippines and MMM’s own recommendations to help ensure accurate blood pressure monitoring at home and in other screening sites.

Use the correct cuff size. Put the cuff on bare arm. Blood pressure is measured on one arm only, preferably left. Cuff at heart level. Arm should rest comfortably on the table. The person should be seated with back supported, legs uncrossed and feet flat on the floor. He should be instructed to empty the bladder before BP measurement. The participant should not have smoked immediately before or during the measurement.

“No exercise or coffee 30 minutes prior to checking your blood pressure. Do not talk during and between BP measurements,” added Dr. Mina.

Take three readings, each about one minute apart. Pulse/heart rate should also be recorded.

Dr. Diaz said one can take their blood pressure once in the morning and once in the evening, especially if strict BP monitoring is advised for that person or if one is taking a short acting antihypertensive medication. Record or jot down these readings in a BP diary and present them to the doctor during checkup.

White-coat, Masked Hypertension

DR Diaz and Dr. Mina also explained masked and white-coat hypertension.

Masked hypertension is defined as a normal blood pressure reading in the clinic or doctor’s office, but an elevated BP out of the clinic. Blood pressure numbers of less than 120/80 mm Hg are

considered within the normal range. Patients with masked hypertension are at risk of having uncontrolled high blood pressure thus the need to use HBPM for effective diagnosis.

On the other hand, white coat hypertension is when a person’s blood pressure at the clinic or health care provider’s office is higher than it is in other settings, such as at home. Patients who experience anxiety or stress over their doctor’s appointment may be at increased risk of developing white-coat hypertension.

Dr. Mina pointed out that one advantage of measuring BP at home is that the person is in his natural environment. The main symptom for both of these conditions is unreliable blood pressure readings in the health care provider’s office or clinic. Patients with masked hypertension or white-coat condition often require special monitoring to ensure they receive the most accurate diagnosis.

Hypertension risks

“M Ay Measure Month is an opportunity and a reminder for Filipinos to take charge of their health not just this summer but every day. We also hope it will encourage more Filipinos to learn more about the risks associated with hypertension. We want to raise awareness and promote new methods to spread awareness about this silent killer and help people make lifestyle changes that can lead to better heart health,” said Dr. Dolores Bonzon, PSH president.

A major component of the MMM campaign is a trusted and clinically validated home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM). OMRON Healthcare’s

Illicit trade of e-cigarettes ‘unhealthy’ for vape industry

By Roderick L. Abad Contributor

COUNTERFEITING and smuggling of va -

porized nicotine products or electroniccigarettes (e-cigarettes) may have significantly gone down in the Philippines, but they remain a constant challenge which, if not properly addressed, will continue to rob industry players of potential revenue and post threats to the safety and well-being of consumers.

“Fake and counterfeit products pose health risks due to low-grade ingredients. We do not really know what is put inside the e-liquids. Also, they are made with poor manufacturing standards. So we do not know the quality or the cleanliness of the places that produce these items,” RELX International Head of External Affairs (Philippines) Patrick Drilon said during their workshop held in Okada Manila last May 18, 2023 with participation from the local, Indonesian and Malaysian media.

In a si deline interview, he told the BusinessMirror that this problem is still not totally eradicated, but mitigated with the help of law enforcement authorities and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), as well as the enactment last year of the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act or Republic Act (RA) 11900.

Consumer protection

ENACTED on July 25, 2022, the Vape Law, regulates importation, manufacture, sale, packaging, distribution, use and communication of vaporized nicotine products.

M ore importantly, it declares it as a policy of the state, to enact a policy whereby these novel consumer products are properly regulated using internationally accepted product standards in order to protect the citizens from the hazards of regulated, unregulated and substandard vaporized nicotine products.

“We support the Vape Law because it provides comprehensive regulation that will protect consumers and promote responsible trade, [while] ensuring minors and non-smokers are protected,” Philippine E-cigarette Industry Association (PECIA) President Joey Dulay noted.

B eing a vaper himself, he shared his personal experience of the benefits of switching from smoking to vaping, such as improved health, reduced expenses and more choices of flavors and devices.

“ However, I also recognize the need for proper regulation of this novel product to ensure the safety, quality and responsible use. The industry faced several challenges due to the lack of clear regulations, resulting in confusion among consumers and businesses alike,” he emphasized.

N otably, half of the Vape Law’s provisions are safeguards to protect minors from these products. Regarding the welfare of non-smokers, it mandates that all product communications shall contain the following: “Government warning: This product is harmful and contains nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance.”

“It is for use only by adults. And it’s not recommended for use by non-smokers.”

Point of sale establishments are also required to post warnings, saying that the sale or distribution of vaporized nicotine and nonnicotine products to or by persons below 18 years of age is illegal.

“With the Vape Law, consumers will be protected from illicit and substandard products and promotes responsible trade. It provides for product standards and registration restrictions on online trade and promotional activities, and requirements for health warnings in all product communications,” said Dulay.

Healthy industry

RA 11900 also contains provisions that require the registration of vaporized nicotine products with the Department of Trade and Industry prior to its public sale, importation or manufacture.

Likewise, it prohibits their public sale or distribution that does not comply with the BIR’s tax and registration requirements.

BPMs provide accurate data readings and ensure better data tracking to assist users in the proper monitoring of their blood pressure.

OMRON Healthcare’s blood pressure monitoring devices, in particular recent clinically validated ones H e M 7120 and H e M 7121, are equipped with a cuff wrapping guide to assist the user in properly fitting the arm cuff for an accurate and reliable blood pressure measurement. The products’ IntelliSense Technology automatically inflates the cuff to the optimal amount to provide precise results while still being comfortable. If the measured systolic or diastolic pressure is outside the standard range, the Hypertension Indicator feature sends a signal. These features are very important for obtaining reliable readings when blood pressure fluctuates.

An important part of MMM since it started, OMRON has donated more than 3,000 units locally and 23,000 units spread across various countries. For this year’s campaign, OMRON will provide 300 units.

“OMRON Healthcare remains committed to improving lives and contributing to a better society, especially since we have reached the 50th anniversary milestone of OMRON’s blood pressure monitors. OMRON has also transformed the way people measure blood pressure, making it simple and accurate for anybody, wherever in the world. Now more than ever, we have to be conscious of our general physical health. This year’s MMM will not just encourage Filipinos to integrate blood pressure monitoring in their lives to detect early signs of hypertension but also inspire them to make the necessary lifestyle changes to achieve better health,” said yu suke Kato, general manager for OMRON Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd—Philippine Branch (Healthcare Division).

The MMM campaign is a call to action for all Filipinos to take control of their health and work toward a healthier future for themselves and their families. As the world shifts to the new normal, OMRON Healthcare will continue to work with other organizations to promote hypertension awareness and empower Filipinos to achieve better health and an improved quality of life.

For more information on May Measure Month 2023, visit www.maymeasure.org.

porting economic growth.

By Rizal Raoul Reyes Contributor

ALONG with their Malaysian and Singaporean counterparts, Filipino consumers have become more conscious of their health and wellness especially after the pandemic.

In an email interview with BusinessMirror , Tetra Pak marketing director for Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines John Jose said the study titled “Trendipedia 2023” indicated that consumers are more willing to invest in products that align with their health and wellness goals, even if they come at a higher cost.

“We see that natural and organic ingredients have become popular choices for boosting immunity. Consumers are turning to ingredients that provide functional benefits such as increased energy levels, muscle recovery, and improved cognition. Fortified food and drinks, as well as pill-form supplements, have also gained traction among consumers,” Jose said.

Despite the higher price point compared to regular brands, Jose said it is quite possible that the local market will continue to embrace health product options as there are consumers who are willing to spend more when it comes to their health and well-being.

Strong following

A LTHOUGH fast food brands undeniably have a strong following especially among Filipino millennials and Gen Z, Jose said there is a growing awareness and interest in adopting healthier lifestyles within these generations.

According to Trendipedia 2023, particularly the “In Control” trend where dietary choices empower individuals to regain control in their lives, Jose said 68 percent of consumers believe that pursuing a healthy lifestyle is equivalent to being safe, and many individuals seek to align their dietary choices with their health and life goals.

“In the study, 81 percent of the respondents globally agree that they desire more control over decisions related to their health. This presents an opportunity for healthy brands to gain a larger market share, both globally and locally,” Jose explained.

“ The Vape Law, indeed, will stop the entry of smuggled products and fly-by-night operators, which can adversely affect not only the industry, but also the consumers themselves,” he pointed out.

According to him, the country’s vape industry is a growing and dynamic sector that offers a variety of products and services to consumers who are looking for an alternative to smoking.

In fact, he cited a report from Statista that shows the e-cigarette segment in the Philippines is projected to grow by 2.42 percent from 2023 to 2027, resulting in a market volume of around $265 million in the next four years.

T he industry is on track to achieve this given the strong market demand. Based on the 2021 Global Adult Tobacco Survey in the Philippines, the current users of e-cigarettes increased from 0.8 percent in 2015 to 2.1 percent in 2021.

“Since the Vape Law strictly requires vaporized nicotine products to be registered with the BIR, we can expect a substantial increase in government revenues through the collection of taxes, which we can expect to boost the country’s economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

As the government regulates this relatively new industry, business players are encouraged to also do their share to help protect public health and safety while sup -

E-cigarette maker RELX International, on its part, commits to its corporate accountability to tackle the rise in counterfeits and smuggled vape products here and abroad through the Golden Shield program. One of the three pillars of its global initiative, the RELX Pledge seeks to protect minors through the Guardian Program and empower economic livelihood via Green Shoots.

T he company allots a portion of its budget each month to engage international firm React, which specializes in identifying illicit products and sellers on e-commerce platforms. With it, Drilon bared that on a monthly basis, they usually take down around 1,000 sellers of bogus and smuggled RELX-branded e-cigarettes in e-commerce platforms Lazada and Shopee, and about 20 accounts of illegal sellers on Facebook.

S ince the initiative’s launch in August 2019, he added that they have so far filed 10 criminal suits against counterfeiters and bogus sellers in the Philippines. These cases are still pending in courts. Such initiatives have saved RELX from significant revenue loss. The biggest haul, he shared, was a halt of over $700,000 worth of fake e-cigarette products from reaching the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and China last July 2020. In November 2022, the BIR confiscated smuggled vaping devices valued at P30 million from a local warehouse.

According to the 2022 Global Hunger Index (GHI), the Philippines was ranked 69th out of the 121 countries with sufficient data to calculate 2022 GHI scores. With a score of 14.8, the Philippines has been classified in the moderate category.

Going vegan I N a nother interview, Carissa Lim, co-founder and chief executive officer at Worth the Health Foods and Umani Plant-based Meats, is bullish on the local market as more Filipinos are more aware of going vegan.

Umami is a consumer brand of Worth the Health (WTH) Foods. e s tablished in 2020, WTH started to make Filipino favorites during the pandemic such as spring rolls, sisig and meatballs.   “Umani developed alternative proteins that are affordable to the Filipinos such as sausages and ham,” Lim said.

Furthermore, Lim said Umani is also introducing new products such as tapa sushi to attract more local buyers who want to transition to a healthy lifestyle.

Contributor

How do you know if you have hypertension or high blood pressure? Hypertension usually does not have symptoms, that is why it is called a silent killer. And the only way to know your blood pressure is to measure it.

Thanks to the pandemic, Pinoys are more conscious of health, wellness

Borough Lasik Center leads the way in lasik surgery in PHL with new Swiss equipment

BLC announced recently that it acquired the new multi-purpose laser platform FEM t O Z8 NEO, which represents another standard in innovation and quality.

Made in Switzerland, the FEM t O Z 8 NEO is the result of the visionary designed solutions and performance engineering at Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems.

Ziemer is a privately owned Swiss medical device company that offers smart, cutting-edge technolo

gies in ophthalmology, carrying with it a legacy and philosophy of globally renowned Swiss precision.

High precision tOGE t HE R w ith intuitive new software and additional applications, the innovative FEM t O Z 8 NEO results in extremely high precision and enables gentle eye surgery. It is the perfect platform to perform a wide variety of ophthalmic treatments such as Z Lasik, PresbyMAX Z Lasik, Z Cataract, SMILE and CLEAR procedures as needed, according to Dr. Ches Heredia, Medical Director and Head Ophthalmologist at BLC.

“We chose FEM t O Z 8 NEO of Ziemer because it is the most trusted, with more than 1,200 installations worldwide. Ziemer has high tech la -

sers and diagnostics made in Switzerland, a family-owned company distinguished by its personal service and their cutting-edge innovations in the field of ophthalmology,” according to Dr. Heredia.

He said the market worldwide is slowly learning to embrace the FEM t O L aser Lasik, FEM t O C ataract, and FEM t O L enticule Extraction because it ensures safety and precision and even the Philippine market is slowly understanding this. In the new future, Dr. Heredia said the demand will grow for this technology. “We added this technology to position BLC as the best

and most trusted lasik center in the Philippines.”

MOA clinic

F OR t he meantime, Dr. Heredia said the FEM t O Z 8 NEO will only be available at BLC’s MOA clinic but stressed that if the market would require it and it would be good for business, they will install the technology in BLC’s strategic branches.

He added that with the acquisition of the new equipment, BLC will be offering Blade Lasik at a lower price, and FEM t O L aser Lasik and FEM t O C ataract at a premium price point.

Asian Hospital hosts 6th Clinical Innovation Summit; highlights innovations in various medical fields

Dr. Heredia also expressed his appreciation to MOC Optomedic, Inc., an affiliate of Mandarin Opto Medic Co., Ltd. Singapore, and is the local distributor of Ziemer’s Z8 Neo Femtosecond Laser for the acquisition of the new equipment. MOC and its affiliates in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia has been in the business for more than 55 years spearheading the advancement of technology in the ophthalmic industry.

Dry season promo

A ND s ince the dry season is here, Dr. Heredia said BLC is currently offering their biggest discounts for the year for Lasik procedures. “With precision vision, our customers will now have the opportunity to enjoy

their best vacation season yet after a long time so they better book now while there are still slots available,” Dr. Heredia pointed out. t h e Borough Lasik Center is located at the SM Mall of Asia Wellness Zone and open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 1 pm. t h ere is also a Borough Lasik Center in Davao located at Door 8 & 9, JJ’s Commune, Loyola Street, Bo. Obrero, Davao City, and a brand new one in Iloilo which can be found at the 2nd Floor, Festive Walk Mall, Iloilo City and can be reached via 09661736117 or email at iloilo@ boroughsight.com. to know more about Borough Lasik Center, visit their website at https://boroughsight.com.ph.

SM Foundation conducts 2nd PMPC medical mission

It is a healthy citizenry that can help carry out a country’s development goals. But health is also a development goal. While the government has its health programs, no health program can succeed unless it receives assistance and support from the private sector.

SM Foundation is among the private entities committed to help promote health and wellness among Filipinos through its various programs including the conduct of medical, dental and diagnostic missions all over the country.

Last week, SM Foundation in collaboration with the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) conducted a medical and dental mission at SM City Sta. Mesa. It is the second medical mission of SM Foundation with PMPC.

Beneficiaries of the activity were PMPC members, media friends, their families, and friends. Carmela Yangao from Sampaloc, Manila and one of the beneficiaries, said she learned about the medical mission from a friend who is a reporter with radio station DZRH. She availed of the free medical consultation for pain on the hips she occasionally feels and had her cholesterol and uric acid levels checked.

ASIAN H ospital and Medical Center

(AHMC) gathered a distinguished line up of speakers for the 6th Clinical Innovation Summit that took place last May 5, 2023 at Crimson Hotel. With the theme “Innovations in Hospital Medicine: Global Expertise, Filipino Heart,” the speaker discussed the latest innovations in cardiology, oncology, neuroscience, gastroenterology, and orthopedics.

t h e event kicked off with Dr. Jose Acuin, AHMC Chief Medical Officer, giving the opening remarks. He welcomed AHMC doctors and guests from other medical institutions who gathered at Crimson Hotel amidst an upsurge in the number of Covid-19 cases.

“I am truly grateful that you are all here for this face-to-face conference because this is the right thing to do. We are truly blessed to have people who innovate. Over the past three years, we have been adapt to so many things that were not there before and now is the time to showcase what we have done,” Dr. Acuin said.

For his part, Dr. Beaver ta mesis, AHMC President and CEO, said medical innovations are all part and parcel of the hospital’s efforts to give patients the care that they truly deserve.

“Innovation is not just about coming up with new services. It is about how we deliver our promise to the people that we serve. What we do must be aligned towards bringing the best service to our patients because that is what they deserve. t h at should

be our guiding principle—what’s the best interest for our patients,” Dr. ta mesis said.

Program proper

tHE f irst part of the summit looked into innovations in neurology. Dr. Corina Maria Socorro A. Macalintal talked about “Advances in Headache Management” while Dr. Guillermo t. L iabres talked about “Neurosurgery: Reestablishing Cerebral Circulation.”

t he morning session ended with talks on cardiology. t h ese talks were given by Dr. Fabio Enrique B. Posas who tackled “Structural Heart Disease Interventions” and Dr. Rod t. C astro who talked about “Cardiac Intensive Care.” Breast cancer was the first topic after lunch. Dr. Joseph t h omas A.

Noriega talked about “Advances in Breast Cancer Surgery” while the topic of “Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy” was tackled by Dr. Aldine Astrid A. Basa.

After the session on breast cancer, two doctors discussed “Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery: How I do it.” t h ey were Dr. Larry V. Acuña and Dr. Samuel Arsenio M. Grozman. “Metastatic Bone tr eatments” was the last topic of the day and this was discussed by Dr. Johanna Patricia A. Canal and Dr. Ma. Pamela D. Patdu.

“It has been a very fruitful day and I would like to thank all the doctors for their presentations. All of these presentations show that we are able to cater to the needs of our patients. Let’s continue to work harder and innovate some more,” Dr. Acuin said in his closing remarks.

Another beneficiary, Evangeline Piezas who resides in Moriones, to ndo, Manila went to the medical mission to find out what’s causing her chest pains. She brought along her five-month pregnant niece Geralden Cuizon so she could avail of free vitamins.

According to Evangeline, the medical mission is a great help. “A consultation costs P500 in private clinics/ hospitals. You still have to buy the prescribed medicines. Here at the medical mission, you get free consultation and medicines,” she said.

According to Ma. Leonila Garcia, Public Relations Officer of PMPC, the beneficiaries of the medical mission include students of St. Francis Integrated Arts School located at Araneta Avenue, Quezon City. t h e students were accompanied by their teachers and parents. One of the teachers, Monette Magundayao, shared that it was the first time for them to attend such an event. t h e students are children with special needs. Also present was another SPED teacher, Wilma de

Guzman.

t h e medical and dental mission was able to provide a total of 642 health services. Of this number, medical consultation comprised 470; dental, 24; ECG, 15; X-ray, 13; FBS test, 49; cholesterol test, 21; and uric acid test, 50. t h e medical mission was made possible with the support of program partners: Manila Medical Society and DMIRIE Foundation Inc.

One of the doctors who volunteered their time and expertise was Dr. Judy Gargantiel, an OB-Gyn, currently a visiting consultant at the Perpetual Succor Hospital in Sampaloc, Manila. “If free, I make myself available for the medical mission.” She is a member of the Manila Medical Society. Dr. Gargantiel worked with the Manila Health Department until her retirement. Another volunteer doctor was Dr. Emil Arleen Morales.

Asked about the health concerns of the patients who went to the medical mission, Dr. Gargantiel, said they have minor problems. “Most of all they really wanted vitamins,” she shared.

“If they have maintenance meds and these are available binibigyan na rin namin.” Patients needing laboratory tests which are not available in the medical mission are referred to hospital partners.

DMIRIE Foundation Inc. the partner of SM Foundation during the mission, is the CSR arm of DMI, Medical Supply Company Inc. known for its MX3 products. MX3 Marketing Head Rean May Inventor represented DMIRIE Foundation during the event. She said DMIRIE Foundation is partnering with SM Foundation in all the latter’s events nationwide as well as SM CARES and SM Medical Services. t h e partnership with SM Foundation started last year.

During the event, patients were treated to limitless coffee. “We gave away gift packs to every patient. We provided snacks for them and the most important is we gave away Bibles,” Inventor said. “We are praying that this bible will help them through reading of the scriptures,” she added.

Other partners were Manila Medical Society, Philippine Red Cross QC Chapter, Pan Pharmaceutical, Willore Pharma, and DWIZ.

Borough Lasik Center (BLC), one of the leading lasik surgery facilities in the country, continues to lead the way in lasik eye surgery innovation with the acquisition of a brand new equipment using topnotch Swiss technology.

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D O M iniqu E VAn H Erz EElE sales Director of zimer Ophthalmic systems, talks about the features of the FEMTO z8 nEO

Dr. Ches Heredia, Medical Director of Borough lasik Center and swiss Ambassador to the Philippines Alain Gaschen pose with the FEMTO z8 nEO

Health& Fitness

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital shines bright like a diamond on its 75th anniversary

By Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital (Lourdes Hospital), a tertiary hospital located in Sta. Mesa, Manila, celebrates its 75th anniversary this year with a new mission and vision and the “One Big Mission” campaign to make health care accessible to Filipino families and communities.

Since its inauguration on July 15, 1948, l o urdes Hospital has grown from a 50-bed 3-story hospital into a 200-bed facility with a work force complement of over 700 talents. it s annual gross revenue breached the P1billion mark in 2020 with a prepandemic admission census of about 12,000 patients annually.

l o urdes has 400 active and visiting physicians. a s a t raining hospital, it is home to five medical residency programs— i n ternal Medicine, OB-Gynecology, Surgery, Pediatrics, and Radiology.

“ l ourdes Hospital is 75 years old now, and a pillar in the healthcare industry,” said Paul Richard t. C amangian, Our l ady of l ou rdes Hospital’s President and CEO. “We are a proud member of the Metro Pacific Health network and a committed partner to our patients’ lifelong health-care needs. We cater to patients from every sector including the marginalized sector.”

Replacement of hospitals destroyed by war

tHE h ospital was founded as a 50-bed, three-story hospital by Dr. Basilio J. Valdes, a Major General in the Philippine a r my, and Dr. and Mrs. Carlos Casas. l o urdes Hospital was established primarily to augment the requirement for medical facilities, most of which were destroyed during World War ii t hen a rchbishop of Manila Most

Reverend Michael J. O’Doherty, inaugurated the hospital on July 15, 1948.

Dr. Valdes became the first Medical Director, while Dr. Casas was appointed Hospital a d ministrator. Joining them were four sisters from the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS).

Dr. and Mrs. Casas relinquished ownership of the hospital when it was sold to SSpS in November 1957. Sr. i r mingarda Feld, SSpS, was appointed hospital administrator, Dr. Valdez remained medical director, and Dr. Casas became his assistant medical director.

Turning point

aF t ER more than six decades, the SSpS sisters finally decided to turn over the management of l o urdes hospital to East Manila Hospital Managers Corp. (EMHMC). SSpS and EMHMC entered into a long-term lease agreement

allowing EMHMC to manage and handle the day-to-day operations of l o urdes Hospital. EMHMC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Metro Pacific Health Corporation.

“We saw the need to review our mission and vision statements and our values because they were no longer attuned to the sign of the times,” said Camangian. “ i n our new mission statement, for example, we highlighted that l ourdes Hospital is a community of professionals sharing expertise in delivering safe, holistic, and innovative people-focused care.”

On the other hand, the vision statement indicated that l ourdes Hospital is the preferred institution that provides “professional and service excellence.” t he patients are our topmost priority. We will never compromise on that. We don’t just provide health-care service, we make health care accessible by providing reasonably priced services. t h e new values included compassion and innovation.

Camangian adds, “a s o ur way of spreading the word about our new mission, vision, and values among our doctors and staff, we launched the a l agang l ou rdes Campaign the first week of a pr il 2023. a l agang l o urdes is a service culture hinged on three propositions: alagang may puso, alagang tapat, and alagang abotkaya. it i s important that our doctors and staff imbibe this so that we will be able to deliver the care that our patients deserve as well

Makati Medical Center launches Outpatient Surgical Suite

as improve their experience.”

CSR campaign tO c elebrate O l l H ’s 75th anniversary, the hospital launched “ t he One Big Mission” corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaign. a s t he hospital pays it forward to the community, l o urdes Hospital will conduct a series of medical and surgical missions, community outreach programs in identified barangays and provinces, bloodletting with partner institutions and local government units, and a recycling program called “Resiklo l o urdes.”

t h is is a yearlong activity, and they have programs scheduled every month. t h ey kicked off the activity with medical missions in January and February. i n M arch, they had the a d opta-Patient program where they gave a free gallstones surgery, and last month, they launched the Resiklo l o urdes program.

t h e yearlong activities will culminate in the hospital-wide “Paskong l o urdes” celebration in December.

“We all know what happened three years ago,” said Camangian. “People are going back to see their doctors and get themselves checked. t h ey now realize the importance of keeping healthy during these uncertain times, and we are just grateful to our patients for trusting l ourdes Hospital with their health and healing. t h is is our commitment to the nation and Filipino families, and this is what we do best day in and day out.”

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Pfizer partner to expand access to next generation sequencing-based testing for cancer patients

PF i z ER and t he rmo Fisher Scientific i n c. (NYSE:

t M O) recently announced that they have entered into a collaboration agreement to help increase local access to nextgeneration sequencing (NGS)based testing for lung and breast cancer patients in more than 30 countries across l a tin a me rica, a f rica, the Middle East and a s ia where advanced genomic testing has previously been limited or unavailable. a c cess to local NGS testing can help to provide faster analysis of genes associated, empowering health-care providers to select the right therapy for that individual patient.

Cancer is a leading cause of death globally, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, or around one in six deaths. Breast and lung cancer are the leading types of cancer diagnosed and are responsible for almost 4.5 million deaths worldwide. By 2040, t he global burden for cancer is expected to grow to 27.5 million new cancer cases and 16.3 million cancer deaths.

Identify local labs

U N DER t he agreement, t he rmo Fisher will identify local labs that will be using the company’s NGS technology and ensure they have the necessary infrastructure, trained staff, and quality control measures to meet industry standards for NGS testing services for b reast and lung cancer. Pfizer will explore ways to enable affordable patient access for NGS testing for these types of cancer and work to raise health-care provider awareness regarding the benefits of advanced testing. t he t wo companies will continue to evaluate opportunities to expand geographically and t o expand testing for other types of cancer.

a ny one facing a cancer diagnosis should have access to cuttinge dge testing that can match them with an appropriate, optimized treatment plan and be better informed their care. to day, we aim to bring rapid NGS testing to an increased number of decentralized labs, closer to where patients a re treated,” said Gianluca Pettiti, executive vice president at t he rmo Fisher Scientific. “We are moving

one step closer to delivering precision insights to underserved patients so they can receive a more t ailored path for their care no matter where they are in the world.”

“ t he m ore we understand the complex science behind cancer, the better we can treat it. Our experience has taught us that cancer cannot always be treated with a b road brush and often requires an individualized approach based on precise disease characteristics,” said Nick l a gunowich, Pfizer Global President of Emerging Markets. i n m any parts of the world, access to next-generation sequencing may be limited or unaffordable for cancer patients. t h is program aims to improve their treatment journey and help increase their chances for improved outcomes.”

Targeted therapies

Si NG l E ge ne testing has historically been used to match patients w ith appropriate targeted therapies. However, this can be a time i ntensive process if sequential tests are needed and there may not be enough tissue to run every test— which may require additional bi -

opsy procedures. a s m ore targeted therapies are available that can be matched through a broader set of genomic markers, next-generation sequencing is quickly replacing sequential, single biomarker tests. By s creening a single tumor tissue or blood sample for multiple biomarkers simultaneously, NGS can provide clinical teams with rapid and a ctionable genomic insights to help inform precision oncology treatment decisions for eligible patients. a retrospective observational real-world data study looked at newly diagnosed stage i V nonsmall cell lung cancer patients and found outcomes such as apparent survival and time to next treatment were significantly compromised if actionable mutations were identified after systemic treatment was i nitiated (e.g. chemotherapy and immunotherapy).

However, when treatment was initiated based on molecular results, patients experienced better ou tcomes compared to patients who were treated prior to receiving molecular results, supporting the need for rapid molecular testing to inform better treatment decisions.

Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed)

launched its newest facility, the Outpatient Surgical Suite (OSS) last month. t h e OSS is set to handle minor surgeries that do not require general anesthesia and is equipped with three Operating Rooms, offering more affordable procedures.

t h e introduction of the OSS is aimed at decongesting the hospital’s Emergency Room (ER) and surgical suites.

a t t he ER, medical teams can now focus on providing care for critical patients. Our surgery suites can now focus on major surgeries. t h is OSS will help de-clog both areas and enable us to provide affordable but quality healthcare and pro -

cedures for our patients.” said MakatiMed President & CEO, a t ty. Pilar Nenuca P. a l mira during the facility’s inauguration.

MakatiMed’s Chair of the Department of Surgery, Dr. Jaime S.D. Songco expressed that, “ i am confident that with our collaborative efforts, we can continue to strengthen our health system to be at par with global standards, and will translate into better health outcomes for all patients that we serve.”

t h e OSS will play a major role in MakatiMed’s capability to respond to patient needs, making it an essential facility for the hospital. For inquiries, you may contact the OSS at (+632) 8888 8999 local 7020.

PEOPl E with diabetes are some of the most prone to Covid-19 and its more recent strains. However, with proper nutrition, the risk of both can be reduced or prevented.

Covid-19 and its omicron variant xbb.1.16 are contributing to the increase in the number of Covid cases this 2023. i n a bulletin issued on May 8, 2023 by the Department of Health on their web site, it shows that new Covid-19 cases in the Philippines have risen to 112% leading up to the first week of the month of May.

t h e increase in Covid cases can be concerning since it is known that the virus itself can increase risks of severe illness of individuals already suffering pre-existing conditions like diabetes.

i n a s tatement, the a m erican Diabetes a s sociation said that “ i n g eneral, people with diabetes are more likely to have more severe symptoms and complications when infected with any virus.”

With that said, and the lack of an effective cure for both illnesses, medical experts agree that the best way to deal with these conditions is through prevention. t hus, it all goes back to fortifying the body’s immune system with proper nutrition.

So, what can you do to strengthen your immune system?

t h ere are steps you can take to boost your immunity by following good health guidelines such as:

n Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables

n Exercising regularly

n Maintaining a healthy weight

n Getting adequate sleep

n tr ying to minimize stress

Maintaining proper nutrition ranks high on the list because this practice enables the body’s immune system to effectively ward off unwanted elements like virus, and harmful bacterias. But how does nutrition boost the

immune system?

t h e complex, integrated immune system needs multiple specific micronutrients, significant positive impact on immune functions:

Vitamin A— Helps reverse adverse effects on immune functions, improves antibody response to vaccines

Vitamin C— Helps produce antibodies against bacteria or foreign proteins

Vitamin D— Helps restore immune function of macrophages that detect harmful organisms

Vitamin E— Helps improves overall immune function

Zinc— Has beneficial effects to intestinal immune functions

Getting ample amounts of these micronutrients helps boost your immune system, which is your bodies’ first line of defense against Covid. However, the vitamins and minerals that we get from food are, oftentimes, inadequate. to c omplete nutritional gaps for optimal immunity, # tr eatYourselfWell with the much-needed vitamins from Diabetasol. t h is brand of nutrition powder is complete with calcium, fiber, 11 vitamins, and six minerals; and is ideal for diabetics and a great choice for those who want to prevent the diabetes risks. it a lso comes in three delicious flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and cappuccino.

With Diabetasol, you get the nutrients that you need to maintain optimal immune functions and maintain your blood glucose level.

For more information on how you can # tr eatYourselfWell, follow Diabetasol Nutrition Philippines on Facebook at https://web.facebook.com/DiabetasolNutritionPhils to k now your diabetes risks, take the Diabete st here: https://diabetest.pages. dev/home?fbclid=IwAR1QQuDqmpWhSD cBBib7mxWEoxp2diluj0kA5F M-xhPjqDnhAPEt769aOC4

Ou R Lady of Lourdes Hospital’s President and CEO Paul Richard T. Camangian describes the hospital as a pillar in the healthcare industry.

People with diabetes, Covid-19 need to strengthen their immune system

T H E ribbon cutting ceremony was led by, from left to right, MakatiMed Medical Services Director Dr. John Vincent G. Pastores; Medical Director Dr. Saturnino P. Javier; President & CEO Atty. Pilar Nenuca P. Almira; Chief Nursing Officer Eda Bernadette P. Bodegon and Head of the Surgery Department, Dr. Jaime S.D. Songco.

Ou R Lady of Lourdes Hospital celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.