BusinessMirror May 29, 2024

NETANYAHU SAYS DEADLY ISRAELI STRIKE IN RAFAH THE RESULT OF ‘TRAGIC MISTAKE’

www.businessmirror.com.ph

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has clarified that six employees are being investigated for irregularities regarding the alleged “ghost” employees.

In an official statement, the BSP said six employees are being investigated for irregularities. Of the six, two are supervisors being questioned regarding the alleged four “ghost” employees.

Initially, a source told reporters that the investigation on alleged “ghost” employees only included four BSP staff members in the offices of two Monetary Board Members (MBMs).

(See: https://businessmirror.

com.ph/2024/05/24/are-thereghost-employees-at-the-bspprobe-underway/)

“The BSP is sharing the following information to clarify and respond to recent news reports on six employees on the staff of certain Monetary Board members,” BSP said.

“We hope this clarifies, within the bounds of confidentiality and fairness due to ongoing proceedings, the steps the BSP has taken since first receiving reports on the issue, to ensure that any erring employee will be held accountable,” it added.

The BSP also began an investigation in October 2023 after

receiving “credible information” from the Office of the General Counsel that several staffers of two MBMs did not report for work for extended periods of time despite receiving their salaries as BSP employees.

The central bank submitted an initial report on the investigation to the Office of the General Counsel, which advised the central bank to conduct an in-depth investigation on the matter in December 2023.

The BSP said that its investigation team submitted the final investigation report in January 2024, which named the four employees and their

two immediate supervisors. The report was signed by the Office of the General Counsel.

Between late February and early March, BSP said four employees and one direct supervisor implicated in the report tendered their resignation.

Further, BSP said administrative disciplinary cases were filed in March 2024 before the effectivity of their separation.

“The irregularities appear unprecedented in an organization that upholds integrity and professionalism at all levels. The BSP remains committed to upholding

See “Ghost,” A

RATE HIKE, COSTLY FUEL TO TRIM GROWTH–BSP

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE rate hikes implemented by the Monetary Board will continue to affect the country’s growth and peak in the second semester of the year, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

In its Monetary Policy Report, BSP said high interest rates, along with expensive fuel, could also temper domestic demand. Consumption accounts for 70 percent of the country’s GDP growth.

The slowdown in Household Final Consumption Expenditure (HFCE) in the first quarter to 4.6 percent was blamed for the slower GDP growth of 5.7 percent in the first three months of the year. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2024/05/10/ spending-cutbacks-to-continue-say-experts/)

“Domestic economic activity could ease as the effects of previous policy interest rate adjustments and declining real incomes, along with the possibility of tepid global growth, temper aggregate demand,” BSP said.

Nonetheless, the BSP said, stronger net exports and improvements in global growth could support GDP growth. This will still make the government’s growth targets achievable this year.

The BSP expects global growth to be faster at 3.2 percent in 2024, better than the 3.1 percent expected in February 2024. For next year, the outlook for global growth is expected to remain unchanged at 3.2 percent.

“Economic growth could settle below the DBCC’s target of 6 to 7 percent for 2024 and 6.5-7.5 percent for 2025,” BSP said. “Stronger net exports amid an improving global growth outlook could support GDP growth.”

Other factors that could support See “Rate hike,” A

DEEPFAKE MORE IN USE FOR SOCIAL ENGINEERING TACTICS

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio

DEEPFAKE technology is increasingly being utilized to enhance the effectiveness of social engineering tactics, thus posing new challenges for cybersecurity.

According to David Rajoo, Senior Systems Engineer, JAPAC Cortex Systems Engineering, the most recognizable AI-generated content in the Philippines that they have recently seen is the emergence of deepfaked videos impersonating media personalities, who

are then used as endorsers for certain products. As AI becomes more accessible, he told the BusinessMirror in an email interview, they expect AI-based attacks to become even more sophisticated and harder to assess in the future.

“Our Unit 42 researchers have observed cybercriminals leveraging AI to amplify social engineering attacks, making phishing emails and voice calls more convincing and harder to detect. Moreover, AI enables attackers to accelerate and scale

See “Deepfake,” A

Luzon grid placed anew on red, yellow alert by NGCP

THE Luzon grid was once again placed under red and yellow alerts on Tuesday after the grid’s unavailable capacity reached  3,963.3 megawatts (MW).

A red alert status is issued when power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand and the transmission grid’s regulating requirement. The red alert took effect from 2pm to 4pm and from 8pm to 10pm.

A yellow alert is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement. This was set to take effect from 1pm to 2pm, 4pm to 5pm, 6pm to 8pm, and from 10pm to 11pm.

The National Grid Corporation

of the Philippines (NGCP) recorded 12,669MW of available capacity in Luzon as against a peak demand of 12,228MW.

Three power plants are still on forced outage since 2023, three between January and March 2024, and 12 power plants between April and May 2024; while 10 are running on derated capacities.

Several factors contributed to the raising of red and yellow alerts. These are the forced outage of the Ilijan (600MW), Pagbilao 1 (382MW), 2 (382MW), & 3 (420MW), QPPL (460MW) plants; emergency shutdown of San Lorenzo 50 (265MW); deration Sual

See “NGCP,” A

‘Budget reforms’ OK in ’24 to curb underspending risk

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto @reine_alberto

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is looking to have its budget reforms passed this year to ensure no risk of government underspending.

Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said, at the Philippine Economic Briefing on Monday, that the DBM expects the Public Financial Management (PFM) reforms, including the Cash Budgeting System (CBS) and the National Government Rightsizing Program (NGRP) to be passed this year.

The CBS shall promote operational efficiency and fiscal discipline among agencies by prescrib-

the country’s growth this year and next year includes improvements in labor market conditions and faster investment growth.

BSP also expects infrastructure spending to remain stable and drive productivity nationwide. This will also improve the country’s GDP growth outlook.

ing a strict timeline for the obligation, implementation, and payment period for government programs and projects.

The NGRP, meanwhile, aims to streamline the operations of government agencies, rightsize their organizational structure and workforce complement, improve interoperability in government agencies, and eliminate functions, programs, and projects that are already redundant, overlapping, or no longer necessary.

“We hope to pass all of these by this year,” Pangandaman said.

Pangandaman described the ratification of the Bicameral Report on the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA) on May 22 as a “crucial step” to address underspending as

Peso outlook

MEANWHILE, the BSP expects the peso to weaken but will remain within the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) assumption of P55 to P58 to the greenback in 2024 and 2025. Earlier, analysts and economists told BusinessMirror that the weakness of the Philippine peso may lead to higher food and oil costs in the Philippines.

Ateneo de Manila University

this institutionalized the conduct of early procurement activities.

“Agencies can already bid out their projects by the time we issue the National Expenditure Program to Congress. By the time we have our General Appropriations Act, they can already award the same,” Pangandaman said.

The Budget chief also announced that the DBM has released more than 80 percent, or exactly 86 percent or P4.96 trillion, of the P5.768-trillion national budget.

“So we expect by now, all or even most of the projects are already bid out and ready for implementation,” Pangandaman added.

Digitalization MEANWHILE, she also under-

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

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

scored the value of digitalizing the bureaucracy to also curb government underspending.

The total digitalization budget amounted to P64.6 billion for 2024, higher by 159.1 percent than the P24.93-billion budget allotted last year.

“We expect those amounts will increase efficiency in terms of government spending,” Pangandaman said.

Last year, the government agencies lagged in executing their budgets, resulting in underspending.

“The agencies were able to provide catch-up plans by the third and fourth quarter,” Pangandaman said.

The 2024 budget was already prepared by the Cabinet secretaries with their priority projects and programs included in this year’s budget, according to the budget chief.

“So with that, they will actually implement those projects on time,” she said.

inflation places a downward pressure on the currency “as the demand for the Philippine peso declines”

(See: https://businessmirror. com.ph/2024/05/23/food-oilcosts-could-rise-on-peso-decline/)

“The revised peso outlook for 2024 and 2025 reflects the recent peso depreciation and narrowing interest rate differentials with the US, given market expectations of smaller interest rate reductions by the US Federal Reserve in 2024,” the BSP said.

Oil prices

THE BSP also expects crude oil spot prices to near $90 per barrel for the remainder of 2024 before falling to an average of $85 per barrel in 2025 as global oil production picks up.

In the latest report, the BSP said Dubai crude prices are expected to average $83.69 per barrel in 2024, higher than the initial estimate of $77.53 per barrel in February.

For 2025, the central bank said Dubai crude prices could average $79.11 per barrel, which is also higher than the initial forecast of $73.47 per barrel in February.

“Scenarios of various outturns for world oil prices ranging from $80-$130 per barrel were also simulated. These assume that global oil prices are sustained at the stated levels starting June 2024,” BSP explained.

“Holding all things constant, inflation is seen to breach the 2 to 4 percent target range if the average price of Dubai crude oil exceeds $125 per barrel in 2024 and $95 per barrel in 2025,” it added.

Earlier, gasoline prices increased by P0.55 per liter while diesel and kerosene prices will go down by P0.95 per liter and P1.10 per liter, respectively.

Petron, Shell, Caltex, Total, Unioil, Seaoil, PTT, Phoenix said they will adjust their prices at 6a.m. of Tuesday, April 23. Cleanfuel, for its part, will bring down its prices at 12:01 a.m.

These domestic pump adjustments are attributed to the lingering factors of geopolitical conflict in the Middle East, particularly the IsraelHamas, which might spread to include Iran. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2024/04/22/expect-mixed-price-adjustmentsin-oil-prices/)

1, Sual 2, Limay 4, Limay 8 plants; and high forecasted demand.

The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) said it has started coordinating with customers enrolled under the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) for their de-loading commitments to help ease the demand.

“The continued participation of our big-load customers proves to be very beneficial in managing the current supply situation. They collectively de-loaded around 300 MW [Monday], helping minimize rotational power interruptions despite the hours-long Red Alert that started at 1:00 p.m.,” Meralco spokesperson and head of corporate communications Joe R. Zaldarriaga said.

The Luzon grid was also placed on red and yellow alerts last Monday.

Monday’s supply deficiency prompted Meralco to implement manual load dropping (MLD) that lasted around 20 minutes to an hour starting 8:31 p.m., affecting around 100,000 customers, mostly in parts of Bulacan. All services were restored by 10 p.m.

“With the Luzon Grid still on Red Alert today, we are still ready to implement MLD if needed as

their assaults, identifying vulnerabilities and critical assets with unprecedented speed and efficiency,” he said.

Rajoo said fighting deepfakes will require strategies and defenses that go beyond traditional IT security measures, especially as algorithms become increasingly honed to bypass traditional defenses. This, he added, makes it more challenging to thwart more sophisticated attacks.

He said the government, organizations, and the general public need to be aware of this emerging threat and take proactive steps to mitigate its risks. Public awareness, therefore, is an integral step to educating citizens on how to recognize and critically evaluate potentially manipulated content.

“Given the nature of these attacks, prioritizing verification and fact-validation becomes the primary defense strategy. It is essential to not only educate the public on verifying the authenticity of online content, but to also promote the overall utilization of verified sources. As it becomes increasingly challenging to identify AI-backed content, support from both government and businesses is important,” Rajoo said.

“We’ve seen that the government has recognized the growing perils of this type of attack, with the country’s DICT [Department of Information and Communications Technology] issuing a warning. With this development, materializing a concrete regulatory framework becomes even more crucial as the manipulation potential of deepfakes continues to expand. The government, as well as private and public organizations, must proactively collaborate with tech companies and social media platforms to develop

part of our responsibility to manage the system,” Zaldarriaga said Tuesday.

Zaldarriaga also encouraged the public to continue practicing energy efficiency to help in electricity demand-side management.

Meanwhile, Meralco continues to restore electricity service in areas hit by Typhoon Aghon.

“As of 6:00 a.m. today, May 28, affected customers are already down to 17,000 out of the more than 1.7 million who were hit by either momentary or sustained power interruptions. Most of the affected customers are in Quezon, Laguna, while the rest are in parts of Batangas, Cavite, Metro Manila, Rizal, and Bulacan,” Meralco said.

The Visayas grid, meanwhile, was placed on yellow alert from 2pm to 4pm. as available capacity stood at 2,904MW and peak demand at 2,532MW.

According to the NGCP, one plant has been on forced outage since 2022, two since 2023, one between January and March 2024, and 17 power plants between April and May 2024; while four are running on derated capacities, for a total of 587.1MW unavailable to the grid.

The yellow alert is due to the unavailability of Luzon to export to Visayas and high forecasted demand, added NGCP.   Lenie Lectura

solutions for detecting and flagging deepfakes and fake information,” Rajoo added.

As cybersecurity is constantly evolving, Rajoo warned that threats perpetrated by the bad actors are increasing significantly. According to the company’s latest study,  there was a 49-percent year-over-year rise in multi-extortion ransomware attacks globally from 2022 to 2023. He underscored the need to stay vigilant, regardless if it’s election season or not, given this persistent threat.

To enhance resilience, he urged public and private organizations to prioritize key measures: maintaining an incident response plan, ensuring visibility across all attack surfaces, leveraging AI and automation, implementing Zero Trust network architecture, and securing cloud infrastructure. Rajoo said partnerships among industry, government, and civil society are also crucial for sharing threat intelligence and fostering cybersecurity innovation.

“As the attack landscape rapidly evolves with AI, organizations and individuals can face challenges in keeping up to date. However, staying alert is key to mitigating the impact of these attacks. We are already witnessing the short-term effects, such as disinformation campaigns and deepfakes, particularly notable in regions like the Philippines. Looking ahead, there is a need to remain cautious of AI’s role in refining tools like reconnaissance and spear phishing, alongside the emergence of AI-powered security co-pilots,” he said.

As bad actors’ methods evolve, Rajoo said it is crucial that every part of the ecosystem—government, public and private sector, security vendors, and individuals—remain vigilant in the fight against cybersecurity-related risks and continue to monitor the development of these trends.

that,” the statement read. The BSP also assured the public that the operations of the Monetary Board was not affected by the investigations.

In response to speculation that vacancies may occur that would affect the board’s operations, the

7-member board can continue to perform most of its duties provided there is a 4-member quorum and the rest of its duties such as granting emergency loans, with five members.

“We are constrained from commenting further on the Monetary Board members because they are presidential appointees,” BSP added. Cai U. Ordinario

Hontiveros: No witch hunt, no racism in Pogo probe

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

SEN. Risa Hontiveros assured that the ongoing Senate investigation on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (Pogo) “is not [meant to be] an attack on Filipinos of Chinese heritage,” stressing that “my own maternal great-grandmother was pure Chinese.”

Reminding that the revelations about Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Tarlac, came out “after evidence of her complicity in Pogo-related crimes,” Hontiveros said: “At ang ibang ebidensya galing mismo sa kanyang mga salita. [Some evidence were elicited from her statements].”

She indicated the ample proof that have been gathered against the Pogos in the Senate’s recent inquiry.

Marami nang ebidensya ang nalikom laban sa mga [A lot of evidence had been gotten against the] Pogo[s] sa huling walong [in the last eight] hearings ng aking komite [of my committee],” Hontiveros said, indicating that “among them is the proliferation of fake [Philippine] identification documents from PhilHealth IDs to passports.”

Moreover, she stressed that “this just shows how Chinese Pogo syndicates have managed to obtain fraudulent Filipino identities through corrupt individuals in our government agencies,” noting: “at ang malala kay [and worse in the case of] Mayor Guo, as she is a public servant.”

At the same time, the chief Senate investigator also reminded: “ Huwag din nating kalimutan na ang  [Let us not forget that the] Pogo  sa munisipalidad ni  [in the town of] Mayor  ay may ’di umanong  [had allegedly a] hacking  at [and] surveillance activities,” as he also noted that: “Considering China’s aggressive influence operations around the world, it would be remiss of the Senate not to look into this angle.” Sen. Hontiveros also indicated: Marami pang gustong ibunyag ang ilang government agencies  tungkol sa Pogos,  na kanilang gagawin sa executive session  bago ang susunod na public hearing.”

She also reminded: “ Sa gitna ng lahat ng ito inuulit ko ang paalala ko na hindi kailanman magiging katanggap - tanggap ang  racism, xenophobia  at  Sinophobia. Regardless of our heritage, all law-abiding citizens should not be the subject of hate and discrimination.”

She added: “This is not a witch hunt. This is not about politics. This is about national security, criminal activities, accountability in public service, the rights and welfare of women and children, and the structural failure of our system to regulate Pogo as a business model.”

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

and television industries are now assured of safe working conditions after President Marcos signed Republic Act 11996 or the “Eddie Garcia” Law, named after the actor Eduardo Verchez Garcia, who died from a neck and spine injury after he tripped and fell during a shooting

Beyond remittances, invest in PHL’s growth–PBBM to OFW

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called on overseas Filipino workers (OFW) to play a bigger role in the country’s economic growth by making local investments.

The chief executive made the appeal during his meeting with the Filipino community at the BRIDEX International Convention Centre, Jerudong in Brunei on Tuesday evening.

“Things are looking up for the economy. Aside from remittances from our OFWs, I also encourage you to someday return, and invest, and set up your own business at home and in the Philippines,” Marcos said.

He noted the economy will continue to grow as the government modernizes the agricultural sector.

“By building infrastructure, improving market linkages of our farmers, our farmlands will yield not only crops, but also opportunities that create ripples of positive effects throughout our nation,” the President said.

Aside from roads and bridges, he said his administration will prioritize establishing efficient means of transportation to improve mobility nationwide and the constructing more power plants, which produce renewable energy.

“Infrastructure will remain a very high priority as it helps drive growth and it helps drive employment,” Marcos said.

Among the priority transportation projects of the Marcos administration is the P170-billion contract to upgrade the Manila International Airport, which was awarded to the consortium led by the San Miguel Corporation (SMC) earlier this year.

The project is expected to be completed in 15 years.

“When you return to the Philippines, we hope to also welcome you to a new and upgraded Manila International Airport...” the President said.  He noted these developments are already attracting more investors in the country.

Citing data from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), he said the government has approved P1.26-trillion worth of investments last year, which he said, shows the growing confidence of investors to the Philippine economy.

SC grants DOJ bid, moves Quiboloy trial to QC court

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

THE Supreme Court’s Second Division on Monday approved the recommendation of the Office of the Court Administrator to grant the request of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to transfer the venue of the sexual and child abuse cases against Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and five others from the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Davao City to the RTC in Quezon City.

In a statement issued through the SC-Public Information Office (PIO), the Court’s Second Division stressed that the order was pursuant to its constitutional power to order a change of venue to avoid a miscarriage of justice.

The Court said it found compelling reasons to allow the transfer of venue of the cases as these involve public interest, considering that

Quiboloy is a well-known religious leader who remains influential in the province.

“As this could cause local biases and a strong possibility that witnesses cannot freely testify due to fear and influence of the accused, the Court found it prudent and judicious to order the transfer of the cases to Quezon City,” the SC said.

Subsequently, the Court directed the Branch Clerk of Court of Branch 12, RTC in Davao City to forward the entire records of the said cases to the Office of the Executive Judge of the Quezon City RTC, within three days from notice.

The Court also directed the executive judge of the RTC in Quezon City to raffle off the cases, upon receipt of the case records, among the judges in the station for immediate resolution of the cases.

Likewise, the Court directed judges in Davao City and in other stations in Mindanao where future

related cases involving Quiboloy and his co-accused may be filed to motu proprio order the transmittal of the records to the Office of the Clerk of Court of the RTC in Quezon City RTC and Metropolitan Trial Court in Quezon City, as the case may be.

In his letter to the SC dated April 4, 2024, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla requested the transfer of venue of the cases, “considering: (1) the significance of the subject cases extends beyond the local context, touching on broader national policies, public interest, and security concerns; and (2) the preservation of integrity of the proceedings as there is a likelihood of local biases potentially affecting the trial’s impartiality in Davao City.”

Aside from the sexual abuse and child abuses, Quiboloy is also facing a qualified human trafficking case before the Regional Trial Court in Pasig. Quiboloy’s co-respondents in the

three separate cases are Jackielyn Roy, Cresente Canada, Paulene Canada, Ingrid Canada and Sylvia Cemañes. Warrants of arrest have already been issued against Quiboloy who is facing indefinite detention once he is arrested considering that the qualified human trafficking case is a non-bailable offense.

The religious leader, a known ally and spiritual adviser of former President Rodrigo Duterte, is now considered a fugitive for his refusal to surrender.

The two criminal cases were filed by one complainant—a then 17-yearold  former member of KOJC.

Aside from the child abuse and qualified human trafficking cases, Quiboloy has also been indicted in the US for sex trafficking along with two co-defendants identified as Teresita Tolibas Dandan and Felina Salinas.

The US government has yet to seek Quiboloy’s extradition in connection with the said case.

Six people reported killed as Aghon moves away

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

THE Office of the Civil Defense said at least six people have been reported killed during the onslaught of Typhoon Aghon.

Of the six, only one fatality—a 14-year-old girl from Northern Mindanao has been confirmed so far. Five of the six have been reported in the Calabarzon Region but this is yet to be confirmed.

On Monday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that seven people were injured as the typhoon ravaged the Calabarzon region. A total of 19,373 persons or 8,465 families were affected from four regions.

It enhances the labor protection of the said workers, which will be stipulated in their mandated employment contracts with their employers or principals. The contract includes not only non-discrimination provisions and a grievance mechanism, but also regulates the work hours of the covered workers to eight hours per day, which can be extended to a maximum of 14 hours. It cannot exceed more than 60 hours per week.

The covered workers will also be entitled to not less than 10-hours of rest period, overtime pay, and night shift differential.

The typhoon also caused the immediate evacuation of more than 5,000 persons who were taken to 81 different evacuation centers. Since Saturday, heavy rains induced by Aghon caused flooding in 13 areas in the Mimaropa and Eastern Visayas regions and damaged several houses.

Meanwhile, floods, landslides, and power outages were reported in different parts of the country amid the onslaught of Aghon.

Aghon, the first severe weather disturbance to hit the country this year, maintained its strength as it accelerated northeastward away from Luzon, the country’s state weather bureau reported.

In its weather bulletin issued at 11 a.m. on May 28, the Philippine

They will also be paid not less than the applicable minimum wage in the region where they were hired, and be given transportation services or allowances, mandatory social security coverage, and free insurance for workrelated accidents or deaths in every movie and television productions.

The concerned employers and principals are required to provide adequate and nutritious meals, drinking water, toilet and sanitary facilities, dressing rooms, holding areas, accommodations, and safety officers to their workers.

RA 11996 also contain provisions for the continuing skills upgrading, reskilling and training of the covered workers and the protection of their intellectual property in case they

Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that the center of the typhoon was spotted 450 kilometers east southeast of Basco, Batanes.

It is moving northeastward at 20 kmh and was packing maximum sustained winds of 130 kmh near the center, with gustiness of up to 160 kmh.

Typhoon Aghon is unlikely to directly bring significant amount of rainfall within the next three days as it continues to move away from the Philippine Area of Responsibility.

However, Pagasa said the Southwesterly Windflow will bring moderate to heavy rains over Western Visayas and the western portion of

will perform in a movie or television production.

It also reiterates that movie and television workers are also covered by the RA 11058 of the Occupational Safety and Health Law and RA 9231 or the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

Violation of the new law, will be fined up to P100,000 for the first offense; up to P200,000 for second offense; up to P500,000 for third and succeeding offenses.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is tasked to come up with the implementing rules RA 11996 within 90 days from its effectivity.

RA 11996 was signed by the President on Friday last week and will take

Central and Southern Luzon in the next three days.

Meanwhile, with the lifting of all hoisted wind signals, possible impacts from severe winds of Aghon within the forecast period are becoming unlikely. The gale warning for coastal waters has also been lifted, although Aghon will bring moderate to rough seas over the coastal waters of Cagayan, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes, where mariners of motorbancas and similarly-sized vessels are advised to take precautionary measures while venturing out to sea.

Typhoon Aghon will move generally northeastward over the Philippine Sea and exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Wednesday afternoon or evening.

effect 15 days from its publication in the Official Gazette or in newspapers of general circulation. Meanwhile, senators known to be actors by profession, led by Sen. Robinhood Padilla, as well as descendants of actors hailed Marcos’s signing of the Eddie Garcia Law.

“Like in a movie, we hope we can now all say ‘cut’ to the woes of our workers in the entertainment industry with the signing of the law honoring the late Eddie Garcia,” Padilla said.

The new law should usher an end to the unfair, unsafe, unsustainable and pervasive poor working conditions of the industry workers, Padilla said.

“Ang ating mga manggagawa sa likod ng entablado o kamera ay mahalaga.

“Upon full operations, the [investment] projects are expected to produce 49,030 jobs for Filipinos,” Marcos said.

He hopes Filipinos will also contribute to the inflow of investments.

P.

SC suspends judge, clerk of court

THE Supreme Court  en banc  on Tuesday ordered the preventive suspension of a Pasay City judge and an acting branch clerk of court for their alleged involvement in a P6 million bribery in exchange for a favorable judgment in a civil case.

The Court imposed a 90-day suspension of Judge lbert T. Cansino of Branch 108 of the Regional Trial Court in Pasay City and his acting branch clerk of court, Mariejoy P. Lagman, pending resolution of the administrative proceedings initiated against them by the SC.

The two were allegedly caught accepting the bribe money during an entrapment operation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) last week.

Following their arrest, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo ordered Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva to submit a report on the incident.

In his report to the Court  en banc , Villanueva said, the operation against the two was prompted by an anonymous complaint sent to the Judicial Integrity Board (JIB) through email.

After the NBI verified the information, the entrapent operation was set using five marked P1,000 bills and about P6 million in “boodle money.”

During the operation, authorities also confiscated a copy of the order bearing the judge’s signature on the civil case.

Aside from the administrative proceedings, the judge and the court employee are facing criminal investigations before the Department of Justice (DOJ). Joel R. San Juan

Walang bida sa pelikula kung wala sila,” the senators noted, reminding that “Sa pag-unlad ng industriya, kasama dapat sila na nababayaran ng sapat, may proteksyon sa trabaho at may oportunidad na lalong maging mahusay.”

“We will always be grateful to one the Philippines’ greatest actors, Eddie Garcia, who has now become a symbol of the fight for the entertainment workers’ rights and welfare,” the senators added.

They agreed that “great creative work is made when our workers are not worried about their safety and their families’ next meal.”

Showbiz personality Sen. Jinggoy Estrada sponsored the measure as chairman of the Senate labor committee.  With Butch Fernandez

WELCOME ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman, Brunei Darussalam. SCREENGRABVIAYOUTUBE.COM/RTVMALACANANG

Samuel

Medenilla

Three pacts signed with Brunei during FMJr visit

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday announced the signing of three new bilateral agreements with Brunei, including a tourism-related deal to help the country attract more Bruneian tourists.

In his departure speech at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, the chief executive said the Philippine-Brunei Darussalam Memorandum of Understanding

(MOU) on Tourism Cooperation will help boost tourist arrivals and tourist receipts.

“Through this MOU, we hope to entice and attract Bruneian

tourists to explore the Philippines. [With] Brunei, despite having a relatively small population, it is the quality of tourists and not the quantity that counts,” Marcos said.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) refers to “quality tourists” as those who are big spenders when they travel.

In its latest visitor arrival data, DOT said 2,318 tourists from Brunei visited the country from January to April.

Last year, 6,639 tourists arrived in the Philippines from the Southeast Asian country from January to December.

The new tourism MOU will also support Islamic tourism and the promotion of Muslim friendly

destinations.

Maritime and food cooperation

ALSO signed was an MOU, which updated the country’s 2001 pact with Brunei for the Mutual Recognition of Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) certificates of seafarers.

It allows both countries to recognize the seafarers-related certificates issued by the focal government agencies.

The third MOU which allows the Philippines and Brunei to cooperate on wide-ranging areas including pollution, skills training, research  and information sharing, was also signed.

Marcos stressed the importance of Manila’s maintaining

defense cooperation with Bandar Seri Begawan due to the close proximity of both countries.

Aside from the three MOUs, a Letter of Intent (LOI) was also signed for the renewal of another MOU on food security and agricultural cooperation.

The LOI underscores the interest of the Philippines and Brunei to collaborate on food security and sustainable agriculture.

More agreements

DURING his meeting with Brunei’s Sultan, Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, the President said he hopes there will be more PhilippineBrunei agreements.

“We hope to expand the partnerships that we have begun and

we feel that there is much potential that we can examine,” Marcos told the Sultan.

The Sultan said he hopes the future partnership will also cover more economic matters as well as people-to-people exchanges.

“I’m looking forward to further enhancing our friendship in areas of future interest, which I believe will greatly benefit our countries and people,” the Sultan said.

The three MOUs and the LOI were signed after Marcos arrived in Brunei on Tuesday morning to start his two-day state visit. He will leave Brunei on  May 29 to fly to Singapore.

He will deliver the keynote address for this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue to be held in Singapore on Friday.

New trolleys donated to Davao airport

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox

DAVAO CITY—The airport here was given 500 new trolleys to address the complaints of airport users in several social media platforms.

The city government and the Davao Filipino-Chinese MultiSectoral Association turned over 500 brand new luggage trolleys to the Davao International Airport on Monday.

The trolleys were turned over by Mayor Sebastian Duterte; China’s Consul General in Davao, Zhao Xiuzhen; and Johnny Tan, president of

the Davao Filipino-Chinese Multi-Sectoral Organization. They were accompanied by local leaders of other FilipinoChinese associations and Christian Cambaya, head of the Davao City Promotion and Investment Center Unit.

Rex Obcena, area center manager of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, accepted the trolleys on behalf of the CAAP.

Obcena thanked Duterte for facilitating the donation and also the Chinese community “for heeding the call of the public and stepping in to help.”

Obcena said that the “future turnover of the airport’s man-

agement to the city, the wait for a truly world class city-managed Davao International Airport will not be for long.” The Davao airport will now be managed by an airport authority after the Congress passed in 2019 Republic 11457 creating the Davao International Airport Authority. It was signed by then President Rodrigo Duterte into law.

He said the local government recognizes the merits of economic partnership and people-to-people exchange born out of mutual respect and understanding of foreign cultures.

“This is not only for the city but also for the entire Davao Region as this is the only functioning airport in Region XI,” he added.

Duterte also asked the Department of Transportation “to fast track the turnover of the management of the airport to the Davao International Airport Authority [DIAA].”

Duterte said the donation was the “shared effort of the local government and the private sector” and “the help from the Filipino-Chinese community could not come at a more fortunate time especially since the city has been positioning itself as a major tourism and investment hub in the country.”

PHL on ‘best performing reg’l markets’ list for arrivals–travel expert ForwardKeys

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

THE Philippines is among the best performing regional markets in terms of international arrivals as more airline seats into the country become increasingly available.

In his presentation in Macau at the recent conference of the Pacific Asia Travel Association on Air Travel Trends and Outlook for Asia Pacific, ForwardKeys Director for Intelligence and Marketing Olivier Ponti said the best regional markets in Asia Pacific in the first quarter of 2024, were Vietnam, with international arrivals exceeding the same period in 2019 by 13 percent; followed by India (+1 percent); and the

Philippines,  Australia, and Thailand each at 3-percent less than 2019.

This developed as other markets made up for the slow rebound in Chinese arrivals in the Philippines. Department of Tourism (DOT) data from January to May 25 this year showed arrivals from China reaching 164,065, or 88.6 percent higher than the 86,980 arrivals in January to May 31, 2023. However, this was 77.6 percent less than the 733,769 who arrived in the same period in prepandemic 2019.

Total international arrivals reached 2.47 million from January 1-May 25 this year, just 29-percent behind the 3.5 million who arrived in 2019.

Topping the list of source markets was South Korea, from which there were  659,180 visitors, 16-percent less than the same period in 2019. It was followed by the United States at

385,499 (-18.4 percent than 2019); China; Japan at 154,026 (-45.4 percent); Australia at 108,700 (-12.2 percent); Canada at 98,425 (-14.1 percent); Taiwan  at 91,055 (-29.4 percent); the United Kingdom at  70,976 (-24 percent); Singapore at  61,259 (-5.7 percent); and Germany at  40,448 (-19.3 percent).

High airfares to Asia persist THE DOT has been pinning hopes of a Philippine tourism recovery on Chinese travelers arriving in the same numbers as 2019, when they reached 1.74 million. Earlier, Dragon Trail International’s Chinese Traveler Sentiment Report of April 2024 showed the Philippines not among the top travel destinations of Chinese tourists, who prefer countries with relaxed visa policies.  (See, “Balancing Act,” in

Sara asks SC to junk suits over P125-M ‘confi’ funds

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

VICE President Sara Duterte through her counsel, former Solicitor General Estelito Mendoza, has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to dismiss the three petitions seeking to declare as unconstitutional the transfer of the amount of P125 million by the Office of the President (OP) to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for use as confidential funds in December 2022.

Mendoza served as solicitor general, minister of justice and Pampanga governor, sometimes in concurrent capacity from 1972 until 1986 during the incumbency of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., father of the present President.

In a 16-page consolidated comment, Mendoza argued that there is no “justiciable controversy” in the petitions that would warrant the Court’s exercise of its power of adjudication.

The petitions, according to Mendoza, do not allege that Duterte exercised “grave abuse of discretion, much less any discretion” in the release of the Contingent Funds for use as confidential funds of the OVP.

“Indeed, the mandate of the Honorable Court does not include the duty to answer all of life’s questions. No question, no matter how interesting or compelling, can be answered by this Court if it cannot be shown that there is an ‘actual and antagonistic assertion of rights by one party against the other in a controversy wherein judicial intervention is unavoidable,” Mendoza pointed out.

The former solicitor general stressed that the need for case or actual controversy before the Court could exercise its judicial

power is mandated under Article VIII (Judicial Department), Section 1 of the Constitution.

The said provision states: “Judicial power includes the duty of the courts of justice to settle actual controversies involving rights which are legally demandable and enforceable, and to determine whether or not there has been a grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the party of any branch or instrumentality of the government.”

The allegations of the petitioners, according to Mendoza, do not show actual controversy involving rights, which are legally demandable and enforceable as required by the Constitution.

He added that the petitioners also failed to show that they will suffer or have suffered any concrete injury resulting from the alleged act committed.

Mendoza said the petitioners simply made a blanket allegation that they are taxpayers or concerned citizens but without the constitutional requirement of justiciability.

“In many cases, the court rejected similar arguments as the petitions above. Clear as day, the Calleja, Monsod and ACT Teachers do not reflect any actual case of controversy nor is there any showing that the petitioners have sustained hardship or adverse injury from the act they complain of,” he added.

Mendoza also reminded the SC of the courts’ policy to avoid ruling on constitutional questions and “to presume that that the acts of the political departments are valid, absent a clear and unmistakable showing to the contrary.”

The subject of the three petitions is Republic Act 11639 or the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2022, which was the existing

budget at the time Marcos Jr. and Duterte won the presidential and vice  presidential elections.

Upon evaluation of the projects proposed by the OVP, the Department of Budget and Management gave favorable recommendation to the OP.

The DBM identified that the funds to be released to the VP would come from the Contingent Funds under Special Provision 1 of the GAA.

Following the recommendation of the DBM, the President granted the release of the funds to the OVP to cover funding requirements for its programs.

On December 31, 2022, the DBM issued to the OVP a SARO to cover financial assistance and confidential funds.

However, the petitioners argued that the transfer of P125 million Contingent Funds from the 2022 GAA to the OVP to be used as confidential funds was unconstitutional.

The petitioners pointed out that confidential fund allotments for the OVP were not included in the 2021 and 2022 national budgets.

Petitioners added that the transfer of funds from the OP to the OVP, was an exercise of legislative power, thus, a violation of Article VI, Section 1 of the 1986 Constitution which provides that legislative power belongs to the Senate and House of Representatives.

The petitioners also accused the respondents of consenting to the circumvention of auditing rules and accountability when they allowed the use of Contingent Fund of the OP for the OVP’s confidential fund through a SARO.

They stressed that the public respondents unlawfully exercised broad discretion to determine where the funds will go.

Sen. Jinggoy weighs in against divorce

THE second ranking Senate leader on Tuesday also weighed in against the divorce bill, which last week hurdled the House plenary in a close vote that was questioned by both the sitting and a past Senate President.

“I have been and still am not in favor of legalizing divorce in our country. Instead of pushing for an absolute divorce law, which is proscribed by the Constitution, perhaps a bill with a well-defined ground for nullifying a marriage would be a much welcomed alternative,” Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said in a statement shared with media.

“In fact, I filed a bill during the 15th Congress defining certain indications of psychological incapacity

as a ground for the declaration of nullity of marriage.  Imbes na divorce, bakit hindi na lang natin pag-aralan kung paano mas katanggap-tanggap at mapapagaan ang proseso ng pagkuha ng annulment ng kasal [Instead of divorce, why don’t we just study how to make more acceptable and less burdensome the process of getting an annulment]?” Estrada added. His views echo those of Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, who told the Kapihan sa Senado last week that personally, he would rather lawmakers and policymakers make more affordable and less daunting the existing process of annulling marriages. Escudero also noted the close vote in the House of Representatives,

which, he noted, could be a basis for anti-divorce blocs to continue questioning the measure.

Separately, former Senate President Vicente Sotto III also twitted the House on social media for “adjusting” the numbers the following morning, ostensibly to enter a correction after an error in the count was detected.

Former House deputy majority leader Lito Atienza also twitted the variable counts in the House, saying it signalled the desperation of divorce proponents in ramming through the bill. Besides Escudero and Estrada, another known opposer of the divorce bill in the Senate is Sen. Joel Villanueva, whose father, Bro. Eddie Villanueva, cast a “no” vote in last week’s House voting. Butch Fernandez

the BusinessMirror, May 18, 2024.) Meanwhile, ForwardKeys data showed Asia Pacific still the laggard in terms of international airline seat capacity, with just 87 percent of firstquarter 2019 levels. In Southeast Asia, in particular, the Philippines is in midrecovery with airline seats into the country at 78 percent of 2019 capacity, just slightly ahead of Indonesia at 72 percent. Singapore topped the region, having recovered 89 percent of 2019 seats; followed by Vietnam at 88 percent, along with Thailand and Malaysia at 80 percent each. As airline seat capacity into the

region remains limited, “airfares to Asia persist above prepandemic levels despite downward trend,” as per actual flights booked from January to April 2024, said Ponti.

More flying new-gen aircraft HE also noted the rising importance of sustainability by many international carriers, with 31 percent of “new-gen aircraft” flying to the Philippines in 2023, up 25.5 percentage points from 2019. New-generation aircraft are those produced in 2008 and onwards, and require less fuel to fly, or use sustainable aviation fuel. Of

all international flights last year, 45 percent were new-gen aircraft which flew to Singapore, 29.9 percentage points more than in 2019, followed by India at 39 percent, up by 29.9 percentage points.

Booked tickets as of April 27 indicated that total inbound arrivals for the second quarter this year will be 13 percent behind 2019 levels, and 3-percent less than 2019 for the summer season (July-August). For Asia Pacific specifically, arrivals will be 24-percent less than 2019 for the second quarter this year, and 12-percent lower than 2019 for summer.

Cabangon donates San Lorenzo Ruiz statue to Knights of Columbus

THE Knights of Columbus St. Lorenzo Ruiz Council No. 7344 of the Binondo Chinese Parish of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary celebrated their 45th anniversary at the Citystate Tower Hotel in Ermita, Manila, on May 18, 2024.

The event was honored by the presence of His Eminence Jose F. Cardinal Advincula, DD, who led the celebration of the Holy Mass.

In his remarks, Grand Knight Henry S. Go thanked all attendees and reflected on the theme “Building a Legacy of Faith, Unity, and Service,” highlighting the enduring values upheld by the Knights of Columbus.

D. Edgard A. Cabangon, Chairman of the ALC Group of Companies, presented a 3-foot statue of San Lorenzo Ruiz. The council, led by Grand Knight Henry S. Go, graciously accepted the statue, noting that Grand Knight Go is also a fellow Rotarian of Cabangon in the Rotary Club of Manila, the oldest Rotary Club in Asia.

In his address, Cabangon reflected on the life and martyrdom of San Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint, whose faith and dedication to the Catholic Church serve as an inspiration to all, especially to the Knights of Columbus. He highlighted Ruiz’s fearless stand for his beliefs, aligning with the Knights’ mission to boldly live out their faith.

Cabangon shared a personal anecdote, intertwining the Cabangon family’s journey with San Lorenzo Ruiz’s path to sainthood.

In 1980, Pope John Paul II beatified Lorenzo Ruiz in Manila, an event that deeply impacted his father, Ambassador Antonio L.

Cabangon Chua. “My dad regarded the beatification day as the first true spiritual experience of his life, one of the greatest events he had ever attended,” Cabangon shared.

Inspired by this event, Ambassador Cabangon Chua committed to promoting the canonization of San Lorenzo Ruiz. “My father was tasked by Cardinal Sin with promoting its goals, including spreading knowledge and devotion to Beato Lorenzo Ruiz for his canonization. Realizing there was no image of Beato Lorenzo, my father commissioned a statue, believing a Filipino hero deserved a tribute by a Filipino artist.”

Ambassador Cabangon Chua commissioned a statue by Filipino artist Florante “Boy” Caedo. The statue, standing 23 feet high on a 7-foot pedestal, was unveiled and blessed by His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin on September 26, 1981, at Eternal Gardens in Baesa, Caloocan, Philippines. This statue, along with smaller versions commissioned by Ambassador Cabangon Chua, has been instrumental in spreading knowledge and devotion to San Lorenzo Ruiz.

“My father actively promoted the adoration of the first Filipino Saint by commissioning smaller versions of this statue for donation to churches, offices, and friends. Cardinal Sin received a hundred statues of Blessed Lorenzo Ruiz. One of these statues found its permanent home at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, where it was enshrined on October 25, 2023, marking another significant moment for Filipino Catholics.”

Cabangon encouraged attendees to embrace the mission of the Knights of Columbus and to contribute, in their own way, to spreading God’s teachings and supporting the Church. Each person, through small gestures or significant actions, can play a part in furthering the mission of the Knights of Columbus and honoring the legacy of San Lorenzo Ruiz, he said.

Undersecretary Margaux Salcedo of the Department of Budget and Management, also the Editor-in-Chief of Dominus Est, graced the event as well, emphasizing the transformative power of faith. “Faith, as you may know, must be the root of our existence. It is only when we are rooted in faith, that we can grow and blossom and bear fruits that are proof of God’s glory. It is only when we are anchored in faith that we can find inner strength and even inner peace amidst life’s most turbulent storms. And it is also only when we are rooted in faith that our service—even as lay persons—begins to have any meaning,” Salcedo said.

Ramoncito A. Ocampo, Past Luzon South State Deputy Emeritus, shared that the chapter is close to his heart, noting that both their chapters bear the name of St. Lorenzo Ruiz. He praised the chapter’s steadfast dedication to its initiatives and activities, such as organizing monthly free medical and dental missions, contributing to charitable causes, and participating in tree planting efforts. Ocampo urged chapter members to persist in their endeavors, emphasizing the importance of their ongoing contributions.

May 29, 2024

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

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

NO.ESTABLISHMENT

1 BANDAI NAMCO PHILIPPINES INC.

Phase 2A, Block 1, Lot 2, JP Rizal Ave., Lima Technology Center, San Lucas, City of Lipa, Batangas

2 BANDAI NAMCO PHILIPPINES INC.

Phase 2A, Block 1, Lot 2, JP Rizal Ave., Lima Technology Center, San Lucas, City of Lipa, Batangas

3 BANDAI NAMCO PHILIPPINES INC.

Phase 2A, Block 1, Lot 2, JP Rizal Ave., Lima Technology Center, San Lucas, City of Lipa, Batangas

4 CSCO (PHILS) CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Area D, DSJ Bldg., Centennial Road, Tabon I, Kawit, Cavite

5 GLARION TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

6 LEADWAY TRAVEL CONSULTANCY CORPORATION

Ground Floor, Paseo De Bacoor, Molino III, City of Bacoor, Cavite

7 MERIT LEGEND SOLUTIONS INC.

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

8 MERIT LEGEND SOLUTIONS INC.

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL, POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

IMAMURA, FUMIHIKO

General Manager

Brief Job Description:

Overall management of purchasing, warehouse and import/export activities

YANG, KI DUNG

General Manager

Brief Job Description:

Overall management of various divisions such as quality assurance and project engineering

MASUDA, RIKIYA

Management Trainee

Brief Job Description:

Mentor, coach and guide on business strategy to all production managers

WU, LIN

Marketing Manager/Translator

Brief Job Description:

Coordinator/Translator for Chinese client & project owners / Translator of work plans, tender documents & other written documents, Chinese to English & vice-versa, in-charge for preparation & implementation of company marketing scheme & strategic plans

Must have bachelor’s degree in administration or any

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Must have a bachelor’s degree in engineering or any

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Must have a bachelor’s degree in administration or any

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Ability to understand & analyze trends & deep understanding of the wide variety of making a channel, highly developed organizational & planning skills, time Mgt., strong business acumen skills / Maturity & ability to work effectively with oral & written both English & mandarin language

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

EI EI PHYO

Myanmari Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

EKWEM, FRANKLIN NNAOMA

Sales Representative

Brief Job Description:

Attend cultural group meetings of African Community in the Philippines to discuss products and services

ZHOU, JIA

Chinese - Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

CHEN, LUJIE

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Manage

9

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

CHEN, XIANGKUI

Chinese

Brief

CUI, JIANHUA

Chinese

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite FEI, SHUANG

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Able to speak, read and write Chinese and Myanmari language

Salary Range:

Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Ability to work collaboratively and build strong working relationship

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Able to speak, read

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

20 MERIT LEGEND SOLUTIONS INC.

Myanmari Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite HTU LANE

Myanmari Customer Service Representative

Able to speak, read and write Chinese and Myanmari language

21 MERIT LEGEND SOLUTIONS INC.

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite KYAW SOE HAN

Myanmari Customer Service Representative

Brief

22 MERIT LEGEND SOLUTIONS INC.

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite NANG HLA KHIN

Myanmari Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description:

23 MERIT LEGEND SOLUTIONS INC.

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite NANG HLA MOE HTWE

Myanmari Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NANG KHAM YONE

24 MERIT LEGEND SOLUTIONS INC.

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

25 MERIT LEGEND SOLUTIONS INC.

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

26 MERIT LEGEND SOLUTIONS INC.

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Myanmari Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NANG LAIN KHAN

Myanmari Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

HANG, VAN PHA

Vietnamese - Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Covelandia

Covelandia

Covelandia

SOLUTIONS INC.

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Able to speak, read and write Chinese and Myanmari language

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Able to speak, read and write Chinese and Myanmari language

Salary Range:

Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Able to speak, read and write Chinese and Myanmari language

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

CONG VU

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

34 MERIT LEGEND SOLUTIONS INC.

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

35 MERIT LEGEND SOLUTIONS INC.

NGUYEN, DINH KIEN

Vietnamese

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite NGUYEN, HUU KHA

NGUYEN, THI THU

Vietnamese

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Brief

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Editor: Angel R. Calso

Wednesday, May 29, 2024 A9

Severe storms leave 22 dead, massive blackouts in central and southern US

By Bruce Schreiner & Julio Cortez

The Associated Press

ASERIES of powerful storms swept over the central and southern US over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, killing at least 22 people and leaving a wide trail of destroyed homes, businesses and power outages.

The destructive storms caused deaths in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kentucky and were just north of an oppressive, early season heat wave setting records from south Texas to Florida.

Forecasters said the severe weather could shift to the East Coast later Monday and warned millions of people outdoors for the holiday to watch the skies. A tornado watch was issued from North Carolina to Maryland.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who earlier declared a state of emergency, said at a Monday press conference that five people had died in his state. The fifth death was a 54-year-old man who had a heart attack while cutting fallen trees in Caldwell County in western Kentucky, the governor’s office said.

The death toll of 22 also included seven deaths in Cooke County, Texas, from a Saturday tornado that tore through a mobile home park, officials said, and eight deaths across Arkansas.

Two people died in Mayes County, Oklahoma, which is east of Tulsa, authorities said.

The injured included guests at an outdoor wedding.

The latest community left with shattered homes and no power was the tiny Kentucky town of Charleston, which took a direct hit Sunday night from a tornado that the governor said appeared to be on the ground for 40 miles (64 kilometers).

“It’s a big mess,” said Rob Linton, who lives in Charleston and is the fire chief of nearby Dawson Springs, hit by a tornado in 2021. “Trees down everywhere. Houses moved. Power lines are down. No utilities whatsoever— no water, no power.”

Further east, some rural areas of Hopkins County hit by the 2021 tornado around the community of Barnsley were damaged again Sunday night,

said county Emergency Management Director Nick Bailey.

“There were a lot of people that were just getting their lives put back together and then this,” Bailey said. “Almost the same spot, the same houses and everything.”

Beshear has traveled to the area where his father grew up several times for ceremonies where people who lost everything were given the keys to their new homes.

The visits came after a series of tornadoes on a terrifying night in December 2021 killed 81 people in Kentucky.

“It could have been much worse,” Beshear said of the Memorial Day weekend storms. “The people of Kentucky are very weather aware with everything we’ve been through.”

More than 400,000 customers across the eastern US were without power Monday afternoon, including about 125,000 in Kentucky. Twelve states reported at least 10,000 outages earlier in the day, according to PowerOutage.us.

The area on highest alert for severe weather Monday is a broad swath of the eastern US, from Alabama to New York.

President Joe Biden sent condolences to the families of people who died. He said the Federal Emergency Management Agency is on the ground conducting damage assessments and he has contacted governors to see what federal support they might need.

Harold Brooks, a senior scientist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, said a persistent pattern of warm, moist air is to blame for the string of tornadoes over the past two months.

That warm moist air is at the northern edge of a heat dome bringing temperatures typically seen at the height of summer to late May.

The heat index—a combination of air temperature and humidity to indicate how the heat feels to the human body— neared triple digits in parts of south Texas on Monday. Extreme heat was also forecast for San Antonio and Dallas.

In Florida, Melbourne and Ft. Pierce set new daily record highs Monday. Both hit 98 ° F (36.7 ° C). Miami set a record high of 96 F (35.5 ° C) on Sunday. (Schreiner reported from Louisville, Kentucky.

The Associated Press reporters Acacia Coronado in Austin, Texas, and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

It’s been a grim month of tornadoes and severe weather in the nation’s midsection. Tornadoes in Iowa last week left at least five people dead and dozens injured. Storms killed eight people in Houston earlier this month. The severe thunderstorms and deadly twisters have spawned during a historically bad season for tornadoes, at a time when climate change contributes to the severity of storms around the world. April had the second-highest number of tornadoes on record in the country.

Tropical storm floods villages, cuts power to 30 million people in Bangladesh, India

By Julhas Alam The Associated Press

DHAKA, Bangladesh— The weakening tropical storm Remal flooded dozens of coastal villages and left nearly 30 million people without power Monday in southern Bangladesh and eastern India. At least 10 people died in Bangladesh. About 3.7 million people along the coast were affected, said Bangladesh’s junior minister for disaster management and relief, Mohibbur Rahman. More than 35,000 homes were destroyed and nearly 115,000 were damaged. Nearly 800,000 people were evacuated from vulnerable areas on Sunday. Bangladesh, a delta nation of nearly 170 million people, has a history of violent storms. Disaster preparedness programs have upgraded the capacity to

tackle natural disasters, resulting in fewer casualties. Changing climate patterns have increased storms’ intensity, making preparations more urgent. Remal weakened after making landfall in Bangladesh’s Patuakhali district early Monday, with sustained winds of 111 kilometers (69 miles) per hour. India’s Meteorological Department said it was likely to weaken throughout the day, but warned of heavy showers over Assam and other northeastern states for the next two days. India’s Kolkata airport reopened after being shut Sunday. Bangladesh shut the airport in the country’s second largest city, Chattogram, and canceled all domestic flights to and from the coastal district of Cox’s Bazar. Loading and unloading at Chittagong seaport was halted. Strong rain and winds battered

the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka. Many roads were submerged. Authorities ordered all government officials to stay at their stations until the situation improved. Aid agencies said they deployed thousands of volunteers in Rohingya refugee camps and other affected areas to provide emergency support. Bangladesh has sprawling camps housing more than 1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar in Cox’s Bazar. In India’s West Bengal state, thatched roofs on houses were blown away and electric poles and trees were uprooted in some coastal districts. Heavy downpours inundated streets and homes in low-lying areas of Kolkata. All schools in the region were closed until further notice.

AP video journalist Al-emrun Garjon contributed to this report.

15.

16.

17.

Brief

18.

Brief

4.

5.

6. WANG, ZAIRUI Chinese Consultant

Brief Job Description: Overseeing projects to address issues and needs. Collaborating with the management and staff to understand their needs.

AB LEISURE EXPONENT, INC.

7. ZHAO, QIMIN Mandarin System Engineer Brief Job Description: Network management, software and hardware maintenance, server monitoring, and sang for equipment management

Basic Qualification: College graduate. With previous work experience in a similar role.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 Php 59,999

San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

8. JANE OLIVAN, ANTONIO Construction Manager

Brief Job Description: Oversee & direct construction project from conception to completion.

19. SUN, XUESONG IT Specialist

Brief Job Description: Regularly evaluating our IT systems to ensure they meet the necessary demands.

20. ZHAO, YONGKUN IT Specialist

Brief Job Description: Regularly evaluating our IT systems to ensure they meet the necessary demands. Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin language, and with good communication skills, both written and verbal. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

AVANZADO OUTSOURCING SERVICES CORP. U-501 Prestige Tower Condominium, F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

21. GAN, ZIYU Admin Supervisor

Brief Job Description: Manage a team of administration professionals to achieve operational objectives.

22. CHEN, FENGHUA Production Supervisor

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree holder and at least 10 yrs. of experience in the construction field, managing

Basic Qualification: Can speak, write and type in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Creates and revises systems and procedures by analyzing operating practices, record-keeping systems, forms of control, and budgetary and personnel requirements, and implementing change. Basic Qualification: Can speak, write and type in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

23. JIAN, YUXI Project Manager

Brief Job Description: A project manager is accountable for planning and allocating resources, preparing budgets, monitoring progress, and keeping stakeholders informed throughout the project lifecycle. All of this takes place within the framework of achieving a company’s goals and achieving their vision.

24. PENG, CHUANHU Support Service Manager

Brief Job Description: Determine service level objectives based on support requirements, author-related policies, and procedures, and use metrics-based management strategies.

CHEC CONSTRUCTION (PHILS.) CORP. 9th Floor Ore Central Tower, 31st St. Cor. 9th Ave. Bonifacio

Of Taguig

25. AO, CHANGXIANG Mandarin Deputy Project Manager Brief Job Description: Shall lead and direct administrative project team. Execute

61.

62.

BusinessMirror

64.

65. QIAO, MAOBIAO Power Steel Consultant

Brief Job Description: To be consulted in production technicalities on machine operation and management.

66. XU, QINGYIN Product Specialist

and Korean/ Chinese/Japanese languages for international transaction.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Develop strategies and to be consulted of formulating new innovations. Basic Qualification: Skilled language required are English and Korean/ Chinese/Japanese languages for international transaction. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

67. WANG, BILAN Product Specialist

Brief Job Description: Develop strategies and to be consulted of formulating new innovations. Basic Qualification: Skilled language required are English and Korean/ Chinese/Japanese languages for international transaction.

BusinessMirror

BusinessMirror

Netanyahu says deadly Israeli strike in Rafah the result of ‘tragic mistake’

By Melanie Lidman, Tia Goldenberg & Samy Magdy The Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel—Prime

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that a “tragic mistake” was made in an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah that set fire to a camp housing displaced Palestinians and, according to local officials, killed at least 45 people.

The strike only added to the surging international criticism Israel has faced over its war with Hamas, with even its closest allies expressing outrage at civilian deaths. Israel insists it adheres to international law even as it faces scrutiny in the world’s top courts, one of which last week demanded that it halt the offensive in Rafah.

Netanyahu did not elaborate on the error. Israel’s military initially said it had carried out a precise airstrike on a Hamas compound, killing two senior militants. As details of the strike and fire emerged, the military said it had opened an investigation into the deaths of civilians.

Sunday night’s attack, which appeared to be one of the war’s deadliest, helped push the overall Palestinian death toll in the war above 36,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and noncombatants in its tally.

“Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night there was a tragic mistake,” Netanyahu said Monday in an address to Israel’s parliament. “We

are investigating the incident and will obtain a conclusion because this is our policy.”

Mohammed Abuassa, who rushed to the scene in the northwestern neighborhood of Tel alSultan, said rescuers “pulled out people who were in an unbearable state.”

“We pulled out children who were in pieces. We pulled out young and elderly people. The fire in the camp was unreal,” he said.

At least 45 people were killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and the Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service. The ministry said the dead included at least 12 women, eight children and three older adults, with another three bodies burned beyond recognition.

In a separate development, Egypt’s military said one of its soldiers was shot dead during an exchange of fire in the Rafah area, without providing further details. Israel said it was in contact with Egyptian authorities, and both sides said they were investigating.

An initial investigation found that the soldier had responded to an exchange of fire between Israeli

forces and Palestinian militants, Egypt’s state-owned Qahera TV reported. Egypt has warned that Israel’s incursion in Rafah could threaten the two countries’ decades-old peace treaty.

The UN Security Council scheduled an emergency closed meeting for Tuesday afternoon on the situation in Rafah at the request of Algeria, the Arab representative on the council, two council diplomats told The Associated Press.

Rafah, the southernmost Gaza city on the border with Egypt, had housed more than a million people—about half of Gaza’s population—displaced from other parts of the territory. Most have fled once again since Israel launched what it called a limited incursion there earlier this month. Hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid tent camps in and around the city.

Elsewhere in Rafah, the director of the Kuwait Hospital, one of the city’s last functioning medical centers, said it was shutting down

and that staff members were relocating to a field hospital. Dr. Suhaib al-Hamas said the decision was made after a strike killed two health workers Monday at the entrance to the hospital.

Netanyahu says Israel must destroy what he says are Hamas’ last remaining battalions in Rafah. The militant group launched a barrage of rockets Sunday from the city toward heavily populated central Israel, setting off air raid sirens but causing no injuries.

The strike on Rafah brought a new wave of condemnation, even from Israel’s strongest supporters.

The US National Security Council said in a statement that the “devastating images” from the strike on Rafah were “heartbreaking.” It said the US was working with the Israeli military and others to assess what happened.

French President Emmanuel Macron was more blunt, saying “these operations must stop” in a post on X. “There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians.

UN report says education, social safety nets vital for Asia to grow rich, cope with aging

By Elaine Kurtenbach Ap Business Writer

TOKYO—As economies in Asia and the Pacific slow and grow older, countries need to do more to ensure that workers get the education, training and social safety nets needed to raise incomes and ensure social equity, a United Nations report said Tuesday.

The report by the International Labor Organization said that growth in productivity has slowed, hurting incomes and undermining the purchasing power of the region’s 2 billion workers. By improving productivity, governments can boost incomes and better prepare for the aging of their work forces, the report said.

Two in three workers in the region were in informal employment in 2023, such as day labor, lacking the kinds of protections that come from formal jobs.

“The lack of job opportunities that meet decent work criteria, including good incomes, not only jeopardizes social justice in the region, but it also presents a risk factor for the labor market outlook,” the report said.

Showing the potential for improvement, labor productivity grew at an average annual rate of

4.3 percent in 2004-2021, helping to raise incomes per worker in terms of purchasing power parity, which compares standards of living in different countries using a common currency, to $15,700 from $7,700. But it has slowed in the past decade, the report said, hindering progress toward greater affluence. It highlighted various challenges, especially unemployment among young people not in school, which is more than triple the adult rate, at 13.7 percent.

Increasing use of artificial intelligence and other automation technology will cause some people to lose their jobs, it said, with

women engaged in clerical and information technology work most likely to be affected as companies roll back their reliance on offshore call centers that have provided good quality jobs in countries like the Philippines and India.

Other factors such as trade disputes and political turmoil threaten to disrupt jobs in some industries, but aging poses an even bigger challenge, as countries grow old before they become affluent.

The ratio of people in Asia aged older than 65 to those 15–64 years old is projected to double to nearly a third by 2050 from about 15 percent in 2023, the ILO report says.

In places like Japan, shorthanded employers have moved to alleviate work loads by using robots and computerized ordering in restaurants, cutting hours and installing self-checkout machines.

The report noted that a key reason why some countries face labor shortages despite having ample numbers of unemployed or underemployed workers is a mismatch between jobs and skills and education.

“The region still has huge potential for upskilling, productivity improvements and efficiency gains, which can alleviate demographic pressures on the labor market,” it said.

The report noted that more than a third of workers in the region have educational levels too low for their occupations, compared with 18 percent of workers in high-income countries.

Among other findings: People in Asia and the Pacific still work more hours than workers in other regions, at 44 hours per week on average, though that is down from more than 47 hours in 2005.

In 2023, nearly 73 million workers in the region lived in extreme poverty, with daily incomes of less than $2.15 in purchasing power parity per person.

I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire,” he wrote.

The Foreign Office of Germany, which has been a staunch supporter of Israel for decades, said “the images of charred bodies, including children, from the airstrike in Rafah are unbearable.”

“The exact circumstances must be clarified, and the investigation announced by the Israeli army must now come quickly,” the ministry added. “The civilian population must finally be better protected.”

Qatar, a key mediator in attempts to secure a cease-fire and the release of hostages held by Hamas, said the Rafah strike could “complicate” talks. Negotiations, which appear to be restarting, have faltered repeatedly over Hamas’ demand for a lasting truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, terms Israeli leaders have publicly rejected.

The Israeli military’s top legal official, Maj. Gen. Yifat TomerYerushalmi, said authorities were examining the strike in Rafah and that the military regrets the loss of civilian life.

Speaking to an Israeli lawyers’ conference, Tomer-Yerushalmi said Israel has launched 70 criminal investigations into possible violations of international law, including the deaths of civilians, the conditions at a detention facility holding suspected militants and the deaths of some inmates in Israeli custody. She said incidents of property crimes and looting were also being examined.

Israel has long maintained it has an independent judiciary capable of investigating and prosecuting abuses. But rights groups say Israeli authorities routinely fail to fully investigate violence against

Palestinians and that even when soldiers are held accountable, the punishment is usually light.

Israel has denied allegations of genocide brought against it by South Africa at the International Court of Justice. Last week, the court ordered Israel to halt its Rafah offensive, a ruling it has no power to enforce.

Separately, the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders, over alleged crimes linked to the war. The ICC only intervenes when it concludes that the state in question is unable or unwilling to properly prosecute such crimes.

Israel says it does its best to adhere to the laws of war. Israeli leaders also say they face an enemy that makes no such commitment, embeds itself in civilian areas and refuses to release Israeli hostages unconditionally.

Hamas triggered the war with its October 7 attack into Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized some 250 hostages. Hamas still holds about 100 hostages and the remains of around 30 others after most of the rest were released during a ceasefire last year.

Around 80 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have fled their homes. Severe hunger is widespread, and UN officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine.

Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Zeke Miller in Washington, Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Colleen Barry in Rome contributed to this report.

Relations between EU and Israel plummet; Spain, Ireland recognize Palestinian state

By Raf Casert The Associated Press

BRUSSELS—Relations between the European Union and Israel took a nosedive Monday, the eve of the diplomatic recognition of a Palestinian state by EU members Ireland and Spain, with Madrid insisting that sanctions should be considered against Israel for its continued deadly attacks in southern Gaza’s city of Rafah.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Spain that its consulate in Jerusalem will not be allowed to help Palestinians.

At the same time, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell threw his weight to support the International Criminal Court, whose prosecutor is seeking an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, including leaders of the Hamas militant group.

“The prosecutor of the court has been strongly intimidated and accused of antisemitism—asalwayswhenanybody,anyone does something that Netanyahu’s government does not like,” Borrell said. “The word antisemitic, it’s too heavy. It’s too important.”

Spain, Ireland and Norway plan to make official their recognition of a Palestinian state on Tuesday. While dozens of countries have recognized a Palestinian state, none of the major Western powers has done so, and it is unclear how much of a difference the move by Ireland, Spain and non-EU member Norway might make on the ground. The recognition, however, is a significant accomplishment for the Palestinians, who believe it confers international legitimacy on their struggle. Angry words abounded, with Katz

accusing Spain of “rewarding terror” by recognizing a Palestinian state, and saying that “the days of the Inquisition are over.” He referred to the infamous Spanish institution started in the 15th century to maintain Roman Catholic orthodoxy that forced Jews and Muslims to flee, convert to Catholicism or, in some instances, face death.

“No one will force us to convert our religion or threaten our existence. Those who harm us, we will harm in return,” said Katz.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares slammed the comments, and said his colleagues from Ireland and Norway were “also receiving absolutely unjustified and absolutely reprehensible provocations from our Israeli colleague” because of their plans to recognize Palestine.

“In the face of those who want to divide us with any type of intimidating propaganda, the unity of Europeans is essential to send a very powerful message,” he said.

Also on Monday, Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob said his government will decide on the recognition of a Palestinian state on Thursday and forward its decision to parliament for final approval. Slovenia launched the recognition procedure earlier this month, and Golob has been under pressure to speed up the process since Spain, Norway and Ireland announced they would go ahead with recognition.

BorrellsaidtheactionsoftheIsraeligovernment, including plans to stop transferring tax revenue earmarked for the Palestinian Authority, could no longer be reconciled with the idea he had about the state of Israel.

Colleen Barry contributed from Milan and Aritz Parra from Madrid.

PALESTINIANS look at the destruction after an Israeli strike where displaced people were staying in Rafah, Gaza Strip on Monday, May 27, 2024. Palestinian health workers said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 45 people in the area. Israel’s army confirmed Sunday’s strike

Zelenskyy secures air defense missiles from Spain to fight Russian glide bombs

By The Associated Press

MADRID—Ukrainian

President Volodymyr

Zelenskyy on Monday secured from Spain a pledge of additional air defense missiles to help fight the about 3,000 bombs that he says Russia launches every month at Ukraine in the third year of the war.

However, Ukraine still urgently needs another seven US-made Patriot air defense systems to stop Russia hitting the power grid and civilian areas, as well as military targets, with devastating glide bombs that wreak wide destruction, Zelenskyy said.

“If we had these modern Patriot systems, (Russian) airplanes wouldn’t be able to fly close enough to drop the (glide) bombs on the civilian population and the military,” Zelenskyy told a news conference in the Spanish capital.

Glide bombs are heavy Sovietera bombs fitted with precision guidance systems and launched from aircraft flying out of range

of air defenses. The bombs weigh more than a ton and blast targets to smithereens, leaving a huge crater.

Two Patriot systems are needed to protect the northeastern Kharkiv region, where the Kremlin’s forces launched a cross-border offensive on May 10 that left Ukrainian troops reeling, Zelenskyy said. The death toll from a glide bomb attack on a Kharkiv shopping mall Saturday rose to 18, regional Gov Oleh Syniehubov said Monday, with five people still missing.

The Kharkiv push has further strained Ukraine’s already depleted army, which in recent

Uganda rolls out nationwide yellow fever vaccination campaign to protect citizens

By Risdel Kasasira The Associated Press

KAMPALA, Uganda—Uganda has rolled out a nationwide yellow fever vaccination campaign to help safeguard its population against the mosquito-borne disease that has long posed a threat.

By the end of April, Ugandan authorities had vaccinated 12.2 million of the 14 million people targeted, said Dr. Michael Baganizi, an official in charge of immunization at the health ministry.

Uganda will now require everyone traveling to and from the country to have a yellow fever vaccination card as an international health regulation, Baganizi said.

Ugandan authorities hope the requirement will compel more people to get the yellow fever shot amid a general atmosphere of vaccine hesitancy that worries healthcare providers in the East African nation.

The single-dose vaccine has been offered free of charge to Ugandans between the ages of 1 and 60. Vaccination centers in the capital, Kampala, and elsewhere included schools, universities, hospitals and local government units.

Before this, Ugandans usually paid to get the yellow fever shot at private clinics,

for the equivalent of $27. Uganda, with 45 million people, is one of 27 countries on the African continent classified as at high risk for yellow fever outbreaks. According to the World Health Organization, there are about 200,000 cases and 30,000 deaths globally each year from the disease.

Uganda’s most recent outbreak was reported earlier this year in the central districts of Buikwe and Buvuma.

Yellow fever is caused by a virus transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes. The majority of infections are asymptomatic. Symptoms can include fever, muscle pain, headache, loss of appetite and nausea or vomiting, according to the WHO.

Uganda’s vaccination initiative is part of a global strategy launched in 2017 by the WHO and partners such as the U.N. children’s agency to eliminate yellow fever by 2026. The goal is to protect almost one billion people in Africa and the Americas.

A midterm evaluation of that strategy, whose results were published last year, found that 185 million people in high-risk African countries had been vaccinated by August 2022.

In Uganda, most people get the yellow fever shot when they are traveling to countries such as South Africa that demand proof of vaccination on arrival.

months has been fighting Russia’s intense drive deeper into the partially occupied eastern Donetsk region. Zelenskyy said on Sunday that the Kremlin’s army is mustering at another point in Russia, farther north but close to the approximately 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, aiming to stretch Ukraine’s depleted army thinner and crack its resistance in the area.

Zelenskyy and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez signed a bilateral security agreement that allocates 1 billion euros ($1.1 bil-

lion) of military aid to Ukraine in 2024, and 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) by 2027. More Leopard tanks and artillery ammunition also feature in the package.

“After more than two years (of war), Russia’s aggression continues, and that’s why it is more necessary than ever to redouble our support,” Sánchez told the joint news conference.

The Patriot is a surface-to-air guided missile system that was first deployed in the 1980s and can target aircraft, cruise missiles and shorter-range ballistic

missiles. It is expensive but is effective and sought after by armies around the world.

European countries have hesitated to send Patriot systems to Ukraine, fearing they may need them.

Spain’s King Felipe VI earlier welcomed Zelenskyy at the capital’s Barajas airport. Zelenskyy was due in neighboring Portugal on Tuesday.

He had been due to visit Spain earlier this month but postponed all his foreign trips after Russia launched its offensive in the Kharkiv region.

Ukraine has repeatedly tried to strike behind Russian lines, often with drones, though Russia’s response to the new technology used in unmanned vehicles has improved in recent months.

A Ukrainian long-range drone set a new distance record by attacking overnight an early-warning radar in the Russian city of Orsk, some 1,800 kilometers (1,120 miles) from the Ukrainian border, Ukrainian officials claimed.

The operation was conducted by Ukraine’s military intelligence, GUR, an intelligence official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to comment publicly. Ukraine’s previous long-range attack record

was at 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) when a drone struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Bashkortostan on May 9.

It was not immediately possible to verify either claim.

Meanwhile, a Western intelligence assessment suggested that Russia’s Kharkiv offensive has subsided.

“The northern Kharkiv front has likely stabilized with Russian territorial control fragmented and not joined up,” the UK Defense Ministry said Sunday. “Russia’s gains in this axis will be limited in the coming week, as Russia’s initial momentum has been contained by Ukrainian resistance.”

That is in line with Zelenskyy’s claim last Friday that Ukrainian forces have secured “combat control” of areas where Russian troops entered the Kharkiv region.

The onslaught unfolding as the weather improves has brought Ukraine’s biggest military test since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Slow deliveries of support by its Western partners, especially a lengthy delay in US military aid, have left Ukraine at the mercy of Russia’s bigger army and air force.

The Associated Press writer Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Ukraine contributed to this report.

Iran increases stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, watchdog says

By Stephanie Liechtenstein The Associated Press

VIENNA—Iran has further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, according to a confidential report on Monday by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the latest in Tehran’s attempts to steadily exert pressure on the international community.

Iran is seeking to have economic sanctions imposed over the country’s controversial nuclear program lifted in exchange for slowing the program down. The program—as all matters of state in Iran—are under the guidance of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and that likely won’t change in the wake of last week’s helicopter crash that killed Iran’s president and foreign minister.

The report by the International Atomic Energy Agency also comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the wider Middle East over the ongoing IsraelHamas war. Israel and Iran have carried out direct strikes on each other’s territory for the first time last month.

The report, seen by The Associated Press, said that as of May 11, Iran has 142.1 kilograms (313.2 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60 percent—an increase of 20.6 kilograms (45.4 pounds) since the last report by the UN watchdog in February. Uranium enriched at 60 percent purity is just a short, technical step away from weaponsgrade levels of 90 percent. By IAEA’s definition, around 42 kilograms (92.5 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 percent is the amount at which creating one atomic weapon is theoretically possible—if the material is enriched further, to 90 percent.

Also as of May 11, the report says Iran’s overall stockpile of enriched uranium stands at 6,201.3 kilograms (1,3671.5 pounds), which represents an increase of 675.8 kilograms (1,489.8 pounds) since the IAEA’s previous report. Iran has maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, but the IAEA chief, Rafael Mariano Grossi, has previously warned that Tehran has enough uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels to make “several” nuclear bombs if it chose to do so. He has acknowledged the UN agency cannot guarantee that none of Iran’s centrifuges may have been peeled away for clandestine enrichment.

Tensions have grown between Iran and the IAEA since 2018, when then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers. Since then, Iran has abandoned all limits the deal put on its program and quickly stepped up enrichment.

Under the original nuclear deal, struck in 2015, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium only up to 3.67

percent purity, maintain a stockpile of about 300 kilograms and use only very basic IR-1 centrifuges—machines that spin uranium gas at high speed for enrichment purposes.

The 2015 deal saw Tehran agree to limit enrichment of uranium to levels necessary for generating nuclear power in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. At the time, UN inspectors were tasked with monitoring the program.

Monday’s report also said that Tehran has not reconsidered its September 2023 decision to bar IAEA inspectors from further monitoring its nuclear program and added that it expects Iran “to do so in the context of the ongoing consultations between the (IAEA) agency and Iran.”

According to the report, Grossi “deeply regrets” Iran’s decision to bar inspectors—and a reversal of that decision “remains essential to fully allow the agency to conduct its verification activities in Iran effectively.”

The deaths of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian have

triggered a pause in the IAEA’s talks with Tehran over improving cooperation, the report acknowledged.

Before the May 19 helicopter crash, Iran had agreed to hold technical negotiations with IAEA on May 20, following a visit by Grossi earlier in the month. But those meetings fell apart due to the crash. Iran then sent a letter on May 21, saying its nuclear team wants to continue discussions in Tehran “on an appropriate date that will be mutually agreed upon,” the report said.

The report also said Iran has still not provided answers to the IAEA’s years-long investigation about the origin and current location of manmade uranium particles found at two locations that Tehran has failed to declare as potential nuclear sites, Varamin and Turquzabad.

It said the IAEA’s request need to be resolved, otherwise the agency “will not be able to confirm the correctness an completeness of Iran’s declarations” under a safeguards agreement between Tehran and the nuclear watchdog.

The report also said there was no progress so far in reinstalling more monitoring equipment, including cameras, removed in June 2022. Since then, the only recorded data is that of IAEA cameras installed at a centrifuge workshop in the city of Isfahan in May 2023— although Iran has not provided the IAEA with access to this data.

The IAEA said that on May 21, IAEA inspectors after a delay in April “successfully serviced the cameras at the workshops in Isfahan and the data they had collected since late December 2023 were placed under separate Agency seals and Iranians

at the locations.”

UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a joint news conference with Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain on Monday, May 27, 2024. AP/PAULWHITE

A MAN receives a shot of yellow fever vaccine at Kiswa Health Center III in Kampala, Uganda on April 2, 2024. Uganda has rolled out a nationwide yellow fever vaccination campaign to help safeguard its population against the mosquito-borne disease that has long posed a threat. AP

Rising coffee consumption: A path to reclaiming coffee export powerhouse status

COFFEE is one of the world’s most popular beverages. According to the International Coffee Organization, consumption of coffee is increasing even in countries where tea is the beverage of choice. In a report published by ICO in April 2023, it noted that China and Japan were among the countries in Asia and the Pacific that recorded increases in coffee consumption in 2022.

The Philippines is one of the countries in Asia and the Pacific that has seen an exponential rise in coffee drinking. In a statement it released in 2017, the Philippine Coffee Board Inc. noted that consumption was equivalent to only 75,000 metric tons (MT) of beans in 2002. This rose to 170,000 MT in 2017, or more than double the volume recorded 15 years ago.

The jump in demand for coffee necessitated the purchase of beans from other countries, such as Vietnam, where the Philippines has been sourcing a chunk of its bean requirements. For years, farmers from Vietnam and other countries benefited from the steady rise in demand for coffee in the Philippines. And this went on for decades, even though coffee is one of the commodities that can be grown in the Philippines.

Foreign farmers are earning some P7 billion from coffee that the Philippines imports annually. In the last two decades, overseas farmers and traders may have earned some P140 billion from the countr y’s purchases of imported beans. W hile the importation brought in revenues to the government’s coffers in the form of tariffs, these resources were not invested in the development of the coffee sector

Unfortunately, the challenges posed by the climate crisis are now making it more difficult for the world’s traditional sources of coffee to keep up with rising demand. In a Bloomberg report published on May 23, Volcafe said it sees an “unprecedented” fourth year of deficits for robusta beans used in instant coffee as top producer Vietnam continues to face dr y weather The company, considered one of the world’s top coffee traders, noted that poor rainfall in Vietnam has caused irreversible damage” to coffee blossoms, while lower fertilizer use and the expansion of durian trees at the expense of coffee acreage have also affected output.

Because of the shortage, robusta rallied this year with futures traded in London surging to a fresh intraday high above $4,300 in late April, according to the Bloomberg report. In a report it published last year, ICO said the average price of robusta hit a 25-year high of 135.47 US cents per pound in December Countries like the Philippines would have to step up their production if they intend to reduce their reliance on expensive imports and join the ranks of coffee exporters. Reclaiming the countr y’s prev ious status as a coffee exporter may be a tall order, but this is not an impossible dream. (See, “Nescafe program raised coffee output of PHL farmers,” in the BusinessMirror , May 27, 2024) It would do well for the gover nment to buckle down and collaborate w ith the private sector if it is serious about achiev ing its goal of tur ning the Philippines into an export powerhouse by 2028. Commodities, such as coffee, offer opportunities that w ill allow the Marcos administration to realize its dream of w iping out the countr y’s huge agricultural trade deficit in four years.

Luzon Economic Corridor

T(Circulation) 893-1662; 814-0134 to 36. E-mail: news.businessmirror@gmail.com www.news.businessmirror@gmail.com Printed by BROWN MADONNA Press, Inc.–Sun Valley Drive KM-15, South Superhighway, Parañaque, Metro Manila Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua

Mark Villar

THE BUILDER

HE plan sure has geopolitical undertones. And I prefer to leave the other side of that argument to political pundits. But an epic economic development project like the proposed Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) deserves serious discussions.

The LEC is about a new growth corridor infrastructure, jobs, urban decongestion, economic inclusion, green energy and logistics. Those, to me, are the critical factors that justify the building and reshaping of a new economic hub.

The US and Japan will essentially help the Philippines link the ports in Subic, Manila and Batangas and create an industrial area devoid of traffic jams and powered by renewable energy.

The two major supporters of the LEC, aside from the Philippines, provide an insurance that the project will get funding.

The recent trilateral summit of the United States, Japan and the Philippines led to the LEC concept aimed at spurring economic partnerships among the three allies.

LEC is the first project of the USbacked Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment in the Indo-Pacific region. It includes the big ports of Batangas and Manila and the two major economic zones

Cof Subic and Clark. Clark, Manila and Batangas comprise 80 percent of all port traffic nationwide.

The LEC, according to briefing papers, will speed up coordinated investments in high-impact infrastructure projects, such as rail, telecommunications and port modernization. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr naturally is ecstatic about the potential investments in the LEC.

Addressing the 6th Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF) in Tag uig City, President Marcos said upgrading Luzon island’s infrastructure was key in enhancing and empowering the workforce and facilitating the smooth flow of goods and ser v ices.

“We have earmarked key projects to spur growth in the Luzon Economic Corridor, creating strategic connections between Subic, Clark, and the CALABARZON region, a prime location for export-manufacturing firms,” Marcos told the forum.

“T hese init i at ives w i ll en hance freight transpor t ser v ices, mobility

By Jane Zhang & David Ingles

HINA’S domestic AI chipmakers are making fast progress in closing the gap on international leaders, according to SenseTime Group Inc. co-founder Xu Bing.

Asia has a shortage of computation power for artificial intelligence, lagging significantly behind the US, but China has the talent and data to make up lost ground, Xu said in an inter view at the UBS Asian Investment Conference in Hong Kong. SenseTime is one of China’s artificial intelligence pioneers, though it’s been placed on a US investment blacklist as part of sweeping American sanctions curbing the countr y’s advances in AI.

C hi na’s prog ress i n t hi s f ield has been made more difficult by US trade controls preventing the import of Nvidia Cor p.’s advanced AI accelerators. That’s sparked the need for domestic alternatives from the likes of Huawei Technologies Co. and Shanghai Biren Technology Co.,

which are both also subject to US trade restrictions.

“There’s a shortage of resources here in Asia in general,” Xu told Bloomberg’s David Ingles. “It’s like a 10 times gap of the compute resources that we have here compared to the US leaders. But I think Asian markets never lack talent and never lack data.”

SenseTime aims to turn profitable within the next two years, Xu said. It’s raised $6 billion over the past decade and invested a third of that into research and development, including more than $1 billion on AI accelerator infrastructure. Its shares fell as much as 3.7 percent in Hong Kong on Tuesday, extending a week of decline.

“SenseTime Co-founder Xu Bing’s assertion that the company can break

The LEC, according to briefing papers, will speed up coordinated investments in high-impact infrastructure projects, such as rail, telecommunications and port modernization. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. naturally is ecstatic about the potential investments in the LEC.

and access to key econom ic zones, ensuring business cont inuity and posit ion i ng t he Phi l ippi nes as a reg ional hub for ag ribusiness and log i st ics i n t he Asi a-Pac i f ic,” he added.

As in any major economic initiatives, the LEC will require additional power output to run the engines of locators and new business establishments. President Marcos touted the countr y’s renewable energy (RE) potential, citing that there are over 491,821 megawatts of power from sources like geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind that are ready to be harnessed.

The LEC is still in its infancy stage but the support from the proponents is ver y encouraging. Its steering committee members identified priority sectors for engagement and reviewed potential projects and areas of interest.

The LEC plans to support connectivity among Subic Bay, Clark, Mani la and Batangas, as well as facilitate strategic investments in high-impact infrastructure projects, port modernization, clean energy and semiconductor supply chains

Xu said it’s not clear how far China is behind the US now, with some people estimating a year and others three years. But he said the country’s disadvantage in computing power won’t be permanent.

into profit in the next 1-2 years on Bloomberg TV is too opt imist ic. We remain pessimistic about the narrowly focused, sub-scale firm’s chance of entering sustained profitability. With just 4.6 billion yuan net cash on its balance sheet at the end of 2023 we think SenseTime will need to raise new capital during the next 12 months. SenseTime lacks a discernible competitive edge, burning though 4.7 billion yuan cash in 2023,” said Robert Lea and Jasmine Lyu, Bloomberg Intelligence analysts. Xu added that domestic chips in China are catching up quickly and SenseTime is work ing w it h local sem iconductor compan ies to ex-

and deployments. The Philippines this early proposed a freight railway that will connect Subic, Clark Manila and Batangas and the expansion of the Clark International A ir port and the Clark National Food Hub for the economic corridor

The financial component of the LEC, meanwhile, is getting strong support from the US. Amos Hochstein, US special presidential coordinator for global infrastructure and energy security, stressed at a press briefing last week the importance of a thorough feasibility study commissioned by the US Trade and Development Agency.

“Once the [Philippine] government starts looking at putting tenders out and companies are coming to invest, we will then as US government through our different agencies provide financing, debt-equity and political risk insurance and other kinds of financial instruments that the US government has for those investments,” he said. “By reducing transportation costs and connecti ng manu fact uri ng centers w it h export facilities, we aim to create a more attractive environment for businesses.”

I am personally excited over LEC’s potential. It is a shot at decongesting Metro Manila and leads to more infrastructure projects that, in turn, will reduce the cost of goods and services through an efficient transport system.

For feedback e-mail to senatormarkvillar@ gmail.com or visit our web site: https://markvillar. com.ph

pand the compute capabilities that they have. He did not name specific firms, but Huawei has quietly become China’s chip technology development champion, having successfully worked around US curbs to develop its own advanced smartphone processor last year

Xu said it’s not clear how far China is behind the US now, with some people estimating a year and others three years. But he said the countr y’s disadvantage in computing power won’t be permanent.

“Compute is a commodity,” he said. “In the long run, compute won’t be a gap.”

Beside Huawei and Biren, another chipmaker that’s shown promise on the AI front is Moore Threads Intelligent Beijing Co. Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Moore Threads’ chief executive officer in March on a tour of the countr y’s top AI and chipmaking firms, including AI developer Baidu Inc. and chip manufacturing gear maker Naura Technology Group Ltd. Bloomberg

Wall Street moves to fastest settlement of trades in a century

TBy Greg Ritchie

HE US stock market is finally as fast as it was about a hundred years ago.

T hat was t he last t ime sha re trades in New York settled in a single day, as they will from Tuesday under new Securities and Exchange Commission rules. The change, halving the time it takes to complete ever y transaction, also occurred in jurisdictions including Canada and Mexico on Monday.

The switch to the system known as T+1—abandoned in the earlier era as volumes became unwieldy—is ultimately intended to reduce risk in the financial system. Yet there are worries about potential teething issues, including that international investors may struggle to source dollars on time, global funds will move at different speeds to their assets, and ever yone will have less time to fix errors.

The hope is that ever ything will run smoothly, but even the SEC said last week the transition may lead to a “short-term uptick in settlement fails and challenges to a small segment of market participants.” The finance world’s main industry group, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, has instigated what it calls the T+1 Command Center to identify problems and coordinate a response.

Firms across the spectrum have been preparing for months, relocating staff, adjusting shifts and overhauling workflows, and many say they’re confident in their own readiness. The worr y is whether ever y other counterparty and intermediar y is similarly organized.

“T here’s a lot of dependencies within the industry and there may be some rough patches with individual firms,” said Tom Price, managing director and head of technology, operations, and business continuity for Sifma. “But I’m encouraged that firms are staffing up. They’re making sure folks are not at the beach over the transition period but in the office.”

Challenging transition

IT’S not the first time Wall Street has undergone such a transition, but industr y pros say it will be the most challenging.

The T+1 era of the 1920s—a decade dubbed “the roaring ’20s” in part because of the amazing stock market per for mance—ended because the manual nature of transactions meant it was impossible to

The hope is that everything will run smoothly, but even the SEC said last week the transition may lead to a “short-term uptick in settlement fails and challenges to a small segment of market participants.” The finance world’s main industry group, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, has instigated what it calls the T+1 Command Center to identify problems and coordinate a response.

keep up with surging trading activity.

The settlement time was eventually pushed out as far as five days.

That was reduced to three in the wake of the 1987 Black Monday crash, and then to two days in 2017 to better reflect the modern market.

The cut to a single day is different because of the size and scale of the market today, the complexity of investment across borders, and the fact the US is leaving many other jurisdictions behind.

Most notably, currency trades traditionally settle in two days, meaning international investors looking to fund US securities transactions will need to source their dollars much faster Despite the nominal one-day timeframe, in practice a key industr y deadline means many will have just a handful of hours in which to do it. That coincides with a period of famously low liquidity.

“There will likely be an adjustment in liquidity requirements towards the end of the FX trading day and shortly after—between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. in New York,” said Michael Wynn, head of execution ser vices for the securities ser vices arm of Citigroup Inc. “Over the medium to long term, we expect that liquidity will improve as we get into a normal course of business.”

Two big, immediate tests also loom for the T+1 system: First, Wednesday’s so-called double settlement day, where T+2 trades from Friday come due at the same time as Tuesday’s T+1 transactions. Then MSCI Inc.’s index rebalancing at the end of the week, when funds around the world tracking its gauges will be reshuffling holdings at the same time.

“We’re ready for those expected waves,” said Christos Ekonomidis, T+1 program director at BNY Mellon.

“We know there are going to be some issues with a transition like this so it’s about having the right resources to fix them quickly.” Bloomberg

By Shinhye Kang & Bruce Einhorn

Too small to police, too big to ignore: Telegram is the app dividing Europe

By Alberto Nardelli, Daniel Hornak & Jeff Stone

MINUTES after Slovakia’s Russia-friendly Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot, social media was awash with conspiracy theories.

T he attacker ’s w i fe was a ref ugee f rom Uk ra ine. He was l inked to a hig h-prof i le gover nment

i

rown probes a i med at putt i ng f ive Sout h Korean-made spy satell ites i nto orbit by 2025. Despite t hese ac hievements, Sout h Korea’s space prog ram lags t h at of ne ig hbors Japan and C hi na. Nor t h Korea h as also made i n roads by u si ng its ball i s-

rit ic. And Fico’s sec urity

aga i nst

rd was plot-

prem ier All t hose ru mors were later rebutted by Slovak aut horit ies. But not before t hey’d gone v iral on Teleg ram. T he messag i ng app h as become a key weapon for pro-K reml i n accou nts to spread d i si nfor mat ion a i med at u nder m i n i ng suppor

out acts of sabotage ac ross European capitals. T hese i nc idents t rade off Teleg ram’s key advantage: it’s la rgely u naccou ntable. T h at’s wh at most antagon i zes E ur opean off i c i als w ho’ve made t h e f i g ht aga i nst fake news a top priority a head of cont i nent-w ide elect ions i n Ju ne. For all t heir new powers to reg u late infor mat ion onl ine, t hey a re la rgely powerless to re i n i n Teleg ram. “D i si nfor mat ion i s spread i ng openly and completely u nc hecked on Teleg r am,” Eston i an  Pri me M i n i ster Kaja Kallas told Bloomberg.

Re quests to remove d i st ur bi ng content f requently go u nanswered, she sa id: “We know t h at ot her member states h ave si m i la r problems.”

A typical pro-Ru ssi an propaganda campa ign rel ies on a ba rrage of onl i ne tec h n iques. T hese i nclude soc i al med i a posts, stories on state med i a outlets, fabricated news stories designed to m i m ic t he look of leg it i mate websites, and anonymo u s comments on real ones. Teleg ram f u nct ions as a cent ral node i n t h at ecosystem, a k i nd of bridge t hat propaganda g roups use to blast t he ir content i nto act ive soc i al commu n it ies, w it h t he goal of ampl i fy i ng t he ir na rrat ives to a w ider aud ience.

“Teleg r am i s popu la r among va ri o u s p r o-R u ss i an acto r s as well as i nd iv idu als who h ave been sp read i ng d i s i nfor mat ion for a long t i me becau se t here i s almost no content mode r at i on,” sa i d Dan iel M i lo, t he for mer d irector of t he Center for Cou nteri ng Hybrid T hreats at t he Slovak Interior M i n i st r y. “T he ru les of Teleg ram i n t hi s rega rd a re ver y, ver y lax.”

The country’s minister of science and technologies, Lee oversees a new space agency that was launched Monday with a mission to propel South Korea into the ranks of major space nations. The government is planning to double the current annual space budget by 2027 to 1.5 trillion won ($1.1 billion).

T he EU recently sh a r pened its powers to deal w it h i llegal and h a r mf u l content, i n an attempt to t hwa r t mal ic iou s actors f rom spread i ng m i si nfor mat ion a head of European elect ions. But when it comes to Teleg ram, t hese measures a ren’t ver y effect ive—t he tools w it h real bite apply only to platfor ms w it h over 45 m i ll i on act i ve u se r s i n E urope. Teleg r am, its owne r s say, h as 41 m i ll ion.

Accord ing to Kallas, t hese nu mbers don’t tell t he whole stor y and “t he European Commission shou ld conduct an i ndependent evalu at ion,” she sa id. T he comm i ssion d idn’t respond to a re quest for comment.

All t he same, Teleg ram’s nu mbers put it below t he t hreshold required to t rigger a set of st ri ngent obl igat ions under t he EU’s flagship D ig ital Ser v ices Act, whic h came i nto f u ll effect i n Febru a r y. For la rge platfor ms, t he EU can levy f i nes of as muc h as 6 percent of annu al sales if it f inds v iolat ions —or ban repeat offenders f rom t he EU. T hose ru les cover Meta

Platfor ms Inc.’s Facebook, Alph abet Inc.’s YouTube and ByteDance Ltd.’s Ti kTok, among ot hers. Smalle r platfor ms fall u nde r t he nat ional agenc ies w he re t he f ir ms h ave legal representat ion. T h at’s Belg iu m, i n Teleg r am’s case. Yet nat ional aut horit ies h ave l i m ited powers to take act ion over content on t he se r v ice, a spokesman for t he Belg i an Inst it ute of P ost and Telecomm u n i cat i ons sa i d i n an e-ma i led answe r to quest ions.

“Calls for v iolence or damage of proper ty a re expl ic itly forbidden on Teleg ram,” a spokesperson for t he company sa id i n response to quest ions. T hey added t h at moder ators mon itor publ ic pa r ts of t he platfor m i n order to remove content t h at breac hes its ter ms of ser v ice.

Were Teleg ram to be designated a ‘ver y la rge onl i ne platfor m’ u nder t he DSA it wou ld be obl iged to take measures aga i nst t he spread of d i si nfor mat ion and put i n place tou g her content moderat ion protocols, Kallas sa id. “It wou ld also ensure a level play i ng f ield w it hi n t he i nter nal ma rket, as ot her platfor ms h ave taken sign i f icant effor ts to comply w it h t he D ig ital

The messaging app has become a key weapon for pro-Kremlinaccounts to spread disinformation aimed at undermining support for Ukraine. More recently, Russian intelligence officers have used it to recruit petty criminals to carry out acts of sabotage across European capitals.

Ser v ices Act,” t he Eston i an pri me m i n i ster added. T he ma i n t hemes of Ru ssi a’s d i si nfor mat ion effor ts i nclude its wa r aga i nst Uk ra i ne, t he confl ict i n t he M iddle East, i mm ig rat ion, cl i mate c h ange and t he upcom i ng European pa rl iament elect ions, accord i ng to an i nter nal EU assessment seen by Bloomberg. On t h ose f i ve top i cs, t h e nu mbe r of  i tems f r om u nve ri f i ed so ur ces ac r oss all platfo r ms h ad mo r e t h an do u bled by t h e beg i nn i ng of May, compa r ed w it h fewe r t h an 20,000 p i eces a day at t h e sta r t of t h e yea r, t h e assessment s h ows. T h e K r eml i n h as r epeatedly den i ed i nvolvement i n d i s i nfo r mat i on and sabotage ope r at i ons. T he K reml i n h as not always been so amenable to Teleg ram. A Ru ssi an cour t i n 2018 ordered t he app to be blocked for ref u si ng to t ur n over its enc r ypt ion keys to t he sec urity se r v i ces, alt hou g h effor ts to prevent its u se fa i led.

In 2020, Ru ssi a’s commu n icat ions watc hdog d ropped its effor ts to block it. Teleg ram h as also been u sed by protesters, i nclud i ng i n Hong Kong and I ran, to organ i ze and evade sur ve i llance. Pavel D urov, its fou nder, owner and CEO, left Ru ssi a i n 2014 after losi ng cont rol of hi s prev iou s company for ref u si ng to h and over t he data of Uk ra i n i an protesters to sec urity agenc ies. Based i n D uba i , t he company passed 700 m i ll ion mont h ly act ive u sers last yea r Doppleganger sites

NEVERTHELESS, when t he French foreign-d i si nfor mat ion watc hdog V ig i nu m annou nced i n Febru a r y t h at it h ad detected prepa rat ions fo r a mass i ve d i s i nfo r mat i on campa ign i nvolv i ng a network of nea rly 200 websites ac ross several European cou nt ries it fou nd t h at content f rom Teleg ram was cent ral to t h at campa ign. After t he attempted assassi nat ion i n Slovak i a, a Teleg ram c h annel w it h nea rly 50,000 subsc ribers sh a red a long post f rom a website t h at falsely cla i med to be t he Da i ly Teleg r aph a p rom i nent B rit i s h

publ icat

rewed

proposed by

follow i

iddle of

decade.

it h t he new space agency, t he gover nment i s look i ng to bui ld on its i ndu st ri al pol ic ies over t he past h alf cent ur y, when state suppor t prov ided t he l i ft t h at upsta r ts l i ke Samsu ng Elect ron ics Co. Ltd. and LG Elect ronics Inc. needed to ga i n access to tec h nology and become globally compet it ive.

Opt i m i sts look to Korea’s shipbui ld i ng i ndu st r y as an i nd icator of wh at cou ld h appen i n t he space sector, sa id By u ng hwan Son, assoc i ate professor i n t he Global Affa irs Prog ram at George Mason Un iversity. “In t he 1980s t he gover n-

i nes and tec h nology. As pa r t of its plans to fastt rack development, t he Sout h Korean gover nment i s look i ng to set up a lau nc hi ng fac i l ity i n t he sout her n coastal Goheu ng a rea for private compan ies as well as a space- related f u nd w it h more t h an 100 bi ll ion won to suppor t private-sector space compan ies. T he next step came w it h t he off ic i al open i ng of a new space agency, modeled on NASA, and named t he Korea AeroSpace Adm i n i st rat ion, or KASA. “We need to lea r n f rom nat ions t h at h ave plenty of experience i n t he f ield of space,” sa id Lee. “KASA i s benc h ma rked to NASA’s model i n many ways.” T h at’s one reason t he new head of t he agency’s

ment ident i f ied [shipbui ld i ng ] as a t hi ng we h ave to do and sa id let’s concent rate all t he resources onto it,” he sa id. “All t he money went t here and t hey took over global leadership.” Korean bu si ness leaders hope “t hi s i s t he next shipbui ld i ng,” Son sa id. Korea Aerospace Indu st ries Ltd. plans on u si ng SpaceX to lau nc h

satell ites next yea r T hi s i s pa r t of a gover nment’s road map t h at a i ms to t ransfer state-owned space tec h nology to t he private sector Sout h Korea’s lead i ng private aerospace company Hanwh a Aerospace Co., whic h i s pa r t ic ipat i ng i nto Nuri rocket project w it h a state- ru n agency, w i ll also develop t he

ners i n t he development of t he new GPS-l i ke satell ite network, t he Korean Posit ion i ng System. In Ma r c h , LIG Nex1 took pa r t i n an 8 b i ll i on won i nvestment i n

Meralco touts role in stable power mix with new ventures

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

THE group of Manuel V. Pangilinan is gearing up to help government achieve a diversified, stable and secured power supply for the country with its impending entry into the nuclear and liquefied natural gas (LNG) markets.

At t he company’s stock holders’ meet ing on Tuesday, Meralco sa id it is “w rapping up” t he conduct of feasibi l ity st udy (FS) for t he development of micro-modu la r reactor (MMR) energy system in t he Phi lippines.

T he FS is being conducted toget her w it h  US-based Ultra Safe Nuclea r Cor p. (USNC).

“Meralco is f u lly committed to suppor t t he gover nment in having nuclea r energy as pa r t of our supply mi x by 2032 and onwa rds ....As we deep d ive into t he safety, f inancial and site select ion pa rameters, our goal is to bui ld an MMR w it h capacity of 5 to 15 megawatts [MW] and have some sor t of proof of concept t hat w i ll help conv ince Fi l ipino people t hat nuclea r energy is safe, rel iable, c heap and clean source of power our countr y needs,”

sa id Meralco C hief Operat ing Off icer and Execut ive Vice President

Ronnie Aperoc ho.

Me r alco  i s also i nvest i ng i n bui ld ing t he capabi l it ies of Fi l ipinos in operat ing MMR by prov iding scholarships focused on nuclear eng ineering. Aperoc ho sa id Meralco w i ll send up to seven sc hola rs abroad in t he next few mont hs.

“In v iew of t his, bui ld ing t he capabi l it ies for t he development, execut ion and operat ion of micromodu lar reactor t hrough t he Fi l ipino inter ns and sc hola rs for nuclea r eng ineering whic h our c ha ir man announced last yea r For t he pi lot batc h we’re send ing f ive Meralco eng ineers and, hopef u lly, get add it ional slots f rom t he gover nment for t he academic and inter nship prog ram abroad.

T hese sc hola rs a re expected to ret ur n to t he countr y in 2027 and 2028 and be reinteg rated as pa r t of our nuclea r energy project by t hat t ime,” sa id Aperoc ho.

T his initiative is the utility firm’s own way of preparing Meralco’s own nuclear engineers “by that time we start operating our MMR plants, both in respect to Meralco’s own capabilities for nuclear power and also the gover nment’s own capabilities to reg ulate us,” said Pangilinan. Aside f rom nuclea r t he power generat ion a r m of Meralco is also joining t he LNG bandwagon. “T he f ut ure, g uided by t he v ision of our c ha ir man and t he boa rd of d irectors, Meralco PowerGen ] [MGen] w i ll cont inue to invest in t he power generat ion espec ially in t he renewable energy and we a re currently developing LNG also to prov ide t he proper mi x for t he prov ision of t he energy requirements of our countr y in t he f ut ure,” sa id MGen president Ja ime Azurin. MGen is also ta rget ing to bui ld 1,500MW of renewables as pa r t of its sustainability strategy. “Meralco exer ts all effor ts to prov ide accessible, affordable and reliable energy to always ser ve whi le ensuring t hat power is increasingly clean. As such, in pa rallel to our business as usu al act iv it ies, we have developed what we call our long-ter m sustainability strategy, and we also identif ied and crafted a ver y clear investment plan for it,” sa id Meralco C hief Susta inabi l ity Off icer Raymond Ravelo. “T his strategy outl ines our just

RECTO SEES RATES CUT BY TOTAL 150 BPS WITHIN 2 YRS

Wand orderly, affordable transit ion to clean energy as we d ive to be coal-f ree by 2050,” he added.

Despite all of these investments, Pang i l inan sa id Meralco’s current sha re price is “under valued” and quite low” for a ut i l ity company.

“We ag ree t hat at t he current sha re price of a round P374 t hereabouts, Meralco is under valued. It is considerably u nder valued l i ke most of t he major stocks on t he exchange....If people would just recogni ze what t he prospects a re for Meralco as a g roup. We have a job to do in ter ms of communicat ing to t he investors community what Meralco really is and its prospects,” t he Meralco c ha ir man sa id. He also cited t he cond it ions of t he stock ma rket whic h affect “ever ybody,” while adding that “there’s a bit of a l imit to what management can do.”

“If the numbers are going to be better in 2024, that’s most of what we can do to show good performance year on year,” added Pangilinan.

Meralco expects a stronger perfor mance this year possibly ending 2024 w it h a core prof it of over P40 billion compared to last year’s P37.1 bi ll ion.

Pangilinan earlier said Meralco’s consol idated core net income for t he f u ll yea r is expected to reac h over P40 bi ll ion.

All

“It’s

Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars, Recto told reporters on the sidelines that it is better to reduce rates by 150 bps instead of nothing.

Recto said the Monetary Board’s decision to cut local interest rates will depend on data as well as its inflation outlook.

“[If inflation is] within the inflation band, then it’s easier to reduce

interest rates. Once you reduce inflation, you can reduce interest rates,” he said.

And, instead of cutting rates before the Fed does, Recto said, “We have to be mindful not only of domestic data but of what the Fed would do.”

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Resident Representative to the Philippines Ragnar Gudmundsson also said the BSP’s decision should be dependent on data and driven by domestic price considerations.

“Our view is that the BSP should probably maintain a sufficiently restrictive monetary policy stance until we are really firmly within the BSP’s target band,” Gudmundsson added.

The BSP decided to maintain key policy rates at its last Monetary Policy meeting last May 16, even as it expects inflation to slow.

The BSP’s Target Reverse Repurchase (RRP) was maintained at 6.5 percent, while interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities also remained at 6 and 7 percent, respectively.

Earlier, BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona said in a briefing that with a less hawkish

Alberto

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

B1 Wednesday, May 29, 2024

‘Talented workforce boosts optimism of Vertiv in PHL’

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

VERTIV, a global provider of critical digital infrastructure based in the United States, is banking on the skills of Filipino workers as it expands in the Philippines.

“The choice to increase this team reflects on the strong skill set of the Filipino workforce. Here at Vertiv Manila, we are proud to be ‘glocal’.

Not only do we cater to Philippine customers through Vertiv Philippines, but we also work with key stakeholders and customers across the regions of Asia Pacific, North America and Europe,” said David Yao, General Manager, Global Regional

Operations Center (GROC) of Vertiv. Cheryl Lim, chief human resource officer at Vertiv, told reporters during the launch of the firm’s new office that its Philippine operations led in terms of growth in Southeast Asia.

W hile the company is expanding quite considerably” in India, which is focused on technical talent expertise, she described the growth in the Philippines as “being spread across

multiple functions.”

Currently, Vertiv said it has 1,200 full-time employees in the Philippines. This is a 42-percent increase from the size of its workforce during the pandemic when they only had 700 employees.

From a talent perspective, Lim said the Philippines is a “ver y highskilled, reliable workforce.”

“If you think about all the operations that we have here different cost functions, we were able to get absolutely great talent,” she said.

“So much of what we’re doing, whether it’s eng ineering or sales marketing, the entire spectrum of our roles, we are able to find great talent. So, this is a place we want to continue to invest in.”

Vertiv opened its new office and customer experience center at SM Mega Tower in Mandaluyong City,

in the middle of the central business district.

The firm said its offices in this tower span over 8,000 square feet across four floors and feature modern amenities including “flexible” workspaces, focus areas and wellness rooms, as well as an “open” office concept to provide employees with an env ironment t hat encourages productivity and collaboration.

The increase in the firm’s headcount can be attributed to its investment in expansion post-pandemic.

Mov ing for ward, Lim said the company intends to hire more Filipinos. “We anticipate our business will continue to grow. As that happens, yes, we anticipate expanding further and hiring more.”

The firm’s major customers are Al ibaba, Alstom, America Mov i l, AT&T, China Mobile, among others.

EEI swings to profitability in Q1

By VG Cabuag @villygc

EEI Cor p., t

m i ll ion or 25 percent due to higher t rading and ser v ice revenues f rom EEI Energy Solut ions Cor p., a wholly owned subsid i a r y of EEI Power Cor p. Reven u e f r om me r c h and i se sales rose to P 86. 37 m i ll ion, a 10-percent i nc rease, due to t he g rowt h in del iver y and supply of construct ion materials of EEl Business Solut ions Inc.

For t he pe riod, EEI sa id it h ad P3 0 m i ll ion i n ea r n i ngs f rom e quity i n assoc i ates and j oi nt vent ures. T hi s i s pri ma ri ly compri sed of t he pe r for mances by EEl’s joi nt vent ures i n const ruct ion projects. T hi s was an i mprovement over t he same period last yea r where losses amou nted to P3 57 m i ll ion due to t he c h allenges i n Al R u s h a id Const ru ct ion Co. Ltd. (ARCC). T he company i s a j oi nt vent ure of Al R u s h a i d Pet r ole u m Investment Co. and

hallenge

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

Tt r ansm i ss ion l ine (HSJ) after t he Supreme Cour t (SC) l ifted t he tempora r y rest ra ining order (TRO) on a por t ion of t he t ransm ission l ine project. Follow i ng n i ne mont h s of delay, t he g rid ope r ator i s now u nde r tak i ng t h e last stages of st ri ng i ng to complete t he pro j ect c rit i cal to sec ur e t r ansm i ss i on se r v ices i n L u zon.

posed

“We a r e h appy t h at t h e S upreme Cour t t horou g h ly st u d ied t he case and fou nd no me rit i n t he pet it ions f i led aga i nst NGC P T hi s w i ll enable u s to complete t he rema i n i ng por t ion of t he HSJ w hic h w i ll bette r se r ve t he bu lk gene r at ion com i ng i n f rom Bataan,” sa id NGC P i n a statement it i ss ued on Tuesday.

T he H i g h Cour t i ss ued a Resolut ion dated Feb ru a r y 28 and promu lgated last Apri l 8, stat i ng t h at t he TRO released last Ju ly

202 3 i s l i fted.

A TRO was i ss ued aga i nst t he expropri at ion of and const ruct ion i n a por t ion of t he HSJ owned by Phir st Pa r k Homes Inc. ( PPHI).

Upon r ece i pt on Ju ly 6, 202 3 , NGC P i mmed i ately stopped pro ject- related act i v it ies along Towe r s 170-178 of t he sa id l i ne, stalli ng t he ongoi ng st ri ng i ng of t he l i ne’s rema i n i ng c irc uit. T he case f i led by PPHI and t he s u bse quent cour t prohi b it ion affected t he rema i n i ng works for its f u ll complet ion, h alt i ng const ru ct ion wor ks f rom Ju ly 202 3 to Apri l 2024. HSJ was al ready ene r g i zed last May 27, 202 3 to accommodate powe r gene r at i on f r om Bataan w it h a t r ansfe r capac ity of 2,000 megawatts (MW), only a qu a r te

Explain

Govt fails to meet borrowing target

By Reine Juvierre Alberto

NBy Ada Pelonia

The group made the statement after Recto proposed the reduction of rice tariffs to as much as 17.5 percent during the Philippine Economic Briefing in Pasay City last Monday. Its executive director Jayson Cainglet, noted that the Philippines has been under a reduced tariff regime over the last four years but rice prices have not gone down.

“Reduced tariff resulting in more imported rice have not reduced rice prices reducing tariffs will only penalize local producers while promoting the interests of a few privileged importers and favored traders,” Cainglet said in a statement.

“We’ve lost billions in foregone revenues dahil sa pagbaba ng tariffs, so this must be considered by the Department of Finance [DOF],” he added.

Acco r d i ng to Ca i nglet, ext r eme weather conditions and the global pandemic have prompted the countries to be food self-reliant.

“Even Si ngapore, t he poster boy of food imports, has been pursuing a food self-reliant economy. Naiwan na tayo ng Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia at Vietnam [We have been left behind by Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam],” he said. He added that most countries have prepared for the disease outbreak and weather disturbances by increasing local production and supporting local producers, which he said was contrar y to the countr y’s efforts.

“Here, it is the reverse. Local producers are penalized and importers are rewarded and pampered with four straight years of reduced tariffs on rice, pork, corn, and chicken,” Cainglet said.

He also claimed that countries that have relied on their own capacity to produce food have not been affected by any new developments in the global market—be it weather-related, global pandemics, or inter national political conflicts.

“The greatest tragedy of our times is this self-inflicted destruction of our capacity to produce our own food. The folly to rely on the global markets is again exposed as expensive, unreliable, and reckless,” he said.

FOR ever y 10 percent of Filipinos connected to the inter net is a corresponding 1-percent increase in the countr y’s economic growth, according to Finance Secretar y Ralph G. Recto.

T hi s, after Her Majesty

Q ueen Máx i ma of t he Net herlands told t he Depa r tment of Fi nance (DOF) to priorit i ze d ig it i z i ng payment of taxes and accelerat i ng more i nvestments to i mprove t he speed and lower t he prices of i nter net connect ivity i n t he Phi l ippi nes to ensure broader access of ever y Fi l ipi no to f i nanc i al ser v ices.

THE national government fell short of its target to raise P150 billion from the sale of long-term government securities this month, as it raised only P94.245 billion from the tender of Treasury bonds.

On Tuesday’s auct ion, t he Bureau of t he Treasur y (BTr) f u lly awa rded P30 bi ll ion in T-bonds as i nvestors rema i ned att racted to

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has absorbed a total of P1.544 trillion in excess liquidity from the market as of April.

In its latest Moneta r y Pol icy Repor t, BSP sa id TDF and BSP bi lls (BSPB) accou nted for 69.2 pe r cent of t h e cent r al bank’s moneta r y operat ions, whic h a re u sed to sweep excess l iquid ity f rom t he ma rket.

T he BSP also sa id t he overn i g ht r eve r se r ep ur c h ase (ON RR P) fac i l ity and over n ig ht deposit fac i l ity (ODF) h ad sh a res of 21.4 percent and 9.4 percent, respect ively.

“(T he) i nterest rates for t he TDF and t he BSPB dec reased but rema i ned w it hi n t he i nterest rate corridor and above t he ON RR P rate, as ma rket pa r t ic ipants were assigned a prem iu m for t he longer durat ion,” t he BSP sa id.

In t he auct ions last Apri l 24, t h e we i g hted ave r age i nte r est rates (WAIRs) i n t he 7-day and 14-day TDFs decl i ned by 0.84 bp and 1.56 bps to 6.53 percent and 6.5668 percent, respect ively.

Si m i la rly, t he WAIRs for t he 28-day and 56-day BSPBs fell by 0.22 bp and 1. 39 bps to 6.6804

T he DOF sa id on Monday t h at duri ng its meet i ng w it h Q ueen Máx i ma, who i s also t he Un ited Nat ions Sec reta r yGeneral’s Spec i al Advocate for Inclu sive Fi nance for Development (UNSGSA), last May 23, t he Q ueen sh a red t he “best pract ices” t h at t he cou nt r y can adopt to onboa rd Fi l ipi nos i nto t he for mal f i nanc i al system. T he Q ueen noted t h at 57 pe rcent of t he adu lt Fi l ip i no popu lat ion now h ave a bank accou nt, a 40-pe rcentage poi nt leap f rom t he 17 pe rcent s i nce he r f ir st v i s it to t he Phi l ipp i nes i n 2015. Recto, i n response, sa id t h at among t he c urrent adm i n i st r at ion’s top priorit ies i s bui ld i ng a st rong d i g ital i nf r ast ru ct ure to allow more Fi l ip i nos, spec i f ically t hose i n fa r fetc hed a reas, access to bas ic f i nanc i al se rv ices. “We a re ext remely g ratef u l to UNSGSA Q ueen Máx i ma for her keen i nterest i n advanc i ng f i nanc i al i nclu sion i n t he Phi lippi nes and for generou sly sh a ri ng global best pract ices on how we can onboa rd more Fi l ipi nos i nto t he for mal f i nanc i al system. We eagerly look for wa rd to sh a ri ng t he good prog ress we’ve made by t he t i me she comes back to t he Phi l ippi nes,” Recto sa id. T he DOF sa id it takes t he lead i n d ig ital i z i ng publ ic serv ices at t he nat ional and local

Tpercent and 6.664 3 percent, respect ively, i n t he auct ions on 26 Apri l 2024. At t he auct ion last Apri l 26, t he ON RR P rate settled at 6.0529 percent, 0.29 bp hig her t h an t he ta rget RR P rate of 6.5 percent.

T he year-to-date (YTD) average spread between t he ON RR P rate and t he ta rget RR P rate na rrowed to 2. 35 bps f rom t he YTD average of 3.04 bps of t he prev ious mont h T he BSP expla i ned t h at t he TDF i s considered a key l iquidity absor pt ion fac i l ity u sed by most cent ral banks for l iquid ity management.

gover nment levels to en h ance t he ease of doi ng bu si ness and bri ng t he gover nment closer to t he people.

Recto h as i nst ructed t he Bureau of Inter nal Revenue (BIR) and t he Bureau of Cu stoms (BOC), t he two ma i n tax collecti ng agenc ies, to ramp up t he ir d ig ital i zat ion effor ts to plu g t he tax leakages i n t he rapidly expand i ng e-commerce ma rket.

T he Fi nance c hief noted t h at t he gover nment extends compet it ive i ncent ives to spur t he ent r y of more telecommu n icat ions compan ies i n t he cou nt r y.

T he DOF also spea rheaded t he passage of t he Ease of Payi ng Taxes (EOP T) Act, whic h was signed i nto law as Republ ic Act (RA) 11976 last Janu a r y 5, to moder n i ze t he Phi l ippi ne tax adm i n i st rat ion and st rengt hen taxpayer rig hts.

T he law makes t he f i l i ng and pay i ng of taxes for i nd iv idu als and m ic ro, small, and med iu m enter pri ses (MSMEs) “si mpler and more conven ient” t hrou g h

D ue to t he BSP ’s i nabi l ity to i ssue its own debt i nst ru ments except i n cases of ext raord i na r y movement i n price levels u nder R.A. 7653, t he TDF i s tasked to w it hd raw a la rge pa r t of t he st ruct ural l iquid ity sur plu s f rom t he f i nanc i al system to bri ng ma rket rates closer to t he BSP pol icy rate. T he BSP offers t hree tenors—7 days, 14 days and 28 days—in its weekly ter m deposit auction. However, t he 28-day TDF has not been offered sta r t ing t he 14 October 2020 TDF auct ion, reflect ing t he f u ll m ig rat ion of auct ion volu mes to t he 28-day BSP Bi lls.

t he u se of d ig ital tec h nolog ies, t he DOF added.

T he Q ueen expressed her i ntent to pursue f ur t her collaborat ion i n t he ongoi ng prog rams of t he nat ional gover nment to bri ng t hem to f ruit ion and advance t he fou ndat ional bui ld i ng blocks for f i nanc i al i nclu sion.

T he meet i ng was pa r t of t he Q ueen’s t hree-day m i ss ion to t he Phi l ipp i nes f rom May 21 to 2 3 to promote f i nanc i al i nclus ion, espec i ally among u nde rse r ved commu n it ies. S he prev iou sly v i s ited t he Phi l ipp i nes i n 2015 also i n he r capac ity as t he UNSGSA.

Aside f rom Recto, t he Q ueen met w it h key publ ic and private sector leaders, i nclud i ng President Ferd i nand R. Ma rcos, Jr Bangko Sent ral ng Pi l ipi nas (BSP) Gover nor El i Remolona, Jr., and Asi an Development Bank (ADB) President Masatsug u Asakawa to foster pa r tnerships and explore reg ional cooperat ion act iv it ies duri ng her stay. Reine Juvierre Alberto

Bohol investments on the rise

and lake views.

Homegrown conglomerate Alturas Group of Companies owned by the family of Marlito Uy is launching a P25-billion mixed-used development in Panglao with six hotels and resorts, a convention center, a medical facility, residential and retail areas on a 50-hectare property. This is a flagship project of the government’s Tourism Infrastructure and Enter prise Zone Authority or TIEZA.

Grou ndbreak ing w i ll also soon happen in Tagbilaran City for the opening of Shoemart, the countr y’s biggest department store and supermarket by 2026.

Meantime, the 10-hectare city lot that used to house the old Bohol airport will soon be developed into a special economic zone with the endorsement of the provincial government.

T he Bohol Panglao Inter nat ional A ir port now sits closer to the beach area in Panglao which will have an additional P7-billion expansion in the next three years. The operations will shortly be transferred from the Civil Aeronautics Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to the Aboitiz Group, the winning bidder Tourism is Bohol’s flagship industr y which attracted 1 million visitors last year—approaching nearly the pre-pandemic levels (40 percent are foreigners). The air port now ser ves 11 domestic flights and three direct flights from Korea daily.

According to PLt. Col. of the Bohol Prov incial Police Office, Bohol has been declared one of the “safest provinces in the countr y” based on the number of drug-free barangays (65 percent). Early this year, a combined team of the army and Philippine National Police likewise vanquished the last remnants of a ragtag team of New People’s Army (NPAs) in Bilar town which could lead to a categorization of the province as totally insurgency-free.”

By December Bohol’s first drug rehabilitation center named Bohol Drug Rehabilitation and Recover y Center will open in the town of Cortes in coordination with Dr Ben Vista, presently a consultant of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine of the University of the Philippines Philippine General Hospital. Meanwhile, Bohol’s and perhaps one of the countr y’s longest-running community newspapers T he Bohol Chronicle celebrated its 70th anniversar y as a weekly last May 16 at The Bohol Tropics Resort. Guest speaker was Manuel Mogato, a 2018 Pulitzer Prize Winner for International Reporting and a 2017 McLuhan Fellow in London.

Mogato said sur veys show that Filipinos are often gullible and fall easy prey to fake news and misinformation. He warned citizens of troll disinformation agents who target legitimate journalists to legitimize false information.

He mentioned about a model called the “Trumpet of Application” which starts with false information on an obscure website while unsuspecting people will pick it up and pass it on messaging platforms like Viber, Messenger, Signal, W hat’s Up, and Telegram. W hen these postings become viral, the mainstream media which Mogato calls the “legacy media” picks them up, gaining legitimacy.

The Bohol Chronicle was founded by Zoilo D. Dejaresco Jr., former chairman of the Philippine Press Institute (after the demise of Don Chino Roces) on May 16, 1954. Save for the week immediately after the declaration of Martial Law, the paper has not missed publishing its weekly issues in the past 70 years.

The Bohol Chronicle is now run by the second generation led by Zoilo “Bingo” P Dejaresco III (Editor in Chief) and Peter P Dejaresco (Associate Editor).

The author, a former banker, is a financial consultant, media practitioner, and author. He is a Life and Media member of Finex. His views here, however, are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of BusinessMirror. Comments may be sent to dejarescobingo@yahoo.com.

BUSINESSMIRROR FILE PHOTO

Positive leadership during change

IN today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving business landscape, change is inevitable. Whether driven by technological advancements, market dynamics, or organizational restructuring, change management has become a critical competency for modern leaders. Amid these transitions, the role of positive leadership is becoming more essential for leaders so that their team will move in the same direction. Positive leadership, characterized by optimism, empathy, and a focus on strengths, plays a pivotal role in guiding teams through change e fectively and sustainably.

Using positive leadership in change management yields numerous bene its. y focusing on their team’s strengths and providing support, positive leaders increase employee engagement which is crucial for maintaining productivity and morale during transitions. Empathy and transparent communication reduce resistance by clarifying ambiguities and providing necessary support, making employees more open and adaptable to new processes and structures. A collaborative approach fosters creativity and encourages innovative solutions to emerge from within the team. Positive leadership not only facilitates smoother transitions but also ensures that the changes are sustainable in the long run by building a resilient and adaptable workforce.

Positive leadership emphasizes the cultivation of a positive work environment where employees feel valued, motivated, and empowered, knowing that their work signi icantly contributes to the success of the team. This leadership style is not about maintaining a perpetually cheerful demeanor but about fostering a culture of resilience, hope, and constructive communication. In the context of change management, positive leadership becomes the anchor that keeps the team grounded and focused.

One of the foundational elements of positive leadership is building trust. During periods of change, uncertainty and anxiety can undermine employee morale. Leaders who practice transparency in communication, share the rationale behind the changes, and provide regular updates help to alleviate fears and build trust. y being open about challenges and acknowledging the di iculties ahead, leaders can create a sense of shared purpose and collective e fort.

Positive leaders also understand the importance of involving employees in the change process. Rather than imposing changes top-down, they engage team

members in discussions, solicit their input, and empower them to take ownership of new initiatives. This participatory approach not only enhances buyin but also leverages the diverse perspectives and skills within the team. Employees who feel heard and valued are more likely to commit to the change process and contribute to its success, rather than be forced to accept the change as it is. hange o ten brings about a sense of disruption and the fear of the unknown. Positive leaders help to shi t this perspective by fostering a growth mindset where they encourage employees to view change as an opportunity for learning and development rather than a threat. y highlighting past successes, recognizing e forts, and celebrating small wins, leaders can reinforce a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability in their team.

During times of change, the need for support becomes important. Positive leaders ensure that their teams have access to the necessary resources, training and support systems to navigate the transition smoothly. This might include o fering professional development programs, providing mental health resources, or simply being available for one-on-one conversations. Demonstrating a genuine concern for employee well-being reinforces the leader’s commitment to their team’s success by ensuring that nobody gets le t behind in the change. ow a leader treats a struggling member re lects their concern for everyone in the team.

Actions speak louder than words, especially during times of change. Positive leaders lead by example, embodying the values and behaviors they wish to see in their teams. Whether it is demonstrating resilience in the face of setbacks, showing empathy during di icult conversations, or maintaining a positive outlook, leaders set the tone for their entire team. Their behavior can inspire and motivate employees to emulate these positive attributes, and reduce resistance to the change.

A clear and compelling vision of the future is a powerful motivator during change. Positive leaders articulate a vision that aligns with their organization’s values and resonates with their team’s aspirations. This vision provides a sense of direction and purpose, helping to anchor the team amid the turbulence of change. y consistently communicating and reinforcing this vision, leaders can keep the team focused on long-term goals and inspire collective action toward achieving them.

Positive leadership is a necessity for navigating the complexities of a team’s change management. y building trust, empowering employees, fostering a growth mindset, providing support, leading by example, and cultivating a clear vision, positive leaders can turn the challenges of change into opportunities for growth and innovation.

In doing so, they not only steer their team through change but also create a resilient and engaged workforce ready to embrace the future with con idence and enthusiasm.

oth alitzine and Perez said they were surprised when they found out about the rating and agreed with critics who said it wasn’t warranted.

“You Americans are very sensitive,” alitzine observed before his co-star interjected, musing about what he perceives to be a double standard.

“You can point-blank shoot someone and it’s

PHOTO BY MAPBOX ON UNSPLASH

Show BusinessMirror

TODAY’S HOROSCOPE

By Eugenia Last

Think things through before making a move. Channel your emotions and energy into self-improvements and gains that benefit you instead of drama and emotional disputes that put you in a no-win situation. Do your own thing, build a solid base, and pay attention to detail and originality this year. Learn from the best, exercise integrity and pace yourself physically, financially and emotionally. Your numbers are 8, 13, 24, 30, 37, 45, 48.

Don’t let uncertainty hold you back. Shift into high gear and make what you do count. Acts of kindness will bring you into contact with someone who can help you advance. Reach out and contribute, and you’ll gain access to opportunities that lead to positive lifestyle changes.

Reconfigure your thoughts to fit your budget, time and skill level, and you will avoid taking on or spending too much. If you want to make progress, update your qualifications and align yourself with people who can help you perfect your skills.

Hold tight and do your best. Use your power of persuasion and physical skills to get things done on time and within budget. Pay attention and be meticulous in everything you do, and you’ll outmaneuver anyone who challenges you.

Don’t spend impulsively or make donations or sign up for subscriptions you cannot afford. Monitor your finances closely, and diligently budget for what you want and need. Look for innovative alternatives that get you more for less or that offer extra income.

A change in the dynamics of a relationship will push you to adjust how you think and handle personal or professional matters. Reach out to someone you trust to offer insight and stellar advice, and you’ll gain the tools you need to make a positive adjustment.

Keep life simple. Refuse to overreact or promise the impossible. Look at every aspect of a situation and adjust as you move forward to suit your needs. Don’t let your emotions contribute to stubbornness or what drives you to seek revenge.

LShow passion in all you do, and you’ll gain acceptance from those who can help further your interests. Networking is in your best interest, along with traveling, learning, surrounding yourself with positive people and starting worthwhile projects.

Refrain from making unnecessary changes at home. Consider the cost involved before engaging in something likely to have hidden costs. Get your facts straight and your plans in order before you begin something that consumes time and money.

Look at your options and navigate your way forward with care. Refuse to let anyone pressure you or trick you into something you don’t want to do or need. Take time to relax; you’ll make better decisions.

Don’t get angry—get moving. Actions speak louder than words and bring about positive change. Take the initiative to do something that makes a difference. Refuse to let emotions muddle the mind or cause you to do things to show off. Be true to yourself.

Focus on what’s working for you and put what isn’t on the shelf for now. Create opportunities instead of expecting them to come to you. Become the conduit that enforces positive alternatives that are within budget.

Look for the good in every situation and person you encounter, and you’ll find it easier to dodge controversy. Doing your best to get along will help you gain the freedom to go about your business and do as you please. Out of sight, out of mind.

You are energetic, flexible and friendly. You are thorough and inquiring.

With a sequel in the works, ‘Red,

White & Royal Blue’

The Associated Press

LO AN ELE —When Red, White & Royal Blue debuted last summer, it did so without fanfare or spectacle, landing s uarely amid historic ollywood strikes that precluded its stars from lending their press-friendly faces to promote the movie.

ut the lack of publicity surrounding the Amazon tudios rom-com’s premiere didn’t deter it from becoming a hit with audiences. The streaming service said it was the top watched ilm on its platform for weeks, and that it brought in a surge of subscribers.

As a further testament to the movie’s success, the studio recently announced—amid a determined Emmy campaign—that a se uel was in the works, which is no small feat given the slowed production that has followed the resolution of the strikes. or stars Nicholas alitzine and Taylor akhar Perez, watching the ilm gain that kind of organic fanbase was particularly meaningful because of the role Red, White & Royal Blue plays in ueer storytelling.

“A ter ilming and kind of getting some space from it is when I really realized what this was going to do for the community. And people outside of the community,” Perez said. “It just provides empathy, you know ” The ilm is reminiscent of the kind of fairytale lick that was seemingly ubi uitous two decades ago, familiar in every way except for the fact that its lovers are both men.

The movie, directed by Matthew L pez, the Tony-winning playwright of The Inheritance who cowrote the script with Ted Malawer, is based on the bestselling novel by asey Mc uiston. It’s a hateturns-to-love story about a ritish prince who begins a secret romantic a fair with the son of the American president played in the movie by a drawling Uma

TRAUMATIZED

T E in luencer and the top actor did some work together and a ter that, the former said she will not do it again ever. That’s because she claimed the actor was very antagonistic and hostile toward her. he wasn’t sure if it was because of her being a member of the L T community. If this was the reason, then it was strange since the actor has long been rumored to be gay and he has been the butt of nasty jokes all these years. The in luencer is sure she didn’t do anything to o fend the actor. If you know her, she is a very polite and respectful person. The actor barely acknowledged her o f camera and he didn’t even bother to say goodbye to her when it was all over.

NEW SOURCE OF INCOME

T I lovely girl used to be the live-in girlfriend of an actor until he le t her high and dry with barely any child support. The girl tried her best to make an honest living but it wasn’t enough for her and her family. A friend of a friend suggested that she try being an escort. At irst, she was hesitant. ut she tried it and she realized that she could earn enough money for her and her family to live on for months a ter a “date.” er only condition is that the “date” take place abroad and not in the Philippines.

FLIRTY PARTNER

Thurman). alitzine is fresh o f a press tour for another Amazon rom-com—The Idea of You—where he plays a -year-old pop star who begins a relationship with a single -year-old mom Anne athaway).

While its backdrops of Los Angeles and oachella are miles and worlds away from the scenes of Washington and uckingham Palace that adorn Red, White & Royal Blue, alitzine says both ilms contain similar themes to which the actor is o ten drawn. “I ind people who are trapped by circumstance really interesting,” he said. “People may be thinking they’re one way, but not really sort of knowing their inner ualities and thoughts. I think that’s kind of been a recurring thing I’ve found uite interesting

SCARLETT JOHANSSON, CHANNING TATUM WORK IT IN NEW POSTERS FOR ‘FLY ME TO THE MOON’

WILL they make it or fake it? Check out the new posters for Fly Me to the Moon, a new comedy drama starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, directed by Greg Berlanti. It opens in cinemas in July 2024.

Starring Scarlett and Channing, Fly Me to the Moon is a sharp, stylish comedy-drama set against the high-stakes backdrop of NASA’s historic Apollo 11 moon landing.

Brought in to fix NASA’s public image, sparks fly in all directions as marketing maven Kelly Jones (Johansson) wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis’s (Tatum) already difficult task. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, Jones is directed to stage a fake moon landing as back-up and the countdown truly begins.

Directed by Greg Berlanti, the screenplay is by Rose Gilroy, based upon the story by Bill Kirstein and Keenan Flynn. Produced by Scarlett Johansson, it also stars Nick Dillenburg, Anna Garcia, Jim Rash, Noah Robbins, Colin

T ERE are persistent rumors that the actress and her live-in partner are now separated. This, a ter she uprooted her life and joined him where he lives. Recently, a video circulated showing her partner and another woman seemingly lirting with each other. Of course, you can’t judge a picture but eyewitnesses claim that the actress’ partner was indeed very drunk and the girl was really all over him. And there lies the actress’ problem with her partner. e likes to go out at night, drink, and lirt. e doesn’t mean any harm and technically, he has never cheated on her but situations like the one shown in the video can be very dangerous.

HAPPY FOR HIM

T E actor, who is separated from his wife, may have been spotted with a beautiful starlet but it doesn’t mean that he cheated on his wife with her. e never cheated on his wife and she didn’t cheat on him. Their marital problem is rooted in his anger management issues. The wife doesn’t mind that her ex-husband is dating someone. In fact, she welcomes it because it means he will be happy and never bother her again.

Woodell, Christian Zuber, Donald Elise Watkins, with Ray Romano and Woody Harrelson In cinemas in July 2024, Fly Me to the Moon is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

The Universal Crossword • Edited by David Steinberg/Anna Gundlach/Jared Goudsmit/Taylor

DAY: Riley Keough, 35; Melanie Brown, 49; Rupert Everett, 65; Annette Bening, 66.

NICHOLAS GALITZINE (left) and Taylor Zakhar Perez, cast members in the film Red, White & Royal Blue AP

Editor: Tet Andolong

Regus to beef up presence in PHL

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @ brownindio

REGUS, a pioneering provider of flexible workspace solutions, will strengthen its presence in existing locations and launch into new territories.

Lars Wittig, Country Manager Philippines and Senior Vice President-Asia Pacific North of International Workplace Group (IWG), said the company’s diverse customer base across various industries such as technology, finance, human resources, pharmaceuticals, and more will enable the company to continue serving as the flex space provider of choice for businesses worldwide.

In line with its strategic expansion initiatives, Regus Philippines , in partnership with Adriatico Consortium Inc., recently launched its newest center at the heart of Manila City, located inside Adriatico Square Mall along Adriatico corner Malvar Streets in Malate. Adriatico Square is a lifestyle and entertainment complex adjacent to Sheraton Manila Bay Hotel.

With a floor area of 936 sq m the center offers a range of fully furnished and equipped private offices tailored to accommodate individuals or entire companies, providing comprehensive workspace solutions designed to foster productivity and collaboration.

The new center features amenities such as private meeting rooms equipped with high-quality ergonomic furniture, flatscreen TVs, presentation equipment, and

video-conferencing technology. Additionally, it offers a business lounge and cafe ensuring a seamless work experience for all occupants.

“In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, flexibility is key to success. Regus is committed to empowering businesses across the Philippines with flexible and dynamic workspace solutions. The launch of our newest site in Adriatico, Manila, underscores our dedication to supporting the growth and success of businesses in the district, enabling them to work smarter, more efficiently, and with greater agility,” Wittig said in a press briefing in the Regus facility in Adriatico, Manila.

“Regus has always been at the forefront of the workspace revolution in the Philippines, empowering businesses of all sizes to thrive in today’s dynamic environment. We are thrilled to partner with Regus Philippines on the opening of its new center in Adriatico, Malate. With its prime location and world-class amenities, this collaboration will provide flexible and innovative workspace solutions tailored to the needs of modern businesses,” said Jerome C. Siy, President of Adriatico Consortium Inc.

Wittig said Regus’ new center in Adri-

atico Square is poised to become a hub of innovation and collaboration, catering to the different needs of businesses in Manila and beyond. “Why did we choose Adriatico? Because it is a fantastic and wonderful place and a ground zero for certain industries,” Wittig explained.

“Jerome and his family played a big part in this partnership,” Wittig added. He also pointed out that Regus wants to help the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by making Regus their official office address. “Aside from its competitive pricing, predictability, and affordability, the address is the primary appeal why you

THE SPECTRUM OFFERS ELEVATED CONTEMPORARY LIVING FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS IN ORTIGAS

HOME to prominent financial institutions, corporate headquarters, and multinational corporations, Ortigas Center has evolved into a top destination for career-driven professionals who aspire to work and reside in the bustling financial district. From a walled-in expanse in the 1970s, Ortigas Center has transformed into a thriving business district with its sleek offices and residences. These skyscrapers share the spot with upscale hotels, shopping malls, schools, hospitals, and public parks, attracting upwardly mobile people who seek fulfillment and achievement. Close to these essential destinations, prospective residents can find a home in one of the district’s high-rise developments, The Spectrum by Vista Land. Hailed as the Best Mixed-Use Development in Luzon by Lamudi The Outlook 2023 Awards, this 34-story condominium project features an ideal address, top-tier amenities, and modern design, offering an unmatched condominium lifestyle.

Envision stepping out and heading to your workplace in the walkable neighborhood of Ortigas Center. In the vicinity are the corporate headquarters of Jollibee Foods Corporation, BDO Unibank, San Miguel Corporation, One Mega Group, Meralco, Asian Development Bank, and the Philippine Stock Exchange; shopping malls such as The Podium, and EDSA Shangri-La Plaza; healthcare providers such as Medical City; and academic institutions like Saint Pedro Poveda College and University of Asia and the Pacific.

Rising at Julia Vargas Avenue corner Garnet Road, The Spectrum likewise offers easy access to transportation hubs, ensuring unparalleled convenience and mobility for its residents.

Vista Land highlights that The Spectrum goes beyond being a high-rise residential tower, it is a commitment to enriching urban dwellers’ lifestyles. By catering to their evolving needs and aspirations, The Spectrum cultivates an environment conducive to the success and well-being of both young professionals and starting families. It aims to foster a strong

need to go to Regus,” Wittig said.

2023 Key Highlights

IN a testament to robust financial performance, International Workplace Group (IWG) recorded its best-ever revenue in 2023, with a 10 percent increase in system-wide sales to £3.34 billion. This achievement demonstrates Regus’ dedication to providing unmatched services and solutions to its wide range of clients in different industries.

Regus also experienced strong network growth momentum in 2023, with 867 new locations signed, a 88 percent increase

over the prior year. The expansion solidifies the company’s standing as the go-to option for companies looking for flexible workspace solutions. Regus Philippines also received recognition at the Carousell Property Awards where International Workplace Group (IWG) PLC Philippines received the Best in Serviced Office award, showcasing the company’s exceptional customer growth and commitment to excellence. This accolade reaffirms Regus’ commitment to providing world-class serviced office solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern businesses.

Yamsuan files measure mandating bi-annual consultations between LGUs, homeowners’ associations

BICOL Saro Partylist Representative Brian Raymund Yamsuan has pushed for the congressional approval of a measure that would require local government units (LGUs) to meet twice a year with homeowners’ associations (HOAs) within their jurisdiction as a way to ensure a regular line of communication between them on issues of mutual concern.

Yamsuan said the measure, as outlined in House Bill (HB) 10386, aims to enhance the access of HOAs to their respective LGUs and improve the delivery of services to the people on the ground.

“Our LGUs and HOAs can be effective partners in addressing pressing matters affecting local communities. Establishing a structured mechanism for communication between them would enhance this partnership and ensure that the voices of homeowners are heard on issues affecting them,” Yamsuan said.

“Also, HOAs interact directly with the people in their community and, thus, have first-hand knowledge of what’s happening at the grassroots level. They are an untapped resource when it comes to assisting LGUs in effectively implementing programs and projects and in delivering essential services to the people,” added Yamsuan.

Yamsuan, a former assistant secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, filed the bill after meeting with the different HOAs in his home city of Parañaque.

HB 10386 seeks to amend Section 18 of Republic Act 9904, or the Magna Carta For Homeowners and Homeowners’ Associations, by adding a provision that would mandate LGUs to conduct bi-annual consultations with members of HOAs within their jurisdiction “to gather feedback, suggestions, and inputs on matters of mutual concern, including but not limited to pro-

posed programs, projects and other issues impacting local communities.”

Yamsuan said establishing this communication mechanism would not only result in a more inclusive decision-making process on issues affecting both homeowners and their LGUs, it would also aid local governments in immediately seeking the assistance of the country’s 24,700 registered HOAs , especially during emergencies.

He recalled that at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government tapped HOAs in enforcing community quarantines and health protocols, as well as in disseminating relevant information on how to curb the spread of the virus.

HOAs can also assist LGUs in maintaining peace and order, as many communitybased conflicts are often resolved at their level, or with the help of the barangay, Yamsuan said.

“Meeting twice a year will develop mutual trust and strengthen the partnership between HOAs and LGUs. This, in turn, would aid LGUs and even the national government, in developing programs and other initiatives that truly benefit local communities based on their distinct needs,” Yamsuan said.

Under the bill, each LGU shall coordinate with their HOAs in setting a schedule for the twice-a-year consultations. Proper notice of the meeting, along with the preliminary agenda, shall be provided to the HOAs at least two weeks prior to the scheduled consultations, which should be held in a public venue accessible to HOA members.

Documentation of each meeting shall be made publicly available within 30 days after each consultation.

Non-compliance with the requirements stated under the bill may result in administrative sanctions as provided under the Local Government Code and relevant laws and regulations.

LARS WITTIG

JEROME SY

SPANNING 936 sq m, Adriatico Square welcomes Regus Philippines’ newest site, offering fully furnished workspace solutions in collaboration with Adriatico Consortium

Bacyadan rips Spanish rival in qualifiers

HERGIE BACYADAN overcame frayed nerves with a prayer on Monday night and pummeled Spain’s Dunia Mas Martinez in their women’s 75-kg clash, 5-0, in the World Boxing Qualification Tournament at the Hua Mak Indoor Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

“Before I climbed the ring, I was nervous, tensed and everything else,” Bacyadan said. “But the moment I stepped on the ring, I prayed, and I shifted to a fighting mindset.”

Bacyadan advanced to the round of 16 on Saturday afternoon against Veronika Nakota of Hungary following Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Carlo Paalam in hurdling past the opening of preliminaries. Paalam faced Turkmenistan’s Shukur Ovezov in the 57-kg round of 32 late Tuesday.

“Hergie moved better and set up her attacks better compared to her last tournament,” said Marcus Manalo, secretary-general of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP). “Hopefully that carries over against better competition in the next rounds.”

Bacyadan seized control of the fight outright in the first round and sustained the momentum throughout.

“Hergie got her rhythm right in the first minute,” ABAP coach Ronald Chavez said. “Our only instruction to her was to play it safe and we’re very satisfied on how she treated the fight.”

Unsolicited good words for PHL volleyball

Lim dominates Butuan

Ftourney

OURTEEN-YEAR-OLD Danielle

Lim topped the 17-and-below division and placed third in the 19-and-below in the 18th Equi-Parco Badminton Cup recently in Butuan City.

Lim scored a 21-10, 21-18 victory over home bet Frances Claire Mendez in the 17-and-below final and placed third in the 19-below category of the event sanctioned by the Philippine Badminton Association. She yielded in the semifinals against eventual champion Andrea Marie Tan, an 18-year-old player who had topped Region 13. The tournament, one of the longestrunning badminton tournaments in the country, serves as an avenue for players in Mindanao.

Lim is the daughter of diving enthusiast/businessman Boyet Lim III.

By Josef Ramos

ALAS Pilipinas lifted Philippine volleyball to a level never seen before in the continental level, according to a ranking International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) official overseeing the Asian Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Challenge Cup for Women at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

“We haven’t seen this before for the last six years what we’re seeing right now about the Philippines,” FIVB technical sub-committee member Shinab Al-Din Ahmed Al-Riyami of Oman told reporters on Tuesday.

“Volleyball culture in your country is progressing so fast because your  federation is working very hard through the effort of Mr. Ramon Suzara,” added Al-Riyami, referring to Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Suzara.

Alas Pilipinas reached the AVC

Challenge Cup semifinals, a first for the country in an Asian level competition.

“Mr. Suzara and the PNVF board are doing very well,” he said. “I watched your national team last year in the same tournament in China and I saw a marked improvement.”

He added: “I spoke with your Brazlian coach [Jorge Edson Souza de Brito], you gave him enough time to build communication and improve skills of the players. And you all see it now.”

Al-Riyami also noted that the PNVF hosting major international tournaments plus a strong domestic league could equate to a competitive national team.

“Next month, your country will host the VNL which is good for now and the future,” Al-Riyami said.

“You have a good federation and volleyball leaders.”

The VNL, or Volleyball Nations League, will be hosted by the PNVF for the third straight year this June

at the Mall of Asia Arena featuring eight of the top men’s volleyball teams in the world—six of them bound for the Paris Olympics. Iran and India, meanwhile, defeated separate opponents to stay in contention for a fifth place finish at the start of the classification phase Tuesday at the nearby Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The Iranians, who went 1-3 wonloss in Pool A, beat Hong Kong, 26-24, 26-24, 19-25, 25-19, to get a shot at fifth place in the tournament backed by Meralco, PLDT, Smart, Akari, AyalaLand, Nuvali, Foton, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Sports Commission, Mikasa, Senoh, Asics, Maynilad, Makati ShangriLa, Rebisco, Cignal, OneSports, OneSports+ and PilipinasLive. India, 2-2 in Pool A action, defeated Indonesia, 25-16, 30-32, 2520, 27-25, on Kambrath Anusree’s 21 points—19 kills—and middle blocker Soorya Soorya’s 16 attacks and two blocks for 18 points.

Ms. ROTC Games Visayas: Beyond beauty and brains

NAVY cadette Carla Mae Ongayo will have a pretty dilemma when she competes in the Philippine ROTC Games national finals in Indang, Cavite, in August.

As third-placer in the Ms. Philippine ROTC Games Visayas leg, not only will the comely student prepare for the pageant but now she will have to train.

Underscoring that she is not merely beauty and brains,

Ms. Philippine ROTC Games Visayan leg third-placer Ongayo showcased her athleticism as well on Tuesday in ruling the women’s long jump at the Panaad Park and Sports Complex in Bacolod City.

Small but dynamic as former Asian women’s long jump

queen Marestella Torres-Sunang, Ongayo secured the gold on her second try of 4.28 meters early in the morning for a spot in her pet event in  the ROTC Games national finals in Indang in August.

Sharing the spotlight was prolific Navy cadet swimmer Marvic Iguidez, who had perfect sweep of his five individual events in adding the men’s 100 and 200-meter backstroke mints in the meet supported by the Commission on Higher Education and Department of National Defense.

The  John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University marine engineering student copped the men’s 100 back in 1:12.33 before capping his memorable outing in clocking 2:42.55 in the 200 back of the Games also backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino.

“Masaya akong nanalo kasi ito talaga ang event ko,” said Ongayo, 20, a BS Criminology freshman student at Siquijor State College, who saw action in the 2019 Palarong Pambansa held in Davao City and finished in the top eight of the high school division of

Avoiding road to perdition

RYUKI SUZUKI and Georgina Handog shone in the opening round of the Junior Philippine Golf Tour Luzon Series 2, seizing the lead in the 8-10 age category with 72 and 87, respectively, even as Jiwon Lee scorched the Pradera Verde course with an eagle-spiked 66 in the premier division Tuesday in Lubao, Pampanga. Both Suzuki and Handog navigated the challenging greens with commendable skill with the former rebounding from early setbacks, securing birdies on Nos. 5 and 14 to edge out Jose Luis Espinosa

by one stroke with a 37-35.

Espinosa, who led after 12 holes with a two-birdie, one-bogey card, stumbled with a double-bogey on the 16th for a 73, allowing the Splendido Taal leg winner to finish ahead in the 36-hole competition. Monte Andaman trailed in third with a 92.

“The course is easy but the greens are very fast,” said Suzuki, lamenting a missed birdie putt on the par-5 No. 12, which he reached in two. “I three-putted it, and it’s really disappointing for me.”

Handog, making her debut in the series sponsored by the International Container Terminal Services Inc., stamped her class in the girls’ side of the youngest division of the threecategory event with a 15-over round, nine strokes ahead of first leg winner Maurysse Abalos, who carded a 96. Despite windy conditions, Handog’s birdie on the first hole set the tone for her round. Although she encountered bogeys, a double bogey and a triple bogey, her 87 established a commanding lead.

“It’s hot but I started out strong and

lead on Sunday, Ginebra’s back-toback wins became a testament to the team’s resilience and Cone’s propensity to rise amid adversity. The Gin Kings’ 89-84 Game 5 win alone is another case of how well Ginebra could quickly transform

Tim Cone said. “We just have to keep moving. The guys really kept their heads, move forward and moved on last time, and just found a way to grind out two wins.”

Ginebra is seeking its fifth Philippine Cup crown and 16th PBA championship overall.

The Gin Kings hope to get another big game from Christian Standhardinger, who led Ginebra with 34 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in Game Five. Maverick Ahanmisi had 13 points while Japeth Aguilar added 10 points and 12 rebounds for Ginebra.

“It took us a bit to really get into battle mode,” Cone said. “I hope they sustain their energy.”

Meralco coach Luigi Trillo is confident the Bolts can extend the series.

“It’s not over yet,” Trillo said. “We believe in our guys. We will bounce back and we will get ready for that Game Six to equalize the series. We knew from the start that it is not going to be easy. There’s going to be painful things in this series. This is painful but it’s not over yet.”

The Bolts need more support for Chris Banchero, who fired 18 points, and Chris Newsome, who had 17 points in Game Five. Josef T. Ramos

good,” said Handog, demonstrating her readiness for the top spot.

Athalea Espedido carded a 98 for third.

In the girls’ 15-18 class spread over 72 holes, Lee positioned herself for another victory, firing an impressive 66, featuring an eagle and six birdies. Lee’s stellar play granted her a 12-shot lead over Reese Ng, who struggled with a 78, while Lia Duque posted an 82 for third.

“The game plan is to keep the ball in play to get chances for birdies or pars,” said Lee.

Pambansa

DAN