BusinessMirror May 31, 2023

CP Group investing $2.5B in PHL farm tech

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

THAI business giant Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group) announced last Tuesday its plans to invest US$2.5 billion in agricultural technology development in the country.

CP Group officials made the commitment during their meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Malacañang last Tuesday.

U nder its expansion plans and business integration in the Philippines, the CP Group plans to invest $2.5 billion from 2023 to 2027, covering swine ($1.3 billion), poultry ($280 million), shrimp ($800 million), and food ($120 million).

I n November, the CP Group announced plans to increase its existing $2-billion agriculture investments in the Philippines on aquaculture industry, as well as in rice and swine production.

M arcos assured them the government will provide help to the CP Group as it “rolls out its plans and programs,” especially as the country is facing several agriculturerelated issues including its aging farmers, emergence of swine and avian flu, among others.

“

During the meeting, the company officials requested government assistance in locating suitable land covering 400 hectares for aquaculture [shrimp] and 300 hectares for swine and poultry, including eggs,” the Presidential

Communications Office (PCO) said in a statement.

Competitive agriculture

THE Thai conglomerate also committed to modernize the local agriculture sector by providing state-of-the-art technology and training on modern farming to young Filipinos.

M arcos hopes this will allow the Philippines to “catch up” with other food exporting countries by boosting the country’s agriculture production.

We’re very impressed with the new technologies that you use. I remember you told me that each plant farm you build is different from the last one because you immediately incorporate and adopt new tech-

niques in technology,” Marcos said.   Learning new things and applying new things, that’s the only way I think to compete as well. CP Group has done so well...to be a state-of-the-art company,” he added.

A mong those present in the meeting were CP Group chairman Soopakij Chearavanont, CPF Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Prasit Boondoungprasert and other executives from both CP Group and the Charoen Pokphan Foods Public Company Limited (CPF).

T he CP group is the largest private company in Thailand, with several affiliates including the CPF and the Charoen Pokphand Foods Philippine Corporation (CPFPC).

BusinessMirror

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

FINANCE

Secretary Benjamin

E. Diokno on Tuesday said the government is collaborating with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on how to boost the country’s value added tax (VAT) collection, which currently stands at 40 percent, the lowest in Southeast Asia.

C iting a World Bank study, Diokno explained that the government is losing some P539-billion revenues because of the country’s low VAT efficiency ratio.

O n an average, the national government collected P723 billion in VAT from 2016 to 2020, which is just half of the P1.307-trillion potential full revenue collections of the government, Diokno added.

Diokno attributed the low VAT collection to  “too much” exemptions extended by laws, such as those being enjoyed by cooperatives.

“ So while we, the Philippines, has the highest VAT rate compared to the other countries in this part of the world, our VAT collection is the most inefficient,” he said in a virtual briefing on Tuesday.

If perfect, it should be 100 percent, but we are only able to collect 40 percent and that is because of a lot of exemptions,” he added.

See “VAT,” A2

SEIPI KEEPS 5% GROWTH GOAL DESPITE Q1 DECLINE

By Andrea E. San Juan

THE Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. (SEIPI) is keeping its 5-percent growth target for 2023 despite the 15.29-percent decline in electronics exports in the first quarter of 2023.

W hile SEIPI President Danilo C.

Lachica said the electronics industry does not “react” on a monthly or quarterly basis in terms of exports, he said, “We’re still eyeing for 5-percent growth for this year.

So we’ll catch up.”

“ Everything including ‘yung components, integrated circuits …bumaba siya [they went down].

But we’re not changing our 5-percent forecast. Maybe [as] ballpark,

close to 5 percent but for now we just had a board meeting two weeks ago, and we’re still maintaining that number,” Lachica told reporters on the sidelines of the 5th Anniversary Signing of Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, and establishment of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA)

DA’s 4 new agri-fishery projects cost ₧65.3B

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has touted the benefits from its four new internationally-funded projects for the agri-fishery sector worth P65.3 billion.

“ These are only a few of the many steps being taken by the DA towards a productive, globally competitive, and prosperous Philippine fisheries industry,” DA Undersecretary for Administration and Finance Agnes Catherine Miranda said at the 2023 National Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s Month (NFFM).

W ith a total amount of P65.3 billion, these projects are; the Adapting Philippine Agriculture to Climate Change (APA), the Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency Project (FishCoRe), the Scaled-up Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), and the Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (MIADP).

D uring the opening ceremony of the Fisheries Week, Miranda also hailed the successes of the country’s fisheries industry.

on Monday.

D ata from the SEIPI website showed that from January to March 2023, electronics exports declined by 15.29 percent, from US$11.77 billion in 2022 to US$9.97 billion in 2023.

T his, SEIPI noted, is equivalent to 59.12 percent of the total Philippine exports.

See “Seipi,” A2

The latest report of the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that our fisheries subsector contributed 54.32 billion pesos to our total agri-fishery production value for January to March 2023,” she said.

It even showed a slight increase of 0.3 percent annually as an effect of the production value boost in the squid, tilapia, and blue crab industries,” the undersecretary added.

See “DA’s,” A2

Senators nix minority moves to stall Maharlika fund vote

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

THE Senate minority on Tuesday continued to raise serious questions about the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill that the chamber is expected to pass this week, this time seeking to transfer referral of the measure to the government corporations committee, instead of the banks panel which sponsored it.

T he body voted 16-2, however, to reject the motion of Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, who earlier delivered on the floor a lengthy speech, at the start of the general debates period, detailing the perils of rushing passage of the MIF that he earlier called “unsalvageable” in its present form.

D eputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, for her part, supported Pimentel’s move to question anew the Palace certification of the bill as urgent, which they said did not meet the constitutional requirements for executive certifications because it did not specify a calamity or national emergency to warrant this. A certification al -

lows Congress to vote on second and third reading—on the same day—a certified measure, as an exception to the constitutional requirement of a three-day gap between such votes.

A lso at the debates, Sen. Chiz Escudero said the three-day document submitted to senators by the Bureau of Treasury cannot be considered to meet the required “test of economic viability” for a measure creating a new GOCC such as the Maharlika Investment Corp. E arlier, Pimentel stressed the need to include an iron-clad provision that guarantees the pension funds will not be touched or compromised in the MIF bill.

The money, according to Ragos, came from the proceeds of the drug operations of several high-profile

“Our workers’ hard-earned pension should be shielded from any adverse implications that could arise from the establishment of MIF,” he added. “Unfortunately, the threat that MIF would dip its hands into retirees’ pension funds is still very much alive,” he said.

E arlier versions of the measure sought to tap into the funds managed by the country’s top social insurance institutions: the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Social Security System (SSS) as the source for the initial capital of Maharlika.

W hen the proposal received a backlash even from executives of GSIS and SSS, the provision was removed.

H owever, Pimentel warned, “While they removed the forced contribution from GSIS and SSS, the current version of MIF under consideration by the Senate would allow these social insurance institutions to invest in Maharlika voluntarily as long as their boards agree.”

E arlier, Senator Mark Villar, Banking committee chairman and chief sponsor of MIF, cited the benefits of the Maharlika Investment Fund.

We have carefully studied and

inmates inside the NBP.

H owever, Ragos recanted his statements against de Lima  in

analyzed the MIF bill. We made revisions and added more safeguards to ensure that the version will benefit the Filipino people,” Villar said.

He also cited benefits to the country once the MIF bill is passed into law.

“Actually, there are a lot of benefits that we can get from the MIF. First, it would create more jobs, more infrastructure projects mean more job opportunities for Filipinos. Secondly, we will promote economic growth since better infrastructure leads to more efficient transportation, communication, and other systems. Also, this will be a vehicle to reduce poverty; this would help the government manage its budget and mitigate fiscal pressures during economic downturns as it acts as a safety net for the country,” Villar explained.

He pointed out that the MIF may be used to invest on sectors such as agriculture and energy.

O ther benefits from the Maharlika Investment Fund would include, he said, capital accumulation, sustainable development, economic stability, financial sustainability, foreign investments and reduction of foreign debt.

his affidavit executed in May 2022.

T he panel of prosecutors insisted that Ragos’s recantation was not able to debunk his original testimony given in open court and that there are other pieces of evidence on record to prove De Lima’s guilt.

T he panel also cited numerous Supreme Court  rulings holding that recantations of testimonies are viewed with suspicion and hardly given much weight.      While recantation may give rise to suspicion, such suspicion, however strong, cannot solely serve as a gauge for determining the probative value of the recantation,” the DOJ panel said.

Furthermore, the prosecution pointed out that Ragos “extensively” testified before the court, the Senate and House of Representatives on his original testimony linking De Lima to the illegal drug trade inside the NBP.

T he prosecution also questioned the court’s failure to consider the weight of the “corroborative and uncontroverted” testimony of Ablen, who testified that he accompanied Ragos in delivering the alleged drug money to De Lima’s residence in Parañaque City.

T he DOJ panel also noted that Ragos failed to show evidence to back his claim that he was coerced to execute his initial affidavits and to testify before the court against the former senator.     “ With his stature and if Ragos indeed lived by his office creed, no amount of coercion could have swayed him.

“ His empty claim of coercion could not have sacrificed his honor and the honor of his office by asserting untruthful statements which are not expected of a high officer of the premier investigatory arm of the government,” the DOJ said.

T he Philippines’s VAT efficiency ratio of 0.4 is below the 0.57 average in the Asean region. Singapore led the region with the highest VAT efficiency ratio at 0.79 followed by Singapore (0.71), Vietnam (0.70), Indonesia (0.5) and Malaysia (0.48).

I n terms of VAT rate, the Philippines has the highest 12 percent against Indonesia’s 11 percent, Singapore and Vietnam at 8 percent, and Thailand at 7 percent.

T he finance chief disclosed that the DOF has already tapped the IMF to conduct a study on how the national government can broaden its tax base.

“ Maybe find areas where we can recover from the too much exemptions. So the IMF study will tell us how do we recover because 0.4 [VAT efficient is] really poor, poor performance,” Diokno said.

N onetheless, Diokno emphasized that VAT remains as the “best” tax in the world as it is consumption-

based instead of income-based. Diokno explained that it is better to tax consumption than income as it is “more neutral” since it is based on spending rather than wealth. “ For example, you are independently wealthy. You got your money from your grandpa or your dad, you don’t work, you don’t have income, so you do not pay any income tax. But you spend all day in the mall or in a 5-star hotel consuming, so you should be taxed. So that’s what you take away from society,” he said.

Meanwhile, income is your contribution to society. That is why you are being paid, that is your value to society. So to me, it’s fairer that we tax consumption rather than income,” he added.

D iokno pointed out that the country’s VAT system is “pro-poor” since it the national government does not impose consumption levy on food “in its original state” like rice and meat.

Data from SEIPI, the major organization of foreign and Filipino electronics companies in the Philippines, showed exports from five sectors decreased from last year’s first-quarter figures or from January to March 2022.

A ccording to SEIPI, the sector that led the decline was Automotive Electronics at 74.88 percent, from the US$36.92 million recorded in the first quarter of 2022, to US$9.27 million in the same period this year.

T his was followed by Office Equipment, with a 45.54-percent decline; Electronic Data Processing, with a 27.55-percent decline, Telecommunication, 18.25 percent, and Semiconductor Components/ Devices, 16.69 percent.

Meanwhile, the export of Consumer Electronics gained 16.71 percent, from US$230.41 million to US$ 268.92 million. This was followed by Medical/Industrial Instrumentation with 9.39 percent,

Loyzaga said Pencas may serve as a core means of achieving agendas on biodiversity, climate, Sustainable Development Goals, and green recovery; lay out a comprehensive data framework of natural capital statistics and accounts; and provide tools and measures to contribute to the protection, conservation, restoration, and resiliency of ecosystems.

Moreover, Loyzaga said Pencas will help equip the Water Resources Management Office in the DENR, which was recently created by virtue of Executive Order No. 22 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

S he said Pencas can provide information on the physical flows of water within and between the economy and the environment; stocks of water assets and changes to these stocks; economic activity; and transactions related to water resources.

L oyzaga disclosed that the DENR had already identified significant actions it will undertake in support of Pencas in line with its mandates and the Roadmap to Institutionalize Natural Capital Accounting in the Philippines.

T he DENR, she said, will lead efforts to put in place site-specific and area-based ecosystem accounts; establish the national geospatial database for natural resources as a key reference to natural capital accounting; promote awareness of valuable opportunities and benefits of the natural environment, biodiversity,

Moreover, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will hold technology demonstrations on fish processing and urban aquaponics as well as lectures on fisheries-related processes and projects.

“ I urge everyone to actively

Control and Instrumentation with 1.90 percent and Communication/ Radar with 1.53 percent.  Moving forward, the SEIPI chief said the industry is banking on demand recovering in the global arena as SEIPI targets to hit the 5-percent target growth for 2023. L achica said, “It’s a global industry. You have electronics all over you. I mean, new technologies, AI [artificial intelligence], big data, E-vehicles. So there’s still a lot of demand for electronic products.”

A s to the impact of the war between Russia and Ukraine which started early last year, he said, “There is still impact. For one thing, the fuel prices, the supply of certain materials for the industry.” But he noted that, “it’s not really a big impact.”

I n March, SEIPI revealed that it recorded US$49.09 billion worth of exports in 2022, a 6.88-percent annual growth from 2021.

and ecosystem; ensure availability of tools, methods, and skills; and cooperate with space agencies and spatial data providers to optimize the utilization of ground- and spacebased monitoring in establishing the baseline conditions of ecosystems.

L egarda, who presided over the Senate hearing, said that institutionalizing Pencas “will allow the government to measure environmental inputs and outputs, and which information is vital for economic management and policy-making.”

T he DENR earlier established its national natural resource geospatial database under Loyzaga’s leadership to enable it to identify and value the country’s natural resources, while keeping in mind how these should be sustainably developed and managed.

L oyzaga said the DENR supports the provisions in the Pencas bills pertaining to the establishment of a dedicated unit to carry out its responsibilities and allocating budgetary resources to meet the requirements for the effective implementation of the proposed system.

H owever, she said the agency suggests that Pencas establish clear concepts, definitions, and classifications of ecosystem services and their components to be able to set up an innovative payment scheme for ecological services that encourages local governments and businesses to reward people’s efforts.

participate in this tribute to the people who propel the development of the fisheries industry—our local fisherfolk who sail our seas far and wide to catch fish while also protecting marine habitats and the country’s fish stocks,” Miranda said. Raadee S. Sausa

FASTECH SYNERGY PHILIPPINES @40: ENABLES THE FUTURE THROUGH EDUCATION

FASTECH Synergy Philippines Inc. began its celebration for its 40th Anniversary with a Fellowship Golf Tournament- a fundraising event for the company’s Scholarship Programs. The tournament was held last May 29, 2023 at Sta. Elena Golf & Country Club, Cabuyao, Laguna. Over 170 players from more than 50 companies across the electronics industry supported the event.

Fastech, a leading Philippine semiconductor manufacturing company has grown over the last 40 years by focusing on its passion for manufacturing excellence. The company remains committed to providing a highly proficient technical workforce for complex engineered products.

Through the years, Fastech has supported various scholarship programs because the company sees its scholarship programs as a great opportunity to assist in the strengthening of the science and technology base of the country. In 1995, Fastech started a scholarship program in partnership with Polytechnic University of the Philippines with 80 pioneer scholars. The company’s most recent program was in 2018 when it sponsored a scholarship program in partnership with Ateneo De Manila University and FAITH Colleges.

For its 40th Anniversary Celebration, the company is renewing its commitment to education & community involvement. Fastech is expanding its scholarship programs in partnership with Batangas State University (BSU) – the National Engineering University of the Philippines, FAITH Colleges, and University of Cabuyao. In addition to that, the company will also revitalize and continue its employee academic support programs.

For the next 5 years, Fastech will be donating approximately PHP 15 million in scholarships for students in senior high school, undergraduate, and taking up master's degrees from all three partner educational institutions. Scholars

will receive either financial support grants or research grants. Aside from these, the company would also be supporting undergraduate scholarship grants with FAITH Colleges that will cover the cost of the students’ Engineering degree program until they graduate.

In conjunction with supporting students, the company will also support Faculty Development Programs. Fastech will be sending faculty members from FAITH Colleges and University of Cabuyao to study at the Batangas State University under the Masteral and PhD program in Electronics Engineering. The company will also be collaborating with these partner institutions to further develop a curriculum that is more aligned and addresses the current industry needs and requirements.

Fastech also continues to work with Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation (MSEUF) for the company’s Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) – a program which aims to give its employees a professional development opportunity to enhance their skills. The company will send a number of its employees to receive equivalency for academic degree in their specific expertise in the field of engineering.

In addition to this, the company is also renewing its financial scholarship program for children of employees as well.

Fastech remains committed to developing talent through education. The scholarship grants, training, and other educational programs are its investment for the future. And with the

support of its partners, colleagues, and sponsors, all the proceeds raised during the Fastech’s Anniversary Fellowship Golf Tournament will go toward funding these endeavors. A s part of the company’s year-

Fastech Synergy Philippines is a Philippine technology company that was established in 1983. The company originally started as Circuit Packaging Inc., and was later renamed Fastech. The company experienced rapid growth in its early years and eventually became a listed company in the Singapore Stock Exchange in 1999. Today, Fastech is a non-listed public technology company involved in Electronics Manufacturing Technology.

Fastech is recognized for its leading-edge knowhow in niche power semiconductor components, with expertise in using Silicon Carbide, and Gallium Nitride, and RF/Microwave modules. To learn more about Fastech you may visit its website at www.fastechsynergy.com.

Fastech is a member of Team First Asia, a group of companies established under First Asia Venture Capital Inc.,with interests in different industries such as, property development & management, freight forwarding, electronics manufacturing, aviation, hotel management, education, and educational publishing."

Fastech Managing Director, Primo D. Mateo Jr. opens the tournament with the ceremonial tee off.

Fastech Officers with Guests from Partner Schools. (L-R) Mr. Allan P. Timonera, President, Fastech Synergy Philippines Inc.; Mr. Tirso A. Ronquillo, Ph.D, President , Batangas State University; Mr. Charlemagne

G. Laviña, Ph.D, President, University of Cabuyao; Ms. Renelyn B. Salcedo, Ph.D, Senior Vice President for Student and Alumni Services, FAITH Colleges; Mr. Primo D. Mateo Jr., Managing Director, Fastech

Synergy Philippines Inc.; Saturnino G. Belen, Chairman, Fastech Synergy Philippines.

long celebration, Fastech is also scheduled to hold a Partners and Suppliers Appreciation Day and Thanksgiving Celebration on June 29, 2023 at the Bellevue Manila, Alabang, Muntinlupa.

The Nation

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Kuwait demands that PHL own ‘violations’; PHL says ‘No way!’

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

KUWAIT alleged that officials and staff of the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait have committed “violations” to diplomatic practices, and demanded that the Philippine government publicly admit these infractions as precondition to lifting the ban on visas to all Filipinos.

However, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said they would not bend to those demands.

We will not apologize or formally admit to infractions,” DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al-Sabah said Kuwait’s “sovereignty and dignity of its people are on a red line.”

Kuwait’s Public Authority for Manpower (PAM), which oversees the re -

cruitment of expatriates, accused the Philippine Embassy of violating Kuwaiti laws related to Filipino domestic workers who are escaping from their employers. The specific “major violations” were:

1. “Instructing” Kuwaiti recruiters to “intervene” using a “pretext” that absconding Filipino maids have completed their contracts

2 . “Pressuring” Kuwaiti recruiters to accommodate workers in the offices’ private accommodations. Under Kuwaiti laws, absconding employees should proceed at the shelter provided for by the PAM

3. “Compelling” Kuwaiti recruiters to search for domestic workers who have escaped from their employers’ homes. This is the “role” of Kuwaiti authorities, not the recruiters, it said

4. “Pressuring” employers to add clauses in the work contract “that are not desired by the employer or the worker”

5. “Directly contacting” Kuwaiti employers and recruiters “without consulting the relevant authorities in Kuwait”

6 “Treating Citizens in an undignified manner” when they visit the embassy, upon the embassy’s request

7. Failure of labor recruitment offices to authenticate contracts with the embassy without legal justification

8. Imposing a ban on employers “despite the embassy being aware that complaints have been filed with relevant government agencies, which is a clear violation and blatant disregard for the laws of Kuwait.”

9. Providing accommodation for workers in special housing or shelters affiliated with the embassy, “even though some of these workers are in violation of the residence law or have absconding cases issued against them.“ These complaints were relayed during the talks held between Philippine and Kuwaiti officials in Kuwait last week.

D uring the talks, the Kuwaitis have set conditions for the Philippine government to do before they would lift the suspension of visa issuance to Filipinos. These are:

Recognize and acknowledge that the Philippine Embassy has “committed violations and infringements on the laws, resolutions, and regulations applicable within Kuwait, thereby violating diplomatic norms accepted between countries” Commitment from the Philippine Embassy “not to repeat or engage” in similar actions in the future

The Philippine Embassy must notify the DFA of this commitment and “should be published in official media outlets.”

“If these conditions are accepted by the Filipino side, the Ministry of Interior will assess the situation and monitor the embassy’s compliance with the security measures and conditions set by the ministry for a period of not less than three months, after which appropriate measures will be decided,” it said.

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior had

given the Philippine negotiators 72 hours to relay the demands to the Philippine government. But the Philippine panel “refused to commit to the conditions”

D e Vega told the BusinessMirror that the Philippine government is willing to “work with” the Kuwaiti government “so that our Embassy can avoid any violations of Kuwaiti law and regulations.”

“But we cannot actually hold accountable our Embassy people (including labor and welfare people) for working to protect our nationals,” he added.

As talks ended in a stalemate, Kuwait stayed the ban on issuance of all kinds of visas to Filipino passport holders. The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers also maintained the ban on deployment of firsttime Filipino domestic workers to Kuwait.

“We hope that we could in time resume talks with the Kuwaitis to resolve these differences like friends and partners,” De Vega said.

Sen. Hontiveros aghast at details of huge cyber scam ops in Clark

By Butch Fernandez butchfBM

SENATE D eputy Minority l e ader Risa

Hontiveros exposed on Tuesday the sordid and full details of a huge cyber scam operation unearthed by raiders of a Clark ecozone firm from where over

a thousand human-trafficking victims from around Asia were rescued recently.

She promptly called on authorities to check similar nefarious setups of criminals posing as investors.

The opposition lawmaker likewise renewed her call to altogether ban Phil -

ippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) in the country, noting how these provide a “legal layer” to cyber scam hubs, which she lamented, “remain beyond regulatory scrutiny.” Senate probers dug into Resolution No. 595 calling for an inquiry in aid of legislation on human trafficking and cyber fraud operations in Clark authored by Sen. Grace Poe, and Senate Resolution No. 611 calling for an investigation on human trafficking inside the Clark Freeport Zone filed by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian.

It was also a continuation of the initial inquiries triggered by Gatchalian’s privileged speech regarding Filipino workers who escaped from “scam hubs” in Myanmar and Cambodia.

At Tuesday’s hearing, Hontiveros said that a licensed POGO has been used as a legal cover for a cryptocurrency scam and

human trafficking operation in Sun Valley Hub Corporation in Clark, Pampanga.

The scam is operated by a company called Colorful and l e ap Group, which is a sublessee of CGC Technologies Inc., a POGO company licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking confirmed during the Senate Committee on Women hearing on scam operations that scam hubs do hide under a legal cover.

“It is appalling that this fraudulent cryptocurrency corporation, which has trafficked thousands of foreign nationals into the country to work as scammers, has been operating under a legal POGO. Ginagamit o nagpapagamit ang mga POGO para manloko ng mga inosenteng tao,” Hontiveros said.

Ano ang ginagawa ng PAGCOR? H indi

and carrying of firearms

Al AWMAKER has called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) to strengthen its efforts in regulating gun ownership, starting with the imposition of more rigid screening procedures in issuing licenses to possess and carry firearms.

Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte said a traffic enforcer, who was shot dead in cold blood by an apparently drunk motorcycle rider in Tanza, Cavite, is just one case which shows why the PNP should revisit its regulations and procedures in issuing gun ownership licenses, Duterte said.

H e said one aspect that the PNP should look into in issuing a l i cense to Own and Possess a Firearm (lTOPF) is the requirement to pass a neuro-psychiatric examination, which in several instances, can be reportedly bought by applicants for a fee.

D uterte said he has received reports of gun stores telling potential buyers that they can bypass and need not take the neuro-psychiatric clearance and even the drug test requirement in obtaining an lTOPF, which is a prerequisite to be able to purchase a firearm.

“The PNP cannot afford to be lenient in imposing these requirements if it wants to ensure that it issues licenses only to responsible and mentally stable gun owners,” Duterte said.

naman pwede na pag-nagapruba sila, hindi na nila babantayan. PAGCOR, as the regulator of POGOs, should be actively looking into the companies that they allow to operate in the country. Otherwise, it is, in effect, exacerbating this growing and disturbing humanitarian crisis in our region,” Hontiveros said. The premises were raided by law enforcement authorities last May 4, which resulted in the arrest of at least 12 individuals, who were allegedly supervising the operations. Currently, the repatriation is ongoing for the over 1,000 human trafficking victim-survivors from Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Myanmar, Thailand, and Bhutan, among others.

Hontiveros conducted an ocular inspection of the Colorful and l e ap Group offices and residences in Clark. The senator also met with some victim-survivors who shared their ordeal, which turned out to be similar to the love scam modus in Myanmar and Cambodia that the senator previously revealed in the Senate.

“The scam office, led by Chinese bosses, operates like a huge call center, with rows and rows of computer tables. This was where the victim-survivors would set up their fake accounts using different female models also hired by the company. They would then find scam victims usually from the US, through dating apps like Tinder, Facebook Dating, Bumble, and Hinge,” Hontiveros explained.

“The offices even have video conference rooms that are set up to look like a bedroom, a living room, a gym, or an office, so the hired model can pretend to be there should the American victim ask for photos or videos to confirm her veracity. Kapag sa tingin nila naiin love na ang Amerikano, doon na magsisimulang kumbinsihin niyang mag -invest sa pekeng cryptocurrency platform. Hanep sa panggagantso,” Hontiveros added.

A s tatement from the Imus City Police station said the traffic enforcer, William Mentes Quiambao, reportedly apprehended the suspect, Joseph T. l agas, which led to a heated argument between them.

l l agas, who was reportedly drunk, shot Quiambao three times at the back of his head and fled accompanied by his accomplice identified as one Aries Carlos. Quiambao was declared dead on arrival when he was brought to the hospital.

“ This incident should serve as a wake-up call for the PNP to strengthen its efforts on gun control. The PNP should not wait for a similar incident to happen again before it acts to institute reforms in the issuance of gun ownership licenses,” Duterte added.

D uterte said this latest incident involving a helpless victim of gun violence and the rape-slay of a young female architect in Davao City have prompted him to renew his call for Congress to pass a law reinstating the death penalty for heinous crimes.

l a st year, Duterte, along with Benguet Rep. Eric Yap and ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Edvic Yap, filed House Bill (HB) 501, which aims to reinstate the death penalty for certain heinous crimes, including murder with attendant circumstances, and rape with homicide.

In their bill’s explanatory note, Duterte and his fellow authors said: “While it can be argued that one’s death will never be commensurate to his/her crimes, the fear of death as punishment serves as deterrence, hindering potential criminals to commit such [heinous] crime[s].”

Now, more than ever, is the time to restore the death penalty in the country because we must not be too complacent with these criminals at the expense of the safety of the whole nation,” they said.

F ormer President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11766 last year to encourage the up-to-date registration and documentation of firearms. The law extends the validity of the license to carry and register guns, but includes a provision that failure to renew one’s license will be cause for its revocation and the confiscation or forfeiture of the firearm. J ovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

PNP urged to impose ‘stricter’ control on possession

Govt saves P205M from energy efficiency program in Q1–DOE

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

APOLICY mandating government offices to reduce their electricity consumption has resulted in P205 million worth of cumulative electricity savings, or an equivalent of over 20 million kilowatt hour (kWh), in the first quarter of the year.

With the acceleration of the Government Energy Management Program (GEMP) implementation, the Department of Energy (DOE) said Tuesday the regular conduct of energy audits and spot checks also increased the awareness of government entities to adopt energy efficiency and conservation.

T he GEMP implementation is guided by the Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee (IAEECC) created by R epublic Act (RA) No. 11285 or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act. It aims to reduce the whole government’s electricity and fuel consumption by at least 10 percent through energy efficiency and conservation (EE&C) strategies.

P rior to the EEC Act, the government’s cumulative electricity savings stood at 5 million kWh, equivalent to over P51 million.

T he EEC Act, enacted on April 12, 2019, seeks to institutionalize EEC and grant in-

centives to EEC projects. Its implementing r ules and regulations (IRR) were signed on November 22, 2019 and became effective on December 21, 2019.

I AEECC is empowered to prepare an annual assessment of opportunities for energy cost reduction in state-owned and leased buildings and facilities, and mandating the adoption of energy-efficient measures and technologies. This includes the use of light-emitting diode (LED) lamps, inverter-type air-conditioners, and other energy-efficient technologies in government facilities.

T he EE&C Public Sector Management Division of the DOE-Energy Utilization Management Bureau is mandated to conduct energy audits and spot checks under the EEC Act and targets a minimum of 100 annual energy audits. At the same time, it authorized third-party auditors, such as the Philippine National Oil Company-Renewable Corporation (PNOC-RC),

House approves bamboo devt bill

THE House of Representatives has approved a measure seeking to promote the development of the Philippine bamboo industry.

With 282 votes, lawmakers passed on third and final reading House Bill (HB) 7941, which aims to achieve such development by strengthening the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council.

The bill will now be transmitted to the Senate for its own deliberations.

According to the measure, the State shall recognize the strategic importance of the bamboo as a sturdy, versatile, and replenishable material that can be a sustainable source of livelihood and catalyst for agricultural productivity. There is a lot of potential in the local bamboo industry. Currently, we are the fifth largest bamboo exporter in the world. With smart planning and ‘malasakit,’ especially to our bamboo planters, the Philippine bamboo industry could be a behemoth a few years down the road,” Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said.

Some of the principal authors are Reps. LRay Villafuerte, Mujiv Hataman, PM Vargas, Miguel Luis Villafuerte, Tsuyoshi Anthony Horibata, and others.

T hrough the measure, a program for a sustainable utilization, propagation and promotion of bamboo as furniture, food, construction and design material, and other uses shall be established.

The Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council shall be tasked to create Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Program, which shall include plans of actions and projects for the scientific propagation, development and management, processing, utilization, business development, and commercialization of Philippine bamboo and bamboo products, through the cooperation of all stakeholders of the industry.

T hese include producers of raw materials, processors, marketing and promotion service providers, and concerned national agencies and local government units (LGUs), the bill said.

T he bill will also create the Bamboo Industry Re -

search and Development Center, which will serve as the secretariat of the Council.

T he program shall aim to make the Philippine bamboo industry competitive in the local and global markets and provide opportunities for local employment and the establishment of bamboo-based community enterprises.

Among other functions, the program will ensure that the bamboo industry has sufficient quality raw materials through the establishment and management of bamboo nurseries and plantations; provide continuous training and capacity building in bamboo plantation operations, bamboo processing, and product development and design; promote investment in the bamboo industry by providing substantial incentives to investors and encouraging the establishment of bamboo plantations and bamboo processing operations; and provide skilled labor and manpower through continuous relevant capacity building.

The measure also provides for the participation of local government units (LGUs) in the program.

All provinces, cities, and municipalities shall establish a Bamboo Industry Development Council and shall endeavor to capacitate agricultural workers and encourage entrepreneurs in harvesting and post-harvesting operations,” it said.

Meanwhile, incentives for bamboo plantation development are also enumerated in HB 7941.

Some of these are a) exemption from the payment of rent for the use of government lands for commercial bamboo plantation for the first five (5) years of operation reckoned from the date of the first harvest of the plantation; b) In the case of private plantations, exemption from the requirement to secure a cutting permit for the harvesting of bamboo and a transport permit for as long as the plantation is registered with the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); and c) exemption from the payment of forest charges and other fees for taxes that LGUs may impose.

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

Displaced Batangas sugar mill workers receive House and DSWD assistance

SUGAR workers in Batangas affected by the local sugar mill’s sudden closure on Tuesday received financial aid after a series of talks between sugar workers and the House of Representatives.  Speaker Martin Romualdez led the distribution of aid to some 800 sugar farmers in Batangas whose livelihood were adversely affected by the closure of the largest sugar mill in the province. He also vowed to help find a longterm solution to the plight of all affected sectors.

It could be recalled that following the closure of Central Azucarera de Don Pedro Inc. (CADPI) in Nasugbu, Batangas, and the Sugar Folks Unity for Genuine Agricultural Reform, together with Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas, sought the assistance of Speaker Martin Romualdez.  Romualdez said the lower chamber coordinated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and secured through the department’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program P10,000 worth of assistance for every affected sugar farmers.  H e assured all sectors affected by the sugar mill closure that he would help find a more comprehensive solution to address their plight.

which assisted in the conduct of energy audits to reach more government entities nationwide.

We commend the efforts of our government agencies in implementing energy efficiency measures. Small acts and what appears to be minor could indeed drive significant impact, especially when the entire bureaucracy, including the local government units [LGUs] and State Universities and Colleges [ SUCs] would adopt behavioral changes and imbibe energy conservation as a way of life,”

DOE Secretary Raphael Lotilla said.

Meanwhile, the DOE’s adoption of a Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) has recorded 49 percent electricity savings from its Friday work-from-home scheme. From the implementation period in February this year, a significant reduction in electricity consumption of 430,227 kWh or an estimated savings of P5.13 million was realized.

T his only demonstrates that the FWA arrangement and the adoption of EEC

best practices work and deliver positive results for the government and its employees, the DOE said.

T he DOE, during the IAEECC meeting held last March 23, proposed a resolution that encourages the adoption of FWA for all government entities as part of the GEMP to minimize the impact of steep global prices of petroleum products, reduce the consumption of the whole government of both electricity and fuel, and alleviate traffic congestion.

H e noted that the closure of CADPI, also the largest sugar mill in the whole Region 4 and the second largest in Luzon, had stripped 12,000 farmworkers of regular jobs; placed the farms of more than 8,772 farmers at risk, and displaced 125 mill workers.

Today, as we distribute these much-needed resources, we are not just providing financial support; we are also offering a glimmer of hope, a symbol of solidarity, and a reminder that no one is alone in their struggles. It is my firm belief that by working together and supporting one another, we can overcome any challenge that comes our way,” he added.

R omualdez acknowledged the contributions of other officials in the effort to help the people affected by the sugar mill closure such as House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Zaldy Co, Gabriela Rep. Brosas, Batangas 1st District Rep. Eric R. Buhain and his wife Eileen Ermita-Buhain, and Balayan Municipal officials led by Mayor Emmanuel Salvador P. Fronda II.

T he Speaker was also joined during the AICS payout by TGP Party-List Rep. Jose “Bong” Teves Jr., Kabataan

Marie

Cruz

Protocols in responding to oil spills and environmental disasters pushed

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

MT Princess e m press, which capsized in the waters off Oriental Mindoro last February 28.

Yamsuan encouraged the Department of e n vironment and Natural Resources (D e N R), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and other agencies involved in handling the effects of the oil spill to “get their acts together” and put in place protocols to ensure that incidents of this nature would be better dealt with in the future.

ho w many oil spills have happened in the entire Philippines? Up to now we have not yet formed established protocols that we can follow. I’m saying this because we cannot solve the problem in this manner,” said the lawmaker.

tee chaired by Biñan City Lone District Rep. Marlyn Alonte, and the natural resources committee chaired by Cavite 4th District Rep. e l pidio Barzaga Jr., was a continuation of the inquiry into the MT e m press oil spill.

Yamsuan suggested that government agencies speak with one voice on the issue and create a task force to better deal with the problem.

“It’s high time for us to change our mindset. We should not be reactionary. Not like this, where you point fingers at others when we conduct hearings,” he said. “I suggest that you get your acts together,” added Yamsuan.

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

The government on Tuesday said typhoon “Betty’s” effects were very minimal, but the elaborate preparations that agencies undertook could be used as an “exercise” for the upcoming rainy season.

“Based on reports that we have been receiving, [Betty’s effect] is very, in a way, very minimal compared with what we have projected a few days ago that it was a super typhoon, and of course, it was even downgraded today,” said Office of Civil Defense and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) spokesman Assistant Secretary Raffy Alejandro IV.

“So, it’s very minimal because the number shows that only 5,488 persons, per our report gathered, were preemptively evacuated, including in Region 2. More [were] even evacuated in Region 6,” he added.

Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan said a “whole-of-government” approach could change the current “reactionary” mindset in

government of addressing the widespread and debilitating effects of environmental hazards and catastrophes, such as the oil spill from the sunken

Yamsuan made the call at the hearing after resource persons from various government agencies appear to be uncoordinated in their efforts to address the MT Princess oil spill three months after the incident, which has affected close to 41,000 families living in shoreline communities and left over 200 people ill.

The issue of food safety, for one, received different responses from the D e N R and BFAR.

The hearing by the ecology commit -

At least 10 municipalities in Oriental Mindoro as well as coastal areas in Palawan, Antique, and Romblon have been affected by the oil spill.

The area of the oil spill is a rich fishing ground that provides food and livelihood to more than two million people.

According to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), traces of oil spill from the sunken vessel had reached Verde Island in Batangas City, which is at the heart of the Verde Island Passage (VIP), recognized as the center of global shore fish biodiversity.

Scout Rangers, Indonesia Special Forces end weeklong joint training in Bulacan

The Army’s First Scout Ranger Regiment (FSSR) and a unit of the Indonesian Army wrapped up on Monday their specialized training at the headquarters of the Army’s elite unit in Bulacan.

Army spokesman Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the “Training Activity Dolphine XV-23” involving the FSSR and Indonesian Army’s Komando Cadangan Strategis Angkatan Darat (Kostrad) was capped following a weeklong exercise.

At least 40 Filipino and Indonesian soldiers trained side by side in jungle warfare operations, urban operations and sniping operations during the training.

The Training Activity Dolphine XV-23 was held with the principal aim of bolstering the tactics, techniques and procedures as well as sustaining the existing partnership between the two ground forces.

FSSR commander Brig. Gen. Freddie Dela Cruz, the closing ceremony’s guest of honor and speaker, highlighted the successful attainment of the training activity’s goals.

h e l ed the presentation of certificates to the participants and a token of gratitude to the Indonesian Army delegation.

Last year, Filipino Scout Rangers and their Indonesian counterparts trained

side by side in counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations at the Taipur Military Camp, Cilodong and Sangga Buana Training Site in Karawang, West Java, Indonesia.

Meanwhile, the Philippines and Canada has deepened their security and defense relations following a meeting between Department of National Defense Officer-in-Charge Carlito Galvez Jr. and Canada’s Ambassador to the Philippines David Bruce h a rtman last week.

DND spokesman Arsenio “Popong” Andolong said Galvez and h a rtman discussed the two countries’ partnership in the areas of defense, commerce, education, culture and people-to-people exchanges.

Andolong said among the areas of cooperation that Galvez suggested for both countries to collabo -

rate on is strengthening capacities on cybersecurity given the need to secure confidential computer data systems from unauthorized access, data leakage, malware, among others.

The DND spokesman noted that Canada was among the observercountries in the latest iteration of the Philippines-US Balikatan e x ercises held last month.

“Along this line, the OIC, DND expressed confidence that bilateral relations between the two countries will continue to progress as both countries will commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2024,” Andolong said.

During the meeting, h a rtman explained Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, which offers initiatives and collaborative engagements in the region. Rene Acosta

DAR chief vows to resolve half of 2.4K pending agrarian reform cases this year

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

The Department of Agriculture (DAR) is expected to resolve at least half of its 2,400 “vintage” Agrarian Law Implementation (ALI) cases this year.

During a news conference in Malacañang on Tuesday, DAR Secretary Conrado M. e s trella III announced he is set to sign the resolution for 200 cases on Wednesday bringing their total resolved ALI cases to 1,200.

Among the recently resolved cases, he said, was the agrarian land issue in h a cienda Tinang in Concepcion, Tarlac, which involved a dispute between two farmers groups involving over 600 hectares of land.

“Probably in a matter of two weeks we will be able to distribute land titles to prevent any more trouble,” e s trella said. “We will release the titles for 450 families,” he added.

Aside from the ALI cases, e s trella said the Department of Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board also has another 2,300 pending cases.

backlog to lack of personnel, explaining since they only have 64 lawyers to handle pending cases.  he e xplained they are unable to hire more lawyers since vacant positions have a low starting pay.

“We are unable to accelerate [our case resolution] since we lack lawyers and we can hire initially with only P50,000 starting salaries. This made it difficult for us to hire credible and capable lawyers,” e s trella said.

The DAR official said they were able to address this by abolishing or merging their unfilled positions to create positions, which have higher salaries.

“With our Scrap and Build Program, we were able to produce 64 positions for Attorney IV with a salary of P82,000,” e s trella said.

“We are now recruiting lawyers for the Attorney IV position with the intent of being able to catch up with the backlog that we have inherited,” he added.

This was in line with the marching orders of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to implement genuine agrarian reform by resolving the pending agrarian land cases and the distribute 50,000 land titles within the year.

The government has mobilized all disaster response units and equipment, with the military, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Police alerting and mustering their units for typhoon response ahead of Betty’s impact in Northern Luzon.

ho wever, Betty weakened and decelerated upon entry into the country, with weather forecasters warning the rain may just be induced by the prevailing southwest monsoon, and a little by the typhoon.

“In terms of damage, it is really very minimal. So, I think, all in all…if I can just say we just exercised with our protocols, procedures, and of course, readying with the typhoon season which is officially starting this June,” Alejandro said.

Based on its official report on Tuesday morning, the NDRRMC said 2,859 families or 11,264 individuals were affected in 55 villages in Regions 2, 3, 4-B, 6 and 7.

At least 5,488 persons were preemptively evacuated.

In the Visayas, the military’s Visayas Command (VISCOM) has prepped up its humanitarian assistance and disaster response ( h A DR) preparation as the typhoon starts to enhance the southwest monsoon, which has been projected to have an adverse effect in Western Visayas.

VISCOM spokesman Lt. Col. Israel Galorio said a total of 17 h A DR teams composed of 17 officers and 153 personnel have been placed on standby alert by the 53rd e n gineering Brigade, ready to be deployed once the need arises.

Also, a total of 19 mobility assets, including five heavy equipment, were also placed on standby for response operations.

Meralco, other MVP-led firms join govt’s campaign against illegal drugs

MANILA e l ectric Company (Meralco) has joined the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in its nationwide campaign against illegal drugs.

Meralco on Tuesday entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to formalize its participation in the government’s “Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan” (BIDA) program, which advocates for the reduction of illicit drug supply and demand.

Under the MOU, Meralco pledged to continuously implement a drug-free workplace, conduct regular and random drug testing among its employees, and hold orientations and seminars for employees about narcotics and its physical, social, and psychological effects. Meralco will also help promote the BIDA campaign to raise awareness on the harmful effects of illegal drugs.

BIDA is the six-year anti-illegal drugs advocacy program of the DILG that aims to employ a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach in combating the proliferation of narcotics in the country.

In his speech, DILG Secretary Atty. Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said the participation of private companies in the BIDA program is crucial to ensuring the national success of the holistic campaign against illegal drugs.

For his part, Meralco Vice President and he ad of Corporate Communications Joe R. Zaldarriaga said, “We, at Meralco, consider our stakeholders as invaluable partners and we are committed to continuously provide a safe and healthy work environment for our employees. That is why we have policies and programs in place that ensure a drug-free workplace.”

“Through our strong partnership with DILG and our participation in the BIDA program, we also reaffirm our commitment to support the government’s push to promote human and social development and to continuously educate Filipinos on the effects of illegal drugs,” he added.

Besides Meralco, other companies chaired by Manuel V. Pangilinan also joined the BIDA campaign. These include PLDT-Smart, Maynilad, and Metro Pacific Tollways.

“We look forward to continuing this worthy endeavor with the DILG to once and for all address the scourge that is drug abuse, and we commit all our available resources in support of the BIDA campaign,” Zaldarriaga assured.

Al Awm Aker is pushing for the establishment of interagency protocols that would bring government agencies in close coordination with each other to swiftly mobilize and address the impact of environmental disasters on affected communities and ecosystems.

NDRRMC: Preparation for ‘Betty’ a good exercise for monsoon months

GSIS AT 86: DEKALIDAD NA PANINILBIHAN, SANDALAN NG LINGKOD-BAYAN

AS the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) celebrates its 86th anniversary today, May 31, 2023, the institution embarks on a new chapter of leadership with President and General Manager Wick Veloso at the helm since July 2022.

From the outset, Veloso has been steadfast in his commitment to fulfill the organization's core mission, citing three critical goals that serve as pillars of his stewardship. These include growing and investing the members' contributions safely and wisely, intensifying insurance coverage for government assets and properties, and leveraging technology and digitalization to provide the best customer experience possible.

With a fresh perspective and a commitment to innovation, GSIS is poised to build on its legacy of service in more than eight decades and remain a vital institution for its more than two million members and pensioners.

GSIS Touch mobile application

THE deployment of the GSIS Touch mobile application stands out as a significant milestone in the digital transformation journey of GSIS. Developed by the GSIS IT team, the awardwinning app boasts of a user-friendly interface that guarantees optimal user experience. Its design is tailored to make it easy for members and pensioners to navigate the system and carry out transactions seamlessly.

Through the GSIS Touch, active government employees may apply for loans and claims, view their service record, keep track of their premium remittances and loan payments, and know the maturity of their life, retirement, refund and Edu-Child claims, pre-need plans, and insurance policies. With over 700,000 registered users and counting, more than 800,000

loan transactions have been made via the GSIS Touch to date. Pensioners may also schedule their annual renewal of status through the app.

Starting this May 2023, GSIS, in cooperation with the Department of Information and Communications Technology, will introduce a groundbreaking feature in the GSIS Touch. Old-age, survivorship and disability pensioners can now renew their status annually without leaving the comfort of their homes, establishing a new benchmark for convenience and accessibility in service delivery.

In particular, pensioners can renew their status by using their face for authentication. The new technology checks if the face is from a real person or just a fake image. It also matches the face to the database to confirm the pensioner's identity. This ensures that only the rightful pensioners receive their pensions and protects the pension fund.

GSIS is also actively working toward expanding the app’s payment functionality to transform it into a comprehensive e-wallet platform. This will enable members and pensioners to conveniently add funds, make payments, and transfer money electronically to other e-wallets or bank accounts. The ultimate goal is to provide a seamless and secure electronic payment experience that is efficient and easy to use for the pension fund's stakeholders.

Overall, GSIS Touch is a game changer in GSIS’s enhanced customer experience, setting the standard for future mobile applications in the public sector. With its innovative features, it

has become an essential tool for GSIS members

and pensioners, providing them with the convenience and accessibility they deserve.

Insurance coverage

GSIS has been proactive in answering the president's call to strengthen its mandate of providing comprehensive insurance coverage for all government assets and properties.

In a landmark achievement, GSIS has reported an outstanding P6.8 billion in gross premiums written for its non-life insurance business in 2022, marking it the highest in the System's history. This feat was made possible by the issuance of 185,583 policies with a total sum insured of P2.42 trillion. Fire insurance had the highest sum insured, while motor vehicle insurance had the highest number of policies issued.

Among the measures that GSIS implemented to triple its marketing efforts for its non-life insurance products were: launching an aggressive nationwide campaign to promote non-life insurance products; • personally meeting with local government officials to encourage them to insure their properties with GSIS; motivating insurance teams to market non-life insurance products; and recognizing and rewarding top performers who generated new insurance businesses during the weekly flag-raising ceremony.

In addition, GSIS's concerted effort in

reinforcing its non-life insurance business was evident through the conduct of online and faceto-face insurance marketing caravans across the country. Some 2,500 property officers participated in these events, accompanied by regular training and capacity-building workshops.

As a result, the GSIS’s General Insurance Fund's (GIF) net worth stood at a remarkable P39.21 billion, making it the highest among non-life insurance companies in 2022, a testament to the System’s commitment to safeguard the properties and assets of the government. For the first four months of this year, the gross income of the GIF already stood at P4.6 billion, a 62 percent increase over the same period last year.

In collaboration with the Insurance Commission (IC) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO), GSIS also successfully implemented a new system for the verification of motor vehicle Compulsory Third Party Liability (CTPL) insurance renewal and Certificate of Cover (COC) for CTPL insurance cover. The integration of the GSIS system to the IC-LTMS has eliminated interconnectivity fees charged for COC validation, a valuable benefit for GSIS stakeholders.

In 2022, GSIS disbursed a total of P876.65 million to 4,343 claimants for the processing of their general insurance claims. The largest number of claims filed were for motor vehicle, followed by fire and personal accident. The highest payout amount was for fire claims, followed

by motor vehicle and engineering.

Investing contributionsmembers’

TO ENSURE that civil servants have a comfortable retirement, it is crucial to exercise prudent and strategic management of the monthly collections of approximately P23 billion in members' contributions and loan payments. To achieve this goal, GSIS is currently reviewing its investment policy guidelines. The objective is to ensure the responsible and cautious investment of its members' contributions and to identify profitable investment opportunities that generate secure and significant returns.

Further, the investments of GSIS align with the growth mindset of the government supporting its vision for nation-building. With a population of 110 million Filipinos and a median age of 26, GSIS recognizes the significance of investing in businesses and industries that will empower the young population to achieve their full potential. By doing so, GSIS can fully leverage the advantages of this "demographic sweet-spot" and secure a brighter future for all Filipinos. In line with this objective, GSIS will invest in critical sectors such as power, water, food production, telecoms, healthcare, education, banking/financial services, and consumer goods.

Recent key investments of GSIS include:

ESG Investments

STRATEGIC investments that address environmental challenges, such as climate change mitigation, renewable energy projects, and sustainable water management and conservation initiatives are critical for long-term sustainability. These investments contribute to a greener and more resilient future, ensuring the well-being of future generations.

P2.2 billion investment in the Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM) initiative for the South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation (SLTEC) in partnership with Ayala-led AC Energy (ACEN). ETM seeks to replace coal-fired power plants with clean power to support the country's commitment to address climate change.

• P1.46 billion investment in Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC), a natural resources development company that specializes in lateritic nickel ore and has a growing interest in renewable energy development. The investment supports GSIS's goal to grow its fund for the benefit of its members while strategically supporting the Electric Vehicle (EV) industry and the nation's development objectives. EVs contribute to mitigating climate change and improving air quality, especially when powered by renewable energy sources.

Global Infrastructure Fund Investment

IT IS worthy to note that investing in the Global Infrastructure Fund can provide GSIS with diversification, a stable income, long-term growth opportunities, protection against rising prices, and the fulfillment of contributing to a more sustainable global community.

• US$300 million investment in a global infrastructure fund, managed by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) based in New York. The investment will fund infrastructure projects around the world related to transportation, energy, and digitalization. In particular, GSIS has invested into the GIP’s Emerging Markets Fund, which is a specialized equity under the global equity fund.GIP manages a portfolio of assets worth US$87 billion and is being led by 27 highly reputable partners in the global finance industry.

During a meeting between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and GIP Chairman Bayo Ogunlesi in London on May 6, the GIP expressed its commitment to invest in the Philippines. The investment aims to improve the country's transportation system by financing efficient and effective infrastructure.

As part of the meeting, President Marcos visited London's Gatwick Airport and saw firsthand its exceptional infrastructure, technology, and operations. This experience provided valuable insight into best practices that can be applied to future airport development in the Philippines, bringing the country one step closer to having a safer, more efficient, and sustainable airport system in the years to come.

Debt ceiling deal faces final test in Congress to avert US default

By Billy House, Steven T. Dennis & Laura Litvan

THE debt-limit agreement forged by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy heads into a crucial final stretch with less than a week to win congressional passage before a June 5 default deadline.

Biden and McCarthy spent much of the Memorial Day holiday lobbying members of their respective parties to build enough support ahead of a House vote expected Wednesday.

If the two leaders can overcome expected opposition from their flanks, the deal goes to the Senate, where a single objection risks triggering time-consuming procedures that threaten to bring the US right to the brink of a firstever default.

“I never say I’m confident about what the Congress is going to do, but I feel very good about it,” Biden told reporters Monday.

Markets were closed Monday for the holiday, but there were signs of relief, with futures on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 stock indexes up about 0.3 percent each.

The dollar, which has benefited from angst around the statutory borrowing limit, held Friday’s decline while Treasury futures linked to the 10- to 30-year part of the US government bond market rose on light volume, lowering yields.

Suspend ceiling

THE bill sets the course for federal spending through 2025 and will suspend the debt ceiling until Jan. 1, 2025, likely putting off another fight over federal borrowing authority until the middle of that year. In exchange for Republican votes for the suspension, Democrats agreed to cap federal spending for the next two years.

White House interpretation of the caps has it telling lawmakers the deal would lower spending by about $1 trillion over a decade, while the GOP argues the spending cut is double that. Restive conservatives, however, wanted to extract much deeper cuts.

“It’s pretty clear based on their public statements and where we are now that we’re the clear victors,” Representative Garret Graves, one of McCarthy’s chief negotiators, said on a call Monday.

The first test for the deal will come Tuesday afternoon before the House Rules Committee, which controls floor debate. The 13-member panel includes four

Democrats and three far-right Republicans who are often critical of McCarthy.

One conservative on the committee, Representative Chip Roy of Texas, tweeted Monday that McCarthy had promised while running for speaker that nothing would pass muster in Rules without at least seven GOP votes. He and Ralph Norman, another Republican on the panel, already oppose the bill so they need just one more defector.

Spokespeople for McCarthy did not respond to requests for comment.

‘No’ votes

ACROSS the full Hous, are at least 10 GOP “no” votes. Representative Tom Emmer, Republican’s chief vote counter, worked the phones over the weekend to prevent that number from swelling much beyond that. His efforts will shift Tuesday to more direct attempts at persuasion as lawmakers return to the Capitol.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and his top vote counter, Katherine Clark, are also trying to pin down votes they need for the bipartisan compromise.

Complicating their efforts is the Sierra Club, one of the nation’s best-known environmental groups, which on Monday urged opposition. The organization cited provisions that would expedite approvals for a natural gas pipeline running across West Virginia and time limits it would impose on environmental reviews of energy projects.

Some Democrats—including Representative Raul Grijalva, who

leads his party on the House Committee on Natural Resources—are angry because of that language and could vote against it.

Wednesday passage in the House is critical to getting the bill through the Senate before the Monday deadline.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky supports the deal, and has a long track record of finding Republican votes for deals like this one. But only one other Republican—Senator Mitt Romney of Utah—publicly supported the bill by Monday night and they need eight more to overcome an anticipated filibuster.

Hold-up threat

CONSERVATIVE Senator Mike Lee of Utah has threatened to hold up passage of a bill he doesn’t like, and any senator has the power to force days of delay. At least three other conservative GOP senators—Rand Paul of Kentucky, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Ted Cruz of Texas— made clear in recent days they oppose the legislation.

Senators in both parties could also insist on voting on amendments to address the spending caps. Defense hawks are unhappy with a 3.3 percent increase proposed by Biden not keeping up with inflation.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican hawk, said on Monday that he’ll use “all powers available to me” to boost defense spending. He called on a 90-day increase in the debt ceiling instead to provide more time to work on that part of the accord. Bloomberg News

Dozens of Nato soldiers hurt in Kosovo in clash with Serbs

By Misha Savic & Jasmina Kuzmanovic

VIOLENCE escalated in northern Kosovo, where local Serb protesters clashed with police and later with Nato-led peacekeepers, leaving dozens of injured.

The force, known as KFOR, said 19 of its Hungarian and 11 Italian soldiers who were “countering the most active fringes of the crowd” on Monday became “the subject of unprovoked attacks and sustained trauma wounds with fractures and burns due to the explosion of incendiary devices.” None of the 30 injured were in life-threatening condition, according to Nato.

More than 50 local Serbs were injured in the flare up, Serb President Aleksandar Vucic told reporters in Belgrade.

It w as the worst violence in years in the tense northern area adjacent to Serbia where Vucic reiterated his pledge to protect the Serb minority that accounts for less than 7 percent of Kosovo’s 1.8 million people.

We will not tolerate the pogrom of Serbs,” he said, urging the ethnic kin in Kosovo to avoid confrontation with the multinational, Nato-led peacekeeping troops. “I beg Serbs in Kosovo not to engage in confrontation with Nato.”

S erbia’s authorities, including the army, remain in contact with the military alliance to defuse tension and prevent further violence, he said.

E arlier Monday, Kosovo’s mostly ethnicAlbanian police forces used pepper spray in response to tear gas hurled by hundreds of ethnic-Serb demonstrators who tried to block access of officials to municipal buildings in Serb-dominated towns.

T he escalation erupted as Serb protesters tried to block newly elected ethnic-Albanian mayors from reaching their offices.

“S uch attacks are totally unacceptable,” Nato said in the statement. “KFOR will take all necessary actions to fulfill its UN mandate.”

“To avoid the clashes between the parties

and to minimize the risk of the escalation, KFOR peace-keepers prevented threats to the lives of Kosovo Serbs and Kosovo Albanians,” Nato said in emailed statement. “Both parties need to take full responsibility for what happened and prevent any further escalation, rather than hide behind false narratives.”

The international force known as KFOR has been deployed in Kosovo since the 1998-99 war between Serbs and ethnic Albanians over Kosovo.

T he flareup imperils a European Unionbrokered, US-supported plan for the Balkan neighbors to normalize relations. KFOR urged the governments of Serbia and Kosovo to engage in the dialog to reduce tensions.

F ollowing Friday’s clashes, the US and top European allies condemned Kosovo’s government for what they said were actions that provoked the unrest.

T he clashes erupted when the mayors tried to access their offices against the recommendation of US and EU mediators. The officials had been elected in a local

China launches new crew for space station

BEIJING—China launched a new three-person crew for its orbiting space station on Tuesday, with an eye to putting astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade.

The Shenzhou 16 spacecraft lifted off from the Jiuquan launch center on the edge of the Gobi Desert in northwestern China atop a Long March 2-F rocket just after 9:30 a.m. (0130 GMT) Tuesday.

The crew, including China’s first civilian astronaut, will overlap briefly with three now aboard the Tiangong station, who will then return to Earth after completing their six-month mission.

A third module was added to the station in November, and space program officials on Monday said they have plans to expand it, along with launching a crewed mission to the moon before 2030.

China built its own space station after it was excluded from the International Space Station, largely due to US concerns over the Chinese space programs’ intimate ties with the People’s Liberation Army, the military branch of the ruling Communist Party.

China’s first manned space mission in 2003 made it the third country after the former Soviet Union and the US to put a person into space under its own resources.

mission commander Maj. Gen. Jing Haipeng, who is making his fourth flight to space, and spacecraft engineer Zhu Yangzhu. The crew will stay aboard the station for around five months, during which they will conduct scientific experiments and regular maintenance.

The mission comes against the background of a rivalry with the US for reaching new milestones in space. That has been largely friendly, but also reflects their sharpening competition for leadership and influence in the technology, military and diplomatic fields. American spending, supply chains and capabilities are believed to give it a significant edge over China, at least for now. China has broken out in some areas, however, bringing samples back from the lunar surface for the first time in decades and landing a rover on the less explored far side of the moon.

ballot in April that Serbs boycotted and called invalid.

Vucic said four local prominent Serbs were arrested in Kosovo and that his country was in talks with KFOR negotiating their release.

Serbia’s army remained on high alert, a status ordered by Vucic on Friday. He took similar steps last year when recurring tensions in Kosovo near the border nearly lapsed into fighting.

Tensions also closed down schools in the Serb-populated areas of Kosovo, local Serb authorities said in a live broadcast.

The government in Belgrade refuses to recognize Kosovo as a country and rejects its 2008 split from Serbia—a sticking point that is blocking both countries’ efforts to join the EU.

Western envoys have sought to defuse the dispute for years, without success. They intensified those efforts again after Russia attacked Ukraine. With assistance from Jan Bratanic/Bloomberg

Imran Khan summoned over attacks on Army buildings

By Faseeh Mangi & Ismail Dilawar

IMRAN KHAN has been summoned by Pakistan authorities to face questioning over the outbreak of violence that followed his brief detention earlier this month in which military buildings were attacked, as pressure mounts on the former premier amid a crackdown on his party and supporters.

The probe focuses on an attack on the Lahore Corps Commander’s house in central Punjab province, known as Jinnah House, a historical building and military residence that was set alight and damaged in the unrest that broke out after Khan’s arrest on corruption charges.

The 70-year-old politician was issued a notice from Lahore’s deputy inspector general of police, requiring him to appear for questioning at 4 p.m. local time

Tuesday. It’s not clear whether Khan will attend, a party spokesman said a decision was yet to be made.

Khan is under attack from all sides over claims his supporters were responsible for damaging military and state property. The army has said those responsible will be tried under military law, as the political crisis engulfing Khan, the government and the powerful military continues to escalate even as the country’s economic situation deteriorates.

Khan has condemned the Jinnah House assault, saying it brought ‘disgrace’ to the country, and has denied his party workers were responsible for the May 9 violence. He’s facing increasing challenges as his senior leaders quit in droves, thousands of his supporters have been detained around the country, and he continues to battle dozens of legal

cases—all of which he denies.

A close aide to Khan told Bloomberg the government is just trying to “annoy and trouble him again and again.” Zulfi Bukhari said in a message that dialog is what is needed and is “the only way to save Pakistan from further economic turmoil.”

In a fur ther sign of the widening chasm between the country’s political rivals, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif seemed to rule out any immediate chance of talks, saying in a tweet Tuesday afternoon there could be no dialog with those who “attack the symbols of the State.”

Pakistan’s military had earlier issued a statement also indirectly appearing to target Khan, saying those who try to “drive a wedge” between the nation’s citizens and armed forces won’t succeed.

“The nexus between the internal collusive elements and external forces to

create instability has amply been exposed to the people of Pakistan,” the Chief of Army Staff, General Syed Asim Munir, said during a visit to the Quetta Garrison, according to the military’s media wing. Khan has, in the past, accused certain senior army officials of orchestrating his removal from power more than a year ago and being behind an alleged assassination attempt, which they have denied. Pakistan has been directly ruled by the army for almost half of its modern history and most prime ministers, including Khan, have depended on the institution’s support to stay in power.

P akistan’s economy remains in deep distress. The latest data showed growth slowing sharply to one of the lowest levels in its history, amid record inflation and interest rates, as the country struggles to revive a crucial International Monetary Fund bailout.

On the this latest mission, payload expert Gui Haichao, a professor at Beijing’s top aerospace research institute, will join

The US, meanwhile, aims to put astronauts back on the lunar surface by the end of 2025 as part of a renewed commitment to crewed missions, aided by private sector players such as SpaceX and Blue Origin. In addition to their lunar programs, the two countries have also separately landed rovers on Mars, and China plans to follow the US in landing a spacecraft on an asteroid. AP

9 injured in shooting near beach in Hollywood, Florida

By Terry Spencer The Associated Press

HOLLYWOOD, Fla.—Nine

people were injured Monday evening when gunfire erupted along a beachside promenade in Hollywood, Florida, sending people frantically running for cover along the crowded beach on Memorial Day.

Several of the wounded were taken to a children’s hospital, police spokesperson Deanna Bettineschi said.

The nine people hurt included six adults and three children, according to Yanet Obarrio Sanchez, a spokesperson for Memorial Healthcare System. All of the victims were in stable condition, she said.

Bettineschi said four children between the ages of 1 and 17 were hit, along with five adults between 25 and 65. One was in surgery late Monday while the others were stable, she said. It was not immediately clear if the hospital was counting a 17-year-old as an adult.

Bettineschi said the shooting happened shortly before 7 p.m. A fight broke out, at least one gun was pulled and shots were fired. At least one person was in custody, but police were looking for more suspects.

Police Chief Chris O’Brien said thousands of people were in the area and dozens of police officers

responded, including some who were nearby.

“It’s unfortunate we have lawabiding citizens who come to our beaches and that gets interrupted by a group of criminals,” he said.

The shooting happened on the Hollywood Oceanfront Broadwalk near a convenience store, a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream store and a Subway sandwich shop.

Alvie Carlton Scott III said he was on the beach when he suddenly heard numerous gunshots. He said he hid behind a tree and then fled the area after a police officer told people to run.

Jamie Ward, who was also on the broadwalk, said several young men were fighting in front of the stores when one pulled a gun and started shooting.

Videos posted on Twitter on Monday evening showed emergency medical crews responding and providing aid to multiple injured people.

Police said there would be a heavy presence of officers as the investigation continues. Officials also set up an area for family members to reunite.

“Thank you to the good samaritans, paramedics, police and emergency room doctors and nurses for their immediate response to aid the victims of today’s shooting,” Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy said in a statement.

Farmers’ & Fisherfolks’ Month

DA affirms commitment to always serve Filipino farmers, fishers

Presidential proclamation

This was the message of Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary for Administration and Finance Agnes Catherine Miranda to the country’s farmers and fisherfolk during the closing ceremony of the 2023 National Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s Month (NFFM).

M iranda, who is also this year’s NFFM Chairperson, added that the long history of the DA is defined by its continuing desire to raise the quality of life of farmers and fisherfolk.

This is why we honor you again today, not only to express our gratitude, but also to affirm our commitment as your partners in development,” she said.

Weekly activities

Activities included weekly exhibits, free public webinars and technology demonstrations highlighting modern agri-fishery practices and products, cooking demonstrations, and distribution of seeds and seedlings, among others.

THROUGH Proclamation No. 33 signed in 1989, former President Corazon C. Aquino declared the month of May every year as “Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s Month” which recognizes the major role farmers and fisherfolk play in economic recovery by contributing a quarter to the gross domestic product and generating 40 percent of the country’s export revenue.

“

The government has accorded highest priority to the development of agriculture and fishery not only to achieve an equitable distribution of benefits and opportunities, but also enable the farmers and fishermen to maximize their contribution to the nation’s wealth,” the proclamation read.

During the month-long celebration themed “Masaganang Agrikultura, Maunlad na Ekonomiya,” the DA organized various activities featuring major agricultural subsector such as halal and organic agriculture, crops, livestock, and fisheries each week.

Our aggressive push to put each of these subsectors in the limelight is driven by our belief that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and that prosperity in the Philippine agriculture and fisheries can only be meaningful if growth is inclusive of all major subsectors whether it be for crops, livestock, or fisheries,” Miranda said.

Th is month, the DA officials led by Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban also awarded plaques of recognition to the outstanding farmers and fisherfolk who are active partners of the DA in the implementation of its various programs for the sector’s sustainable development.

As we conclude the National Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s Month, we do not cease to pay tribute to our farmers and fisherfolk,” Miranda stressed.

She added that the annual celebration is not a token gesture but a constant reminder of the farmers’ and fisherfolk’s vital role in nationbuilding.

Moreover, it is a time for reflection that our obligations as public servants to our farmers and fisherfolk are far from over,” she said.

DA, EU EXPLORE AGRI DEV’T, INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

OFFICIALS of the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) led by Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban met with delegates of the European Union-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) and the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) on May 24, 2023 to discuss mutual interests in agricultural development, foreign trades and investments, economic growth, and other potential areas of cooperation.

Among those discussed were the need to address the high prices of sugar in the local market. As of the May 24 report of the DASurveillance, Monitoring, and Enforcement Group, refined sugar ranges between P86 to P110 per kilo in Metro Manila. Washed sugar is priced at P82 to P90 per kilo, while a kilo of brown sugar can be bought at P78 to P90.

Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona of the DA-Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) revealed that the country’s sugarcane production is expected to increase to 1.78 million metric tons (MMT) and a sugar importation volume of 440,000 MT to cover supply gaps.

Currently, the Philippines has about 390,000 hectares of sugarcane plantations, 90 percent of which are owned by small-scale farmers.

Increase productivity

WITH over five million Filipinos dependent on the sugarcane industry, Azcona shared that the DA-SRA intends to increase the industry’s productivity and profitability through the adaptation of climate-resilient agricultural practices, the promotion of drought- and wet season-resistant sugarcane varieties, the upgrading of select mills in Luzon, the consolidation of farmers into 30-hectare farm sizes, and the mechanization and modernization of plantations in the country.

The DA also highlighted various efforts towards food security in the Philippines, which includes promoting opportunities in agriculture among the Filipino youth through the Young Farmers Challenge, reviewing the Department’s key commodity investment plans through the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), promoting accessible and affordable healthcare for local agricultural laborers and their families, and improving local food production and competitiveness while also opening the country’s doors to collaborative activities with the EU and other foreign partners.

With the World Risk Index 2022 ranking the Philippines as the number one country with the highest disaster risk worldwide, the DA also stressed the importance of immediately mitigating and addressing the impacts of climate change to the Philippine agri-fishery sector.

Some of the measures being implemented by the DA include allotting P1 billion for its Quick Response Fund, attending fora and other engagements related to climate change, working with every stakeholder towards climate and disaster resiliency, developing climate-resilient crop varieties, advocating for eco-friendly agricultural practices, and just recently, preparing for the El Niño phenomena

by the third or fourth quarter of 2023.

Climate-resilient livehoods

THE Department also underscored its mission to build climate-resilient livelihoods and communities through the implementation of the Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (AMIA) Program, the Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency (FishCoRe) Project, and the Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (MIADP), among many others.

“European businesses are at the forefront of innovation and sustainable practices in agriculture, and today we stand ready to share these best practices and expertise to support the continued growth and advancement of the agriculture sector in the Philippines. By leveraging our expertise in agribusiness management, sustainable farming techniques, and market access, we hope to uplift the livelihoods of Filipino farmers and contribute to poverty reduction in rural areas,” EU-ABC Vice Chairman Tassilo Brinzer said.

ECCP Executive Director Florian Gotten expressed delight in the Philippines’ growth and potential, saying, “The efforts of this administration, in particular what President Marcos Jr. is doing by traveling around the globe inviting investors to come to the Philippines, are slowly picking up. The Philippines is now on the map and I think that this is a new era, a golden age for investments into the Philippines. We are very much optimistic that we will see more European companies coming here, supporting your efforts, and maybe reckon trying to work with you to bring the agriculture in this country to the next level.”

Panganiban thanked the European delegation’s interest to collaborate with the Philippine government for the advancement of the latter’s agri-fishery sector, which he said will benefit not only the Philippines but also other countries.

Increased cooperation and foreign investments spell more jobs, higher incomes, better access to basic commodities, less inflation, and collaboration and partnership over confrontation. The more unbounded the flow of both, the stronger the momentum for economic prosperity and peace among nations,” he noted.

‘OUR raison d’être is to serve you yesterday, today, and for the years and decades to come.”

The Department of Agriculture (DA) highlighted different crops technology and products at the lobby of its central office in Quezon City in celebration of May as Farmers and Fisherfolk Month. This year's theme, "Masaganang Agrikultura, Maunlad na Demokrasya" (Bountiful Agriculture, Thriving Democracy), signifies that a productive agri-fishery sector is a key foundation of a vibrant competitive economy. (PNA PHOTOS BY BEN BRIONES)

Russia’s pre-dawn air raid on Kyiv kills 1; Moscow attacked by drones

By Susie Blann The Associated Press

KYIV,

Ukraine—Russia

launched a pre-dawn air raid on Ukraine’s capital Tuesday, killing at least one person and sending Kyiv’s residents again scrambling into shelters to escape a relentless wave of daylight and nighttime bombardments, while Moscow authorities said the Russian capital was attacked by drones.

At least 20 Shahed explosive drones were destroyed by air defense forces in Kyiv’s airspace in Russia’s third attack on the capital in the past 24 hours, according to early information from the Kyiv Military Administration. Overall, Ukraine shot down 29 of 31 drones fired into the country, most in the Kyiv area, the air force later added.

Before daylight, the buzzing of drones could be heard over the city, followed by loud explosions as they were taken down by air defense systems.

In Moscow, residents reported hearing explosions and Mayor Sergei Sobyanin later confirmed there had been a drone attack.

Sobyanin said in a Telegram post that the attack caused “insignificant damage” to several buildings. Two people received medical attention for unspecified injuries but did not need hospitalization, he said.

Residents of two buildings damaged in the attack were evacuated, Sobyanin said.

Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the wider Moscow region, later said several drones were “shot down on the approach to Moscow.”

There was no immediate comment on the attacks from Ukrainian officials.

It was the second reported attack on Moscow, after authorities said two drones targeted the Kremlin earlier this month in what was labeled an attempt on President Vladimir Putin’s life.

In the attacks overnight on Kyiv, one person died and three were injured when a high-rise building in the Holosiiv district caught fire. It was not immediately clear what caused the blaze but frequently the falling debris from drones being hit and the interceptor missiles have caused damage on the ground.

The building’s upper two floors were destroyed, and there may be people under the rubble, the Kyiv Military Administration said. More than 20 people were

evacuated.

Resident Valeriya Oreshko told The Associated Press in the aftermath that even though the immediate threat was over, the attacks had everyone on edge.

“You are happy that you are alive, but think about what will happen next,” the 39-year-old said.

Oksana, who only gave her first name, said the whole building shook when it was hit.

“Go to shelters, because you really do not know where it (the drone) will fly,” she advised others. “We hold on.”

Elsewhere in the capital, falling debris caused a fire in a private house in the Darnytskyi district and three cars were set alight in the Pechersky district, according to the military administration.

The series of attacks that began Sunday included a rare daylight attack Monday that left puffs of white smoke in the blue skies.

On that day, Russian forces fired 11 ballistic and cruise missiles at Kyiv at about 11:30 a.m., according to Ukraine’s chief of staff, Valerii Zaluzhnyi. All of them were shot down, he said.

Debris from the intercepted missiles fell in Kyiv’s central and northern districts during the morning, landing in the middle of traffic on a city road and also starting a fire on the roof of a building, the Kyiv military administration said. At least one civilian was reported hurt.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it launched a series of strikes early Monday targeting Ukrainian air bases with precision long-range air-launched missiles. The strikes destroyed command posts, radars, aircraft and ammunition stockpiles, it claimed. It didn’t say anything about hitting cities or other civilian areas.

UKRAINIAN air defense intercepts a Shahed drone mid-air in the third Russia aerial attack on the capital in the last 24 hours in Kyiv, Ukraine on Tuesday, May 30, 2023. AP/EVGENIY MALOLETKA

T he Associated Press writer Vasilisa Stepanenko in Kyiv, Ukraine, and David Rising in Bangkok contributed to this report.

China rejects US claims over ‘de-risking’ not ‘decoupling’

By Bloomberg News

after crossing US airspace a month earlier. That prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a visit to Beijing and further souring diplomatic ties.

The Biden administration echoed her language soon after, with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen saying in April that “we do not seek to decouple our economy from China’s.” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan argued the next week: “We are for de-risking and diversifying, not decoupling.”

Pacific security gathering, after Beijing said Washington would need to lift sanctions imposed on Li Shangfu for such a meeting to take place. The US Defence Department called the decision a “concerning unwillingness” to engage in military discussions.

Supply chains

Chinese state media, officials and academics have all publicly rejected the distinction in recent weeks, in a seemingly concerted effort to undermine the rhetorical shift. The official Xinhua News Agency said in a Friday commentary that “de-risking is just decoupling in disguise.”

“A change in words does not mean a difference in action. In essence, de-risking is hardly different from decoupling,” the agency said, adding that the US has been “stepping up its siege of China.”

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang voiced similar criticisms at a press briefing in Germany this month, saying that “if the EU seeks to decouple from China in the name of de-risking, it will decouple from opportunities, cooperation, stability and development.”

Fu Cong, China’s ambassador to the European Union, pressed leaders to define what de-risking entails in an interview with the New Statesman. “If de-risking means ridding China of global industrial and supply chains, especially in key areas, and when it involves key technology, we are firmly opposed to that,” he said, according to a transcript published on the embassy’s web site.

Technology cold war

THE shift in US language reflects

the Biden administration’s attempt to strike a more moderate tone for Western allies worried about completely cutting business ties with Beijing. Washington’s attempts to deprive China of cutting-edge chips over national security concerns have sparked concerns of a new technology cold war.

“Pushing for de-coupling brings the US a lot of international pressure due to its huge economic impact,” said Zhu Feng, a professor of international relations at Nanjing University, adding that the term “de-risking” gives the US more “space to maneuver.”

“There’s no substantial difference between the two terms,” he added. “I don’t see the change in rhetoric brings any adjustments in policies.”

The de-risking narrative began to take hold in March when European Union President Ursula Von Der Leyen gave a speech that, in part, outlined why she planned to travel to Beijing to meet President Xi Jinping.

“I believe it is neither viable, nor in Europe’s interest, to decouple from China,” she said. “We need to focus on de-risk, not decouple.” That approach was widely seen as an attempt to cool US tensions with China, after an alleged Chinese spy balloon was shot down

That rhetorical shift allowed some of the world’s wealthiest democracies to speak in a common voice on countering Chinese economic risks at a Group of Seven summit in Japan this month. The leaders pledged in a final statement to achieve economic security by “diversifying and deepening partnerships and de-risking not de-coupling.”

US ‘goodwill’

TWO researchers at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, a think tank affiliated with China’s top intelligence body, wrote this month that the “de-risking” narrative reflected that Western democracies had realized they couldn’t operate without the world’s second-largest economy.

They also argued that the term demonstrated “some goodwill” from the US and its allies, as it showed they wanted to keep dialog open with China. Biden said at the close of the G-7 that US-China ties could “thaw very shortly,” suggesting a long-awaited call with Xi could be imminent.

Still, the researchers cautioned that the new language didn’t mean there would be any fundamental change in their strategy, such as the US rolling back trade sanctions on Chinese entities.

China declined a US request for the two countries’ defense chiefs to meet this week in Singapore during a marquee Asia-

China spurns US request for defense chiefs meeting at Singapore summit

THE push to de-risk supply chains could result in the opposite effect: countries depending on a single location for some products, according to Deborah Elms, the Singapore-based executive director of the Asian Trade Center, who pointed to the recent shortages of baby formula in the US as an example of this.

“This is a classic case of you put all your eggs in one basket and assume that your domestic production is somehow less vulnerable to disruption, but that’s actually not true,” she said.

The US and other Western nations have been increasingly looking to onshore supply chains of various goods since the pandemic. The Inflation Reduction Act, for example, which offers subsidies and tax breaks for companies that produce in the US, has been criticized by Europe and South Korea for putting their companies at a disadvantage.

Japan is also spending billions of dollars to try and rebuild its domestic semiconductor industry. Tokyo has also introduced export restrictions on some chip-making technology to China.

“What they are trying to realize is the partial decoupling,” said Zhou Xiaoming, a former deputy representative to China’s United Nations mission in Geneva, of the US and its allies’ de-risking strategy.

“This means decoupling in areas of their choice that they believe are important for their national security, as well as important for the effort to contain the rise of China,” he added. With assistance from Rebecca Choong Wilkins/Bloomberg

Russia issues arrest warrant for US senator over Ukraine comments

MOSCOW—Russia’s Interior Ministry on Monday issued an arrest warrant for US Sen. Lindsey Graham following his comments related to the fighting in Ukraine.

In an edited video of his meeting on Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that was released by Zelenskyy’s office, Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, noted that “the Russians are dying” and described the US military assistance to the country as “the best money we’ve ever spent.”

While Graham appeared to have made the remarks in different parts of the conversation, the short video by Ukraine’s presidential office put them next to each other, causing outrage in Russia.

Russian President Vladimir

Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented Sunday by saying that “it’s hard to imagine a greater shame for the country

than having such senators.”

The Investigative Committee, the country’s top criminal investigation agency, has moved to open a

criminal inquiry against Graham, and the Interior Ministry followed up by issuing a warrant for his arrest as indicated Monday by its official record of wanted criminal suspects.

Graham is among more than 200 US members of Congress whom Moscow banned last year from entering Russia.

Graham commented on Twitter, saying that “to know that my commitment to Ukraine has drawn the ire of Putin’s regime brings me immense joy.”

“I will continue to stand with and for Ukraine’s freedom until every Russian soldier is expelled from Ukrainian territory,” he tweeted. “I will wear the arrest warrant issued by Putin’s corrupt and immoral government as a Badge of Honor.” AP

By Peter Martin

CHINA declined a US request for the countries’ defense chiefs to meet this week, Beijing’s latest rebuff of the Biden administration’s efforts to restore ties with key officials amid heightened tensions.

The US had proposed in May that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin meet his counterpart Li Shangfu in Singapore during the Shangri-La Dialogue, a marquee Asia-Pacific security gathering.

Beijing has now formally closed the door on that offer, Pentagon officials said Monday. China previously demanded that the US lift sanctions imposed on its top general in 2018 for overseeing an arms purchase from Russia before such a meeting could take place.

In a sign of the tense relationship between the top economies and global powers, the US Defense Department called the decision a “concerning unwillingness” to engage in military discussions.

Liu Pengyu, spokesperson at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, in a statement called on the US to create “favorable” conditions for talks, questioning the “sincerity” of seeking meetings while imposing sanctions.

The lack of dialog raises the danger that an accidental collision or confrontation—in the South China Sea, for example—could escalate out of control, sparking a broader conflict that would be catastrophic for the region and global economy.

President Joe Biden now faces an unappetizing choice—keep sanctions on Li and sacrifice military talks with Beijing, or lift them and risk being seen as soft on China heading into election season.

The Defense Department “believes strongly in the importance of maintaining open lines of military-to-military communication between Washington and Beijing to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict,” Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement Monday.

Relations have been rocky since the US slapped sweeping export bans on semiconductor technology, a top US politician visited Taiwan angering Beijing, and an alleged Chinese spy balloon crossed US territory, all obscuring any goodwill gained from a meeting late last year between the US leader and President Xi Jinping.

Biden, however, said at the Group of Seven summit in Japan this month that relations would “thaw very shortly,” suggesting a long-awaited call with Xi could

be imminent. Last week, top commerce officials met face-to-face in Washington, following two-days of talks between National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and China’s top diplomat in May.

Ali Wyne, a senior analyst at the Eurasia Group Ltd, said Beijing was more willing to resume economic discussions than military dialog with Washington due to broader security issues in the relationship. The Biden administration’s support for Taiwan, a self-ruled island Beijing considers its own territory, has been a flashpoint in recent years.

“It’s in the security realm that distrust between the US and China is most pronounced and differences are most irreconcilable,” said Wyne. “The two countries cannot even agree on the virtues of confidence-building measures, which Beijing views as a pretext for Washington to project greater military power into the Indo-Pacific.”

Going into this week’s summit, the Biden administration had seemingly weighed the possibility of lifting the sanctions on Li. During the G-7 summit this month, the US leader said such a move was “under negotiation right now,” something the State Department later denied.

Li plans to attend the Singapore event from May 31 to June 4, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. He will give a speech and meet Singaporean officials, Xinhua said, citing China’s defense ministry.

Last year, Austin met with then-Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe at the security forum, in talks that a Chinese military spokesman described as a start toward resuming a normal dialog.

Then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan two months later saw China suspend military dialog with the US.

As that freeze continues, China maintains Li wouldn’t be on an equal footing with Austin if the sanctions stayed in place, Bloomberg News reported earlier.

Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, said that even without the US-China bilateral dialog in Singapore there would be “tremendous value” in multilateral engagement.

“The real story is the strengthening and increasing relevance of a regional security architecture that’s turning out to be much more important and valuable than whether the US and China will meet,” he added. With assistance from Rebecca Choong Wilkins/Bloomberg

PM’S SHOCK ELECTION CALL BRINGS UNRULY COALITION TO HEEL

By Jennifer O’mahony

Renata

Party, known by the Spanish acronym PSOE, has led a minority central government with United We Can since 2019, but internal arguments with his coalition partners have increasingly dominated headlines. United We Can’s leadership is also engaged in a separate feud with Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz, who has started her own political movement, Sumar.

Ernesto Pascual, a political scientist and professor at UOC university in Barcelona, said the prime minister wanted to force the hand of the poorly performing, squabbling groupings to the left of his own party, to clarify who had the capacity and will to govern the country.

“Pedro Sánchez needs a bloc to his left which is united. So what he does is to prevent

United We Can and Sumar from confronting each other anymore,” Pascual said. “He is telling them, look, these are the electoral results. Either you unite or it is going to be a disaster.”

The shock tactic seemed to have an immediate effect: United We Can’s leader, Ione Belarra, has already announced a reboot of negotiations with Sumar on an

electoral pact. Legally, the parties only have until June 9 to apply to run on a joint ticket. Although the Socialists’ overall vote share remained largely steady in the local and regional vote, the dire performance of United We Can across the country leaves the coalition with a questionable mandate to continue.

PRESIDENT Joe Biden and his European allies have repeatedly stressed their desire to “derisk,” not “decouple,” from the Chinese economy in recent months as a way to explain a slew of new restrictions on trade with Beijing. The problem is, for China there’s no difference.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin BLOOMBERG PHOTO

Teenagers from Islamic State families undergo rehabilitation in Syria, but future still uncertain

By Hogir Al Abdo & Bassem Mroue The Associated Press

Fearing that a new generation of militants will emerge from al-Hol Camp, the Kurdish officials who govern eastern and northern Syria are experimenting with a rehabilitation program aimed at pulling children out of extremist thought.

It means, however, removing them from their mothers and families for an unknown period of time, a practice that has raised concerns among rights groups. And even if they are deemed rehabilitated, the children’s future remains in limbo with their home countries reluctant to take them back.

“If these children stay in the camp, this will lead to the rise of a new generation of extremists who could be more fanatical than those who were before,” said Khaled Remo, co-chair of the Kurdish-led administration’s office of justice and reform affairs.

Recently, an Associated Press team was allowed to visit the Orkesh Center, a rehabilitation facility that opened

late last year. It’s home to dozens of young boys taken from al-Hol. Ranging in age between 11 and 18, they represent about 15 different nationalities, including France and Germany.

At Orkesh, boys are taught drawing and music, all with the theme of tolerance. They also learn skills for future jobs like a tailor or a barber. They wake up early and have breakfast at 7 a.m., then have classes until 3 p.m., after which they can play soccer and basketball. They live in dormitory-type rooms, where they are expected to keep order and their beds made. They are allowed contact with parents and siblings.

Authorities did not permit the AP to speak to the boys at the center, citing privacy concerns. During a separate visit to al-Hol, residents were hostile, and none agreed to be interviewed. The AP also approached families that were released from alHol, but none responded to requests

for comment. The newness of the program makes it difficult to assess its effectiveness.

Still, the center underscores how US-backed Kurdish authorities are wrestling with the legacy of Islamic State, years after the group was defeated in a brutal war in Syria and Iraq that ended in 2019.

Al-Hol Camp is an open wound left by that conflict. The camp holds about 51,000 people, the vast majority women and children, including the wives, widows and other family members of IS militants. Most are Syrians and Iraqis. But there are also around 8,000 women and children from 60 other nationalities who live in a part of the camp known as the Annex. They are generally considered the most die-hard IS supporters among the camp residents.

The camp population is down from its height of 73,000 people, mostly because of Syrians and Iraqis who were allowed to go home. But other countries have largely balked at taking back their nationals, who traveled to

join IS after the radical group seized large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014. Though Kurdish-led security forces run the camp, they have struggled to keep control. IS radicalism remains rife, with fervent followers intimidating others, particularly in the Annex, home to more than 5,000 children.

Children in al-Hol have little to do and little chance for education. Fewer than half the 25,000 children in the camp attend reading and writing classes at its teaching centers.

During a recent tour by the AP inside al-Hol, some young boys threw stones at the reporters. One drew a finger across his throat in a beheading motion as he looked at the journalists.

“Those kids once they reach the age of 12, they could become dangerous and could kill and beat up others,” the camp’s director Jihan Hanan told the AP.

“So we had a choice, which is to put them at rehabilitation centers and keep them away from the extreme

Staff at Ukraine’s experimental nuclear site pick up pieces from Russian strikes

KHARKIV, Ukraine—There is activity at the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology, but it’s not what scientists at its cutting-edge nuclear laboratory trained for.

Staff at the US-funded atomic research lab in northeastern Ukraine spend their days patching up the facility, which has been badly damaged by repeated Russian strikes.

ideology that their mothers carry,” she said.

Sheikhmous Ahmad, a Kurdish official overseeing camps for displaced people, said that once the boys turn 13, IS loyalists make them get married to young girls — another reason for removing them.

So far, the number of children going through rehabilitation is small, around 300, all of them boys from the Annex. Ninety-seven are at the recently launched Orkesh Center, near the border town of Qamishli about a two-hour drive from al-Hol. The rest are at alHouri, another center that began taking in boys for rehabilitation in 2017, as US-backed, Kurdish-led forces took back territory from IS in Syria.

Al-Houri underscores the longterm problem: Some of the boys have been at the center for years since there is nowhere else to go. The only alternative would be to send them back to al-Hol. Only four children have been repatriated from al-Houri, administrators said.

“While the transfer of these boys to separate detention centers may be well-intentioned, this is not rehabilitation. This is indefinite detention without charge of children, who are themselves victims of ISIS,” said Letta Tayler, associate director of the Crisis and Conflict Division at Human Rights Watch.

She said removal from the family may be appropriate if the mother or another relative is victimizing the child. Otherwise, separation could cause further trauma.

“For many of these children, who have survived unimaginable horrors under ISIS and in the camps where they have been held since the fall

of ISIS, the mother and other family members are their only source of stability,” she said.

Kathryn Achilles, media director of the Syria Response Office at Save the Children International, said separation from the mother “should only ever be as a last resort, addressed by individual countries after families return, in line with their laws.” Hanan, the administrator of alHol, said they had few other options. One proposal is to set up rehabilitation centers in or near the camp, she said.

“Maybe in the future we can agree on something with international organizations regarding such centers as they are the best solution for these children,” Hanan said.

But Kurdish officials and humanitarian agencies agree that the only real solution is for home countries to take back their citizens.

“Once home, children and other victims of ISIS can be offered rehabilitation and reintegration. Adults can be monitored or prosecuted as appropriate,” said Tayler of Human Rights Watch.

The U.N.-backed Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria called in March for repatriation to be sped up. It added that the suffering inflicted on the camp’s residents “may amount to the war crime of committing outrages on personal dignity.”

Until a solution is found, the centers create “an environment that is suitable to pave the way for mental change for these children,” said Remo, the Kurdish official.

Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Qassim Abdul-Zahra contributed to this report from Baghdad.

IN this photo provided by El Salvador’s presidential press office, inmates identified by authorities as gang members are moved at the prison, Terrorism Confinement Center, in Tecoluca, El Salvador on March 15, 2023. At least 153 people jailed since El Salvador instituted emergency powers in March 2022 to confront the country’s powerful street gangs have died in state custody, according to a report released Monday, May 29, 2023, by the human rights group Cristosal. EL SALVADOR PRESIDENTIAL PRESS OFFICE VIA AP

At least 153 people arrested under special powers have died in Salvadoran prisons

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador—At least

153 people jailed since El Salvador instituted emergency powers in March 2022 to confront the country’s powerful street gangs have died in state custody, according to a report released Monday by the human rights group Cristosal.

None of those who died had been convicted of a crime they were accused of at the time of their arrest. There were four women among the victims and the rest were men.

The deaths were the result of torture, and systematic and serious injuries, the report said. Nearly half of the victims suffered violent deaths. Some of the deaths showed signs they resulted from deliberate denial of medical assistance, medicine and food, including some deaths resulting from malnutrition.

The deaths revealed punitive policies carried out by guards and prison officials. The report stated that such actions would have required authorization and backing by the highest-level security officials.

The government has not provided an official count of deaths among the incarcerated.

The special powers approved by El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly in March 2022 following a surge in gang violence suspend some fundamental rights, such

informing someone of their rights at the time of arrest and the reason for their, as well as having access to a lawyer.

Cristosal said it compiled the information through field work, including at common graves, and collecting documents from medical examiners. Investigators also interviewed victims’ families and neighbors, as well as others who were jailed and later released.

The organization called on the administration of President Nayib Bukele to answer about the conditions people are held under, respect due process, free the innocent, answer for those who have died, provide all available information to victims’ families and end the measures implemented under the special powers.

Officially, the government has arrested more than 68,000 people under the special powers since March 2022. More than 5,000 people have been freed because they could not convince a judge they were tied to criminal structures, according to authorities.

Other human rights groups and foreign governments have condemned the government’s actions and called for a lifting of what were supposed to be temporary measures.

Bukele, however, maintains high levels of approval within El Salvador for his actions against the gangs. AP

More than a year after missiles first hit, the wind batters boarded-up windows and exposed insulation flaps. When the Associated Press visited this month, debris had been heaped in piles, and rocket parts sat near craters up to 2.5 meters (8 feet) deep. Staff say the site was struck some 100 times with rockets and bombs during the first months of the war, and attack remains a constant threat. Kharkiv, near the war’s front line and the Russian border, is shelled almost daily from the neighboring Belgorod region of Russia.

Before Russia’s invasion, the institute was a jewel in the crown of Ukraine’s highly developed nuclear research sector. Its experimental reactor had opened only six months earlier, designed to offer training and research facilities and to make medical isotopes used in cancer treatment.

While those fearing a nuclear accident have focused their attention on Ukraine’s huge Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is under Russian control, the Kharkiv lab’s small reactor also poses a risk, though so far there have been no leaks.

Mykola Shulga, general director of the institute’s National Science Center, said the damage is “significant—but we are doing repairs on our own.”

“The strikes on this installation were intentional,” Shulga said, in front of a modern gray building whose panels have been ripped off or are pocked with shrapnel holes. “This wall here was hit with seven missiles.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency has also accused Russia of “sustained targeting” of the research lab. A delegation from the agency visited in November and found nearly all buildings on the site were damaged, “many of them probably beyond repair.” IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi called the extent of the damage “shocking” and worse than expected.

The one positive note, IAEA inspectors said, was that there had been no release of radiation from the lab’s small experimental reactor.

Ukraine’s nuclear inspectorate said shelling last year damaged the facility’s heating, cooling and ventilation systems. An electrical substation and diesel generators were destroyed, leaving the site without electricity for a time.

The Prosecutor’s Office and the Security Service of Ukraine have opened criminal cases for alleged war crimes and “ecocide”— one of several proceedings accusing Russia of environmental destruction.

“Have a look,” said Galyna Tolstolutska, head of the department of radiation damage and radiation materials science.

“Here, you see. It used to be control panel. Most certainly it’s of no use anymore,” she said, looking around a room of equipment wrecked when the ceiling was shattered by a bomb. “This entire place was exposed to rain, snow, anything.” AP

QAMISHLI, Syria—For at least four years, thousands of children have been growing up in a camp in northeast Syria housing families of Islamic State group militants, raised in an atmosphere where the group’s radical ideology still circulates and where they have almost no chance for an education.

CHILDREN run in al-Hol camp, which houses families of members of the Islamic State group in Hasakeh province, Syria on April 19, 2023. AP/BADERKHAN AHMAD

Taiwan rushes to prevent China from cutting Internet, phones

By Jamie Tarabay & Cindy Wang

BU ffe T e d by earthquakes and the potential of conflict with China, Taiwan’s leaders want to accelerate plans to make the island more resilient to communications breakdowns and direct attacks on its digital infrastructure.

It could be an impossible task.

Audrey Tang, who heads Taiwan’s Ministry of d i gital Affairs, says she wants the island’s $740 billion economy to be able to handle the possible collapse of all its communications in the event of an emergency by the end of next year.  The threat isn’t theoretical: Tai -

wan’s Matsu Islands found themselves digitally adrift after two of their submarine Internet cables were severed by boats flying Chinese flags in fe bruary. Before that, a 2006 earthquake cut eight subsea cables around Taiwan, took weeks to repair and disrupted the Internet, banking and cross-border trading across much of Asia. Both events were harsh reminders of what could happen in a conflict or natural disaster.

“The main lesson we learned is psychological,” Tang said in a May 17 interview. “How to manage the expectation on reduced bandwidth, how to prioritize the bandwidth use, which uses are o K t o have a slightly higher latency, and so on.”

Tang says the worst-case scenario for Taiwan would be the destruction of the island’s physical points of communication: its three major telecommunications providers as well as their power supplies.

“The enemy knows” where the island’s key facilities are because the information is public, Tang said. “So we can assume that they’re going to be disrupted, jammed or destroyed in a huge earthquake.”

Tang mentions “earthquakes” a lot. Besides referring to natural disasters—Taiwan sits in the tectonicallyactive region known as the “ring of fire”s—it’s also a euphemism for incidents related to tensions with China, including cyber attacks.

“It’s a very apt analogy because an earthquake is not going to give you a lot of warnings,” Tang, 42, said.

China views Taiwan as part of its territory and vows to bring it under its control one day, by force if necessary. The government of President Tsai Ing-wen rejects Beijing’s claim, asserting the island is an already de facto independent nation. And with Taiwan holding presidential elections in early 2024, China is expected to ramp up efforts to influence the vote.

But building up the digital resilience Tang wants by late 2024 is a tough target.

The island’s disaster response plan calls for the establishment of 700 satellite receivers placed all over Taiwan. Some of the receivers would be fixed, others mobile, and they would have to be configured to receive communications from multiple constellations of satellites in l o w e a rth o r bit ( l eo) and Medium e a rth o r bit (M e o)

To get there, the government opened bids for research institutes to take part in a proof-of-concept round of testing and verification. So far, at least three have signed up, Tang said. The winner will begin work with satellite providers. Among the providers, f r ench- l u xembourg company S e S G lobal now has two receivers in Taiwan.

Tang said o n eWeb, a satellite provider with investors including the UK government, Indian conglomerate Bharti Global and Softbank Group Corp., has signaled its interest, as has Project Kuiper, an initiative from Amazon.com Inc. to create a constellation of over 3,000 leo satellites. But neither of those is currently available.  o n ly Starlink Inc.’s SpaceX satellite constellation has the capability to provide live coverage right now. Tang describes Starlink as a potential provider, but adds that she’s after more than one participant in order “to ensure that when there’s adversity, multiple constellations will have to be destroyed or disrupted to deny us communication” with the outside world.

The threat isn’t theoretical: Taiwan’s Matsu Islands found themselves digitally adrift after two of their submarine Internet cables were severed by boats flying Chinese flags in February. Before that, a 2006 earthquake cut eight subsea cables around Taiwan, took weeks to repair and disrupted the Internet, banking and cross-border trading across much of Asia. Both events were harsh reminders of what could happen in a conflict or natural disaster.

Vulnerable cables

T H AT means for now, Taiwan’s satellite capacity pales in comparison to the coverage it currently gets from its 14 undersea cables, says Kenny Huang, chairman and chief executive officer at the Taiwan Network Information Center, a non-profit partially owned by Taiwan’s government.

Current satellite capacity “only adds up to about 0.01% of the transmission capacity of the undersea cables,” Huang said. “It’s almost impossible to use those satellites as back up or to enhance communication resilience.”

The undersea cables are highly vulnerable, however. Huang added that the plan to have 700 receivers won’t be big enough to cover the communication needs of the island’s 23 million people.

Tang called the 700 receivers she’s initially aiming for a minimum to sustain essential communication. The government has earmarked NT$550 million ($18 million) in 2023-2024 to subsidize the testing and verification of the disaster response program.

She added that the self-governing island has taken lessons from the conflict in Ukraine, which has confronted repeated cyberattacks by Russia on its infrastructure and population. But Ukraine has access to the Starlink system, which has helped keep communications up and running since the war began.

It’s not clear if that is a realistic option for Taiwan. There are questions about whether SpaceX owner e l on Musk, whose Tesla Inc. has significant investments in China, would want the geopolitical headache of aiding Taiwan. The billionaire is expected to visit China this week in what would be his first trip to the country in three years, according to people familiar with the matter

Musk suggested last year in comments to the f inancial Times that Taiwan should agree to become a special administrative zone of China, angering Taiwanese officials and winning praise from Beijing.

Referring to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s daily video briefings throughout the war, Tang said it’s critical for the government to be able to communicate to its people as well as the outside world.

That means local video calls should be handled domestically, she said. Yet right now, Zoom sessions are initially routed overseas before a local connection is made. Tang added that Alphabet Inc.’s Google Meet has entirely domestic routing, ensuring it will still be operational should Taiwan’s u ndersea cables get cut.

Asked about this part of the government’s plan, Zoom Video Communications Inc. and Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Microsoft Corp. declined to comment.

Underscoring her sense of urgency, Tang said the island’s digital infrastructure is already under siege by millions of largely automated attacks by suspected Chinese-affiliated actors. That will only get worse in the case of a future earthquake or other emergency, Tang said.

Biden on Memorial Day lauds generations of fallen US troops who ‘dared all and gave all’

By Aamer Madhani & Rebecca Santana The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden lauded the sacrifice of generations of US troops who “dared all and gave all” fighting for their country and called on Americans to ensure their “sacrifice was not in vain” in Memorial Day observances at Arlington National Cemetery.

Biden was joined at the traditional wreath-laying ceremony by first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Harris’ husband, d o uglas e mh off, for the 155th National Memorial d a y o b servance. He had a moment of contemplation in front of the wreath, which was adorned with flowers and a red, white and blue bow, and then bowed his head in prayer.

“We must never forget the price that was paid to protect our democracy,” Biden said later in an address at the Memorial Amphitheater. “We must never forget the lives these flags, flowers and marble markers represent.”

e v ery year we remember,” he said.

“And every year it never gets easier.”

Monday’s federal holiday honoring America’s fallen service members came a day after Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached final agreement on a deal that would raise America’s debt limit and that now awaits approval by Congress.

As it stands, the agreement would keep nondefense spending roughly flat in

“We must never forget the price that was paid to protect our democracy,” Biden said later in an address at the Memorial Amphitheater. “We must never forget the lives these flags, flowers and marble markers represent.”

the 2024 fiscal year and increase it by 1% the following year. The measure would allow for 3% defense growth that year, to $886 billion, and then 1% the next year, to $895 billion.

Biden has taken pride that his d e mocratic administration has overseen a time of relative peace for the US military after two decades of war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

It’s been nearly 21 months since Biden ended the United States’ longest war, in Afghanistan, making good on a campaign promise to end a 20-year-old “forever war” that cost the lives of more than 2,400 US service members.

The war in Afghanistan, however, ended in chaotic and deadly fashion on Biden’s watch in August 2021 with critics assailing the administration’s handling of the evacuation of some 120,000 American citizens, Afghans and others as poorly planned and badly executed.

The Biden administration last month released a review of the last

days of the war, largely blaming his Republican predecessor, President d o nald Trump, and asserting that Biden was “severely constrained” by Trump’s decisions.

The US now finds itself leading a coalition of allies pouring tens of billions of dollars in military and economic aid into Ukraine as it tries to repel the Russian invasion, which appears to have no end in sight.

While making clear that he has no desire for US troops to enter the conflict, Biden has maintained that he sees the Russian effort to grab territory as an affront to international norms and has vowed to help Kyiv win, sending artillery, tanks and drones and recently agreeing to allow allies to train Ukrainian military on American f -16 jets.

Biden connected the sacrifices of some 400,000 Americans buried at Arlington to the work of US troops deployed around the world today, saying the impact of the fallen men and women “goes far beyond those silent stones” of the solemn burial ground.

“We see the strength of our NAT o alliance built from the bonds that were forged in the fires of two World Wars,” Biden said. “We see it in the troops still standing sentinel on the Korean Peninsula, preserving the peace side by side with allies. We see it in every base, every barrack, every vessel around the globe where our military proudly serves and stands as a force for good in the world.”

d u ring the Arlington ceremony, Biden also spoke of the need to care for US service members on and off the battlefield.

“We have only one truly sacred obligation: to prepare those we send into harm’s way and care for them and their families when they come home and when they don’t,” Biden said.

The president noted legislation he had signed expanding federal health care services for millions of veterans who served at military bases where toxic smoke billowed from huge burn pits, commonly used by the military until several years ago to dispose of chemicals, tires, plastics and medical and human waste.

Before Monday’s ceremony at the Arlington, Virginia, cemetery, the Bidens hosted a breakfast at the White House for members of veterans organizations, military service and military family organizations, surviving families of fallen US troops, senior d e fense d e partment and other administration officials.

The president and the first lady returned to their home near Wilmington, d e laware, later Monday.

A very Japanese scandal complicates decision on early election Erdogan...

Continued from A14

Rights and freedoms: Erdogan signals crackdown to continue eR do G AN S p residency has been marked by a crackdown on freedom of expression and increasing hostility toward minority groups: Mainstream media is pro-government, Internet censorship is widespread, new social media laws could limit expression online, and he has frequently targeted members of the l G BTQ community and ethnic Kurds.

In the aftermath of the 2016 failed coup attempt that Turkey blames on a US-based Muslim cleric, the government used broad terror laws to imprison those with links to the cleric, pro-Kurdish politicians and members of civil society.

Sinclair-Webb, the human rights campaigner, said e rd ogan’s victory speech was a “taste of what’s to come” when he targeted the imprisoned pro-Kurdish politician Selahattin d e mirtas, as crowds chanted slogans for capital punishment.

He similarly used another victory speech to stir up anti- l G BTQ sentiment. e rdogan once called the mistreatment of gay people “inhumane” but now refers to members of l GBTQ community as “deviants.” Since 2015, his government has banned pride parades, as officials have increased the use of discriminatory language while trying to strengthen their conservative base.

e rd ogan’s government has also withdrawn Turkey from a landmark e u ropean treaty protecting women from domestic violence, bowing to conservative groups that claimed the treaty promoted homosexuality.

Anti-gay rhetoric only escalated during e rd ogan’s campaign.

“Mentioning it again at the first opportunity in the balcony speech on victory is a chilling reminder of how he’s really putting l G BT people at great risk,” said Sinclair-Webb, the human rights campaigner.

Turkey’s oldest l G BTQ association, Kaos G l , s aid that e rd ogan’s win would not silence them.

e v en though they promise to shut us down, we came out once and we are not going back in,” the organization and others said in a statement. Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser contributed from Ankara, Turkey.

By Isabel Reynolds

Aflood of criticism over a scandal that might barely raise eyebrows in many countries forced Japanese Prime Minister f u mio Kishida to fire his son and raised new doubts over the timing of the next general election.

Images taken at the prime minister’s residence show Shotaro Kishida, who has been working as his father’s secretary, standing with others on an ornate red-carpeted staircase used to take official portraits of cabinet ministers. In another, a man who doesn’t appear to be Shotaro is lying on the stairs, holding what may be a drink.

“His actions last year in an official space were inappropriate for a secretary who is in an official position, so I decided to replace him to draw a line under this,” Kishida told reporters Monday.

The images emerged in a weekly magazine last week. Bunshun o nl ine said they were taken at a New Year’s party with relatives. The negative response to the photos has taken the edge off a leap in support for the prime minister following his hosting of Group of Seven leaders in his hometown of Hiroshima. The summit was seen as relatively successful domestically, helping fuel existing speculation he might call an early general election.

The premier had already reprimanded his son over the incident, but a poll carried out by the Asahi newspaper over the weekend showed three quarters of respondents saw Shotaro’s behavior as a problem. A separate poll by the Nikkei newspaper showed Kishida’s support had fallen by five percentage points to 47%.

“It comes across as offensive and I guess arrogant,” said Koichi Nakano, a professor of political science at Sophia University in Tokyo. “In terms of the sense that you have a rather incestuous group of people, nepotism ruling Japan,

The images emerged in a weekly magazine last week. Bunshun Online said they were taken at a New Year’s party with relatives. The negative response to the photos has taken the edge off a leap in support for the prime minister following his hosting of Group of Seven leaders in his hometown of Hiroshima. The summit was seen as relatively successful domestically, helping fuel existing speculation he might call an early general election.

personalizing power and private usage of the public space.”

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the premier hadn’t been aware of the get-together until the magazine report emerged.

Matsuno added that Shotaro would not be accepting any severance payments.

Kishida’s son, who local media say is 32, previously came under fire over a report that he used a government car to go sightseeing in Paris during his father’s visit there in January. Government officials said at the time he had been engaged in government business and had not done anything inappropriate.

While Kishida himself has benefited from a relatively clean political image, his former boss Shinzo Abe was dogged by a series of scandals. In 2020 he was questioned by prosecutors but not charged over allegations his political funding group illegally subsidized cherry blossom viewing parties for hundreds of voters. He denied involve -

ment in a sweetheart land deal given to the operator of a nationalist kindergarten who was planning to open an elementary school.  Kishida need not hold a general election until 2025, but going to the polls early would be an opportunity to renew his mandate ahead of a party leadership election in September next year. In the meantime, he faces a fight over how to pay for his bold pledges to increase spending on defense and policies aimed at bolstering the birthrate.

There are other problems overshadowing his prospects in any early vote, which will take place following a redrawing of constituency boundaries to reflect the ongoing drift from his ruling l i beral d e mocratic Party’s rural strongholds to urban areas.

The ld P ’s decades-old coalition with the Buddhist-backed Komeito is showing cracks after the two parties fought over which of them should field candidates in newly created constituencies in Tokyo. The junior coalition party has announced it won’t work with the ld P in the capital, a blow to the many l d P l awmakers who effectively owe their seats to Komeito’s efforts to turn out the vote for them.

An early election could also limit the Bank of Japan’s room for maneuver. Governor Kazuo Ueda has tamped down market speculation about looming changes in B o J policy, but some economists continue to warn that the central bank could take action this year, with July flagged as a potential timing. If Kishida goes to the polls, the B o J would likely be more reluctant to make potentially market-jolting changes or policy tweaks.

Scoring a general election win in the next couple of months might also be too early, raising the risk he won’t be able to keep up the momentum over more than a year until the party leadership election, according to some analysts.  With assistance from Yuki Hagiwara / Bloomberg

A16 Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Congress prodded on GCG charter amendments bills

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

WE MUST MEASURE WHAT WE TREASURE–DENR CHIEF

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

“ In order to efficiently operate as a regulatory body for the GOCC sector, RA 10149 is proposed to be amended to address issues and clarify and strengthen the powers and functions of the GCG,” GCG Chairperson Justice Alex L. Quiroz said.

T he GCG noted that it has faced several issues regarding its scope and duties and even regarding the legality of its powers and functions provided under its charter. The GCG was created under Republic

Act 10149 or the GOCC Governance Act of 2011.

T he GCG said Quiroz and GCG Commissioner Gideon D.V. Mortel met with House Speaker Ferdinand Romualdez last May 25 to discuss the proposed amendments to the body’s charter.

Q uoting Mortel, the GCG said draft bills have been submitted to some lawmakers at the House of Representatives to put forward the changes to the body’s mandate.

The GCG added that it has also submitted its proposed amendments to Sen. Alan Peter S. Cayetano, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises, in December 2022.

O ne amendment the GCG is eyeing is the “standardization” of the definition of GOCCs.

T he GCG is also seeking fixed

terms of office for the GCG Chairperson and Commissioners while creating an office for a GCG Executive Director.

“ To strengthen its oversight powers, the agency is asking Congress for subpoena and contempt powers as well as investigative and disciplinary powers,” it said.

It is also seeking express power to consolidate, rationalize, and integrate GOCCs into national government agencies [NGAs],” it added.

F urthermore, GCG said it seeks to be granted the authority to determine the appropriate incentive programs for all employees affected by any rationalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, integration into an NGA, abolition, or privatization of GOCCs.

T he GCG pointed out that some GOCCs “have functions that are duplicative of what is already being carried out by other NGAs or GOCCs.”

“ We can recommend to the Office of the President that it would be economical for those GOCCs which are not financially viable, but are performing vital public service, to be converted into or transferred to NGAs,” Quiroz said.

‘WE must measure what we treasure as a country.”

T his was stressed by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)

Secretary Maria Antonia YuloLoyzaga as she gave full support to a proposed measure to develop a system of accounting that accounts for the full value of the country’s natural assets that contribute to economic development. She aired her support during the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs hearing on the proposed Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (Pencas).

T hree senators—Loren Legarda, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., and Joel Villanueva— have separately filed with the Senate similar bills seeking to institutionalize Pencas.

The counterpart measure was filed by Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez in the House of Representatives.

I n a statement, the DENR chief said the agency strongly and categorically supports pro -

posed measures that aim to institutionalize Pencas, saying it will not only provide the country with a snapshot of the environment, but its contribution to the economy as well.

Pencas helps map possible directions in the development of the nation beyond traditional indicators and allow us to explore multiple trajectories for social, economic, and environmental development from the valuation of our natural resources,” she told lawmakers.

L oyzaga said Pencas will not only serve as a tool for determining the contributions of ecosystems to economic development but also for better management of natural resources and improving climate and disaster resilience.

“

The Department believes that these bills will more accurately reflect the true state of the nation’s wealth as derived from its natural resources. It will enable strategic planning for sustainable development and climate and disaster resilience by establishing the baseline accounts for the Philippine Development Plan,” she pointed out. See “We,” A2

DOF plays down risk factor from Maharlika fund to GFIs, GOCCs

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

THE Department of Finance (DOF) on Tuesday played down the concerns of some lawmakers on the potential risk to government financial institutions (GFI) and government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCC) investing in the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF).

I n an interview with reporters in Malacañang, Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said there are existing safeguards that prevent GFIs and GOCCs from being ruined by poor investments.

A mong such measures, he said, is the restriction in the amount of their funds which they allocate for investments.

I n the case of the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), he said, the GFI can only invest 3 percent of its total “investable funds.”

Actually its [LBP] investable fund is more than 1 trillion [pesos]. But it can only contribute P50 billion of it [for investments],” Diokno said.

Similar investment limits, he said, also apply to the Social Security System (SSS) and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

D OF made the pronouncements after Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III warned in a television interview that the MIF can bankrupt financial institutions if it fails.

D iokno, however, insisted such concern is “baseless” since GFIs and GOCCs also have boards and “risk committees” to protect their interests.

“ They are presidential appointees [but] they act in the best interest of the company,” Diokno said.

Higher revenues

SENATOR Risa Hontiveros expressed concern on the alleged “backdoor provision” in Senate Bill (SB) No. 2020 allowing GFIs and GOCC to “gamble” their funds by investing in the MIF.

T he lawmaker said the Senate should remove the said provision, similar to what the House of Representatives did in its own version of the MIF legislation, House Bill (HB) No. 6088.

I n the Senate version, SSS and GSIS may “volunteer” to invest in MIF within the parameters set by their charters. She expressed concern they will invest a portion of the pension funds of their members

in the MIF. She earlier noted that the heads of these GFIs are appointees of the Executive, which puts in question their independence in judging the soundness of investing their agency’s funds in MIF. D iokno, however, said the GFIs and GOCCs should be given the opportunity to allocate more funds in the MIF, especially if it will allow them to increase their revenues.

“ For example, SSS, [its investments] are very limited. They are mostly in treasury bills. Now, if you give them the opportunity to invest in infrastructure projects like tollways for example, and they will earn a 20-percent return, why will they be prohibited from doing that?” the DOF chief said.  P resident Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has included the MIF as part of his administration’s priority legislation to help the government increase its investments in strategic and commercial projects to promote fiscal stability and strengthen the top-performing GFIs.

T he House of Representative passed the bill, HB 6088, on third and final reading last December, while the Senate is trying to finalize SB 2020 before Congress goes on a two-week break.

DOJ to RTC: Reverse acquittal of De

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked the Regional Trial Court  (RTC) of Muntinlupa City to reverse its decision acquitting former senator Leila de Lima of the conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City  on the ground of “reasonable doubt.”

I n a 91-page motion for reconsideration, the panel of prosecutors headed by Provincial Prosecutor Ramoncito Ocampo Jr., questioned the motive behind the recantation of its main witness, former officer-in-charge of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Rafael Ragos, which became the basis of the trial court’s dismissal of the drug case.

Lima

T he prosecution noted that Ragos’s recantation came eight days before the 2022 presidential election, where De Lima was seeking re-election as senator.

This clearly raises doubt as to the motive behind the sudden retraction,”  the MR stated.

Verily, the precipitous recantation of  NBI Deputy Director  Rafael Marcos Z. Ragos is coming off as highly suspect and should not  be the sole barometer and guiding threshold in rendering the assailed  judgment,” it added.

I n its May 13, 2013 ruling,  Muntinlupa RTC  Branch 204

Presiding Judge Abraham Joseph Alcantara gave weight to Ragos’s recantation in  acquitting De Lima and bodyguard Ronnie Dayan.

W ithout Ragos’s statement, the trial court said, “the crucial link to establish conspiracy is shrouded with reasonable doubt.”

It added that the retraction “created reasonable doubt which warrants the acquittal of both accused.”

R agos executed an affidavit on September 5, 2016 claiming that in November 2012, as BuCor OIC and together with aide Jovencio Ablen, they delivered a black bag containing P5 million to  De Lima  and her bodyguard Dayan at the former’s residence in Parañaque.        He admitted that they made another delivery of the amount of P5 million  contained in a plastic bag in December 2012 to De Lima and Dayan.

THE Governance Commission for GovernmentOwned or -Controlled Corporations (GCG) on Tuesday said it is lobbying lawmakers to amend its charter in a bid to strengthen its powers in regulating the GOCC sector.

QUIROZ: “In order to efficiently operate as a regulatory body for the GOCC sector, RA 10149 is proposed to be amended to address issues and clarify and strengthen the powers and functions of the GCG.”

274.

development and image enhancement projects. Coordinate logistics and communication between clients, vendors, and stakeholders. Follow all state and safety requirements to implement good safety conditions at work site.

GAO, ZHENGUO Chinese Construction Technician

Brief Job Description: Manage and supervise facility development and image enhancement projects. Coordinate logistics and communication between clients, vendors, and stakeholders. Follow all state and safety requirements to implement good safety conditions at work site.

HAN, MANYI Chinese Construction Technician

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and communicate using Mandarin is an advantage. Able to explain problems simply and clearly. Proficient in MS Office. Able to follow health and safety regulations. Excellent mathematical and problem-solving skills.

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and communicate using Mandarin is an advantage. Able to explain problems simply and clearly. Proficient in MS Office. Able to follow health and safety regulations. Excellent mathematical and problem-solving skills. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

275.

Brief Job Description: Manage and supervise facility development and image enhancement projects. Coordinate logistics and communication between clients, vendors, and stakeholders. Follow

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

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

Representative Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese and Vietnamese language Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

12 ANOC99 CORPORATION POGO 1 Building, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

13 B/E AEROSPACE B.V.

Lot 18, 3rd Street, First Philippine Industrial Park, Ulango, City of Tanauan, Batangas

TRIEU, DUC THANG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

SREEKUMAR RAMACHANDRAN

Senior Manager - Maintenance

Brief Job Description:

Design and implement the site’s Global Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) program implementation, including best practices in the aerospace industry. Lead the overall planning and execution of TPM plans and programs

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese and Vietnamese language Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

Basic Qualification: Has 10-year work experience in a large manufacturing set-up on total preventive production maintenance, project management or manufacturing operations in the aerospace industry. Preferably with global exposure in aerospace maintenance organizations or function

Salary Range: Php150,000 –Php499,999

14 BRICKHARTZ TECHNOLOGY INC.

Lot 4044, Molino Boulevard, Niog III, City of Bacoor, Cavite

CHEN, YITONG

Mandarin Customer Relations Officer

Brief Job Description:

Ensure outstanding customer satisfaction by maintaining strong working relationships

GE, QIANGQIANG

15 BRICKHARTZ TECHNOLOGY INC.

Lot 4044, Molino Boulevard, Niog III, City of Bacoor, Cavite

Mandarin Customer Relations Officer

Brief Job Description:

Ensure outstanding customer satisfaction by maintaining strong working relationships

CHENG, YUAN

16 BRICKHARTZ TECHNOLOGY INC.

Lot 4044, Molino Boulevard, Niog III, City of Bacoor, Cavite

Basic Qualification: Has excellent problem-solving and communication skills in Mandarin, with related BPO experience

Salary Range:

Php30,000Php59,999

Basic Qualification:

Has excellent problem-solving and communication skills in Mandarin, with related BPO experience

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999b

Basic Qualification:

17 BRICKHARTZ TECHNOLOGY INC.

Lot 4044, Molino Boulevard, Niog III, City of Bacoor, Cavite

Mandarin Customer Service

Brief Job Description:

Ensure outstanding customer satisfaction by maintaining strong working relationships

HUANG, ZHANGJUN

Mandarin Customer Service

Brief Job Description:

Ensure outstanding customer satisfaction by maintaining strong working relationships

LIU, WENSHENG

18 BRICKHARTZ TECHNOLOGY INC.

Lot 4044, Molino Boulevard, Niog III, City of Bacoor, Cavite

Mandarin Customer Service

Brief Job Description:

Ensure outstanding customer satisfaction by maintaining strong working relationships

Has excellent problem-solving and communication skills in Mandarin, with related BPO experience

Salary Range:

Php30,000Php59,999

Basic Qualification: Has excellent problem-solving and communication skills in Mandarin, with related BPO experience

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

Basic Qualification:

Has excellent problem-solving and communication skills in Mandarin, with related BPO experience

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

Companies

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Rizome PHL invests $100M in engineered bamboo plant

By Raadee S. Sausa

Florida-based rizome Philippines has announced that it is investing $100 million (P5.5 billion) in an engineered bamboo plant in Cagayan de oro.

The company said the quality of Philippine bamboo wood, particularly those from Giant Aster species that grow abundantly in Mindanao, can compete with lumber from other countries.

“The investment is big. But even now, our business is already a billion-peso industry. And it employs thousands,” former Agriculture Secretary Luis P. Lorenzo Jr. said in a statement.

Lorenzo is a global investor at

Rizome through subsidiary Bamboo ecologic ex port Corp., which is bringing in cutting edge, proprietary technology in bamboo wood manufacturing.

“I became a global investor because I want to bring the best technology here. I don’t want the Philippines to be second class.”

Despite China’s vast bamboo plantation, Lorenzo said the Philippines can also compete with any country in the world in terms of bamboo

wood quality.

“I came across group of Americans who for 13 years were producing from Vietnam high-end, prefabricated homes made of bamboo. The same group studied ways by which bamboo can be reengineered using technology,” he said.

“After 13 years, they finally decided after visiting Brazil, Indonesia, China, India that the Philippines has the best bamboo.”

Rizome’s bamboo manufactures are shipped in container loads to original equipment manufacturers in America, europe, the Middle east, Africa and Asia Pacific.

Meanwhile, Lorenz said he met with Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC) Vice Chairman Deogracias Victor Savellano who has been pushing for priority legislation to institutionalize execution of executive Order (eO) 879 issued in 2010.

MVP: New breed of biz leaders must be tech-savvy warriors

The Lower house has approved on second reading house Bill 7941, which aims to promote the development of the sector.

PBIDC noted that the bill supports the provisions of eO 879 which seeks to enable the Philippines to compete with China for the $8-billion bamboo market.

“Please make it a priority. I hope government would be friendly toward a new industry. Government is technically pushing housing. Why not import-substitute all the components of housing construction?” Lorenzo said.

The company said bamboo is as naturally sustainable as it is aesthetically beautiful.

“As bamboo grows, it absorbs 10 times more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than an equivalent acreage of trees. Bamboo also releases 35 percent more oxygen than a tree.”

‘PSE tax deficiency hits ₧189M’

By VG Cabuag @villygc

The Bureau of Internal Rev-

enue (BIR) has issued to the Philippine Stock e x change (PSe) a deficiency tax assessment of P189.2 million for 2017.

In its disclosure on Tuesday, the bourse said the amount includes compromise penalty and interests up to September 30. These involved alleged deficiencies in various taxes in the calendar year 2017 including income tax, value-added tax, expanded

withholding tax, among others.

“The company will dispute said assessment and will take appropriate legal action for the cancellation of the assessment,” the PSe said.

In 2017, the PSe earned P246.97 million on gross revenues of P616.06 million.

The PSe said its net income in the first quarter reached P203.16 million, slightly lower than the previous year’s P204.21 million.

The lower income was due to the 2-percent decline in operating revenues, which fell to P382.28 million from the previous year’s

P390.74 million.

“Cost and expenses were higher mainly because of the P13.39million higher software and hardware maintenance costs of the trading system, new clearing and settlement system, and disclosure portal.”

Cost of services and administrative expenses for the quarter amounted to P172.71 million, higher by P14.71 million or 9 percent from last year’s P158 million. Of this, more than half or P90.79 million represented cost of services consisting of expenses that are

directly related to the operations of the bourse such as compensation and other related staff costs, depreciation, office expenses, communications, and repairs and maintenance.

Investments in financial assets registered an improvement in fair value of 64 percent or P3.05 million from last year’s net loss of P47.7 million. This pertained to the PSe s investment in equity funds and US dollar-denominated bonds which are being managed by professional fund managers under a purely discretionary mandate.

Aboitiz: Oriental Mindoro LGUs go digital

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

UBX Philippines Corp., the fintech arm of the Aboitiz Group, said on Tuesday it has started the integration of digital services to local government units (LGU) under the province of Oriental Mindoro.

John Januszczak, the president of UBX, said the City of Calapan and Municipality of Pola are the first of the LGUs in Oriental Mindoro to implement new digital services—from tax collections, and application processes, to payments.

“Our initial success with Oriental Mindoro’s digital transformation only goes to show how cooperation is key towards achieving financial and social inclusion. We highly encourage the local government leaders from across the archipelago to pursue the same path,” he said.

“By understanding the local context and working with the community, the government, as powered by UBX, can provide financial solutions that help underserved communities in the Philippines.”

The digital transformation initiatives were born out of the multisectoral initiative of UBX called Digital Transformation ng Pilipinas (DigiPinas). Through the said initiative, UBX is equipping Oriental Mindoro with open finance technology for payments, disbursements, and loans so it can leverage digital solutions for all government transactions.

“Catering to the needs of its constituents is the number one priority of all local governments. Given the recent events in Oriental Mindoro, our initial steps towards the province’s digital transformation could hopefully alleviate some of its burdens in addressing the disaster,” DigiPinas Spokesperson Mikan Leachon said.

UBX has integrated its payments processing unit called BUx into the local capitol, providing its constituents a digital payment system for real property tax.

With the activation of BUx services, taxpayers in the region will have access to an easy, convenient, and secure way to pay their taxes, driving financial inclusion and supporting economic growth in the region.

After its success with the digital system on tax payments, UBX seeks to enable digitization for transactions on utilities

such as electricity and water at the Capitol. Digital loans for businesses and residents, especially those impacted by the oil spill, are also being explored for the benefit

of the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMes), such as sari-sari stores, carenderias, and small stalls that rely on loans to sustain their businesses.

PASSIOnATe, digitally savvy, risk-taking warriors—this is what next-generation leaders must be, according to businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan.

“More than the ability to manage the business, they must also be entrepreneurial. This country needs more entrepreneurs, more risk-takers,” Pangilinan said.

“They should also be immersed in IT, be digitally savvy, and believe that tech deployed in the business will improve the business, eventually raise profitability and improve the lives of the customers that we serve.”

A longtime sports patron, Pangilinan also highlighted the importance of having a winning mindset.

“They must also be like warriorsdetermined to win, determined to achieve their goals.”

The PLDT chairman also highlighted financial and intellectual integrity as among the important values for any leader.

“What you communicate must not only be true, but complete,” he said. “Commitment, dedication and passion for the work—these are also important. Otherwise, it’s just a job. You can’t have that. You really have to have the passion.”

Pangilinan also underscored the importance of being tough when the situation calls for it. “It’s tough being the bad guy. I don’t relish being critical, but somebody’s got to do it.”

B1

PLDT Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan

Banking&Finance

Inflation seen tracking easing trend in yields of debt papers

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

HETnational government started its June domestic borrowing program on a high note as the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) successfully raised the full P25 billion programmed amount from the sale of Treasury bonds (T-bonds).

Tuesday’s auction saw the average rate for the reissued T-bonds, which has a remaining life of 9 years and 3 months, settling at 5.958 percent, below the secondary market benchmark of 5.971 percent.

i nvestors’ asking rates during the auction ranged from a low of 5.9 percent to a high of 5.98 percent.

“The auction attracted P74.8 billion in total tenders or three times the P25.0 billion offer,” the BTr said

in a statement after the auction.

This is now the sixth consecutive week that the Treasury successfully made a full award of its T-bonds auction.

Moving forward, Rizal commercial Banking corp. c h ief economist Michael L. Ricafort told the BusinessMirror that the anticipated further easing of the country’s inflation in the coming months could “fundamentally support the easing trend in Treasury bill and [T-bond] auction yields.”

Ricafort added that recent hints by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) officials about a “possible” pause on local policy rates in June 2023 would contribute to the lowering of the government debt paper’s rates.

Last week, n a tional Treasurer

Errant taxpayers’ days seen ending

Finance Secretary Benjamin

Rosalia V. De Leon said the BTr foresees interest rates for both T-bills and Treasury bonds on a downward trend. De Leon pinned the decline to investors’ improved outlook on the Philippine economy and after monetary authorities put a brake on policy rate hikes as inflation slowed. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2023/05/23/improved-outlookto-lower-debt-paper-rates/ )

Tuesday’s auction was the Treasury’s first auction programmed for its June borrowing program.

For the month of June, the Treasury aims to raise P185 billion from the sale of T-bills and T-bonds. The Treasury plans to generate P60 billion from four auctions of T-bills and P125 billion from five auctions of T-bonds.

Let’s talk capital market (Part 2)

and sent to the Senate on June 2, 2021, where it was caught up in the change of administration. it is now being deliberated upon by the Senate. it is instructive to quote a portion of its Declaration of Policy:

In the previous column, we talked about the dearth of securities issues as an obstacle to capital market development.

On the other hand, there is a dearth of both investment funds and investors moving into the capital market.

The lack of long-term investible funds

THe capital market is about longterm investments where long-term financing needs of corporates need to be matched by investors with longterm horizons. The supplier of funds would normally be Pension Funds which are managed for retirement purposes.

Unfortunately, the Philippines has a most inadequate pension system, embarrassingly ranked very low in a global comparison scale. This is widely-acknowledged and recently has been shouted out in congress by the chairman of its Ways and Means committee. This is why the reform of our pension system is top priority in the agenda of the capital Market Development council (cMDc)

accordingly, the “capital Market Development act” has been proposed in congress (House Bill 9343), has been deliberated upon, hearings conducted and approved in May 2021

Landbank backs

Samar town’s dev’t push

ALLen, Samar—The Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) announced its executives signed a P160-million loan agreement with the local government of this municipality, in line with continuing efforts to support countryside development.

“The funding will be used to fast-track the town’s various development projects, which include the construction of an improved water system and public market, aimed at delivering essential public services while helping to reduce environmental degradation,” read the state-run lender’s statement issued last Tuesday.

“Landbank carries on its commitment of servicing the requirements of our LGU [local government unit] partners in support of their local development agenda. With these projects of a llen LGU, their constituents will be benefitted with basic but essential services including an improved water system and a public market,” Landbank President and ceO Lynette V. Ortiz was quoted in the statement as saying.

“The State also acknowledges that expanding the capital market necessitates the development of a wide institutional investor base that could best be achieved by adopting a robust pension fund system. The State recognizes that the current system has long been due for reform and as old age income support is now among the major social and economic challenges facing many nations, including the Philippines, it is imperative to institute the reforms in the country’s retirement and pension system.”

The passage of this House bill in its substantial form through the Senate, to become finally a law, is a cornerstone for our capital market development.

The need to expand the individual investor base

T He Philippine Dealing & exchange corp. (PDe x) reports that as of november 2022, the number of investor accounts consisted of 48,230 i nstitutional i nvestors holding the equivalent of P755 billion of debt paper investments and 265,644 individual investors holding the equivalent of P581 billion in investments.

The Philippine Stock exchange inc. reports its number of investor accounts as 1,620,017 of which 98.1 percent are retail accounts and 1.9 percent are institutional accounts.

Of the total, 72 percent are online accounts. The Shareholders’ a ssociation of the Philippines inc. has noted, however, that there is an “investing Revolution… and the Filipino investor is radically changing.” The investor promotion and protection advocacy group describes the new Filipino investor as:

n Young; about 25. 69 percent of retail accounts are held by investors less than 45 years old while 35 percent are held by those 18-years-old to 29-years-old.

n Having an average income of P500,000 a year for about 73 percent of online retail accounts. about 86 percent are salaried or self-employed.

n Digitally-savvy: they have limited knowledge of investments but actively research on their own via social media platforms.

The issue that calls attention is how to accelerate this expansion of the investor base and how to connect these investors to be active in the capital market which leads us to the next key issue.

Acceleration of digitalization in market transaction processes

DiGi Ta LiZ aT iOn makes for efficiency and cost-effectiveness and while this is acknowledged, more needs to be done.

Then we can join SharePhil in its advocacy to “Support the emerging digital-savvy mass affluent class in the Philippines by 2030,” targeting the following: doubling the gross domestic product per capita to $6,500; increasing the number

of established and emerging affluent families by 1.8-times to 48 million; and, growing the affluent class population by 1.3x to 34 million.

(Boston consulting Group)

The need for more purposeful investor education

BY this we mean a consolidated collective effort by all stakeholders.

There are commendable efforts by regulators and the Finex academy, some investment houses and industry associations; but these are scattered.

There are various categories of people who need different kinds of investor education: from the noninvestor who requires to be made aware; to the newly initiated; to the fairly experienced; to the adventurer with developed risk appetite. Then there is the category of capital market professionals who need the specialized training to assist individual investors.

The SharePhil pointed out that “79 percent of working age people actively seek information to guide financial decisions.”

certainly, the cMDc should keep this matter in its top agenda, to promote sustainable investing habits among Filipinos.

(To be continued )

Santiago Dumlao is the Secretary General of the Association of Credit Rating Agencies in Asia and chairman of the market governance board and market policy committee of the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the BusinessMirror’s.

Legal, technical aspects studied in moving PhilHealth under OP

THe Department of Health (DOH) reiterated last Tuesday that both legal and technical aspects will be considered in crafting the final report and recommendations of the Technical Working Group (TWG) threshing out a proposal to transfer the administrative supervision of the Philippine Health insurance corporation (PhilHealth) from the Department of Health (DOH) to the Office of the President (OP).

The TWG, the DOH said, has had one initial meeting to discuss the preliminary thoughts of both DOH and PhilHealth on the matter.

Discussions centered largely on the legality of the proposed transfer, given that PhilHealth has a standing charter under R a 10606.

according to the DOH, the legal question being addressed is mainly on the plausibility of such transfer, and what legal entanglements may need to be looked into.

a s a way forward, the DOH said, relevant agencies have been asked to provide their legal opinion on the matter - Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), Office of the Government corporate counsel (OGcc) and the Governance commission for GOccs (GcG).

“Both agencies are on standby for the opinion of these agencies for discussion in the next TWG,” the DOH said, referring to itself and the OP. a side from the legal aspect, the “technical and strategic merits” of

e Diokno lauded the Senate’s approval of the extension of estate tax amnesty until 2025 adding the law would allow government to collect more revenues from errant taxpayers.

The Department of Finance (DOF) said it expects the legislative measure to be signed into law by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. before his second State of the nation address on July 24.

“The [DOF] welcomes the renewed extension of the estate tax amnesty period. This will allow errant taxpayers to settle their estate tax liabilities affordably, enable the government to collect additional revenues and strengthen tax compliance,” Diokno said.

The DOF said the national government as of March 31 has collected P7.41 billion from 133,860 beneficiaries, who availed of the estate tax amnesty, since the Tax a mnesty Law was enacted in 2019.

The Senate recently approved Senate Bill (SB) 2219 that seeks to extend the availment of the estate tax amnesty until June 14, 2025. The estate tax amnesty was set to expire on June 14.

SB 2219 was passed unanimously on third reading last May 29 with 24 affirmative votes and no negative votes or abstentions. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2023/05/30/senatorsok-estate-tax-amnesty-extension/)

Enactment crucial

SenaTORS said last Monday they saw SB 2219 necessary in light of the findings that many ordinary people

are unable to comply with estate tax payments in a timely manner in view of the numerous requirements that pose a burden to them.

“But we are not only extending availment window,” Senate President Juan Miguel F. Zubiri has said. “We are also expanding on the estates covered by the amnesty. By doing so, we hope that we can assuage the grief of the families of those who fell during the long pandemic night.”

SB 2219 also seeks to amend the original law, which mandated the estate tax amnesty, to also “cover the unsettled estates of decedents who died on or before May 31, 2023,” according to the DOF.

“The timely enactment of this measure is crucial, as it will provide much-needed relief to individuals and families facing extraordinary circumstances, while supporting the national government’s efforts to spur development by incentivizing the regularization of assets,” Diokno said.

The DOF explained that the bill also allows those who avail of the amnesty program to file estate tax returns electronically or manually.

“Taxpayers may settle the tax due through any authorized agent bank, revenue district office, or authorized tax software provider,” it said.

“Furthermore, the bill streamlines documentary requirements that should be submitted to the Bureau of internal Revenue (BiR) and allows payment of outstanding liabilities in two-year installments without civil penalty or interest,” it added. Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

Bill giving tax perks to firms’

AM e a S UR e encouraging social responsibility in the private corporate sector by providing them with fiscal benefits when they engage in corporate social responsibility (c SR) projects and programs in communities has been approved in the House of Representatives.

Voting 283 against three and zero abstentions, lawmakers approved on third and final last Monday House Bill 451 or the corporate Social Responsibility a c t, which is a consolidation of six similar measures filed by several lawmakers.

“This measure recognizes the important role of the private sector not only in nation-building but also in developing and aiding our communities to raise the quality of life of our citizens. With the vast resources available to our corporations, they are in a position to help our country,” said Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez. a ccording to HB 451, the State recognizes the vital role of the private sector in nation-building and shall “encourage its active participation in fostering sustainable economic development and environment protection in the Philippines.”

it allows stock corporations to retain profits in excess of 100% of paid-in capital stock to be used for expansion or corporate social responsibility projects or programs.

State assistance

HB 451 also defined c SR as referring “to the commitment of business to contribute on a voluntary basis to sustainable economic development by working with relevant stakeholders to improve their lives in ways that are good for business, sustainable development agenda and society at large.”

HB 451 also mandates the Department of Trade and i ndustry to recognize and reward all business organizations for outstanding, innovative and world-class cSR-related services, projects and programs. “ it shall likewise extend endorsement and encouragements to domestic and foreign corporations doing business in the Philippines which are candidates for recognition in international award-giving bodies for their c SR-related activities,” it said.

the transfer shall also be tackled.

“This is to balance the legal aspects with how the matter might affect the sector’s movement forward, especially given the Universal Health c a re a c t,” the DOH explained.

To this, the DOH added, partner expert and academic groups will also be engaged to solicit insights. These include international health partners, as well as other academic institutions such as the ateneo School of Government and the University of the Philippines -national institutes of Health Policy.

earlier, Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the TWG was created to study thoroughly the proposal. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

“Towards this end, the government shall mobilize its various agencies, in coordination with nongovernment and people’s organizations, to work hand-in-hand for the integration, promotion, and strengthening of corporate social responsibility in all business organizations,” it read.

The main objective of the bill is to foster sustainable economic development and environmental protection by encouraging corporations to inculcate the value of social responsibility in community development in their organization’s operations and activities, whether they are single proprietorships, partnerships or corporations.

For starters, among the benefits provided in the measure to encourage c SR among corporations is that

a l so, it states that local government units shall “extend whatever assistance is necessary” for business organizations to accomplish their c SR programs and projects in their respective communities, and “shall encourage business organizations within their territorial jurisdiction to conduct c SR projects/activities.”

Furthermore, all existing laws and regulations that prevent LGUs under a state of calamity or national emergency to solicit or accept donations of products and services under c SR-related activities for disaster relief and assistance of a business organization are amended.

“a l l business organizations are allowed to donate products and services under their c SR-related activities for disaster relief and assistance, in accordance with the regulations to be issued by the appropriate government agency,” the bill said. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

Hugh Grant’s lawsuit alleging illegal snooping by The Sun tabloid cleared for trial

have brought such a claim much sooner.

TODAY’S HOROSCOPE

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY:

Colin Farrell, 47; Brooke Shields, 58; Tom Berenger, 74; Clint Eastwood, 93.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Pamper yourself.

HUGH GRANT arrives at the 23rd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles, Sunday Jan. 29, 2023. A London court on Friday rejected an attempt by the publisher of The Sun tabloid to throw out a lawsuit by actor Hugh Grant alleging that journalists and investigators it hired illegally snooped on him. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/ Invision/AP, File)

LONDON—A London court on Friday rejected an attempt by the publisher of The Sun tabloid to throw out a lawsuit by actor Hugh Grant alleging that journalists and investigators it hired illegally snooped on him.

Justice Timothy Fancourt said a trial will have to determine whether Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers carried out unlawful information gathering that included tapping Grant’s home phone, bugging his car and breaking into his home.

SNOOTY ACTOR

THE actor, like many celebrities, gets food gifts from his fans for his birthday but here’s the thing, he never eats them. The actor is known for being snooty, so what he does is to have the food brought to the office of his manager and he tells them to eat all the cake. For the record, the actor and his family have not eaten anything from his fans. He has always been careful about accepting both food and non-food gifts. It’s actually a surprise that he still gets a lot of gifts because he isn’t as popular as he was before. He is known in the business as a one-hit wonder. He starred in a TV show that became a big, big hit but it has been downhill from there.

CHEATING BOYFRIEND

SO what caused the break-up of a young celebrity, who is also a social media star, and her rumored boyfriend, a singer? The girl reportedly endured her ex’s womanizing. She would even defend him when friends told her about rumors surrounding his being flirty with other girls. She was patient even when girls sent her DMs on Instagram, saying her boyfriend was cheating on her. She rationalized that maybe they were just jealous of their relationship. Even the most patient people get fed up and that’s exactly what happened to the celebrity. She realized one day that she was shortchanging herself by continuing to be with this guy.

CORDIAL AGAIN

WHAT really caused the more cordial relations between the excouple, who were once bitter toward each other? The girl had a lot to say about her former husband and she never allowed their kids to see him until it got to a point they started hating their dad. But does time really heal all wounds, or is there another reason for the ex-couple’s being cordial to each other? The reason is actually money. The girl, an actress, realized that she couldn’t support her kids on her own. She realized that she needed the financial support of their father. The ex was more than okay to be friends again.

WEDDING BELLS SOON?

IS it true that a popular actor-politician and his fiancé, who is also a celebrity, are getting married sooner than we think they are? The wedding will reportedly take place in July. According to rumors, the actor’s family is very happy to welcome his fiancé to the family as they already consider her one of them. The couple’s love story is something that would make good material for a romcom. When they met, the girl was said to be recovering from a heartbreak but was very much single. The actor was immediately smitten with the girl, who is beautiful, charming and witty. The girl has always found the actor attractive so it was just a matter of time before they fell madly in love with each other.

If true—which will be a matter for the trial due to take place in January 2024—these allegations would establish very serious, deliberate wrongdoing at NGN, conducted on an institutional basis on a huge scale,” Fancourt wrote. “Of particular relevance..., they would also establish a concerted effort to conceal the wrongdoing by hiding and destroying relevant documentary evidence, repeated public denials, lies to regulators and authorities, and unwarranted threats to those who dared to make allegations or notify intended claims against The Sun.”

During a hearing last month, News Group argued that claims of unlawful information gathering by Grant and Prince Harry should be thrown out because they weren’t brought within a six-year time limit.

The ruling didn’t address the Duke of Sussex’s case because the judge wants to hear more at a hearing in July about Harry’s allegations that he was prevented from bringing his phone hacking claims much sooner because of a “secret agreement” between Buckingham Palace and News Group executives.

T he judge dismissed Grant’s phone hacking claims on time limitation grounds, saying the actor, who has played a key role in the Hacked Off press reform group, was well aware of the voicemail interception scandal and could

Grant previously settled a phone hacking case with News Group’s former publication News of the World. That paper was closed in 2011 at the height of the hacking scandal after it was revealed that the tabloid had intercepted voicemails of a murdered girl, in addition to those of celebrities, athletes, politicians and members of the royal family.

News Group has asserted no unlawful information gathering occurred at The Sun.

But the judge said the case could proceed on other allegations the actor said he only became aware of in 2021 after private investigator Gavin Burrows began disclosing alleged acts of phone tapping, bugging and burglary on behalf of the paper.

“In addition to hacking my phone and tapping my landline, [Burrows] was aware that my premises had been burgled by people working for The Sun and that a tracking device had been placed in my car,” Grant said in a witness statement. “I found this astonishing.”

Grant said he could never piece together who had broken into his fourth-floor apartment in 2011. The door had been pried off its hinges and the interior looked like there had been a fight but nothing was missing. Two days later, The Sun had a story detailing the interior and “signs of a domestic row.”

Prince Harry alleged last month that the royal family had agreed to settle their cases with News Group out of court after phone hacking litigation against News of the World had wrapped up. He said the deal—allegedly agreed to by his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II—was intended to keep the royals from testifying in court. He said the deal called for an apology.

In court papers, Harry said he brought his lawsuit in 2019—against the wishes of his father, now King Charles III—when he became frustrated the settlement wasn’t happening. He said his brother, Prince William, heir to the throne, subsequently received a “huge” settlement over phone hacking allegations against News Group.

NGN has denied there was a “secret agreement.” The palace hasn’t responded to messages seeking comment on that or William’s alleged settlement.

A spokesperson for News Group issued a statement Friday saying it was pleased that the court threw out Grant’s phone hacking allegations.

“NGN strongly denies the various historical allegations of unlawful information-gathering contained in what remains of Mr. Grant’s claim,” the statement said.

Harry’s case against News Group is one of three phone hacking suits he has brought against British tabloid publishers.

Fancourt is currently hearing evidence by a lawyer for Harry and three others against the publisher of the Daily Mirror for alleged acts of unlawful information gathering dating to the 1990s. Harry is due to testify in the case next month.

A different judge is currently reviewing whether cases brought by the duke, Elton John, actor and model Elizabeth Hurley, and others against the publisher of the Daily Mail should go to trial. AP

GMA marks strong online presence

BROADCAST giant GMA Network (www.GMANetwork. com) continues its strong performance beyond television and radio, further posting impressive traffic growth performance on various online platforms.

Data from Google Analytics show that the network’s official website, GMANetwork.com, generated 1.8 billion page views from 179 million unique users in 2022.

The Philippines’ No. 1 media conglomerate across TV, radio and online platforms further flexes its social media presence with more and more netizens following GMA’s social media accounts. Consolidated 2022 data covering GMA’s official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok show that the network’s total social media audience jumped to a 32-percent increase from 2021 with 275 million followers and subscribers.

Likewise, the videos published on the network’s social media accounts continue to surge with the total video views reaching 31 billion—a 13-percent increase from 2021 according to data from CrowdTangle, SproutSocial and Tubular Labs.

For the first quarter of 2023, GMA’s social media followers

posted an 8-percent increase with a total of 296 million followers across various social media platforms.

Viewers are able to catch their favorite shows online via the Kapuso Stream on GMANetwork.com (https://tinyurl.com/ ytmkj98a). These programs include the groundbreaking live action adaptation Voltes V: Legacy as well as GMA Telebabad hit Hearts on Ice, among others.

Reorganize your life and your plans, and set goals that excite you. Having something to look forward to can make the difference between success and failure. Refuse to let anyone dictate what you do or how you do it. Take pride in who you are and what you have to offer. Choose to lead the way instead of letting someone else step in and take over. Your lucky numbers are 9, 15, 24, 31, 34, 39, 44.

aARIES (March 21-April 19): Keep your feelings to yourself. Sharing too much information will put you in a vulnerable position that causes problems for you professionally and personally. Look at every angle before making a move that will affect how or where you live. HHH

bTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t let anger take over when action is how to get what you want. Use your connections to ensure you have a backup plan to reach your target. Fixing your personal space will boost your morale if you don’t exceed the budget. HHH

cGEMINI (May 21-June 20): Consider what’s entailed before you promise or offer help. Protect your reputation, position and relationships with key people in your life. Refuse to let emotions interfere with your plans and decisions. Don’t trust others to do things for you. HHHHH

dCANCER (June 21-July 22): Establish what you want to do before you start. Map out your plan from beginning to end and a pproach the people you need on your team to be s uccessful. Be cognizant of the response you get from t hose who offer suggestions. HH

eLEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You’ll be impulsive. Don’t jump to conclusions. Listen to what others have to say. A change someone makes will offer insight into how to proceed. Move forward alone instead of working with someone who acks interest in your plan. HHH

fVIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take care of your responsibilities before moving on to pleasurable pastimes. You’ll enjoy yourself more if you don’t have to worry about what you left unfinished. Romance will change the dynamics of a meaningful relationship. HHH

gLIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Be careful when dealing with others. Your actions or words w ill be misconstrued and cause uncertainty. C hoose to make your home or workspace functional. T he better equipped you are, the more success you’ll a chieve. Take better care of your health and emotional w ell-being. HHH

hSCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You can take on the universe, but don’t expect it to be smooth sailing. Choose to take a positive attitude, regardless of how others respond. Focus on selfimprovement, educational pursuits and getting along with those with something to offer. Romance is favored. HHH

iSAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Pick up the pace, designate funds to cover your expenses and choose to take a minimalist approach to whatever you do, regardless of comments. It’s time to please yourself and do what comes naturally. Don’t give up on your dreams. HHH

jCAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Spend more time improving your living arrangements. The c hanges you undertake will ease stress and give you hope for a brighter future. Focus on selfimprovement, surrounding yourself with like-minded people and romance. A positive attitude will encourage a healthy lifestyle change. HHHH

kAQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Yo u’ll e ncounter a challenge if you share too much information with a friend, relative o r colleague. Don’t give away your secrets or let s omeone stifle your dreams. Act on your own behalf a nd leave nothing to chance. Put your energy where it benefits you. HHHHH

lPISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Push aside those who are negative. A positive attitude will invite new opportunities and input from people who can envision what you are trying to achieve. Choose quality over quantity, and you’ll be heading down a lucrative path. HHH

Birthday Baby: You are persistent, intuitive and proactive. You are tolerant and ambiguous.

‘you name it’ BY GEOFF BROWN

Setting up a hybrid workplace

them establish good working relations with other team members but also sets clear expectations for the remote team member.

ONE thing the pandemic has positively affected the workplace is the possibility of a work-from-home setup for the work force. Across industries, managers have realized that their teams can fulfill their tasks even without having to physically report to the office. Indeed, some organizations have even acknowledged that their employees are more productive at home, so they allowed for a permanent work-from-home setup by providing them equipment and additional allowances to set up their home office.

Now that the work force is being asked to report back to the office, some organizations are taking advantage of a hybrid setup where they allow employees to work from home on certain days during the week. Some are even allowing their employees to work from just about anywhere they are most productive. In setting up a hybrid work setup for your team, there are some things you need to examine.

First, you need to consider the kind of hybrid setup you want your team to follow. You can either assign which days each of your team members should report to the office, your team can choose which days they can report to the office, or a combination of the two. The best option will depend on your team’s deliverables and how your team interacts with each other. If the team is new, it might be a good idea to have two or three days where everyone gets to report to the office to establish work processes and for your team to get to know each other better. For older teams, it might be better to have a day or two to the office.

One of the benefits of a hybrid setup is that you can hire someone and work with them remotely. In this case, reporting to the office can be a challenge. To mitigate this, set up a weekly meeting where team members can get to know one another and become familiar with the workflows. Exposing remote team members to everyone in the team not only helps

By Catherine Rymsha UMass Lowell

WHETHER we realize it or not, advancements in artificial intelligence are increasingly influencing the paths of our careers.

Advancements in human capital management systems, more strategic and data-driven human resource and talent management practices, and increased attention to bias are all factors that are changing how people are hired, developed, promoted and fired.

I teach and work in talent management and leadership development. I’ve used these programs and practices in the real world, and continue to learn and research how these practices are changing. Artificial intelligence and systems are already big business, grossing over US$38 billion in 2021. Without a doubt, AI-driven software has the potential to advance quickly and change how companies make strategic decisions about their employees.

Here’s what that acceleration may mean to you.

APPLYING IMAGINE you apply for a job in the very near future. You upload your carefully written résumé through the company website, noting that the platform looks eerily similar to other platforms you’ve used to apply for other jobs. After your résumé is saved, you

Since visibility of the team is limited, your team needs to have visibility of what everybody else is doing. This can come in the form of a dashboard or a tracker where everybody can see the ongoing projects and who is working on what items. As the manager, your role is to ensure that no one is unduly burdened and the workload is distributed equitably among the team members. Your team needs to understand what they contribute to the overall success of the team, and how their work affects the other team members. Just because they work remotely does not mean that they should not have visibility of the success of the entire team. Because there is limited face-to-face interaction, you need to ensure that each of your team members know their tasks, timelines and any changes to the project. In an office environment, people can just update other team members verbally as the information comes in. In a virtual workspace, you need to consistently update your team on significant changes to the project so that they can adjust their efforts accordingly. Nothing is more frustrating than finishing a task only to find out the requirements have changed.

You also need to work closely with your IT department for tools in team collaboration. There are several tools for team communication and managing workload for a team so you need to list down what you want in an application. This way, your IT team can create a shortlist of applications they can recommend. In some organizations, they have taken monitoring employees further by installing applications that monitor keyboard and mouse activity, and even monitors which applications you used and for how long. Just make sure that your team knows they are being monitored and they have agreed to the setup.

When I was handling a team in a previous organization, they made us use a software that monitors what applications my team used and for how long. I realized my team’s productivity plummeted because they only did their work when they were in the office, and they stopped exerting extra effort. We stopped for a month and realized that the tool does not capture the time spent in collaborating with team members and tossing ideas on their projects. Make sure you strike a good balance of work demand and extra effort.

Aside from IT, you need to work closely with

provide demographic information and complete countless fields with the same data from your résumé. You then hit “submit” and hope for a followup email from a person.

Your data now lives within this company’s human capital management system. Even if they collect them, very few companies are looking at résumés anymore; they’re looking at the info you type into those tiny boxes to help make comparisons between you, dozens or hundreds of other applicants, and the job requirements. Even if your résumé demonstrates that you are the most qualified applicant, it alone is unlikely to catch the eye of the recruiter, because the recruiter’s attention is elsewhere.

GETTING THE JOB

LET’S say you get the call, you ace the interview and the job is yours. Your information hits another stage within the company’s database, or HCM: active employee. Your performance ratings and other data about your employment will now be tied to your profile, adding more data for the HCM and human resources to monitor and assess.

Enhancements in AI, technology and HCMs enable HR to look at employee data on deeper levels. The insights gleaned help identify talented employees who could fill key leadership roles when people quit and guide decisions about who should be

The

human resources for best practices in work force management, especially in managing leaves and time away from their work computers. In addition to setting clear expectations on work deliverables, you also need to set expectations in terms of availability and when you can contact your team members. What matters to you should be what they need to deliver at the end of the day, and that they can be reached during the set work hours. Whatever they do in between should not matter as long as they deliver on those two important things.

Since people do not see each other face-to-face often, you need to be creative in your engagement activities. The tendency with a remote working environment is that people are focused more on results that they lose touch with other members of the team. Provide venues where you can recognize team effort and make them interact with each other

promoted. The data can also identify favoritism and bias in hiring and promotion.

As you continue in your role, data on your performance is tracked and analyzed. This may include your performance ratings, supervisor’s feedback, professional development activity—or lack thereof. Having this large amount of data about you and others over time now helps HR think about how employees can better support the growth of the organization. For example, HR may use data to identify how likely specific employees are to quit and evaluate the impact of that loss.

Platforms that many people already use every day aggregate productivity data from sign-in to signoff. However, a 2022 New York Times investigation found that these systems, designed to improve worker productivity and accountability, had the effect of damaging morale and instilling fear.

It’s clear that American employees should begin to think about how our data is being used, what story that data is telling, and how it may dictate our futures.

OPTIMIZING AND UNDERSTANDING YOUR CAREER

NOT every company has an HCM or is advanced in using talent data to make decisions. But many companies are becoming savvier and some are incredibly advanced. At a recent Microsoft Viva summit I attended, chief human resources officers

in

THE world’s one-percenters (that very exclusive club of the supremely wealthy who make up just a percent—a fraction?—of the global population, perhaps not even that) are always on the lookout for great real estate, whether to live in or strictly as a investment. For the one-percent class around these parts, they should look no further than Makati.

Rising above the towering residential buildings that line Apartment Ridge Road and Ayala Avenue is multi award-winning British design firm Foster + Partners’ first development in the Philippines. Set to be the CBD’s main artery’s latest crowning jewel, The Estate Makati elevates what it means to have a home in the sky.

Designed and built together with STRC, the joint venture of real estate conglomerates SMDC and Federal Land Inc., The Estate Makati (www.theestatemakati. com) sets a new standard in terms of construction and design. It will be the first residential development in the country to feature double-slab technology which gives future homeowners true flexibility in terms of layout of their units by providing the choice to change it up as they see fit.

Through the cruciform, four-sided shape of the building, each unit essentially becomes the only one on each floor giving residents utmost privacy and exclusivity.

The Estate Makati being a Foster + Partners development means it was designed and built with sustainability at its core. Construction materials and techniques used on the property have been vetted by the British firm to not be harmful to the environment, nor the area the structure it inhabits. They have also applied passive design techniques which make use of The Estate Makati’s unique location, and optimizes them for energy conservation such as

in a non-work environment. Your team needs to see each other beyond work so that they can have empathy for each other.

You also need to regularly check up on team members. Set individual meetings with your team so you can uncover any issues or challenges they may have with working remotely. This can also be a time to set expectations and discover what motivates them. You can also set this time to discuss their professional development plans and learning interventions available to them remotely.

As in any team setting, you set the work ethic that your team follows. Be it in a full report to the office or a hybrid work setup, you set the work culture for your team. Whatever work setup you implement, your team will rely on you to provide clear directions and guidance so everyone in the team understands how they contribute to the team’s overall success.

from companies like PayPal and Rio Tinto outlined ways they are using these advancements.

Some researchers claim that AI could promote equity by removing implicit bias from hiring and promoting, but many more see a danger that AI built by humans will just repackage old issues in a new box. Amazon learned this lesson the hard way back in 2018 when a résumé-sorting AI it built had to be abandoned when it favored men for programming roles.

What’s more, the increase of data collection and analysis can leave employees unclear on where they stand while the organization is very clear. It’s best if you understand how AI is changing the workplace and demand transparency from your employer. These are data points that employees should consider asking about during their next review:

n Do you see me as a high-potential employee?

n How does my performance compare with others’?

n Do you see me as a successor to your role or others’?

Just as you need to master traditional aspects of workplace culture, politics and relationships, you should learn to navigate these platforms, understand how you are being assessed, and take ownership of your career in a new and more data-driven way.

THE CONVERSATION

views of Makati, and charging station provisions for electric vehicles.

W ith the development already in full swing, executives from STRC and Foster + Partners recently hosted a lunch for the media and a daylong experiential for propsective homeowners and investors that was as impressive as The Estate Makati is destined to be.

AI is changing how people find jobs, get promoted and succeed at work

best

luxury living awaits

TOYM alumni, CLFI mount first TOYM Impact Summit in Laguna

Kratos RES, Inc. (KRI) are shown in the photo after both firms signed a two-year energy supply deal at the TeaM Energy corporate office in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Under the agreement, TPEC will provide the power requirements of several establishments under the Villar group of companies including ALLHome, VistaMall, Starmall, and AllBuilders. Leading the contract signing are TPEC President Gen Takahashi (6th from left) and KRI Operations Head Jose Rommel Orillaza (5th from left). Takahashi thanked KRI for the trust, and underscored TPEC’s commitment to provide reliable, cost effective energy  to support the continued success of KRI and the Villar group of companies. Also in photo are, from left to right, Jethro Dimaano, KRI Energy Source Supervisor;   Abhram Caliguiran, KRI  Jr. WESM Trader;  Magnolia Cortez, KRI Contracting Officer; John Karlo Reynante, KRI Trading Operations Manager; Santiago Malacca, TPEC AVP for Marketing and Technical Support; Raisa Tan, TPEC Manager for Marketing and Technical Support; Lorreto Rivera, TPEC Senior Manager for Energy Trading and Financial Services; Vivien Santiago, TPEC Manager for Energy Trading and Financial Services; Tristan Taghoy, AVP for Energy Trading and Financial Services, Guia Calasanz, TPEC Senior Analyst for Marketing and Technical Support, and Mariel Dela Cruz, TPEC Associate for Marketing and Technical Support.

ICCPI’s premier networking event ‘L’Aperitivo Italiano’ introduces Italian food, wine brands from Puglia, Italy

FROM left are 2009 TOYM honoree and Department of Migrant Workers Undersecretary Ma. Anthonette Velasco-Allones, 2004 TOYM honoree and TOYM Chairman Bienvenido

“Donnie” Tantoco III, Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier, 2013 TOYM honoree and TOYM Foundation, Inc. President Chaye Cabal-Revilla, Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. Executive Director Jonathan Batangan

ALUMNI of The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM), led by TOYM Chairman Bienvenido

"Donnie" Tantoco III, TOYM Foundation, Inc. President Chaye Cabal-Revilla, and Department of Migrant Workers Undersecretary Ma. Anthonette VelascoAllones, and the Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. (CLFI) held the first ever TOYM Impact Summit at Lakehall at Nena's Sanctuary at the Sta. Elena Golf & Country Estate in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. The one-day summit served as a venue for the past TOYM honorees to come together and collaborate on possible projects in which they can work together within the next six to 12 months. The TOYM honorees used the summit’s theme of “Impact Begins With I,” and subthemes Imagine, Inspire, and Ignite to identify which of their diverse disciplines—for which they have been recognized in previous years—can be maximized in these projects.

Some notable TOYM honorees present were Ryan Cayabyab (1978), Dr. Carmencita Padilla (1994), Menardo “Butch” Jimenez (1998), Dr. Jonas del

Rosario (2004), Hon. Alfred Vargas (2019), Samira Gutoc (2019), and Manix Abrera (2022). Gawad Kalinga Founder Antonio Meloto and 1992 TOYM honoree Senator Loren Legarda were also present to deliver their key messages.

“I was inspired by each awardee’s outstanding work and contribution in their respective fields when I was one of the judges during the latest TOYM awards. I decided to hold this summit because I believed that events like these provide a unique opportunity for us to work collectively towards a common goal and create something truly impactful,”

Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier said.

Lhuillier also added that this summit will continue and evolve into something bigger and better. “There is a lot that we can do together. Together as one, we heal and multiply – multiply ideas, projects, leaders, mentors, and entrepreneurs.”

TOYM Chairman Bienvenido

"Donnie" Tantoco III expressed his excitement and gratitude during the summit. "It really means so much to us that the previous TOYM awardees are

here at the first-ever summit of its kind. There is such a diversity of amazing men and women that are present in this room,” he said.

“We feel your giftedness. We are inspired by your track record. We feel your enthusiasm and patriotism. We feel your individual excellence, and we believe that collectively, we are even more special and even more powerful," Tantoco added.

Lhuillier also emphasized the importance of working together. "We are all interconnected, and our collective efforts can have a much greater impact than our individual ones. We are here to ignite our collective initiative and develop ideas or projects that we can work on together as a community,” he continued.

“We have to do something together as a TOYM tribe and family. If we were able to be amazing together and do it for God’s purpose, for the greater glory, and for the good of others, then TOYM will actually have an impact,” Cabal-Revilla added.

The summit was made possible with the collaborative efforts of the CLFI, Total Exhibit & Expo Solutions, Inc. and Lakehall at Nena’s Sanctuary.

THE Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, Inc. (ICCPI) successfully hosted the highly anticipated “L’Aperitivo Italiano - Apulian Style” on Thursday, April 27, from 6 pm to 11 pm. Held at the New World Hotel Makati, this premier networking event brought together members, associates, and partners of the Philippine-Italian business community for an unforgettable evening of authentic aperitivo culture, delectable Italian cuisine, and exquisite wines imported directly from Puglia, Italy.

The L’Aperitivo Italiano is an awaited social event that has become a highlight in the ICCPI’s calendar. It provides a unique platform for networking and fostering business relationships within the European business community in the Philippines.

Organized in collaboration with Mabuhay Puglia, a prominent advocate of Puglia’s rich heritage and culture in the Philippines, the event received support from esteemed partners, including the Italian Embassy in the Philippines, Italian Trade Association, Pugliapromozione, European Union and Regione Puglia - Agiculture Department. Their involvement further emphasized the significance of the event and its contribution to promoting bilateral trade and cultural exchange between Italy and the Philippines. The evening was filled with a delightful array of Italian delicacies and wines, highlighting the culinary excellence of Puglia. A selection of renowned brands such as Agricola Bruno, Gioiella, Sinisi, Tenuta Viglione, Eatria, and Tarallificio Recchia were proudly presented, offering guests an opportunity to savor the

authentic flavors of Italy. The carefully curated menu showcased the diversity and richness of Apulian cuisine, leaving guests impressed and craving for more. The social event was only the final part of a very busy day, with more than 20 B2B meetings organized with importers, distributors, and buyers in the morning. The success of L’Aperitivo Italiano would not have been possible without the generous support of sponsors. Lartizan, Vivere Hotels, and Oman Air were among the esteemed sponsors who recognized the value of promoting cultural exchange and strengthening ties between Italy and the Philippines. Their commitment and contribution played a vital role in ensuring the event’s success. The event provided an engaging platform for attendees to connect, exchange ideas, and explore potential collaborations. The atmosphere was vibrant and convivial, with participants mingling and forging new relationships against the backdrop of Italian music and warm camaraderie.

As the evening drew to a close, participants left with cherished memories and a deeper appreciation for the Italian business community’s vitality and contributions to the Philippines. The ICCPI expressed its gratitude to all attendees, partners, and sponsors for their unwavering support and looks forward to future events that continue to strengthen the bond between Italy and the Philippines. For more information about the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, Inc. (ICCPI) and upcoming events, please visit www.iccpi.org.ph or contact the Marketing and Events Head of ICCPI, Gabrielle Hahn-Lopez at +639175638633.

Fortune Life holds 38th Annual Awards

IN recognition of its outstanding sales associates, Fortune Life Insurance Company (FLIC) held its very first face-to-face Annual Awards after holding virtual ceremonies for the last three years due to the Covid-9 pandemic. FLIC’s 38th Annual Awards, held at the Citystate Tower Hotel, Manila on May 9, 2023, was participated by the sales force from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao together with distinguished guests, company officers and staff.

This year, Elimar R. Depamaylo of the Zamboanga branch received the highest award as Insurance Specialist of the Year, a testament of her dedication and hard work. The Field Manager of the Year was awarded to Ines H. Jabines, Branch Manager of Jabines group. She won this top award for five consecutive years thanks to the perseverance and resilience of all the members of her team. Now on her 3rd year as the Agency Manager of the Year, Eunice Y. Hangad of Jabines group, Cebu branch acknowledged the inspiration she received from her family, mentors, and her team.

Insurance Commissioner Reynaldo A. Regalado led the awarding ceremony as the event’s guest of honor and keynote speaker. He applauded the achievements of Fortune Life and its sales awardees and shared valuable insights. He noted that the pandemic made people more conscious and aware about securing their health and future. He added that today is the best time for all providers to take advantage of this opportunity to create products that fit a millennial market.

“You are reaping the fruits of your labor and taking home the rewards of your hard work in providing quality financial services to our

fellow Filipinos,” Regalado added.

FLIC President and CEO D. Arnold A. Cabangon remarked: “To our best sales associates, recognizing your achievements is our way of appreciating your support and acknowledging your huge contribution to the success of our company.” He challenged them to always do it right so the company will continue to soar to greater heights, because the company’s success is also their success.

FLIC EVP and COO Emma M. Abad expressed her sincere gratitude to the sales force and said: “You are the backbone of our company, and we could not have achieved this remarkable milestone without you. You have exceeded our expectations and shown us what we can do when we work together.”

SVP and OIC for Marketing and Sales Virgilio S. Aquino congratulated the awardees and remarked: “I applaud you for your hard work and dedication which led to the remarkable performance of the previous year.”

A total of 47 awardees were recognized in their respective categories this year. The awardees joined by their families had a relaxing four days and three nights stay in Osaka, Japan as this year’s international incentive trip of the company.

Depamaylo (center) of Zamboanga branch

FROM left to right, Fortune Life SVP & OIC for Marketing and Sales Virgilio S. Aquino and EVP & COO Emma M. Abad were joined by Insurance Commissioner Reynaldo A. Regalado and Fortune Life President & CEO D. Arnold A. Cabangon during the awarding ceremony of the company’s 38th Annual Awards.

Y. Hangad (center) of Jabines group - Cebu branch is the Agency Manager of the Year.

Editor: Tet Andolong

Olin at Jade Drive hits ₧5.5B in pre-selling campaign

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

“With the current economic environment, highlighted by high inflation, we w ere not sure if people would respond. Of course we planned for a successful launch. We are very overwhelmed by the good market reception,”Ortigas Land Assistant Vice President and Residential B usiness Unit Head Jenna Belardo at a recent media briefing.

The 52-story residential tower, strategically located in one of the country’s m ost dynamic central business districts (CBDs), houses 1,245 units in total, with 1,031 studio units and 214 1-bedroom units. Parking is also available as well as a retail area for quick access to essential services.

All of the 214 1-bedroom units have been sold out. Our sales force is actually clamoring for more but we cannot add more,” Belardo said.

With the launch of Olin at Jade Drive, Belardo said Ortigas Land aims

to provide the market with a residential development that offers all the perks and benefits of living within a bustling business district while maintaining affordability.

A s tudio unit at Olin is priced at P6 million to P8 million with parking. Meanwhile, a one-bedroom unit will be sold at P 9 million to P10 million per unit.

Launched in April 2023 for priority selling, Olin at Jade Drive closed the sale with 536 units, which is equivalent to 43 percent of the property’s total inventory.

To date, Olin has sold more than half of the total inventory of Olin equating to 671 units, generating a total of P5.5B in value.

Belardo attributed the high demand to the high buyer confidence as the economy continues to open up. She added employ -

ees of the company acquired units at Olin f or investment and as halfway.Majority of the buyers are from the local market while 10 to 15 percent are overseas-based.

“Ortigas Land is well-known for its legacy of master-planned estates, continuously catering to the evolving needs o f the property market. This newest development is very exciting for us as this l aunches our venture into the mid-market segment within the Ortigas CBD,” e xplained Belardo.

Targeted towards young professionals in adjacent offices and students in n earby academic institutions, Olin at Jade Drive will provide modern amenities such as co-working spaces, gym, garden, lounges, pools, and function hall to cater to the modern city dwellers’ needs. Ortigas Land maintains quality assurance

Exclusive resort island, other economic driver projects soon to be launched

(OFWs) by way of savings on their remittances. According to him, 10 or more percent o f their income go to the banking system just to transfer their money back home.

“Imagine, if you have peer-to-peer transactions that’s enabled, you’re no longer reliant on that. You automatically be bringing i nto the Philippines 10 percent or more additional spending power. And immediately, t hat means more jobs, and more [economic] stimulus,” he noted.

“This is also an add-on income for the banks. The banking system will drive this system to become more stronger because, of course, there will be many transactions that can be put in our country everyday,” added Marcos.

Citing that around $6 billion are being sent to the country annually by OFWs as remittance, so estimated that the 10 percent taken away by intermediary banks for t he transfer of their money is equivalent to $600 million a year.

By Roderick L. Abad

HOMEGROWN Smart Citi Teknologi

(SCT), in partnership with Hong Kong-based companies Xtreme Business Enterprise (XBE) and Coinllectibles Inc., as well as Marvion, a subsidiary o f Bonanza Goldfields Corp. headquartered in the United States, is set to launch next week a blockchain-enabled membership program for sustainable tourism, which will tap its planned development of an intelligent island in Palawan.

T his initiative is among their three ambitious economic driver projects in the country dubbed “Powering Smart Cities,” which also include the creation of a Philippine stable coin and a local investment f acility for the arts and heritage.

To materialize the luxury membership program, blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI) and ESG (environmental, social and governance) strategies will be adopted and implemented in the upcoming world-class high-tech business and leisure destination. It shall focus on promoting eco-friendly practices, including using biodegradable products and reducing energy consumption in this high-end smart resort island, which is designed as a mixed-use development with five global standard hotels, shopping malls, pavilions and villas, yacht and golf clubs, and a private airport.

“We will give a very good start for the Filipino people to experience the cheapest membership so that they will enjoy it,” SCT

President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mario P. Marcos told reporters in a sideline interview during their media briefing at the Manila Hotel last May 23.

According to him, they will offer the membership to entrepreneurs and young professionals for P1 per unit of share. He said: “We are targeting immediate first membership of 1 million by within maybe more or less 15 days [after the launch].”

Another promising component project to debut early next month is the Philippine stable coin, which will be a game-changing initiative for the country’s financial sector to alleviate poverty and improve financial inclusion. It is aimed at providing the u nbanked and underbanked populations, who often have limited access to financial services, a medium of exchange that is decentralized, borderless, fast and efficient, a s well as stable and reliable.

To prevent it from any collapse that other digital assets like cryptocurrency have had experience in the past recent years, XBE Group CEO Julian So noted that it will be backed by solid assets, which can maintain its value. He explained: “This could be in the form of government bonds, or it could be in the form of cash deposits in very stable or very reputable banks. And that’s how we create a stable coin that can be used in the Philippines.”

For Joshua Chu, the Group chief risk officer at Coinllectibles, Marvion and XBE and s enior consultant at Prosynergy, it can also be helpful for the overseas Filipino workers

“This is a huge amount of money. Imagine just by simply implementing blockchain t o a stable coin in a safe country, $600 million, I think, can be better used to help the c ountry, the people, and the economy,” he pointed out. Meanwhile, an auction house is set to be created in the country, which will be powered by the same technologies for the sustainable tourism membership project, so as to meet the needs of modern buyers and sellers. Local artworks and cultural heritage will be mainly auctioned here in eco-friendly and sustainable transaction manner to help preserve the future, appreciate and recognize the value of the assets b eing auctioned.

“The Philippine situation is so terrible. The recent pandemic destroyed the economy. After that, we have encountered other n atural calamities like earthquakes and typhoons. And one formula to solve these problems is the scientific approach of integrating different technologies and expertise s ince nowadays, the peoples’ lives are really well-connected to their cellphones. Since we are now approaching the digitalization era, if we don’t have this capability to do it, we will be late and we cannot move forward,” Marcos said.

“In anticipation of the super integration of these projects, we will give the lead t ime to accept this stable coin as a secured membership or investments for the Filipino people,” he added.

for the design, construction, and maintenance of this property.

Positioned for the middle market segment, Olin at Jade Drive has also included a coworking space for the tenants. Developed during t he pandemic, Belardo said the company decided to introduce a coworking space to enable the tenants to experience an office vibe e ven if they are in a work from home setup. “If you are living in a condominium and working from home, we don’t want our future tenants to be cooped up in their units and experience boredom,” she said.

A prime location

O LIN at Jade Drive is situated within Ortigas Center which has one of the lowest residential vacancy rates (6.8%) alongside other m ajor CBDs, according to the Colliers Q4 2022 Property Market Briefing—making it a

sought-after and in-demand location in Metro Manila. Colliers also mentioned Ortigas Center’s low office vacancy rate (15.2%), further e levating the property’s value as it bridges the growing demand for residential developments within the area for office workers and p ossibly their families.

“We see great potential in capital appreciation for the development with its accessibility t o commercial developments, corporate offices, and educational institutions, as well as m ass transportation and ongoing infrastructure projects like the Metro Manila Subway a nd MRT Line 4,” Belardo added.

Olin at Jade Drive will offer flexible payment terms for up to 72 months, suitable for t hose interested in finding a home or valuable real estate investment within Ortigas Center. Olin at Jade Drive is expected to be turned over by 2029.

A SnEAK PEEK InTO THE AffLUEnT LIfE:

RLC Residences shares features exclusive to its high-end properties

THE a ffluent have always held a certain mystique for the public. This select group of people seem to lead such fascinating and glamorous lives, and many want to know more. And as people who enjoy the finer things in life, they prefer a home that is in world-class addresses and offers unique features that cater to their lifestyle. Such home choices are The Residences at The Westin Manila and Le Pont Residences, two properties developed by RLC Residences.

A wellness-centered living at The Residences at The Westin Manila S T RATEGICALLY l ocated at the heart of Ortigas Center, The Residences at The Westin Manila is considered one of its kind with expansive living spaces, branded home fixtures, and hotel-inspired facilities—all geared towards the wellness of its residents.

This prime condominium is home to four floors of upscale and hotel-inspired amenities also known as The Haven. Numerous leisure facilities, including the Tee on Third for golf enthusiasts and the Wine Room for connoisseurs, are made available for varying lifestyles. The fourth floor is home to wellness amenities, such as the Indoor Lap Pool, Move Studio, and Fitness Area. Additionally, homeowners can also enjoy hotelquality offerings in the form of a la carte services such as housekeeping, in-residence dining and spa, and pet services.

This exceptional property is home to one-, two, and three-bedroom residential suites, ranging from 47 to 254 sqm. of living space. Branded and high-end deliverables are also provided in each unit such as the globally-renowned Gaggenau kitchen appliances, Leicht kitchen cabinets, and Duravit and Hansgrohe toilet and bath fixtures.

Moreover, signature Westin hotel finishes are also found within the unit, including The Heavenly® Bed, a luxury mattress made exclusively for the Westin brand.

An elevated lifestyle at Le Pont Residences

A NO THER property that offers an extraordinary experience—from home spaces, amenities, and even location- is Le Pont Residences. Strategically located within the Bridgetowne Destination Estate, Le Pont Residences provides future residents with direct access to numerous retail, dining, and other premium establishments within Bridgetowne and easily connects them to essential areas within the Quezon and Pasig cities.

Named after the French term that translates to “The Bridge,” Le Pont Residences promise to bridge residents to their best life yet by offering an unmatched elevated living experience.

Starting with its living spaces, Le Pont Residences offers units ranging from 46 to 381 sqm. in size. Its one, two, three, and top-floor homes also come with its own extended outdoor space called the loggia, allowing residents to relax with the view of the estate. Additionally, these units are equipped with smart home devices, workfrom-home spaces, and choice finishes such as porcelain and glass.

Meanwhile, Le Pont Residences’ most exclusive offering is its top-floor units, which have exquisitely designed curved staircases, glass windows, and multiple loggias so future homeowners can comfortably live while appreciating the beautiful views of the city.

Soon-to-be homeowners of Le Pont Residences will also have access to hyper-sized and abovestandard amenities. They can bond with their friends and loved-ones in the Private Theater or the Game Room located in the Podium Floor. On the same floor is where the Clubhouse is located, housing the Infinity Pool, Fitness Gym and Indoor Cycling Room. Homeowners can also have a relaxing moment at the Mid-Level area via the Landscaped Areas and Outdoor Lounge. Residents can also dine at the Altitude 51’s private function room, grilling station, or sky lounge located at the property’s topmost floor.

Ortigas

Land’s Olin at Jade Drive had a rousing start in the pre-selling stage when it sold 54 percent of its total units worth P5.5 billion.

SMART Citi Teknologi President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mario P. Marcos talks about their soon-to-be-launched ambitious project in the Philippines, in partnership with Hong Kong-based companies Xtreme Business Enterprise (XBE) and Coinllectibles Inc., as well as Marvion, a subsidiary of Bonanza Goldfields Corp. headquartered in the United States. Joining him are (from left) Julian So, Group CEO of XBE; Kevin Tan, director of Marvion and Coinllectibles; Getty Goh, chief operating officer of XBE; and Joshua Chu, Group chief risk officer at Coinllectibles, Marvion and XBE and senior consultant at Prosynergy.

An artist’s render of Olin at Jade’s coworking space

An ARTIST’S render of Olin at Jade’s coworking space

HEAT TOO HOT IN GAME 7

Sports

B8 | Wednesday, May 31, 2023

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

Editor: Jun Lomibao

Angeles Lakers on May 22.

“ We stayed together as a group.

As a team, we talked about going and getting a tough one on the road. We did just that,” Butler said. “But we’re not satisfied. We’re excited. We’re happy. But we’ve got one more to get.”

Bam Adebayo scored 12 points with 10 rebounds for Miami, which is the first No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals since the 1999 New York Knicks.

To get there, the Heat had to recover after losing the play-in opener against Atlanta and beat Chicago in a second-chance play-in. They eliminated the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in five games, then the fifthseeded Knicks in six.

They put Boston in a 3-0 hole—a deficit no NBA team has ever come back from. Three losses later, Miami was on the brink of the wrong kind of history.

Sometimes you have to suffer for the things that you really want,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “This group has shown fortitude, when there are inevitable letdowns and failures, to have that perseverance to pick yourself up, to have that collective spirit to keep on forging ahead until you get to accomplish what you want to.”

Game 6 hero Derrick White scored 18 for Boston, which was hoping to become the first NBA team in 151 tries to advance after falling behind 0-3 in a best-of-seven series.

Jaylen Brown scored 19 with eight rebounds but went 1 for 9 from threepoint range and committed eight turnovers.

Jayson Tatum, who scored a Game 7 record 51 points against Philadelphia in the conference semifinals, had 14 points with 11 rebounds after turning his ankle on the first play of the game and limping through 42 minutes.

When we were down 3-0, the thing was: How do we want to be defined?” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, who took over the team on the eve of training camp when Ime Udoka was suspended for inappropriate workplace behavior. “I thought they showed a lot of character by even getting to this point.”

The Celtics led by five points early before conceding a 14-4 run to end the first quarter and then giving up 16 of the first 22 points in the second.

Miami led 76-66 lead at the end of three, then Tatum missed a layup to open the fourth quarter, and Brown followed with back-to-back turnovers—at the other end, Martin hit a three-pointer and Butler hit a pair of baskets to give Miami an 83-66 lead. B oston never got with 15 after that, with the sold-out TD Garden crowd alternating between stunned silence, angry boos and, finally, polite applause before they began filing out early. We failed. I failed and we let the whole city down,” Brown said. “In spite of whatever circumstance we had this year we rose to the occasion. We got to this point and we came up short.”

The Heat took the first three games—two of them in Boston—and needed just one more win to reach to the NBA Finals. None of the 150 teams that have opened a 3-0 lead in an NBA playoff series has ever failed to advance. AP

BOSTON—No unprecedented comeback, no last-tick miracle, no cavalcade of higher seeds is going to prevent these Miami Heat from playing for

the National Basketball Association (NBA) title. E astern Conference finals Most Valuable Player Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help the

eighth-seeded Heat beat Boston, 103-84, in Game 7 on Monday night and advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.

A year after losing a seventh game to the Celtics, Miami recovered

from blowing a 3-0 lead in the series and advanced to face the Western Conference champion Nuggets. Game 1 is Thursday night in Denver, where the top-seeded Nuggets have been waiting since sweeping the Los

GAP: Caloy won’t skip world championships for Asian Games

By Josef Ramos

CARLOS YULO won’t skip the world championships in Belgium in favor of the Asian Games in Hangzhou—major competitions that will be held simultaneously in September.

It is personal for Carlos,” Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) President Cynthia Carrion-Norton told BusinessMirror on Tuesday. “He told me that his dream is the world championships and qualify for the second time in the Olympics in Paris.”

“ This is a collective decision by Carlos and [Japanese] coach Mune [Kugimiya Munehiro],” she said.

The Philippine Olympic Committee general assembly asked Yulo and the

GAP to compete in the Asian Games instead of the world championships saying the two-time world champion still has other opportunities to qualify for Paris in 2024.

The Asian Games’ September 23 to October 8 schedule clashes with the world championships that run from September 30 to October 8 in Antwerp.

Yulo, Carrion-Norton said, expressed appreciation over the national sports associations’ request for him to compete in Hangzhou. B ut the world championships— and eventually Paris—rank high in Yulo’s priorities.

Carlos has been working so hard since the Olympic qualification from February up to April that’s why we cannot afford to lose everything we’ve

worked for,” Carrion-Norton.

“ We just can’t give it up and we know that there are other Olympic qualifiers in 2024 but we cannot put our fate next year,” she said. “How about if we don’t do well in 2024, so everything will be gone.”

Yulo, Carrion-Norton added, is aware of the potential financial windfall if he wins at last one gold medal in Hangzhou. He said that it’s not all about the money, but his dream of winning the gold in the Olympics is his only priority for now,” she said. “But Caloy is very thankful to everyone for their trust and confidence.”

A n Asian Games gold medal is worth P2 million, silver P1 million and bronze P.4 million in government incentives.

Asian rhythmic gymnastics twin events unwrap

THE curtain rises on Wednesday for the biggest gymnastics event in the country this year—the 19th Junior and 14th

Senior Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Championships—at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila. It will be the first time the twin eve nts will be staged in the country behind the partnership between the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

C lose to 200 gymnasts from 20 countries will vie in the event that runs until Saturday and serves as qualifier for the 40th International Gymnastics Federation Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Valencia, Spain, in August.

C ompetition manager Anna Lou Carreon and GAP deputy secretary-general Rowena Bautista

made the announcement Tuesday in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

A ccording to Carreon, the competing countries are China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taipei, Uzbekistan and Vietnam and Australia and New Zealand from the Asia-Oceania Zone.

World champion Carlos Yulo is not vying in the event that offers 16 gold medals but the GAP assured that the country will field bets who may be the next Yulo.

In this event we might see the future of Philippine gymnastics,” said Carreon in the forum presented by San Miguel Corp. Milo, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine

Miami’s anticlimactic win

THE Heat defeated the Celtics via a stunning 10384 rout Tuesday before an unbelieving throng at The Boston Garden in a game bereft of drama and fraught with trauma.

T he victory earned for the underrated Miami

Amusement and Gaming Corp.

B autista said gymnasts to watch out for include those from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, China, Japan and Korea, including last year’s all-around champion Uzbek Takhimina Ikromova.

L eading the local bid in events such as hoop, ball, ribbon and club are Breanna Labadan, Daniela de la Pisa and Trisha Mae Montefalcon in senior individual and Jasmine Ramillo and Cristalin Zoe Valencia in junior individual.

A ngelika Leigh Buenavidez, Andrea Mae Emperado, Jenny Eusebio, Katrina Loretizo and Divina Sembrano banner the senior group.

B autista said only 500 to 600 spectators will be allowed per day, including students, free of charge. The ticketing will be limited to foreign delegates and their respective guests.

the National Basketball Association (NBA) Eastern Conference crown but, more importantly, the win shoved the Heat to the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets in another best-of-seven series beginning on Friday.

M iami had done it against all odds, finally erasing the stigma of losing a 3-0 lead in an anticlimactic ending, in the process becoming only the second No. 8 after the 1999 New York Knicks to have a shot at the world’s premiere basketball trophy.  (The Knicks lost to the San Antonio Spurs in five games.)

W hile Miami was a picture of unabashed jubilation after the crown clincher, the game proved to be the most boring Game 7 in recent memory.

The anticipated thriller of a finish after Boston’s cardiac Game 6 104-103 win the day before dissipated right in the opening minute.

Jayson Tatum twisted an ankle during a botched drive, landing on the foot of a fallen Gabe Vincent just 26 seconds from jump ball.

A fter splitting his free throws for a 1-0 Boston lead, Tatum practically played wounded the rest of the way, at

Bachmann, PSC board vow to fill major gaps in athletes’ program

THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) will not stop looking for ways to serve the Filipino athletes better and prepare them for international competitions, including the Hangzhou Asian Games in September.

There are rooms for improvement,” PSC chairman Richard Bachmann told Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

B achmann talked about his experience in the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games and how he witnessed the Filipino athletes compete and deliver 58 gold, 85 silver and 117 bronze medals.

He stressed the importance of providing the important needs during the competition itself like separate rooms in hotels where physical therapists can attend to the athletes.

We need ultrasound and laser machines. I didn’t find any. We should bring our own machines. We will make improvements for the coming Asian Games,” he said.

The key is for the commissioner in charge [of certain sports] to understand the sport and how to improve the sport,” Bachmann said.

“We’ll ask for a budget for that. The PSC will step up.”

Joining Bachmann in the forum presented by San Miguel Corp.,

times limping as the swelling in his right ankle hurt him the rest of the way.

Still, he plodded on, feigning pain, grimacing.  In 42 minutes, he would only score 14 points.  This, from the man who fired 51 points, an all-time high, in another Game 7 just weeks back.

I was a shell of myself,” said Tatum.  “Couldn’t move.”

Jaylen Brown was supposed to supplant Tatum—but it didn’t happen.

W hat also did not happen was Boston rewriting history as the first to win a playoff series in seven games after being down 3-0.

“ I could see it [Tatum’s ankle] swelling,” said Brown, weighed down himself by six turnovers.  “I failed.”

W ith Tatum’s offense in tatters, the Celtics failed themselves in many aspects of the game.  They had no defense.  No teamwork.  No assault of significance.

I n contrast, the Heat had their leader, Jimmy Butler, totally in command.  Plus, his deputy, Caleb Martin.

Butler had 28 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals in a calculated game anchored on Erik Spoelstra’s

Milo, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. were PSC commissioners Olivia “Bong” Coo, Fritz Gaston and Edward Hayco. A ll three commissioners reiterated the need to upgrade the training facilities for members of the national pool, put up a nationwide grassroots program and find ways to strengthen the selection process for international competitions.

“ We need to upgrade the facilities so the athletes don’t need to train elsewhere overseas,” said Coo, a legendary bowler. “And they need more exposure, too.”

The PSC also plans to consult with the different national sports associations that were represented in Cambodia and find out where and how some of them failed to deliver.

Gaston, a former Philippine Basketball Association player like Bachmann, echoed Coo’s statement. We are athletes, we know their needs. We need to provide better and more competitive facilities. But we also have to be critical in terms of selection,” he said.

H ayco, meanwhile, pushed for grassroots development, and hoped that his success with the Cebu Sports Commission can be carried over nationwide.

methodology of well-paced coaching.

It was no surprise then that Butler was chosen Finals MVP (Most Valuable Player), even as several quarters had batted for Martin, whose four three-pointers helped fuel Miami’s breakaway.

How will Miami fare against Denver, whose 4-0 sweep of Los Angeles in the Western Conference Finals has remained a hot clubhouse topic?

I f Miami’s Bam Adebayo could hold his own against Man Mountain Nikola Jokic, the 7-footer from Serbia, we have a game going.

THAT’S IT It’d be a shame, indeed, if Carlos Yulo would miss the Asian Games. That would mean one gold medal less for the country. But Yulo is torn between the World Gymnastics and the Asiad—the event in Belgium serving as a qualifier to the 2024 Paris Olympics. I still wish Yulo’s schedules could be fixed for him not to skip the Asian Games in China...Happy birthday to Coach Dayong J. Mendoza (June 2) of San Miguel Beer, who will celebrate at Dayong Art Gallery Cafe! Cheers!

THE Miami Heat celebrate their victory after Game 7 that went their side almost all of the way. AP

PHILIPPINE Sports Commission chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann (third from left) and commissioners (from left) Fritz Gaston, Olivia “Bong” Coo and Edward Hayco pose for unity.

CARLOS YULO’S priority is his qualification for the Paris Olympics.