BusinessMirror May 30, 2024

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE Financial Stability Coordination Council (FSCC) is closely monitoring “high for long” global interest rates and expensive food and fuel as these could affect debt servicing and the country’s economic growth.

In a statement on Wednesday, FSCC Chairman and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Dr. Eli M. Remolona Jr. said this despite “reassuring indicators” that point toward the country’s efforts to have greater control over its macro-financial path.

“The volatility in the price and supply of energy-related products can affect economic activity, while a high-for-long global interest rate situation will weigh on debt servicing in general. These are issues that the FSCC will closely monitor and may address in due course if warranted,” Remolona said.

The FSCC is an interagency council composed of the BSP, the Department of Finance, the Insu-

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto @reine_alberto

THE proposed reduction on rice tariffs would cost the national government to potentially lose around P10 billion in revenues to break-even with the farmers and consumers, according to a Department of Finance (DOF) official.

Office of the Chief Economist Undersecretary Domini

A RECOVERY in consumption spending driven by slower inflation and cheaper interest rates could provide a muchneeded boost to the country’s second-quarter economic performance, according to a local think tank.

In its latest Market Call report, First Metro Investment Corp.-University of Asia & the Pacific (FMICUA&P) Capital Market Research expects GDP growth to average 5.9 percent in the second quarter.

This is an improvement from the 5.7-percent GDP growth posted in the first three months of the year. The slower growth was largely due to Household Final Consumption

Expenditure (HFCE), which posted a growth of 4.8 percent, the slowest in 14 years sans the pandemic. (See: www.businessmirror.com.ph/2024/ 05/10/spending-cutbacks-to-continue-say-experts/)

“Moving forward, we don’t see a repeat of [the] Q1 [first quarter] downbeat. High employment levels, likely heightened government spending [less saddled by interest payments] and peaking inflation in Q2 [second quarter] should spur more domestic demand,” FMICUA&P Capital Market Research said.

“We project a mild acceleration in GDP growth to 5.9 percent in Q2 [second quarter], but pace will like-

ly hasten in H2 [second semester] to bring full year GDP growth to 6 percent with a slight upside bias,” it also said.

The local think tank expects rice prices to slide by 1 percent on a month-on-month basis while crude oil prices are expected to decline by 7 percent in May 2024. Rice inflation on a month-onmonth basis slowed to 0.4 percent, while on a year-on-year basis, it slowed to 23.9 percent in April. In March, rice prices increased 1 percent on a month-on-month basis and 24.4 percent on a year-on-year basis.

The local think tank also pointed out that while the trade deficit is

expected to “remain elevated,” the widening of the export-import gap will be more modest in the second half of the year.

However, FMIC-UA&P Capital Market Research said this, along with the strong US dollar, will continue to put upward pressure on the Philippine currency. On Wednesday, the peso closed again at the P58 to the dollar level.

“The FX weakness improves the domestic production outlook as well, and so we see a slight acceleration of GDP expansion in Q2 [second quarter] to nearly 6 percent and full-year growth to slightly above 6

See “Q,” A

By Henry Empeño

UBIC BAY FREEPORT—In a bid to make

“The government collects around P30 billion in revenues from the [Rice Tariffication Law] RTL. So, to bring down the prices, it would be alright to offset those losses so that everyone would benefit from the lower tariff,” Velasquez said in a mix of English and Filipino.

This, after Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto floated the idea that the government could reduce rice tariffs to as low as 17.5 percent to 20 percent from 35 percent to bring down rice prices

SD. Velasquez said in a forum on Wednesday that the government is looking to have the Tariff Commission conduct a public hearing to discuss if lowering the tariff rates would be beneficial for the farmers, consumers and the government.

SSubic the go-to port for traders and exportimport businesses in Central and Northern Luzon, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is planning to undertake port expansion projects worth a total of P39.36 billion.

These include five major development projects designed to expand existing facilities at the Boton Wharf, New Container Terminal 3, and piers at the San Bernardo, Redondo, and Lower Mau areas. Subic has a total of 12 piers and wharves that are variously used as terminals for grain, fertilizer, oil and fuel, general containerized cargo, as well as for passengers.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño presented Subic’s port expansion plans at the Central Luzon Transport & Trade Conference 2024 held at the Hilton Clark Sun

Valley Resort on May 24, and said that his administration is bullish on the shipping industry.

“This is why we are pushing for these expansion plans. We want the world to know that Subic Bay Freeport is more than capable of handling their cargo,” he said. Aliño said that under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-Regional Development Master Plan, the SBMA plans to construct additional berthing facilities in the Boton area and expand the Boton Wharf at the approximate cost of P6.33 million.

The

percent,” the think tank said.

Spending cutbacks

EARLIER, local economists said Filipinos struggling with high commodity prices are expected to continue cutting back on their spending, limiting the growth of the Philippine economy in the coming quarters. Based on PSA data, Household Final Consumption Expenditure (HFCE) for food and non-alcoholic beverages slowed to 0.5 percent from 0.6 percent in the fourth quarter and 9.9 percent in the first quarter of 2023.

The data also showed consumption for education slowed to 3.8 percent in the first quarter of 2024 from 8.3 percent and 11.5 percent in the fourth and first quarters of 2023, respectively.

The PSA also said spending for restaurants and hotels slowed to 11.9 percent in the first quarter of 2024 from 15.6 percent in the fourth quarter and 20.2 percent in the first quarter of 2023.

Spending for vices—alcoholic beverages and tobacco—contracted 2.7 percent in the first quarter of 2024. In the last quarter of 2023, spending for these items posted a growth of 0.6 percent and in the first quarter last year, 7.4 percent.

The data also showed that valuables, under gross capital formation, contracted 25.3 percent, the steepest decline since the first quarter of 2022. Valuables include the purchase of antiques, jewelries, and other high-value items that only the rich may be able to afford.

Cai U. Ordinario

PHL, Brunei to tap Asean bloc high-growth sectors

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

WITH the enhanced economic ties between Philippines and Brunei, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said both countries are now poised to tap high-growth sectors in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

In his speech during the Philippine Business Forum in Brunei on Wednesday, the chief executive disclosed how both countries are eyeing to take advantage of the large market from Brunei DarussalamIndonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

“With the region experiencing a steady rise in population and income, the market for goods and services is expanding rapidly and significantly. This growing market presents numerous opportunities for businesses and investors to capitalize on,” Marcos said.

The BIMP-EAGA, he said, is also a venue for establishing “robust supply and value chains,” including small and medium-sized enterprises (SME).

“BIMP-EAGA stands as a beacon of economic integration and development within Asean. By investing in infrastructure, promoting sustainable industries, and supporting SMEs, we are paving the way for a more dynamic and interconnected regional economy,” Marcos said.

The Philippines and Brunei are part of BIMP-EAGA’s West Borneo Economic Corridor, encompassing Brunei Darussalam, and the Greater Sulu-Sulawesi Corridor, covering Palawan and parts of Mindanao.

Incredible potential

THE President listed some of the sectors with “incredible potential” in the regional bloc: agribusiness, renewable energy, and Halal industry development.

He said the country is able to sell its agricultural products in Asean countries with high Muslim populations through the established halal certification system of Brunei.

Halal is the processing of food and non-food items such as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals to ensure they are compliant with Islamic laws.

“Given the significant opportunities in the global halal market, we are well-prepared with existing mechanisms in Asean and in BIMP-EAGA to enhance the integration of our halal supply chains,” Marcos said.

Marcos urged Brunei businesses to invest in the country’s growing sectors, including its halal production industry.

In January, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced it is targeting to secure P230 billion worth of investments to expand local halal production in the next four years.

Private partnership

MARCOS stressed the important role of the private sector in the economic development of both countries, and gave assurances his administration will provide them the necessary support. “We are committed to fostering mutually beneficial outcomes for the business sectors of both our countries,” he said. The private sector in the Philip-

pines and Brunei have already committed to closer cooperation in the future with the signing of two new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Wednesday.

The first, with the Brunei and Asean Business Advisory Council, the Philippines forges partnerships for agriculture and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) development “to enhance economic integration, promote sustainable agribusiness practices and foster inclusive business model within the Asean region.”

The agreement covers cooperation in conducting studies, mentorship programs, identifying trade and investment opportunities in the agriculture sector.

Also signed was the MOU between the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Brunei Darussalam and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Both groups will exchange information, organize trade and investment missions and support different industries such as information and communication technology, halal food, smart agriculture, manufacturing, franchising, tourism, serviced and MSME development. It also establishes the business councils in both countries to facilitate joint initiatives and outlines dispute resolution mechanisms.

global oil prices. Meanwhile, no downside risk was identified,” the report stated.

The BSP also said there was still a high probability that inflation will breach the high end of the target band in 2024 and 2025.

rance Commission, the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Securities and Exchange Commission as member institutions.

It started as a voluntary body right after the Global Financial Crisis and has since been institutionalized under Executive Order No. 144.

The Council said global indicators of market volatility have remained low but there was volatility in global oil prices. Further, citing the US Federal Reserve, the FSCC said the US inflation rate remained “stubbornly high.”

“This suggests a high-for-long policy rate environment, which will likely affect the global economy. In addition, geo-political risks have been protracted and, in recent cases, escalated,” the statement read.

Nonetheless, the FSCC noted that reassuring indicators include the country’s economic growth. It has remained strong and is considered among the highest globally.

The FSCC also noted that inflation remains in check and is unlikely to breach the upper end of the 2 to 4 inflation target this year.

Risks

IN the Monetary Policy Report, the BSP said risks to the inflation outlook remain tilted to the upside. This was reflected in the central bank’s new risk-adjusted inflation forecast for 2024 and 2025.

In May 2024, the risk-adjusted inflation forecast for this year was adjusted downward to 3.8 percent from the 3.9 percent estimate in February. However, for 2025, the risk-adjusted inflation forecast was adjusted upward to 3.7 percent in May 2024 from the 3.5 percent recorded in February.

“The upside risks to the inflation outlook could emanate from higher transport charges and toll rates, food prices, electricity rates, and

“Nevertheless, the latest probability distribution shows a slightly higher likelihood of inflation settling within the target range for 2024 compared with the previous round due to the downward adjustment in the baseline forecast. Meanwhile, the probability of inflation breaching the low end of the target range for 2024 and 2025 remains low,” the BSP said.

There was an upward adjustment in BSP’s inflation expectations due to the impact of higher domestic food prices, higher transport charges and global oil prices, removal of the measures to mitigate El Niño and implementation of higher toll rates.

BSP noted there are several petitions for transport fare hikes. This included the P1 increase in jeepney fares for both traditional and modern jeepneys as well as the petition to increase to P15 the minimum fare for traditional jeepneys.

The report also said there was a petition filed to increase the minimum fare of the rail line to P16 from the current P13 and the proposed increase in the taxi flag down rate to P70 if gasoline prices reach P66 to P70 per liter. In October, taxi flag down rates were granted a provisional increase of P5.

The central bank expects there is a medium probability for the jeepney fare hike to materialize while there was a high probability that railway fares will be increased in the second quarter of the year.

As for taxi flag down rates, BSP said there was only a low probability that this petition will be granted give the expected increase in oil prices.

The BSP also noted toll rate adjustments for the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), SubicClark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), and sections of the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) were ap-

by September.

Under the RTL, rice importers must pay a 35-percent tariff imposed on imports within Southeast Asia. This, Recto said, would be lowered but not down to zero percent.

“You have to strike a balance between the farmers and the consumers...Mas maganda ’yung hating-kapatid [A fair share would be ideal],” Recto told reporters on the sidelines of the recent Philippine Economic Briefing (PEB).

Velasquez added that the government has already collected P16 billion in rice tariffs as of April this year to assist farmers, more than the required P15-billion appropriation to the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) agencies and programs under the Rice Competitiveness and Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

“On the DOF’s part, we are willing to forego that tariff loss just to make sure that inflation [is also] down,” Velasquez noted.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said that rice tariffs lowered to 17.5 percent would be a big reduction.

“If the RTL would be passed, we are looking at importing rice at lower prices, with the 25 percent broken, so that the private sector would be pressured to import rice at lower prices,” de Mesa said.

De Mesa added that local farmers are contented with the National Food Authority’s (NFA) decision to increase the buying price of palay from P19 to P23, while clean and dry palay from P23 to P30.

Even if the tariffs would be slashed to 15 to 20 percent, de Mesa said that their initial computation showed it would go down by P4 to P5.

“The rice prices versus the palay priced at P30 will not affect the farmers that much with the current farmgate prices that we have,” de Mesa said in a mix of English and Filipino.

proved for staggered implementation starting in June 2023.

“The scenario assumes that the second tranche of the toll adjustments in the said expressways will be implemented in Q2 2024, while the third tranche of the adjustment in SCTEX will be implemented in Q1 2025,” the BSP said.

“As said toll adjustments have been approved by the Toll Regulatory Board, a high probability is assigned to this. An overall medium probability is assigned to the risk of higher transport charges based on the CPI [Consumer Price Index] weights of the various transport items considered,” it also said.

Meanwhile, the country still faces supply constraints on key food items such as local rice and corn production which have been affected by the severe dry spell.

The African Swine Fever (ASF) and Avian Flu, the BSP said, continue to threaten pork and poultry growth, while high oil prices have reduced fishing activities.

The BSP also noted a deficit in sugar and onion supplies due to the “absence of sufficient import programs.”

“Under this risk scenario, elevated prices are assumed to persist until Q3 2024 for rice and until Q4 2024 for the rest of the commodities identified. An overall medium probability is assigned to this risk, given the relative weights of the commodities in the CPI basket,” BSP said.

Nonetheless, BSP said, these upside risks were partly offset by the lower impact of higher electricity rates. This was despite the high probability that electricity prices would increase.

This high probability is largely due to expectations that the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) will release an order to authorize the collection of the power generation cost.

BSP

Zambales fishermen set to defy China fishing ban

FBy Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

ISHERMEN from Zambales will conduct a “collective fishing expedition,” to defy the four-month Chinese fishing ban, and as a way to exercise sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.

The fishermen belong to the the panatag fisherfolk association, a local affiliate of Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) in Zambales.

“There is no better way to assert fishing rights in our exclusive economic zone than to conduct a collective economic activity,” Ronnel Arambulo, Pamalakaya national vice chairman, said in a statement.

The militant fishermen’s group said that more than 20 small fishing boats are expected

to join the collective fishing expedition that will venture 20 to 30 nautical miles off Masinloc town.

In Brunei, President Marcos said on Wednesday the plan of China to arrest foreigners that it say are “trespassing” in the South China Sea is “an escalation of the tension in the region.”

“The new policy of threatening to detain our own citizens...that is different. That is an escalation of the situation,” Marcos said.

China has reportedly issued a regulation empowering its coast guard to detain “trespassers” in the South China Sea without trial. The directive was issued following the Philippine civilian mission to the WPS.

Reports said that a regulatory document of Beijing set to take effect in June, empowers the China Coast Guard (CCG)

Lawyer to ask SC to reconsider transfer of Quiboloy trial to QC

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

THE Department of Justice (DOJ)

yesterday welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to grant its request 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.

However, a lawyer for the embattled preacher said he would ask the Court to reconsider its order.

to hold foreigners suspected of “illegally passing” China’s “borders” for up to 60 days.

This as the Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, Commo. Roy Vincent Trinidad, said China’s “fishing moratorium” was only for “narrative,” “deception,” and “lawfare” purposes.

“So far, none...today’s warfare is more on narratives, more on deception. It is part of the lawfare of China,” he said when asked about indications that China is enforcing its fishing ban over the area.

“The pronouncement on the ban has been there since 2021. They have announced a fourmonth fishing ban. But the implementation has not yet been put into effect,” Trinidad added.

Since 2021, Trinidad said China has not arrested Filipino fishers nor those from other claimant countries in the South China Sea such

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

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

as Vietnam, Malaysia and even Indonesia.

Trinidad said the Navy has taken action to secure Filipino fishermen from China’s directive but he refused to elaborate.

Filipino fishermen continue to fish in the West Philippine Sea despite China’s unilateral fishing moratorium, according to Trinidad.

On Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Philippines protested China’s fishing ban as it violated international law and undermined the country’s sovereignty and maritime rights.

The DFA said it did not recognize China’s May 1 to September 16 fishing moratorium as it included Manila’s maritime zones over which the Philippines had sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction.

China’s fishing ban came a week after it announced that it would detain foreigners

Quiboloy’s counsel, Israelito Torreon, said the ruling failed to follow the Office of the Court Administrator-Circular 1622022-A which simplified the procedure for transferring the venue of cases.

intruding into areas it claims in the South China Sea.

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague ruled that China’s claims over the South China Sea had no legal basis, a decision Beijing does not recognize.

On Tuesday, the Navy reported that 122 Chinese vessels were spotted in various features of the West Philippine Sea from May 21 to 27.

Trinidad reported that among the Chinese vessels seen in the WPS include: Five Chinese Coast Guard vessels (CCGVs), and 14 Chinese maritime militia vessels (CMMVs) were spotted in Bajo de Masinloc; five CCGVs and 1y CMMVs in the Ayungin Shoal; 1 CCGV, 1 PLAN ship, 34 CMNVs near Pagasa Island, one CMMV each near Kota Island and Lawak Island, and three CMMVs near Panta Island.

decision was based on “unfounded and unsubstantiated” claims of bias in Davao City court which should be construed as an attack on the judiciary.

Two CCGVs and two CMMVs were also spotted in Panatag Island and two CCGVs, four PLAN ships and 30 CMMVs were spotted within the vicinity of Sabina Shoal.

The Philippine Navy said it does not recognize the Chinese fishing moratorium on the South China Sea, which covers parts of the Philippines’s exclusive economic zone.

“The Philippine Navy does not recognize this provocative statement nor will we be deterred in performing our mandate of securing the welfare of Filipinos wherever he/she is—on land or sea,” Trinidad said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has already protested China’s fishing ban as it violated international laws and undermined the country’s sovereignty and maritime rights.

“Witnesses, judges, our prosecutors and their families will no longer have to fear for their safety, the wheels of justice can now freely roll through this journey,” Remulla said in a statement.

“This is a major breakthrough in our pursuit for justice as we relentlessly delve into the truth behind all these accusations against the embattled church leader,” it added.

The SC’s Second Division on Monday said it found compelling reasons to allow the transfer of venue of the cases as these involve public interest, considering that

In a statement quoting Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, the DOJ admitted that its concern for the safety of those involved in the prosecution of Quiboloy prompted its request for transfer of venue.

On the other hand, the Executive Judge of the RTC in QC was ordered to immediately raffle off the cases, upon receipt of the case records, among the judges in the station for immediate resolution of the cases.

The Court also directed judges in Davao City and in other stations in Mindanao where future related cases involving Quiboloy and his co-accused may be filed tomotu proprioorder the transmittal of the records to the Office of the Clerk of Court of the RTC in QC and the Metropolitan Trial Court in Quezon City, as the case may be.

However, Quiboloy’s camp expressed surprise by the SC’s decision to grant the DOJ’s request for the transfer of venue.

Under the circular, the request for transfer should be filed directly with the court where the case is pending.

The presiding judge will then comment on the request and issue an order for the parties to submit their comments within five days.

The judge is then mandated to forward the request and comments to the OCA within five days for transmission to the SC.

“Such procedure has not been followed in this case as we did not even receive a copy of the Petition itself,” Torreon said.

“Knowing the foregoing, there may have been violation of due process as the parties were never heard about the matter,” he added.

Torreon also surmised that Court’s

“The Supreme Court Second Division may not have been informed that two of our motions, including the latest motion to quash information have even been denied and we have to raise the matter on certiorari to the Court of Appeals,” Torreon pointed out.

“These rulings demolish whatever imagined bias that the Justice Secretary may have painted upon the Supreme Court vis-a-vis the RTC Judge who is handling the case in Davao City,” he added.

Torreon said Quiboloy’s camp will file a motion for reconsideration before the Court to reverse its decision as this would unjustly burden all the accused and their witnesses.

“The financial costs, hassles and inconvenience that will ensue upon

the accused, their families, followers, supporters and most especially witnesses as a result of the transfer of venue may not have been brought to the attention of the Honorable Supreme courts, hence, we will endeavor to raise these matters to the attention of the Honorable Justices in the hope that they will change their minds on the issue,” the lawyer said.

He, however, assured that their camp would abide if the court would stick with its decision.

SC spokesman Camille Sue Mae Ting acknowledged that the requirements under the circular were dispensed with by the Office of the Court Administrator due to the “urgent nature” of the request made by the DOJ and the involvement of public interest.

“This has been done by the Supreme Court in several cases, such as in the case of slain Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo,” Ting said.

Nlex users to pay more starting June 4

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

THE Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) has authorized the implementation of the second tranche of the approved toll adjustments for the North Luzon Expressway (Nlex), effective June 4.

Under the new toll matrix, motorists will see the following increases:

Class 1 vehicles (regular cars and SUVs): Additional P5.00 within the open system.

Class 2 vehicles (buses and small trucks): Additional P14.00 within the open system.

Class 3 vehicles: Additional P17.00 within the open system.

These adjustments stem from the consolidated petitions filed in 2018 and 2020, which were due for periodic review. The toll adjustments, originally scheduled for 2019 and 2021, were deferred and split into two tranches to mitigate inflationary pressures and lessen the impact on motorists.

The first tranche, accounting for 50 percent of the approved adjustments, was implemented on May 25, 2023.

new F. Raymundo Exit in Meycauayan and widened the Meycauayan northbound exit ramp as part of its traffic decongestion program.

The company is also set to complete the Candaba Third Viaduct, expanding the existing bridge to three lanes with shoulders per direction, enhancing safety and ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of goods and services.

In addition, two major projects are set for construction this year.

House ready to help in business liberalization effort–Romualdez

By Jovee Marie Dela Cruz @joveemarie

ABrunei in sectors such as agribusiness, renewable energy, and Halal industry development.

P27.00

P68.00

P81.00

Class 1 vehicles: Additional

Class 2 vehicles: Additional

Class 3 vehicles: Additional

The open system includes the stretch from Balintawak, Caloocan City to Marilao, Bulacan, while the closed system covers the portion from Bocaue, Bulacan, to Sta. Ines, Mabalacat City, Pampanga, including Subic-Tipo. For end-to-end travel between Metro Manila and Mabalacat City, the additional fees are:

Nlex Corp. said that from 2018 to 2020, it invested in various infrastructure and enhancement projects aimed at improving safety and convenience for motorists.

These include the expansion of the San Fernando northbound exit; drainage enhancements at Meycauayan northbound and Balintawak southbound; the retrofitting of San Simon and Sta. Rita Bridges; the construction of the Mapulang Lupa Pedestrian/Tricycle Overpass; and the various upgrades to toll systems, roadway lighting, and signage.

In 2024, Nlex also opened the

Construction of the first 2-kilometer section of the Nlex-C5 Link will start in the third quarter of the year. This section extends from the Nlex Mindanao toll plaza to Quirino Highway in Novaliches.

It will also start constructing the Nlex San Fernando to Subic-ClarkTarlac Expressway Spur this year. This project will expand the road capacity from 2x2 lanes to 3x3 lanes in each direction. It also includes the installation of roadway lighting from Nlex San Fernando to Sta. Ines and the reconfiguration of Mexico as a full diamond interchange.

He highlighted key legislative reforms in the Philippines, such as the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, the Foreign Investments Act, the Public Services Act, and the Renewable Energy Act, among others, which have liberalized foreign ownership and encouraged investment.

The President also noted the passage of the CREATE MORE (Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy) bill, which aims to enhance fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for investments, and the establishment of the Maharlika Investment Fund. Furthermore, he cited the signing of Executive Order No. 18, which establishes green lanes for strategic investments.

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Israeli airstrikes kill 37 Palestinians, most in tents, near Rafah as offensive expands

By Wafaa Shurafa & Samy Magdy The Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip— Israeli shelling and airstrikes killed at least 37 people, most of them sheltering in tents, outside the southern Gaza city of Rafah overnight and on Tuesday—pummeling the same area where strikes triggered a deadly fire days earlier in a camp for displaced Palestinians—according to witnesses, emergency workers and hospital officials.

The tent camp inferno has drawn widespread international outrage, including from some of Israel’s closest allies, over the military’s expanding offensive into Rafah. And in a sign of Israel’s growing isolation on the world stage, Spain, Norway and Ireland formally recognized a Palestinian state on Tuesday.

The Israeli military suggested Sunday’s blaze in the tent camp may have been caused by secondary explosions, possibly from Palestinian militants’ weapons. The results of Israel’s initial probe into the fire were issued Tuesday, with military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari saying the cause of the fire was still under investigation but that the Israeli munitions used—targeting what the army said was a position with two senior Hamas militants—were too small to be the source.

The strike or the subsequent fire could also have ignited fuel, cooking gas canisters or other materials in the camp. The blaze killed 45 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials’ count.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the fire was the result of a “tragic mishap.”

Israel’s assault on Rafah, launched May 6, spurred more than 1 million people to flee the city, the UN agency helping Palestinian

refugees said Tuesday. Most were already displaced multiple times in the nearly eight-month war between Israel and Hamas. Families are now scattered across makeshift tent camps and other war-ravaged areas.

The strikes over the past few days have hit areas west of Rafah, where the military had not ordered civilians to evacuate. Israeli ground troops and tanks have been operating in eastern Rafah, in central parts of the city, and along the Gaza-Egypt border.

Shelling late Monday and early Tuesday hit Rafah’s western Tel al-Sultan district, killing at least 16 people, the Palestinian Civil Defense and the Palestinian Red Crescent said. Seven of the dead were in tents next to a UN facility about about 200 meters (yards) from the site of Sunday’s fire.

“It was a night of horror,” said Abdel-Rahman Abu Ismail, a Palestinian from Gaza City who has been sheltering in Tel al-Sultan since December. He said he heard “constant sounds” of explosions overnight and into Tuesday, with fighter jets and drones flying above.

He said it reminded him of the Israeli invasion of his neighborhood of Shijaiyah in Gaza City, where Israel launched a heavy bombing campaign before sending in ground forces in late 2023. “We

saw this before,” he said.

The United States and other allies of Israel have warned against a full-fledged offensive in the city, with the Biden administration saying this would cross a “red line” and refusing to provide offensive arms for such an undertaking.

On Tuesday, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller gave no indication the administration sees Israel as crossing any of the red lines for Rafah, saying the offensive is still on a “far different” scale than assaults on other population centers in Gaza.

The International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its Rafah offensive last week as part of South Africa’s case accusing Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.

A proposed UN Security Council resolution demanding a halt to the fighting in Rafah was being circulated by Algeria on Tuesday, with plans to potentially bring it to a vote this week. The US has vetoed multiple Gaza cease-fire resolutions.

On Tuesday afternoon, an Israeli drone strike hit tents near a field hospital by the Mediterranean coast west of Rafah, killing at least 21 people, including 13 women, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

A witness, Ahmed Nassar, said his four cousins and some of their husbands and children were killed in the strike and a number of tents were destroyed or damaged. Most of those living there had fled from the same neighborhood in Gaza City earlier in the war.

“They have nothing to do with anything,” he said.

Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead in Rafah, saying Israeli forces must enter the city to dismantle Hamas and return hostages taken in the October 7 attack that triggered the war.

In its investigation of Sunday’s deadly strike and fire, the Israeli military released satellite photos of what it said was a Hamas rocket launch position about 40 meters (yards) from an area of sheds that was targeted. In the photo, the alleged launcher itself did not appear to have been struck.

He said Israeli warplanes used the smallest bombs possible— two munitions with 17-kilogram (37-pound) warheads. “Our munition alone could not have ignited a fire of this size,” he said.

Hagari said that the fire was “a devastating incident which we did not expect” and ignited due to “unforeseen circumstances.”

Still, the strikes have triggered a flight of people from areas west of Rafah. Sayed al-Masri, a Rafah resident, said many families were heading to the crowded Muwasi area or to Khan Younis, a southern city that suffered heavy damage during months of fighting.

“The situation is worsening” in Rafah, al-Masri said.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said two medical facilities in Tel al-Sultan are out of service because of intense bombing nearby. Medical Aid for Palestinians, a charity operating throughout the territory, said the Tel al-Sultan medical center

Pope Francis apologizes for using derogatory term about gay men while reaffirming ban on gay priests

VBy Nicole Winfield The Associated Press

ATICAN CITY—Pope Francis apologized Tuesday after he was quoted using a vulgar and derogatory term about gay men to reaffirm the Catholic Church’s ban on gay priests.

The ruckus that ensued underscored how the church’s official teaching about homosexuality often bumps up against the unacknowledged reality that there are plenty of gay men in the priesthood, and plenty of LGBTQ+ Catholics who want to be fully part of the life and sacraments of the church.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni issued a statement acknowledging the media storm that erupted about Francis’ comments, which were delivered behind closed doors to Italian bishops on May 20. Italian media on Monday had quoted unnamed Italian bishops in reporting that Francis jokingly used the term “faggotness” while speaking in Italian during the encounter. He had used the term in reaffirming the Vatican’s ban on allowing gay men to enter seminaries and

be ordained priests.

Bruni said Francis was aware of the reports and recalled that the Argentine pope, who has made outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics a hallmark of his papacy, has long insisted there was “room for everyone” in the Catholic Church.

“The pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he extends his apologies to those who were offended by the use of a term that was reported by others,” Bruni said.

With the statement, Bruni carefully avoided an outright confirmation that the pope had indeed used the term, in keeping with the Vatican’s tradition of not revealing what the pope says behind closed doors. But Bruni also didn’t deny that Francis had said it. And for those who have long advocated for greater inclusion and acceptance of LGBTQ+ Catholics, the issue was bigger than the word itself.

“More than the offensive slur uttered by the pope, what is damaging is the institutional church’s insistence on ‘banning’ gay men from the priesthood as if we all do not know (and minister

alongside) many, many gifted, celibate, gay priests,” noted Natalia Imperatori-Lee, chair of the religious studies department at Manhattan College.

“The LGBTQ community seems to be a constant target of offhand, off the cuff ‘mistakes’ from people in the Vatican, including the pope, who should know better,” she added.

Francis was addressing an assembly of the Italian bishops conference, which recently approved a new document outlining training for Italian seminarians. The document, which hasn’t been published pending review by the Holy See, reportedly sought to open some wiggle room in the Vatican’s absolute ban on gay priests by introducing the issue of celibacy as the primary requirement for priests, gay or straight.

The Vatican ban was articulated in a 2005 document from the Congregation for Catholic Education, and later repeated in a subsequent document in 2016, which said the church cannot admit to seminaries or ordain men who “practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called gay culture.”

The position has long been criticized as homophobic and hypocritical for an institution that certainly counts gay priests in its ranks. The late psychotherapist Richard Sipe, a onetime Benedictine monk who taught in US seminaries, estimated in the early 2000s that as many as 30% of the US clergy was homosexually oriented.

The late Rev. Donald Cozzens, a seminary rector, said the percentage was even higher, and asserted in his book “The Changing Face of The Priesthood” that the US priesthood was increasingly becoming a gay profession since so many heterosexual men had left the priesthood to marry and have families.

Priests in the Latin rite Catholic Church cannot marry, while those in eastern rite churches may. Church teaching holds that gay people must be treated with dignity and respect but that homosexual activity is “intrinsically disordered.”

Francis strongly reaffirmed the Vatican ban on gay priests in his May 20 meeting with the Italian bishops, joking that “there is already an air of faggotness” in seminaries, the Italian media reported, after initial

and the Indonesian Field Hospital were under lockdown with medics, patients and displaced people trapped inside.

Most of Gaza’s hospitals are no longer functioning. Rafah’s Kuwait Hospital shut down Monday after a strike near its entrance killed two health workers.

A spokesperson for the World Health Organization said the casualties from Sunday’s strike and fire “absolutely overwhelmed” field hospitals in the area, which were already running short on supplies to treat severe burns.

“That requires intensive care, that requires electricity, that requires high-level medical services,” Dr. Margaret Harris told reporters in Geneva. “Increasingly, we are struggling to even have the high-level skilled doctors and nurses because they’ve been displaced.”

The war began when Hamas and other militants burst into southern Israel in a surprise attack on October 7, killing some 1,200 civilians and abducting around 250. More than 100 were released during a weeklong ceasefire in November in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Israel responded to the attack with a massive air, land and sea offensive that has killed at least 36,096 Palestinians, according

to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count.

Around 80 percent of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million has been displaced and UN officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine.

The fighting in Rafah has made it nearly impossible for humanitarian groups to import and distribute aid to southern Gaza.

The Israeli military says it has allowed hundreds of trucks to enter through the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing since the start of its operation, but aid groups say it’s extremely difficult to access that aid on the Gaza side because of the fighting.

The UN says it has only been able to collect aid from around 170 trucks over the past three weeks via Kerem Shalom. Smaller amounts of aid were also entering through two crossings in the north and by sea through a USbuilt floating pier, but it’s nowhere near the 600 trucks a day that aid groups say are needed. And the pier is being removed for repairs.

Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

PALESTINIANS

Pope Francis apologizes for using derogatory term about gay men while reaffirming ban on gay priests

Continued from A

reporting from gossip site Dagospia.

Italian is not Francis’ mother tongue language, and the Argentine pope has made linguistic gaffes in the past that raised eyebrows. The 87-year-old Argentine pope often speaks informally, jokes using slang and even curses in private.

He has been known for his outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics, however, starting from his famous “Who am I to judge “ comment in 2013 about a priest who purportedly had a gay lover in his past. He has ministered to transgender Catholics, allowed priests to bless same-sex couples and called for an end to anti-gay legislation, saying in a 2023 interview with The Associated Press that “Being homosexual is not a crime. “

However, he has occasionally offended LGBTQ+ people and their advocates, including in that same interview where he implied that while homosexuality wasn’t a crime, it was a sin. He later clarified that he was referring to sexual activity, and that any sex outside marriage between a man and a woman was sinful in the eyes of the church.

And most recently, he signed off on a Vatican document asserting that gender-

affirming surgery was a grave violation of human dignity.

New Ways Ministry, which advocates for LGBTQ+ Catholics, welcomed Francis’ apology Tuesday and said it confirmed that the “use of the slur was a careless colloquialism.” But the group’s director Francis DeBernardo questioned the underlying content of the pope’s comments and the overall ban on gays in the priesthood.

“Without a clarification, his words will be interpreted as a blanket ban on accepting any gay man to a seminary,” DeBernardo said in a release, asking for a clearer statement on Francis’ views about gay priests “so many of whom faithfully serve the people of God each day.”

Andrea Rubera, a spokesperson for Paths of Hope, an Italian association of LGBTQ+ Christians, said he was incredulous when he first read about the pope’s comments, and then sad when no denial came from the Vatican. It showed, he said, that the pope and the Vatican still have a “limited view” of the reality of LGBTQ+ people.

“We hope, once again, that the time will come to undertake a discussion in the church toward a deepening of the LGBT issue, especially from the experience of the people themselves,” he said.

Greek-owned ship struck by Houthi missiles in Red Sea, takes on water

By Jon Gambrell The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates— Missile attacks twice damaged a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned ship Tuesday in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, with a private security firm saying radio traffic suggested the vessel took on water after being struck.

No group claimed responsibility, but suspicion fell on Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have launched a number of attacks targeting ships over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The first attack on the bulk carrier Laax happened off the port city of Hodeida in the southern Red Sea, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links it to the Gulf of Aden, according to the British military’s

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center. The vessel “sustained damage” in the assault and later reported an “impact in the water in close proximity to the vessel,” the UKMTO said.

“The crew are reported safe and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call,” the center said.

The private security firm Ambrey said the vessel reported by radio of having “sustained damage to the cargo hold and was taking on water.”

Late Tuesday night, the UKMTO reported the Laax “sustained further damage” in a second missile attack near Mokha in the Bab el-Mandeb.

The US military’s Central Command also identified the targeted ship as the Laax. The vessel reported being headed to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.

Grehel Ship Management of Piraeus, Greece, manages the Laax. A man who answered the phone at Grehel declined to answer questions about the attack and an emailed request for comment was not returned.

Central Command separately said it destroyed five Houthi drones over the Red Sea amid the attacks.

The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge the attack, though it can take the rebels hours or even days to claim their assaults.

The Houthis have launched attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in recent months, demanding that Israel ends the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians there. The war began after

Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostage.

The rebels have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the United States Maritime Administration.

Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat. In recent weeks, the tempo of Houthi attacks has dropped, though the rebels have claimed shooting down US surveillance drones.

Yemen has been wracked by conflict since the rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. A Saudiled coalition entered the war on the side of Yemen’s exiled government in 2015, but the conflict has remained at a stalemate for years as Riyadh tries to reach a peace deal with the Houthis.

Speaking Tuesday in Dubai, the prime minister of Yemen’s exiled, internationally recognized government urged the world to see past the Houthis’ claims of backing the Palestinians through their attacks.

“The Houthis’ exploitation of a very just cause such as the cause of our people in Palestine and what is happening in Gaza is to escape the benefits of peace and lead us to major complications that exist,” Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak told the Arab Media Forum. “Peace is a strategic choice. We must reach peace. The war must stop. This is a must. Our people need security and stability. The region itself needs stability.”

THIS is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. AP PHOTO

IMF upgrades forecast for China’s economy, but says reforms needed to support growth

By Elaine Kurtenbach Ap Business Writer

THE International Monetary Fund has upgraded its forecast for China’s economy, while warning that consumer-friendly reforms are needed to sustain strong, high-quality growth.

The IMF’s report, issued late Tuesday, said the world’s secondlargest economy will likely expand at a 5 percent annual rate this year, based on its growth in the first quarter and recent moves to support the property sector.

growth in 2025 forecast to be 4.5 percent.

The IMF praised the Chinese government’s focus on what it calls “high quality” growth, including increased investment in clean energy and advanced technology and improved regulation of financial industries.

economic growth to fall to 3.3 percent by 2029 due to the rapid aging of its population and slower growth in productivity as well as the protracted difficulties in the housing sector.

Use of industrial policies to support various industries such as automaking and computer chip development may waste resources and affect China’s trading partners, it said, alluding to a key point of contention between Washington and Beijing.

The IMF also said Beijing should scale back subsidies and other “distortive” policies that support manufacturing at the expense of other industries such as services.

The ruling Communist Party has set its annual growth target at “around 5 percent,” and the

But it warned that attaining sustained growth requires building stronger social safety nets and increasing workers’ incomes to enable Chinese consumers to spend more.

Haiti transitional council selects new prime minister for country under siege by gangs

By Dánica Coto

The Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico—UN development specialist Garry Conille was named Haiti’s new prime minister on Tuesday evening, nearly a month after a coalition within a fractured transitional council sought to choose someone else for the position.

The long-awaited move comes as gangs continue to terrorize the capital of Port-auPrince, opening fire in once peaceful neighborhoods and using heavy machinery to demolish several police stations and prisons.

Council member Louis Gérald Gilles told The Associated Press that six out of seven council members with voting power chose Conille earlier Tuesday. He said one member, Laurent St. Cyr, was not in Haiti and therefore did not vote.

Conille has been UNICEF’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean since January 2023 and previously served as Haiti’s prime minister from October 2011 to May 2012 under then President Michel Martelly.

He replaces Michel Patrick Boisvert, who was named interim prime minister after Ariel Henry resigned via letter in late April.

Henry was on an official trip to Kenya when a coalition of powerful gangs launched coordinated attacks Feb. 29, seizing control of police stations, shooting at Haiti’s main international airport and storming the country’s two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates.

Henry was locked out of the country by the attacks, with the airport in the Port-auPrince capital remaining shuttered for nearly three months.

Gang violence is still surging in parts of Haiti’s capital and beyond as Conille takes over the helm of the troubled Caribbean country awaiting the UN-backed deployment of a police force from Kenya and other countries.

Conille studied medicine and public health and helped develop health care in impoverished communities in Haiti, where he helped coordinate reconstruction efforts after the devastating 2010 earthquake. The gang violence has taken a toll on that system, however.

He worked for several years at the United Nations before Martelly designated him as prime minister in 2011. Conille resigned less than a year later following clashes with the president and his Cabinet over an investigation into government officials who have dual nationality, which is not allowed by Haiti’s constitution.

Conille could not be immediately reached for comment. UNICEF said in a brief statement to late Tuesday that he was stepping down from his role as regional director: “We are working closely with Garry to ensure a smooth transition at this time.”

Conille has an arduous task ahead of him, having to quell rampant gang violence while helping lift Haiti out of deep poverty,

with inflation reaching a record 29 percent, according to the latest data available. In recent years, gangs that control at least 80 percent of Port-au-Prince have forced more than 360,000 people from their homes, and they continue to control key routes from the capital to Haiti’s northern and southern regions, often paralyzing the transportation of critical goods.

The selection of Conille as prime minister comes just weeks after former Haitian sports minister Fritz Bélizaire was chosen for the post in late April by a four-member coalition within the nine-member transitional council in a surprise announcement that angered many. Critics said proper procedure was not followed as dictated by the framework that established the council, so a new process was started to choose a prime minister, with dozens of names submitted for the post.

The drawn-out process has been criticized by many, including the Montana Accord, a Haitian civil society group that has a representative on the council.

In a statement Tuesday, the group accused the council of not taking any “consequential measures” since being installed as “the suffering of the people is getting worse, while the gangs are taking control of more territory and committing more crimes.”

It also accused the council of not being transparent while choosing a new prime minister, saying it did not publicly share the criteria used or the names submitted, among other things.

Liné Balthazar, president of the Tet Kale party, called on the council to be transparent in an interview Monday with Magik9, a local radio station, and said the selection of a prime minister appeared improvised.

In addition to selecting a new prime minister, the nine-member council, of which seven have voting powers, also has to appoint a provisional electoral commission, a requirement before elections can take place.

The council’s non-renewable mandate expires Feb. 7, 2026, at which date a new president is scheduled to be sworn in.

In addition to picking a new prime minister, the council also is responsible for selecting a new Cabinet and holding general elections by the end of next year.

The council members are Emmanuel Vertilaire for Petit Desalin, a party led by former senator and presidential candidate JeanCharles Moïse; Smith Augustin for EDE/RED, a party led by former Prime Minister Claude Joseph; Fritz Alphonse Jean of the Montana Accord; Leslie Voltaire for Fanmi Lavalas, the party of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide; Louis Gérald Gilles for the Dec. 21 coalition that backs former Prime Minister Ariel Henry; Edgard Leblanc Fils for the Jan. 30 Collective, which represents parties including that of former President Michel Martelly; and Laurent Saint-Cyr for the private sector.

economy grew at a faster-thanexpected 5.3 percent in the first quarter of the year, boosting the global economy.

The IMF said its upgraded forecast also reflects recent moves to

boost growth, including fresh help for the property industry such as lower interest rates and smaller down-payment requirements on home loans.

But it said risks remained, with

But it added that “a more comprehensive and balanced policy approach would help China navigate the headwinds facing the economy.” Job losses, especially during the pandemic, and falling housing prices have hit the finances of many Chinese.

The report echoes opinions of many economists who say more must be done to provide a social safety net and increase incomes for workers so that Chinese families can afford to save less and spend more.

The IMF report’s longer-term assessment was less optimistic. It said it expected China’s annual

US officials contend that China is providing unfair support to its own industries and creating excessive manufacturing capacity that can only be absorbed by exporting whatever cannot be used or sold at home.

China rejects that stance, while protesting that the US and other wealthy nations have invoked false national security concerns to impose unfair restrictions on exports of technology to China.

EU’s cybersecurity chief says disruptive attacks have doubled recently, sees Russia behind many

By Derek Gatopoulos The Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece—Disrup-

tive digital attacks, many of which have been traced to Russia-backed groups, have doubled in the European Union in recent months and are also targeting election-related services, according to the EU’s top cybersecurity official.

Juhan Lepassaar, head of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, or ENISA, told The Associated Press in an interview that attacks with geopolitical motives have steadily risen since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

“The number of hacktivist attacks (against) European infrastructure—threat actors whose main aim is to cause disruption— has doubled from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024,” Lepassaar said late Tuesday at the agency’s headquarters in Athens.

“It’s quite a significant increase,” he said.

Citizens from the EU’s 27 member states will vote June 6-9 for lawmakers in the European Parliament in an election that will also shape the EU’s executive branch, the European Commission. Elections, also due in the United States,

Britain and multiple other countries, have alerted security agencies to the threat of disruption campaigns funded by adversaries.

ENISA has led exercises and intense consultations to harden the resilience of election-related agencies in the EU for the past seven months. In an annual report for 2023, the agency noted a surge in ransomware attacks and incidents targeting public institutions.

Lepassaar said that attack methods—while mostly unsuccessful—were often tried out in

Ukraine before being expanded to EU countries.

“This is part of the Russian war of aggression, which they fight physically in Ukraine, but digitally also across Europe,” he said.

Experts warn that artificial intelligence tools are also being used to target Western voters at accelerating speed and scale with misleading or false information, including hyperrealistic video and audio clips known as deepfakes.

“It’s been emphasized, also

US appoints a new representative to Taiwan as self-ruled island faces China’s intimidation

TAIPEI, Taiwan—The United States has appointed a new representative to Taiwan, as China boosts its threats against the self-ruled island following the election of a new president who wants the territory to maintain its de-facto independence. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and this week staged naval and air force drills that surrounded the island in a simulated blockade.

The American Institute in Taiwan that acts as the de-facto embassy in Taipei said Wednesday that veteran diplomat Raymond Greene would take over from

Sandra Oudkirk beginning in the summer of 2024.

The US cut formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979 and established official relations with

by member states’ cybersecurity agencies, that AI-enabled disinformation and information manipulation is a big threat,” Lepassaar said.

His comments echo a warning made this month by US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines that technological progress will make more nations and groups able to launch effective disinformation campaigns.

US and European experts are helping security agencies to try and anticipate emerging digital threats and vulnerabilities over this decade, with ENISA identifying food production, satellite management and self-driving vehicles as areas requiring attention.

Cybersecurity, Lepassaar argues, will inevitably need to become second nature to designers and consumers.

“I do believe that we have a societal challenge ahead of us to understand digital security in the same way that we understand, security in the everyday traffic environment,” he said.

“When we are driving, we are aware of what is going on around us. We are alert,” he said. “The same kind of behaviors and habits are what we need to also instill when we operate in any kind of a digital environment.”

the People’s Republic of China, then a Cold War ally against the Soviet Union. Despite an absence of formal relations with Taiwan, the US is the island’s strongest ally and is obligated under a 1979 law to help Taiwan protect itself from invasion.

Despite China’s intimidation, life carried on as usual in Taiwan, with politics dominated by arguments over legal changes that could make it easier for the minority Nationalist Party to cut deals with China’s ruling Communist Party, potentially undercutting Taiwan’s international competitiveness, financial advantages and high-tech economy based on its production of the most advanced computer chips.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te took office May 20 and urged Beijing to stop its military intimidation and said Taiwan was “a sovereign independent nation in which sovereignty lies in the hands of the people.”

Key Republican calls for ‘generational’ increase in defense spending to counter US adversaries

By Stephen Groves The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—The

top-ranking Republican on a Senate committee that oversees the military is calling for a “generational investment” in America’s defense, saying aggressive and significant spending increases are necessary to deter coordinated threats from US adversaries like Russia, Iran and China.

Sen. Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told The Associated Press that he will seek an additional $55 billion in defense spending over the limits that were forged in the deal to suspend the nation’s debt limit a year ago. Wicker explained his position in global terms, saying there has “never been such a level of cooperation and coordination among an axis of aggressors” that aims to challenge US dominance.

The plan lays down a significant marker for Senate Republicans as they enter into a new round of budget fights with Democrats in the heat of a closely fought election year. The White House has proposed $850 billion in defense spending, adhering to the debt limit deal by proposing a 1 percent increase from the previous year. That plan is unlikely to keep pace with inflation and would seek to reduce the military’s costs by retiring older ships and aircraft.

Wicker acknowledged it would be “a hill to climb” to convince Congress to break from the spending caps at a time of deep politi-

cal upheaval. Washington is still grappling with divisions over support for Ukraine, the aftershocks of two long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and a presidential election between two presumptive candidates—Biden and Republican Donald Trump—who espouse vastly different visions of America’s role abroad.

But Wicker said the nation has no choice. “We would be very foolish on a national survival basis to adhere to that when it comes to national defense,” he said.

While GOP defense hawks have long advocated for robust defense spending, Wicker’s plan goes a step further, calling for a broad shift in the US defense posture that would amount to a reshuffling of national priorities. Under his proposal, the military would eventually consume 5 percent of America’s gross domestic product—or total economic output.

Defense spending when measured as a portion of GDP is currently about 3 percent and has been declining since the height of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It has not reached above 5 percent

since the early 1990s.

Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, Wicker said, “nobody took a chance against the United States because we were powerful enough to keep the peace. We are simply not anywhere near that right now.”

“I think that the fact that we’re in a new Cold War is self-evident,” he said.

Wicker’s full plan is laid out in a paper he has been working on for

the last year. In it, he makes the case for crafting a new generation of weaponry, pointing to Russia’s moves to expand its territory in Europe and China’s attempts to show increasing dominance in parts of the Pacific.

Closer ties between China and Russia were underscored earlier this month by a visit between leaders Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. The two-day visit—Pu-

While GOP defense hawks have long advocated for robust defense spending, Wicker’s plan goes a step further, calling for a broad shift in the US defense posture that would amount to a reshuffling of national priorities. Under his proposal, the military would eventually consume 5 percent of America’s gross domestic product—or total economic output.

tin’s first trip abroad after being inaugurated to a fifth term in office—reflected a growing partnership between the two nations, an alliance grounded in support for authoritarian regimes and dominance in their respective regions.

China has given diplomatic support to Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine and emerged as a top export market for Russian oil and gas, helping fill the Kremlin’s war coffers for the ongoing offensive.

Wicker said the high-level meeting between Putin and Xi “ought to be a wake up call.”

He said in his proposal that the US faces “the most dangerous threat environment since World War II” and urges a national war footing appropriate for a long, drawn-out conflict with a major world power. For Wicker, that encompasses everything from addressing deferred maintenance on US military facilities that don’t have the right voltage on power outlets to preparing for nuclear weaponry in space. Still, the spending increases are likely to be viewed skeptically by lawmakers wary of growing the defense budget, which already dominates annual discretionary funding. The legislation to suspend the nation’s debt limit passed Congress with strong bipartisan support and aimed to limit federal budget growth to 1 percent for the next six years, although the spending caps were only mandatory through this year’s budget.

The House Armed Services Committee earlier this month approved with near-unanimous support an $884 billion proposal for the annual defense authorization bill, keeping within the spending caps but shifting funding towards specific military programs. Yet Senate Democrats are likely to resist further spending cuts to other government programs.

The Senate Armed Services Committee is set to craft the annu-

al military authorization bill next month, but the chairman, Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, has not publicly released the spending amount that he will propose. Wicker said that he had been in contact with Reed, as well as top Democratic appropriators, about the plan, but their level of support was not clear.

At the same time, defense hawks like Wicker are navigating the shifting politics of defense spending in their own party under Trump’s “America First” brand of foreign policy. Earlier this year, a $95 billion package of foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan faced heavy resistance from a large portion of congressional Republicans, even though much of the funds would be spent buying equipment and ammunition from US-based defense manufacturers.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, however, has been vocal about countering those within his party who want to push the US towards a more isolationist stance. And Wicker said there was “an opportunity” to win broad support for redoubling US efforts in the Pacific because congressional Republicans are still supportive of countering China.

As he works to convince Congress to rethink defense spending, Wicker said he was modeling his effort on the push that former Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, made in 2017 as he tried to dramatically increase defense spending. That effort was mostly unsuccessful.

But Wicker expressed confidence that this time can be different.

With China’s military strength dramatically growing and Russia launching the largest land invasion in Europe since World War II, the difference between 2017 and now is “the reality on the ground,” he said.

Netanyahu frequently makes claims of anti-semitism, but critics say he’s deflecting from his own problems

By Tia Goldenberg The Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel—After the International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defense minister and top Hamas officials, the Israeli leader accused him of being one of “the great antisemites in modern times.”

As protests roiled college campuses across the United States over the Gaza war, Netanyahu said they were awash with “antisemitic mobs.”

These are just two of the many instances during the war in which Netanyahu has accused critics of Israel or his policies of antisemitism, using fiery rhetoric to compare them to the Jewish people’s worst persecutors. But his detractors say he is overusing the label to further his political agenda and try to stifle even legitimate criticism, and that doing so risks diluting the term’s meaning at a time when antisemitism is surging worldwide.

“Not every criticism against Israel is antisemitic,” said Tom Segev, an Israeli historian. “The moment you say it is antisemitic hate ... you take away all legitimacy from the criticism and try to crush the debate.”

There has been a spike in antisemitic incidents since Hamas

attacked Israel on October 7, according to researchers. And many Jews in North America and Europe have said they feel unsafe, citing threats to Jewish schools and synagogues and the pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations in the US, although organizers deny that antisemitism drives the protests.

The war has reignited the long debate about the definition of antisemitism and whether any criticism of Israel—from its military’s killing of thousands of Palestinian children to questions over Israel’s very right to exist—amounts to anti-Jewish hate speech.

Netanyahu, the son of a scholar of medieval Jewish persecution, has long used the travails of the Jewish people to color his political rhetoric. And he certainly isn’t the first world leader accused of using national trauma to advance political goals.

Netanyahu’s supporters say he is honestly worried for the safety of Jews around the world.

But his accusations of antisemitism come as he has repeatedly sidestepped accountability for not preventing Hamas’ October 7 attack. Hamas killed roughly 1,200 people and took 250 hostage, which many in Israel’s defense establishment acknowledge they shoulder the blame for.

Netanyahu has continued to face criticism at home and abroad throughout the war, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according

to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between fighters and noncombatants. The fighting has sparked a humanitarian catastrophe, and ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan has accused Netanyahu and his defense minister of using starvation as a “method of warfare,” among other crimes.

Segev, the historian, acknowledged there is a rise in “violent hate” toward Israel and, speaking from Vienna, said he wasn’t sure if speaking Hebrew in public was safe. But he said Netanyahu has long used Jewish crises to his political benefit, including invoking the Jewish people’s deepest trauma, the Holocaust, to further

his goals.

At the height of the campus protests, Netanyahu released a video statement condemning their “unconscionable” antisemitism and comparing the mushrooming encampments on college greens to Nazi Germany of the 1930s.

“What’s happening in America’s college campuses is horrific,” he said.

In response to Khan seeking the arrest warrants, he said the ICC prosecutor was “callously pouring gasoline on the fires of antisemitism that are raging across the world,” comparing him to German judges who approved of the Nazis’ race laws against Jews.

Netanyahu has compared accusations that Israel’s war is causing starvation in Gaza or that the war is genocidal to blood libels—unfounded centuries-old accusations that Jews sacrificed Christian children and used their blood to make unleavened bread for Passover.

“These false accusations are not levelled against us because of the things we do, but because of the simple fact that we exist,” he said at a ceremony marking Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day earlier this month.

Netanyahu previously made repeated allusions to the Holocaust while trying to galvanize the world against Iran’s nuclear program.

Israeli leaders and the country’s media also made such comparisons about October 7, describing the Hamas attackers as Nazis, comparing their rampage to the historic violence inflicted on Eastern European Jews, and referring to the images of Jewish victims’ burned bodies as a Shoah—the Hebrew word for Holocaust.

Israelis have been jarred by the global rise in antisemitism, and many view the swell of criticism against Israel as part of the rise. They see hypocrisy in the world’s intense focus on Israel’s war with Hamas while other conflicts get much less attention.

Moshe Klughaft, a former advisor to Netanyahu, said he believes the Israeli leader is genuinely concerned over rising

antisemitism.

“It is his duty to condemn antisemitism as prime minister of Israel and as head of a country that sees itself as responsible for world Jewry,” he said. Many Israelis view the war in Gaza as a just act of self-defense and are befuddled by what many think should be criticism directed at Hamas—blaming the group for starting the war, using Palestinian civilians as human shields and refusing to free the hostages. The ICC warrant requests have likely bolstered such feelings.

When Netanyahu leans on accusations of antisemitism, he is doing so with the Israeli public in mind, said Reuven Hazan, a political scientist at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University.

Hazan said Netanyahu has leveraged the campus protests, for example, to get Israelis to rally around him at a time when his public support has plummeted and Israelis are growing impatient with the war. He said Netanyahu has also used the protests as a scapegoat for his failure so far to achieve the war’s two goals: destroying Hamas and freeing the hostages.

“He deflects blame from himself, attributing any shortcomings not to his foreign policies or policies in the (Palestinian) territories, but rather to antisemitism. This narrative benefits him greatly,

him of responsibility,” Hazan said.

Analysts call on national govt to be ‘more decisive’ in addressing infrastructure issues

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE national government should be more decisive in addressing infrastructure concerns to prevent the administration’s Build Better More (BBM) program from slowing economic growth.

This was according to the latest brief from Global Source Partners analysts Diwa Guinigundo and Wilhelmina Manalac on the government’s infrastructure program, particularly the flagship projects. The analysts expressed concern that the new list of Infrastructure Flagship Projects (IFPs) with a total of 185 projects, was released with barely

WITH less than a year before the 2025 polls, the Commission on Elections on Wednesday finally released its Calendar of e ection preparations activities.

The timeline is contained in Comelec en banc’s Reso ution No. 10999.

“Our Education and Information Department (EID) wi ll re l ease our ca endar of activities, which was approved by the Come l ec en banc. T his wi ll contain the important dates that our citizens, candidates, politica parties, and party- lists must remember,”  Come l ec Chairman George M. Garcia to l d reporters in an interview at the Nationa Printing Office. Under the time ine, the ast day of Come ec’s Register Anywhere Program is on 31 August 2024, whi l e the ast day for its Loca l and Overseas Registration is on 30 September, 2024.

As of May 28, 2024, Come l ec was a l ready ab e to ta ll y over 3.2 mi ll ion new y registered voters, which is over its initia 3 mi ll ion target.

COC and CONA filing THE period to ho d po itica conventions by political parties to select/nominate candidates will be from September 1 to 28, 2024, whi e the filing of Certificate of Candidacy (COC), Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA),Certificates of Nomination and Certificates of Acceptance of Party- ist Groups will be from October 1 to 8, 2024.

T he El ection Period and Gun Ban wi ll be from January 12, 2025 to June 11, 2025.

T he campaign period for candidates for Senator and groups in the Party ist El ection wi ll be from 11 F ebruary 2025 to 10 May, 2025.

F or candidates for members of the H ouse of Representatives and par liamentary/provincia /city/ municipa l officia ls, their campaign period wi ll be from 28 March 2025 to 10 May 2025. Voting for overseas voters is scheduled on 13 Apri 2025 to 12 May 2025, while for those avai ing of oca absentee voting it will be from Apri 28 to 30, 2025.

T he iquor ban and prohibition on campaigning wi ll take effect on 11 May 2025 before the El ection Day on 12 May 2025.

The last day of filing the Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) of candidates is on 11 June 2025.

Bangsamoro polls timeline THE Comelec EID also re eased the schedule of e ection preparation and activities for the first ever Bangsamoro e l ections next year.

It inc udes the dead ine for the ongoing period to

e Petition for Registration or Accreditation of Regiona

liament Political Parties and period to file Petition for Registration or Accreditation of Regiona Parliament Sectora Organizations (RPSO) on 7 June, 2024. It also set the ast day for the submission of Sworn Information Update Statement (SIUS) by registered po itica parties or coalition of political parties to the Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD) and fil

TBy Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

HE 193-member World

Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has reached a consensus to adopt a treaty on intellectual property (IP) which aims to address the “interface” between patents specifically relating to Indigenous Peoples and local communities, according to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.

“The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) and 193 Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) made history on May 24, 2024, after achieving consensus to adopt a groundbreaking treaty on

four years left from the six-year term of the administration.

“With the new projects, and many others still to be completed, the list of flagship projects continues to lengthen; the likelihood of everything being completed becomes uncertain,” the analysts said.

“Sound infrastructure is one big challenge to the Philippines’ bid for high and sustainable economic growth. Unless the issue of infrastructure is decisively and quickly addressed, it may instead drag the momentum of growth down,” they added.

The analysts said the National Economic and Development Authority overhauled the list of priority projects under the Marcos administration’s Build Better More (BBM) in February.

During that time, the original 194-

intellectual property (IP), genetic resources (GR) and traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources (ATK), capping about 25 years of negotiations and ushering in a new and more inclusive global patent system,” IPOPHL said in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the country’s intellectual property rights body, the treaty is the first WIPOadministered instrument to address the “interface” between patents, GR and ATK and include provisions specifically relating to Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

“The treaty mainly aims to establish in international law a new disclosure requirement for patent applicants whose

item list was shortened to 185, which means 36 projects were de-listed while 23 were added to the priority list.

At the time, 74 projects were under construction, 30 approved for implementation, 10 pending approval, and the rest were under various stages of preparation.

“The issue here, of course, is that it takes years for new projects to be put on stream,” the analysts said.

Apart from changes in the Infrastructure Flagship Projects, the Neda Board approved new projects such as the P2.75 billion Facility for Accelerating Studies for Infrastructure (FAST-Infra Project).

The Neda Board also approved the P30.56 billion Infrastructure for Safer and Resilient Schools (ISRS) project, which aims to address the physical recov-

inventions are based on GR and its ATK,” said IPOPHL.

The disclosure is seen as a “critical mechanism” to combat misappropriation of GR and ATKs, the Philippine IP rights body also noted.

IPOPHL said one mechanism is already in place in the country through a joint administrative order with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.

Calling this a “historic event,” IPOPHL said this is a “win for inclusivity in the patent system” as it recognizes the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities over their GR and ATK which it said are considered to be national culture treasures in the Philippines and many countries.

ery needs of schools affected by natural disasters between 2019 and 2023.

In addition, the analysts said the extension of the implementation period as well as the loan validity of the P24.62 billion Support for Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project was approved by the Neda Board.

The Neda Board also granted the request for extension in the implementation period of the P8.41 billion LRT Line East Extension project to facilitate full disbursement to project contractors and consultants.

“The approval and subsequent completion of these key infrastructure projects will result in more efficient production and distribution of goods and is expected to pave the way for the inflow of more foreign investment into the country,” the analysts said.

For his part, IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba said during the Diplomatic Conference held in Geneva two weeks ago that the treaty is a “testament” to the country’s “collaborative spirit that can empower the marginalized sectors, beyond national borders, while upholding a balanced IP system.”

With this, Barba underscored the need for parties to be given “sufficient policy space” to adopt the treaty, taking into account the varying national circumstances of member-states to legislate and implement treaty provisions.

“In this context, we wish to advocate for a balanced approach in promoting the aims of the treaty and pursuing the ends of diversity which this very treaty stands for,”

OBy Lenie Lectura @llectura

NCE again, the Luzon grid was placed on red alert on Wednesday by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

From 1pm to 4pm and from 6pm to 10pm, the grid was on red alert. This means that brownouts may occur because there is not enough power supply to meet consumer demand and the grid’s regulating reserve requirement.

Luzon’s available capacity stood at 12,950 megawatts (MW) while peak demand reached 12,749MW.

The grid operator cited the same reasons for hoisting the red alert over Luzon since Monday, May 27.

It said two power plants have been on forced outage since 2023, three between January and March 2024, and 11 power plants between April and May

2024; while six are running on derated capacities, for a total of 3,177.3MW unavailable to the grid.

The grid was also placed on yellow alert from 12noon to 1pm, 4pm to 6pm and 10pm to 12 midnight.

A yellow alert is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement.

The NGCP cited several factors that contributed to the raising of red and yellow alert. These include  the forced outage of the following plants: Pagbilao 1 (382MW), 2 (382MW), & 3 (420MW), QPPL (460MW), San Lorenzo 50 (265MW), Limay 7 (70MW) and the deration of the following the Sual 1, Sual 2, Limay unit 8.

The NGCP warned that it may implement manual load dropping (MLD) in some parts of Pangasinan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Quezon, Camarines Norte,

TBy Ada Pelonia

HE government wants to increase the country’s cold storage capacity by 30 percent to bolster farmers’ productivity, according to an official from the Department of Agriculture (DA).

“We really have to increase the number of cold storages in the country to be able to encourage more farmers to plant and to be able to store our products better… my ratio for that is a 30-percent increase in storage capacity,” DA

Assistant Secretary Dannie Atayde

told the BusinessMirror.

Atayde added that once this pans out, the government could move forward in having the DA’s proposed food hub near the trackways, referring to the “farm-tomarket digital logistics integrated backbone” (FMDLIB) system proposed by the Philippine Trackway Corp. (Philtrak) consortium. The decommissioned Philippine National Railways (PNR) and Panay Railways Inc. (PRI) railways would be optimized to create the FMDLIB system that would serve as a freight and passenger transit line transport-

Batangas, Albay, among others. Meanwhile, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) said electricity service in areas affected by Typhoon Aghon returned to normal following the restoration of all circuits and primary lines.

“With almost 100-percent service back in all affected areas, we are now down to the last mile as we work on restoring power almost to the remaining households in far-flung areas as part of our mopping up operations,” Meralco Spokesperson and Head of Corporate Communications

Joe R. Zaldarriaga said.

“For customers in the affected areas that still don’t have power, we urge them to report this to our customer touchpoints and rest assured that service will be restored soon,” he added. Most of the affected customers are in Quezon, and Laguna, while the rest are in parts of Batangas, Cavite, Metro Manila, Rizal, and Bulacan.

ing agricultural commodities and people in Luzon and Panay Island.

According to Atayde, they were tapped for the project because of the department’s plan to build food hubs and cold storage facilities.

“They want to communicate with DA because they heard about the food hubs and our plans and cold storage facilities so they want to be near us as well so they can plan it better,” he said.

Atayde expressed his support for the project, saying the FMDLIB system would fast-track the delivery of products, making it efficient

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome @maloutalosig

FOR 24 hours, passport applicants could not set an appointment online due to system glitches.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the Passport Online Appointment System (OAS) experienced “technical glitches” starting Tuesday, May 28.

“Happy to inform you that the Passport Online Appointment System and online payment are back in operation,” DFA Assistant Secretary for Office of Consular Affairs Adelio Cruz told BusinessMirror Wednesday afternoon. Cruz said the Passport OAS was down for about 24 hours. He denied that the system was hacked.

The APO Production Unit, the government- controlled corporation under the Office of the President, is in charge of the Passport OAS.

“APO said they just needed to address and resolve some op-

for the supply chain.

“It will improve the income of the fisherfolks and farmers…in terms of logistics it will be faster and efficient,” he said. However, Atayde said the country’s archipelagic nature would be a challenge.

“The challenge is the Philippines is an archipelago so it’s not straight. Thehre’s a break…we have to correct the water port system for the agriculture so that food hubs can be set up near the port area,” he said.

“Now from our food hubs that would be near the ports and near

“But we recall that in 2023, of the 13 projects aimed at establishing physical connectivity, water resources, digital connectivity and health, Neda reported as of end-November 2023 that only one was completed in 2023 in the Visayas,” they added.

Earlier, the Neda Board, chaired by the President, approved projects worth P66.37 billion. Neda said the projects were approved at the 16th meeting of the Neda Board, the highest policymaking body of the agency. Approved were two infrastructure projects, the extension of a land titling project and the validity of the funding for the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2 East Extension (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2024/05/17/ neda-approves-projects-worth-p6637-billion/).

the IPOPHL chief said.

Following the adoption of the treaty, Barba said they will recommend to the Office of the President, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), for the Philippines to be a Contracting Party to put the treaty “in motion” in the country as a policy for nationwide implementation.

According to IPOPHL, the new WIPO Treaty will enter into force three months after the ratification of 15 contracting parties.

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the WIPO is a global forum for intellectual property services, policy, information and cooperation. It is a “self-funding” agency of the United Nations with 193 member states.

erational maintenance concerns,” Cruz explained.

The system on the passport application itself was not affected by the “maintenance issue” of OAS, he added.

“DFA understands the importance of the Passport OAS and is committed to providing the highest level of assistance. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your cooperation and understanding,” the DFA said in a statement Tuesday.

the trackways, that has to be planned,” he said.

The department earlier created a technical working group (TWG) to craft policies regarding the development and operation of deep-water ports. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2024/04/18/ da-begins-effort-to-developdeep-water-ports/)

The TWG’s objective lies on the efficient cargo handling and distribution, reduced postharvest losses, enhanced fish ports, and provision of efficient logistic systems for both input and output production.

JFC calls for urgent reforms to address PHL airport issues

PASSENGERS traveling through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) have long endured the frustrations of chaotic and disorganized conditions. Regrettably, a number of events at Naia, including flight delays caused by technical issues with the navigational air traffic management system and power outages, have only exacerbated the airport’s reputation as one of the most stressful in Asia. In light of these challenges, the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) has called on legislators to prioritize critical bills aimed at overhauling the governance framework of the country’s airports. (Read the BusinessMirror story: “JFC pitches bills overhauling airports’ policy framework,” May 28, 2024).

T he JFC, represent ing over 3,000 member compan ies and more t h an $100 bi ll ion in t rade and $30 bi ll ion in investments in t he Phi l ippines, h as ident if ied t hree urgent refor ms t h at wou ld en h ance t he safety, eff ic iency, and qu al ity of domest ic and inter nat ional a ir por ts ac ross t he nat ion. T hese refor ms include amendments to t he C iv i l Av i at ion Aut hority Act of t he Phi l ippines (CAA P) Law, t he c reat ion of t he Phi l ippine A ir por ts Aut hority, and t he establ ishment of t he Phi l ippine Transpor tat ion Safety Boa rd. Amendments to t he CAA P Law a re essent i al to bolster t he agency’s role in safety oversight. By improv ing hu man resource development, st rengt hening t he boa rd, and al igning w it h global safety standa rds, t he CAA P wou ld be better equipped to ensure t he highest levels of safety w it hin t he av i at ion indust r y. T his wou ld prov ide passengers w it h muc h-needed reassurance, mak ing t hem feel safe and sec ure.

T he c reat ion of t he Phi l ippi ne A ir por ts Aut hority wou ld add ress t he confl ict i ng roles of t he CAA P as bot h an a ir por t reg u lator and oper ator By sepa r at i ng t hese f u nct ions, oper at ional eff ic iency can be i mproved, ensuri ng a smoot her and more st reaml i ned experience for passengers and a irl i nes al i ke. T hi s step i s c ruc i al i n reduc i ng delays, congest ion, and ot her oper at ional c h allenges t h at h ave plag ued Na i a and ot her a ir por ts i n t he cou nt r y. Lastly, t he establ i sh ment of t he Phi l ippi ne Transpor tat ion Safety

Boa rd wou ld sign if icantly en h ance t he gover nment’s capac ity to invest igate acc idents and st rengt hen overall t ranspor tat ion safety. By conducting t horough invest igat ions and implement ing necessa r y measures, t his independent body wou ld play a pivotal role in prevent ing f ut ure inc idents and safeg u a rd ing t he well-being of passengers.

T he recent events at Na i a, coupled w it h ot her u nfor t u nate occ urrences

suc h as power interrupt ions, congest ion, and san ita r y issues, h ave u nderscored t he pressing need for robust reg u lator y and operat ional f rameworks. It is imperat ive t h at t he gover nment priorit i zes t hese leg islat ive refor ms to prevent sim i la r inc idents f rom rec urring in t he f ut ure.

T he JFC’s call for t hese refor ms shou ld not be taken l ig htly. T he coal it ion represents a substant i al i nvestment i n t he Phi l ippi nes and a i ms to promote open i nter nat ional t r ade, i nc reased fore ign i nvestment, and i mproved bu si ness cond it ions. T he proposed refor ms hold t he potent i al to revolut ion i ze t he Phi l ippi ne av i at ion sector c reat i ng a safer and more eff ic ient env ironment t h at w i ll att r act more t r avelers, a irl i nes, and bu si nesses.

T he refor ms proposed by t he JFC to overh au l t he gover nance f ramework of t he cou nt r y’s a ir por ts a re of pa ramou nt impor tance. T hese refor ms wou ld en h ance safety, eff ic iency, and ser v ice qu al ity, add ressing t he longstand ing issues t h at h ave plag ued t he cou nt r y’s a ir por ts. It is inc u mbent upon t he gover nment and leg islators to heed t he call of t he JFC and priorit i ze t hese c rit ical measures. By doing so, t hey wou ld demonst rate a comm itment to prov id ing a world-class a ir por t experience for bot h domest ic and inter nat ional t ravelers, boost ing t he cou nt r y’s economy and reputat ion in t he process.

A potential global trade war?

Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Founder

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

John Mangun

AOUTSIDE THE BOX

SPANISH fleet sailed from Lisbon in May 1588, commanded by Alonso de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aristocrat without previous naval experience. The plan was to invade England, overthrow Queen Elizabeth I and prevent attacks by English and Dutch privateers against Spanish interests in the Americas. Seems simple enough.

T he Spanish A r mada was defeated, and this marked the end of Spanish domination of the seas and the beginning of English naval supremacy.

Global merchant trade was always guaranteed by a nation’s militar y/ naval power Countering that sentiment (misattributed to Frédéric Bastiat) was the idea that mutually beneficial trade was best and “W hen goods don’t cross borders, Soldiers will.”

The push for globalization—the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide—began in earnest in the 1990s. Increase the economic interdependence of national economies across the world through a rapid expansion in crossborder movement of goods, ser vices, technology, and capital and there will be “No More War.”

T he best example is US-China trade. China makes the goods. The US

Abuys the goods. China loans money to the US to fund the purchases. Ever yone lives happily ever after W hile it is a political myth that China-made goods “killed” US domestic manufacturing, the reality is that jobs were created in—not shipped to—China. T he myth of globalization was that if nations depended on one another through trade, all would be well. Ideally the barter system of trade should work this way. The pigger y trades pork for bread. T he baker trades the excess pork for wheat. The farmer trades excess pork for fish Ideally also, for example, the Philippines trades minerals for Vietnamese rice. But the US did not have the goods to trade to China.

W hat the US had to offer was money/dollars. But the US did not have the dollars and instead had to borrow the dollars to pay China, and then the US borrowed the dollars from China. W hen the barter is based

The push for globalization— the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide—began in earnest in the 1990s. Increase the economic interdependence of national economies across the world through a rapid expansion in cross-border movement of goods, services, technology, and capital and there will be “No More War.”

on physical goods, each participant makes a profit on ever y transaction.

But China did not have to make a profit on the US debt it bought as it made the profit upfront from the goods it sold.

Trump increased the tariff on Chinese goods—as Biden is doing now —but all that does is increase costs to the American consumer Further as the US buys more from the world than it sells, it has to continuously issue more and more debt, so much so that since June 2023, it has borrowed from the world two tranches of $1 trillion each in two jumps of about 100 days. This has increased the Federal Debt to GDP from 106 percent in 2019 to the current 124 percent.

The globalization barter system has been broken.

Another myth of globalization was that countries would be forced to cooperate if they wanted to participate in global trade. Economic trade sanctions were

placed on Russia after its militar y action in Ukraine. However, Russia sells its oil to India that then sells it to Europe. May 11, 2024: “President Joe Biden signed Wednesday a law that allows the administration to seize Russian state assets located in the US.” May 23, 2024: “A St Petersburg court seized around €800 million worth of assets belonging to three wester n banks—Deutsc he Bank, Commerzbank and UniCredit.” May 26, 2024: “US President Joe Biden’s administration has announced the reimposition of tariffs on hu nd reds of goods i mpor ted from China.” May 27, 2024: “T he European Union is expected to publish a prov isional list of planned impor t duties on Chinese electric vehicles in June.” May 28, 2024: “China is considering imposing a 25 percent tariff on large-eng ine f uel vehicles impor ted from Europe, specif ically targeting cars w ith eng ines larger than 2.5 liters.”

Since World War Two, we have become used to “contained wars” such as in Vietnam and Afghanistan, and more recently Syria, Ukraine, and in Gaza. But WW2 had precursor headlines. 1935: “Italian troops raise the Italian flag over Macalle, Ethiopia” and 1938: “Japanese capture Canton.”

Are those headlines cited above the first shots fired in a potential global trade war?

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

S Opec+ prepares to review global oil markets, trouble is brewing in the group’s biggest customer. Chinese oil refiners are cutting processing rates as flagging factory strength and a housing crash crimp demand for plastics and fuels used in construction. The Asian giant is reining in crude purchases from Saudi Arabia and a key grade from Russia. The duo leads the Opec+ producer coalition, which meets this weekend.

Gloystein, head of climate and resources at consultants Eurasia Group. “If these early indicators of an emerging imbalance in China last,” then “Opec+ would feel pressured to roll over its supply cuts.”

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies will convene an online meeting on June 2, where officials expect they will agree to prolong about 2 million barrels a day of output cutbacks. A Chinese slowdown gives the pro-

Crude prices have retreated almost $10 a barrel in the past six weeks, as China’s darkening outlook adds downward pressure to a global market awash with plentiful supplies from the US and elsewhere.

ducers all t he more incent ive to persevere.

After faster-than expected economic growth in the first quarter, China’s strong start to 2024 soon began to fade, illustrating the challenges that confront President Xi Jinping as Beijing’s decades-long boom comes to an end.

The producer price index—one gauge of factor y strength has remained negative for 19 months. An 11-mont h consec ut ive plu nge i n home sales has crimped consumption of plastics and weakened petrochemical product margins. It’s also limited demand for diesel used in outdoor construction, and as

a transport fuel to ship industrial materials. According to one metric, Chinese apparent consumption of oil products fell year-on-year in April for the first time since December 2022. Consequently, refiners are dialing back operations.

Refining rates fell to 14.36 million barrels a day in April, the slowest pace since December and 4 percent lower than same time last year, according to Bloomberg calculations based on government data.

Smaller C hinese ref iners concentrated in Shandong province— known as teapots—have reduced operating rates to around 55 percent of capacity, compared with 62 percent a year ago, according to Mysteel OilChem. Their purchases of a key Russian g rade—ESPO—have fallen to the lowest in three years, data analytics firm Kpler estimates. Meanw hi le, ma j o r state- ru n plants are reluctant to revive operations after returning from seasonal See “China,” A

Elliott bets $2.5 billion on shaking up Texas Instruments

By Crystal Tse & Ian King

ELLIOTT Investment Management has invested more than $2.5 billion in Texas Instruments Inc. and is pushing the chipmaker to improve free cash flow, setting the stage for another campaign by the influential activist investor.

Elliott is proposing a strategy that it believes would let Texas Instruments generate free cash flow of $9 or more per share by 2026. Last year, the tech company had $1.47 a share in free cash flow and was projected to deliver $1.87 this year data compiled by Bloomberg show.

“Investors are concerned that TI appears to have deviated from its longstanding commitment to drive growth of free cash flow per share,” Elliott said in an open letter to the company that it published Tuesday. Those concerns stem from a deliberate strategy shift by Texas Instruments. The company has embarked on an aggressive plan to bring most of its manufacturing back in house, raising its capital spending far above the level of recent years—when it attracted investors with high returns.

Texas Instruments has told shareholders that the push is temporar y and that it will eventually restore its focus on dividends and buying back stock. But t hat outlay, and weaker demand in some markets, has squeezed the amount of cash it has on hand. And the strategy will take years to play out.

“Free cash flow is likely to slow significantly,” Bloomberg Intelligence said in a note earlier this month

“It’s investing $20 billion over four years to support a 2030 sales target of $45 billion that appears optimistic. Dividends may stay intact, but share buybacks and cash-flow margins could be subdued, and any economic setbacks would add pressure.”

Texas instruments rose 0.2 percent to $199.60 at the close in New York trading, giving the company a market value of about $182 billion.

T he stock has gained 17 percent this year

The Dallas-based company confirmed that it had received the letter and is reviewing it. “As always, our focus is on continuing to make decisions that are in the best interest of TI and all of our shareholders,” it said in an emailed statement.

Texas Instruments’ executives have been explicit about their plans, discussing the strategy in regular capital management calls with analysts as well as earnings updates.

T hey have stressed that the best metric to judge the chipmaker’s performance is the “long-term growth ” of free cash flow per share.

In Apri l, exec ut ives sa id t h at they’ve been deliberately building up cash reser ves and increasing debt in order to be able to continue to spend on new plants and equipment—part of the plan they’ve laid out. That heavy outlay will continue for the next three years and then decline, the company has promised.

Texas Instruments also has applied for government support in the form of grants from the Chips and Science Act, a Biden administration measure aimed at boosting domestic chip production.

‘Misses the point’

“ELLIOTT is arguing not for a blind cut, but rather for more flexibility on spending plans. But this sort of miss-

es the point of Texas Instruments strategy in ter ms of both future growth potential and the current subsidy environment,” Stacy Rasgon, an analyst at Bernstein, said in a report. “The company clearly believes that the investment today will drive free cash flow, and free cash flow per share, in the future, else they would not be pursuing it.”

The activist investor also said the company should be flexible in its production capacity and adjust according to changing demand from consumers and the industry. The current production target, which was set in 2022, will produce 50 percent more than revenue expectations would suggest, Elliott said in Tuesday’s letter Texas Instruments and its peers have also been struggling with an industr ywide slump in chip orders in recent months. But the company’s latest earnings outlook suggested that customers have begun to resume ordering chips after working through a glut of components. In April, the company projected sales in the current period of as much as $3.95 billion, sur passing the $3.78 billion that analysts had expected.

Lowest since 2020 THE forecast followed more than a year of shrinking sales. Revenue in the first quarter declined 16% to $3.66 billion, marking the lowest level since 2020. Analysts had estimated $3.6 billion. Profit was $1.20 a share, down from $1.85 a year earlier Texas Inst ru ments’ stock h as been lagg i ng be hi nd a r ally by t he Phi ladelphi a Stock Exc h ange Sem iconductor Index t hi s yea r Investors h ave poured money into compan ies suc h as Nv id i a Cor p., rewa rd ing t hem for t he surge in orders related to a r t if ic i al intell igence comput ing.

Texas Instruments lacks the cachet of Nvidia, but it’s the biggest maker of analog semiconductors and embedded processors. Its products perform simple but vital functions, such as converting power to different voltages within electronics.

Though some of its chips are used in the same machiner y as Nvidia’s processors, many more of its products perform more prosaic roles in household electronics, factor y machiner y and vehicles.

Ending outsourcing

SUCH chips generally require less advanced product ion tec h n iques than digital products, but the company has embarked on a plan to revamp its manufacturing facilities. As part that effort, Texas Instruments will all but end outsourcing of production.

W hile Elliott is best known for taking stakes in some of the world’s biggest companies and pushing for c hanges, its strateg ies also span credit, commodities, real estate and private equity. The firm has built a large position in industrial giant Joh nson Cont rols Inte r nat ional Plc, whose performance has lagged its peers, Bloomberg News reported this month Bloomberg

Why China is on the bright side of the global economy

By Yang Guoliang

THE article entitled China’s Economic Crisis carried by the Philippine Star caught my attention. It is composed of false data and preconceived opinions of generalization and exaggeration. For Filipinos who are either concerned about or interested in China’s economy and its economic relations with the Philippines, it is necessary that they get a true picture of where the situation stands and whither it is heading.

C hi na’s economy i s f irst and foremost c h a racteri zed by resi lience, vitality, and of course great potential. That is to say, its positive fundamentals in the long run remain unchanged. China’s economy started rebound in 2023 with a GDP exceeding $17.89 trillion in the year an increase of 5.2 percent over the previous one. At comparable price, it was an additional $851.9 billion or approximately twice the GDP of the Philippines in the same year W hen we take a look at the growth ranking of the world’s major economies in 2023, how many were under-performing if the author of the above article calls the growth rate of 5.2 percent an “economic crisis”?

China’s debt risks are controllable. To cope with the slowdown in growth and mounting uncertainties following the epidemic, many countries have leveraged fiscal policies to provide support to recover y. A recent report by the US-based Institute of International Finance shows that global debt levels reached $313 trillion in 2023 another record high However, as of end of 2023, China’s local government debt balance was approximately 40.74 trillion RMB, well under the debt ceiling approved by the National People’s Congress. By the same time, the statutor y debt ratio of the Chinese government was 56.1 percent, again lower than that of most major economies and emerging markets.

Admittedly, portions of China’s public expenditure are on sectors like moder n transpor tation, new energy and UHV transmission grids in central and western China, the said infrastructures under pin the quality of productive factors and efficiency of connectivity, enhance the potential for China’s industrial development, and help regional development to level off. They have become indispensable elements for high-quality development. China is moving for ward under X i Jinping T hought on Economy, giv ing full play to the decisive role of the market in allocating resources, and letting the government play a better role of providing more essential public services. Because China is investing in

China.

. . continued from A

maintenance, according to consultant Energy Aspects Ltd. Throughput at Chinese refineries will rise by less than 100,000 barrels a day this year, the weakest increase in at least two decades, the company estimates.

There’s been a visible impact in oil flows to the Asian giant. The number of supertankers headed to China fell to the lowest in seven weeks in the most recent tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. One refiner with a long-term contract with Saudi Arabia scaled back purchases for June.

Bullish oil traders, having been burnt by last year’s sur prise 10 percent price pullback, may remain wary on the commodity if Asia’s growth engine looks shaky.

“Directionally the market w ill tighten,” said Gar y Ross, a veteran

the future, the level of debt is totally affordable. Such a performance deser ves envy instead of attack. Next in line is the Belt and Road Initiative. It is a route to wealth and growth for participator y countries. Despite the Western media and politicians’ cliché of “China’s debt trap” and habitual fabrication of the socalled debt problems of developing countries to discredit the BRI, no factual basis has been laid for relevant remarks. The BRI originated from China, and its opportunities and fruits belong to the rest of the world. We expect constructive suggestions, but certainly not unfounded rumors, slandering or vilifying. The proof is in the pudding. It is t he pa r tner gover nments and peoples that have the best say on how effective it is to cooperate with China. If it were a trap, why have more than 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations joined in the B&R Initiative in the past 10 years? Take the projects in Asian countries. From December 2021 to August 2023 a total of 3.16 million passengers and 5.19 million tons of cargo went through the Lao section of China-Laos Railway. The variety of cargo increased from over 100 to more than 2,000, helping Laos to fulfill the long-cherished wish of transforming from a “land-locked countr y” to a “land-linked countr y.”

The 2,000-meters-long China-Maldives Friendship Bridge connects the two main islands of the archipelago nation. It has increased the economic vitality of the Maldives by bringing so much more convenience to it people. The list goes on, and so far no partner has complained about the so-called “debt trap.”

Regarding the loan interest rates mentioned in the article, one can count on me to say that China offers far better conditions for preferential loans than the average market. In calculating costs of infrastructure projects, in pa r t ic u la r, t here a re more variables than just interest rate. Those who smear the BRI by citing interest rates, please give names of other countries that also excel in conditions like budget, technology, speed and quality, all at a time?

oil consultant turned hedge fund manager at Black Gold Investors LLC. Still, “I have my doubts how much financial length will come back into the market because China looks relatively weak.”

Still, Opec+ officials privately remain confident about oil demand in China and other parts of Asia. Chinese oil consumption is on track to increase by 510,000 barrels a day this year—accounting for about half the global total—to 17 million barrels a day, and expand further in 2025, according to the International Energy Agency in Paris.

Furthermore, the countr y’s oil intake may be buoyed as it takes advantage of low prices to replenish reserve stockpiles. China added more than 30 million barrels of crude to inventories in the month to mid-May, the fastest rate in a year, according to consultants Vortexa Ltd. These often comprise shipments from sanctioned

Thirdly, China’s economic development is healthy and sustainable. The factors supporting high-quality development in China are constantly accumulating. The aging population mentioned in the article is not unique to China, and the Chinese government is also actively exploring new ways to tackle the problem like other governments in the world. However size of population is not the decisive factor in economic development. From historical data, Germany’s average annual population grew at only 0.8 percent between 1946 and 1962, but its economic growth rate reached 9.4 percent in the same period. From experience, what played a greater role were qu al ity of popu lat ion, more sophisticated industries and technological innovation. Growth of China is increasingly dependent on what we call human capital instead of the size of population per se. An evidence for the significantly higher quality of China’s labor force is that young entrants into the work force have received an average of 7.8 more years of education than the retiring generation. At the same time, t he C hinese gover nment is bent on accelerating the development of new productive forces. Total R&D spending and investment in hightech industries across China have maintained a double-digit growth for many years in a row. China’s number of patent applications and the number of technology clusters top the world. China is the only countr y in the world that hosts all categories of industries listed in the United Nations industrial classification. It has formed more than 200 mature industrial clusters, and its manufacturing scale has ranked the first in the world for 14 consecutive years. T he real estate i ndu st r y st i ll boasts great potential to be tapped. Certain leading real estate companies did fall short of liquidity, but this does not reflect the entire Chinese real estate sector The development of China’s real estate industr y is unique of its own characteristics. Since the beginning of the Reform and Opening-up, the Chinese government has vigorously promoted urbanization and improved people’s quality of life. At present, the per capita housing area in China’s countr yside has exceeded 50 square meters, and in the cities, over 40. Yet China remains a developing countr y with uneven development across regions. In order to ensure better housing for the people, the Chinese government is promoting an orderly transformation of the real estate industr y. More investment will be directed to new

nations like Iran, which trade at a discount to regional benchmarks.

China has been “pretty consistent” since 2008 in its policy to top up reserves when prices are low, said Ed Morse, senior advisor at Hartree Partners. “The basic structure is to build inventory when you can,” he said.

Nonetheless, it’s ominous for oil producers and bullish investors alike that China’s lull is emblematic of a global market that’s tipping from tightness into oversupply.

In other parts of Asia, a shar p drop in returns from making diesel is prompting some refiners—such as Taiwan’s Formosa Petrochemical Cor p. and another in South Korea —to make modest reductions in operating rates.

From West Af rican producers Nigeria to Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, several Opec+ exporters have struggled to sell cargoes at their usual speed amid competition from US

Texas storms cut power to 1 million, some outages to last days

By Josh Saul, Brian K. Sullivan &

infrastructure, with a focus on the construction of affordable housing, renovation of substandard urban villages, and the construction of public infrastructure both under normal conditions and in emergencies, which in turn will drive the development of upper, middle and lower industrial chains such as white goods, furniture, and new energy, giving new cutting edge to the property industr y. In addition, the content of highlevel and institutional advantage in China’s opening up has become even higher China will firmly follow the basic national policy of pursuing a mut ually benef icial and w in-w in opening-up. Relying on its unique political and institutional advantages, China showcases a high-level opening-up and the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind by creating a marketoriented, law-based and investmentf riendly b u s i ness env ironment. More and more multinational companies are investing in the Chinese market, casting a vote of confidence in China’s economic prospects. In the first season this year, 12,086 foreign companies established branches in China, a year-on-year increase of 20.7 percent, the highest level in the past five years. Apple Inc. announced last month an increase of investment and expansion of its applied research laboratories in China to ensure the rel i abi l ity, qu al ity and materi al analysis of all product lines. In addition, China is the first countr y in the world to hold national-level exhibition with the theme of import.” The annual China International Import Expo has been successfully held for six years, with a cumulative transaction volume of $424.2 billion. China is taking actions to provide the world with new opportunities, helping to build an open world economy so that all countries will benefit from winwin cooperation.

H.E. Ambassador Huang X ilian said at the 11th Manila Forum for C hina-Phi l ippines Relat ions t hat China is sti ll t he world’s largest engine for growth and the world’s best investment destination. It has always been driving the proposal of a community with a shared future for mankind through peaceful development. The “next China” is still China. China’s economy will be even stronger China has both the ability and willingness to bring more stable and diversified development opportunities to Southeast Asia and the entire world.

Yang Guoliang is the Minister Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines.

exports, causing prices to weaken, traders say. A rebound in flows from the US Gulf to Europe has put pressure on key North Sea and Mediterranean markets.

In the US—still the world’s biggest oil consumer—crude inventories at the storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, are at the highest levels since July. Gasoline demand, while set for a boost when Americans take to the roads for vacations this summer, remains below the same period last year, implied consumption figures show.

“The physical market is still ver y sloppy,” said Brian Leisen, a commodity strateg ist at RBC Capital Markets LLC. “We find it hard to get more constructive until we see evidence that cargoes are starting to clear.” With assistance from Julian Lee, Sharon Cho, Anthony Di Paola, Salma El Wardany, Devika Krishna Kumar, Bill Lehane and Sherry Su / Bloomberg

A.I.-PRODUCED POLL CAMPAIGN MATERIAL FACES COMELEC BAN

By Samuel P. Medenilla sam_medenilla

AA r t if ic ial Intell igence (AI) to spread m isinfor

i

t

Comm ission on Elect

use of t

udy i ng bann i ng t

new tec hnology for campa ign materials in t he 2025 polls. Comelec C h a ir man George M. Ga rc ia sa id Wednesday he made t he proposal before t he Comelec en banc to prevent t he use of deep fakes or AI-generated false content in u nder m in ing democracy.

“I w i ll t r y to conv ince t he Commission En Banc to prohibit t he use of deepfakes and AI during t he campa ign since it w i ll cau se w i desp read conf u s ion, m i s representat ion, and false events if its uses a re allowed,” the poll chief told repor ters in an inter v iew at t he Nat ional Printing Off ice (NPO) in Quezon City last Wednesday. He sa id he al ready sought t he posit ion of t he Comelec Law Department as well as its Education and Infor mat ion Depa r tment on what aspects of AI shou ld be banned.

In hi s lette r add ressed to t he Comelec en banc, Ga rc i a ju st i f ied t he ban, not i ng how Pres ident Fe rd i nand R. Ma rcos Jr and ot he r state leade r s became v ict i ms of deepfakes.

“T he abu se of t hi s tec h nol-

ogy i n campa ign materi als suc h as v i deos, au d i os, o r ot h e r med i a for ms may amou nt to f r audu lent m i srepresentat ion of cand idates,” Ga rc i a sa id i n hi s letter

“T his defeats t he ver y purpose of a campa ign, whic h is to f u lly and t rut hf u lly infor m t he vot ing publ ic about t he elect ion and t he cand idates,” he added.

Last Apri l, a deepfake aud io content v ideo, whic h was designed to sound l i ke t he President ordering t he A r med Forces of t he Phi l ippines (AFP) to act aga inst C hina, was posted on v ideo st ream ing platfor m. Malacañang denied Marcos made the said audio content.

Aside f rom t he Phi l ippines, t he potent ial risks posed by AI in elect ions were also ra ised in ot her count ries l i ke t he United States and Aust ral ia.

In South Korea, a law was already passed and took effect this year which prohibits the use of deepfakes during elections.

PHL told: Do more to become region’s factory hub of choice

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THEPhilippines must do more, such as addressing barriers to entry, to become the top choice of global companies looking for new production bases in the region.

high,” it added.

Nonet heless, Nomura sa id,

T he repor t said companies like Ayala Land could benefit from industrial

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Strong results due to optimism of

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

THE Philippine auto industry continued to perform well in January to April on the back of rising consumer confidence and “stable” automotive finance, according to the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi).

business confidence plus stability in automotive finance boosted sales,” he said in a statement on Wednesday. On vehicle segments, Campi noted that commercial vehicles continued to drive industr y performance with 108,667 units sold, accounting for 74 percent of the sales pie in Januar y to April.

Passenger cars, meanwhile, registered sales of 38,280 units, or 26 percent.

Across categories under the commercial vehicle segment, light commerc i al vehicles cont inued to d rive sales w it h 79,863 u n its.

This was followed by the Asian utility vehicle (AUV) sub-segment as car sales in this categor y reached 25,489 units.

Among the brands, Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. continued to dominate the market with a 46-percent share as it sold 67,580 units during the period, followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Cor p. with 18.94 percent share (27,828 units) and Ford Motor Co. Philippines Inc. with a 6.59-percent share (9,688 units).

Asean performance

MEANWHILE, the Philippines continued to post double-digit growth rates in terms of car sales and production w ithin the Asean region, according to the Asean Automotive Federation (AAF).

The countr y was the third fastestgrowing market in Asean in terms of car sales in the four-month period, trailing behind Singapore and Myanmar AAF data showed that Myanmar expanded by 72.3 percent; Singa-

RBy VG Cabuag @villygc

OCKWELLLand Cor p., the proper ty development ar m of the Lopez Group, said the company’s land banking initiatives will allow it to post revenue increases for the next five years.

Its chairman and CEO Nestor Padilla said the company has a total of 500 hectares of land bank, as Rockwell has been busy acquiring lands over the last two years.

“More than 90 percent of our land bank is in the key cities of Pampanga, Laguna, Batangas and Bulacan. Our current presence in these strategic

sites has given us the optimism to develop more products, allowing us to excite our core market with new offerings to complement their lifestyle,” Padilla said during the company’s stockholders’ meeting.

Valerie Jane L. Soliven, Rockwell’s president and COO, said the company is optimistic with the upscale market that it is currently ser ving.

“We’re seeing risks like inventor y buildup and with rising interest rates and inflation, there’s always that risk that discretionar y spending will be hampered,” she said.

“But we are confident in the resilience of our core lu xur y segment and the growth of regional and hori-

zontal markets. Additionally, in this environment, there’s always flight to quality. Something that Rockwell has focused on from the beginning and which enabled us to earn the trust of our customers and build our brand.

The key now is to ensure that this is sustained and enhanced.”

During the year the company said it will launch three new projects— one in Bulacan and the other two in Batangas.

The company said it will launch a new neighborhood in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan spanning 100-hectares. This project in Bulacan, which will be called the Samanean at Paradise Farms, is a hillside escape and

pore, 17.1 percent; Philippines, 14.8 percent; and Malaysia, 8.2 percent. Countries which posted declines were Vietnam at -11.1 percent; Indonesia, -22.8 percent and Thailand, -24 percent.

As to vehicle production, the Philippines also ranked as the third fastest-growing. The countr y’s output expanded by 10.8 percent to 42,395 units in Januar y to April.

The two countries which stayed ahead of the Philippines in terms of production were Myanmar, which grew by 687.5 percent and Malaysia which recorded an expansion of 11.6 percent.

Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam saw their car output decline during the period. Indonesia’s vehicle production fell by 21.3 percent; Thailand, 17 percent; and Vietnam, 13 percent.

The Philippine automotive industr y is targeting to increase auto sales by 9 percent this year to attain its “conser vative” forecast of 468,300 vehicle units.

In 2023, Campi reported that auto sales reached 429,807 units, up 21.9 percent from the 352,596 units sold in 2022.

wellness retreat for its future residents.

Meanwhile, upcoming in Lipa, Batangas are a 63-hectare mixeduse development in partnership with General Milling Cor p. and a 38-hectare residential development with a hotel concept called Lauan R idges.

“With projects under way in Bulacan, Batangas and the Visayas, we anticipate significant progress in the provinces,” Soliven said.

Rockwell Workspaces will make its first venture outside of Metro Manila with the launch of 1 Rockwell, the first office building in the 2.8-hectare IPI Center community in Cebu in July.

Globe sets up unit for AI development

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

GLOBE Telecom Inc. said on Wednesday it has created a new group dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI) development.

D u bbed t he AI Development and Enablement G roup (AIDE), t he new business u n it a ims to advance Globe’s tec hnolog ical capac it ies t hrough AI, whic h it bel ieves w i ll en h ance business operat ions, ser v ice del iver y, and c ustomer experience.

“To sustain our competitive advantage, we must continuously innovate and adopt new technologies. The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) signals a pivotal shift, promising to revolutionize the way we do business and ser ve our customers.

We’ve begun to see AI’s impact by way of the different teams across Globe having ongoing initiatives to take advantage of its benefits, but it is imperative that we move for ward with unified intent and renewed vigor to navigate these new technological frontiers swiftly,” Globe President Ernest Cu said.

AIDE, set to commence operations on June 1, will oversee strategic AI planning, development, business integration, and governance. Cu

said the initiative is part of Globe’s broader strategy to unify its various AI efforts across different teams and accelerate the adoption of this transformative technology.

Leading AIDE is Anton Bonifacio, Globe’s Chief Information Security Officer, who will also ser ve as the company’s f irst C hief AI Off icer (CAIO).

“The creation of AIDE signifies a strategic investment in our technological capabilities and a concerted effort to integrate AI seamlessly

TWO pumped-storage hydropower (PSH) projects of Razon-led Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc. (Prime Infra) worth $7.6 billion were certified as Energy Project of National Significance (EPNS) by the Department of Energy (DOE).

T he1,400-megawatt (MW) Pak il PSH project i n Lag u na and t he 500MW Wawa PSH project in R i zal prov ince a re designed to meet energy demand by ha r nessing t he potential of renewable energy sources to prov ide rel i able and susta inable elect ric ity storage. T hese projects, whic h a re ta rgeted for commerc i al operat ions by 2030, recently received cer t if icates of EPNS f rom t he DOE.

“We thank the Department of Energy for recognizing the importance of our pumped storage projects in the nationwide agenda to achieve energy security. These are critical projects, essential to enable the energy transition and to enhance grid security through flexible energy generation,” said Prime Infra President Guillaume Lucci PSH plants store and generate electricity by moving water between two reser voirs at different elevations. Water is pumped from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir during off-peak hours to store underutilized energy, and then released from the upper reser voir to the lower reser voir to generate electricity in times of high demand.

The Wawa PSH project is currently being developed by Olympia Violago Water Power Inc. (OVWPI), a subsidiar y of Prime Infra. The project, with an investment of $2.57 billion, will have a storage capacity of 6,000 MW hour per day and a generating output capacity of 600 MW.

Last Friday, DOE officials led by Undersec reta r y Rowena Crist i na Guevara visited the Wawa project site to evaluate its progress.

the country’s economic development through greater access to energy and energy supply security.

Projects of national significance should also have significant complex technical processes involving newly developed technologies, and significant infrastructure associated with the deliver y of energy ser vices or supply. Lenie Lectura

create better credit scoring models in PHL’

both based on their internal data as well as based on alternative data.

“[This] is going to have a ripple effect around the rest of the industr y,” he added.

T he target of the online course are credit risk professionals in traditional financial institutions, rural banks cooperatives and brick and mor tar lenders, C-level executives, and the broader popu lation, Georg iev said.

“[Credit

May 29.

Credit R isk Academy is a comprehensive six-week online course with modules to be blasted on a weekly basis starting June 10, Monday, to help those in financial institutions to inter pret and create better scoring models. The modules will tackle traditional credit scoring, data collection and pre-processing, machine lear ning models for credit scoring and alternative data in credit scoring.

Fi nScore Pres i dent and CEO Christo Georgiev told reporters that there are currently 140 registrants from less than 100 companies.

“If we get to about 50 companies (or) representatives, that’s going to be a ver y good success mark,” Georgiev said.

This, he said would translate to 50 financial institutions having a better understanding of credit risk,

BLACKROCK Inc.’s iShares Bitcoin Trust has become the world’s largest fund for the original cr yptocurrency, amassing almost $20 billion in total assets since listing in the US at the start of the year

T he exchange-traded f und held $19.68 billion of the token Tuesday, dethroning the $19.65 billion Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

T he third largest is the $11.1 billion offering from Fidelity Investments.

T he BlackRock and Fidelity Bitcoin ETFs were among nine that debuted Jan. 11, the same day the more than decade-old Grayscale vehicle conver ted into an ETF.

T he launches were a watershed for cr ypto, mak ing Bitcoin more accessible to investors and spurring a rally in the token to a record

$73,798 by March

T he iShares Bitcoin Trust has attracted the g reatest inflow since going live, $16.5 billion, while investors have pu lled $17.7 billion from the Grayscale f und over the same period. T he latter’s higher fees and ex its by arbitragers have been cited as possible drivers of outflows.

Neither BlackRock nor Grayscale Investments LLC immediately replied to requests for comment outside reg u lar US business hours. Grayscale intends to launch a clone of its main f und, according to a March reg u lator y f iling, and fees are expected to be lower, a person familiar w ith the matter said at the time.

T he Sec urit ies and Exc h ange Comm i ss ion relu ctantly gave t he g reen

Govt targets to borrow ₧180B from domestic sources in June

TMicro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), whic h comprise 99 percent of business enter prises operating in the Philippines, would also benefit from the academy aside from FinScore’s credit scoring solutions as they tend to have personal loan needs, Georgiev added.

“Anyone that is interested to know how financial institutions should be evaluating credit risk based on their information will definitely benefit from the course,” he said.

Baltazar added that availing loans or any financial products “starts really with education, and it’s a responsibility, not just of government, but of all stakeholders.”

Afte r complet i ng t h e onl i ne course, participants will receive up to 1,000 free Telco Credit Score pulls from FinScore and a course certification for finishing the expert-led modules.

Fi nScore prov ides alter nat ive credit scoring solutions using Telco Credit Scoring, such as texting usage, device data, top-up patterns, spending patterns and behavior patterns, among others, and facilitated $2 billion in loans.

In 202 3 , F i nSco r e became a wholly-owned subsidiar y of CTOS Digital Berhad, the holding company of Asean’s leading credit reporting agencies. Reine Juvierre Alberto

follow i ng a cour t reve r sal i n 202 3 i n a case b rou g ht by G r ayscale.

T he f ir m created the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust in 2013 and it became well-known as the biggest such vehicle. But shares in the closed-ended product sometimes traded at substantial premiums or discounts to its net asset value, prompting Grayscale to push for a conversion into an ETF to ensure trading at par

SEC pivot

LAST week, the SEC sur prisingly pivoted toward allow ing ETFs for Ether, a token that ranks second only to Bitcoin in market value.

T he agency under Chair Gar y Gensler is skeptical of the cr ypto industr y overall follow ing a spate of scandals.

T he g roup of Bitcoin f unds— w ith assets of $58.5 billion to date have been hailed as one of the most successfu l new ETF categories. But critics arg ue volatile dig ital assets are ill-suited to w idespread adoption, even w ithin ETFs. Some nations, such as Singapore and China, either curb or ban investor access. In the US, a Vang uard Group spokesperson said in Januar y that the f ir m has no plans to offer any cr ypto-related products. BlackRock and Vang uard are the world’s two largest asset managers. Bitcoi n h as qu ad rupled si nce t he sta r t of last yea r, helped by t he ETFs, i n a power f u l recover y f rom a deep bea r ma rket i n 2022. T he token rose about 1 percent to $68,797 as of 12:48 p.m. Wednesday i n Si ngapore. Bloomberg News

By Reine Juvierre Alberto

HE national government will attempt to borrow P180 billion from the domestic debt market in June, lower by P30 billion than the P210 billion programmed for May.

The Bureau of the Treasur y (BTr) will hold an auction to raise P180 billion through the sale of Treasur y bonds (T-bonds) and another P60 billion in Treasur y bills (T-bills).

Based on the Treasur y’s schedule of T-bonds and T-bills offering for the second quarter of the year, P30 billion in T-bonds will be offered on each auction day for all four Tuesdays of June.

The offering on June 6 will be the 7-year T-bonds while 10-year debt papers will be sold on June 13 Apart from these, 15-year and 20-year Tbonds will be auctioned off on June 20 and June 27, respectively. Meanwhile, P15 billion in 91-day, 182-day and 364-day T-bills will be offered for each of the first four Mon-

HOMEGROWN fintech startup Beppo has concluded a pre-seed funding round to acquire a tax platform provider and five pioneering bookkeeping firms in order to elevate the customer experience and improve its business further

Led by Wavemaker Partners together with angel investors, the capital raising activity, for an undisclosed amount, has the company obtained JuanTax, a tax platform accredited by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and bookkeepers--Tala Buluran and Co. Accounting Firm, MBH Online Accounting and Business Solutions, KJA Compliance and Tax, Konsepto Business Process Solutions, Inc, and PayRun.

As the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector in the countr y continues to expand, the require-

THE yen i s sl i d i ng faste r against the euro than the dollar as speculation grows that the European Central Bank (ECB) will take it slow in cutting interest rates because inflation remains elevated.

The Japanese currency has weakened 1.3 percent against the euro this month and is approaching its previous record low of 171.56 reached on April 29. W hile the Bank of Japan ended the world’s last negative interest rate policy in March, its rate gap with overseas counter parts including the European Central Bank remains wide.

There has been some disagreement on the pace of likely moves among ECB members that has fueled investor expectations that changes will be gradual. Meanwhile, the United K ingdom pound climbed to the highest level against the yen since 2008 on the view that the Bank of England will also take its time due to lingering inflation.

The yen has weakened to 34-year lows this year against the dollar but the risk of inter vention by Japanese authorities to support the currency has caused the decline to slow. Japan is suspected to have bought yen for dollars in late April and early May.

T he Japanese currency briefly spi ked on Wednesday after BOJ policy board member Seiji Adachi acknowledged it’s possible that yen weakness could spur price gains and

days of the month

On Tuesday’s auction, the government failed to meet its borrowing program of P150 billion from the tender of T-bonds, raising only P94.245 billion for the month of May. Meanwhile, the state was able to hit its target of borrowing P60 billion from the domestic market by selling T-bills.

T he gover nment’s borrow i ngs f rom Janu a r y to Apri l t his yea r reached P1.163 trillion, with domestic and foreign borrowings amounting to P1.038 trillion and P124.099 billion.

Earlier the Department of Finance (DOF) raised the government’s borrowing plan to P2.57 trillion in 2024, following a 75:25 mix, wherein

ment for bookkeeping ser vices also rises. This, nevertheless, presents challenges like the lack of trained accountants to meet the demand, and firms are conflicted with retaining employees. Hence, many are compelled to rely on untrained staff for bookkeeping, increasing the risk of financial errors and straining their resources.

“We’re well aware of the issues and pain points that small businesses have to go through,” Beppo CEO Jenny Galang said. Beppo said the company helps them and even the self-employed automate their accounting and tax compliance.

Galang said the acquisition of JuanTax, which is also an approved operator of a payment system or OPS by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and seasoned partner firms

st rengt hens t heir posit ion i ng to become a one-stop shop for Filipino businesses.

“We’re set to redefine the bookkeeping and tax compliance experience for businesses and the self-employed, so they can focus on what’s really important–driv ing sustainable growth,” she said.

Beppo’s a r t i f ic i al i ntell i gence technology utilizes Optical Character Recognition or OCR software to catch data from receipts and categorize transactions, saving time and mitigating errors.

“By automating repetitive and time-consuming bookkeeping tasks, Beppo enables businesses to efficiently manage their financial records and allocate their resources w he re t hey’re most needed— i n growing their business,” said Eric Manlunas, cofounder and general

prompt authorities to consider another rate hike earlier than expected. The fact that even Adachi, a noted dove on the board, hinted at more policy action bolstered expectations that an additional interest-rate hike is in the works. Recent low volat i l ity adds to headwinds for the yen because it will encourage investors to borrow more in the currency cheaply to invest in higher-y ield ing assets abroad, in a popular transaction called carr y

partner at Wavemaker Partners.

Apart from further enhancing Beppo’s ma rket posit ion, he believes such acquisition also prepares their company for expansion as it strengthens its sales and marketing efforts. “We look for ward to seeing Beppo help more Philippine businesses grow, thereby driving economic growth.”

Since December 2023, Beppo’s revenue has grown over 600 percent on the back of a surge in web and mobile users and new client acquisitions. Its customer base has also expanded with its ownership of the five first bookkeeping firms in the countr y, which will ser ve as the company’s sales and marketing arm. Beppo said it will concentrate on expanding to other parts of the countr y by partnering with other ser vice providers. Roderick L. Abad

BUSINESSMIRROR FILE PHOTO

BPI: Imported rice arrivals hit 1.8 MMT in May

By Ada Pelonia @adapelonia

MORE than 1.88 million metric tons (MMT) of imported rice arrived in the Philippines as of May 16, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).

he period were R iver Valley D i st ribut ion Inc. and V it r am Ma rket i ng Inc. whic h brou g ht i n 69, 360 MT and 64,98 3.88 MT, respect ively. T he BPI i ssued 3,992 SPSICs t h at wou ld cover t he i mpor tat ion of 4.66 MMT of rice. In Janu a r y, t he i ssued 979 SPSICs were i ssued for 2.25 MMT,

Local cane planters tell govt to calibrate sugar imports

Su ga r M i llers Assoc i at ion ( PSMA) sa id t he Phi l ippi nes recorded a product ion sur plu s. T hi s, PSMA sa id, shou ld prompt t he gover nment to ca ref u lly rev iew its su ga r i mpor tat ion plan.

ent i mpor tat

su

prog r am mu st be

t h at locally pro-

r i s not pre jud iced,” it sa id i n a statement. “T hi s val i dates t h e call fo r act i ve cons u ltat i on w i t h stakeholde r s, espec i ally s u ga r fa r me r s g r o u ps, to be cond u cted befo r e any s u ga r i mpo r tat i on o r de r i s i ss u ed.”

T he Su ga r Cou nc i l i ssued t he statement afte r t h e Phi l i pp i ne

DBy Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox

AVAO C ity—T he state-ru n Land Bank of t he Phi l ippi nes (LandBank) sa id it extended a total of P2.5 bi ll ion loans to rice fa r mers by t he end of Apri l. Of t he amou nt, LandBank f igures showed t h at majority of t he fa r mers who obta i ned c red it came f rom reg ions i n Lu zon.

T he bank sa id t he loans were extended “am id t he devastat i ng i mpact of El Niño on local h a r vests.”

“T he Land Bank of t he Phi l ippi nes rema i ns agg ressive i n extend i ng f i nanc i al suppor t to rice fa r me r s as total loans released

THE Food and Ag ric u lt ure

O rgan i zat ion of t he

Un ited Nat ions (FAO) called on gover nments to g ive seriou s attent ion to bridg i ng t he

Data f rom t he Suga r Reg u lator y Adm i n i st r at ion’s (SRA) latest repor t showed t h at as of May 12, raw suga r output reac hed 1.921 mi ll ion met ric tons (MMT), hig her t h an last yea r ’s 1.799 MMT. Raw s u ga r stock went up by 26. 37 percent to 531,8 3 8 met ric tons (MT) f rom last yea r ’s 420,866

MT. Ref i ned su ga r stock was also up by 35.53 percent to 572, 398 MT f rom 422, 332 MT recorded i n t he same period last yea r PSMA noted t hat about 135,675 MT of ref i ned su ga r i n t he i nventor y were i mpor ted stocks brought i n last yea r t h at a re st i ll u nw it hd r awn and u nu sed.

t hrou g h t he Expanded R ice C red it Assi stance u nder t he R ice Compet it iveness En h ancement Fu nd [ERCA-RCEF] reac hed P2.5 bi ll ion as of 3 0 Apri l 2024,” it sa id i n a statement.

Ma j o ri ty of loan bo rr owe r s came f rom t he rice produc ing provi nces of Reg ion 2, pa r t ic u la rly t he prov i nces of Cagayan, Nueva V i zcaya, and Q uiri no. T he bank sa id it released P612.4 m i ll ion to 4,945 borrowers i n t he reg ion. LandBank also released P840. 3 m i ll ion to 2,24 3 borrowers f rom Reg ion 3 R i ce fa r me r s i n t h e V i sayas and M i ndanao, i ncl u d i ng t h e prov i nces of Capi z and Leyte i n t he V i sayas and t he prov i nces of

Howeve r , t h e co u nc i l sa i d t h e s u pposed w i t h d r awals fo r i mpo r ted r ef i ned s u ga r s h ot u p by a “d i st ur b i ng” 16 pe r cent w hi le w i t h d r awals fo r locally r ef i ned s u ga r pl u nged by ove r 7 pe r cent. “S i nce locally r ef i ned s u ga r comes f rom t he local fa r mers’ r aw su ga r, demand for r aw su ga r also d ropped by over 4 percent, muc h to t he d i sadvantage of local fa r mers,” t he cou nc i l sa id. “T hese nu mbers su ggest t h at i mpor ted ref i ned su ga r i s be i ng p rio rit i zed ove r locally r ef i ned su ga r,” it added.

Last Ma rc h , t he Su ga r Reg u lator y Adm i n i st r at ion (SRA) sa id El Niño damaged su ga rcane c rops i n top su ga r -produc i ng a reas l i ke Neg ros and Batangas. SRA Adm i n i st r ator Pablo Lui s Azcona sa id t he c urrent El Niño

Ag u san del Sur, Bu k idnon, Nor t h Cotabato, and Zamboanga del Sur i n M i ndanao obta i ned loans f rom LandBank.

“In pa r tne r s hi p w i t h Depa r tment of Ag ri c u lt ur e, Landbank h as been s u ccessf u l i n f u lly d i s-

b ur s i ng t h e P 500-m i ll i on allocated annu al f u nd u nde r ERCARCEF f r om 2019 to 202 3 ,” sa i d Lynette V. O r t i z, p r es i dent and CEO of Landbank.

S h e sa i d, “LandBank makes loans ava i lable to ri ce fa r me r s and t he ir cooper at ives at affordable i nterest r ates w it h m i n i mu m doc u menta r y requirements.”

“Landbank suppor t to t he ag ri -

c u lt ure sector i s c ruc i al to ensuri ng food sec urity i n t he cou nt r y.

epi sode affected su ga rcane t h at w i ll be h a r vested i n October, or a mont h after t he sta r t of c rop yea r 2024-2025.

“T hi s El Niño hit f rom November 2023 to present h as g reatly damaged t he planted cane for t he October 2024 h a r vest, and so fa r i n Batangas, Sout h Neg ros, and M i ndanao, t he October 2024 h a rvestable cane is su fferi ng,” Azcona sa id i n a statement. “We a re hopi ng for t he r a i ns to come soon, so t h at t he 2024 to 2025 season w i ll be as good as well.”

T h e Inte r -Agency Comm i ttee on Inflat i on and Ma r ket O utlook

sa i d local p r od u ct i on of key commod i t i es, i ncl u d i ng s u ga r wo u ld fa i l to meet domest i c demand t hi s yea r follow i ng t h e decl i ne of s u ga rcane p r odu ct i on i n 2022. Ada Pelonia

We a re comm itted to prov id i ng cont i nued f i nanc i al assi stance to our rice fa r mers to help t hem su sta i n t he ir oper at ions and i mprove product iv ity, espec i ally i n t he face of c h allenges i nclud i ng t he El Niño phenomenon.”

T h e Landbank sa i d t h e P 2.5b i ll i on loans benef i tted mo r e t h an 15,400 i nd i v i d u al ri ce fa r me r s and 270 coope r at i ves w i t h mo r e t h an 21, 3 00 membe rbenef i c i a ri es. T h e loan amo u nt was c h anneled to s u ppo r t palay p r od u ct i on, m i ll i ng and t r ad i ng, r e-lend i ng, and ac qui s i t i on of fa r m mac hi ne ri es. Under t he prog r am, 98 percent of Landbank’s d irect borrowe r s were i nd iv idu al rice fa r mers.

India temperature nears record above 50C as heat wave worsens

cl imate c h ange, w it h t he f requency and i ntensity of floods, d rou g hts and cyclones ri si ng yea r after yea r T he Sout h Asian nat ion is not alone i n fac i ng t he vaga ries of nat ure. T he world posted an 11t h mont h of record-break i ng heat i n Apri l, w it h wa r mer cond it ions eng u lf i ng Asi a and a hotter -t h an-u su al su mmer pred icted in Europe. A si zzl ing season poses risks for l ives, st ra i ns power g rids and w i lts c rops. Del hi ’s Aya Naga r recorded an all-t i me hig h of 47.6C for t he center, whi le Mu ngeshpur automat ic weat her stat ion, whic h was set up some yea rs ago, saw 49.9C, t he IMD sa id. T he max i mu m temperat ures i n several a reas of t he nat ion a re expected to ri se by as muc h as 50C i n t he next few days, it sa id. Aut horit ies a re adv i si ng people l iv i ng i n some nor t her n and wester n states to avoid exposure to t he blaz i ng su n, stay hyd r ated and wea r l i g ht-colored clot hes. T hey h ave been spri nkl i ng water on roads, mov i ng some people to shelter homes and putt i ng up banners as rem i nders to take precaut iona r y steps. T here a re repor ts of long blackouts as demand for cooli ng appl i ances h as surged. Ind i a h as recorded 16,000 cases

GREENWICH, BLACKLIST INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATE WITH BACK-TO-BACK SURPRISES FOR FANS

FOLLOWING the successful launch of Greenwich’s newest campaign, “Sarap to Feel G,” the country’s leading pizza chain announces the homecoming of Blacklist International.

This renewed partnership ushers in several exciting surprises for fans, including the launch of return of the famous Blacklist Overload Bundle and Winner Wings to the Greenwich menu.

The celebration begins with the launch of the Greenwich Gaming Convention headlined by Blacklist International.

opportunity to meet the premier esports team and play Mobile Legends with them. The lucky players will be selected via electronic draw and then divided into teams, each one led by a Blacklist International squad member. Interested showmatch players and event spectators must secure a minimum singlereceipt purchase of P300 and sign up via the link or online channels for a chance to join.

Blacklist International’s return to the Greenwich family also signals the return of another crowd favorite, the Blacklist Overload Bundle which consists of the namesake’s all-time Greenwich favorites: one 9” Hawaiian Overload Pizza and two Lasagna Supreme Chicken Combo with drinks all for only P599. Every purchase also comes with one free, limited-edition Blacklist International photo card. Customers can order the bundle on or before July 31, 2024.

“We saw how much our customers loved the it last year. Due to insistent public demand, we decided to bring it back for a limited time, not only to celebrate friendships formed over Mobile Legends but also friendships of all kinds,” said Ali De Torres, Greenwich’s Head of Marketing.

Greenwich continues the winning streak with the reintroduction of Winner Wings, also featuring Blacklist International. Winner Wings come in three Customers can enjoy two pieces of Winner Wings plus rice for P99 or a Value Meal set of two pieces with rice and drink for P129 only. Extra hungry or just looking to share a feel-good meal with family and friends? Go for the Winner Wings Ala Carte in four pieces for P189 and six pieces for P269. Order Greenwich’s all-time crunchiest, and starting June 5 in Visayas and Mindanao.

I GREW up in a generation where perfection was the goal. However, the world has changed too much and too fast, that agility and the ability to thrive and adopt, all while having a healthy mental health, seems also the time that I was most active in our Human Resources department. I read a lot on the future workforce and workplace. Every interview made me also understand the skills that I would like my kids to have, as well as the behaviors I would like to prevent fostering at home. The applicants I admired were those that exhibited the mindset that as much as plans do not always turn out accordingly, what they focused on was how they learned and grew from every situation presented to them.

In all my parenting talks to date, I have always emphasized having a growth mindset. I learned this from Carol S. Dweck’s book, called Mindset: The New Potential Below are the growth mindset tips I shared in my parenting talk last Sunday: OK [lang ang] challenges and mistakes because this is an opportunity for us and our children to learn. room for new ways of parenting.

Appreciate feedback from people who care.

Be open to the new world you and your child are facing today—school, screen and socio-emotional

Parentlife BusinessMirror

Globally-inspired statement pieces for

with American interior designer Leanne Ford with the exclusive Origins Collection, showcasing fresh designs of modern farmhouse furniture and houseware. From layered neutrals to dreamy curves to a little rock-and-roll edge, it’s everything that makes the designer a star.

and travelinterior designer Leanne Ford and star Chef Eric Adjepong. natural warmth and texture alongside beautifully accents, deep charcoal hues, earthy clay elements, and luxurious marble touches, each piece from this collection exudes timeless elegance. This season, Crate & Barrel brings homemakers even more beauty through a continued collaboration

age. I saw how she loved the arts. She was give the award “Star Performer,” because at a year and a half she could follow dance steps well. I remember her Global Art teacher saying she saw a lot of potential in Meagan. In her toddler years, I enrolled her in a lot of art courses and in Montessori education. When it came to deciding a big school, I still decided to enroll her in a highly academic traditional school. I remember receiving comments that if I knew that Meagan did not like structure so much, why was I sending her to a traditional school?

My reason was I wanted to expand my child’s world beyond what was comfortable for her. It was not important for me if my daughter excelled or not in this traditional school. What was important was for her to try and see if she would also be interested in “another

A new collaboration with star Chef Eric Adjepong, on the other hand, features a vibrant collection that’s rooted in heritage combining his West African and New York City roots and designed to spark bold

Crate & Barrel’s new collection also includes the Cool Coastal Home, with its breezy and beautiful European beach getaway-inspired look.

Discover over 300-plus new arrivals from Crate & Barrel that’s guaranteed to breathe new life into your home. Visit Crate & Barrel at SM Aura Premier, SM Makati, SM Megamall, call to order or shop online at www.crateandbarrel.com.ph.

type of world”. In the beginning, it was truly tough for my daughter. She was so talkative that the teacher formed a unique row just for her. She could not get any academic award because of her conduct. She would get scolded because she was not one to follow authority, and was also not one to back down despite consequences. It should have bothered me because I was a consistent medalist since I was in nursery in that same school. But I always remembered that my daughter was unique from me. She was entitled to build a journey, not necessarily similar to my own. Every time the teacher called my attention, I would be with Meagan, respecting what the teacher decided, but discussing the “whys” and the next steps with her embarrassing. I always saw it as an opportunity for me to learn about my daughter’s personality more. I believe part of a parental growth mindset is seeking for your child’s emotional goals, not creating Since they were babies, stretching their heads during tummy time, I loved observing those happy and

how did it make them feel. With my son, getting an award was just okay. What he liked was doing the work, especially math. He did not mind long study hours. He also loved being the earliest to get to school.

For my husband and I, we feel good to see Marcus’ love for learning. The award is a bonus. It is also about using our past as a point of reference, but recognizing our child’s unique life journey. When I was growing up, I enjoyed stories from my elders. My husband and I do the same with from our childhoods, we consciously use “new eyes” example, Marcus has been a very shy kid. That’s very up. So, when situations come that he prefers to stay quiet, I respect his longer time to warm up. Today, at their Student Council, as an incoming freshman from middle school.

It is also looking forward to challenges as teaching moments for you and your child. Meagan was always called out for her being very talkative in kindergarten. When she entered grade school, I remembered having a talk with her, asking if she would like to try to be an honor student. She said yes, and we discussed what it would take and

STAN HARD, SAVE HARDER: EVERY CONCERT GOER’S GUIDE TO SAVING UP WITH MAYA

WSkin 101, Restylane Skinboosters

Team Up For 24/7 Glowing Skin

IN celebration of Skin Awareness Month 2024, Galderma Injectable Aesthetics, a global leader in dermatological treatments and sensitive skin care solutions, announced a groundbreaking partnership with Skin 101.

This collaboration introduces the revolutionary Restylane Skinboosters, promising a new era of enhanced natural beauty and skin care for Filipinos.

Skin 101, a trusted name in dermatology, has consistently been at the forefront of providing innovative skin care solutions. Joining forces with Galderma Injectable Aesthetics allows access to advanced treatments like Restylane Skinboosters, which is designed to hydrate, smooth, and rejuvenate the skin from within.

Restylane Skinboosters offers a unique approach to skin care by delivering deep hydration and

improving skin quality with long-lasting results.

Dr. Jennie Francisco-Diaz, Founder and Medical Director of Skin 101, emphasized, “Our commitment at Skin 101 has always been to provide care that not only treats but truly transforms. With Restylane Skinboosters, we are enabling our patients to achieve a naturally radiant and hydrated look that reflects their inner beauty.”

As part of the 2024 Skin Awareness Skin Tour, Galderma kicked off the month-long campaign with special events at clinics, starting with Skin 101, featuring in-depth training sessions, educational brand videos, and comprehensive in-clinic experiences to optimize patient outcomes.

After experiencing the treatment at Skin 101, Miss World Philippines 2018 Katarina Rodriguez shared that her skin was visibly refreshed due to

the deep hydration provided by the service.

“It also reduced my other concerns like skin tone unevenness, dullness, and roughness,” she said, adding that she was thankful to Dr. Francisco-Diaz and Galderma’s Restylane Skinboosters, “It brought out my natural radiance, without changing my appearance. Dr. Jennie Diaz explained the treatment’s benefits and made sure understood.”

Post-treatment care is also a crucial aspect of the service offering, with Cetaphil products recommended to ensure the most gentle and effective care for sensitive skin. Known for its dermatologically-tested formulations, Cetaphil is the perfect complement to injectable aesthetics treatments provided during Skin Awareness Month.

“One of the beauties of using Restylane Skinboosters is thatyou can readily go about your day after getting your treatment. It’s often called a lunch break treatment because the procedure can be done in 30 minutes. Because it’s fast-acting, you can see the natural glowing results immediately after treatment,” said Christine Yap-Legaspi, Marketing and Customer Education Training Manager at Galderma Injectables Aesthetics.

To further celebrate the launch, Skin 101 is excited to offer a “2+1 Glow Referral Program” exclusively available during May 2024. Patients who refer two new clients to any Skin 101 clinic will receive a complimentary treatment, enhancing accessibility to this innovative care.

Don’t miss this opportunity to bring back your skin’s glow and radiance. Visit Skin 101 this May, experience the transformative benefits of Restylane Skinboosters, and take advantage of the special referral program.

IT holds first passenger feedback forum, deepens safety commitment

commitment and program on the platform.

The inaugural forum served as an avenue for MOVE IT to garner insights from a diverse base of regular passengers about moto-taxi safety mechanisms, while also allowing the company to share updates on its current thrusts on safety and service reliability.

MOVE IT General Manager Wayne Jacinto spearheaded the forum, leading the deliberation and sharing of various strategies the platform is currently undertaking to ensure safety. Among the pivotal topics discussed were the expansion of skills training for riders, activation of advanced safety features, constant upgrading of safety gears, and the fortification of emergency response programs.

“This passenger forum is one of our initiatives to improve our service and to intensify our safety initiatives. We value every comment, idea and suggestion of the commuters we serve so that we can better see which aspect we should work harder and focus on. While we have launched many programs regarding the safety and reliablity of the MOVE IT platform, we know that we have to constantly improve it. And with the help or our dear passengers and riders, we can further ensure its success,” Jacinto said.

The first-ever face-to-face passenger feedback forum complements MOVE IT’s existing in-app feedback mechanisms, such as the post-ride rating system, activity tab, and report-an-issue feature.

Building on the productive discussions with commuter groups and the feedback shared in-app about MOVE IT, the motorcycle taxi platform has swiftly implemented new safety measures and technologies, further solidifying its commitment to road safety.

Focusing on Road Safety Skills: MOVE IT prioritizes rider skills and a positive mindset for a safer riding experience. It expanded its skills development and assessment program by adding mandatory quarterly training sessions. These sessions refresh rider-

partners on driver guidelines and safety protocols; and update them on techniques to navigate various road challenges safely and effectively. Additionally, MOVE IT has introduced new face-to-face values and behavior seminars, further promoting a professional and courteous rider community.

Activating New Technologies: MOVE IT stays at the forefront of safety with its cutting-edge technology. Recognizing that optimal speed is crucial, it now leverages real-time data analytics to monitor rider-partner speed. This allows for immediate “Overspeeding Alerts,” prompting riders to adjust their pace accordingly.

Elevating Emergency Response: MOVE IT also strengthened its emergency response as it grows its on-ground Emergency Response Team, adding more personnel and resources to the program across Metro Manila, Cebu and Cagayan De Oro. Capitalizing on the bayanihan among MOVE IT riders, the platform is introducing incentives for proactive accident reports. This encourages riders to look out for each other and contribute to a safer riding environment. These measures allow MOVE IT to attend to any untoward incident on the road in less than 30 minutes.

Prioritizing Gear Quality: Lastly, MOVE IT has implemented a stricter and more regular cadence of gear quality inspection. In line with this, the platform also pledged to continually provide incentivesbased gear, such as new helmets, to ensure that rider-partners are equipped with top-tier protective equipment for both them and their passengers. Moving forward, MOVE IT will continue to engage more deeply with the communities it serves to offer a safer and more convenient motorcycle ride-hailing experience for Filipino commuters. The moto-taxi provider also encourages its passengers and drivers to proactively share feedback via channels such as Passenger and Driver Feedback Features, In-App Ratings, and the MOVE IT Hotline. This will significantly help the platform to quickly evolve and enhance its

on a Last-Minute Getaway Adventure at Belmont Hotel Boracay

IN the photo are, from left, Galderma Injectable Aesthetics’ Chris Ignacio; Skin 101’s co-founder Dr. Oliver Diaz; co-founder and Medical Director Dr. Jenny Francisco-Diaz; Beauty Queen Katarina Rodriguez; and Galderma Injectable Aesthetics’ Business Unit Head Michelle De Jesus; General Manager Ferdinand Roxas; Marketing and Customer Education Training Manager Christine Yap-Legaspi, and Associate Brand Manager Aly Dizon.

Envoys&Expats

ASEAN and China have reaffirmed their commitment to the Declaration of Conduct (DOC) of Parties’ full implementation in the West Philippine Sea/South China Sea (WPS/SCS).

T his developed amid repor ts of suspected reclamation acts in Sabina Shoal—an uninhabited feature in the Philippines’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Diplomats from Southeast Asian member-states and China met from May 13 to 15 in T hailand for the 43rd meeting of the Asean-China Joint Work ing Group (JWG) on the implementation of the DOC of Parties in the contested waters.

“All par ties ag reed to maintain peace and stability in [W PS/SCS, cont inue to f u lly and effect ively implement DOC, ma inta in] selfrestraint, keep the momentum of dialog ue and consu ltation, and f i-

nalize COC [or Code of Conduct] at an early date,” Ambassador Huang X ilian of China said in a statement.

T he Asean-C hi na JWG reg ularly convenes at least tw ice a year to study and recommend measures t h at wou ld t ranslate t he DOC’s prov isions into concrete cooperative activ ities.

It w ill then submit these for the consideration of the Asean-China Senior Off icials’ Meeting on DOC, or SOM-DOC.

C hi na and Asean’s re iter at ion at t he JWG level comes after repor ts of C hi nese sig ht i ngs and t he d i scover y of du mped c ru shed corals i n t he Sabi na S hoal, whic h t he

of c roi ssants and coffee at t he Frenc h Ma r ket.

ed i n some of t h e co u nt r y’s f i ne-d i n i ng restaur ants, p repa red by t he best Frenc h and Fi l i p i no c hefs, i t w i ll p r ov i de Pi noys” t h e c h ance to expe rience or d i scove r some of t he most i con i c spec i alt ies of Frenc h c ui s i ne. On Ju ne 1 and 2, t he Goût de Fr ance St reet Ma r ket w i ll offe r res idents and v i s itor s of Makat i C ity a taste of Frenc h “st reet food:” c rê pes, past ries and ot h e r del i g h ts toget h e r w i t h w i nes, l iqu e ur s, coffee and ot h e r beve r ages on t h e t ree-l i ned Paseo Avenu e along Ayala Tri angle, whic h i s t he new add ress of t he Frenc h Embassy to t he Phi l i pp i nes (and M i c rones i a). T he re, t he pu bl ic w i ll be ente r ta i ned and i nt rodu ced to t he prepa r at ion of some Frenc h d i shes, as c hefs and apprent ices f rom Ende ru n College, w hic h i s a pa r tne r of t he Eco le Du cass e i n Man i la, w i ll conduct cook i ng demonst r at ions. Meanw hi le, w it h Pa ri s hosti ng t he Su mme r Olymp i cs and Pa r alymp i c Games t hi s yea r and celeb r at i ng gast r onomy and spor ts, “Goût” w i ll t reat

ru nne r s and b i ke r s on ca rf ree Su nday, Ju ne 2, on Ayala Avenu e to a Frenc h b reakfast

To f ur t h e r ente r ta i n t h e p u bl i c, a t r ad i t i onal r ace of wa ite r s i s be i ng or gan i zed on Su nday afte r noon. Some 20 Frenc h restaur ants and maj or hotels a re pa r t i c ipat i ng i n “Goût” by offe ri ng a spec i al menu for t he whole week u nt i l Su nday, Ju ne 9. Meanw hi le, a dé g u stat ion of w i nes f rom t he Ma i son B u kana w i ll take place on Ju ne 1 3 at t he Ma r ketplace Su pe r ma r ket i n Edsa S h ang ri -la Plaza, Mandalu yong C ity, coord i nated by t he Frenc h C h ambe r of Comme rce. Fi l i p i na ente r ta i nment pe r sonal i ty Nad i ne L u st r e, w ho i s a co-owne r of t he w i ne d i st ri b utor w it h Frenc h C hri stophe Ba riou , w i ll present t he ir p rodu ce.

Tr a i n i ng new c hefs i n t he Phi l ipp i nes, t he Ende ru n Ecole D u casse and Cordon Ble u w i ll offe r one-day spec i al cook i ng classes fo r i nd i v i d u als eage r to lea r n mak i ng a bas i c beef bo urgu i gn o n , or typ i cal Frenc h past r y, or a f u ll cour se meal. Accord i ng to t he embassy, as Fi l ipi nos eat out f re quently and always f i nd t i me to celeb r ate, “Goût” w i ll p rov ide a spec i al occas ion to go out and d i ne i n t he ir favorite restaur ants, or d i scove r new ones.

T he yea r ly celeb r at ion was i nt r od u ced i n 2015 by t h e Frenc h M i n i st r y of Fore i gn Affa ir s, i n pa r tne r s hi p w it h C hef Ala i n D u casse.

Phi l ippi ne Coast Gu a rd bel ieves i s a sign of an attempted reclamat ion act iv ity.

Sabina Shoal is an atoll situated around 75 nautical miles away from mainland Palawan, and has been classif ied as a low-tide elevation; meaning, it does not generate a territorial sea of its own. China, which claims Sabina Shoal as part of its territor y, earlier denied it is building an ar tif icial island on the feature.

T he DOC is the f irst political document jointly issued by Asean member-states and China in 2002

to maintain stability in the W PS/ SCS, pending a COC or a resolution to territorial disputes among Beijing and other Asean claimant states. In t he doc u ment, t he pa r t ies ag reed to “exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activ ities that wou ld complicate or escalate disputes, and affect peace and stability.”

T hi s i nclu des “ref r a i n i ng f rom act ion of i n h ab it i ng on t he p resently

AMBASSADOR Marco Clemente announced a series of initiatives by the Embassy of Italy in Manila to celebrate his countr y’s National Day this year

T he series of i n it i at ives a re a cont i n u at i on of “T h e Embassy of Italy meets t he Yout h of Tondo (November 2023 -Ju ly 2024)” i n it i at ive. D ue to its success, t he deputat ion dec ided to follow t he same patter n and organ i ze a si m ila r a rr ay of events to celebr ate t he 78t h ann iversa r y of t he Ital i an Republ ic.

Only, it said, not just through the usual diplomatic reception, but with a real festival of events of a different nature.

T he Ital i an Nat ional Day celebrates the date of the institutional referendum held on June 2, 1946 that led to the establishment of the Italian Republic, which is the cornerstone of Italian democracy. The pur pose of the comprehensive program of events, according to the embassy, is “not only to celebrate, together with the Filipino people, the Italian Republic and the Italian nation, but also to establish a lasting legacy for future similar initiatives by the Italian envoy’s successors, for the benefit of the local and expat community.”

During a May 20 press event, Clemente extended his gratitude to the 43 sponsors and the 25 co-organizers of the nine events of the festival, as well as the celebrations leading to Italy’s National Day 2024.

June 1, 2024; 6:30 p.m. - Youth of Tondo Italian Talent Show: San Pablo Apostol Parish, 2279 Velasquez Street, Tondo, City of Manila (free entrance).

CLEMENTE

June 3, 2024 - National Day Reception (by invitation only).

June 4, 2024, 7 p.m. - “The Philippines-Italy Friendship Cup 2024:” a friendly 11-versus-11 football game between the Under-19 Philippine National Team, and a selection of different nationalities representing Italy. Game will be played at the R izal Memorial Stadium (free entrance; gates open at 5 p.m.). Free tickets are available via https://ticket2me. net/175901

June 7, 2024, 5:30 p.m. - Screening of the movie “Gianni Schicchi: A live opera in Tondo:” Greenbelt 3 Cinema 2 (free entrance). Tickets available via ticket2me.net.

June 8, 2024, 9 a.m. - Street Food Fiesta w ith the Ser vants of Charity Community: Pinkian Road, Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora, Quezon City (free entrance).

June 9, 2024, 8 p.m. - Giacomo Puccini ’s Messa di Gloria in the context of the commemoration of the centennial of the composer’s death through musical performance and religious service: St. Agustin Church, General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila (free entrance). To be first played in modern times, Puccini ’s sacred music will be performed as part of a High Mass, as it was traditional in his lifetime.

THE Embassy of Israel recently commemorated “Yom HaZikaron,” or “Memorial Day,” for the fallen soldiers and the victims of terror attacks.

This year’s remembrance was not only for Israeli uniformed officers and civilians, but also for the “four loyal and brave Filipino caregivers who were murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.”

Israel remembered the 25,040 fallen soldiers and 5,100 civilians murdered by terrorists, 760 uniformed personnel—including policemen, security ser vices, and security team members of the “kibbutzim” or small towns, and 834 civilians were killed this year alone, according to the embassy.

It also said that around 203 foreign nationals were murdered by terrorists, 68 of them this year

Prayers and a moment of silence were offered to remember the Israeli fallen soldiers and civilians, who included Filipino caregivers Angelyn

Aguirre, Loreta Alacre, Grace Cabrera, and Paul Vincent Castelvi who were murdered by Hamas. The deputation also honored late Sgt. Cydrick Garin—a Filipino-Israeli who served in the Israel Defense Forces and was killed in action early this year

“Today i s an oppor t u n ity to recogn i ze overseas Fi l ipi no workers i n Isr ael. Most of t hem a re st i ll i n our cou nt r y, and t hey feel at home and loyal to t he ir employers,” t he ambassador sh a red. “Aside f rom OFWs, Fi l ipi no volu nteers a re i n Isr ael to express u n ity w it h [u s] duri ng t hi s d i ff ic u lt t i me. I cou ld feel t he spirit of suppor t and sol ida rity among our f riends f rom t he Phi l ippi nes.” This year saw the first obser vance of Memorial Day and Independence Day while Israel is at war On October 7, more than 1,200 casualties were recorded—the greatest number of Jews murdered in a single day since the Holocaust, as reported by the embassy.

Jun Lomibao

Alas HappyPilipinas:together!

By Josef Ramos

ALAS Pilipinas repeated over Australia—a three-setter this time, 25-23, 25-15, 25-7—for a first-ever podium finish by any Philippine team in an Asian level volleyball competition in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Challenge Cup for Women on Wednesday. And just like in the four nights of pool play which Alas Pilipinas swept and on Tuesday night when a more experienced and much taller Kazakhstan side frustrated the Filipinas from making the final, the passionate crowd again came to fill the fabled Rizal Memorial Coliseum to the rafters even though the bronze medal match was played at mid-afternoon and with threat of thunderstorm.

“So very special and thankful that you are playing for flag and country,” said the never-say-die mini-dynamite Sisi Rondina. “We expected Australia to bounce back because we beat them in the preliminary round.”

Rondina added: “After our loss

to Kazakhstan in the semifinals, we prepared against Australia and made sure we had a good mindset.”

Alas Pilipinas had their killer instincts back on Wednesday after showing leaks in the system formed just under two weeks before the competition by Brazilian coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito in their 23-25, 21-25, 14-25 semifinals loss in the tournament hosted by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation led by Ramon “Tats” Suzara.

The bronze medal-clinching victory was wrapped like a golden gift in only one hour and 15 minutes. What followed was a party atmosphere inside the historic venue with the Alas Pilipinas dancing to the tune of BINI’s Pantropiko to the wild delight of the crowd.

Angel Canino, playing out of De La Salle, had 14 points, 13 on attacks, while Rondina added 11 kills and two service aces.

Middle blocker Thea Gagate added 10 points with three blocks and Eya Laure had eight attacks and two service aces for 10 points. Fifi Sharma contributed seven points.

“It feels surreal and actually, I think it is going to take a while to sink in,” said Jia Moradode Guzman—team captain, impeccable setter, indefatigable leader and Ate to all.

“We went into this game not expecting anything and now we’re going home with a medal,” she said.

“It’s been years, decades since the last medal so we are very thankful.”

She added: “We’re really hopeful and looking forward to more preparations for upcoming tournaments and we just hope to keep improving and move up.”

De Brito said the players deserved all the praises as he stressed on their undying commitment to serve for the Philippine team.

“I’m happy and I’m grateful. I have no words to express how happy I am and also, not for myself only, I told these guys in the beginning, they deserve a lot,” de Brito said. “They really deserve this.”

“They fought every single day, they’re really young to make history here, and now history has been made because of them,” said the Brazilian

TSuzuki streaks to second JPGT win; Handog delivers in Pradera Verde

RYUJI SUZUKI dominated the 8-10 division of the Junior Philippine Golf Tour (JPGT) following a hard-fought victory over Jose Luis Espinosa for a closing 71 at the Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club in Lubao, Pampanga.

After posting a two-birdie, two-bogey card Tuesday, Suzuki delivered four birdies against three bogeys for a 36-35 and a 36-hole total of 143—enough to rule the JPGT Luzon Series 2.

“It feels great to win back-to-back.

It’s truly an honor,” said Suzuki, who attributed his early success in the series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. aimed at developing young talent and boosting the sport’s popularity across the country, to diligent practice especially on his short game.

A clutch birdie on the closing par5 hole secured Suzuki’s two-stroke victory over Espinosa, who mounted a late charge with birdies on Nos. 12 and 15 and an eagle on the last.

Despite Espinosa’s strong finish for a 72, he fell short again with a 145

Monte Andaman wound up third with a 175 after an 83.

“I felt the pressure and struggled to hit properly,” Suzuki said of Espinosa’s late surge, which he countered with a brilliant last-hole feat.

“I’m so glad my chip went in on the last hole,” added the 10-year-old Suzuki, who expressed gratitude to his family and coach for their guidance in his golfing journey.

Suzuki also edged Espinosa by one in the series’ kickoff leg at Splendido Taal two weeks ago.

In the girls’ side of the youngest

coach adding “because they trusted themselves.”

The best a Philippine volleyball team could muster in an Asian level competition was fourth place twice in the 1966 and 1970 Asian Games.

ERNEST JOHN “EJ” OBIENA broke his pole and wound up seventh on Wednesday at the World Continental Tour Gold in the Czech Republic where world record holder Armand Duplantis sailed to the gold medal with a modest 6.0-meter performance.

Obiena’s woes with his pole actually started on Monday when he left his equipment at the Naples Airport.

“Frustrating to say the least and very frustrated about the whole debacle,” said Obiena, the World No. 2 pole vaulter behind world and Olympic champion Duplantis.

By Howard Fendrich The Associated Press

category of the three-division series sponsored by the International Container Terminal Services Inc., Georgina Handog made an impressive JPGT debut with a commanding fourstroke triumph over first-leg winner Maurysse Abalos despite a closing 81.

Handog, who started the final round with a huge nine-shot lead, endured nine bogeys in a birdie-less round but still captured the crown with a 168 aggregate. Abalos, finished with a 76 marked by four birdies, six bogeys and a double bogey, for a 172.

“I’m very happy because I worked so hard to reach this position,” Handog said. “I managed to handle the pressure by focusing on my own game and not worrying about the other players.”

She also expressed gratitude to her supporters for their help with her swing, which was instrumental in her becoming a champion.

Athalea Espedido placed third with a 198 after 100.

In the premier 15-18 category spread over 72 holes, Jiwon Lee extended her overnight 12-stroke lead to 18, despite slowing down with a 72 following a fiery 66 for a sixunder 138 total.

Reese Ng continued to struggle, finishing with a second 78 for a 156, while Lia Duque pooled a 162 after an 80.

This sets the stage for another dominant title run by Lee, who previously claimed a 13-stroke victory over Duque at Splendido Taal.

“My drives were not as good as Tuesday’s and the putts just weren’t sinking as much,” said Lee, who hit three birdies against three bogeys.

“I struggled to keep the fairways at times. Even though I hit regulation on several holes, I couldn’t make those birdie putts, they kept lipping out. I guess, it’s just not my day.”

CARLO PAALAM continued his march toward a second straight Olympic appearance on Tuesday night by getting back at an opponent from Turkmenistan who frustrated his bid in an Olympic qualifier in Italy two months ago.

The Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Paalam defeated Shukur Ovezov, 5-0, for the second of five victories he needs to claim a men’s featherweight berth in the boxing competitions of the Paris Olympics.

Stockholm on Monday.

He could only clear 5.52 meters to wind up way below the podium at the Mestsky Stadion in Ostrava where France’s Ethan Cormont bagged silver with 5.62 on his first try and Belgium’s Ben Broeders claimed bronze with 5.62m, a height he cleared in two attempts.

“We’re still going to give it a go in the next two competitions as we prepare for the Olympics in Paris,” said Obiena, 28, the three-time Southeast Asian Games champion who’s set for the Oslo Bislett Games on Friday in Norway and the Bauhaus-Galan meet in

Monday that gave the Spaniard the first losing streak of his career on clay courts. He probably won’t enter Wimbledon, because it just doesn’t seem like a good idea to switch to grass right now, although he would not completely rule that out, either.

As for the Paris Olympics, which will hold the tennis competition at Roland Garros starting in two months? He probably will be there, but—hey, here’s a twist—he wouldn’t completely commit to that.

So in sum, all we really know about what the future holds for Nadal is that we don’t really know a thing about what the future holds for him. Which, of course, is OK, because he is allowed to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, however he wants. “Obviously,” Zverev observed, “there are uncertainties.”

Obiena also thanked fellow athlete Alyana Nicolas and physiotherapist Antonio Guglietta who retrieved his pole from the airport.

“It happens,” said Obiena’s confidante, Jim Lafferty, about the broken pole. “But it shook him up and caused some back spasms. He will get some massage and see if we can work spasms out.”

“The other important thing is EJ is safe and okay,” Guglietta said. “I believe that Oslo and Stockholm are two good opportunities to improve his skills.” Josef Ramos

Paalam

“The prayers of our fellow Filipinos are strong,” Elmer Pamisa, Paalam’s long time trainer and coach, told BusinessMirror via chat message from the World Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament at the Indoor Stadium in Bangkok. “He scored 5-0, a good win for Carlo.”

Ovezov

ILOILO Science and Technology University (ISAT-U) Army and Western Visayas State University (WVSU)-Lambunao Air Force cadets topped the initial raiders’ competition of the Reserved Officers Training Corps Games Visayas leg at the Carlos Hilado Memorial State University campus in Bacolod City on Wednesday.  Capped by the fifth and last truck pushing event, the ISAT-U Army campaigners groaned and grunted their way to the top of their ranks in a cumulative time of 39.40 minutes in the meet supported by the Department of National Defense and Commission on Higher Education.  The WVSU-Lambunao Air Force standard-bearers were even stronger in pushing the 14-seater KM450 military transport and cargo truck over the 50-meter course and took top honors in the five-event contest with an aggregate time of 37.32 minutes of the sportsfest also backed by the Philippine Sports Commission.

“We won because of teamwork and discipline,” said ISAT-U team leader Jeremy Jan Threz Jouilon of the squad’s success that included members Ariel Pama, Alex Eumag Jr., Andrea Panaguiton, Aumar Floyd Quilarto, Francis Quioyo, Jay Mar Casipe, Joan Bayas and RB Jhon Parma.  His joy and excitement were shared by WVSU-Lambunao team leader Jemmy Legario in the meet also backed by the Bacolod City government led by Mayor Albee Benitez.

“It was all about cooperation,” said Legario, who also credited team members Mary Love Dongor, John Kenneth Guilaran, Anabella Faith Caro, Romnick Pregua, Rogen Caspillo, Christian Dorey Casten, John Salvaloza and Karl Adrian Subaldo.

“Some events don’t require strength but rely more on cooperation, coordination and teamwork among members,” said Major Roberto Bolosan of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Special Services who oversaw the inaugural obstacle race.

hexed in Czech competition

PAA

Health& Fitness

Editor: Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

HIV/AIDS-free PHL is achievable by 2030–DOH

By Roderick L. Abad | Contributor

AMIDthe challenges confronting the Philippines in so far as its fight against HIV and AIDS  is concerned, the Department of Health (DOH) and its partners remain positive of achieving the national goal of ending this fatal illness in the next six years.

“Our country is fraught with challenges. However, we are optimistic in addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic,”

DOH Secretary Dr. Teodoro J. Herbosa said during the 2024 QUILTS Awards held at the San Jose Del Monte Convention Center in Bulacan last May 19, 2024.

The global target for ending AIDS is set to be achieved by 2030. The Philippines, being among the nations with high HIV/AIDS cases on record, is actively committed to achieving this.

According to the health chief, the country has seen the fastest growth in Asia and the Pacific with a 418-percent increase in new HIV infections since 2010. Also, it has the highest growth percentage of AIDS-related deaths in the region at 536 percent during the same period.

In reference to the UNAIDS’s 9595-95 targets, he cited that the Phil-

ippines’ performance is the following:

Only 61 percent of HIV positive people know their status; only 64 percent of those who are aware on their status are on antiretroviral therapy (ART); and only 45 percent of those on ART have achieved viral suppression.

Herbosa noted that more and more younger people, especially males, are diagnosed with HIV. In fact, about 47 percent of the new HIV infections are in the age range of 15 to 24 years old.

Such national statistics are reflected also in the regional and local scenes. For instance, the top three regions with the highest cases of HIV are the National Capital Region (NCR), Region 4, and Region 3, respectively, based on DOH data from October to December 2023.

Local government unit-wise, the City of San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan is also experiencing an uptrend.

THE winners for this year’s QUILTS Awards

During a media briefing prior to the awarding ceremonies, City Health Officer Dr. Roselle Tolentino revealed that they have recorded 863 HIV cases since 1984. From January to December 2023 alone, there were 99 additional cases citywide.

As of late, she added that HIV patients on treatment count at 498; the mode of transmission is highest among men having sex with other men; and in terms of age group, the highest infection is from 25 to 34 years, followed by 15 to 24 years old.

National effort

ADDRESSING the country’s perennial HIV/AIDS problem is among the biggest government responsibilities that each of the administrations in succession has been working on for over four decades.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. prioritizes both HIV and tuberculosis programs under his administration. During his 2003 State of the Nation Address, he directed the DOH to focus its efforts in combating HIV and AIDS in the country, urging the departments, national government agencies, academe, stakeholders, partners and communities to collate resources and streamline strategies and action towards their collective fight against such deadly diseases. In response to the chief executive’s order, Herbosa said that the DOH has released the health sector’s MediumTerm Strategy—the Eight Point Action Agenda, aptly called “Sa Bagong Pilipinas, Bawat Buhay Ay Mahalaga.”

“This is designed to place Filipinos at the very heart of healthcare force grounded in humanistic leadership

and good governance, and by replacing the delivery of health services through primary care with focus on several public health programs, including HIV and AIDS,” he explained.

The health secretary commended the country’s allies to help combat the disease. He noted that through the aid of the President of the United States’ Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the US government has been their strong partner in achieving the “9595-95” goals of the country by 2030, particularly on the third 95, which means that 95 percent of people living with HIV will achieve viral suppression. Their donations of more than 86,000 viral load cartridges allow people living with HIV to know their undetectable status.

“Challenges across levels remain as we braved the road of ending AIDS by 2030. But we are hopeful that complementary work with the United States government, other development organizations who are with us tonight, our vibrant local community organizations, our tireless colleagues in the local government units, we will be able to overcome all of this,” Herbosa said.

Recognize to inspire HONORING the great achievements in testing and treating HIV encourages service providers to excel more while motivating People Living with

HIV (PLHIV) to continue on with their battle.

The Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) Philippines has been giving hope and inspiration as it celebrates, through the annual Quality Uptake and Improvements in Lifesaving Treatment Services (QUILTS) Awards, the accomplishments of its partner-facilities and community organizations within Greater Metro Manila, including NCR, Central Luzon, and CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon Province) that are making a difference in the lives of PLHIV and those affected by it, so they can continue to live meaningful, productive lives.

“For three years that we’ve been doing the QUILTS Awards in those areas, we’ve seen that treatment interruption has reduced from 41 percent to 13 percent. That’s a big success because it means that if our compatriots with HIV are fully treated, they can no longer pass on the virus to others,” EpiC Philippines Project Director Teresita Bagasao said.

“We believe that we can reach our goal of Zero AIDS [by 2030]. So we need to inspire more with this QUILTS Awards,” AIDS Society of the Philippines (ASP) President Irene FonacierFellizar added, while sharing their plan to make this recognition initiative on a national scale.

See, “HIV,” C

Asian Hospital opens Florence Lim-Chan Nursing Simulation Lab

ASIAN Hospital and Medical Center is taking nursing care and healthcare excellence to the next level with the opening of the Florence Lim-Chan Simulation Lab on May 21, 2024. Located on the 7th floor of Tower 2, this state-of-the-art facility is named in memory of the mother of philanthropist and music icon Jose Mari Chan.

In his remarks, Dr. Beaver Tamesis, Asian Hospital President and CEO, related that the idea of putting up a nursing simulation lab began “with the desire for our nurses to improve their skills set constantly” and allow them to practice in a simulated setting.

Kicked off the ground

THE project “was kicked off the ground” with a very kind and generous donation from Chan.

“We really hope that this facility will be very useful for our nurses and our partner schools who are here today. We will work closely with our partner schools so that they and our nurses will benefit from the experience that they will have here in the laboratory,” he added.

ing ground for nurses, the lab will enable nurses to hone their skills and expand their knowledge in a simulated, real-world environment. Equipped with the latest technology and realistic medical scenarios, the lab provides hands-on experience, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application.

Collaborative spirit

DR. Buhain pointed out that the launch of the simu-

lation lab is “a testament of our community’s collaborative spirit and our sheer dedication to nurturing the next generation of healthcare professional.”

“No single word can encapsulate how we have been feeling since the day this program received its first yes from Dr. Beaver. From the concept to the construction and now to its commencement, we are indeed grateful to our CEO and to the mother of Jose Mari Chan who was the inspiration behind this lab. To Mr. Jose Mari Chan and to your family, thank you,” Dr.

Buhain said.

For his part, Muntinlupa City Mayor Rozzano Rufino “Ruffy” B. Biazon, Christmas came early in May as the simulation lab is not only a gift to Asian Hospital and to the nursing profession; it is a gift to the Philippines.

“Just imagine the aftereffects of this facility. They skills that the nurses will earn will be passed on to millions of people locally and internationally. These people will benefit from the quality healthcare that they will receive and all this goes back to this facility,” he said.

Gift for everyone

HE added that this gift is for “everyone who will be touched, the lives that will be touched and the nurses who will be products of this facility.”

“We do hope that we will see the products of this training facility and eventually when Muntinlupa opens its own nursing school, we will become a partner in this so that we can touch more lives. Thank you to the Chan family and you will be blessed,” he said.

For his closing remarks, Chan related that his association with Asian Hospital “goes back some years ago because of my friendship with Dr. Jorge M. Garcia,” the hospital’s founder. He thanked the hospital for naming the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit after his father and now the simulation lab which is named after his mother “who died in this same hospital two years ago.”

“Thank you so much for your friendship and I assure you that I told my children and my grandchildren that any time in the future, we are there for Asian Hospital,” Chan said.

Follow AHMC social media accounts @AsianHospitalPH for services and exciting updates.

‘Cervical cancer-free’ PHL is impossible   if HPV vax coverage remains low

By Roderick L. Abad | Contributor

IMMUNIZATION against cervical cancer in the Philippines remains low, an educator said, warning that if this trend continues, the country’s target to become free from the second most frequent cancer among women aged 15 to 44 will not be attainable even by the end of this century.

This dreaded disease remains a significant public health threat nationwide, claiming the lives of at least 12 Filipinas each day and putting almost 40 million females at risk of developing this illness.

Ironically, this should not be the case since 99 percent of cervical cancer cases are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can be prevented via HPV immunization of women as early as nine years old.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), eliminating the growth of cells that starts in the cervix of the female populace is achievable within the next decade should all nations reach and maintain an incidence rate below four per 100,000 women by 2030.

Three pillars THIS goal rests on three key pillars:

vaccinating 90 percent of girls with the HPV vaccine by age 15, screening 70 percent of women with highperformance tests by ages 35 and 45 and treating 90 percent of women with pre-cancer and invasive cancer.

Unfortunately, this is very ambitious because research shows that it will take time for the Philippines to become cervical cancer-free.

“For the Philippines most of the studies show that we can eliminate cervical cancer between 2071 to 2098. Although there have been estimates as well that indicate that we can eliminate cervical cancer by 2064 using different equation in their models,” Frances Ngo of University of the Philippines Manila’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) said during the 1st Philippine Cervical Cancer Elimination Summit, titled “One Community Against HPV,” held re-

cently at the Novotel Hotel in Cubao, Quezon City.

In the vaccination model, the 9-valent vaccine is used globally, but is not being utilized in the country’s HPV vaccination campaign at present, she noted.

Multiple age cohorts

ANOTHER study, she cited, shows that multiple age cohorts are used here, “meaning we are not only vaccinating nine year old girls, [but] we’re also vaccinating 10- to 14-year-old girls during the first year of program implementation.”

The screening model, on the other hand, involves primary methods, such as visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), pap smear, and DNA screening.

“But what are readily available in the country are VIA and vaccine,” Ngo said.

Screening cervical cancer through primary VIA testing is recommended in the Philippines. Nevertheless, coverage is reportedly low.

Low coverage

WHILE HPV vaccination has been available across the country since 2016, widescale coverage has not yet been achieved nationwide.

In fact, she cited that only four percent and one percent of the target female population nationwide are vaccinated with first and second doses

AXA cited anew as ‘trusted brand’ in PHL

AXA Philippines has consistently enjoyed the confidence of Filipinos as it emerged victorious anew in the prestigious Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Awards 2024.

Presented by Reader’s Digest Retail and Sales Advertising Director for Asia Pacific Sheron White, the company was recognized for the second time around in the Travel Insurance category with a Platinum Seal. It received a Gold Seal in the same segment in 2023.

Such achievement is attributable to Smart Traveller, which includes coverage for loss or damaged baggage, flight delays, personal accidents, and emergency medical expenses. Also, it’s Schengen-accredited with 24/7 travel assistance and the highest medical coverage for emergencies for up to P3.5 million, anywhere in the world.

Golden harvests

THE insurer was also feted with Gold Seals for both Health and Life Insurance categories.

This was the second consecutive year for the former segment, thanks to its medical plan, Global Health Access, that provides best-in-class, worldwide coverage for both treatment and executive check-ups that take a comprehensive look at the plan

holder’s physical health, including diagnosing critical illnesses. It also offers health coverage of up to P175 million. An affordable local health plan, Health Care Access, gives up to P5 million coverage for hospitalization, outpatient, emergency as well as preventive care needs.

AXA also offers critical illness plans such as Health Max, Health Start, and Health Start Lite—each tailored to specific needs and covers major and minor conditions. These  offerings provide cash benefits for treatment and income loss, allowing the insured and their family to focus on full recovery.

respectively of HPV vaccines.

To reach the elimination targets, organized national programs for both HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening and treatment must be implemented, alongside the strengthening of competencies of health workforce across all three pillars for longterm success on the path towards cervical cancer-free Philippines.

The national government spent a staggering P46.63 billion on cancer treatment in 2020. Despite subsidies, however, a typical Filipino household dealing with cancer still pays 15 to 41 percent of out-of-pocket medical costs.

Needless losses THIS underscores the tragic reality that countless lives and resources are being lost needlessly from cervical cancer.

“We cannot reach the target between 2071 to 2098 if we will not be doing the [above mentioned] ’90-7090’ strategy [of WHO],” Ngo pointed out.

She even cautioned that if the country’s HPV vaccination campaign remains on status quo, “we will not be eliminating cervical cancer within this century.”

Based on projections, a total of 449,473 Filipinas will die from cervical cancer without any intervention by 2070 and 1,186,759 by 2120.

investment opportunities to help them build funds that can support their long-term goals.

“We are truly proud to be consistently recognized by Filipino consumers as a trusted brand,” said Nandy Villar, chief marketing officer at AXA Philippines. “These awards are an affirmation of the work we are doing to fulfill our commitment to delivering exceptional customer service and innovative insurance solutions that reflect our purpose to act for human progress by protecting what matters.”

The Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Awards is conducted entirely by third party, Catalyst Research. Its survey is answered by a large sampling of real consumers, with thousands of Filipinos across the country participating.

For the first time, the firm earned a Gold Seal for the insurance category, with its all-around insurance plan, MyLifeChoice, aimed at giving breadwinners all the financial protection they need as they pursue their multiple responsibilities, sans the need to sacrifice one goal over another.

Cash benefits

ITcomes with life insurance coverage that has cash benefits in the event of the insured’s untimely demise, accident and disability coverage, and critical illness coverage that prepares individuals for financial setbacks. On top of everything, this plan opens

booking system that

to 999 clients), SAIL Cavite; and Champion for Differentiated HIV Treatment Services (Above 1000 clients), SAIL Makati. Special awards were given to deserving organizations. Laguna Medical Center bagged the Excellence Award for QuickRes.org, an online appointment

we highlight tonight that accomplishments are not just mere numbers but are lives that we continue to support, ensuring that they continue living healthy and productive lives. Beyond the plaques, the lives that we save from preventable AIDS-related illnesses are the true QUILTS Awards,” Herbosa stressed. The QUILTS Awards is an annual event

HPV vaccines prevent cancer in men as well as women, new research suggests

NEW research suggests the HPV vaccine is preventing cancer in men, as well as in women, but fewer boys than girls are getting the shots in the United States.

The HPV vaccine was developed to prevent cervical cancer in women and experts give it credit, along with screening, for lowering cervical cancer rates. Evidence that the shots are preventing HPV-related cancers in men has been slower to emerge, but the new research suggests vaccinated men have fewer cancers of the mouth and throat compared to those who didn’t get the shots. These cancers are more than twice as common in men than in women.

For the study, researchers compared 3.4 million people of similar ages—half vaccinated versus half unvaccinated—in a large health care dataset.

As expected, vaccinated women had a lower risk of developing cervical cancer within at least five years of getting the shots. For men, there were benefits too. Vaccinated men had a lower risk of developing any HPVrelated cancer, such as cancers of the anus, penis and mouth and throat.

Unvaccinated men

THESE cancers take years to develop so the numbers were low: There were 57 HPV-related cancers among the unvaccinated men—mostly head and neck cancers — compared to 26 among the men who had the HPV vaccine.

“We think the maximum benefit from the vaccine will actually happen in the next two or three decades,” said study co-author Dr. Joseph Curry, a head and neck surgeon at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia. “What we’re showing here is an early wave of effect.”

Results of the study and a second were released last week by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and

will be discussed next month at its annual meeting in Chicago. The second study shows vaccination rates rising but males lag behind females in getting the HPV shots. HPV, or human papillomavirus, is very common and is spread through sex. Most HPV infections cause no symptoms and clear up without treatment. Others develop into cancer, about 37,000 cases a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Recommended

IN the US, the HPV vaccine has been recommended since 2006 for girls at age 11 or 12, and since 2011 for boys the same age. Catch-up shots are recommended for anyone through age 26 who hasn’t been vaccinated.

In the second study, researchers looked at self- and parent-reported HPV vaccination rates in preteens and young adults in a large government survey. From 2011 to 2020, vaccination rates rose from 38 percent to 49 percent among females, and among males from 8 percent to 36 percent.

“HPV vaccine uptake among young males increased by more than fourfold over the last decade, though vaccination rates among young males still fall behind females,” said study co-author Dr. Danh Nguyen at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Parents of boys, as well as girls, should know that HPV vaccines lower cancer risk, said Jasmin Tiro of the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center who was not involved in the research. And young men who haven’t been vaccinated can still get the shots.

“It’s really important that teenagers get exposed to the vaccine before they’re exposed to the virus,” she said. Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press

Parent groups call for amendments to Vape Law due to emerging ‘vapedemic’

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

SThe Philippines is one of five countries in the region surveyed, the others being Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The survey is done on 45 brand categories, cutting across a broad range of industries.

Brands are rated by 8,000 respondents on these six key attributes: Trustworthiness and Credibility, Quality, Value, Understanding of Customer Needs, Innovation, and Social Responsibility. A Gold Seal is given to brands that outscore their competitors significantly in their category, while a Platinum Seal is given to category toppers, with a clear and significant margin over other brands in their line.

Roderick L. Abad

started by the EpiC project as part of the USAID and PEPFAR. It is spearheaded by FHI360 and is in collaboration with the ASP and UNAIDS Philippines. This year’s edition also witnessed a Candle Lighting Ceremony for the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial (IACM) in honor and remembrance of those who passed away due to HIV and AIDS. “USAID and our partners [from the US Government] join you in remembering those who have lost their lives to HIV and AIDS. We will not forget those who fought long and hard to be acknowledged as worthy of the dignity and health services that all people deserve,” USAID Deputy Mission Director Rebekah Eubanks said.

TRESSING that the significant rise in youth vaping is a public health crisis, a “vapedemic” as it is now aptly called, the Parents Against Vape (PAV) has called on for an amendment of the Vape Law or Republic Act 11900 and implement stricter regulations on the marketing and sale of vape products, particularly those that appeal to young people.

This includes, PAV stressed, banning flavored vapes and ensuring that packaging does not attract minors.

Likewise, PAV is deeply troubled by the recent press release from the Department of Health (DOH) highlighting a 110 percent increase in vape users in 2023.

“Particularly alarming is the statistic that one in every seven young teenagers, aged 13 to 15, is now using vape products. This, despite the fact that, under Republic Act 11900, only those 18 years old and above are supposed to have access to vapes,” PAV added.

Proposed amendments WITH this, PAV called for an amendment of the Vape Law or Republic Act 11900 by: Increasing the age of accessibility from 18 to 21. Twenty-one was the accessibility age prior to Republic Act 11900. Because the Vape Law lowered the age of access from 21 to 18, more youth now have access to it.

Limit flavors to two: menthol and tobacco.

If vape is being marketed as a cessation tool, then there is no need to make it attractive and appealing especially to our children.

Traditional cigarettes only have menthol and tobacco flavors so there is no need to have other flavors.

Return the regulatory power over vapes to the Food and Drug Administration. Anything that you put into your body should be regulated by the FDA, not by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

“Vaping is not a safe alternative to smoking. It poses significant health risks, especially to the developing lungs and brains of our children. The recent cases of Evali or E-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury only prove one most glaring fact: vaping kills!” PAV reiterated.

Target young people THE World Health Organization (WHO) earlier said that tobacco companies still actively target young people via social media, sports and music festivals and new, flavored products, accusing companies of trying to hook a new generation on nicotine.

As stricter regulations targeting cigarettes are in place, big tobacco companies and new entrants have begun offering smoking alternatives such asvapes, which they say are aimed at adult smokers.

But WHO said these products are often marketed to the youth, their design and variety of fruity flavors appeal to children, and that young people are more likely to use the products than adults in many countries.

Claims rejected WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu rejected the industry’s claim that it is working to reduce the harm from smoking.

“It’s dishonest to talk about harm reduction when they are marketing to children,” he said.

Vape products are often marketed in a way that appeals to young people, with flavors like candy and fruit, and sleek, high-tech designs. Flavors entice children.

PAV noted an article published by the VeraFiles about two years ago which claimed, that vape products “have more than 15,000 flavors in the country.”

“This is a deliberate tactic by the vaping industry to hook a new

A TESTAMENT to AXA’s unwavering commitment to excellence in health insurance, Tony Castillo (right), AXA Philippines’ business head for protection and health, accepts the esteemed Health Insurance Gold Award.

& Fitness

PhilHealth increases benefits for neonatal sepsis, bronchial asthma

EFFECTIVE May 1, 2024, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is implementing another round of enhancements in two of its existing benefit packages, this time for neonatal sepsis and bronchial asthma which have been increased heftily by more than 100 percent.

PhilHealth Circulars 20240008 and 0009, the implementing guidelines of these two case rate packages, prescribe that all patients admitted on May 1, 2024 onwards may avail themselves of the increased benefits in accredited health facilities.

According to PhilHealth President and CEO Emmanuel R. Ledesma Jr. “the PhilHealth Board has approved the increase in package rate for neonatal sepsis to P25,793 from P11,700 and bronchial asthma in acute exacerbation to P22,488 from P9,000. The increase translates to 120 percent and 150 percent, respectively.”

Neonatal sepsis and other infectious conditions are among the leading causes of neonatal deaths

in the Philippines. In 2023, PhilHealth paid P733.86 million for more than 57,000 cases for the condition.

On the other hand, asthma remains to be a high burden ailment in the Philippines despite medical advancements. The majority of Filipinos with asthma do not have adequate control over their conditions, resulting in confinements. Based on PhilHealth data for 2023, asthma ranks eight among the top medical confinements paid by the state insurer, where P717 million have been paid for, more than 90,000 cases of asthma.

PhilHealth identified neonatal sepsis and bronchial asthma as priority conditions in rationalizing its All Case Rates packages to

further improve financial coverage and lower, if not eradicate the patients out-of-pocket expenses.

Ledesma explained that “PhilHeatlh is continuously improving its benefit packages in line with our thrust ‘Pinalawak at mga Bagong Benepisyo para sa Mamamayang Filipino.’ We are hoping that these enhancements bring positive impact in the behavior of the Filipinos seeking medical attention. Those who need medical attention should not think twice about seeking help because PhilHealth will help you with your medical expenses.”

PhilHealth also reminded the

members that the adjusted case rates may be availed of in Levels 1 to 3 accredited public and private health facilities nationwide. Meanwhile, the previous rates of P11,700 for neonatal sepsis and P9,000 for bronchial asthma will be applied to patients admitted in accredited primary care facilities.

The state agency also emphasized the important role that primary care plays in disease prevention and early detection. It has again called on primary care facilities to be Konsulta Package Providers (KPP) to provide wider access to drugs and medicines for the control of asthma. “Since our accredited KPP provides consultations, drugs and medicines and laboratory tests, hospital admission due to worsening of asthma will be avoided”, Ledesma added.

The PhilHealth Chief also urged all members to register with their preferred to Konsulta Package Provider to avail themselves of free consultations, health screening and assessment, as well as any of the 21 essential drugs and medicines and 13 laboratory tests as will be required by their primary care physician.

Taguig LGU partners with Healthway Cancer Care Hospital

By Candy P. Dalizon Contributor

TAGUIG residents now have easier access to quality medical care thanks to a partnership between the city government and Healthway Cancer Care Hospital (HCCH).

Established by Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc. (AC Health) and the Healthway Medical Network, HCCH is the first dedicated cancer care facility in the country. Its vision is to provide accessible and quality cancer services to more Filipinos.

Taguig City government led by Mayor Lani Cayetano recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with HCCH to provide medical services to residents deemed qualified by the local government unit’s City Health Office (CHO).

Present during the MOA signing at HCCH in Arca South, Taguig City on May 20, 2024 were Paolo Borromeo, AC Health President and Chief Executive Officer; Jenara Ong, HCCH Chief Operating Officer; Ruby Chiong, AC Health and HCCH Chief Finance Officer; Dr. Manuel Francisco Roxas, HCCH Medical Director; Dr. Gary Lorenzo, Chairman of the HCCH Medical Advisory Board, and other leaders of HCCH and AC Health.

Local officials

CAYETANO was joined by Rodil Marcelino and Marisse Balina-Eron, District Councilors for Health; Dr. Anna Richie Quilatan, Chief of Hospital, Taguig Pateros District Hospital; Dr. Norena Osano, City Health Officer; Executive Assistants for Health, Dr. Cecilia Montales and Dr. Peachy Sy, and other doctors and officers from Taguig City.

“Much as we are still in our early days, it is already heartening to see patients walk through our doors and hear feedback that they are grateful for the service and that there is now a cancer hospital for them closer to home. With this partnership today, we are excited to welcome more residents of the city in need of these cancer services, without having to worry

THE Philippines remains fully committed to population and development goals that were established some 30 years ago with global stakeholders, as it announced a marked improvement on policy creation and implementation.

Last May 1, 2024, Undersecretary Lisa Grace S. Bersales, Ph.D delivered the country statement at the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development and its resultant Programme of Action (ICPD-POA) during the 57th Session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development in New York City. With her was the Philippines’ permanent representa-

tive to the United Nations Ambassador Antonio M. Lagdameo. There, the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) executive director articulated the Philippines’ full and continuous implementation of the ICPD-POA “as a significant policy and program framework in fulfilling the visions and aspirations of more than 112 million Filipinos to have strongly rooted, comfortable and secure lives.”

Bersales also imparted the improved policy environment for the promotion of population and development, foremost of which is the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, which was

about making longer trips, and assured of better value on their care,” said Borromeo.

He added, “May this new collaboration continue to signify the AC Health group’s continued and collective commitment to improving the lives of Taguig residents.”

Gratitude

CAYETANO, on the other hand, expressed gratitude to HCCH for inspiring them to do more in the aspect of healthcare. She likewise pointed out that the partnership between HCCH and the Taguig City government will further broaden the city’s robust health initiatives.

“As a growing city we look forward to working with Healthway to improve necessary cancer related health

able to “expand access to universal and equitable comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and information, which includes family planning services.”

She likewise noted that the Magna Carta of Women, considered a comprehensive humanrights law, was able to “strongly protect, fulfill and promote the rights of Filipino women, with particular focus on the marginalized.”

The CPD official explained that since the enactment of the above-mentioned policies, “the law that bans the practice of child marriage under Republic Act 11596, and one that increases the age of sexual content from as young as 12-years old and now 16-years old

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

EVERY year, more than 1.3 million people die in road traffic crashes worldwide. Road traffic crashes are the 8th leading cause of death for people of all ages, and the leading cause of death for children and young adults, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

More than half of all road traffic deaths are among vulnerable road users, which include pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcycle riders.

In the Philippines, road traffic deaths are increasing. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) indicate that road traffic deaths increased by 39 percent from 7,938 deaths in 2011 to 11,096 deaths in 2021.

The Metro Manila Accident Reporting and Analysis System (MMARAS), meanwhile, revealed an alarming rate of approximately 92,583 road crashes annually over the past decade, resulting in an average of 410 deaths each year.

Among these fatalities, 51 percent are drivers, 36 percent are pedestrians, and 13 percent are passengers.

These statistics emphasize the urgent need for enhanced road safety measures to protect all road users and reduce the number of preventable deaths.

Action plan

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and its partners recently conducted a threeday stakeholders’ meeting to formulate the Metro Manila Road Safety Action Plan (MMRSAP) 2024-2028.

The MMRSAP 2024-2028 will serve as the framework for the region’s road safety efforts, aiming to reduce road crash fatalities by 35 percent by 2028.

Supported by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), WHO Philippines, and The Policy Center (TPC), this activity is part of the celebration for the Philippine Road Safety Month.

services particularly on the aspect of screening, diagnostic, and treatment services which are essential for the holistic well-being of everyone.”

“Through this signed agreement, we will pave the way for a beneficial partnership that will provide health services including laboratory, radiology, nuclear medicine, radiation oncology, women’s health, and outpatient nursing services for all qualified beneficiaries,” said Cayetano.

HCCH was inaugurated on November 24, 2023, in the presence of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Located in Arca South, Taguig City, the 100-bed hospital is now fully operational, providing patients with comprehensive care throughout their cancer journey, from screening and diagnostics to treatment.

as covered by RA 11648, significantly contributed to the Philippines’ Top-20 ranking in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index.”

Plans of action

WHILE she acknowledged that hurdles remain constant in adhering to the ICPD-POA, the POPDEV undersecretary pointed out that the challenges will be squarely addressed by the full rollout of the Philippine Population and Development Plan of Action (PPD-POA), which was recently approved by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

“This plan includes addressing population

MMDA Assistant General Manager for Planning OIC Atty. Victor Pablo Trinidad, in his message on behalf of MMDA Acting Chairman Romando Artes said, “The contributions and insights from representatives from NGOs and LGUs have deeply enriched the discussions on the challenges of preserving road safety and the exploration of essential strategies and initiatives to enhance the bustling metropolis.”

“Inspired by our discussions and dialogue, we are poised to forge ahead in crafting a comprehensive action plan that will pave the way for safer and more efficient road systems in Metro Manila. Together, we have the power to effect positive change and create a safer environment for motorists, pedestrians, and commuters alike,” said Trinidad.

Atty. Yla Paras, president of TPC, assured the public that the stakeholders would work towards an inclusive plan that ensures fairness, community involvement, and prioritizes everyone’s safety on the road.

Shared responsibility FOR his part, DOTr Project Evaluation Officer Paulo Mejia underscored the region’s alignment with the objectives of the national road safety plan while reiterating the department’s commitment to enhancing transportation safety and mitigating road risks across Metro Manila and beyond.

Representatives from Metro Manila’s local government units (LGUs) and technical experts from various agencies, including the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Health (DOH), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Land Transportation Office (LTO), Philippine National PoliceNational Capital Region Police Office (PNP-NCRPO), Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG), and University of the Philippines-National Center for Transportation Studies (UP-NCTS), convened to strategize the development of the plan.

Five pillars of safety

THE stakeholders focused on crucial aspects of the MMRSAP, emphasizing the five pillars of road safety: road safety management, safer roads, safer vehicles, safer road users, and post-crash response.

issues under the three pillars of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals that are economic, social and environmental in nature,” the CPD chief pointed out. “It also explicitly lays out the vital role of our local government units, civil society organizations and the private sector, as main implementers.”

As a founding member of the ICPD, Bersales renewed the country’s commitment to the realization of the plan of action’s global agreements from three decades ago: “The Philippines will continue to be an active participant, as well as a party to global cooperation and dialogue, in advancing human rights and development.”

Data for development

BERSALES also shared her expertise in

“Road safety is a shared responsibility. To address this public health issue, multisectoral actions ensuring sound road safety governance, safer roads, safer vehicles, safer road users, and post-crash response care are imperative.”

“The Road Safety Action Plan for Metro Manila 2024-2028 that is being developed will provide a blueprint for evidence-based interventions to save lives and prevent serious injuries from road crashes in Metro Manila,” said Dr. Rui Paulo de Jesus, WHO Representative to the Philippines.

The formulation of a road safety action plan for the region is an identified component of Project 6: Traffic Safety and Education under the Five-Year Action Plan of the Comprehensive Traffic Management Plan for Metro Manila funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The MMRSAP is instrumental in improving road safety in Metro Manila, moving towards a sustainable and livable environment for all.

the field of statistics during the ICPD 57’s side-event on “Asia and the Pacific at the Crossroads: Building Inclusive and Sustainable Societies in Times of Significant Demographic Change,” where she highlighted the importance of data in policymaking and development-planning.

According to her, “having data, especially disaggregated data, allows for targeted programming which, in turn, ensures those most in need are reached, such as women, girls, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, as well as populations in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas [or GIDAs].”

The POPDEV undersecretary also emphasized maximizing partnerships as vehicles for the optimal usage of scarce resources.

IN the photo are, from left, Ruby Chiong, AC Health and HCCH Chief Finance Officer; Jenara Ong, HCCH Chief Operating Officer; Paolo Borromeo, AC Health President and Chief Executive Officer; Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano; Dr. Norena Osano, City Health Officer, and Dr. Cecilia Montales, Exec utive Assistant for Health

PHILHEALTH President and CEO

Emmanuel R. Ledesma Jr.

Health& Fitness

Pinoy Gen Zs becoming more of loner worker–PhilCare study

FILIPINO Gen Zs may have been born and lived in a digitally connected world, but research shows they are growing up to be workers who prefer to work independently.

This is a key finding in a study by HMO leader PhilCare, which revealed that as much as 55 percent of Gen Zs prefer to work independently from a team.

The survey, which is part of the groundbreaking “PhilCare Wellness Index: An Updated ABC of Pinoy Gen X, Y, and Z,” also said this sentiment of Filipino Zoomers are also being

By Rizal Raoul Reyes Contributor

TO promote and raise adolescent health to a higher level and address rising adolescent pregnancies in Eastern Visayas, the United Nations, and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) turned over two adolescent-friendly mobile health facilities that will offer free medical services to Samar and Southern Leyte provincial governments.

The Joint Programme on Accelerating the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy (JPARAP) recently turned over the TrucKABATAAN to the local governments of Western Samar and Southern Leyte.

The event was attended by KOICA Country Director KIM Eunsub, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Philippines Country Representative Dr. Leila Joudane, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative to the Philippines Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov, Western Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan, Southern Leyte Governor Damian Mercado, Southern Leyte Vice Governor Rosa Emilia Mercado, local youth and the local medical teams.

Collaborative effort

THE mobile health facilities, dubbed TrucKABATAAN, are part of the Joint Programme on Accelerating the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy in Southern Leyte and Samar in the Philippines, a collaborative effort supported by KOICA, in partnership with the Philippine government, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO. The programme is estimated to potentially benefit 275,000 adolescents.

“Reducing teenage pregnancies is a key goal for the Philippine government, a goal that the United Nations and our partners are committed to help achieve by mobilizing knowledge, resources, and opportunities to better enable youth in the Philippines to reach their full potential. These mobile health facilities provide accessible health services that are keys to empowering young people,” said Gustavo Gonzalez, United Nations Philippines Resident Coordinator in a press statement.

The program was launched to tackle the pressing issue of adolescent pregnancy in the Philippines, which has been declared a national priority. While the Philippine Statistics Authority reported a slight decline in teenage fertility rates

shared by their older peers, meaning Filipino Gen X and Millennials, as 50 percent of them said they also want to work alone.

“While working in a team environment is not an issue for Gen Zs, the desire to work independently is perhaps their way to showcase their skills and abilities to their employers, as well as how much they value

nationally (from 8.6 percent in 2017 to 5.4 percent in 2022), the number of adolescent mothers aged 10 to 19 continues to rise, particularly those in the worrying younger age bracket of 10 to 14.

“I would like to remind everyone that KOICA stands with you in safeguarding and improving adolescent health and wellbeing. This year, we are celebrating the 75 years of Philippines-Korea diplomatic relations and the 30th anniversary of KOICA in the Philippines. These historical occasions give us the momentum to intensify our assistance to the country. We assure you that KOICA will continue to strongly support you for a realized comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights of Filipino adolescents and reduced adolescent pregnancies,” said Eunsub.

Highest teen pregnancy rate

BESIDES being one of the Philippines’ poorest and most typhoon-battered regions, the 2021 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study showed that Eastern Visayas, where Samar and Southern Leyte are located, has one of the highest rates of 15 to 19-year-old females who got pregnant.

“Over the past years, we have implemented various programs, projects, and strategies aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy in the region. With the Universal Health Care Act, all stakeholders have been diligently working and putting in every effort and system in place to fully implement and realize Universal Health Care in the region. While there is still much to be done, we are making significant progress. Today, we are one step closer towards our goal of ensuring that every Filipino has equitable access to quality and affordable healthcare services. Through this mobile clinic, we will be bringing essential health services directly to the doorsteps of our young people. From sexual and reproductive health education to maternal and child health services, TrucKABATAAN will provide comprehensive support tailored to the unique needs of adolescents,” said Eastern Visayas Center for Health Development Regional Director Exuperia B. Sabalberino.

The partners are working closely with the Department of Health, the Department of Education, and the governors of Samar and Southern Leyte, as well

freedom and self-direction in their careers,” PhilCare President and CEO Jaeger Tanco said.

Working abroad

APART from the preference for work-

as other government agencies in rolling out adolescent-friendly services through the TrucKABATAAN, building the capacity of community adolescent health service providers, accelerating the integration of comprehensive sexuality education in schools, implementing youth leadership and governance initiatives, and conducting research on adolescent pregnancy and child, early, and forced marriage.

“Pregnancy can be a beautiful journey, but for adolescents, it should not be part of their journey. Adolescence is a crucial time for personal growth, education, and development, and pregnancy can significantly disrupt these processes. The health-related risks are real. Adolescent mothers face higher risks of medical complications during pregnancy and childbirth compared to adult women. We must ensure access to quality healthcare and education to protect their health, prevent complications, and empower them to reach their full potential,” said Dr. Joudane.

High risk

JOUDANE pointed out that adolescent pregnancy can result in anemia, sexually transmitted infections, unsafe abortions, postpartum hemorrhage, and mental health disorders. It can also exacerbate maternal undernutrition, resulting in low-birth-weight infants and childhood stunting. This perpetuates a cycle of malnutrition across generations.

“All adolescents have the right to good health and well-being. Investing in adolescents’ health builds strong economies, inclusive communities and vibrant societies. Adolescent-centered approaches such as these mobile clinics put young people at the heart of the solution and give them opportunities to access key services and participate meaningfully in their communities,” said Dendevnorov.

“We must strengthen and sustain our collaboration to effectively prevent adolescent pregnancy. Adolescent pregnancy is a public health concern that requires whole-of-society efforts that involve families, service providers, schools, faith- and community-based organizations, policymakers, and youth. We hope these mobile facilities will be able to bring services much closer to those in need at anytime, anywhere,” said Dr Rui Paulo de Jesus, WHO Representative to the Philippines.

ing independently, less than half of Filipino Gen Zs are also interested in working in the Philippines, or about 48 percent, as opposed to the 54 percent of their older counterparts who wish to remain employed there.

“There may be slightly fewer Gen X and Y workers than Gen Z workers who want to look for jobs abroad, but their reason for seeking international employment is most likely the same—to experience a new culture and personal growth. After all, an international experience can boost one’s competitiveness and marketability in the global job market.”

Tanco added that in response to the insights they’ve gathered, PhilCare commits to providing comprehensive healthcare solutions that

cater to the diverse needs of Filipino workers across generations. Innovative and groundbreaking offerings like prepaid healthcare plans and comprehensive personal healthcare plans allow PhilCare to support individuals in achieving their professional aspirations while prioritizing their health and well-being.

“Our mission is to empower Filipino workers to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Regardless of their generation, or whether they prefer to work independently in an office environment or as freelancers, or they want to collaborate with a team,” he said.

Access to healthcare

“WEcan ensure that they, and even their families should they decide to

work overseas, can access quality healthcare no matter where their career path may take them.”

The “PhilCare Wellness Index: An Updated ABC of Pinoy Gen X, Y, and Z” is the seventh in the HMO giant’s groundbreaking series of nationwide health and wellness studies that started in 2014.

This latest installment builds on the insights of two generational studies, the “PhilCare

TO kick off Makati Medical Center’s (MakatiMed) 55th anniversary, the institution proudly celebrated its rich history of medical breakthroughs, compassionate care, and unwavering dedication to the community via “A Celebration of Milestones & Triumphs.” The event, held last April 29,2024, presented remarkable cases that have shaped the landscape of healthcare in the Philippines. Navigating through decades of medical milestones and challenges, the hospital organized the event as a tribute to its community and the patients that trusted MakatiMed. Medical Director and Co-Interim President and CEO, Dr. Saturnino P. Javier, emphasized the significance of this gathering in his opening remarks, stating, “From this vast multitude of clinical scenarios, there are stories that are deeply told and reviewed, there are lessons that need to be shared, victories that need to be held, and memories that need to be remembered.”

The celebration featured presentations highlighting milestone cases that underscore MakatiMed’s commitment to excellence and

COMMITTED to pioneering skin health solutions, Galderma, the leader in skincare and dermatological treatments, is celebrating their ongoing advancements in sensitive skin care through scientific research and innovation for this year’s Skin Awareness Month. Galderma’s latest efforts further cement their role as the name to know in scientifically formulated skincare products, tailored to enhance and protect sensitive skin.

“Galderma is at the forefront of advancing skin health, continuously breaking new ground in the care of sensitive skin through dedicated scientific research and innovation, particularly highlighted during this Skin Awareness Month,” said Louie Roxas, General Manager of Galderma Philippines.

Sensitive skin manifests through five symptoms: a weakened skin barrier, dryness, irritation, roughness, and tightness, and requires specially formulated care. Cetaphil, a brand under Galderma’s roster, have cleansers and moisturizers that are designed based on rigorous scientific research and clinical trials, ensuring they address these five key signs of skin sensitivity effectively.

Cetaphil remains steadfast in their mission to ensure those with sensitive skin do not have to compromise on the quality of skincare. Each product is a reflection of Cetaphil’s deep-rooted understanding of sensitive skin science, designed to hydrate and protect all skin types—from dry to eczema-prone.

Skin Awareness Skin Tour

TO emphasize their commitment to sciencebacked skincare, Galderma is advancing skin health with science for Skin Awareness Month

quality patient care. From groundbreaking surgeries to innovative treatments, each case exemplified the spirit of innovation and collaboration that defines the institution. Notable presentations included:

Maricar U. Factor’s pioneering brain bypass surgery, led by Attending Physician Dr. Guillermo Victorino T. Liabres n Jovit L. Garcia’s historic Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implantation, spearheaded by Attending Physician Dr. Anthony B. King, Jr. Dr. Mae C. Syki-Young’s successful delivery of triplets, showcasing the expertise of Attending Physician Dr. Pacita S. Lazaro

Esther P. Marcaida’s journey as a patient living with double primary cancer, under the care of Attending Physician Dr. Regina T. Edusma-Dy

Nine-month-old Kyle Orion O. Kakal’s open-heart surgery, led by Attending Physician Dr. Aurelia G. Leus

Michaela Francesca M. Muñoz’s awake craniotomy, guided by Attending Physician Dr. Michael N. Sabalza

2024 with a month-long campaign built on science and expertise in dermatology: Welcome to the 2024 Skin Awareness Skin Tour.

This tour will see modular booths that have expert skin analysis, a product experience area and a buying area for consumers’ needs that will move all over the metro, starting at prestigious universities (to target those with sensitive and acne-prone skin), followed by office spaces (for busy professionals who are dealing with sensitive skin and dull, uneven skin tones), and ending at baby and mommy fairs (to ensure both baby and mommy get all the help they need when it comes to sensitive skin care).

“We are celebrating Skin Awareness Month 2024 by embarking on a groundbreaking Skin Tour, blending scientific innovation with expert-led community engagement to promote optimal skin health,” said Abe Mationg, Cetaphil Philippines Brand Manager. “We aim to educate and cater to diverse skin needs across multiple demographics, reinforcing our dedication to science-backed skin care.”

Commitment to Natural Beauty BY joining Skin Awareness Month, Galderma Aesthetics hopes to be part of people’s skin care history, along with the rest of the Cetaphil products under Galderma. From childhood, using Cetaphil Baby products, to adulthood with the core line of Cetaphil, supported by the rest of the roster regarding specific skin issues, the public will also be able to learn about premier treatment brands Sculptra® and Restylane® thanks to their partnerships with clinics, with the aim of introducing a new way to enhance natural beauty in a

Dr. Norberto A. Meriales’ remarkable recovery from severe critical Covid-19, under the care of Attending Physician Janice C. Caoili, MD. Patricia M. Zobel de Ayala’s prolonged Extracorporeal Circulation for Cardiopulmonary Insufficiency using Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), overseen by Attending Physician Dr. Raul L. Lapitan

The successful separation of conjoined twins, Michael Paul and Sean Peter Clemeña, in 1994, led by Attending Physician Dr. Jose Dante P. Dator

The event also featured heartfelt testimonials detailing difficulties and successes on their journey through a video presentation. Patient representative Dr. Norberto A. Meriales also expressed his gratitude for the exceptional care and dedication of the MakatiMed community. As Makati Medical Center looks towards the future, it remains steadfast in its mission to provide compassionate care, drive innovation, and inspire hope in patients and communities—true to its brand as the Hospital with a Heart.

long-lasting way.

These partnerships will include in-depth, in-clinic training with partner doctors to provide knowledge about the treatment in order to optimize patient satisfaction, and brand videos. “Participation in Skin Awareness Month underscores Galderma Aesthetics’ commitment to promoting skin health as a critical aspect of overall wellness,” says Michelle De Jesus, Business Unit Head, Galderma Injectables and Aesthetics Philippines.

“It emphasizes the company’s dedication not just to aesthetic improvements but to genuine dermatological health, aligning with its mission to provide solutions that support both the appearance and the health of the skin,” continues De Jesus.

Also to look out for is a one-month referral program to introduce Sculptra® and Restylane® to new patients. Available at One Nadela, Skin 101, and Derm HQ, customers can bring 2 friends to get these treatment to avail of 1 free treatment in return.

“During Skin Awareness Month, Galderma Aesthetics enhances its commitment to natural beauty through strategic partnerships and educational initiatives, introducing Sculptra® and Restylane® with a focus on optimal patient outcomes and long-lasting results,” said Christine Yap-Legaspi, Marketing and Customer Education Training Manager at Galderma Injectables and Aesthetics Philippines. Through continuous research, a commitment to innovation, and ensuring that users get to have their one-on-one backed by experts’ experience, Galderma aims to advance the field of dermatological science, making a tangible difference in skin health.

PHILCARE President and CEO Jaeger Tanco

PATIENTS and their main physicians during the “A Celebration of Milestones & Triumphs.”