BusinessMirror November 01, 2019 by BusinessMirror

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Friday, November 1, 2019 Vol. 15 No. 22

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3rd quake hits South, landslides alert raised I

BSP: Oct inflation likely at 0.5%-1.3%

By Manuel T. Cayon

Domestic liquidity grows 7.7% in September

HE rate of expansion of the country’s cash supply picked up in September this year, but the rate remained in the single-digit territory even after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) implemented cuts in the reserve requirement ratio (RRR). Data from the BSP showed that domestic liquidity—broadly measured as M3—grew by an annualized rate of 7.7 percent in September this year. This is faster than the 6.3 percent recorded in August. As of September, the total cash supply of the Philippines reached P12 trillion. A growing cash supply is often beneficial for an expanding economy such as the Philippines, as it provides fuel to the productive sectors of the country. Slow M3 expansion could be detrimental, particularly if it is not enough to fuel economic activities. However, excessively high cash supply growth could stoke inflationary pressures and jack up prices. The BSP said it will “continue to monitor domestic liquidity dynamics to ensure that overall monetary conditions remain in line with maintaining the BSP’s price and financial stability objectives.” For September, demand for credit remained the principal driver of cash supply growth. In a separate statement, the See “Domestic liquidity,” A12

@awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief & Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

NOTHER strong earthquake hit Cotabato on Thursday morning, the third to hit the same area this month, sending people scrambling to open spaces seeking safety, as thousands of affected families are still reeling from the two previous earthquakes. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is verifying reports that a barangay chairman was killed by falling debris of a covered court in Makilala, a first-class

municipality in the Province of Cotabato. So far, the three earthquakes have resulted in the death of eight people and injuries to 395 people, according to Mark Timbal, spokes-

man of the NDRRMC. “Our operations in the affected areas are ongoing. Hopefully, there will be no more reported casualties,” Timbal said. The 6.5-magnitude earthquake which struck Cotabato around 9:11 a.m. on Thursday sent frantic residents scampering for safety outside residential and commercial buildings. One such mid-rise condominium building outside downtown Davao City partially collapsed on the third strong quake after being condemned by engineers last Tuesday after the second quake. Davao City Hall extended the suspension of all classes and work in public offices up to Monday (November 4) to reassess the effect of the temblor. The second floor of the fivestory Ecoland 4000 condominium

@BNicolasBM

RESIDENT Duterte is set to leave for Bangkok, Thailand, today, November 1, to attend the 35th Asean Summit and Related Summits to be held from November 2 to 4. Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Junever Mahilum-West earlier

PESO exchange rates n

@BcuaresmaBM

collapsed on Thursday morning, bringing the entire building one floor down, with wide cracks at its center. Nine occupants were injured and were rescued, eight of them treated on site, and one sent to a hospital for treatment of a laceration at the forehead.

NFLATION in October could have fallen to as low as 0.5 percent, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said in its forecast on Thursday, due to lower rice and oil prices. The BSP Department of Economic Research said inflation rate last month likely settled within the range of 0.5 percent to 1.3 percent. “The increases in electricity and water rates, as well as higher prices of LPG and selected food items are seen as the primary sources of upward price pressures for the month. Meanwhile, inflation could be tempered by lower domestic oil and rice prices,” the BSP said. “Looking ahead, the BSP will remain watchful of evolving inflationary conditions to ensure that the monetary-policy stance rema ins consistent w it h t he

See “3rd quake,” A2

See “Inflation,” A2

We’ve already monitored cracks in steeps slopes in some areas. This means the soil is unstable and this could result in landslides. It is best for LGUs to evacuate people at risk, if there are any, to safer grounds to avoid disaster.”—Bautista

CATCH-UP PLAN SPURS N.G. SPENDING TO GROW 39% TO P415B IN SEPT By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

Eva’s Hotel stands damaged after a strong earthquake in Kidapawan, North Cotabato province, on Thursday (October 31, 2019). The third strong earthquake this month jolted the southern Philippines on Thursday morning, further damaging structures already weakened by the earlier shaking. AP/WILLIAMOR MAGBANUA

Asean leaders to tackle sea code, 4th Industrial Revolution By Bernadette D. Nicolas

By Bianca Cuaresma

said the President may once again raise the need for a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea during the summit. The Philippines is the country coordinator for the Asean-China Dialogue Relations until 2021. During the summit, the Philippines will express its support for Thailand’s priorities as Asean chairman, which includes making

Asean respond more effectively to regional and global changes. With the theme “Partnership for Sustainability,” the Summit will prepare Asean for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and further realize the Asean Community Vision 2025. About 40 outcome documents are expected at the end of the annual summit to be attended by heads of Asean member-states and

dialogue partner countries, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. On the first day of the summit tomorrow, November 2, the President is expected to attend the Asean Summit Plenary. The Philippines is also expected to participate in several other related summits, including the Asean

ATIONAL government spending gained headway in its catch-up plan for the year as disbursements posted double-digit growth in September, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). In a statement on Thursday, DBM said government spending reached P415.1 billion in September, a 39-percent or P116.5-billion increase from P298.6 billion posted last year. This brought the January -to-September period spending to P2.627 billion in 2019, a 5.5-percent growth from P2.49 billion. This is 2.1 percent below target for the period. “[We are] optimistic that the national government will be able to meet its catch-up spending program before the end of the fiscal year in support of the administration’s growth targets,” the DBM said. Data showed the growth of government disbursements this September was mainly driven by an upsurge in disbursements in Capital Outlays, particularly in Infrastructure/Other CO spending. Infrastructure/Other CO spending reached P100.3 billion this September. This was a 53.9-percent growth, or an increase of P35.1 billion, from last year’s P65.2 billion. DBM said this was the fastest

growth in Capital Outlay for the year, and was mainly due to the completion of projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). These projects include the construction, upgrading, repair, and rehabilitation of roads, bridges, and flood-control structures. The government also completed the purchase of new military equipment under the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program of the Department of National Defense, and constructed the new Supreme Court building for the Judiciary. “[This indicated] the government has broken through the effects of the delayed passage of the FY 2019 national budget and the election ban on infrastructure spending which weighed down on economic growth during the first half of the fiscal year,” DBM said. Other drivers of growth in national government spending include increases in subsidies to governmentowned and -controlled corporations which posted a 179.3-percent growth and Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses with a growth of 26.1 percent. The list includes Personnel Services expenditures which posted a growth of 15 percent, and combined allotment and capital transfers to local government units, growing at 27 percent.

See “Asean,” A12

US 51.0330 n japan 0.4689 n UK 65.8581 n HK 6.5094 n CHINA 7.2325 n singapore 37.4802 n australia 35.2230 n EU 56.9120 n SAUDI arabia 13.6081

Source: BSP (31 October 2019 )

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A2 Friday, November 1, 2019

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‘Meat firms downsizing due to ban on pork products’

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

@joveemarie

HE ban or restrictions on the sale and distribution of processed pork products is forcing some meat processing companies to downsize operations and lay off workers, the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (Pampi) said on Thursday.

Pampi made the statement after Laguna banned all pork products due to the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF). The group noted that Laguna is the 65th province to impose what it described as an arbitrary ban. With this, Pampi urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to disclose how the ASF virus spread from a piggery in Montalban, Rizal. Pampi President Felix O. Tiukinhoy said member-companies are being forced to draw contingency measures to stay in business. “These measures include downsizing operations and sending workers on a furlough or permanent layoff,” he said. The group said only the provinces in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) did not impose the ban as most of the residents there don’t eat pork. In imposing such bans on processed pork products, local govern-

Rice lib. . .

Continued from A12

A formal motion to trigger an inquiry in aid of crafting remedial legislation to plug loopholes in the existing rice trade law is expected to be lodged as soon as regular sessions resume on November 4. In its banner story and accompanying “Broader Look” investigation published on Thursday (October 31), BusinessMirror, citing sources, reported that three government agencies, including the PCC, are conducting parallel inquiries into the rice importation players, in a bid to prevent unscrupulous parties from making a mockery of the RTL. The Department of Finance, through the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Bureau of Customs, and the Department of Agriculture are also scrutinizing the rice import players and transactions since RTL took effect on March 5 this year. The DOF is closely monitoring revenue collections from rice-related transactions, particularly importation, to ensure rice tariffs are properly collected, especially as they are vital to bankroll government interventions under the RTL to improve local farmers’ productivity. The PCC probe is expected to focus on possible dummy schemes involving the entrenched big-time traders that have been gaming farmer groups since before and after the rice trade liberalization regime. The BusinessMirror and “Broader Look”team (Read “Parallel probes ongoing on rice import players” and “Pre- and post-rice trade lib law, big traders gaming farmer groups”) unearthed government documents indicating that certain farmers’ and irrigators’ associations had imported on record hundreds of millions of pesos worth of rice, even though they declared net incomes way below capacity to mount such big transactions. Sources said the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) had been warning the farmer cooperatives against allowing use of their papers for a “fee” by big-time traders, who reportedly pay P3 to P5 per bag of imported rice—or just an average of P100,000 for an importation that fetches hundreds of millions in revenue for the businessmen. Meanwhile, the BIR has raided several warehouses where imported rice was stocked, but whose owners could not show any import documents.

‘Violation of RTL’

In a related development, Senator Villar’s proposal to limit rice imports to just 1 million

ment units (LGUs) ignored scientific evidence that processed products which are cooked at high temperatures are incapable of spreading the ASF virus, Pampi said. The group said the ASF scare is “killing the Philippine swine industry” which had a population of 12.78 million heads as of July 2018. The Philippines is the world’s eighthlargest pork producer. Also, Pampi added that their products are cooked or steamed at temperatures over and above the cooking standard of 70 degree Celsius for 30 minutes set by the World Organisation for Animal Health to destroy the ASF virus. Because of the ban, Tiukinhoy said Pampi members “stopped purchases of pork materials since the finished products can no longer be sold.” “We do not want to expose ourselves to further risks by using locally sourced pork that could be laden with ASF. There could be metric tons (MMT), amid the clamor to protect local farmers from drastically depressed prices, is not feasible, according to one major farmer group. The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) on Thursday said that while it welcomed the suggestion to address the surge in rice imports, Villar’s suggestion is against the rice liberalization law. FFF National Manager Raul Montemayor said Republic Act 11203 was designed to remove all forms of quantitative limits on rice imports and replace these restrictions with tariffs. “Imposing a limit of 1 million tons is equivalent to reintroducing a quantitative restriction, which RA 11203 specifically prohibits. The only way you can change that is to repeal or amend the law, which Senator Villar has stubbornly opposed,” he added. Villar earlier said the government could limit imports by implementing more stringent guidelines on the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPS-IC) to traders. Montemayor also cautioned Villar against publicly suggesting that quarantine regulations be used to deliberately limit rice imports. “So-called sanitary and phytosanitary or SPS measures on imports are allowed by WTO [World Trade Organization] rules to protect the domestic industry from pests and diseases, and consumers from unsafe goods,” he said. “However, they must be scientifically based, and must not be applied arbitrarily as a trade barrier. Otherwise, we will open ourselves to complaints and disputes in the WTO, especially if our very own officials publicly state that these measures are intended to limit imports,” added Montemayor. The FFF, citing data from the Bureau of Customs, said a total of 2.943 million metric tons of rice have been imported since the start of the year up to September 2019, or more than double the country’s import requirements for the year. This has caused palay prices to drop continuously and fall below P16 per kilo, the lowest level during the past eight years.

Safeguard

The FFF also reiterated its position that the imposition of safeguard measures is the most effective, WTO-compliant, and transparent way to address the surge in imports and arrest the drop in palay prices. Under WTO rules and Republic Act 8800, the government can temporarily impose additional duties on top of regular tariffs if there is a surge in imports that harms, or threatens to harm, the local rice industry.

unscrupulous suppliers who could pass off meat from ASF-infected pigs,” he said. Tiukinhoy added that the ASF virus could easily spread because of the nature of the local hog industry. “Even in the Visayas and Mindanao, it is not safe to buy pork materials, even without ASF, because of the presence of so many backyard raisers. Some big hog companies there buy from backyard raisers when they cannot meet the demand. We believe they should voluntarily have their pigs tested for ASF, too, to assure the public,” he said. Meat processors also clarified that ASF does not pose a threat to humans, but could decimate the swine population. ASF is a highly contagious hemorrhagic viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs of all ages. It is characterized by high fever, loss of appetite, hemorrhage in the skin and internal organs, often resulting in death. There is no vaccine or treatment against ASF. Processed meats are being blamed for the outbreak of ASF in Luzon, although experts from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) suspected that swill feeding of pigs may have caused the outbreak. BAI experts said ASF can be transmitted by direct contact, ingestion of garbage/swill feeds containing unprocessed infected pig meat or pig meat products, ticks and biting flies or contaminated premises, vehicles, equipment and

The DA was quoted saying it will start implementing more stringent SPS measures next week. These measures involve limits on heavy metals content and pesticide residue levels in rice to ensure that staple sold in the market, both imported and locally produced, are safe for consumption. Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said these food safety measures are just a reiteration of existing rules to ensure that rice sold in the market is safe for human consumption. Moreover, Montemayor also clarified that imposing safeguard measures is not equivalent to reversing the tariffication of rice QRs. “WTO rules on safeguard measures were precisely adopted to help countries cope with market adjustment problems when they liberalize and convert QRs for sensitive commodities into tariffs. That is why they are called trade remedy measures. They are not intended to reverse tariffication but instead complement it,” explained Montemayor. “We already know that, at present, our rice farmers cannot compete with imports. Senator Villar has repeatedly stated that our cost of producing palay is double that of Vietnam. Our rice farmers may become competitive eventually, if we provide the right support to them. But this will take time. During the transition period, we must avail of safeguard measures if needed so that our farmers have a chance to survive and become competitive. Otherwise, if we wait for one to two years as suggested by Neda Director General [Ernesto] Pernia, it will be too late,” added Montemayor. Also, the farmers’ group said the provision of cheap loans, cash assistance and procurement support to affected rice farmers will not be effective unless the safeguard measures are put in place at the same time. “How can farmers pay back the loans if the price of their produce keeps falling and their losses continue to pile up? The P5,000 cash assistance is very small compared to their losses, and will just be eaten up by more losses if palay prices continue to go down,” added Montemayor. According to Montemayor, the imposition of safeguard measures will not require a single centavo of expenditure from the government, and will, in fact, even increase the tariff collections of the BOC. “More important, it will arrest the inflow of rice imports, lessen the glut in the market, and allow palay prices to move up. Once the situation normalizes, the government can always decide to reduce or totally remove the safeguard duties,” added Montemayor.

Red Cross deploys thousands of volunteers, staff, standby ambulances for ‘Undas’ 2019

HE Philippine Red Cross (PRC) said it is all set to provide safety and welfare assistance by mobilizing 156 ambulances and more than 1, 700 staff and volunteers nationwide in the observance of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days. “As always, PRC is in full operation to accommodate everyone, especially our kababayans who will be going home to their respective provinces to visit their departed loved ones. We want to ensure their safety,” said PRC Chairman and CEO Richard Gordon. PRC will set up 168 first aid stations and 120 welfare desks in 147 cemeteries and memorial parks as well as to major highways including North Luzon Expressway (Nlex) and South Luzon Expressway (Slex), Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx), Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), ports and bus terminals, and beaches. There will be 39 roving and 117 standby ambulances deployed in strategic places while foot patrollers will be positioned in hard to reach areas like cemetery alleys. For emergency and any untoward incidents, contact the Red Cross’s 24/7 Operations Center, dial 143 or 879023-00.

clothing. About 65 percent of hog raisers in the Philippines are backyard growers who do not regularly subject their animals to veterinary inspection and who mainly rely on swill for feeds. The ASF virus can be easily carried by flies that swarm pork cuts in wet markets to backyard piggeries.

‘Scapegoating’

For his part, Magsasaka Partylist Rep. Argel Cabatbat said the local boycott does not contribute to solving the problem at hand, and it continuously hurts the hog-raising industry, which are mostly made up of small players “who are doing honest work to survive day by day.” He said members of Pampi need to be reminded that the likelihood of the ASF originating from imported pork is greater than the virus coming from local ones. “The call to punish the local industry is a form of scapegoating, especially that the call comes from an organization which sources most of its meat abroad,” he said. “Billions of pesos in capital have been lost in the past couple of months because of the spread of the ASF, as well as the panic and misinformation that came with it. Our local players consistently cooperate with authorities, and have instituted stringent measures to protect the interests and safety of the buying public,” he added.

Inflation. . . Continued from A1

BSP’s price stability mandate,” it added. Should inflation hit the lower end of the BSP’s forecast for the month, this will be the slowest acceleration of local consumer prices the Philippines has seen in three years. In February 2016, inflation fell to 0.5 percent. During that year, the hike in consumer prices averaged 1.3 percent. In their September 26 monetary policy meeting, BSP Assistant Governor Edna Villa said the BSP’s inflation forecast was slightly reduced to 2.5 percent on average for the year. The inflation forecasts for 2020 and 2021, however, remained unchanged. In the near term, Villa said inflation could continue to decelerate and breach the low end of the target range primarily due to base effects. For 2020 and 2021, she said the BSP took into consideration the recovery in domestic growth and the “positive adjustments” as the impact of the rice tariffication tapers off. The BSP also said the balance of risks to the inflation outlook have shifted toward the upside for 2020, while it is seen to tilt to the downside for 2021. “Upside risks to inflation over the near term emanate mainly from volatility in oil prices due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and from the potential impact of the African swine fever outbreak on food prices,” said BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno. “Meanwhile, the subdued pace of global economic activity continues to temper the inflation outlook,” he added. Diokno said falling inflation —in stark contrast to last year’s acceleration—allowed the BSP to cut policy rates further. The BSP has already punched in a total of 75 basis point cut for the year. T he B SP ’s ne x t monet a r y policy meeting is scheduled on November 14.

Free transpo, candles in Muntinlupa

MUNTINLUPA residents and visitors

3rd quake. . . Continued from A1

The epicenter of Thursday’s quake was located 33 kilometers northeast of Talunan, Cotabato, near the epicenters of the 6.6-magnitude earthquake last October 29 and a 6.3-magnitude tremor recorded on October 16, also in Cotabato. Phivolcs Deputy Director Bart Bautista told the BusinessMirror the earthquakes are all tectonic. “Earthquakes happening in the same area several times is normal because of the movement of plates underground. There are several local active faults in the area, so we expect more earthquakes to happen,” he said.

Warning on landslides

Phivolcs is ruling out the possibility of tsunamis, Bautista advised concerned LGUs, particularly in areas where the tremors were strongly felt, to be cautious against the possibility of landslides. “Landslides can happen in steep slopes in the affected areas,” he said. “We’ve already monitored cracks in steeps slopes in some areas. This means the soil is unstable and this could result in landslides. It is best for LGUs to evacuate people at risk, if there are any, to safer grounds to avoid disaster,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. Aside from the Cotabato area, intensity 7 ground shaking was also felt in Kidapawan City, Santa Cruz, Matanao, Bansalan and Magsaysay in Davao del Sur. Intensity 4 to 6 were felt in Tampakan, South Cotabato, General Santos City; Tupi, and Isulan, and Lebak, in Sultan Kudarat, all the way to Gingoog City and Cagayan de Oro City where an intensity 3 earthquake was recorded.

Evacuation continues

Since the first earthquake, a 6.3-magnitude that struck on October 16, residents of affected areas have started to evacuate. The evacuation continued as a stronger 6.6-magnitude earthquake was felt anew. So far, a total of 4,604 individuals are currently staying in three emergency evacuation centers, said Timbal. These evacuation centers—one in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, and two in Makilala and Kidapawan City in North Cotabato—are now providing temporary shelter to 2,035 individuals. Timbal credited the concerned LGUs with immediately providing the evacuees their basic needs such as food, water and medicine, as is the NDRRMC protocols. “We have a regulation that LGUs, in case of natural calamities, will take care of the evacuees. There is already prepositioned food, water and medicines in the areas near the evacuation centers,” he said. Aside from evacuees sheltered in the three evacuation centers, 2,035 others have opted to put up camps in open spaces near their homes, Timbal said. According to Timbal, all evacuees are adequately provided for by LGUs, but he said the NDRRMC has sent augmentation supply to the affected areas as early as

visiting their dearly departed may take shuttle services to the city’s six public and private cemeteries and candles until November 2 free of charge. Muntinlupa Public Information Officer Tez Navarro said state-owned service vehicles, including 15 ejeepneys, flexi-trucks, and city buses will be deployed along the national road from Sucat to Tunasan to ferry constituents going to the grave sites for this year’s All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day celebrations. Pickup points of free shuttle services include: Susana Heights Bus Terminal (Everest Hills Memorial Park), Plaza Central (Japanese Cemetery), Caltex Station–Soldiers Hills (Muntinlupa City Public Cemetery/ Aglipay Cemetery), and Sucat East Service Road to Alabang Montillano Street, to M.L Quezon Street, to Meralco Road Loop (San Nicolas de Tolentino Cemetery). Mayor Jaime Fresnedi ordered the Muntinlupa Ciy Police Department and Muntinlupa City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to beef up security personnel and emergency response teams to ensure peace and order in the cemeteries. Muntinlupa Undas 2019 is spearheaded by the Office of the Mayor, in coordination with Muntinlupa Traffic and Management Bureau. Claudeth

Mocon-Ciriaco and Roderick L. Abad Wednesday. “Just in case the local supply runs out, the augmentation supplies will be used,” he said. Meanwhile, he cautioned the public against spreading or passing on “fake news” predicting the next strong earthquake. “We advise the public not to believe in these hoaxes because they only add to the tension and cause panic. We advise the public to monitor official reports from the NDRRMC and Phivolcs only,”said Timbal.

Cracks on building

The 56-room Ecoland condominium in Davao City was recommended to be condemned after city engineers found cracks on the building during the second strong quake on Tuesday (October 29). Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said city engineers visited the condominium and already informed the building administrator a day earlier. She also called on the administrator to check if they were informed of the order to condemn the building. She said the administrator confirmed the information but disclosed some renters did not heed the information, purportedly because they have nowhere to transfer immediately. The mayor was told that only 15 rooms were occupied that time. A check by 911 Emergency responders from the rooftop down to the third floor found no one nor did they hear of any distress call. The responders have been helped by a Coast Guard canine unit trained to sniff cadavers to check on the second and lower floors. Duterte-Carpio said the second floor had collapsed and the 911 responders have to use a boom equipment to avoid touching anything that might cause further damage. Elsewhere, Duterte-Carpio disclosed that cracks and damage were found in the two main bridges in downtown. Engineers will reassess the Bankerohan Bridge over the new cracks found and have limited the entry of vehicles at the Bolton Bridge to only below 20 tonnage weight, saying engineers detected a damage on the diaphragm wall of the bridge. She said there was no tsunami alert or warning.

NGCP sustains damage

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said it sustained damage to its Kidapawan City substation due to Thursday’s earthquake but assured the public its Mindanao transmission backbone is intact. It did not elaborate on the extent of the damage but said it has made “necessary technical adjustments.” For the meantime, it shifted the load to Tacurong substation while it was undertaking measures to restore transmission services to affected customers. It said there were no other reports of transmission facilities or high-voltage equipment affected in the areas where the earthquake was felt.

The Nation BusinessMirror

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Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Friday, November 1, 2019 A3

Duterte to Cabinet: Ensure safety of structures and delivery of services to quake-stricken areas

By Samuel P. Medenilla & Butch Fernandez

@sam_medenilla @butchfBM

RESIDENT Duterte has ordered all government agencies on Thursday to ensure the safety of structures and continuous delivery of services to quake-stricken areas in Mindanao.

The President’s order came a few minutes after parts of Region 10 and 12 were jolted anew by a 6.5-magnitude earthquake on Thursday morning. In an interview, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III disclosed the President sent the directive to all members of the Cabinet to provide the necessary assistance to quake victims. “Monitor the areas affected by recent multiple earthquakes. Please prepare efforts relevant to you agencies especially, DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways], DOE [Department of Energy], DICT [Department of Information and Communications Technology] and DepEd [Department of Education],” said Bello reading the SMS from Duterte. DPWH was tasked to assess whether roads or highways are

passable or not, while DepEd will determine if public-school buildings are safe. The DOE and DICT will ensure there are no power and communications interruptions, respectively, in Mindanao. This was affirmed by Presidential Spokesman Salvador S. Panelo in a separate statement. “The President had directed all agencies and responsible local government units to provide the necessary assistance and immediate relief to those affected,” Panelo said.

Labor-related aid

FOR its part, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) deployed teams in the affected areas to determine the workers who may be displaced by the recent disaster. “I have sent Undersecretary Ana

Dione and Assistant Secretary Benjo Santos Benavidez to proceed to General Santos City and Davao City to lead our regional DOLE officials in the assessment of the situation,” Bello said. Bello added that they have around P100 million to provide emergency employment and livelihood to qualified beneficiaries. “ This Sunday, I will personally fly to Davao City to see the extent of the damage and its effect on the employment of our kababayans,” Bello said Bello added that he will be accompanied by Occupational Safety and Health Center Executive Director Noel Binag, who will head the safety assessment of the affected workplaces. Trade Union Congress of the Philippines Spokesman Alan Tanjusay said they had to receive any damage or casualty report from their members in Mindanao.

Safe and sound

IN radio interviews, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go assured the public that the President is safe after another strong earthquake hit the southern parts of Mindanao on Thursday morning, October 31. Go also said that the President has ordered concerned government agencies to ensure the safety and well-being of residents

in affected areas. Duterte was in his home in Davao City when a 6.5-magnitude earthquake, with Tulunan, North Cotabato as the epicenter, occurred at 9:11 a.m., two days after a 6.6-magnitude earthquake and two weeks after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit the same area. Hundreds of aftershocks were also recorded in between the main shocks. “Kahit noong mga nakaraang lindol, nag-utos ang Pangulo sa lahat ng government agencies na ikutin ang lahat ng structures, ang government at school buildings, siguraduhing safe. Ang mga anak ay dapat ilagay sa safe na lugar,” Go said. “Handa naman po ang gobyerno natin at ang ating DPWH, iniinspeksyon kaagad lahat ng mga gusali na talagang tinamaan,” Go explained. He added that local government units are also ready to provide assistance to affected communities. As to reports that the continuous earthquakes have damaged many structures, Go said that government agencies should be strict in implementing the relevant laws, particularly the National Building Code, which the senator plans to revisit and propose necessary amendments to ensure safety amid recurring natural disasters, such as earthquakes. “It is high time na amyendahan ang National Building Code. Matagal na

ito, saka andaming nakakalusot. Huwag nang hintayin na may gumuhong gusali. Dapat maging istrikto,” he said. The National Building Code was promulgated in 1977 when thenPresident Ferdinand E. Marcos issued Presidential Decree 1096. Go recognizes that there may be a need to amend the law and make it updated with the demands of the 21st century, and with the increase in strength and frequency of natural calamities, such as earthquakes and typhoons. “The government, through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council [NDRRMC] and the Office of Civil Defense, is currently on top of the situation,” Panelo added. Among those affected by the tremor on Thursday was Duterte himself, who was staying at his residence in Davao City. “The President is safe in his home in Davao and is closely monitoring the developments. The President considers all situations arising from natural disasters that have caused widespread destruction to lives and property a top concern,” Panelo said. Presidential Security Group (PSG) chief Brig. Gen. Jose Eriel Neimbra said engineers have been deployed to ensure the structural integrity of Duterte’s home, espe-

cially after several cracks appeared on its walls in the aftermath of the recent quake. As of press time, Niembra said Duterte is expected to still push through with his trip to Thailand for the 35th Asean Summit in Thailand from November 1 to 4.

Legislative amendment

IN the aftermath of three strong earthquakes, several buildings in Mindanao collapsed or were damaged due to sheer intensity of the tremors. “A total of 2,704 infrastructures in Regions 9, 10, 11, 12, and BARMM [Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao] were reported damaged due to the incident,” NDRRMC said in its latest advisory. It said this affected 25,630 people from 59 affected barangays. Of which, eight died, 395 were injured and two are missing. Communication Secretary Martin M. Andanar cited the extend of the damaged structure in renewing their call for the amendment of the National Building Code. “It’s high time to revamp and tighten this outdated law as its current framework is very lax. Let us not wait for a disaster to happen before we become strict in granting building permits,” Andanar said.

A4 Friday, November 1, 2019 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Economy BusinessMirror

DOLE to seek congressmen’s inputs in crafting IRR for Service Charge law By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is inclined to consult lawmakers to address the issues on the coverage of implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 11360, or the Service Charge law. Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III issued the pronouncement after leaders of the hotel and restaurant industry met with him on Thursday to push for the inclusion managers among the recipients of

service charge. “Because they submit that if we exclude them [managers] from the sharing in the service charge, it will result into the diminution of compensation,” Bello told the BusinessMirror in an interview. Bello said he did not commit to grant the said request, especially since he said it already strayed outside of the provisions of R A 11360. R A 11360 explicitly excluded “managerial employees” from getting the col lected ser v ice charges of hotels, restaurants

and similar establishments. It defined managerial employees as “any person with powers or prerogative to lay down and execute management policies or hire, transfer, suspend, lay-off, recall, discharge, assign or discipline employees or to effectively recommend such managerial actions.” Yet another issue they have to resolve, Bello said, is the position of some labor groups not to include contractual workers in the coverage of RA 11360. Bello said the National AntiPoverty Commission submitted a

contradicting position stressing contractual workers should be covered by the said law. Due to the existing concerns of the employers and labor groups on the IRR of RA 11360, Bello said he decided to conduct another round of stakeholder consultation next week. “We will ask them to submit their proposed IRR for our consideration,” Bello said. “The inputs will serve as our basis for the issuance of the final IRR, which we are targeting to complete by November 10 or 12,” he added.

Caap suspends ops of Lingayen Airport from Thursday to Saturday By Recto Mercene @rectomercene

HE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) has closed the operations of Pangasinan’s Lingayen Airport during the observance of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days from October 31 to November 2. This is because the airport’s 1,634-meter runway, which cuts across the Lingayen Public Cemetery, is being used by cemetery visitors as a convenient short cut to reach the grave of their loved ones. “This makes the feeder airport unsafe for operations…,” the Caap said in a news statement ordering its temporary closure for safety and security reasons. The cessation of Lingayen Air-

port operations was announced via notice-to-airmen (Notam) which takes effect from 7 a.m. on October 31 until 5 p.m. on November 2, 2019. Apart from the suspension of commercial flights, the Notam also covers three flying academies based and operating at Lingayen Airport: FAST Academy Inc. Fastlink and Signature Aviation. Affected are about 114 flights recorded daily at this airport, consisting mainly of touch-and-go practice by aspiring pilots.

Kite flying

THE Caap said another cause of the airport’s closure is to avoid the traditional practice of Lingayen locals of flying kites at the cemetery during All Saints’ Day. The practice has been tradition-

ally observed for decades with the belief that kite flying is a tool to communicate with the dead and a vehicle for the departed souls to reach heaven. Area 1 Manager Ronald Estabillo said that even with the Notam in effect, “Oplan Bantay Pasilidad sa Araw ng Undas” has been put in place to prevent people from crossing the runway for safety and security reasons. Estabillo said the Caap regrets not being able to control the huge crowd “because security personnel cannot stop their arrivals and associated activities.” “It will be difficult for us to control or apprehend people coming from different directions and occupying almost the entire stretch of the runway,” he said.

Estabillo added they would need the whole day of November 2 to cleanup the airport’s runway of garbage left behind by the throngs of visitors. “ T hat a lso ma kes the closure necessary,” Estabillo said. The Oplan Bantay Pasilidad sa Araw ng Undas is conducted in coordination with the Philippine National Police’s Aviation Security Unit in Lingayen. Caap oversees the operations of 44 government-run community airports, as well as 42 commercial airports nationwide. Among the country’s commercial airports only four—the Ninoy Aquino International Airport; Clark International Airport; Cebu-Mactan International Airport, and Subic International Airport that do not fall under Caap authority.

BIR and Customs intensify drive vs contraband cigs

HE Bu reau of Customs has reported the seizure of 2,727 master cases of smuggled Cannon and Fort cigarettes with an estimated value of P95 million. The operation stemmed from a confidential information received by authorities that more or less 3,000 alleged smuggled cigarettes were onboard ML Three Brothers anchored in the vicinity of the waters off Siasi, Sulu. According to District Collector Segundo Sigmundfreud Z. Barte Jr., this is the biggest haul in the history of the Port of Zamboanga. “The close coordination of lawenforcement agencies is the key in winning the battle against smuggling, particularly in Zambasulta area,” Barte said. Under the Customs Administrative Order 3-2019, BOC officials are vested with the police powers to go after smugglers and restricted products, including illicit cigarettes. The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), meanwhile, raided a warehouse in Binondo, Manila, where 145 master cases with 1.4 million Chinese-branded tobacco products were found. T he brands Changbaishan, Double Happiness, Huanghelou, Goldenleaf, Liqun, Septwolves, Taishan, and YunYan have been seized by the BIR. Internal Revenue Deputy Commissioner Arnel Guballa earlier said that the BIR’s “strike team” is committed in strengthening the government’s fight against illicit tobacco trading. “BIR’s strike team would continue to actively coordinate with other government agencies ‘to curtail further the proliferation of the illicit cigarette trade,’” Guballa said. Jove Moya

FREE RIDE

Cemetery goers at the Manila, North Cemetery in Manila line up to avail themselves of a free electric tricycle ride to find their way inside the burial ground. The commuter transport service was provided by the City Government of Manila ahead of the observance of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day. ROY DOMINGO

Villar: DPWH reopens Marcos Bridge in Marikina ahead of April 2020 target By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

HE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reopened the Marcos Bridge in Marikina City on Thursday ahead of its April 2020 target. Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar said his office finished the repair works of the critical bridge for only five months, and is now fully accessible to vehicles. “As an integral access to Quezon City from the east of Rizal province, rehabilitation works on the bridge after its 40 years of service are necessary to ensure the safety and convenience of the public,” Villar said. The bridge was upgraded through the redecking of the slabs, the strengthening of girders and replacement of expansion joints, concrete sidewalks, railing and drain pipes. Both the eastbound and westbound lanes cost P213.46 million to repair. “The rehabilitation was initially targeted to finish in April 2020 but considering the volume of motorists and commuters affected, the DPWH-National Capital Region went 24/7 to finish the project as early as possible,” Villar said.

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Male farmworkers earn ₧25 more than female counterparts–survey By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

ALE farmworkers earn an average of P25 more than their female counterparts nationwide, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data showed. Data also showed nominal wage rates for farmworkers averaged P306.28 per day, or P7,350.72 per month. Male farmworkers earn P310.16 daily, or P7,443.84 per month, while female agriculture workers only earn P285.51 per day, or P6,852.24 a month. The difference in male and female nominal daily wages in the Philippines averaged P24.65. The difference in nominal daily wages was wider at P28.92 in 2017, but was narrower at P17.45 posted in 2016. In terms of region, Calabarzon reported the highest nominal wage rate at P373.92 per day, or P8,974.08 a month, while Northern Mindanao recorded the lowest at P259.36 per day, or P6,224.64 monthly. Calabarzon also registered the highest daily wage rates for the males and the females at P373.82,

or P8,971.68 monthly and P376.84, or P9,044.16 a month, respectively. Meanwhile, the lowest payment for the male workers was observed in Northern Mindanao at P260.77 per day or only P6,258.48 a month. The females got the least payment in Central Visayas at P237.14 per day, or P5,691.36 per month. “The daily wage rate differential between the male and female farmworkers was wider in Mimaropa at P115.04,” the PSA said. Palay farmworkers received the highest nominal wage rate at P324.81 per day, while corn farmworkers had the least wage rate at P264.29 per day. The daily nominal wage rates of those working in coconut and sugarcane farms stood at P317.27 and P273.38, respectively. The PSA data was published in the “Trends in Agricultural Wage Rates” which contained the results of the 2018 Agricultural Wage Rate Survey. The survey covered a total of 5,582 sample households who hired farmworkers particularly for the four major crops, namely, palay, corn, coconut and sugarcane.

PCSO donates 45 ambulances to state-run hospitals, PNP

HE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has donated over 45 emergency transport vehicles to several staterun health facilities. During a ceremonies at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters at Camp Crame, PCSO General Manager Royina Garma turned over 42 ambulance units loaded with complete medical apparatus that will effectively provide emergency treatment to patients while on transport. The brand-new ambulance cars are special edition Nissan NV350, which costs P2.4 million each. PCSO also handed one ambulance unit and P55-million cash donation to the PNP General Hospital. “The PCSO has always been a firm advocate of efficient health services to the Filipino people, especially those who have little resources to spend on their medical and health care. We will never waver from this commitment as we reaffirm our dedication in providing free but quality assistance to the public,” Garma said. Garma added that the PCSO is on standby, 24/7, to aid families who are in need of financial relief. “I am encouraging everyone here who will be taking home their units to please support PCSO products. Through your generosity and patronage of our products, we will make sure that our duty in

providing medical programs and services nationwide will live on,” Garma said. The new medical transport vehicles will benefit patients from Metro Manila’s government hospitals, which include Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center (Marikina City), Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital (Manila), East Avenue Medical Center (Quezon City), Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center (Manila), National Center for Mental Health (Mandaluyong City), National Children’s Hospital (Quezon City), Philippine Orthopedic Center (Quezon City), Quirino Memorial Medical Center (Quezon City), Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (Muntinlupa City), Rizal Medical Center (Pasig City), San Lazaro Hospital (Manila), Tondo Medical Center (Manila), Lung Center of the Philippines (Quezon City), National Kidney and Transplant Institute (Quezon City), Philippine Children’s Medical Center (Quezon City), Philippine Heart Center (Quezon City), and Valenzuela Medical Center (Valenzuela City). The Medical Transport Vehicle Donation is one of the key programs of the PCSO to help local government units, state-run hospitals, municipal health offices, and other health institutions in the Philippines with medical transport vehicles to immediately respond to the needs of patients, especially from povertystricken areas. Jove Moya

Telco brings free Wi-fi in cemeteries, transport hubs on November 1 and 2

AYS before Filipinos flock to the country’s cemeteries to observe Undas, Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) on Tuesday announced the rollout of free Wi-fi in major cemeteries in Metro Manila, and transport hubs in the country during the All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days (November 1 and 2). In a news statement, the telecommunications firm said it will deploy free “carrier-grade” Wi-fi in Metro Manila’s biggest cemeteries, such as Eternal Gardens Memorial Park in Caloocan, Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City, Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City, and Manila North Cemetery on Friday and Saturday. Those flying home to their provinces and back would also find free

Wi-fi in many airports nationwide. Smart said these would include “the four terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Davao International Airport, Caticlan Airport, Zamboanga Airport and Laoag Airport, to name a few.” For land travelers, Smart said its free Wi-fi would be available at integrated bus terminals in Araneta, Bacolod, Cebu North Bus, Cebu South Bus, Imus, Dao, Tacloban and Meycauayan. Free Wi-fi from Smart would also be available in private bus terminals operated by Solid North, Baliwag, Partas, DLTB and Victory Liner. For sea travelers, Smart said its free Wi-fi service will also be available at seaports in Cagayan de Oro, Ozamiz, Cebu,

Batangas, Puerto Princesa and Ormoc. Smart President and Chief Executive Officer Alfredo Panlilio said the company’s efforts in providing free Wi-fi services is in support of the government’s efforts to improve the experience of every Filipino traveler. “We are happy to support government efforts to improve Filipinos’ travel experience by making fast and reliable connectivity more accessible to all, especially during peak travel periods,” Panlilio said. Last week, the Department of Transportation said Malasakit Help Desks would be present in the country’s major transport hubs to provide the commuters with assistance on transport-related inquiries, complaints, and other concerns. PNA

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SSS taps Bataan co-operative as 28th partner agent in Luzon

HE state-run Social Security System (SSS) has accredited the Capitol Employees of Bataan Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CEmBa) as servicing and collecting partner agent as part of its serious effort to extend SSS coverage and services to informal sector workers. SSS President and CEO Aurora C. Ignacio said the organization’s wide range of products and services, and good financial management makes them qualified as an accredited partner agent. “We select organized groups that are highly capable of handling SSS transactions for its members and have shown their dedication to assist SSS in bringing the much-needed social security protection to workers in the informal sector,” Ignacio said. The Bataan-based cooperative was established in Balanga City in 2006 and currently provides savings, lending, and social programs and support services to more than 1,600 members. To date, CEmBa is the 28th accredited PA in Luzon. As collecting partner agent, CEmBa is authorized to collect SSS contributions, member loan amortizations, and miscellaneous payments from its regular or associate members who are self-employed or voluntary members of SSS. The newly accredited PA is also allowed to receive and screen registration forms, member loan application forms, funeral claim application forms, and other supporting documents. Under the memorandum of agreement signed by the SSS and CemBa, the latter can issue a Certificate of the Fact of Death for the death claim application submitted through them. With the SSS-CEmBa partnership, the pension fund is expected to cover at least 1,200 cooperative members. “We are optimistic that there would be more and more cooperatives and microfinance institutions which will serve as links in bringing social security to their members especially those in hardto-reach and underserved areas so that they too will be able to avail SSS benefits and loan privileges,” Ignacio said. Meanwhile, SSS recently conducted another Multi-Sectoral Forum dubbed as “SSS: Nakikiisa sa Pagsulong ng Social Protection Para sa mga Manggagawa sa Informal Sector” at the Japi Traveller’s Hotel in Cauayan, Isabela. Around 100 participants from various cooperatives and local government units (LGUs) in Northern Luzon attended the forum. The event highlighted the value of SSS membership, SSS programs for self-employed workers and the role of cooperatives in the promotion of social security protection through the testimony of an existing partner agent in the area.

Lawmaker wants full accounting of $500-M loan from World Bank

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

In a statement, House Deputy Majority Leader Bernadette Herrera-Dy said the Philippines is applying again for a new $500-million loan from the World Bank. “The DOF should first report to Congress what they did with the [$500 million] loan [in 2015],” Herrera said. “Policy loans usually run for several years.” She added that Congress and the public must know how much is left of the $500 million, how the loan has been spent, and whether that spending has been wise and in the public interest. Herrera deplored the fact “that only the

“This major development truly advances our capabilities to provide access to financial services, especially to the underserved and unbanked segment,” RMB President Raymundo C. Roxas was quoted in a statement as saying. “Moreover, it reaffirms our commitment toward the digital financial inclusion strategy of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.” Envisioned to be at the forefront of digital financial inclusion, RMB’s move to utilize a next-generation cloud platform in its banking operations provides a more conducive environment to further serve the unbanked and underserved sector, RMB said. The bank said it recently launched a “Basic Deposit Account,” or BDA, and enabled more than 3,500 Filipinos to open their first formal savings account. “Now with more capabilities, RMB is gearing up its efforts in expanding its business through agency banking program, which will allow local merchants and entrepreneurs to perform basic banking services, and offer the bank’s products and services to those residing in far-flung unbanked areas,” the bank said.

Drip marketing for associations

@joveemarie

MID widespread damage from this month’s earthquake in Mindanao, a lawmaker on Thursday asked the Department of Finance (DOF) and the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) to fully account for the $500-million “Disaster Risk Management Development Policy” loan the government borrowed from the World Bank.

RCBC thrift bank leads full shift to cloud-based core banking tech

ERCHANTS Savings & Loan Association Inc., which operates under the brand Rizal Microbank (RMB), is the first thrift bank in the Philippines to get Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) approval to fully shift to a cloud-based core banking system. RMB, which is the thrift bank of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC), entered into a partnership with NXTBNK, a Poland-based nextjgen cloud platform provider for modern banks. The platform enables RMB to use an efficient automated system in enacting basic banking transactions, and generating internal and regulatory reports. Having this mechanism would minimize the time requirement for opening deposit accounts, and applying for microfinance and small business loans. RMB said this would allow more time to service more clients within and outside the branch premises. The platform, which is deployed through Amazon Web Services (AWS), includes an open source application program interface (API) that enables the bank to be adaptable and compatible for open banking.

Friday, November 1, 2019 A5

that’s clear, actionable and S a practicing asattractive. sociation executive, I am always on the n Plan out your camlookout for new concepts paign. Figure out the logisin other professional fields tics of your drip campaign. that could be applicable What would the workflow Association World to associations here. “Drip look like from first contact to marketing” is one of these. sale to support? This is also Octavio Peralta Drip marketing is a comwhen you set the goals of munication strategy that your campaign, make sure that the copy in each sends or “drips” a pre-written set of messages e-mail flows together with the others, and deto customers or prospects over a set period of cide how you’re going to measure your results. time. These messages often take the form of n Start your campaign. Once you’ve decided e-mail marketing although other media can on a strategy, start sending. To do this, you can also be used. Drip marketing is distinct from either implement your own custom drip software other database marketing in two ways. First, the or buy an off-the-shelf product that’ll have you timing of the messages follows a predetermined up and running in minutes. course. Second, the messages are “dripped” in a n Evaluate and adjust. Just because your series applicable to a specific behavior or status drip campaign is automated doesn’t mean you of the recipient. It is also typically automated. can let it run unsupervised. It’s important to Joe Stych of Zapier, a US task automation readjust your strategy based on the results. If company, says drip marketing is all about giving you aren’t getting as many clickthroughs as you people the right information at the right time. want, try rewriting your calls to action; if you “If someone just subscribed to your blog aren’t meeting your conversion rate goals with newsletter, for example, a drip campaign could your sale-closing e-mail, try more educational send a welcome e-mail right away, and two days communications. later, an e-mail that shows off some of your most“It’s never too late to get started with a dripread content. The beauty of drip e-mails is that based strategy. But make sure you aren’t sending this all happen automatically based on triggers your current users a bunch of e-mails that they and user segments that you define.” didn’t sign up for. If they don’t understand why He said setting up an automated drip campaign could help you get relevant information they’re getting an e-mail, they could unsubscribe to targeted readers, and convert them into cusor mark your e-mails as spam,” explained Stych. tomers. Here are five steps that you could use for building your drip e-mails: The column contributor, Octavio Peralta, is concurrently n Identify your target audience. Drip camthe secretary-general of the Association of Development paigns are all about breaking your subscriber Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific, and the CEO list into subsections, and targeting information and Founder of the Philippine Council of Associations and to niches of customers. Determining which trigAssociation Executives. The Pcaae is holding the Associations gers and groups you’re going to use for your drip Summit 7 on November 27 and 28, 2019, at the Philippine campaign strategy is crucial. International Convention Center, which is expected to draw n Craft your message. Knowing now your over 200 association professionals here and abroad. The twotarget, you need to generate a message that’s day event is supported by Adfiap, the Tourism Promotions helpful and grabs their attention. What do you Board and the PICC. E-mail inquiries@adfiap.org for more want the user to do or what do you want the user details on AS7. to learn? Based on your answer, write a message

technical staff of these agencies are aware of what has happened to the $500 million.” She explained a full accounting of the loan from World Bank is needed pending the approval of the bill seeking the creation of a Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR). “Now that Congress is creating the DDR, it is but necessary for the Neda and DOF to immediately account for this huge loan and prepare to share or turnover management of it with the DDR, which would be the rightful implementing agency,” the Bagong Henerasyon Party-list lawmaker said.

“Looking into the future, we urgently need to create a Department of Disaster Resilience which will receive annual appropriations that shall put enforcement teeth to our government’s disaster risk mitigation efforts and boost our government’s capacity for a self-reliant post-disaster management and rehabilitation,” Herrera added. Lawmakers already underscored the need for a coherent government response to disasters under a new agency as the country has an average of 20 tropical cyclones every year, which produce floods, landslides and storm surges. Renato Solidum of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) also said the Philippines is among the top countries in the world with a higher risk of disasters. The others are Bangladesh, Guatemala and Brunei Darussalam. The lawmaker also noted that the country is host to 300 volcanoes of which 24 are active. He said 20 earthquakes are recorded by the Phivolcs everyday including some 90 destructive earthquakes and 40 tsunamis in the past 400 years. Under the proposed DDR, the department shall be headed by a secretary, with four undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and directors who are

“preferably specialists in the field of disaster risk reduction and management, science and technology, environmental science and management, urban planning, civil engineering, public finance, information and communications technology, logistics management, mass communication and other fields relevant to disaster resilience. The department shall also establish regional, provincial, city, municipal and barangay disaster resilience offices following the abolition of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Offices. In the 17th Congress, Agusan Del Norte Rep. Lawrence H. Fortun said the lower chamber has already passed the bill creating the DDR. However, he lamented it was unfortunate that the Senate did not have enough time to pass its own version of the bill. “To give the Senate more time and since nearly all the disaster resilience bills are refilings of past bills, I respectfully appeal to the House leadership to use the 17th Congress version as the working document so that the bill will move faster through the process at the House,” Fortun added. “This way the Senate can have the House version by December,” he said.

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SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. XUEWEI XU/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. MINGLIANG LI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. JIANBO WANG/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MS. QINLI XIA/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. YUNFEI ZHU/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. YISONG LIAO/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. HAI LONG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

ARUZE PHILIPPINES MANUFACTURING, INC. LISP III, Sta. Anastacia, Santo Tomas, Batangas

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. HIROSHI KAWAMURA/ Japanese

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. GUOBO AO/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

LINTEC PHILIPPINES (PEZA), INC. Laguna Technopark Annex, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. YOSHIHITO WATANABE/ Japanese

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. FENG HE/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. LONGFENG WU/ Chinese

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. JINPING YANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. JIAN LIN LEE/ Malaysian

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. ZHOU ZHENG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MS. XIAO GUO/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. RENHONG WANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. GUOQING GONG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. WENHUI WU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. HANZHANG JIANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MS. GUANQUN LIN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. JUN FU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MS. DANNI YAO/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MS. ANWEN XUN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. JIAZHU WU/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

MR. JIANBIAO CHEN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. JUNPENG LI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MS. GUOHONG ZHOU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. YANFEI JIANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. JIANGWEI WANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. ZHENWEI ZHENG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. TIANFAN YANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MS. THAI THANH TUYEN/ Vietnamese

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. LIANG PAN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. JIADONG WU/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

Vice President

General Manager Chinese Customer Service Representative Malaysian Customer Service Representative

Vietnamese Customer Service Representative Chinese Customer Service Representative

BusinessMirror

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Name and Address of Company/Employer

Name and Citizenship of Foreign National

Position and Brief Description of Functions

Name and Address of Company/Employer

Friday, November 1, 2019 A9

Name and Citizenship of Foreign National

Position and Brief Description of Functions

Chinese Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 120 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MS. FANGXIAO CHEN/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

MR. MING ZUO/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 121 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. JIAJUN WANG/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. JUQIANG ZHANG/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

MR. SHUAI YANG/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MS. YANGQING LI/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 122 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. YAN ZHANG/ Chinese

MS. JUN LIU/ Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 123 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. YULING KUANG/ Chinese

MR. MENGHUI TANG/ Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 124 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

HAYAKAWA COMPONENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. CEZ, Rosario, Cavite

MR. SADANOBU GOTO/ Japanese

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 125 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. HUA ZHANG/ Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. ZHIXIONG LI/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 126 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. YONGFU CHEN/ Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. TAO LI/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 127 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. GUOTAO YAO/ Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. CHENLONG LU/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 128 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. YUNGUI WANG/ Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MS. YUEXIN XU/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 129 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. GUANGHOU ZHANG/ Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. FEI XIAO/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 130 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. YUDONG GUO/ Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. YONGYONG GUO/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 131 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. LIYONG FENG/ Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. JIE HU/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 132 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MS. SIJUAN CHI/ Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. RUIJIE ZHONG/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 133 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. XIAOFU LI/ Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. CHUNZAO WU/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 134 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. WENSEN ZHOU/ Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 100 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. JINKUN CONG/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 135 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MS. XIAOJUAN LING/ Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 101 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. XING TANG/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 136 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. SUYE SUN/ Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 102 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. LEFEI GUO/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 137 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. JIE GUO/ Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 103 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. ZANZAN ZHANG/ Chinese

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 138 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. JIANNING HUANG/ Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 104 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. LU CHENG/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 139 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. WANJUN YU/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 105 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. YEJING BAO/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

MR. YAHUI YAN/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 140 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 106 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. DU ZHAO/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

MR. XINAN ZHANG/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 141 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MS. XUEDING WEN/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 107 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 142 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. PEIHAO WU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 108 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. TIANZHI LIU/ Chinese

Deputy Section Chief of Machine Department

MS. XU ZHAO/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

BOJIE MANUFACTURING CORPORATION 143 FCIE, SEZ, Langkaan, Dasmariñas City, Cavite

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 109 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. YU-MENG CHUANG/ Taiwanese

Engineering Department Manager

MR. HUI WANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

ACBEL POLYTECH PHILIPPINES, 144 INC. CIP II, Calamba City, Laguna

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 110 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. TENGBIN WANG/ Chinese

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 111 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

MR. JIABAO WU/ Chinese

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Brgy. Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite

Chinese Customer Service Representative Customer Service Representative (Chinese) Japanese Adviser

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

HTS CORPORATION CPIP, Batino, Calamba City, Laguna

MR. MUBOK JANG/ Korean

Operations Manager

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

TAIHAN PRECISION TECHNOLOGY 146 (PHILIPPINES) CO., INC. LTC-SEZ, Lipa City, Batangas

MR. OON LIAN HUI/ Malaysian

QA Manager

MR. LIQUAN YU/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

D AND S INDUSTRIES 147 (PHILIPPINES) CORPORATION Sahud Ulan , Tanza, Cavite

Mr. ZHENGCHUN WU/ Chinese

Production Supervisor (Raw Cable)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 112 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. JIANG YU/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

D AND S INDUSTRIES 148 (PHILIPPINES) CORPORATION Sahud Ulan , Tanza, Cavite

MR. XUANYOU PIAO / Chinese

General Manager

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 113 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MS. XIUZHU WEN/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

D AND S INDUSTRIES 149 (PHILIPPINES) CORPORATION Sahud Ulan , Tanza, Cavite

MR. BAOLONG XU/ Chinese

Engineering Manager

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 114 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MS. SUNYUE CHEN/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

D AND S INDUSTRIES 150 (PHILIPPINES) CORPORATION Sahud Ulan , Tanza, Cavite

MR. ZHIGUO JIANG/ Chinese

Production Supervisor (Electronics)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 115 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. HU LIU/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 116 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. SHANFENG LIANG/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 117 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MS. YANLI WANG/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 118 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. QIANQIAN SONG/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 119 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

MR. GANG WU/ Chinese

Customer Service Representative (Chinese)

145

Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at the DOLE Regional Office within 30 days from the date of publication. Please inform the DOLE Regional Office if you have an information of any criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

HENRY JOHN S. JALBUENA Regional Director

To avail of free job referral, placement, and employment guidance services, visit the nearest Public Employment Service Offices (PESO) or log on at http://www.philjobnet.gov.ph AEP20191007255

A10 Friday, November 1, 2019 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Financial inclusion in the Philippines

‘F

inancial inclusion refers to efforts to make financial products and services accessible and affordable to all individuals and businesses, regardless of their personal net worth or company size. Financial inclusion strives to remove the barriers that exclude people from participating in the financial sector and using these services to improve their lives.”—Investopedia.com

For the past 12 years, The Economist Intelligence Unit has published its “Global Microscope for Financial Inclusion” that assesses the enabling environment for financial access in 55 countries in the developing world. This year, 11 new gender-focused indicators have been added to the framework. Straight to the point: Once again the Philippines was in the top 5—tied with India—and following Colombia, Peru, Uruguay and Mexico. The 2019 Global Microscope analyzes the practices used by governments and regulators around the world to increase financial inclusion among their populations. The index also focuses on the regulatory and policy environments, cyber security and data protection. The index looks at what governments are doing or not doing through legislation and regulation to enable digital financial inclusion. However, along with finding ways to make digital access to all aspects of finances, cyber security and data protection are equally important. While the Philippines does a good job at protecting the security factors, it lacks the necessary laws to protect consumers. Having said that, the Securities and Exchange Commission has been cracking down on “cell phone” lending companies. The problem, though, is that there is little or no protection against a major digital company failure as there is for bank deposits. Data and privacy protection laws are strong in the Philippines. Addressing gender differences in digital access, globally, men have better access to the Internet than women in three quarters of the countries studied. Interestingly, in four nations—Philippines, China, Argentina and Jordan— women have better access than men. The report highlights the strengths that the Philippines is showing in financial inclusion and the results are impressive. In the following categories, the Philippines ranks first in the world: “Credit portfolios for middle and lowincome customers,” “Market entry for new players,” and “Ongoing-requirements” for all types of financial institutions. The category of “Credit portfolios for middle- and low-income customers” deserves attention. Here, the study looks at barriers to those in the middle and lower economic groups to see if there are discrimination and impediments to these groups, such as procedures to apply for credit. Is everyone being treated equally? In addition to that, the survey also examines whether these institutions provide inherent protection from consumer “over-borrowing” or what is known as predatory lending practices. Here also the Philippines is ranked highly. The conclusion is as follows: “The Office of the President institutionalized the Financial Inclusion Steering Committee—the governing body that provides strategic direction, guidance and oversight in the implementation of the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion. The Philippines has increased its focus on digital financial inclusion and a program to provide a one-stop shop for online government services. Efforts are being made to increase financial and digital literacy.” Further, “Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has created a support institution to focus on digital financial technology for reaching the underserved.” Financial inclusion is alive and improving in the Philippines.

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Better Days

he past few columns have been a discussion on keeping our youth from going overseas in their quest not only to earn more, but to learn more and develop new skills. And though we have an expanding freelance economy with “digital migrants” leading the way, the thrust should be to develop our own industries, so that more jobs are available here on local soil. Of course, that is no easy task. What are our global neighbors doing? Malaysia, for example, has relatively competitive labor costs, an educated work force, and they encourage foreign direct investment. And yet a University Technology Malaysia study of their industrial master plans concludes that they should increase investment in research and development, education and innovation. Vietnam, another fast-developing country, is now ranked 33rd overall in the World Economic Forum’s 2018 Inclusive Development Index. The country has promoted itself as one of the main manufacturing hubs of the world and has integrated

itself in the global economy through bilateral agreements over the past 30 years. South Korea has created startup accelerator programs for businesses, investing $4 billion, the largest government backing per capita for start-ups in the world. South Korea recognized that they needed to breathe new life into their tech industries, to keep their global competitive edge. For the Philippines, we believe that we should approach this challenge by following through on a “Tatak Pinoy” or “Made in the Philippines” industrialization policy and campaign. This is why we filed Pro-

Kaliwa Dam’s forthcoming risks

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posed Senate Resolution 4, calling for the appropriate Senate Committees to conduct an inquiry with the endview of formulating such policy and campaign. Tatak Pinoy—or some equivalent more marketable to global audiences—can be used to encourage foreign and local investors to put their money, manufacturing, and even their research and development in the Philippines. As we wrote last week, Collins Aerospace, Dyson Philippines, and Knowles Electronics have all set up manufacturing plants here. In the case of Collins and Dyson, they have also found value in the fact that we have a talent pool for the engineers that they need for their products. Knowles took it one step further: they teamed up with University of San Jose Recoletos (USJ-R) to develop a course on Acoustic Engineering, so that they could develop the local talent pool. We’re working to compile and hopefully showcase glowing stories like these, as examples of how our country is taking interesting steps to further develop what we already know how to do and diversify into related products and services. More important, these stories underscore how our people provide enough value to circumvent all other dampeners to

SERVANT LEADER

rothers and sisters, despite the continuous opposition to the Kaliwa Dam project, particularly by environmental groups and native communities like the Agta-DumagatRemontado allegiance, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued an Environmental Compliance Certificate to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) this month. The ECC is a document needed for infrastructure projects that can negatively affect the environment. The ECC is one of the documents needed for the New Centennial Water Source—Kaliwa Dam project to push through. The DENR action got negative comments from different sectors because of the many irregularities mentioned in the processes it took. According to the Commission on Audit, the victory of the China Energy Engineering Corp. in the public bidding is suspicious since it did not have the required permits, licenses and other important documents. It seemed that an agreement between the MWSS and the CEEC occurred first before the bidding because, according to the law, a bidder would be disqualified if the

documents are incomplete. From the Indigenous Political Structure of Dumagat-Remontado Tribes in Tanay, Rizal, the free, prior, and informed consent wherein all information and details related to the project must be given permission by the tribes before initiating any construction, has not been completely implemented. Aside from this, the construction of the access road toward the damsite is currently progressing, at 35 percent. It is also clear in the FPIC that the affected communities have the

opportunity to approve or disapprove the project without force, but it has not happened. Second, the Kaliwa Dam will imperil around 170 species of plants found in almost 12,000 hectares of forests. The construction of the dam threatens the rich flora and fauna in the mountains of Sierra Madre, which serves as the oxygen tank for the adjacent towns. It is also important to focus on the great effect of the Kaliwa Dam on the lives of the natives. In constructing the dam, many natives are nearing the loss of their rights on their native land, livelihood and culture. Meanwhile, repaying the country’s debts to China will come from every Filipino. Eventually, we will pay for the destruction of our natural resources. If the Kaliwa Dam is aiming to solve the water crisis, is it not a better way to focus on preserving and restoring our forests and mountains? Brothers and sisters, is it righteous to build the Kaliwa Dam despite numerous anomalies and the possible damage the project can cause? From DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda’s statement, majority of the people will benefit from the Kaliwa Dam compared to those who oppose it. But is it necessary to compromise the welfare of the natives and the environment for the

our competitiveness, like high energy costs and poor infrastructure. We’ve already told the world that it’s more fun in the Philippines. Now, we should also begin broadcasting that we’re interested to make, make, make—not only build, build, build. DTI, DOST, and other government departments and industry leaders are already on the table with us for these matters. We hope to broaden the scope of the conversation and involve more. We know that we have a talent pool of engineers in Collins who have the knowhow to manufacture airplane cabin equipment and interiors. What else can they do? How much more do we have to add to the community know-how, before we can start building, say, a small airplane? We also aim to approach local industries and entrepreneurs with these simple questions: What do you need? What do we have now that you can use to improve your industry? What can government offer to help you produce more of your products and services? Take this as an example: The University of Santo Tomas has facilities for prototyping in their Engineering Labs, such as computer-controlled mills and lathes, 3D printers, and See “Angara,” A11

sake of our needs here in the Greater Manila area? In his encyclical called Laudato Si, Pope Francis said that there is greater destruction to be caused by not giving importance to the environment, where the number of species of plants and animals would cease to exist, compared to the benefits from destroying nature. If the government continues to be blinded and remains ignorant of the issues surrounding the Kaliwa Dam, what is said in the Book of Isaiah 24:46 may occur: “The Earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the heavens languish with the Earth. The Earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the Earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore Earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left.” Brothers and sisters, let us not be silent if we benefit from temporary solutions at the expense of humanity and the destruction of nature.

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Could dollarization be Argentina’s salvation? By Mac Margolis Bloomberg Opinion

eronist leader Alberto Fernandez and his deputy, former president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, won a commanding victory over center-right incumbent Mauricio Macri in Sunday’s poll. But for a nation that has defaulted eight times on its debt and spent a third of the last seven decades in recession, the path forward is unclear. Voters clearly said no to another mandate for Macri, who promised foundational reforms through managerial nous, and delivered sacrifice and half-measures instead. Nor will Argentinians or the financial markets, upon whose good graces this nation of 45 million depends, abide a return to the interventionism that marred Fernandez de Kirchner’s 2007 to 2015 government—one reason perhaps that she took second chair to her more conciliatory namesake. (They are unrelated.) If there is any consensus, it’s that more of the same will not do. But here is where the conversation could get interesting. To a growing number of respected economists, the only path to a fresh start for Argentina involves embracing the US dollar. The details of dollarization are vexing: Who will be the lender of last resort? How to manage the vagaries of trade and the business cycle when you can’t set interest rates or calibrate the exchange rate? Yet the argument for the greenback is straightforward. When a nation has lost its grip, its currency tumbles, credit risk spikes and bonds fall. If conventional monetary and fiscal policy fails to stabilize the economy, the crisis returns again and again. Better to ditch the iffy peso for the greenback, that reliable Latin American mattress-stuffer, which native authorities cannot print, game or, otherwise, defile. Yes, dollarization is the monetary nuclear option. That may be why by 2002 only some 35 countries worldwide, most of them small, had officially given up their own currencies for the dollar. Ecuador is the largest of the three Latin American dollarizers (alongside El Salvador and Panama) and its gross domestic product is just one-fifth that of Argentina. The reasons for reticence are understandable. Latin Americans still regard the national currency as a badge of sovereignty and independence. Giving up one’s coin is seen as bending the knee to a foreign power. So much the worse if that overlord is the United States. Increasingly, however, Argentinians seem willing to shed that inhibition. Even with its own currency, Argentina has been in and out of economic emergency for decades. Johns Hopkins University Professor of applied economics Steve Hanke recently tallied 12 separate crises leading to the collapse of the Argentine peso since 1876. Tellingly, most of them dated since 1935, the year the Central Bank of the Republic of Argentina was founded. Serial bouts of hyperinflation, overspending and foreign indebtedness have taken their toll. Each crisis has caused the peso (one of this year’s worst-performing currencies) to collapse, destroyed trust in policy-makers (who’ve now returned the favor by tightening capital controls), and made the country a perennial pariah in the credit markets (Argentine bonds slumped again on Monday). Tellingly, lenders took heart in the narrowerthan-expected Peronist victory, a sign perhaps that Argentinians want stability, not adventure. Dollarization has its discontents. Not everyone agrees that the best way to restore economic integrity and trustworthiness is to take away policy command and control. Argentinians experimented with dollarization in

Angara. . .

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laser cutters. With the coordination of the school and the government, how can these facilities help the local industries? It really is time to invite industry leaders and other similar entities to the table to find out what they need, and compare that with what the government currently has, to see what can be done now, and what will have to be discussed for the future. The development of our economy—aided by proper planning— should lay the foundation for why our youth will decide to stay. And

the 1990s through a policy called convertibility: Each peso was legally backed by a dollar in reserves at a fixed oneto-one exchange. It worked for a while, but there was leakage. Provinces found loopholes to federally mandated austerity, fiscal profligacy continued and even with the dollar anchor, the central bank kept tinkering, therefore undermining convertibility and setting up the country for its seventh debt default since 1827. Populist temptations can also wreak economic havoc, even under the dollar straitjacket. Look no further than Ecuador. Squeezed by rising US interest rates, spendthrift former President Rafael Correa found a workaround to the dollar by raiding hard currency reserves and leaning on the central bank to jack up government lending for wages and social programs. The result was a fiscal sinkhole that entrapped Correa’s successor Lenin Moreno in penury ever since and nearly unseated him last month when his austerity measures provoked a backlash. And yet at some point, governments exhaust their quota of mistakes. Alberto Ramos of Goldman Sachs is no fan of dollarization, but he allows that dire circumstances call for extreme measures. “If you continue to go from crisis to crisis, you have to let go and dollarize,” he told me. By now, Argentina may well have erased the ifs. Discarding dollarization because it ties a nation’s hands and deprives a government of instruments to manage exchange rates and business cycles sounds sensible, but ultimately rests on a conceit that ignores events on the ground in Argentina. Economist Nicolas Cachanosky, of the Metropolitan State University of Denver, calls this the nirvana fallacy. “Argentine economists tend to confuse the possible with the probable. They imagine a well-functioning central bank that carefully considers and implements policy. But experience suggests something far less desirable will result,” Cachanosky recently wrote. What’s not in dispute is that Argentina long ago breached the threshold of economic normalcy. “Argentina lacks credit in the broadest sense; it is a zerotrust country,” writes Johns Hopkins University Economist Jorge C. Avila, who along with Cachanosky is one of the few Argentine enthusiasts of dollarization. In a study earlier this year Avila argued that dollarizing could work as long as Argentina opens its air-gapped economy (exports and imports amount to only about 30 percent of gross domestic product). “Dollarizing with financial integration and free-trade agreements with superpowers will bring a degree of monetary and financial stability not seen by this country in a century,” he wrote. That may sound overly optimistic. Indeed, going all the way and scuttling a national currency is a dire recourse, and likely unthinkable for the new Peronist management, whose standard bearers spent much of the campaign blaming Macri for turning Argentina into a vassal of the International Monetary Fund. “Dollarization is a one-way street, you don’t go back,” said Monica de Bolle, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. As it happens, de Bolle added, Argentinians are way ahead of their political establishment. Each crisis has led them to dump pesos for the greenback, the only medium of exchange that counts for real estate and other big-ticket transactions. Argentinians have squirreled away up to $150 billion in cash and hold an estimated $500 billion in assets abroad. “Argentinians think in dollars, plan in dollars, dream in dollars and have nightmares in dollars,” said Ramos.

as we move into a new technological age, the challenge is to make sure that our industries adapt and diversify, to make themselves attractive to our youth. The youth are looking forward, and they want to make sure they have the collective knowhow to face the future. Why shouldn’t we develop our industries to make sure they can learn it here? Let this serve as an open call to everyone who has an idea on how we can make this so. Sen. Sonny Angara has been in public service for 15 years—nine years as representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and six as senator. He has authored and sponsored more than 200 laws. He recently won another term in the Senate.

Friday, November 1, 2019 A11

We start and end with the family Manny F. Dooc

TELLTALES

E have been treated to a soap opera that has transfixed everyone’s attention to its print, broadcast and socialmedia coverage to keep up with the latest developments. It’s still being played out in the media and the principal protagonists have become household names and top personalities hugging the news headlines.

Media networks compete to interview or get quotes from the personalities involved and feature them during prime-time news with the biggest names in broadcast journalism doing one-on-one interview to scoop rival stations. Eager listeners are glued to their TV sets waiting for the fireworks, despite the fact that New Year is still more than two months away. In this age of “gotcha” journalism, they only dig themselves deeper in shit and everyone can make hay of their petty comments. It’s a complete trash but it’s discussed in the marketplace and board rooms where the fishmongers and business executives have found a common conversation piece. We lament the loss of the family patriarch and share their grief, but we commiserate more the loss of their dignity and pride by laundering

their soiled linens in public. Maybe we should support the move to reinstate the subject of Good Manners and Right Conduct in our schools to combat the corrupting influence of money, sex, popularity and power that corrode our values as a people. Our national craving for salacious stories, which are embellished in every retelling, is insatiable. Go to barber shops and beauty salons, drop a visit to the sari-sari store in your neighborhood or have coffee in the lobby of a five-star hotel, and you will get the latest news in politics, business and entertainment. Gossiping is a national pastime, and Filipinos love to tattle about private affairs of other people. These are fault lines in our character that run deep in our national psyche. We need to restore sanity and respect of others. We need

a catharsis to purge our system of its prejudices and predilections and equip it with understanding, love and compassion. They should forgive and forget, sit down and talk, and find a common understanding and settle the problem. It would be hard to crawl back to each other’s good graces but family bond is not lost forever. There are more things that bring them together rather than set them apart. That is what we expect from mature and responsible persons, particularly when they are a family. But first, there should be a moratorium and an end to the nonsense and bickerings. The siblings should remember what Charles Perrault once said: “To speak kindly does not hurt the tongue; to speak with anger and disagreeableness, however, may bring unhappiness.” Other things may affect us, but we start and end with the family. No person should be closer to you than your family. I remember what the fictional character Michael Corleone told his older sibling Fredo Corleone in the movie Godfather, when the latter supported a business partner against the family in their casino business. After the confrontation, Michael, played by Al Pacino, accosted his brother and warned him: “Fredo, you are my older brother, and I love you. Never take sides with anyone against the family.” We don’t need to take lessons from a gangster, but loving and taking care of one’s family is a universal virtue.

No less than PRRD was caught in the vortex of this family scandal. He was trying to mediate the rift out of the goodness of his heart during a solemn family occasion when all hell broke loose and a wild confrontation erupted. Instead of getting enmeshed in the affairs of the State, our hardworking President was embroiled in the prurient affairs of tinseldom’s dysfunctional family. As described by my favorite senator, Honorable Cristopher “Bong” Go, “it was a scene lifted straight from the movie.” Yes, we should be occupied with more significant matters affecting our lives instead of following the Barretto saga. As if the water crisis, ASF problem, dengue, polio epidemic and the traffic woes were not enough, we still find time to give priority to trivia and asinine subjects. Today is All Saints’ Day, the time to remember our beloved departed. Let’s all pray for them and let’s include the beleaguered sisters in our petition. May they find forgiveness and love in their hearts and may the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa enlighten their minds: “[Y]ou don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.” May the roughest patch which they are all going through now be over and done with. Our deepest wish is to see their family whole and united again with peace and love reigning in their households. Amen.

Donald Trump boasts on economy undercut by weak middle-class pay gains By Mike Dorning & Catarina Saraiva Bloomberg Opinion

resident Donald J. Trump boasts that a robust economy will protect him from impeachment and ensure his reelection, but it’s an argument resting on a shaky foundation.

The middle-class Americans who are the main targets of Trump’s economic pitch aren’t sharing much in the gains of US growth. Worse yet for Trump, wage growth has been slower in the counties he carried in 2016. That risks blunting his message with the Republican political base just as he’s turning to GOP lawmakers to defend him against an accelerating effort by Democrats to impeach him. By several measures, middle-class Americans’ incomes have risen more slowly under Trump than during Barack Obama’s final years—hardly a period renowned for gangbuster pay increases. Workers should finally be getting big raises with the unemployment rate down to 3.5 percent. Yet, while wage growth picked up last year, it is still subdued and slowing again after manufacturing output contracted in the first half of the year. “That’s pretty disturbing,” said Heidi Shierholz, a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal-leaning think tank in Washington. “In a labor market with unemployment rates this low, we should see much stronger wage gains.” Meager paycheck gains undercut the president’s “Make America Great Again” appeal, promising better times for middle-class workers who felt left out of the tech and finance boom. The theme has resurfaced in Trump’s impeachment defense. “Impeached for what, having created the greatest economy in the history of our country?” Trump asked in a recent tweet. That argument is also a pillar of his reelection campaign, as Republicans look to make up for the president’s low job approval ratings and the serial controversies swirling around his administration. The economy’s overall performance hasn’t changed much since Trump took office, with GDP growth averaging 2.6 percent versus 2.4 percent during Obama’s second term. That’s far below Trump’s own forecasts. On Wednesday, the Commerce Department reported the economy expanded 1.9 percent at an annualized rate in the third quarter, a level

that when Obama was president, Trump derided as a sign the “economy is in deep trouble.” While the jobless rate continued to fall during Trump’s first two years, median household income, adjusted for inflation, grew at an average annual rate of 1.3 percent. That’s down from a 4.1 percent annual rate the previous two years and a 1.8 percent annual rate during Obama’s entire second term, according to US Census data released last month. Asked about the income and wage data, White House Spokesman Judd Deere said Trump’s “policies of lower taxes, deregulation, and fair and reciprocal trade have supported the longest economic recovery in US history with record low unemployment and rising wages.” Heritage Foundation fellow Stephen Moore, a former Trump campaign adviser, has used estimates from Sentier Research to make a claim—repeatedly echoed by the president—of “gigantic” income gains for families of $5,003. But Moore set up a comparison that burdened the Obama administration with the aftermath of the recession, using as his starting point the recession’s official June 2009 end. Household incomes continued to drop for another two years amid high unemployment. The Sentier estimates, which incorporate data through August, still show better income growth under Trump—an average annual rate of 3 percent—but they use a different data source than the government’s usual household income measurement. Multiple other measures of workers’ wages show tepid growth under Trump despite a roaring stock market, surging corporate profits and a $1.5 trillion deficit-financed tax cut Trump promoted as a way to rev up pay gains. That is especially so in Red America. In counties Trump won over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, growth in real average weekly earnings slowed to a 1.2 percent annual rate under his presidency, down from 1.5 percent the prior two years,

Meager paycheck gains undercut the president’s “Make America Great Again” appeal, promising better times for middle-class workers who felt left out of the tech and finance boom. The theme has resurfaced in Trump’s impeachment defense. “Impeached for what, having created the greatest economy in the history of our country?” Trump asked in a recent tweet.

according to a Brookings Institution analysis for Bloomberg News of county-level wage data through the first quarter of this year. In the presidential battlegrounds of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania—three closely fought states crucial to Trump’s election—the drop-off has been sharper, with weekly earnings in counties he carried up 0.8 percent annually versus 1.8 percent the previous two years. The manufacturing recession threatens to further weaken pay growth in those states, where 1 in 6 workers in Trump-voting counties hold factory jobs. Trump often claims that wage gains have picked up since he took office. But once inflation is factored in, overall progress on wages doesn’t look much different. Real average hourly earnings under Trump have grown at an average annual rate of 1.1 percent through September versus 1 percent during Obama’s second term. Workers in the middle fared worse. The median weekly paychecks for full-time workers, adjusted for inflation, have grown at an average annual rate of 1 percent through September versus 1.5 percent during Obama’s second term. A measure created to minimize potential distortions from more low-wage workers entering the work force also shows slower pay growth under Trump. The Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank’s national wage growth tracker is based on surveying the same workers 12 months apart on their pay and calculating their median raise. Adjusted for inflation, the index increased at an average annual rate of 1.3 percent during the past two years versus 1.7 percent during Obama’s second term.

Long-term changes Many economists blame long-term changes in the job market for the slower wage growth. Some researchers point to increasing corporate concentration in industries and the rise of “Superstar Firms,” reducing the bargaining power of workers. Displacement of workers through automation and competition from overseas workers in a globalized economy can depress wages. The job market also shifted away from some traditional middle-class occupations, such as manufacturing, which now employs fewer workers. And the atrophying of unions has eroded workers’ leverage to negotiate higher pay. Democrats also blame Republican policies, including blocking an increase in the federal minimum wage and the Trump administration scaling back an Obama initiative to require overtime pay for more workers. And the trade war has contributed to the slowdown in manufacturing. Still, in a dynamic economy, some groups are doing better than others. Real median earnings for highschool educated men—a key Trump constituency—rose at a 1.2 percent average annual rate during Trump’s first two years, up from a 0.4 percent rate the prior two years, according to Census data for 25- to 64-year-old full-time workers. Conversely, highschool educated women’s real median earnings declined at a 1.1 percent annual rate under Trump versus a 0.6 percent rise during Obama’s final two years. High-school educated men still haven’t caught up to their pay in 2000. Their $45,459 median earnings in 2018 was $2,128 lower than their counterparts at the turn of the century. High-school-educated women are further behind, with 2018 median earnings of $32,412, down $2,356. Weak pay increases contribute to “ambiguous feeling” about the economy even as unemployment remains at historic lows, said Alan Abramowitz, a political science professor at Emory University who studies public opinion and presidential election forecasting. “What matters politically is the subjective economy, how people feel about the economy,” Abramowitz said. “Real incomes aren’t rising that much, so it’s not obvious that things are that good.”

A12 Friday, November 1, 2019

Senate probe of rice lib law eyed; Villar import cuts nixed

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM & Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

ENATE leaders are poised to mount a separate inquiry into the reported misuse by big-time traders of rice import privileges granted to farmer cooperatives, a systemic, decadeslong malpractice that seemed to have expanded after passage of the rice trade liberalization law (RTL). Asked if they see the need for remedial legislation imposing tougher sanctions to ensure the law is not used to further

allow traders from using farmer g roups a s du m m ies, Senate President Vicente Sotto III signaled readiness to endorse

2.943 MMT

Total volume of rice imported from January to September 2019, more than double the country’s import requirements for the year, according to the FFF, citing data from the Bureau of Customs. This caused palay prices to fall below P16 per kilo, the lowest in eight years. the matter to the Committee on Agriculture and Food, chaired by Sen. Cynthia A. Villar. “Will tell Senator Villar to look into it,” Sotto told the BusinessMirror on Thursday. This developed even as Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, an

avowed farmer on the side, pinned his hopes for a no-nonsense investigation on the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), one of three agencies cited in a BusinessMirror exclusive report as inquiring into the apparent use of farmer groups as dummies. He indicated the PCC officials may be asked to also appear at a Senate hearing to update lawmakers on their findings. “I believe the PCC is now empowered to look into these questionable transactions and determine whether or not combinations in restraint of trade and/or competition are being committed,” Pangilinan said in a text message to BusinessMirror. See “Rice lib,” A2

In protest vs Leni, Marcos seeks time to comment By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

ORMER Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has asked the Supreme Court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) to give him more time to comply with its directive to submit a memorandum in connection with his election protest against Vice President Leni Robredo. In a motion filed before the PET, Marcos through counsel George Garcia said the submission of the memorandum should be extended until he or his representatives are able to photocopy the reports on the revision and appreciation of ballots in the three pilot provinces of Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental. The PET earlier issued a resolution ordering Marcos and Robredo to submit a memorandum within 20 working days, starting from receipt of a copy of the resolution containing their comments on the revision and appreciation of the ballots from the said three provinces, as well as their position on Marcos’s third cause of action in his election protest. In his third cause of action, Marcos is asking the PET to disregard he results of the 2016 election in the three ARMM provinces of Lanao del Norte, Basilan and Maguindanao on the ground of terrorism, intimidation and harassment of voters, as well as pre-shading of ballots. “Considering that the relevant reports on the revision and appreciation of votes relating to the three pilot protested provinces consist of voluminous documents, protestant Marcos is constrained to request this HonorableTribunal to allow him to photocopy the said reports to comply with the directive of this Honorable Tribunal to file his comment thereon,” Marcos said. “Considering that the photocopying of the reports has yet to commence, protestant Marcos is likewise constrained to move for the deferment of the deadline to submit his comments on the said reports on the revision and appreciation of votes until the requested photocopying of the document reports is granted and completed,” he added. Included in his motion are names of his 15 representatives for photocopying of the said documents. He also asked the PET to allow him to deduct from his cash deposit all the administrative expenses that will be incurred relative to his request to photocopy the relevant report on the revision and appreciation of votes. Marcos filed an election protest on June 29, 2016, claiming that the camp of Robredo cheated in the automated polls in May, also that year. The Commission on Elections declared Robredo the winner in the vice presidential race in the 2016 election, after she got 14,418,817 votes, which is 263,473 votes more than the 14,155,344 received by Marcos.

READY FOR ‘UNDAS’ Like the rest of the country’s public and private cemeteries, the sprawling Eternal Gardens Memorial Park in Lipa City, Batangas, is expected to draw thousands of people at the three-day long weekend marking the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. ROY DOMINGO

Beijing’s ‘good faith’ needed for SCS code to work–del Rosario By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

EIJING should participate in “good faith” if the proposed Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Code of Conduct (COC) on the South China Sea is going to work, according to a former Philippine diplomat. Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a statement that China already had a record of “duplicitous behavior” which will not reach a compromise in the COC. “Even if an acceptable COC is instituted, it will be for naught if China will continuously undermine the COC on the ground,” del Rosario said in a statement shared with the media on the eve of the Asean Summit in Bangkok. He said this duplicity of China was seen in its “lip service” to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) ruling in 2016 while “openly rejecting” the award. The award pertained to The

Asean. . .

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Plus Three Summit and East Asia Summit where leaders will share their views on regional and international issues affecting Southeast

HOUSE LEADERS WANT TO TAX JUNK FOOD, NOT SALTY PRODUCT

VEN before the Department of Health could draft and formally present its proposal to tax salty food, including dried fish, leaders of the House of Representatives have thumbed down the DOH’s plan, calling it inflationary. While the House recognizes the warnings of the DOH and World Health Organization concerning the adverse impact of high salt content on human health, House Committee on Ways and Means Joey Sarte Salceda said lawmakers are concerned that this will constitute a tax on the entire food item. “Take the highest level of care when it comes to taxing food especially when we are targeting specific items like sugar and salt, which are only one of many ingredients of which are beneficial to health,” said Salceda. Amid the supply problems caused by African swine fever, a highly contagious hog disease, the lawmaker also said the salt tax could jack up the prices of processed meat products. Salceda said the House would rather tax junk food. All tax measures emanate from the House of Representatives. “At this point, while the House Committee on Ways and Means is primordially averse to any tax on food. It will examine instead a junk food tax since the consumptive logic of such eating habit is more obvious and pernicious to a most vulnerable population segment— our young people,” he said. “There is a world of difference between alcohol and cigarettes versus sugar and salt,” Salceda added. The lawmaker also reminded the DOH that it cannot pass the ball of health outcomes to tax policy when it has yet to demonstrate and executive affirmative action on health issues, such as polio, dengue, and other diseases. “The Committee on Ways and Means reiterates its message to the DOH that the House has worked resolutely to fund the Universal Health Care program and would be less charitable to any partial rollout,” said Salceda. “The House Committee on Ways and Means has been fastidiously studious and diligent in employing

taxation as a tool of state policy to achieve national goals beyond generating revenues toward rewarding good investments, providing social benefits to seniors and PWDs, and punishing dysfunctional consumption,” he said.

‘Definitely anti-poor’ Also, House Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate strongly objected to the proposal to impose an excise tax on processed products with salt, saying it would jack up the prices of products like dried fish, sardines and noodles to hundreds of pesos. “This proposal is ‘definitely antipoor’and must be opposed. It is not the sin of the poor that they can only afford a poor people’s diet. It is their concrete present abject condition in our country that prevents them from getting healthy food,” said Zarate. “It is tragically ironic that the government wants to tax more the poor but it rushed the passage of the bill in Congress that would lower the income tax rate of corporations and the rich,” he added. During the 17th Congress, the House had considered the proposals imposing “sin” taxes on salty products. The House Ways and Means Committee filed House Bill (HB) 3179 in 2016, which sought to impose an excise of P1 on every milligram of sodium in excess of onethird of the allowable daily intake of sodium chloride as prescribed by the DOH. The Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) backed the proposal, saying moderate consumption of sodium is needed. It said salt is about 40 percent sodium. A teaspoon of salt (about 5 grams) contains about 2 grams of sodium, which is the recommended amount to be consumed in a day by a healthy adult. A significant number of countries have already imposed sin taxes on salt to deter people from consuming it. Among them are Vietnam, Uganda, Tanzania, Suriname, Sri Lanka, Panama, Morocco, Kenya, Jordan and Cambodia.

South China Sea Arbitration or The Republic of Philippines v. The People’s Republic of China, PCA Case 2013-19. It clarified the maritime entitlements under the Unclos of China, the Philippines, and all the other coastal states in the South China Sea. Further, del Rosario said under the 2002 Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, China promised not to complicate or escalate the dispute. The declaration included refraining from inhabiting uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays, and other features in the disputed waters. However, he said, China continued its “massive and illegal land reclamation and artificial islandbuilding” in the South China Sea. “The practical reality is that for the COC to work, China in particular should participate in the COC in good faith. This point needs to be stated because of China’s record of duplicitous behavior: that is, claiming to abide

by an agreement but doing otherwise on the ground,” del Rosario said. Del Rosario said the Unclos award is important for all Asean member-states which border the South China Sea. To honor the ruling, the Philippines should be consistent in taking a “rightful position” to reject a COC that does not highlight the importance of the award, according to del Rosario. President Duterte is expected to once again raise the need for a COC in the South China Sea in the 35th Asean Summit and Related Summits in Thailand this week. Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Junever M. Mahilum-West told Palace reporters on Monday that it is “unavoidable” the COC will be discussed by the world leaders in one of the meetings during the Asean Summit. Mahilum-West also said the issue on the COC will be discussed in all three pillars of cooperation: political security, economic and sociocultural.

BSP said the outstanding loans of universal and commercial banks rose at a steady rate of 10.5 percent in September, similar to the rate recorded in August. ING Bank Manila economist Nicholas Mapa said this development indicates the reluctance of corporates to take on hefty loans as they wait for rates to “hit rock bottom.” Loans for production activities—which comprised 87.4 percent of banks’ aggregate loan portfolio, net of RRPs—expanded at a steady rate of 9 percent in September, unchanged from the data in August. The sustained increase in production loans was driven primarily by lending to the following sectors: real-estate activities (18.3 percent);

financial and insurance activities (17.6 percent); construction (36.2 percent); electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply (9.2 percent); and wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycle (4.8 percent). Bank lending to other sectors also increased during the month, except those in professional, scientific and technical activities (-35.7 percent) and other community, social and personal activities (-39.8 percent). Loans for household consumption went up by 26.2 percent in September, from 25.4 percent in August, due to faster growth in motor vehicle, credit card, and salary-based general purpose consumption loans during the month.

Asia and beyond. On Sunday, November 3, world leaders will attend the Opening Ceremony followed by a series of summits: Asean-China Summit, Asean-India Summit and AseanUnited Nations Summit. On the last day of the Summit,

Asean and its trade partners will meet in the morning. The AseanJapan Summit and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit will take place in the afternoon. The Asean Plus Three Summit will be attended by the 10 member-

states of the regional bloc together with China, Japan and Korea. Businessmen from the region will participate in the Asean Business and Investment Summit, Mekong-Japan Summit Working Dinner and Indo-Pacific Business Forum.

There will also be a hand over ceremony of the Asean chairmanship from Thailand to Vietnam at the Closing Session on November 12. Accompanying the President are the secretaries of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry, as well as other Cabinet members.

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

Domestic liquidity. . . Continued from A1

Bianca Cuaresma

Companies BusinessMirror

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Suntrust shares in trading halt as PSE cites backdoor-listing rule By VG Cabuag @villygc

HARES of Suntrust Home Developers Inc. are to remain suspended for trading after the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) found that its deal with Hong Konglisted Suncity Group Holdings Ltd., which is now the company’s majority owner, has already breached the backdoor listing rule.

In its memorandum, the PSE said Suntrust needed to have a comprehensive disclosure on the deal as it is now covered by the rule. Backdoor listing occurs when a listed company merges with another unlisted company, which results in a significant change in its business. In this case, both companies are listed but Suncity became the majority owner of Suntrust after buying 51 percent of the company in separate deals. Suntrust, whose main business was to manage office and residential units, is pivoting its operations to handle hotel and

gambling operations. It will initially want to lead the operations of Andrew Tan’s $2-billion integrated resort and casino Westside City, set to open in about two years. Early t his week, Suntr ust announced that Fortune Noble Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Suncity Group, has acquired a 51-percent interest in the company. “The Exchange [PSE] further noted that there were other information reported in the public announcement of the Suncity Group that were not disclosed to the Exchange,” it said. Fortune acquired Suntrust

shares in the open market during October 23 to 28, and by private sale with Tan’s Townsquare Development Inc. involving 200 million shares and with First Centro Inc. involving 100 million shares. It also subscribed to more than half of the 5 billion new shares issued by the company’s increase in capital stock. “Post the capital hike, Fortune Noble will continue to own and maintain its majority controlling interest in Suntrust, while Megaworld will have at least 34percent stake,” Suntrust said in its previous statement. Megaworld’s previous ownership in Suntrust is around 42.48 percent. “Suntrust believes that the tourism sector, which has seen sig nif icant g row th in recent years, w ill continue to show sustainable growth and attract more investments. Suntrust is also optimistic that with the support of its shareholders, it will be able to drive more growth for the company and contribute to the tourism industry,” it said. The Suntrust board entered into a codevelopment agreement with Westside City Resorts World Inc., the $2-billion integrated casino and resort owned by Tan located at the Entertainment City. Other developers inside the property are Malaysia’s Genting Resorts, which was supposed to be the Westside’s casino’s

operator, Megaworld and Tan’s gambling arm Travellers International Hotel Group Inc. Suntrust, along with Suncity, said it will develop Westside’s main hotel and casino, “and Westside is to appoint Suntrust as the sole and exclusive operator and manager of the main hotel casino on the principal terms and conditions are set out in this announcement,” Suncity said in its separate disclosure in Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Suntrust, meanwhile, said may also conduct fund-raising activities for tourism-related businesses that it will venture into, which can be through debt or equity, or a combination or variation of both, such as issuance of common shares to third parties on a par value or issuance of convertible bonds, with conversion price that is at premium to par value of not more than 20 percent. Suncity group is known to have extensive experience in the leisure and entertainment business, and is actively seeking investment opportunities in integrated resort projects worldwide including Cambodia, the Philippines, Myanmar, South Korea, Japan, Russia and Vietnam. Other than investments in integrated resorts, the Suncity Group is also engaged in integrated resort consultancy services, as well as travel related products and services.

Bacolod may Nissan reports 21.8% growth in sales be AirAsia’s in Sept, keeps No. 3 rank in Campi next hub as bookings rise By Cai U. Ordinario

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

UDGET carrier AirAsia Philippines is evaluating the possibility of making Bacolod one of its hubs, given the positive response of the market for its newly launched Manila-Bacolod flights. Ricardo Isla, the company’s president, said Bacolod may be added to the hub network AirAsia Philippines, which currently total four, namely: Manila, Cebu, Kalibo and Clark. “Bacolod is very promising considering positive signs of advanced booking. That is an option for the future,” he replied when asked if his group plans to start a hub in Bacolod. Isla was referring to the 10,000 advanced bookings that AirAsia Philippines recorded as of this week for its ManilaBacolod service. Demand for air services to Bacolod is immense, given the vibrancy of the market in terms of business and tourism. As such, AirAsia Philippines is looking at adding one more flight frequency between Manila and Bacolod, and introduce Bacolod services from Cebu and Clark. AirAsia Philippines launched on Sunday its thricedaily f lights between Bacolod and Manila. Bacolod is the 12th domestic destination of Philippines AirAsia.

@caiordinario

AR assembler Nissan Philippines maintained its position as the country’s third top car company among members of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (Campi) in September. In a statement on Thursday, Nissan Philippines reported that it sold 4,768 units, representing a 21.8-percent year-on-year growth in September 2019. Nissan sales in September marked the highest monthly sales for the brand in the Philippines, outperforming the previous record

of 4,616 units sold in March 2019. “ T he st rong sa les per for mance is the result of the company’s strong f undamenta ls. Excellent products and services, supported by passionate employees and dealer partners, are the foundations of Nissan’s continued success in the Philippines,” Atsushi Najima, president and managing director for Nissan in the Philippines, said. Nissan said its sa les were driven by Nissan Navara, which accounted for 46 percent of its total sales. This made the vehicle the best-selling pickup for September. It added that the Nissan Terra

also pushed its record sales, with the mid-size SUV contributing 23 percent for the month. Both the Nissan Navara and Terra have recently been upgraded with the Nissan Advanced Display Audio, as well as large touch-screen displays and an Intelligent Around View Monitor. The Nissan Advanced Display Audio supports Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay allows users to access Android and Apple functions directly from the entertainment unit. These functions, Nissan said, include mobile assistants, navigation apps and music players while on the go.

Asia’s aviation stakeholders gather in Mla for annual ‘Safety Day’ confab

HE Philippine chapter of the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA), Asia’s nonprofit representative body for the business aviation industry, will once again welcome to the Philippines prominent aviation personalities, regulators and other industry stakeholders when the association holds its 2019 “Safety Day” on November 5. To be held at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City, the 2019 AsBAA Safety Day will gather participants and speakers from around the world who represent aviation manufacturers, operators, financial, risk, legal and service providers. Benjamin “Jay” Lopez, head of AsBAAPhilippines Chapter, said that as part of the association’s commitment to advocate the implementation of international standards, the AsBAA Safety Day will also provide the venue to discuss pressing topics affecting the industry. These include illegal and grey charters, safety and security cultures, emergency response planning,

and in-flight medical emergencies. “AsBAA’s Philippine Chapter has evolved and advanced, based on the needs of the local market; however, our mission remains to ensure a prosperous and safe industry ecosystem in the Philippines,“ Lopez said. “The local aviation sector is steadily growing, with our gross domestic product and local tourism numbers continuing to climb. We see great interest from foreign investors and from local entities to capitalize on the opportunities that business aviation represents here,” Lopez added. “For three years, the AsBAA Philippine Chapter has received positive cooperation from the authorities to help bridge the gap between opportunity and reality. We are delighted to welcome the community back together once again for the AsBAA Philippine Safety Day 2019,” Lopez noted. Capt. Jim Sydiongco, director general of the Civial Aviation Authority of the Philippines, and Capt. Donald Mendoza, Caap

deputy director general for operation, together will share “Updates on Safety Management Systems from the Perspective of the Regulatory Authority.” Harold “Randy” Gaston, a fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP), will deliver the keynote speech. A vice president for flight operations of Gulfstream, Gaston has more than 40 years of aviation experience, including 20 years at Gulfstream. Kurt Edwards, director general of the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), will discuss “Safety Management Systems,” while Carmelo L. Arcilla, executive director of the Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board, will explore “The Risks of Grey Charters.” On the other hand, Arlene Gentica, safety manager for Air Traffic Service at Caap, will join the event to share more informative industry updates. Continued on B2

Friday, November 1, 2019

Cusi wants to first validate Meralco’s complaint about tweaked CSP bidding By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

HERE is a need to validate the concerns raised by the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) on the terms of reference (TOR) for the competitive selection process (CSP) of the 1,200 -meg watt (MW ) greenfield power-supply contract, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said. “I don’t like to say anything until I validate what they really meant. I was surprised to hear it from the news, so I need to validate,” said Cusi in a chance interview. Last week, Meralco President Ray Espinosa said the DOE wrote the power distribution utility firm in connection with the bidding terms for the power-supply deal. Among others, the DOE wants to allow existing and old plants to join the CSP instead of allowing only new power plants to supply Meralco. Espinosa said Meralco had considered this, but the utility firm decided “to proceed on the basis of what we have set out originally, which is to differentiate the brownfield from the greenfield.” He meant to underscore that there are financial and economic differences between brownfield and greenfield plants. He also explained that power-supply ag reements (PSA s) t h at a re awarded to these types of plants vary and differ in financial and economic terms. “It will be difficult for us to move to a situation where a greenfield capacity that we need to ensure reliable and affordable supply will eventually be open to older and preexisting plants that will crowd out investors or power generators who want to build new plants. “It would simply be very difficult for them to compete. There is no discrimination against the existing and old plants. “We cannot just have a situation where the existing plants and brownfield plants also compete for the greenfield capacity,” Espinosa had said. When Cusi was asked to further comment, he said, “I made my letter and that is the direction we have given.” The energy chief pointed out that he only wants more power generation firms to participate in the bid to foster healthy competition. The CSP, he stressed, is mea nt to ensure consumers that electricity being procured by utilities undergo a fair and transparent bidd ing process that will yield to the lowest electricity price. “We want it to be really competitive selection. I don’t like to tweak it to favor anybody. So, let everyone participate, get the best price. Ano masama dun [What’s wrong with that]? That’s the objective of the CSP, which is to build capacity, promote competition,” stressed Cusi. Espinosa, however, pointed out that Meralco’s intention is to explain to the DOE the need “to maintain this dichotomy because it’s only in this dichotomy” that incentives are provided to build new plants. “We feel that our position is reasonable and that we basically have the basis upon which to go for a second round of CSP for the 1,200 MW,” Espinosa said.

Colmenares vs Meralco

M eanwhile , B ay a n Mu n a

C h a i r m a n Ner i Col men a res condemned Meralco’s refusal to amend its bidding terms and make its bidding procedure independent and not favorable to Atimonan One Energy Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Meralco PowerGen Corp., the power-generation arm of Meralco. He urged the DOE to stop the bidding and for the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to deny approval of the bidding unless consumers are assured of an independent bidding process that ensures the cheapest supply of electricity to the consumers. “Any approval of the DOE and the ERC of bidding procedures that are not independent and fair practically tramples on the judicial and statutory requirements that distribution utilities must provide electricity to consumers at the least cost; and should result in judicial sanctions,” Colmenares said. He claimed Meralco put in “many absurd requirements” in the bidding terms such as that the power plant of the winning bidder must not “achieve commercial operations” earlier than March 2024. “W hile the Meralco-owned At i mon a n O ne w i l l ac h ie ve commercial operations only by March 2024, other bidders who are ready and capable of providing electricity earlier than 2024 are disqualified. This is highly suspicious. In the end, only Atimonan One qualified in the bidding because of these onerous requirements,” Colmenares asserted. “Bidding terms that are favorable to one bidder and disadvantageous to others practically negates the bidding and does not assure cheaper rates for the people. We condemn Meralco’s refusal to amend its terms of reference as demanded by the DOE,” he added. T he for me r cong res s m a n recently filed a petition with incumbent Rep. Carlos Zarate demanding that an independent third party, and not Meralco, supervise its bidding procedure. “Meralco’s Bids and Awards Committee recently certified that the said bidding was compliant with the law, when it should be the DOE who issues the certification as required by the ERC. We urge the DOE and ERC not to allow the bidding unless the terms are made conducive to the equal participation of all suppliers capable of providing electricity at the lowest cost. We urge the DOE to repeal its 2018 rules and revert to the rule that requires an independent third party to supervise the bidding, and not a Meralco appointed bids committee,” he said. The chairman of the Senate Energy committee shared the same concern. “All possible power plants, re g a rd les s of whet he r it i s brownfield or greenfield, should be allowed to participate and compete in the CSP. Ito lang ang bukod tanging paraan para masiguro na pinakamababang presyo ng kuryente ang mabibili ng ating consumers [This is the only way to ensure the lowest price of electricity for consumers]. “In the end, electricity being procured by a l l utilities will eventually be 100-percent passed on to the consumers. Hence, an open, transparent, and fair CSP by Meralco is for the best interest of the consumers,” said Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian.

Companies BusinessMirror

Friday, November 1, 2019

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

October 31, 2019

Net Foreign Stocks Bid Ask Open High Low Close Volume Value Trade (Peso) Buy (Sell) FINANCIALs

ASIA UNITED 54.35 55 54.6 55 54.35 55 1,950 106,852 154.3 154.9 155 155.2 154.1 154.9 2,202,520 341,130,894 BDO UNIBANK BANK PH ISLANDS 97 97.7 99.8 99.9 96.7 97 5,597,790 547,200,125 CHINABANK 25.2 25.45 25.35 25.5 25.2 25.2 148,300 3,742,750 12.58 12.6 12.48 12.58 12.3 12.58 991,500 12,359,758 EAST WEST BANK 67.5 67.6 67.5 67.75 67.45 67.6 4,382,160 296,003,929 METROBANK PB BANK 12.7 13 13.1 13.1 12.7 12.7 73,700 959,878 44.75 44.9 43.85 44.9 43.85 44.9 269,600 11,965,860 PHIL NATL BANK 57.6 59.8 57.8 60 57.5 57.6 6,500 381,664 PSBANK PHILTRUST 117 129.9 117.4 117.4 117.4 117.4 20 2,348 25.7 25.8 25.8 25.8 25.7 25.7 27,200 701,160 RCBC 199.1 199.2 204.8 204.8 199.2 199.2 451,210 90,467,617 SECURITY BANK UNION BANK 60.1 60.15 60.5 61.25 60.15 60.15 32,030 1,943,488 BRIGHT KINDLE 1.11 1.13 1.11 1.11 1.11 1.11 5,000 5,550 1.85 2.11 1.91 1.91 1.84 1.84 6,000 11,380 BDO LEASING 18 18.38 18.3 18.3 18 18 168,900 3,065,240 COL FINANCIAL FERRONOUX HLDG 4.5 4.53 4.62 4.62 4.47 4.5 120,000 540,490 7.81 8.49 7.73 7.77 7.73 7.77 31,200 241,948 FILIPINO FUND 0.405 0.435 0.41 0.41 0.41 0.41 10,000 4,100 MEDCO HLDG NTL REINSURANCE 0.88 0.89 0.89 0.89 0.88 0.89 1,103,000 970,930 174 175 175.6 175.6 175 175 810 142,106 PHIL STOCK EXCH INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 2.78 2.79 2.8 2.84 2.79 2.79 4,883,000 13,745,060 ALSONS CONS 1.29 1.3 1.28 1.29 1.28 1.29 542,000 699,010 39.35 39.95 38.3 39.95 38.3 39.95 3,457,100 136,452,785 ABOITIZ POWER 0.243 0.249 0.249 0.249 0.249 0.249 20,000 4,980 BASIC ENERGY 24.75 24.9 25.25 25.4 24.05 24.8 5,379,200 133,408,630 FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG 78.85 78.9 79.4 79.4 78.9 78.9 78,270 6,176,905 338.4 341.8 347 348.6 338.4 338.4 144,710 49,476,304 MERALCO 19.78 19.84 19.84 20 19.7 19.84 1,066,200 21,136,612(11 MANILA WATER PETRON 5.01 5.04 5.03 5.05 5 5.01 545,000 2,734,576 4.15 4.35 4.38 4.38 4.14 4.35 4,000 17,010 PETROENERGY 10.84 11 10.9 11 10.9 11 24,500 268,792 PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL 33.9 34 34 34 33.9 34 76,500 2,599,210 SPC POWER 7.35 7.37 7.35 7.37 7.35 7.37 37,100 272,781 13.14 13.38 13.46 13.46 13 13.38 361,100 4,798,260 AGRINURTURE AXELUM 3.88 3.89 3.84 3.94 3.84 3.89 4,205,000 16,369,240 BOGO MEDELLIN 89.6 103.5 105.5 105.5 104 105.5 310 32,555 17.24 18.04 18.12 18.12 17.24 18.12 700 12,244 CNTRL AZUCARERA 15 15.02 14.86 15.1 14.86 15 372,000 5,578,958 CENTURY FOOD DEL MONTE 5.32 5.57 5.6 5.6 5.32 5.32 73,900 401,827 DNL INDUS 8.53 8.54 8.59 8.59 8.51 8.53 2,581,300 22,032,421 6.99 7 7 7 6.99 7 175,100 1,224,647 EMPERADOR SMC FOODANDBEV 91.4 92 92.2 92.7 91.05 92 266,040 24,428,015 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.67 0.68 0.67 0.68 0.67 0.68 114,000 77,140 47.9 48.5 48.5 48.5 48.4 48.5 20,100 974,465 GINEBRA 232 232.8 232 233 230.2 232 480,610 111,585,790 JOLLIBEE MACAY HLDG 9.01 9.49 9.34 9.38 9.24 9.24 37,900 351,179 13.2 13.24 13.2 13.34 13.2 13.24 26,300 348,394 MAXS GROUP 0.183 0.186 0.183 0.183 0.183 0.183 10,000 1,830 MG HLDG PEPSI COLA 1.69 1.7 1.71 1.73 1.7 1.7 955,000 1,626,730 SHAKEYS PIZZA 11.26 11.48 11.2 11.48 11.2 11.48 21,200 241,416 1.93 1.94 1.91 1.96 1.88 1.94 825,000 1,580,740 ROXAS AND CO RFM CORP 5.37 5.38 5.36 5.38 5.35 5.38 76,900 412,590 ROXAS HLDG 2.09 2.13 2.15 2.15 2.08 2.08 260,000 547,890 151 151.6 152 152.7 150.7 151 3,124,530 472,717,527 UNIV ROBINA VITARICH 1.34 1.35 1.32 1.35 1.31 1.35 7,584,000 10,145,450 CONCRETE A 65.35 66 66 66 65.4 65.4 440 28,932 72.1 75.8 72 72 72 72 100 7,200 CONCRETE B 2.51 2.56 2.55 2.56 2.51 2.51 1,067,000 2,711,290 CEMEX HLDG DAVINCI CAPITAL 5.75 6.13 5.8 5.8 5.75 5.75 200 1,155 15.5 15.52 15.3 15.56 15.28 15.5 548,100 8,501,396 EAGLE CEMENT 10.1 10.26 10.3 10.5 10.04 10.26 927,900 9,473,808 EEI CORP HOLCIM 14.42 14.58 14.4 14.6 14.34 14.58 261,100 3,788,094 MEGAWIDE 17.66 17.7 17.78 17.78 17.5 17.7 1,948,900 34,432,918 9.11 9.49 9.36 9.49 9.11 9.49 3,500 32,917 PHINMA 1.1 1.11 1.12 1.12 1.07 1.11 67,000 73,680 TKC METALS VULCAN INDL 1.1 1.13 1.12 1.14 1.06 1.13 1,778,000 1,965,010 112.1 113.1 113.1 113.1 113.1 113.1 120 13,572 CHEMPHIL 5.11 5.36 5.2 5.2 5.11 5.11 110,000 571,100 LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL 3.5 3.52 3.51 3.51 3.5 3.5 13,000 45,530 5.4 5.47 5.4 5.47 5.36 5.4 319,600 1,725,531 PRYCE CORP 30.5 31.8 31.95 31.95 30.5 30.5 30,800 950,710 CONCEPCION GREENERGY 2.23 2.26 2.25 2.32 2.19 2.26 9,019,000 20,190,210 4 INTEGRATED MICR 7.9 7.91 7.91 7.92 7.89 7.91 168,000 1,327,774 1.45 1.47 1.51 1.51 1.46 1.48 216,000 317,560 IONICS 0.98 1.01 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 85,000 83,300 SFA SEMICON CIRTEK HLDG 8.7 8.71 8 8.7 8 8.7 1,085,400 9,136,935

HOLDING & FRIMS

ABACORE CAPITAL ASIABEST GROUP AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL AYALA LAND LOG ANSCOR ANGLO PHIL HLDG ATN HLDG A COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT KEPPEL HLDG B LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA PRIME MEDIA SOLID GROUP SYNERGY GRID SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP SOC RESOURCES TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.82 12.7 859.5 55.5 11.48 3.57 6.53 0.73 1.12 6.9 8.2 13.14 0.213 889.5 5.61 75.25 5.08 0.49 4.31 13.32 0.57 4.8 0.038 1.43 1.26 395 1,029 167 0.86 215.2 0.217 0.219

0.83 13 860 55.95 11.5 3.6 6.89 0.75 1.13 6.91 8.21 13.34 0.224 894 5.98 76.25 5.89 0.51 4.32 13.34 0.59 4.82 0.039 1.46 1.27 400 1,030 167.8 0.88 230 0.218 0.23

0.82 13.14 865 55 11.52 3.63 6.88 0.73 1.13 6.88 8.29 13.12 0.224 892 5.62 76.2 5.11 0.51 4.32 13.28 0.6 4.8 0.038 1.46 1.27 395 1028 174 0.85 216 0.218 0.23

0.84 13.14 870 55.95 11.6 3.63 6.89 0.75 1.14 6.91 8.37 13.3 0.224 896 5.63 76.25 5.11 0.51 4.32 13.42 0.6 4.87 0.038 1.46 1.27 395 1,030 174 0.89 230 0.218 0.235

0.81 12.72 856 54.6 11.34 3.57 6.88 0.73 1.12 6.87 8.04 13.12 0.224 875 5.61 73.2 5.04 0.49 4.3 13.22 0.56 4.73 0.038 1.43 1.27 395 1,021 167 0.85 215.4 0.218 0.22

0.82 13.02 860 55.95 11.48 3.6 6.89 0.75 1.12 6.9 8.21 13.22 0.224 894 5.61 76.25 5.04 0.51 4.31 13.34 0.59 4.8 0.038 1.46 1.27 395 1,030 167 0.86 230 0.218 0.22

18,655,000 21,500 408,140 1,399,040 13,160,000 569,000 22,100 32,000 175,000 2,060,700 12,139,100 13,300 10,000 84,230 3,500 2,156,530 192,700 165,000 945,000 1,964,200 243,000 28,484,000 3,000,000 95,000 4,000 20 1,379,265 169,650 752,000 2,880 10,000 430,000

15,287,670 275,110 351,283,965 77,689,673.5 151,409,988 2,047,350 152,262 23,580 196,480 14,211,486 99,144,876 175,556 2,240 75,224,910 19,671 163,557,938 971,348 81,010 4,076,500 26,139,436 138,400 136,322,190 114,000 136,070 5,080 7,900 1,413,381,625 28,640,895 655,570 637,282 2,180 95,000

(19,222) 77,999,666 (23,926,641) (2,516,720) 4,727,992 125056664.5 480,985 (42,449,802) (1,061,915.5) 35,000 198,800 63,365,730 (75,606,465) (4,401,302) (21,874,748) ,618,216.0003) (379,493) 839,900 481,896 4,767,730 (35,770) (23,770) 10,727,537 (799,379) (78,886) 911,490 36,815,910 9,279.9999 68,598 419,310 (164,797) (42,410) (44,417,388) (150,630) (421,600) 5,652,494 (3,763,974) (479,618) (31,005,976) (4,360) (800,750) ,075,680.0003 471,740 (0) (548,082) (873,250) (93,343,255) 12,206,036 (42,831,910) 158,690 1,296,455 (12,436,640) (26,412) 14,461,610 74,887,561 (4,024,780) (2,755,820) (20,385,230) 511,553,970 (4,803,229) 4,320 -

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.86 0.88 0.86 0.88 0.86 0.88 585,000 506,450 ANCHOR LAND 9.35 9.8 9.36 9.36 9.35 9.35 3,000 28,070 9,350 AYALA LAND 48.55 49.3 49.5 49.5 48.55 48.55 5,560,800 271,563,105 (59,307,935) 1.98 1.99 2 2 1.99 1.99 4,112,000 8,185,540 (1,747,320) BELLE CORP A BROWN 0.81 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.8 0.81 200,000 161,570 0.84 0.87 0.87 0.87 0.87 0.87 12,000 10,440 CITYLAND DEVT 0.203 0.205 0.203 0.205 0.203 0.205 190,000 38,750 CROWN EQUITIES 6.15 6.33 6.1 6.1 6.1 6.1 9,300 56,730 CEBU HLDG CEB LANDMASTERS 4.5 4.52 4.5 4.58 4.5 4.5 132,000 594,610 (171,010) CENTURY PROP 0.59 0.6 0.6 0.61 0.59 0.6 36,708,000 22,070,460 (217,930) 0.48 0.49 0.47 0.495 0.47 0.49 4,950,000 2,406,750 126,400 CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON 20.25 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.25 20.25 103,500 2,100,960 127,150 DM WENCESLAO 10.2 10.22 10.2 10.22 10.18 10.22 282,500 2,877,600 2,747,018 0.485 0.49 0.485 0.495 0.485 0.49 1,430,000 698,900 EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND 1.6 1.61 1.61 1.62 1.6 1.6 9,375,000 15,041,330 1,769,540 GLOBAL ESTATE 1.24 1.27 1.25 1.27 1.24 1.27 272,000 339,240 14.7 15 14.64 15 14.62 15 133,000 1,955,996 (317,760) 8990 HLDG 1.55 1.56 1.54 1.6 1.54 1.56 4,414,000 6,942,310 (650,450) PHIL INFRADEV MEGAWORLD 4.82 4.83 4.83 4.85 4.82 4.83 9,571,000 46,236,340 (20,400,080) 0.29 0.295 0.295 0.295 0.285 0.29 3,750,000 1,089,400 MRC ALLIED 0.41 0.43 0.41 0.41 0.405 0.41 3,260,000 1,336,550 PHIL ESTATES PRIMEX CORP 2.02 2.03 2.03 2.03 2.02 2.03 264,000 533,460 25.45 25.7 25.3 25.8 25.2 25.45 1,525,400 38,833,120 (19,906,165) ROBINSONS LAND 0.375 0.38 0.375 0.38 0.37 0.38 180,000 68,200 PHIL REALTY ROCKWELL 2.28 2.3 2.3 2.32 2.2 2.32 464,000 1,030,640 3.23 3.29 3.28 3.3 3.28 3.29 24,000 78,980 36,240 SHANG PROP 2.62 2.63 2.62 2.63 2.55 2.63 1,848,000 4,744,120 245,240 STA LUCIA LAND 38.95 39 39 39.15 38.9 39 13,661,100 532,828,230 107,808,390 SM PRIME HLDG VISTAMALLS 5.5 5.58 5.64 5.64 5.5 5.58 12,200 67,544 7.66 7.69 7.73 7.75 7.67 7.69 3,929,700 30,221,018 (18,519,126) VISTA LAND SERVICES ABS CBN 18.58 18.6 18.9 18.9 18.6 18.6 41,800 780,508 GMA NETWORK 5.26 5.27 5.27 5.27 5.25 5.26 24,500 128,815 0.4 0.415 0.405 0.405 0.4 0.4 350,000 140,650 MANILA BULLETIN 1,824 1,830 1844 1,850 1,820 1,824 28,230 51,557,315 (23,395,200) GLOBE TELECOM PLDT 1,100 1,102 1093 1,108 1,093 1,100 64,910 71,441,990 2,155,005 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.041 0.042 0.042 0.042 0.041 0.041 8,000,000 335,000 5.11 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.3 11,000 58,300 DFNN INC 0.106 0.11 0.106 0.11 0.106 0.11 70,000 7,540 ISLAND INFO ISM COMM 4.73 4.74 4.78 4.8 4.6 4.73 4,218,000 19,800,640 798,020 JACKSTONES 2.33 2.46 2.4 2.46 2.35 2.46 18,000 42,970 3.52 3.53 3.53 3.62 3.44 3.53 8,783,000 31,087,340 1,738,600 NOW CORP TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.325 0.33 0.32 0.33 0.32 0.325 2,200,000 713,900 3 3.02 3 3.03 2.98 3.02 198,000 594,230 (119,970) PHILWEB 11.18 11.2 10.94 11.18 10.5 11.18 132,000 1,414,706 844,200 2GO GROUP ASIAN TERMINALS 18.68 19.6 19.8 19.8 18.8 19.6 73,600 1,416,074 716,540 CHELSEA 6.68 6.69 6.67 6.77 6.63 6.68 224,800 1,498,345 344,927 92.35 92.45 92.3 92.7 92.2 92.35 10,510 971,081.5 (86,541.5) CEBU AIR 118.6 118.7 122.1 122.5 118.5 118.7 1,779,790 214,304,662 (68,248,416) INTL CONTAINER LBC EXPRESS 13.58 14.48 14.78 14.78 14 14 800 11,486 0.91 0.93 0.91 0.93 0.91 0.91 116,000 105,960 LORENZO SHIPPNG 20.6 20.65 19.1 20.6 19.1 20.6 3,043,900 61,673,420 (27,150,166) MACROASIA METROALLIANCE A 1.05 1.15 1.06 1.06 1.05 1.05 21,000 22,130 8 8.25 8.27 8.27 8 8.25 1,400 11,327 PAL HLDG 1.62 1.63 1.6 1.63 1.59 1.62 736,000 1,186,780 32,200 HARBOR STAR 1.6 1.63 1.69 1.69 1.63 1.63 11,000 18,050 ACESITE HOTEL DISCOVERY WORLD 2.04 2.06 2.04 2.05 2.04 2.05 140,000 286,840 0.67 0.68 0.66 0.67 0.66 0.67 111,000 74,310 WATERFRONT 910 925 925 925 925 925 10 9,250 FAR EASTERN U IPEOPLE 7.39 8 8 8 8 8 120,000 960,000 (926,400) STI HLDG 0.68 0.69 0.68 0.68 0.66 0.68 25,007,000 16,950,380 (16,605,240) 2.4 2.44 2.38 2.4 2.38 2.4 30,000 71,700 BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY 9.99 10.06 10.14 10.32 9.82 9.99 12,699,700 126,728,203 (111,332,115) PACIFIC ONLINE 2.68 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.68 2.68 42,000 113,180 3.05 3.06 3.09 3.09 3.05 3.06 174,000 534,840 LEISURE AND RES 3.45 3.49 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.45 98,000 337,450 MANILA JOCKEY PH RESORTS GRP 4.9 5.19 5.19 5.19 5.19 5.19 5,000 25,950 0.66 0.67 0.68 0.69 0.66 0.67 4,514,000 3,008,300 204,209.9999 PREMIUM LEISURE 8.01 9.14 8.6 9.14 8.6 9.14 300 2,664 PHIL RACING ALLHOME 11.46 11.48 11.5 11.5 11.48 11.48 12,035,300 138,170,220 (2,294,970) METRO RETAIL 2.41 2.43 2.45 2.45 2.41 2.43 50,000 121,740 40.1 40.85 40.05 40.85 40 40.85 370,800 14,882,745(10 ,468,014.9999) PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL 75.8 75.85 76 76.45 75.65 75.85 962,090 72,983,654.5 ( 49,331,081.5) PHIL SEVEN CORP 145.1 149 143.5 149 143.5 149 670,470 96,558,030 394,170 2.58 2.6 2.62 2.62 2.57 2.58 709,000 1,838,500 593,800 SSI GROUP 16.5 16.54 16.56 16.64 16.5 16.5 579,900 9,594,080 (1,504,988) WILCON DEPOT APC GROUP 0.53 0.54 0.53 0.56 0.52 0.53 21,970,000 11,885,320 417,180 9.02 9.06 9.03 9.03 9.02 9.02 10,200 92,071 EASYCALL 425.4 431 425.4 431 425.4 431 60 25,580 GOLDEN BRIA PAXYS 2.77 2.92 2.92 2.92 2.92 2.92 1,000 2,920 2,920 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.485 0.49 0.5 0.5 0.485 0.485 6,380,000 3,131,850 123,395 8.94 9.2 9.35 9.35 9.2 9.2 28,000 257,900 SBS PHIL CORP MINING & OIL ATOK 12 12.46 12.46 12.48 12.46 12.46 300 3,740 APEX MINING 1.13 1.14 1.14 1.15 1.13 1.13 765,000 866,310 ( 413,589.9999) ABRA MINING 0.0017 0.0018 0 0.0018 0.0018 0.0018 0.0018 1,000,000 1,800 1,800 2.55 2.66 2.58 2.58 2.54 2.54 77,000 197,580 (113,520) ATLAS MINING 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 150,000 165,000 BENGUET A BENGUET B 1.12 1.24 1.12 1.12 1.12 1.12 6,000 6,720 0.28 0.295 0.28 0.295 0.28 0.295 460,000 132,900 COAL ASIA HLDG 2.58 2.6 2.59 2.6 2.57 2.6 237,000 614,770 CENTURY PEAK DIZON MINES 7.58 7.69 7.85 7.85 7.5 7.69 14,200 107,213 1.86 1.88 1.89 1.94 1.8 1.88 34,144,000 64,472,260 14,354,420 FERRONICKEL 0.208 0.212 0.214 0.214 0.207 0.211 380,000 79,840 GEOGRACE MANILA MINING A 0.009 0.0093 0 0.0091 0.0091 0.0091 0.0091 2,000,000 18,200 1.17 1.18 1.18 1.18 1.17 1.18 70,000 82,590 MARCVENTURES 1.03 1.07 1.04 1.08 1.03 1.07 182,000 188,010 NIHAO NICKEL ASIA 4 4.01 4.08 4.1 4 4.01 5,695,000 22,996,550 (499,810) ORNTL PENINSULA 0.86 0.89 0.89 0.9 0.86 0.89 167,000 146,410 3.51 3.53 3.52 3.53 3.5 3.53 193,000 676,280 171,470 PX MINING 23.2 23.35 23.3 23.35 23.15 23.35 895,200 20,887,260 6,957,275 SEMIRARA MINING UNITED PARAGON 0.0058 0.0062 0 0.0062 0.0062 0.0062 0.0062 1,000,000 6,200 6,200 ORNTL PETROL A 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 10,000,000 113,000 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 600,200,000 7,202,300 ORNTL PETROL B PHILODRILL 0.01 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.01 0.011 41,900,000 443,200 10.32 10.38 10.78 10.78 10.08 10.38 483,700 5,008,958 (46,894) PHINMA PETRO 12.74 12.8 12.6 12.96 12.6 12.8 1,302,700 16,725,558 (277,062) PXP ENERGY PREFFERED HOUSE PREF A 98.15 99.5 98.15 98.15 98.15 98.15 200 19,630 ALCO PREF B 100.7 103.3 103.3 103.3 103.3 103.3 290 29,957 100 105.9 101.4 101.4 100 100.1 18,000 1,806,323 ALCO PREF C 100.5 101.5 101 101 100.4 100.4 704,800 71,181,501 DD PREF FGEN PREF G 108 109.5 109.5 109.5 109.5 109.5 1,900 208,050 (208,050) FPH PREF C 430.4 500 500 500 500 500 10 5,000 1 1.01 1.01 1.01 1.01 1.01 503,000 508,030 LR PREF 100.9 101 101 101 100.9 101 790 79,746 MWIDE PREF PNX PREF 3A 100.3 101.9 101.9 101.9 101.8 101.8 150 15,275 107 108 108 108 108 108 1,530 165,240 PNX PREF 3B 1,051 1,052 1050 1,051 1,050 1,051 11,500 12,076,000 PCOR PREF 3A PCOR PREF 3B 1,080 1,081 1068 1,080 1,068 1,080 3,500 3,777,580 78.2 78.4 78.3 78.3 78.2 78.2 6,410 501,858 SMC PREF 2C 75.15 75.5 75.15 75.15 75.15 75.15 18,100 1,360,215 SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E 75.1 75.8 75.1 75.1 75.1 75.1 5,000 375,500 76.1 76.6 76.2 76.2 76.1 76.1 5,000 380,510 SMC PREF 2F 75.5 76.5 75.5 75.5 75.5 75.5 1,960 147,980 SMC PREF 2G 75.7 76.6 75.7 75.7 75.7 75.7 2,430 183,951 SMC PREF 2I PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS

ABS HLDG PDR GMA HLDG PDR

17.62 5.05

17.7 5.14

17.76 5.05

17.76 5.14

17.7 5.05

17.7 5.14

63,900 2,100

1,132,900 10,614

WARRANTS LR WARRANT

1.53

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

ITALPINAS 6.49 11.2 KEPWEALTH XURPAS 0.93

1.56

1.53

1.52

1.53

83,000

126,710

6.53 11.3 0.94

6.67 11.58 0.96

6.67 11.62 0.96

6.48 11.1 0.93

6.49 11.3 0.93

174,700 261,100 1,966,000

1,136,130 2,954,612 1,852,110

23,649 22,700 -

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF

119.4

(746,168) -

119.7

119.9

119.4

8,310

993,359

1,199

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Modest ’19 profit seen for MGen with start of vital Quezon plant By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

ERALCO PowerGen Corp. (MGen), the power generation arm of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), is expected to register a modest profit this year after its first power plant—a 500-megawatt (MW) supercritical coal-fired power plant—started commercial operation in September. “There’s a modest impact in the fourth quarter alone because it started COD [commercial operation date] sometime end of September. So, [we were able to also ramp up] production. So, [it’s now] profitable for the fourth quarter [though it’s modest],” said Meralco Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan. T he projec t proponent of the P56.2-billion power plant is San Buenaventura Power Ltd. Co. (SBPL), a partnership between MGen, with a 51-percent stake, and New Growth BV, a whollyowned subsidiary of the Electricity Generating Co. of Thailand (Egco), the first independent power producer in Thailand. The plant in Mauban, Quezon, utilizes a high-efficiency, low-emissions (HELE) coal technology, which can reduce carbon

dioxide emissions and improve the efficiency of the power plant by producing more amount of energy with less coal. It was built by the consortium of South Korea’s Daelim Industrial Co. Ltd. and Japan’s Mitsubish i Cor p., wh ic h a re both experienced engineering, procurement and construction contractors with ver y strong track records. “And they get a bit of reimbursement from the contractor. So, on the whole, our share might be around more or less P500 million to P600 million. So, it will reduce the loss of MGen, [it’s just] small loss for the full year. So, next year [is when the] full impact [will really be felt],” said Pangilinan in a mix of English and Filipino. MGen has a number of power

₧150-M Baclaran Gateway to break ground in November By Roderick L. Abad @rodrik_28 Contributor

HE groundbreaking of the P150million Baclaran Gateway and People’s Market (BGPM) and the establishment of the Redemptorist Station for the existing LRT1 Baclaran Station will commence this November, Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez has revealed. BGPM will serve as a permanent home for about 2,000 illegal Baclaran vendors, who have been a problem for the city for over 50 years. It will be fully financed by the city government, following the vendors’ rejection of the private-public-partnership proposal of a private construction company for the project. Olivarez said the multi-story marketplace will rise on a one-hectare vacant land along Roxas Boulevard fronting the historic Redemptorist Church in Baclaran. Per the plan, the BGPM will be built using 60 x 300 meters of “cement slab” placed on top of canals along the service

road of Roxas Boulevard. There will also be a loading and unloading zone, an overhead pedestrian crossing, and an LRT terminal station in the area for use of both the buyers and the vendors. Parking lots will also be provided at the proposed public market. BGPM is targeted to be fully operational by the last quarter of 2020. “All of our vendors in the people’s market will be permanent and legal since they will pay their respective business permits annually. These will be an additional income for the city coffers,” Olivarez stressed. He said the project is supported by President Duterte and was approved recently by the Metro Manila Council and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA). While awaiting construction of the facility, City Hall will install tents along Roxas Boulevard, where vendors can sell their goods. Recently, some 2,000 illegal peddlers in Baclaran were displaced in the clearing operations of local authorities.

Asia’s aviation stakeholders gather in Mla for annual ‘Safety Day’ confab Continued from B1

Zhendong Wu, chairman of AsBAA, said: “AsBAA has a regional program of Safety Days which take place in Greater China and across Southeast Asia. These events seek to promote best practice across the entire region while addressing local issues. The Philippine event has grown in size and recognition, which, in turn, allows us to better disseminate information to keep business aviation safe in Asia.” AsBAA has a growing membership of international and local Philippine companies looking to ensure that skilled positions are retained locally. The Philippine Chapter has been supporting such work by

acting as a bridge between industry and the regulators. The association leads on communications with the local authorities to ensure the needs of business aviation are well understood, while ensuring safety best practices are followed. Lopez concluded, “fur ther to the commitment of the authorities, industry stakeholders, and nonprofit associations, such as AsBAA and IBAC, we have seen improvements in our industry. It is our commitment to continue with this positive change for the good of the local communities, and the wider industry. We thank all those that help AsBAA to ensure a safe environment for business aviation in the Philippines.”

projects lined up. Aside from coal plants, MGen targets around 1,000 MW of renewable-energy projects over the next five to seven years. The focus is on the development of a portfolio of utility scale solar, wind and hydro power projects to supply Luzon grid and electricity consumers with competitive tariff. “MGen, taken as a whole, will be profitable next year. So, that’s good news,” said Pangilinan, adding that, “Meralco subsidiaries will do better next year.” A s i d e f ro m MG e n , ot he r Meralco subsidiaries are Clark Electric Distribution Corp., eSakay Inc., MSpectrum Inc. As of the end of September, Meralco’s core net earnings grew

Mutual Funds

11 percent to P18.5 billion, while reported net income remained flat at P18.3 billion. Pangilinan said last week that Meralco’s full-year profitability on core business will be north of P23 billion. “It is likely we will achieve the P23 billion plus core profit for full year 2019.” The power utility giant reported a core net income of P22.4 billion last year, up 11 percent from 2017. “ We a nt ic ipate s u s t a i ne d growth for Meralco resulting from the country’s continued overall economic expansion, as well as growth that will follow the government’s ongoing infrastructure development programs,” Pangilinan said.

October 31, 2019

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 257.19 7.34% -0.28% -0.18% 1.98% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.4972 9.17% 2.61% -0.08% 3.91% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 3.9245 5.32% -1.98% -2.02% 0.55% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.9512 11.97% n.a. n.a. 5.57% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.8736 10.57% n.a. n.a. 6.45% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 5.4599 10.42% 1.36% 0.28% 3.54% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,6 0.8789 11.06% -2.63% n.a. 5.04% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 113.82 4.07% n.a. n.a. -2.02% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 52.6795 13.54% 1.97% n.a. 7.02% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 547.25 13.02% 0.88% 0.34% 6.32% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 1.3245 10.59% 1.86% 1.45% 5.62% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 38.9848 11.78% 2.72% 1.36% 6.42% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,1 1.0464 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 5.3575 14.86% 2.77% 2.27% 8.04% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 894.55 14.86% 2.68% 2.21% 7.98% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.9062 11.53% 0.84% n.a. 5.37% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 4.3427 12.6% 2.34% 1.44% 6.99% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 1.0273 14.39% 2.56% n.a. 7.65% United Fund, Inc. -a 3.7512 12.87% 4.01% 3% 7.15% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 119.9268 15.15% 3.43% 3.23% 8.29% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $0.9779 8.76% 2.89% -0.46% 5.25% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.3102 11.61% 8.17% n.a. 18.55% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.6027 0.19% -3.03% -3.47% -2.94% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.2764 6.38% -0.56% -0.38% 3.04% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.6659 9.48% 1.62% -0.87% 4.83% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,5 0.2371 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Grepalife Balanced Fund Corporation -a 1.3544 6.85% n.a. n.a. 3.84% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.975 10.71% 1.95% 1.35% 7.16% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.8311 13.77% 0.99% 0.66% 8.55% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 17.1497 12.85% 1.01% 0.57% 7.81% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 2.1604 8.2% 1.25% 1.37% 4.41% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.9289 11.46% 2.13% 1.08% 7.6% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d,2 1.0306 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d,2 1.0189 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d,2 1.016 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.9975 11.38% 1.68% 0.47% 8.22% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03811 10.14% 2.12% 2.05% 7.96% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -a $0.9996 9.4% 2.5% -0.12% 9.4% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $3.7853 9.64% 5.97% 3.53% 14.41% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,7 $1.1081 7.74% 3.39% n.a. 10.26% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 355.55 4.12% 2.54% 2.27% 3.52% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.9231 3.79% 0.18% -0.1% 3.44% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.0951 4.99% 5.25% 5.22% 4% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.214 4.44% 1.83% 1.93% 3.98% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.3446 5.97% 1.77% 1.52% 6.33% Grepalife Fixed Income Fund Corp. -a P 1.6087 2.77% 0.09% -0.08% 2.83% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.3301 13.91% 1.6% 1.73% 10.47% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.749 8.36% 1.51% 6.59% 2.64% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 0.9547 9.17% 0.53% n.a. 7.13% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.0484 10.89% 3.71% 2.44% 10.22% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.6865 10.39% 3.16% 2.04% 9.52% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $465.97 4.46% 2.07% 2.82% 3.92% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є219.78 3.14% 1.26% 1.44% 3.34% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.2022 7.25% 2.3% 2.53% 6.8% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0258 4.03% 1.06% 1.37% 4.03% Grepalife Dollar Bond Fund Corp. -a $1.7113 1.32% -1.4% 0.28% 1.25% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -a $1.0935 6.75% -0.09% -1.28% 5.52% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.3955 12.7% 2.05% 3.18% 10.35% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.060258 5.98% 2.05% 2.05% 5.72% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.1621 9.94% 1.56% 2.69% 10.1% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 125.1 4.18% 2.7% 2.11% 3.49% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a,3 1.0268 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a 1.2459 6.15% 2.5% 1.56% 5.42% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.2584 3.85% 2.83% 2.24% 3.22% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0345 2.14% n.a. n.a. 1.83% a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU). 1 - Launch date is January 3, 2019. 2 - Launch date is January 28, 2019. 3 - Launch date is February 1, 2019. 4 - Launch date is August 1, 2019. 5 - Launch date is September 28, 2019. 6 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last October 12, 2018 (formerly, One Wealthy Nation Fund, Inc.). 7 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last October 9, 2019. "While we endeavor to keep the information accurate, the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) and its members make no warranties as to the correctness of the newspaper’s publication and assume no liability or responsibility for any error or omissions. You may visit http://www. pifa.com.ph to see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU."

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

The World

Trump-Xi trade deal hits another hurdle after Chile cancels Apec

resident Donald J. Trump’s plan to ink the first installment of a trade accord with Xi Jinping next month was thrown into question on Wednesday after Chile canceled an upcoming summit where the two leaders had planned to meet. The cancellation—announced earlier Wednesday by Chile as social unrest continued to rock Santiago—appeared to catch the White House off guard. But the administration insisted that it would continue to press to finalize the “phase one” agreement in coming weeks. It wasn’t clear whether American officials would be able to find an alternate venue for a meeting with Xi. Organizers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit indicated they had no plans to hold the event elsewhere. Negotiators will have a phone call on Friday, according to a Chinese Ministry of Commerce statement. The Chinese and American trade teams have been in close touch, and the negotiations are currently making smooth progress, according to the statement, adding that the two sides will stick to the original plan to push forward consultations and other work. A former Chinese official played down the effect of the cancellation. “I don’t think the cancellation of the Apec meeting will have any impact on the US-China trade deal,” Wei Jianguo, a former vice minister of the Ministry of Commerce and current vice president of China Center for International Economic Exchanges, told a press briefing in Singapore on Thursday. “The venue could move to China, the US, or any third-party country. The two sides will surely talk about it.”

Other locations

Three people familiar with the state of US-China discussions said the teams have been looking at other locations in recent weeks as demonstrations that caused the cancellation of the Apec summit escalated in Chile. “We look forward to finalizing Phase One of the historic trade deal with China within the same time frame, and when we have an announcement, we’ll let you know,” White House Spokesman Hogan Gidley said in an e-mail. The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Robert Lighthizer, the US trade representative leading the talks with China, said “no comment” when asked by reporters on Wednesday how the cancellation would change plans. The prospect of a Trump-Xi meeting in Santiago next month had buoyed markets as investors looked for signs that an end to the multiyear trade war between the two nations is in sight. The S&P 500 Index of US stocks briefly fell to a session low after news of the meeting’s cancellation.

Phase one

“I always looked at Chile as just the location where Trump and Xi would just happen to be at the same time,” said Brendan McKenna, a currency strategist at Wells Fargo Securities in New York. “If there is deal in place that both sides are willing to sign, I think they find a new way to finalize it anyway.” US and Chinese officials have been working for weeks on filling in the details of a narrow “phase one” deal announced by Trump after an October 11 Oval Office meeting with China’s top negotiator, Liu He. Both sides have recently said they’re making significant progress on a deal that would see China resume purchases of US farm products and make commitments on intellectual property and currency, in exchange for a commitment from Trump not to impose further tariffs on Chinese goods. But wrapping up even that limited work by the November 16 and 17 summit in Chile had always been seen as a challenge. While it is a new hurdle for both the Trump administration and China, the forced delay of the meeting between the leaders gives negotiators more time. But a shifting deadline could also reduce pressure on both sides to cut an initial deal and move on to more comprehensive talks. “If the two sides intend to conclude a phase-one deal, the cancellation of the summit is a mere logistical headache, not one that can spike the deal on its own,” said Jude Blanchette, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “If, however, one or both sides don’t feel they can get to a deal by mid-November, the cancellation of the summit is a great excuse to buy more time.”

Uncertainty looms

The risk for businesses and financial markets is that the cancellation of the Apec meeting will only extend uncertainty that has put a damper on investment and growth around the world. That may be driving Trump’s eagerness to sign the deal himself and prove to a skeptical world and voters in the US that his disruptive tariffs have yielded results entering his reelection campaign. “This makes it likely that lower level talks will continue to drag on with no concrete results,” said Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. The US government would normally help Chile resolve its political crisis so the summit could proceed, Alden said. “But instead the White House is absent with the impeachment fight and crises of its own making,” he said. Trump has said repeatedly that he was optimistic the trade deal would be finalized at the summit. “The risk here is that if the summit now is postponed then that at least suggests that the trade war uncertainty might be hanging over us for longer,” Torsten Slok, chief economist at Deutsche Bank AG, said in an interview on Bloomberg Television on Wednesday. “It raises the risk that we could never see a phase two or phase three, and therefore, the uncertainty would basically not be going away.” Bloomberg News

BusinessMirror

Friday, November 1, 2019

Chile cancels climate, trade summits amid protest chaos

ANTIAGO, Chile—Chilean President Sebastián Piñera said on Wednesday that he is canceling two major international summits so he can respond to protracted nationwide protests over economic inequality that have left more than a dozen people dead, hundreds injured, and businesses and infrastructure damaged.

The decision to call off the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and UN global climate gatherings, planned for November and December, respectively, dealt a major blow to Chile’s image as a regional oasis of stability and economic development. Piñera said he was forced to cancel both events due to the chaos unleashed by 12 days of protests. Demonstrators are demanding greater economic equality and better public services in a country long seen as an economic success story. Shops have been vandalized and buildings set on fire, shutting down numerous subway stations. T he sit u at ion had st abilized somewhat by midday on Wednesday. Except for the presence of a few hundred protesters, the streets of the capital, Santiago, were most ly quiet, with no reports of vandalism. “This has been a very difficult decision that causes us great pain,” Piñera said in a televised address. “A president always has to put the needs of his countrymen first.” Opposition and pro-government parties in Chile generally welcomed the president’s decision, say ing that hav ing the summits was unrealistic given the circumstances. Trade and climate negotiators scrambled to find new locations for their summits, aimed at resolving tariff-related conf licts between China and the US and finalizing countries’ climate rules in advance of a bigger summit next year during which governments will be asked to commit to new emissions limits. President Donald J. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping had hoped to sign a modest trade

agreement at the Apec summit, formerly scheduled to take place in Santiago on November 16 and 17. Under the tentative deal, the US had agreed to suspend plans to raise tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese imports, and Beijing had agreed to step up purchases of US farm products. White House Spokesman Hogan Gidley said US officials were “awaiting potential information regarding another location,” but it was unclear if any had been proposed. Gidley added that Trump wanted to sign the deal with China “within the same time frame,” hinting that a separate event could occur outside a summit. The so-called Phase One trade agreement did little to address the underlying US grievances against China, including its alleged practice of forcing foreign firms to hand over trade secrets; stealing technology, and unfairly subsidizing Chinese firms. China’s leaders have been reluctant to make the kind of policy reforms that would satisfy Washington, worrying such concessions would mean scaling back their aspirations to become a world leader in advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and driverless cars. Still, the apparent cancellation of the summit “removes a hard deadline for action toward a comprehensive agreement in the trade war,” said Jeff Moon, a former US diplomat and trade official specializing in China who is now president of the China Moon Strategies consultancy. “That hard deadline and the relatively short period of time available allowed Trump and Xi to give themselves permission to do only easy things and delay indefinitely resolving tough issues.”

Anti-government demonstrators march outside La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago, Chile, Wednesday. Chilean President Sebastián Piñera canceled two major international summits after nearly two weeks of nationwide protests over economic inequality that have left at least 20 dead, and damaged businesses and infrastructure around the country. AP/Matias Delacroix

Now, Moon said, “there is no excuse for not pressing forward with the full US agenda of concerns.” Climate advocates said they were disappointed but expected to relocate their talks. “My thoughts are with the people of Chile,” tweeted teen climate activist Greta Thunberg. “I’ve been making my way through the North American continent toward Santiago, but as #COP25 will be moved I will now wait until I have more information...” The Santiago climate conference was meant to work out some of the remaining unresolved rules for countries on climate efforts, smoothing the way for the bigger effort in the 2020 summit: encouraging countries to up their commitments to cutting climatechanging emissions. “The absence of rules does not stop countries from acting either alone or together” to cut emissions, said Nigel Purvis, a climate and environment negotiator in the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. “It really shouldn’t slow down climate action.” But other climate experts said it was important to get those rules worked out in advance. “To load everything into one conference—I think they’ll work pretty hard not to do that,” said Henry Jacoby, a climate expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Rachel Cleetus, policy director at the Union of

Apple lost ground to Huawei, Samsung before iPhone 11 debut

pple Inc. lost ground to Samsung and Huawei in the third quarter when global smartphone sales rose on a quarterly basis only for the first time in two years, according to Canalys. Apple shipments fell 7 percent to 43.5 million units in the July-to-September period, just before the well-received iPhone 11 hit global store shelves, the researcher estimated. Samsung Electronics Co., taking advantage of the lull, introduced a plethora of cheaper high-volume models to grow sales 11 percent, while a strong home market drove Huawei Technologies Co. shipments 29 percent higher. The global smartphone market is showing signs of life after users replaced aging devices and demand from markets, such as India surged with the proliferation of low-priced plans. On Thursday, Samsung reported a 32-percent jump in operating income at its mobile division, while Apple’s holidayquarter outlook trumped analysts’ expectations. The Korean company retained global leadership while Chinese rival closed the gap, thanks to pentup demand that built up during the previous quarter when Washington blacklisted the networking giant. Xiaomi Corp. and Oppo rounded out the top 5. The prognosis for Huawei, however, is uncertain given the Trump administration put it on the US

Entity List, which prohibits it from using the latest Android versions in new devices. Shipments to its home market surged 66 percent in the quarter, but only rose about 18 percent sequentially abroad, and many analysts foresee a drop in overall international sales because of its inability to access American software and circuitry. “Huawei is not out of the woods yet,” said Canalys Senior Analyst Ben Stanton. “It will be a major challenge to retain its overseas volume if the Entity List saga is not resolved in the coming months.” Bloomberg News

Concerned Scientists, said she believed there would be “ever y effort made that some ty pe of... meeting does happen.” “These...are the venues where the global community comes together to decide how to tackle this problem together,” she said. “The climate challenge requires every country to act, but it requires us to act collectively.” UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa issued a statement saying that “alternative hosting options” were being explored. And a UN official, speaking on condition of anonymity for lack of authorization to comment publicly, said that all UN venues are being considered as options. Those would include cities, such as New York, Geneva, Bonn, Vienna and Nairobi. Heraldo Muñoz, president of Chile’s opposition Party for Democracy, said he thought it was unfortunate the climate summit was canceled. “On the other hand, the desire to hold the meeting wasn’t realistic,” he said. “We have to focus on domestic affairs.” Some demonstrators said they agreed with Piñera’s decision. “The political situation right now in Chile isn’t right for talking productively about climate change,” said Micha Vergara, a 20-year-old art student. It’s a very important topic, but it would distract from the protests.” AP

B4 Friday, November 1, 2019

FitFlop Launches A Special Collection for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

OW, more than ever, women are leading empowered lives. Yet while woman empowerment has come a long way, and women are enjoying a much improved quality of life, there remains a serious threat to their health. Breast cancer, which mainly affects women, accounts for 16% of overall cancer cases in the Philippines, and about 30% of cancer cases among women. Doctors estimate that three out of 100 Filipino women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. While findings on the causes of breast cancer remain inconclusive, doctors have identified certain risk factors such as being overweight, bearing no children by the age of 30, family history of breast cancer, excessive drinking of alcohol, and even having early menstruation and late menopause. But despite this grim scenario, a breast cancer

diagnosis is not hopeless. One of the most important factors that could increase a patient’s survival rate is early detection. Having regular check-ups, which could lead to detection of early-stage cancer, improves relative survival by 27 to 47 per cent. As a footwear brand with a serious mission to empower women from all walks of life, FitFlop is determined to join the fight against breast cancer with the help of its partner, ICanServe Foundation. A breast cancer advocacy group in the Philippines, ICanServe Foundation stresses the importance of early detection and proper awareness about the disease. Together, FitFlop and ICanServe is thrilled to roll out initiatives that will provide women with the necessary know-how and tools to fight breast cancer. In line with the celebration of Breast

Cancer Awareness Month in October, FitFlop has launched a special BCAM exclusive – the Petal Ruffle collection, which comes in three silhouettes and colors, and is available in all FitFlop stores nationwide. With part of proceeds donated to ICanServe, FitFlop is hoping to reach more women through their campaign. As a culmination of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, FitFlop and ICanServe will offered a free Breast Cancer Awareness talk that includes steps on how to conduct your own breast examination. This event, which is open to the public, that took place in the FitFlop store, SM Mall of Asia on October 24. Stay tune for further details to be announced on FitFlop’s Facebook page, @ FitFlopPhilippines.

More Filipinos enjoy the convenience of receiving Western Union remittances with PayMaya

ORE Filipinos are beginning to enjoy the convenience of receiving their international remittances from Western Union via their PayMaya accounts - allowing them to save time and effort in claiming their funds. To join the promo, all they had to do was claim their Western Union remittance via PayMaya and kickstart their cashless living by completing a PayMaya transaction –

whether it’s paying bills, sending money to another user, shopping online and in-stores, buying load, or paying via PayMaya QR. Western Union customers prefer to receive their funds via PayMaya because of its hassle-free experience. Once the customer sends the money, they need to provide the 10-digit Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) to the recipient. To claim their remittance, all the receiver

has to do is open the PayMaya app, tap add money and choose Western Union, then key in the 10-digit MTCN from the sender, along with the sender’s name and the amount sent, and tap receive. The funds will then be available in the customers PayMaya wallet and can be immediately used to pay for their bills or even order groceries at home. “Enabling Filipinos to get the most convenient and rewarding experience in every transaction is our goal here in PayMaya. We’re happy to provide them a reliable and hassle-free way to claim their remittances from Western Union and we’re more than excited to welcome them to the convenient cashless lifestyle with PayMaya,” Shailesh Baidwan, President of PayMaya Philippines. In photo, Jeffrey Navarro, Regional Director for Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indochina for Western Union (leftmost) and Kenneth Palacios, Head of Wallets Business for PayMaya Philippines, presents the P100,000 check to the grand winner of the PayMaya-Western Union Raffle promo, Benjamin Pasang, along with his family.

SM Supermalls wins 5 gold and 4 silver in 3 international awards

M Supermalls recently won various honors from prestigious international award-giving bodies. SM was recognized at the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Global Awards 2019 for Asia Pacific, International Public Relations Association’s (IPRA) Golden World Awards, and the International Business Awards, also known as the Stevie Awards. SM Supermalls scored two Silver Awards at the ICSC Global Awards 2019 for Asia Pacific for the “#AweSM: SM Celebrates 60” campaign and SM China’s “Children’s Happy Home,” under the Public Relations and Events and Cause Related Marketing categories, respectively. The awards were conferred at the awarding ceremony in Singapore. At the IPRA Golden World Awards for Excellence in Public Relations, SM won Gold in the Arts and Entertainment Category for SM Little Stars. Furthermore, SM bagged 11 Stevie Awards at the prestigious 16th International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards program, at the recently concluded gala awards banquet in Vienna, Austria. SM’s entries that nabbed the Gold Award were SM South Luzon’s Pet Party (Marketing

Campaign of the Year – Pet Care Category), #DearSMSanta Campaign (Mobile Site & Apps Awards Category), SM Mall of Asia’s 2018 International Coastal Cleanup (Live Events Awards Category: Brand & Experiences, CSR Event), and the SM Supermalls Corporate Website. SM clinched two Silver Awards for the #VoteForMom 2019 Mom’s Day Campaign and SM City North EDSA’s Cologram. From various categories, SM received five Bronze Awards for the #VoteForMom campaign, SM Megamall’s Light Your Mood Exhibition, the #SMoments Digital Campaign, MOA’s 2018 Grand Festival of Lights, and the 9th Philippine International Pyromusical Competition. For more info, visit www.smsupermalls.com

Suncity Group sponsors Show Lo Creation Manila Concert to promote diversified entertainment and tourism

UNCITY Group (www.suncitygroup.com) expanded its business in the Philippines in 2015. Since then it has been adhering to the spirit of “Innovation with diversity, strive for success”, while dedicated to achieve a flourishing development of VIP entertainment and expand its presence in key domestic and overseas market. The Group is dedicated in developing integrated VIP entertainment; the scope of the business covers six sectors: VIP services, entertainment, global tourism, food & beverage, luxury fashion, entertainment and integrated resorts management. Suncity Group sponsored the "Show Lo Creation Manila Concert", jointly performed by Asian superstar Show Lo, Linda Chien

and C.T.O. to attract overseas visitors and customers to Manila. The concert was successfully held recently at the Marriott Grand Ballroom, Resorts World Manila, and received a warm response. The Group is also committed to the development of food and beverage business. The Group's "L.Y.K." was grandly opened this year at the City of Dreams, bringing traditional Cantonese cuisine into Manila and links different cultures through gastronomy. Moreover, Suncity Group has always been committed to giving back to society by contributing to social service organizations and charitable causes. The Group donated to a number of charities, and formed a volunteer team to provide social services for the needy.

SITEL hosts PMAP LeadCom Learning Session

ITEL Group hosted a Learning session of the People Management Association of the Phils. (PMAP) Leadership Development Committee at their Technopoint headquarters. Fiftyfive mentors, mentees, and guests of PMAP’s Leadership Development Program attended the half-day event, which featured a Zumba session, a session on Leadership Branding and insightful sharing from distinguished “Glocals”-- Filipino People Management practitioners who are making a difference in the global arena. Sitel Group’s Chief People Officer (CPO) Haidee C. Enriquez focused on the importance of developing and sharing ones unique leadership brand based on business goals, development objectives, and personal style. “A leadership brand conveys the type of leader you want to be known for and

Brooklyn’s New York Pizza Party for the Holidays!

highlights the value you bring to the role. It showcases your distinctiveness as a leader and determines how you work with your team,” Enriquez shared with the participants. The People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) is the country’s premiere association

of HR leaders dedicated to excellence in people management. Enriquez was recognized as PMAP’s People Manager of the Year in 2017 while in 2018, Sitel’s multi-awarded training and development program, Sitel Academy, was honored as People Program of the Year.

IZZA lovers, ‘tis the season to rejoice! From now till December 2019, Brooklyn’s New York Pizza’s has special gifts for you to choose from. The first gift goes like this: for every order of any of our pizzas, you’ll get 50% off on either of our two new pizza flavors: Chicken Firecracker, which is topped with chicken fillet coated in our awesome Buffalo Wing Sauce and drizzled with our home-made Ranch Dressing, giving the pizza a memorable flavor profile. Or Blue Cheese Pizza, which pairs blue cheese with caramelized onions to elevate its earthy aroma and bring you back to nature. Isn’t this a very exciting, easy-onthe-pocket offer? What’s more, you may also enjoy our second gift, which is the Chicken Firecracker Pizza and Blue Cheese Pizza in sets that come

with Buffalo Wings, The Real Carbonara, and 1.75 L soda. Priced at Php 1,199 for the 10inch pizza set and Php 1,499 for the 14-inch pizza set, that gives you as much as Php 600 in savings! Such great savings and truly the answer to potlucks to satisfy appetites of family and friends. Brooklyn’s New York Pizza branches are located at Ayala Town Center, Alabang – 8850-9999, Ayala Malls Feliz, Pasig – 82883004, Chino Roces, Makati - 8896-9696, Madison Galleries, Alabang Hills – 87889935, Robinsons Place, Ermita - 8405-0505, Robinsons, Las Piñas - 8553-3555, and Tomas Morato, Quezon City - 8405-0505. For more information about Brooklyn’s New York Pizza, check out: FB: http:// Facebook.com/BrooklynPizza IG: http:// Instagram.com/BrooklynsNewYorkPizza

Sports BusinessMirror

| Friday, November 1, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

Bullpen decision in Game Seven sends Astros to losing end

WHAT A STORY! NATIONALS WIN FALL CLASSIC THESE Nationals truly embrace their shot in the only World Series when the road team wins every game. AP

By Ben Walker

The Associated Press

OUSTON—Almost out of contention in May, champs in October. Howie Kendrick, Anthony Rendon and the Washington Nationals completed their amazing comeback journey—fittingly with one last late rally on the road. In Game Seven of the World Series, no less. Kendrick and Rendon homered in the seventh inning as the Nationals overcame a two-run deficit, rocking the Houston Astros 6-2 Wednesday night to win the first title in franchise history. With all eyes on Max Scherzer and his remarkable recovery after a painkilling injection, these Nationals truly embraced their shot in the only Series when the road team won every game. Even more against the odds: Juan Soto and Washington came from behind to win five elimination games this postseason, an unprecedented feat. “What a story,” said Ryan Zimmerman, the Nationals’ initial draft pick back in 2005. “I hope DC’s ready for us to come home!” World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg, new lefty Patrick Corbin and the Nats brought the first World Series championship to the nation’s capital since ol’ Walter Johnson delivered the crown for the Senators in 1924. This franchise started out as the Montreal Expos in 1969 when the major leagues expanded beyond the border, putting a team with tricolor caps at jaunty Jarry Park. They moved to DC in 2005, ending Washington’s three-decadeplus wait for big league baseball after the Senators left town to become the Texas Rangers. But the incredible path these wild-card Nationals with the curly W logo took, well, no one could have imagined. “Resilient, relentless bunch of guys,” Manager Dave Martinez said. “They fought all year long.” Having lost star slugger Bryce Harper to free agency and beset by bullpen woes, Washington plummeted to 19-31 in late May. It got so bad there was talk around town the Nationals might fire Martinez and trade away Scherzer. Instead, they stuck with the mantra that sprung up on t-shirts—Stay In The Fight. “That was out motto,” Scherzer said. And months later they finished it, indeed.

“Guess what? We stayed in the fight. We won the fight!” Martinez shouted during the trophy celebration on the field. “We were down and out. We were 19-31. We didn’t quit then, we weren’t going to quit now,” he said. For the 43,326 revved-up fans at Minute Maid Park, it was a combination of shock and disappointment. So close to seeing the Astros win their second title in three years, they watched their chance suddenly vanish as Houston fell apart. “I’ve got a group of heartbroken men in there that did everything they could to try to bring a World Series championship to this city. And we fell one win shy,” Astros Manager AJ Hinch said. “Let’s be honest, there’s 28 other teams that would love to have our misery today. We play to get here. We play to have an opportunity to win it all. And I just told our team, it’s hard to put into words and remember all the good that happened because right now we feel as bad as you can possibly feel,” he added. Washington kept pulling away after taking the lead, with Adam Eaton’s two-run single in the ninth accounting for the final margin. Zack Greinke was in complete control until Rendon—a Houston prep and college star—hit a home run that cut Houston’s lead to 2-1 in the seventh. When Soto followed with a one-out walk, Manager AJ Hinch decided to make a move. He’d had ace starter Gerrit Cole warming up in the bullpen earlier, but this call was for Will Harris. Kendrick connected on the second pitch, slicing a drive that hit the screen attached to the right field foul pole. Just like that, everything had changed for the team in orange that led the majors in wins, and the ballpark fell silent. For Kendrick, another timely blow. At 36, playing on the oldest team in the majors, the journeyman earned the National League (NL) Championship Series MVP award against St. Louis after hitting the winning grand slam in the 10th inning of the deciding Game Five in the Division Series at Dodger Stadium. Then again, this was nothing new for the Nationals. Washington rallied in the eighth to beat Milwaukee in the wild-card game and took the last two to beat Los Angeles in the NL Division Championship, setting up a sweep of the Cardinals in the NLCS. Far away, a big crowd poured into Nationals Park for a watch party. That was the stadium where Houston hammered the Nats for three games last weekend, but their luck changed in Texas. “The way this game went is the way our whole season

went,” said Zimmerman, the last player left from the 2005 Nationals team that debuted in Washington. This World Series had lacked a lot of drama, aside from a volatile call of interference in Washington’s Game Six win that stoked heated debate across the sports world. Who knew rule 5.09(a)(11) could stir such passion? With Greinke and Scherzer grunting on every pitch, Game Seven was a classic duel from the start. Yuli Gurriel put the Astros ahead with a home run in the second and Carlos Correa added an RBI single off Scherzer that made it 2-0 in the fifth. Scherzer was done after the fifth, but he had done his job to keep it close. Only a few days earlier, the three-time Cy Young Award winner had been unable to lift his right arm because of nerve irritation near his neck. Daniel Hudson, released by the Angels in March, closed it out for the Nationals, who made Houston pay for stranding so many runners on base all game. Hudson struck out Michael Brantley for the last out, then threw his glove to start the celebration. For the Astros, who brought baseball into the Space Age with their far-out Astrodome and AstroTurf, and helped zoom the game into the galaxy of the Analytics Era, it was a startling end. Houston shares a spring training complex in Florida with the Nationals and reported to camp in February full of high hopes. The Astros breezed to the AL West title, edged Tampa Bay in a five-game American

League Division Series and topped the Yankees in the AL Championship Series. They played through frontoffice fiasco, which led to the firing of an executive for a boorish rant at female reporters during a clubhouse celebration.

OUSTON—Astros Manager AJ Hinch had options. There was Zack Greinke, a veteran ace showing his first signs of fatigue. Out in the bullpen, Gerrit Cole was watching. And of course, Will Harris was warming. What came next, Hinch will contemplate for years. “It’s a decision I’ll have to live with,” he said. After Greinke allowed a homer to Anthony Rendon and walked Juan Soto, Hinch handed a 2-1 lead to Harris in the seventh inning of World Series Game Seven. In Harris’s first at-bat, Howie Kendrick drove a two-run, go-ahead homer off the right field foul pole screen—a haymaker that stunned Houston in a 6-2 defeat that cost them the chance at a second title in two years. It was the second straight night Harris surrendered a home run after Rendon took him deep for two runs in Houston’s 7-2 loss in Game Six. Harris hadn’t allowed a run this postseason before that shot. Greinke, the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner who joined the Astros from Arizona at the trade deadline, had looked strong all night. He threw only 80 pitches, was just starting his third turn through the order, and Rendon’s homer was just his second hit allowed. He played superb defense, too. And yet, out came Hinch. “We asked him to do more today than he had done, and pitched deeper into the game more than he had done in the entire month of October,” Hinch said. “I wanted to take him out a bat or two early rather than a bat or two late.” That was only half the decision that went so wrong. Hinch could have turned to Cole, a Cy Young Award contender who won Game Five on Sunday. Ready to go on short rest, he was warming up earlier in the game but had cooled off by the seventh. He only left the bullpen after the final out. “I wasn’t going to pitch him unless we were going to win the World Series and have a lead,” Hinch said. “He was going to help us win. He was available, and I felt it was a game that he was going to come in had we tied it or taken the lead.” Harris was Hinch’s man for that seventh-inning spot. It’s not hard to see why. The right-hander had been steady in the late innings all season, posting a 1.50 ERA in the regular season. And Hinch liked the matchups with Harris facing Kendrick and Asdrubal Cabrera—right-handed hitters who figured to struggle with the right-handed Harris and his sharp breaking ball. He just faltered at the worst possible time. “I hate that for him and for us that his last feeling this season is about as low as you can feel coming out of Game Seven of the World Series,” Hinch said. “He’s answered the bell so many times, he’s gotten us out of so many jams. He’s been a go-to guy. He’s a stand-up guy.” Cole started throwing in the bullpen again in the eighth, but by the ninth he was sitting down again, wearing a jacket and staring emotionless toward the field. He was simply a spectator to the last moments of an illustrious 326-strikeout season that could well earn him his first Cy Young—but that didn’t get him a ring. AP

Howie Kendrick hits a two-run home run in the seventh inning of Game Seven. AP

Spo

Business

Friday, November 1, 2019

BAD DAY FOR CURRY S

AN FRANCISCO—Stephen Curry broke his left hand and became the latest injured Warriors player when he fell hard in the third quarter of another embarrassing defeat by Golden State, 121-110, to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night. The two-time MVP drove to his left defended by Kelly Oubre Jr. and with big man Aron Baynes standing solidly in the paint. Curry leapt with the ball then came down head first landing awkwardly on his hands to brace himself from the court, with Baynes crashing onto Curry’s left hand. Curry grimaced in pain grabbing at his fingers then walked to the locker room with 8:31 left in the third quarter. Baynes had 24 points, 12 rebounds seven assists and three blocked shots, Devin Booker scored 31 points as the Suns jumped out to a huge lead they never relinquished. The Warriors have lost badly in their first two home games at sparkling new Chase Center. The ailing, undermanned Warriors welcomed back two players but still fell behind 39-11 shooting four for 17 as the Suns made 14 of their first 23 shots and eight of 12 3-pointers. Curry had nine points on three-for-11 shooting before getting hurt. Losing Curry, Golden State’s longesttenured player and oldest at age 31, for an extended period would be a huge blow for a

young Warriors team. Golden State is struggling to start the season with Kevin Durant’s departure to Brooklyn and Klay Thompson out for, perhaps, the entire season recovering from July 2 surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. This was another rough one after an embarrassing season opener in the first game at Chase Center, a 141-122 loss to the Clippers last Thursday that saw some fans leaving after the third quarter. Golden State returned home with a 1-2 record and amid a stretch with five games over seven days and two back-to-backs. Golden State center Willie Cauley-Stein, who missed all of training camp with a sprain in his left foot, had 12 points and five rebounds in his Golden State debut. He checked in for the first time at the 8:23 mark of the first quarter. Mike Conley, meanwhile, snapped an early season slump with 29 points and the Utah Jazz beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 110-96, on Wednesday night with Kawhi Leonard sitting out. “I just wanted to get back to who I am,” Conley said. Conley had 18 points in the third quarter as the Jazz scored 40 in the period and took a 90-71 lead. Utah (4-1) has won three in a row. Leonard missed the game for scheduled rest, though Coach Doc Rivers has said his star forward

Svitolina in semifinals at WTA Finals in Ohio

HENZHEN, China—Defending champion Elina Svitolina qualified for the semifinals of the season-ending Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals by beating Simona Halep 7-5, 6-3 on Wednesday. Svitolina, the only competitor in the eight-player field not to win a title this season, last won a tournament at last year’s WTA Finals. The Ukrainian is 2-0 in the Purple Group, winning both of her matches in straight sets. Halep is 1-1 after saving a match point in her three-set victory over Bianca Andreescu. “I try to work every single point and start from the beginning just trying to take one point at a time,” Svitolina said. “I don’t really think so much about if it’s good, if it’s bad. “I try to step on the court and to always have positive mind-set.” In the late match, Andreescu retired with a left knee injury after losing the first set to Karolina Pliskova 6-3. Pliskova, who is 1-1, will face Wimbledon champion Halep in their final group match for another spot in the semifinals. “I think that’s going to be a great matchup for just going out of the group to the semifinals,” Pliskova said. “The tennis with her, I feel it’s always good to watch.” Svitolina broke Halep in the final game of the first set to take the lead. She then broke the Romanian’s serve in the eighth game of the second set and held to win. The victory was Svitolina’s fifth in nine matches against Halep. On the four previous occasions in which she won, Svitolina went on to win the tournament. AP

has been healthy and energized. The Clippers play the second half of a back-to-back Thursday against San Antonio in Los Angeles. Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points, Bojan Bogdanovic had 14 and Rudy Gobert 13. Lou Williams paced the Clippers (3-2) with 24 points, 16 before halftime. The matchup of one of the league’s top defenses against one of the top offenses lost some its luster without Leonard, but the Jazz showed how potent they could be with 55 percent shooting while holding their opponents below 100 points for the fifth straight game. JaMychal Green, who had 23 points, led his fellow Clipper reserves in a fourth-quarter rally, cutting a 23-point edge to 99-89. Conley responded with a 3-pointer and a lob to Gobert for a dunk. Conley struggled in his first four games with Utah after playing 12 years in Memphis, including a one-for-16 shooting performance in the opener and an zero-for-seven outing in the last game. In recent days, he admitted it has taken more time than he expected to feel comfortable with the Jazz plays and terminology. AP

Stephen Curry grimaces in pain as he walks to the locker room. AP

No. 1 Djokovic, No. 2 Nadal in Paris Masters 3rd round

ARIS—Four-time champion Novak Djokovic overcame a first-set wobble against unheralded Corentin Moutet, beating the 97th-ranked Frenchman, 7-6 (2), 6-4, to reach the third round of the Paris Masters on Wednesday. The top-ranked Djokovic lost his serve in Game Seven and needed to save two set points in order

to hold the ninth game at 5-3 down. The 16-time Grand Slam winner broke back for 5-5 against his 20-year-old opponent, who has never won a title while Djokovic chases a 77th. US Open champion Rafael Nadal, who is battling with his old rival Djokovic for the year-end No. 1 ranking, won 7-5, 6-4 against unseeded

Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. The second-seeded Spaniard next faces 16th-seeded Stan Wawrinka, with an 18-3 lead in their career meetings. “My serve worked very well during the whole match, I think I played at the right level,” said Nadal, who had eight aces. “Not easy to come back after a while without being on the tour.”

The recently married Nadal has played just once since clinching the 19th major of his career—a round robin win against Canadian Milos Raonic at the Laver Cup more than one month ago—but did not face a break point while Djokovic saved four of six he faced. Djokovic, who sounded croaky when speaking after the match, explained he has been feeling unwell. “The last three days, you know, some things unfortunately caught up with me,” Djokovic said, without giving details. “Health-wise not feeling my best.... It affects your energy, your vitality on the court. Your alertness, attention, endurance, all these different things are affected.” Djokovic, who lost last year’s final and last won here four years ago, dropped serve again as Moutet broke back to 4-2 in the second set. AP

Elina Svitolina is the only competitor in the eight-player field not to win a title this season. AP

NOVAK DJOKOVIC says he has been feeling unwell. AP

Tour of California canceled for 2020

CLEANUP DRIVE ON BOXING ON A MONITORING system for judges will be trialed during this week’s Tokyo 2020 boxing test event in a bid to help restore the confidence of boxers and coaches prior to next year’s Olympic Games. The system has been devised by the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) boxing task force, led by International Gymnastics Federation President Morinari Watanabe. The task force was placed in charge of preparations following the IOC’s decision to suspend the International Boxing Association (Aiba). It followed concerns over Aiba’s governance, refereeing and judging, and financial situation, with the IOC claiming the crisis presented “serious legal, financial and reputational risks to the IOC and the Olympic Movement.” The task force is overseeing the threeday Tokyo 2020 test event, which began on Wednesday, along with the five qualification events and the Olympic tournament itself. Watanabe revealed a new system for monitoring judges scoring will be tested over the next two days here. The system will see judges’ scores

OS ANGELES—The Tour of California has been canceled for 2020, and race owner AEG is reevaluating whether to bring it back in the future. The company said Tuesday it has become “more challenging” every year to stage the cycling road race featuring men’s and women’s events that traverse the state. Kristin Klein, race president and executive vice president of AEG Sports, cited changing “business fundamentals” since the event began in 2006. “This new reality has forced us to reevaluate our options,” she said in a statement, “and we are actively assessing every aspect of our event to determine if there is a business model that will allow us to successfully relaunch the race in 2021.” The Tour of California is the only US-based event with both its men’s and women’s races listed on the UCI WorldTour calendar and the only event of its kind to offer men’s and women’s stage races with equal prize money at the same time. USA Cycling says it stands ready to rally support and resources to bring the event back in 2021. AP

updated in real time, enabling officials to see what the judge is reacting to during each bout. This will be supported by broadcast footage and four cameras, located in the corners of the boxing ring. It has been claimed the system may also be used to further the education of judges, while officials could be removed should their performances prove unsatisfactory. The IOC hope the system will help to ensure consistency in judging throughout the duration of the boxing competitions, with the aim of restoring the confidence of athletes and coaches. The Rio 2016 boxing tournament was marred by a series of controversial decisions, with claims made earlier this year that bouts had been “manipulated.” All 36 referees and judges used at the Games were sidelined during an investigation by Aiba. Aiba sent home an unspecified number of judges from the Brazilian city following questionable decisions made in the Brazilian city. Watanabe believes the system could help regain trust, with the Japanese official adding

the task force were considering whether to have the live scoring screen visible to spectators. Aiba, who have no involvement in Olympic preparations, introduced a protest system for their recent men’s and women’s World Championship events in Russia. The protest system received criticism from some athletes after several controversial decisions. Five regional Olympic qualification events are due to run from February to April, with boxers who have failed to seal a place at Tokyo 2020 having one last chance at the final qualifier in Paris from May 13 to 24. The Tokyo 2020 test event has been aimed at examining the field of play and equipment at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan venue. The venue is famed for sumo wrestling and was among the places visited by United States’s President Donald J. Trump earlier this year during a state visit to Japan. IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell offered a positive assessment of the venue, while he thanked Tokyo 2020 for their planning and support during the uncertainty surrounding boxing’s place on the Games program. Insidethegames

orts

sMirror

Friday, November 1, 2019

SPORTS PLUS

Burgos, Navo top Cavite aquathlon Erika Nicole Burgos and Richard Anson Navo topped the 15 to 17 age group and Naomi Daphne Sibayan and Rene Angelito Arroyo ruled the 18 to 24 division of the Sun Life Aquathlon Championship Series that concluded recently at the Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus City, Cavite. Also topping their respective age groups were Kath Lagunsad and Gianmarco Sibayan (25-29), Heather Europa and Raymund Velasco (30-34), Mira Batilo and John Mark Yamoyam (35-39) and Ardy Theloesen and Noy Basa (40-44). The other winners were Leilani Tan and Rodrigo Abrilla (45-49), Mariel Powell (female 50 above), Ronald Allan Ginez (male 50-54), Isidro Manuel (male 55 to 59) and Adelio Torres (male 60 above). “I’m very happy I was declared the champion in my category. I had to discipline myself and plan my schedule carefully in order to join the events of this series,” Arroyo said. “It’s a good day for Sun Life Aquathlon and the wellness community. This event embodies the values and mission of GoWell, which is to help people live a healthier, brighter life,” Sun Life Health and Wellness Analyst Natalie Cruz said. WORLD women’s boxing champion Nesthy Petecio (left) watches fellow Davaoenos Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go and Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte lead the Torch ceremony on Thursday. Joining the ceremony are (from left) Philippine Sports Commission Commissioners Celia Kiram and Charles Maxey, gymnastics head Cynthia Carrion and Presidential Adviser for the Visayas Michael Dino.

TORCH RELAY ON IN DAVAO

HE country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games started to blaze its final month countdown with the Torch Relay kick off run witnessed by thousands of athletes, sports and government officials and students at the SM Lanang in Davao City on Wednesday. Three of Davao’s very own top athletes— world boxing champion Nesthy Petecio, waterski ace Mikee Selga and sambo expert Sydney Tancontian—joined Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go in the solemn ceremony that signaled the fast-approaching Games the country is hosting in multiple venues from November 30 to December 11.

Go called on the youth to emulate Petecio, Tancontian and Selga—all of who put Davao on the world sports map. “They are out superstars, our inspiration, especially that all of them are probinsyano,” Go said. “Like us, they are all proud children of Davao.” Also present were Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte, Presidential Adviser for Visayas Secretary Mike Dino and Philippine Sports Commission Commissioners Charles Maxey and Celia Kiram. The Torch Relay will have its second leg in Cebu City on November 15 and will culminate on November 23 at the New Clark City in Tarlac.

Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) Director Jojit Alcazar and Philippine Olympic Committee Executive Board Member and Gymnastics Association of the Philippines President Cynthia Carrion were also present. Joining them was Nestlé Philippines-Milo Assistant Vice President Lester Castillo. Milo is a gold sponsor of the Games. “Hope is most evident in the story of every athlete competing...we win stronger and bolder when we come together despite our many differences,” Alcazar said. “We look beyond what sets us apart and celebrate what binds us together: our heart for sports and our heart for our region.”

Creamline braces for tough duel with Petro Gazz

us that we can’t comment any further, except that there is no TRO or injunction by the court to date, which means there is no legal obstacle for the SEA Games Information Management System to proceed as schedules,” Osias said in a Phisgoc statement. “Given that the reputation of the Philippines is at stake in hosting the 30th SEA Games and that the government through the DBM [Department of Budget and Management] strictly followed the procurement rules,” he said. “We are prepared to defend this monumental event against those who believe they are above the law or exempt from legal requirements,” he added.

Coach Tan’s Knights ready to face Stags in NCAA stepladder semis

hile Creamline is expected to get better and fiercer in the upcoming Premier Volleyball League Open Conference Finals with a complete roster, Petro Gazz is also tipped to reach peak form and ready to deliver another blow to its highly fancied rival. Game One is set on November 6 with the Cool Smashers not only itching to keep the crown they won in straight-set fashion over the Ateneo Lady Eagles last year but also get back at the very team that foiled their title-retention drive in the first conference of the third season of the country’s premier league organized by Sports Vision. Conversely, the Angels are out to re-prove themselves as a worthy challenger, if not the better team like they did when they rallied from a game down and swept the Cool Smashers in the next two to snatch the Reinforced Conference diadem last July. The Angels did that feat largely because of their prolific imports in Janisa Johnson and Wilma Salas but Coach Arnold Laniog believes his locals have the talent, spunk and motivation, plus commitment to stop their star-studded rivals in their coming duel. “We have to stay committed and that would only make our goal a lot easier,” said Laniog while pointing to Jonah Sabete and Jovie Prado as his two prized possessions along with Cherry Nunag, Paneng Mercado, Jeanette Panaga, Cai Baloaloa, Alyssa Layug, Djanel Cheng, Relea Saet, Rica Enclona and Cienne Cruz. “I’m happy, I have Sabete and Prado. In terms of production, we really talked to them after the Reinforced and told them that they need to step up in the Open Conference,” added Laniog. They did and the Angels are back for another crack at a PVL championship. But again—against the most feared team in the fold, which is only expected to get better, stronger, fiercer when the first serve is made next Wednesday. Not only Alyssa Valdez and Jia Morado would get more time to re-acquaint with their teammates after a brief camp with the National team in Japan but the Cool Smashers would be also be driven by that desire to complete a grand sweep of the conference after posting 18 wins in row to reach the finals.

The Phisgoc, meanwhile, assured that the Games will go on uninterrupted after information systems giant Atos filed a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the organizing body, PSC and POC. Atos was originally tapped to run the information and results system of the Games, but lost to another company after the government imposed its strict policy on bidding. Phisgoc Legal Director and Spokesman Atty. Jaries Osias said they are prepared for any circumstance as the bidding was held “under government procurement rules.” “The matter is currently subject of a pending Court case. Our legal counsel advised

READY FOR SEAG The Standard Insurance duathlon team is in harness for 30th

Southeast Asian Games, sweeping the recent Singapore 60 Duathlon International with Joey de los Reyes and Jarvin Banatao finishing 1-1 in the men’s elite division. Asian duathlon queen Monica Torres and veteran Jeslie Sabado also wind up atop the podium in women’s elite, while Emmanuel Commendador finishes in fourth place. They are coached by former Tour champion Bernie Llentada (right).

ANCAJAS DEFENDS BELT

ilipino pride Jerwin Ancajas defends his International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight title for the eighth straight time when he tackles Mexican Jonathan Rodriguez on Sunday at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Ancajas One of the longest reigning champions, the 27-year-old Ancajas will be tested by the Mexican contender who is known as an aggressive slugger. “I’m expecting this fight to be a challenge. Rodriguez is a traditional Mexican fighter who comes forward to rumble,” Ancajas told BoxingScene. “His heart is there. I’m sure he is prepared and will show his best.” “I’m expecting this fight to be a challenge. I will do my best to put on a big fight for

bigger things to come,” he added. Parading a 31-win, oneloss, two-draw record with 21 knockouts, the Panabo, Davao del Norte, native hopes to hurdle the 24-year-old Rodriguez who has a similarly impressive 21-1, 15 KOs record. The match is part of his master plan for a unification fight next year. Kazuto Ioka holds the World Boxing Organization title, while Khalid Yafai is the World Boxing Association king and Juan Francisco Estrada the World Boxing Organization titlist. He spent three months training in San Antonio, Zambales, and had Ryuichi Funai as his last victim last May. In that bout, Ancajas battered the Japanese and claimed a referee stoppage win in the seventh round. Ramon Rafael Bonilla

By Ryniel Berlanga

ETRAN squares off with San Sebastian College in the Final Four of the National Collegiate Athletic Association seniors basketball tournament with the Knights hoping to control the Golden Stags by their horns—matching their game style with style, skills with skill and experience with skill. “San Sebastian is a veteran team,” said Knights’ Coach Boni Tan after their tune-up game with Ateneo’s Team B recently at the Moro Sports Complex. “They adjust very quickly in games. For us to compete with ‘Baste,’ we have to be ready with what they throw at us.” For the Stags, their offense depends heavily on Most Valuable Player contenders Allyn Bulanadi and RK Ilagan. Bulanadi had a stellar elimination-game performance against Univeristy of Perpetual Help System Dalta where he recorded a career-high of 44 points to cement fourth spot in the Final Four. But Ilagan did not leave the task solely on Bulanadi’s shoulders. He stepped up

‘PACTO’ WINS

Robert Pactolerin (left) poses with Rey Pagunsan (center) and organizer Quito da Roza after the many-time Masters champion and one-time Philippine Open titlist topped the “Play with the Masters” golf tournament at the Villamor Golf Club recently. The tournament was staged to raise funds for the training and upgrading of the senior pros’ teaching skills.

with his consistent three-point shooting and pinpoint passing. If the Knights could contain the Stags’ one-two punch, they would easily dictate the tempo of the game. “Bulanadi is a main threat, plus his partner Ilagan,” Tan said. “They should be stopped. They are Bastes’ heart and soul.” Letran (12-6) and San Sebastian (11-7) face each other at 4 p.m. on Tuesday at the Astrodome in Pasay City in the first phase of the stepladder semifinals that resulted from San Beda University’s 18-0 sweep of the eliminations. The winner will then face No. 2 seed Lyceum of the Philippines University (13-5) also at 4 p.m. in the same venue on Friday for the last championship berth. Tan said it would be further uphill for his team in the playoffs with San Beda and Lyceum waiting with their foreign reinforcements ready to wreck havoc on the semifinals field. “But we’ll take it one game at a time,” he said.

Ardina boosts bid in LPGA qualifiers

Dottie Ardina closed out with flourish at the front, shooting three straight late this birdies to card a 69 and move from joint 43rd to a share of 29th at the start of the final stretch of the eight-day Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Q-Series at Pinehurst No. 9 in North Carolina on Wednesday. Staying in her previous spot with a two-birdie, two-bogey round and a two-over overall card after 14 holes, Ardina birdied Nos. 6 and 7 then added another on the par-5 eighth before holing out with a par on the closing par-3 hole to complete a 34-35 and a five-day total of 355. It was 15 strokes off Chinese Muni He, who firmed up her bid for low medalist honors with a 65 and a 340 but Ardina’s latest round bolstered the Filipina shotmaker’s bid to keep her LPGA card for next season following a series of missed cut stints this year. The top 80 players from the 98 bidders after six rounds will advance to the final 36 holes of the third phase of the grueling elims with the top 45 at the conclusion of the Q-Series will receive Category 14 membership on the LPGA Tour Priority List for 2020. Those who won’t make it will settle for Symetra Tour spots. Those outside the top 20 and ties will earn Category C status on the Symetra Tour. Clariss Guce also rallied at the front with four birdies, including three straight from No. 1, as she bucked a two-over start at the back to save a 70 and improve to 34th at 356.

Makati booters vie in Singapore MAKATI Football Club (MFC) sets its eyes on the SingaCup 2019 in Singapore later this month with the storied youth team honing in a training camp in Gotemba, Japan. “The MFC Japan camp puts our local Filipino talent at a very young age in a much higher level of training. This is necessary to prepare them to compete in higher level tournaments,” MFC Chief Executive Officer SeLu Lozano said. Among those new recruits from the under-13 division who are in Japan are Koronadal’s Lance Pusoc and Daniel Cagaanan and Bacolod City’s Ron Moequin. Coming off a successful campaign in last month’s Borneo Cup, MFC is using the momentum to continue its sound football program. In the Borneo Cup, Makati FC won the boys under-15 gold to go with the boys under-14 and under-13 silver medals. “The continuous development of players is what the club aims for as we try to contribute in the efforts of strengthening the Philippine youth football. At the same time we are able to maximize child’s growth and development using football as a school of life,” Lozano said. The team left for Japan over the weekend to train with the Japan Football Association (JFA) coaches. Besides the SingaCup set from November 3 to 7, MFC is also preparing for the Bangkok 7s from November 29 to December 2.

MONEY MATTERS Deciding to reverse the prohibition on earning money was the easy part; determining how much athletes can make, under what circumstances and in a way that doesn’t permit abuses are bigger challenges that won’t be as simple to resolve.

Sports BusinessMirror

| Friday, November 1, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

WHEN the NCAA was sued in 2014 by former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon, attorneys for the plaintiffs argued that name, image and likeness rights extended to television broadcasts.

RCADIA, California—Thirty horse deaths over the winter at Santa Anita. The first disqualification for interference in Kentucky Derby history. A horse tossing his jockey at the start of the Preakness and running around the track rider-less. Six more deaths at Santa Anita this fall. A tragic, wild and unusual year in horse racing culminates with the Breeders’ Cup world championships this weekend at Santa Anita, where the fatalities have led to investigations, outrage from the public—including Gov. Gavin Newsom—and animal rights activists demanding the end of racing in California. Those who make their living from the sport—trainers, jockeys, grooms, exercise riders and stable hands—and its fans are holding their breath that the 14 Breeders’ Cup races on Friday and Saturday worth $30 million in purses go off safely. “We need some good things happening here in California,” said Bob Baffert, the two-time Triple Crownwinning trainer based at the picturesque track set against the San Gabriel Mountains. Racing analyst Randy Moss added, “It’s obviously critically important for the Breeders’ Cup that they get through this weekend without an incident.” The string of deaths that began last December didn’t deter owners and trainers from around the world from bringing their horses to the Breeders’ Cup, whose board voted unanimously to keep the richest two days in racing at Santa Anita rather than relocate this year. “There were amazing steps taken in the late spring to address those situations and the safety record following that were extraordinary,” said Craig Fravel, president and CEO of the Breeders’ Cup, who is leaving to work for The Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita and other tracks. New York-based trainer Chad Brown said he had owners asking him whether it was safe to run in the Breeders’ Cup. “But ultimately, we feel confident in Santa Anita’s

By Ralph D. Russo The Associated Press

ow much are a college athlete’s name, image and likeness worth? And who would want to pay for them? The questions are front and center now that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), pressured by individual states that have started acting on their own, has taken a major step toward allowing athletes to make money off their fame. Deciding to reverse the prohibition on earning money was the easy part; determining how much athletes can make, under what circumstances and in a way that doesn’t permit abuses are bigger challenges that won’t be as simple to resolve. Whatever they come up with, opportunities to earn huge sums of money could very well be the exception, not the rule, according to those who observe and work in the markets. The board of governors for the nation’s largest governing body met Tuesday and set a January 2021 deadline to have rules and regulations finalized across three divisions covering more than 1,100 schools and 460,000 athletes. Lawmakers in California and other states would like to lift all restrictions, letting the free market decide. But NCAA leaders, concerned about possible corruption and the use of endorsement deals to lure top recruits, are likely to take a far more cautious approach. “It’s really hard to play the speculation game as to what an athlete would be worth in the world the NCAA is envisioning because as best I can tell, their announcement essentially said that they will treat athletes like other students—except when they won’t,” said Andy Schwarz, an economist who helped craft the California bill signed into law last month that helped push the NCAA toward rewriting its regulations. There are some who believe there is a potential to unlock real riches—if the athletes can somehow get organized. Earlier this week, the National Football League Players’ Association announced a partnership with the National College Players Association, an advocacy group with no power to formally organize athletes as a union. The goal, according to NCPA Executive Director Ramogi Huma, is for the NFLPA’s licensing company to pursue opportunities for large numbers of players. At the top of the wish list: getting players a piece of the billions being paid by television networks to the NCAA and conferences for the rights to televise games. That might seem far-fetched, but when the NCAA was sued in 2014 by former University of California, Los Angeles basketball star Ed O’Bannon, attorneys for the plaintiffs argued that name, image and likeness rights extended to television broadcasts.

Horse racing’s tragic, wild ride culminates at Breeders’ Cup

management that the track will be safe,” he said. The latest death occurred last Sunday when a two-year-old filly hurt her right front leg in a race, an injury severe enough the track veterinarian decided to euthanize her. Two days earlier, a six-year-old mare got hurt on the training track and was euthanized. In all, six deaths have occurred since the track’s fall meet began September 27. It ends on Sunday. Earlier this year, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) and Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office launched parallel investigations into the deaths after the numbers quickly shot up in the first three months of the winter meet. The industry in California and elsewhere scrambled to put in place reforms designed to reduce potential injuries. At Santa Anita, surface experts were flown in to assess whether nearly a foot of rain compromised the dirt track and racing was shut down in March. The Stronach Group quickly announced strict rules on medication use and added requirements for training and prerace exams of horses. A five-

“There’s no difference in name, image and likeness rights, whether they are for individual endorsements of the product, or appearance in a broadcast,” said Michael Hausfeld, the lead attorney in the O’Bannon case. Bargaining agreements for professional athletes include compensation for using the athletes’ name, image and likeness in a broadcast, Hausfeld said. “There’s no reason that college athletes should be exempt from that.” A group licensing agreement directly with players could be a path to bringing back a version of the popular NCAA football video game that was suspended during the O’Bannon case. Game maker EA Sports settled for $60 million to cover the 12 years in which the game was available. If such compensation were allowed in the future, each player could potentially be paid about $450 per year, assuming a payout of $5 million per year for 130 Bowl Subdivision teams of 85 scholarship players each. “The only reason why those video games don’t exist is because the schools didn’t want to let the players have their fair share,” Huma said. It’s unclear whether the NCAA will allow athletes to strike endorsement deals with local businesses (think car dealership or pizza joint), to charge for their autographs or sell memorabilia the way professional athletes do. Those who work in college athletics expect the most plentiful opportunities will be online: Paying social-media gigs could be a natural fit for many college athletes, they say. Schools would be wise to combine their players’ social-media power with their own accounts, giving advertisers or sponsors much greater reach for their dollar, said Jim Cavale, founder of the INFLCR company, which works with teams at Duke, Miami, Oregon, Auburn, and dozens of other schools that want to help athletes promote their brands on social media. Cavale said such exposure “becomes just as valuable, if not more valuable, than the stadium signage.” It’s doubtful the NCAA and its schools will be willing to allow players to sign sponsorship deals. The NCAA says it will never allow students to be paid as if they were employees. So if group licensing is going to be a challenge and even local endorsement deals are unlikely to fly, what’s the market for real money going to be for a college athlete? “You’ve got what I call nominal opportunities, and those will probably be quite a few,” said former congressman and National Basketball Association basketball player Tom McMillen, who is now president of LEAD1 Association, representing athletic directors from major college football schools. “That could be a couple thousand dollars to show up at a movie theater or restaurant,” he said. “Then there are those that are more substantial, and that market is probably pretty small.... It’s in the hundreds of kids.”

THE track is prepared at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, for this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup Classic that includes McKinzie, shown ridden by jockey Mike Smith. AP

member team that must decide unanimously whether a horse can race was created. “It was like a wakeup moment for racing,” Baffert said. “We need to do a better job, and trainers, everybody involved, I think we’re being more conscientious than before.” Like everyone else, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has no clear-cut explanation for the spate of deaths. “The majority of the problem was early in the year when they had torrential rain for two or three weeks,” said Mott, who is based on the East Coast. “Just watching from afar, it looked like they were up against it with the weather and maybe that particular track doesn’t do as well when they have a lot of rain like that.” The ultimate solution might just be the most drastic: tear up the dirt track and go back to an artificial surface. Dr. Dionne Benson, chief veterinary officer for The Stronach Group, said Wednesday that Santa Anita is looking into that possibility. In 2007, Santa Anita installed a mixture of silica sand,

synthetic fibers, elastic fiber and granulated rubber with a wax coating after the CHRB mandated the change for all of the state’s tracks. The surface experienced drainage problems the following year that cost the track 11 racing days, but extensive maintenance and addition of a liquid binder helped improve the surface, which was shown to reduce fatalities. However, trainers and bettors were among those opposing the surface change and Santa Anita returned to natural dirt in 2010. Dr. Rick Arthur, the CHRB’s equine medical director, said it would be up to ownership with the consensus of the horsemen to change surfaces again. “There were people that were unhappy with the track in spite of the rather remarkable [decrease in injury] numbers,” Arthur said. In December, the CHRB will release its report on the reasons for the 30 fatalities during Santa Anita’s last winterspring meet. AP

Tender and Loving God

EAR God, You are full of mercy to all who call upon You. In faith we pray: Faithful God, hear our prayer. Make Your Church a place of welcome for all who seek refuge in the Lord. Clothe Pope Francis, bishops and all the baptized in humility, mercy and compassion for the poor. Restore life for those who suffer loss because of natural, environmental or human made disaster. May God teach us the ways of Jesus and bring wisdom to our hearts, through the working of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

GIVE US THIS DAY SHARED BY LUISA LACSON, HFL Word&Life Publications • teacherlouie1965@yahoo.com

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

Life BusinessMirror

LINDA HAMILTON MAKES RETURN COUNT IN NEW ‘TERMINATOR’ FILM D4

Friday, November 1, 2019

MARVEL MEETS SOME VERY FORMIDABLE FOES

Director Martin Scorsese, again earning widespread praise for his latest film The Irishman, is among the great Hollywood filmmakers who have sounded alarm bells over the rise of the superhero film.

BY JAKE COYLE The Associated Press

EW YORK—It’s not exactly the stuff of “Stop the presses!” that some of the greatest filmmakers in the world have misgivings about the rise of the superhero film and its outsized place in our film culture. And yet, recent critical comments by Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola have been greeted like entreaties to a prizefight, a battle royale. “In this corner, the box-office champion of the wooooorld, Marvel ‘The Incredible Hulk’ Studios! And in this corner, the 76-year-old maker of anguished Catholic epics and crime-movie classics, Martin ‘The-RagingBull’ Scorsese!” Plenty of rumbling has followed since Scorsese, in a magazine interview earlier this month, suggested Marvel movies aren’t cinema but “something else”— theme park rides uninterested in “trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.” Coppola doubled down over the weekend, telling journalists in France, gathered to see him accept the Prix Lumiere, that Scorsese was not only right but that he didn’t go far enough. Marvel films, he said, are “despicable.” “He’s right because we expect to learn something from cinema, we expect to gain something, some enlightenment, some knowledge, some inspiration,” said Coppola. Countless Marvel fans, like 19th-century gentlemen whose honor had been offended, took up the cause on social media as if challenged to a duel. They were backed up by some of the premier makers of Marvel movies, too, including Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, Avengers director Joss Whedon and Thor: Ragnarok helmer Taika Waititi. Waititi wryly took the debate at face value, noting matter-of-factly, “It’s at the movies. It’s in cinemas.” And, of course, it’s not a real brouhaha until Ken Loach gets involved. The 83-year-old British social

realist joined the fracas, telling Sky News that Marvel movies are “a cynical exercise” and “commodities like hamburgers.” Many have been left praying that the heated argument will be joined, from beyond the grave, by past legends of cinema. What does Alfred Hitchcock make of Spider-Man: Homecoming? Would John Ford think Endgame too long? Despite the recent media storm, the referendum on Marvel has been going on for a decade. As much as the comic-book company’s most slavish followers would like to believe otherwise, not everyone is a fan. The way Marvel movies are made, assembly-line style, is indeed a new evolution of the kind of studio control that has always played a role in Hollywood productions. It’s well known that directors are often approached for a Marvel film with a promise that the studio will take care of the action sequences, you just fill in the other bits. The overarching vision, mapped out by Marvel Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige, has succeeded, extravagantly. But even $20 billion in ticket sales is no match, really, for The Godfather or Taxi Driver. Though some would like to settle this squabble by measuring theatrical grosses, there are more meaningful metrics than box office. Filmmakers (not to mention many critics and many moviegoers) have long voiced alarm at Marvel’s brand of moviemaking. Steven Spielberg, you might remember, six years ago forecast Hollywood’s implosion because of the overabundance of megabudget movies. Spielberg (whose Jaws helped birth the modern blockbuster) has also pointed out that movie culture inevitably moves in cycles. “There will be a time when the superhero movie goes the way of the Western,” he told me. Even Christopher Nolan, whose Batman film The Dark Knight is widely considered the genre’s greatest triumph, has said he’s no longer interested in franchise movies given the way they’ve come to be manufactured. “The cinematic landscape has changed since I

started making Batman films,” Nolan has said. “When we were doing the Dark Knight trilogy, I think it was easier for a filmmaker in the position I was in to express a more personal vision of what they wanted to do in a franchise property.” Marvel’s biggest supporters, I think, would grant part of the films’ appeal is that they all feel of one spandex-wrapped piece. They’re so similar that even Gwyneth Paltrow can’t remember which ones she’s in. That’s not to say that personal expression doesn’t filter into a Marvel movie. Just as in westerns (and noirs and musicals, and any other genre ever churned out by Hollywood), filmmakers can craft something individual in even the most well-oiled factories. It would be hard to dismiss the cosmic anarchy of Gunn’s Guardians films, the spectacular sweep of Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-nominated Black Panther, or the deconstructionist delight of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. But—and this is Scorsese and Coppola’s main point—there is so much more. As vast as Marvel’s “cinematic universe” is, it doesn’t hold a candle to the actual cinematic universe. And they would like to divert some of the spotlight on Marvel elsewhere. “There’s a generation that thinks cinema is a blockbuster,” Scorsese told me in June when he was releasing his semi-fictional documentary Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story. Scorsese was most bothered by the sight of large, multiscreen cinemas playing one movie (Endgame) on 11 of its 12 screens. “We have to fight back at this practice of overwhelming the market with the blockbuster,” said Scorsese. “The—how should I put it?— the regular film, that’s being edged out. It’s got to go someplace. It has to go someplace because you know why? There are people that are going to continue to make them.” The concern for the suffocation of “the regular film,” the non-blockbuster, is justified. Comic-book movies, sequels and remakes make up nine of this year’s top films at the box office (the lone exception

is Jordan Peele’s Us) and that’s been roughly the case for years now. Netflix and other streaming services are, for now, bankrolling a large percentage of the industry’s larger budget original films, including Scorsese’s upcoming The Irishman. Some have sought to portray Scorsese and Coppola as out of touch, too old to be connected to the pop culture of today. But it would be hard to find two filmmakers who have stayed more intrepid with age. Few people have done more to champion classic cinema from all corners of the globe than Scorsese, cofounder of the vital preservation and restoration nonprofit Film Foundation. And Coppola, who has tried to unearth a new medium he calls “live cinema,” remains more experimental than most filmmakers a third his age. “I feel now we have this bifurcated cinema in our country being of independent films where we have the most wonderful wealth of talent and then the industry films which are pretty much superhero films,” Coppola told me ahead of the release of his Apocalypse Now: Final Cut in August. “One has too much money—the studio, Marvel comic-type movies. They’re basically making the same movie over and over again, and seducing all of the talent. Everyone is hoping to get a small part in one of those movies because that’s where the money is. And as opposed, the wonderful, unusual, exotic, interesting, provocative and beautiful independent films have no money. The budget for the craft service of one of those superhero films could more than be a budget for some of these brilliant young—and not only young— filmmakers. That is a tragedy.” The irony of the rolling debate kicked off by Scorsese’s comments is that we’re, again, just talking about Marvel movies. But for Marvel moviegoers willing to hear them out, you won’t find better guides to the wider world of cinema. Scorsese, in particular, is a walking compendium of film references, spilling passionate recommendations everywhere he goes. You might even say he’s a fan. ■

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Friday, November 1, 2019

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Today’s Horoscope By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Toni Collette, 46; Jenny McCarthy, 46; Anthony Kiedis, 56; Lyle Lovett, 61; David Foster, 69 Happy Birthday: Stay centered. A steady pace and a nonchalant attitude will help you channel your energy in a constructive manner that will help you build an environment that suits you. Let go of the past, and don’t labor over what others do. The ability to walk away from controversy will be what leads to your success and happiness. Choose wisely and win. Your lucky numbers are 8, 19, 24, 26, 34, 37, 44.

Jenny Yrasuegui (from left) and Trish Panlilio of Backyard Farms, and Mothers Who Brunch duo Michelle Aventajado of Momma ‘N Manila and Sabrina Go of Sinfully Sabrina

Dawn Zulueta and Panlilio

Paul Tolentino, Monica Araneta and Yrasuegui

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t look for trouble. Spend time getting things done, not complaining about what others are doing. A passionate approach to whoever you help or whatever you pursue will be what impresses others the most. Address your feelings before you make a personal change. HHHHH

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Instead of making a fuss, make a change. If you don’t like something, it’s up to you to act. Anger solves little, but making a decision and putting an end to what isn’t working will make a difference. HH

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Make some adjustments at home that will add to your convenience. Do something that will change the way others view you. Update your qualifications, image or attitude to reflect greater professionalism, as well as compassion and cooperation. HHHH

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Stick close to home, and don’t take a risk that could lead to the loss of a friend, money or a deal that could leave you in jeopardy. Playing it safe will ease stress and ensure better days ahead. HHH

Quintin Cu-Unjieng, Aventajado, Go, Panlilio, Yrasuegui and Matteo Cu-Unjieng

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): An emotional incident will bring about change. Try not to overreact or you may not be thrilled with the outcome. Look for a better way to solve an issue that is likely to pass as tempers wane. HHH

Alex Ngo, Erwin de Leon, Gian Figueroa and Sab Lee

‘NawwTy’ gets nice L OCATED in a cozy pocket of Bonifacio Global City, Mulberry Door has earned its spot as a foodie favorite over the past two years. As the restaurant rings in its second year of serving up luxe-comfort meals and homely ambience, founder Trish Panlilio commemorates the milestone the best way she knows how: with food, empowered women and an ardent love for all things local. She shares, “Mulberry Door by nawwTy’s kitchen turned two on May 17, and in lieu of the usual festivities, we have decided to celebrate by

partnering with friends who support local artisans and communities.” The celebration kicked off in June with Harvest, a collaboration with Hindy Weber and Melanie Go of Holy Carabao where the duo joined forces with Trish to craft a special menu that consisted primarily of produce from Holy Carabao for the benefit of SOIL (Samahan ng Organikong Industriya ng Laguna). Picking up where Harvest left off, the nawwTy Gives Back celebrations continued with the second fund-raising dinner in collaboration with Backyard

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Look at all the aspects of a situation before you react. The changes you make should be thought out and executed with precision and detail. Acting in haste or due to emotional duress will lead to a bigger problem. HHH

Farms and Mothers Who Brunch. This time around, the beneficiary was Best Buddies Philippines, an organization dedicated to create opportunities for and forge friendships with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The next and final stop for the nawwTy Gives Back dinner series was held only recently, a partnership with Jeannie Javelosa of Great Women featuring a one-of-a-kind menu using some of the best ingredients from Holy Carabao and Backyard Farms. The dinner was for the benefit the Great Women Stock Purchase Fund for Weavers. n

Tommy Hilfiger celebrates first Tommy Jeans store in Manila TOMMY Hilfiger, which is owned by PVH Corp., marked the opening of the first Tommy Jeans store in Manila with an underground 1990s-inspired party hosted at underground club XX XX. The press, VIPs and influencers enjoyed a set by DJ Bea Alonso Te, a.k.a. “Butta B,” which celebrated the brand’s music heritage and history of collaborating with pop culture pioneers. Located in the popular Robinsons Place Mall in Malate, Manila, Tommy Jeans span over 80 square meters, the store design reflecting the brand’s new global retail concept, with the interior fusing the label’s youthful spirit with clean, cool detailing and a bright aesthetic. Furnishings are rendered in oak wood and recycled jean materials, with canvas prints adding an irreverent twist. Tommy Hilfiger’s Americana heritage is celebrated with red, white and blue striped detailing throughout, while concrete flooring and breeze block walls give the store a modern, industrial ambiance. The Tommy Jeans store is operated by Stores Specialists Inc., and its opening gathered not a few of the metropolis’s fashionable crowd.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): How you help others will make a difference. If you let someone bully you into doing something, it won’t turn out well. However, if you offer what you know you can accomplish without jeopardizing your name or position, you’ll succeed. HHHH

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Take pride in what you do, or someone will point out your shortfall. A little extra attention to detail will spark a creative idea that will give you a competitive edge. HH

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Live within your means. Keep your personal matters to yourself, and don’t brag about what you have. If you are too friendly or open, someone will take advantage of you. HHHHH

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Offering a donation in order to impress someone will be costly. Only give what you can to organizations you care about. Don’t let what others think rule your life. Be who you are, not who someone else wants you to be. HHH

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Treat relationships with care. Don’t expect too much or give too much. Strive for equality and understanding first and see what happens. Use your intelligence and you’ll come up with innovative ways to move forward personally and professionally. HHH

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Put in the time and reap the rewards. Don’t wait for someone else to surpass you. Trust and believe in what you can do, and you will achieve what you set out to do. HHH

Tommy Hilfiger Philippines Merchandise Manager Jola Yu with SSI Group’s Anton Huang

Janine Gutierrez, SSI Merchandise Group Manager Bem Fernandez, Tommy Hilfiger Asia Pacific Manager for Distributors Avis Poon, Tommy Hilfiger Asia Pacific Senior Manager for Distributors Patrick Chan, and Tommy Hilfiger Asia Vice President for Wholesale Marc Gianneschi

Birthday Baby: You are aggressive, outgoing and innovative. You are enthusiastic and playful.

‘why, of course!’ by gary larson The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Outback birds 5 Horse tail sound 10 Moisturizing butter type 14 Nevada gambling destination 15 ___ New Guinea 16 Give the boot to 17 Egg part, redundantly? 19 Sooty stuff 20 Priest or imam 21 Bygone Buick 23 Strong couple? 24 Well-groomed? 26 PC linkup 27 Barbra Streisand’s 1983 headspace? 30 Send out 31 Years back 32 Poll worker’s request 36 Claimed 39 Gem with black and fire varieties 40 “Ta-ta!” 41 Lemon mousse, to a non-foodie? 47 “Just the Way You ___” 48 Closes

49 Warty hopper 51 First book in the Book 53 Swab 55 Blues great James 56 Scream from the other bathroom when someone flushes the toilet? 59 GPS suggestions 60 Praise 61 End of the world? 62 One-named British-Nigerian singer 63 Wiped out 64 One-named Irish singer DOWN 1 The Very Busy Spider author Carle 2 ___ Park (Facebook headquarters site) 3 Not hot 4 Evening event 5 Work detail, briefly 6 Modus operandi 7 Big step for a unicorn?: Abbr. 8 Gloomy 9 NBA legend Olajuwon 10 Former slugger Sammy

1 Bringing down a peg 1 12 Progressive rival 13 Took care of, with “to” 18 Sometimes-romantic meal 22 Rainbow’s place 24 Went down a chute 25 Property that lacks curb appeal 28 Texter’s “Enough already!” 29 Companion of Larry 32 Travelers 33 Gilbert and Sullivan genre 34 Skilled 35 Letter-shaped wing 36 Supports 37 Schoolboy 38 Not leave 40 A ___ above the rest 42 WWII spy org. 43 Low-tech mixers 44 One may be one-arm 45 2014 Rae Sremmurd song about romantic preference 46 “Let’s play!” 50 Mover’s platform

52 53 54 57 58

Stressless state Toward sunset Urgent request Wordsworth work Triumphed

Solution to yesterday’s puzzle:

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A SALAD with Philippine Smoked Kesong Puti, paired with a Ferran Blanc 2015. PHOTOS BY STELLA ARNALDO

Friday, November 1, 2019

WINE Story hosted a press lunch with dishes created by Chef Margarita Fores using Philippine ingredients: the Duck breast “a la Mangue” is paired with a La Fleur de Bouard 2014.

A thrill ride at Wine Story SOMETHING LIKE LIFE

MA. STELLA F. ARNALDO

@akosistellaBM

T’S not usual for wine shops to be thought of as a theme park. But that’s how businessman Romy Sia describes the second branch of Wine Story at Uptown, BGC—“the world’s first and only Bordeaux theme park!” While there are no daredevil dives, spiraling roller coasters, or skycoasters here, for a growing number of people, just learning about the history of Bordeaux wines, the story behind the grape vines and the chateaus that own them, while entering cellar upon cellar of wines in bottles great and small and of various vintages, is a thrill ride in itself. At Wine Story (www.winestory.com.ph), one is immediately transported to the Bordeaux region, with images of vineyards and chateaus projected on the wall, while bunches of wine grapes and preserved vines rest on several nooks of the store. Going through another door takes guests to the store’s heart, the cellars laden with bottles of wine. “It’s a beautiful cellar,” Sia said during a recent press lunch to mark the opening of the new store branch. “The first wines you see outside—that is what I call the ‘everyday wine.’ Go to another cellar, that is your ‘every other day wine’ [because it’s a bit more expensive]. Then through that cellar is another, smaller cellar—you have your ‘lucky day’ wine. If someone opens a bottle for you from that cellar, it’s your lucky day,” he said only partly in jest. Appropriately enough, he names the cellar for

those “lucky day” wines as the “Billionaires’ Wines.” In it are bottles of Petrus, Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Margaux, and the like, where a 750-milliliters bottle produced before 2010, would cost at least P70,000 to P100,000. Sia proudly proclaimed that Wine Story is the “exclusive distributor and the only distributor of Petrus in the Philippines.” It is an achievement not just for the store but for the country itself, which is now officially recognized as a developing market for the very expensive wine chateau. From just an allocation of 12 bottles in 2014, Wine Story now gets an allocation of 24 bottles from the chateau. Aside from wines from Bordeaux, Wine Story also sells wines from the Burgundy region and champagnes from well, Champagne. (If produced outside of the Champagne region, you basically have sparkling wine.) At Wine Story, one eliminates the trial and error of purchasing wines as the customer is ably assisted by the store’s friendly and knowledgeable “wine angels.” Sia stressed that all of the store assistants are certified by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. Founded in 1969, WSET is a global organization which arranges courses and exams in the field of wine and spirits. “They will be able to explain to you how the wine tastes like, what are its nuances, what food goes best with it, because they have tasted the wine. When they recommend a Petrus to you, it’s because they have tasted it!” What makes Wine Story unique and special, he continued, is that its provenance is assured. “Our wines come directly from the Bordeaux chateaux and also from reputable wine merchants in London. Wine Story does not buy from third parties, private collectors, or in Asia. This is to guarantee authenticity.” Sia underscored the impeccable quality of the wines due to the strict storage conditions at the store. “From the moment the wines leave Bordeaux to the time we receive and display them in our stores, the temperature is kept strictly between 14 and 18 degrees

ROMY SIA in Wine Story’s Billionaire’s Wine Cellar where bottles of Petrus, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Lafite Rothschild, and the like, rest waiting for someone’s day.

Centigrade to assure quality.” Wine Story also has the widest and best selections of mature vintages (20 years and older) and largeformat bottles (1.5-liter to 18-liter bottles) that are not found anywhere else. Sia later gamely posed with a million-peso bottle of wine, a 2005 Chateau HautBrion from the Pessac-Leognan region of Bordeaux, in a hefty 18-liter format. The wine is rated 100 by wine critic Robert Parker Jr., who describes it as “exquisite” and “a tour de force in winemaking.” In the Philippines, the market for wines has definitely expanded, Sia noted. “Filipinos get more disposable income—they also want to enjoy life and wine is part of that enjoyment. We now have a population of 100 million. So if I can just tap 2 percent of that, that’s 2 million [people], that’s a whole lot of

sales.” Young people are also a growing market for wines because when they travel, they are exposed to food and wine abroad. “When they come back, it’s not so much about the price, it’s about exposure and education. So now that they’re familiar with it, they’re not afraid. So the market is big and getting bigger,” he stressed. Wine lovers will be able to hang around Wine Story, order small bites, a charcuterie board, or even steak, all of which can be paired with a bottle or two from the store’s cellar. And if you’re keen on increasing your knowledge about wines, Wine Story has WSET-approved courses that will suit every level from basic beginners to master classes. So, are you ready to come along for the ride of your life? ■

Avon’s ‘Pink Light Night Run and Walk’ draws thousands in making a pledge against breast cancer AS part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Avon Philippines held the first-ever “Pink Light Night Run and Walk” to raise awareness on the disease and the importance of making the breast self-exam a habit for early detection. The run and walk event was the highlight of Avon’s annual Pink Light Project, which continues the company’s crusade against breast cancer. The Filinvest City Event Grounds lit up in pink as Avon brand ambassadors Marian Rivera-Dantes, Jennylyn Mercado, Daniel Matsunaga and Bettinna Carlos, together with Avon representatives and advocates, pledged to help every woman know the risks, see the signs, and take action against breast cancer. As the leading corporate supporter of the cause, Avon Philippines partnered with Color Manila to hold an exciting night run—a first for Avon—that had participants, including Jennylyn, run through a fun course and get caked in pink powder while making a pledge to fight breast cancer and do the breast self-exam regularly. Avon and Color Manila used the concept of the pink light, with runners sporting pink headlamps, as a visual metaphor for how Avon wants every participant to light the way toward a healthier, happier future for Filipinas. “Gusto nating lahat na mas maraming kababaihan ang makaalam ng kahalagahan ng breast self-exam. And with this event, we can shine a pink light on breast cancer and help bring women out of the darkness,” said Marian in her speech during the program. Aside from making a pledge, everybody

THE “Avon Pink Light Night Run and Walk” raised P1 million for the Philippine Cancer Society, Avon’s longtime partner in its crusade against breast cancer. Avon Philippines General Manager Razvan Diratian (from left) hands the check to Philippine Cancer Society Executive Director Dr. Rachael Rosario, as Color Manila Events Inc. Vice President Justine Kayne Cordero and President Julius Jorge Em look on.

who joined the run and walk also raised P1 million for the Philippine Cancer Society (PCS), Avon’s longtime partner in its crusade. One of the fruits of this partnership has been the creation of the Avon-Philippine General Hospital Breast Care Center, which provides health care and assistance to approximately 150 women a day—offering free breast health guidance, consultation and checkups. “Avon cares deeply about women. It’s part of our DNA. In all our company practices, women are put front and center, from their wants and needs to the causes they fight for.

With this run for breast cancer, we proudly uphold every Filipina’s right to lead a happy, healthy life,” said Razvan Diratian, general manager of Avon Philippines. He added, “No woman deserves to be in the dark when it comes to this disease, and we hope to encourage more women to do breast self-exam, the surest way of detecting the disease early. If more women made this a habit, we would have less broken families and lost friends.” “We’re extremely grateful to Avon for its unwavering support for the Philippine Cancer Society as part of their efforts in leading the

AVON ambassadors Marian Rivera-Dantes, Daniel Matsunaga, Jennylyn Mercado and Bettinna Carlos

crusade against breast cancer here in the country. With the Pink Light Night Run and Walk’s donation, PCS will be able to help more women who are seeking medical care to win against this disease,” said Dr. Rachael Rosario, executive director of the PCS. As PCS’s constant and committed partner, Avon has been instrumental in establishing the Breast Care Center in Philippine General Hospital, which has helped save many women’s lives and continues to serve even more. On October 25, the company also unveiled the Southern Philippines Medical Center Surgical

Oncology-Avon Breast Clinic to assist and, care for more women and patients in Davao City and the rest of Mindanao. Avon’s run and walk event was also graced by Misters of Filipinas winner Mr. Tourism and Culture Universe-Philippines Vandave Paragas. Apart from the night run and walk, Avon Philippines also partnered with different establishments as part of its Pink Light Project initiatives for October. The SM Mall of Asia globe and Makati Shangri-La Hotel’s fountain were lit up in pink to invite more people to join the breast cancer crusade.

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Friday, November 1, 2019

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‘ASAP Natin ‘To’ flying to Rome

ON TFC’s 25th year celebration, it brings to Italy the biggest concert-show experience, ASAP Natin ‘To Rome, happening on November 16, at the refurbished historic 1960 Olympics venue, the Palazzo Dello Sport. ASAP Natin ‘To makes a comeback in Europe with over 40 artists coming together to bring four hours of nonstop, worldclass song-and-dance performances. Leading the star-studded ensemble are Gary Valenciano, Martin Nievera, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, with some of the crème de la crème of OPM: Erik Santos, Moira de la Torre, Iñigo Pascual, KZ Tandingan, Angeline Quinto, Morissette, Klarisse, Jona and TNT Boys. Some of the most popular ABS-CBN stars are also coming for the grand celebration: Piolo Pascual, Kim Chiu, Billy Crawford, Daniel Padilla, Kathryn Bernardo, Toni Gonzaga, Angel Locsin, Jodi Sta. Maria, MayWard, Carlo Aquino, Paulo Avelino, Beauty Gonzales, Dimples Romana, Robi Domingo and Zanjoe Marudo. Also to set the stage ablaze are the Filipinos who are making waves in Europe: X Factor Romania 2018 Grand Winner Bella Santiago, The Voice Kids Germany 2016 Grand Winner Lukas Janisch, Spain’s Got Talent 2016 Golden Buzzer Act Dianne Jacob Ico, One Big Family of Kids Got Talent Italia, Kimberly Madriaga of The Voice Italy, Camille Cabaltera of X Factor Italia, France Got Talent 2016 Third Placer Alienette Coldfire, and world-class tenor Abdul Candao. More ABS-CBN stars joining the Italian showcase will be announced soon. Tickets are sold online via bit.ly/ASAPNatinToRome at £128.40 for Platinum tickets, £96.30 for Gold tickets, £64.20 for Silver tickets and £32.10 for Bronze tickets, with prices inclusive of service charge. More information is available at emea.kapamilya.com.

New season of Netflix’s ‘The Crown’ coming soon

Times change. Duty endures. The third season of The Crown sees a new guard sweep into Downing Street, as Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Colman) and her family struggle to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing Britain. From cold-war paranoia, through to the jet set and the space age—the exuberance of the 1960s and the long hangover of the 1970s—Elizabeth and the Royals must adapt to a new, more liberated, but also more turbulent world. Written by Peter Morgan, The Crown also stars Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret, Tobias Menzies as The Duke of Edinburgh, Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles, Erin Doherty as Princess Anne, Ben Daniels as Lord Snowdon, Jason Watkins as Prime Minister Harold Wilson and Charles Dance as Lord Mountbatten. The third season of The Crown launches globally on November 17.

Linda Hamilton makes return count in new ‘Terminator’ film L

By Jonathan Landrum Jr. The Associated Press

OS ANGELES—For the new Terminator film, it was seemingly easy to bring back Arnold Schwarzenegger as the human-looking cyborg assassin because of his devotion to the franchise. But having Linda Hamilton return as Sarah Connor was a tougher decision considering she’d already turned down a chance to reprise her iconic role. It took Hamilton six weeks to decide whether she wanted to portray Connor, the waitress-turnedwarrior who, along with Schwarzenegger, made the first two Terminator movies among the best action films ever made. Her hesitation stemmed from the fear that a return as Connor in Terminator: Dark Fate might not live up to the hype of the earlier films. “I was terrified,” she recalled. “I really didn’t want to disappoint Sarah Connor. That’s where I go when I’m terrified. You usually regret what you didn’t do. So I thought, ‘If I’m this terrified, then maybe that’s the reason to do it.’” Another convincing factor for Hamilton’s return was James Cameron, who directed the first two films and would serve as a producer on Dark Fate, which arrives in theaters on Friday. She passed on the opportunity to appear in 2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines believing she had “completed the character’s story” and because of Cameron’s absence, calling him the “magic ingredient.” Hamilton was concerned with Dark Fate messing with the legacy of the uber-popular Terminator 2:

Judgment Day. But she said Cameron’s e-mails from three years ago detailing the pros and cons of her playing Connor and his enthusiasm about the project helped put her at ease. The new film ignores three of the franchise’s previous movies including 2015’s Terminator Genisys, which fizzled with domestic audiences but had a strong turnout overseas. Dark Fate picks up soon after the events of T2. This time, Connor and an augmented soldier named Grace, played by Mackenzie Davis, must protect a young Mexican girl Dani (Natalia Reyes) who is being hunted by a newly modified liquid Terminator from the future. Hamilton says Connor still has a vengeful heart against Terminators, yet grudgingly reunites with Schwarzenegger, a time-traveling killing-machine who’s developed a conscience. Connor’s character is also not a fan of humans because “humankind builds machines that create their own death,” the actress said. “Sarah has nothing else left, but vengeance,” Hamilton said. “She’s a woman without a country. She has no mission, no son; broken, dark, black heart.” Schwarzenegger said the 63-year-old Hamilton brought some “freshness” back into the franchise. “I thought that she set the bar really high again, just like she did in 1991,” Schwarzenegger said of Hamilton, who trained for a year to get in fighting shape. “Especially as a woman in her 60s now. There’s no action lady out there that I know of who’s in her 60s doing what she does. Only Cameron really has the [courage] to do something like that. But he always feels quite comfortable with those kinds of ideas, especially women action heroes.”

Hamilton praised Schwarzenegger for his work as well as her female costars, Davis and Reyes. But sometimes, she said it was a struggle to find the voice of their female characters with an all-male screenwriter team. Hamilton said initially the writers had a hard time writing “organic” dialogue between her and Davis’ character. She called the process a fail at first and sometimes declined to recite certain lines, until everyone got on the same page. The results have been met with mixed reviews, with some criticizing the dialogue between female characters. “They really had trouble getting the script together,” she said. “There were so many writers. They were four months late delivering it to me, because they didn’t want me to read the first pass. In the end, I think they really did a bang-up job. But it was really changing throughout, even as we were shooting. That was wacky to me, because I never really had to work that way and try to fill in the blanks when you don’t quite know where you’ve been, or where you’re going or when you’re going to learn that. Acting is a linear job. You want to know precisely where I just come from, where I’m going and I fill in those moments with as much authenticity as I can. There were some issues with the script, but ultimately I think we got it worked out.” Hamilton believes her input helped serve the film, her character and others well. “In the end, I know her best,” she said. “That is the advantage of having played someone over a 35-year period. Otherwise, in all my other work, I would let the greater minds have their way. But not this time.” n

Ai-Ai renews commitment to GMA Author Margaret Atwood holds her award after she was made a Companion of Honour by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, England. AP

Queen Elizabeth honors Booker Prize winner Margaret Atwood LONDON—Shortly after winning her second Booker Prize, Margaret Atwood has received a rare honor from Queen Elizabeth II for her services to literature. The Canadian novelist and poet was presented with an Order of the Companions of Honour in a ceremony at Windsor Castle on Friday. She said the experience made her “a bit emotional.” The Press Association quoted Atwood as saying that “when you see the Queen at her age and her schedule that she puts out, it’s an inspiration to everybody, you just keep going.” Atwood and British author Bernardine Evaristo split the Booker Prize 10 days ago, after judges flouted the rule that there should be a single winner. She also won the prestigious fiction award in 2000, and has several US, Canadian and French awards. AP

Hailed as the Comedy Concert Queen, Ai-Ai delas Alas continues her journey as a proud and prized GMA talent with the renewal of her exclusive contract with network on October 29. “I’m so blessed and excited. Thank you sa GMA dahil makaka-trabaho ko na naman ang ating Kapuso stars. Magsusoap pa rin ako, Sunday Pinasaya, The Clash and many more. I’m so happy and very much a Kapuso at heart,” she said. Present during the contract signing were GMA Network Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Atty. Felipe L. Gozon, Senior Vice President for Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, Vice President for Business Development Department III Darling de Jesus-Bodegon, Senior Program Managers Charles Koo and Ruth Mariñas, and Asian Artists Agency Chief Operating Officer Rowena Salido. Known for her comedic gems

and huge heart, the star has also proven her flair as a remarkable host, an all-out performer and an award-winning actress. She is one of the original mainstays of the country’s Sunday noontime habit, Sunday Pinasaya, and is currently a panelist in GMA’s original musical competition The Clash. “I see to it na pinag-aaralan ko at sinusuri kong mabuti ang Clashers natin. Ngayon may Top 16 na tayo. Kahit kami ay nai-excite sa The Clash dahil mismong pag show na, doon namin nalalaman ang mga twists, kaya ’yung mga reaction namin napaka-raw at totoo. So abangan nila dahil napakarami pang surprises at pasabog sa show,” she shared. During the contract signing, Gozon praised Ai-Ai for her versatility as an artist, “Dito siya nag-umpisa, dito siya sumikat at hanggang ngayon ay sumisikat pa. Kahit saan magpunta si Ai-Ai, she is an asset dahil siya ay very versatile. Kahit saang proyekto ilagay

ay kayang-kaya niya. Natutuwa tayo na hanggang ngayon ay nagsasama pa rin tayo.” Rasonable echoed Gozon’s sentiments: “Kilala natin siya sa comedy. Kilala natin siya na nakakapag-host,

nakakapag-perform onstage, tapos ngayon award-winning actress sa movies, sa drama magagamit mo rin siya. Tama si Atty. Gozon: kahit saan mo siya dalhin na genre kaya niya. Ai-Ai would excel.”

Motoring BusinessMirror

Henry Ford Awards Best Motoring Section 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 2011 Hall of Fame

Editor: Tet Andolong

Friday, November 1, 2019 E1

Nissan ‘GoAnywhere’

campaign conquers Siquijor N

Story & photos by Randy S. Peregrino

ISSAN proved again that its “GoAnywhere” campaign is a testament for its fleet of utility vehicle’s capability to go anywhere, where witnessing breathtaking sceneries are the ultimate reward.

The Patrol Royale getting rugged down the pit

Nissan’s entire LCV lineup

The Terra and the Navara at Lazi Convent

In fact, that includes even the roads less traveled. From the mountain range of Benguet Province, volcanic trails of Mayon, and to the winding roads of Tagaytay Highlands. Every drive event has so far validated Nissan’s claims for these vehicles. For being tough, all-rounder, luxurious and even intelligent enough to provide various driver assist functions. So where else could Nissan go in order to demonstrate further its utility vehicle’s capability? Well, Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) thought of hosting select members of the motoring media for another series of test drives. This time we visited the beautiful island of Siquijor. This province offers well-paved road networks, as well as various difficult and rough paths, along with its mystical surroundings. Just like our previous drive encounters, we knew that we are up for something exciting and challenging drive ahead. Commissioned were Nissan’s tough LCV lineup of vehicles brought together for the first time—the Navara, Terra and the Patrol Royale. Again, no less than NPI’s new country head graced the event. “In line with our vision of enabling adventurers to reach their dream destinations, we are now in Siquijor Island, to conquer the country’s third smallest province with Nissan’s strong LCV lineup. We are creating the ultimate Go Anywhere experience with the Nissan Patrol, Nissan Terra and Nissan Navara, but exploring the best and most diverse locations across the country,” said NPI

President and Managing Director Atsushi Najima.

Affinity for toughness

Since the introduction of the current-generation Navara, NPI has gained a stronghold in the pickup segment. Since then, it became one of Nissan’s best-selling vehicles in the country. However, more than its sales success, we also tested its limits during the previous drive events. Indeed, it is worthy of its reputation as a smart and tough pickup. For this particular drive event, we were fortunate enough to test the pickup initially where most of the paths ahead were rough and challenging. As expected, the Navara did not disappoint and instead clearly demonstrated its proven prowess. Behind the wheel, never was there a moment when we felt short for power tackling the ascending tight roads within forestry portions. Its 2.5-liter turbodiesel mill was simply unrelenting. We ended up focusing on the rough and winding trails ahead. Another bliss was how the good steering feel aided in providing calculated turns while climbing. As a rear passenger, meantime, rebounds were tolerable thanks to the coilsprung rear suspension. Up for the next round of test was the Navara’s platform sibling—the Terra. This midsized SUV may have entered the market late, but it proven to be ahead when it comes to features we wished for the segment to have. We also had the chance to experience this SUV in the toughest

The entire convoy at the old convent’s façade

environment imagined and it simply got through, effortlessly. As a seven-seater hauler, which is ideal for family use, the recent tests proved a good benchmark for how tough and reliable should a family vehicle be. Going through the succeeding mixture of rough, winding and long stretch of highways, the Terra proved to be an all-rounder SUV. Motivated with the same Navara power train, everything was easy whenever we needed more power. Road behavior was a more superb due to its better weight distribution. We also liked the more spacious well-cooled interior. Both vehicles we tested were the 4x4 variant so toggling between 2H and 4H for more traction and control was easy. More-

over, both came in standard with Hill Start Assist (HSA) are Hill Descent Control (HDC), which became handy at times. Even better, the integrated Nissan Intelligent Mobility features really added to the ease of driving, convenience and safety factors.

The Royale reward

What started as Nissan’s prime off-roader, the Patrol has grown to be a luxurious SUV. However, that does not mean it is no longer willing to get dirty and rugged. During our Tagaytay Highlands drive, this luxurious also demonstrated its ruggedness and superior performance. For this particular drive, we drove the Patrol Royale last, mostly on the highway but we also experienced it

crawling through the rough paths of the quarry site. On the highway, everything about the Patrol Royale was blissful. It was like a reward for the long drives that we had and it was time to be pampered. Who wouldn’t appreciate its first-class cabin with super comfy seats and excellent noise, vibration and harshness proofing? It was simply awesome. Behind the wheel, its powerful V8 engine does all the talking and muscle. Handling, on the other hand, the vehicle’s Hydraulic Body Motion Control (HBMC) does the job. For its size, the integrated Nissan Intelligent Mobility feature is a huge advantage. Then again, driving the luxury SUV this good was the best way to re-

lax and call it the day.

Introducing NissanConnect

Meanwhile, presented during the drive event was Nissan’s latest offering available for both the Navara and the Terra—the NissanConnect. This feature highlights a new OEM display head unit with integrated navigation, security and entertainment functions. The new 8-inch touch-operated unit now has entirely new user interface and works well with smartphone operating systems. Imagine easier access to mobile assistant, multimedia player and navigation apps on the fly. Sounds about good, right? While this new tech is not yet available for the Patrol Royale, NPI is looking into the market demand if it deems necessary.

Moto

Honda e

Business

E2 Friday, November 1, 2019

MOTORING ’minder

Marcos Bridge opens

in time for ‘Undas‘

the joy of lif

T T

HE Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar announced the opening of both eastbound and westbound lanes of Marcos Bridge in Marikina, on October 31, earlier than the projected April of next year. “After almost five months of repair, motorists can now utilize both the eastbound and westbound por tions of the newly strengthened Marcos Bridge,” announced Villar. Implemented by the NCR Regional Office, the P213.46-million Marcos Bridge is fully accessible to vehicles plying Quezon City to Marikina City, and also to those going to Antipolo City, and vice versa. With a total of the 314.75 linear meter length and 19.66 linear meter width that has 11 spans, two abutments and 10 piers in each direction, the Marcos Bridge can withstand passage of voluminous

HIS year’s 46th Tokyo Motor Show once again highlighted numerous concept cars exhibiting future possibilities for mobility and the society. Its theme “Open Future” simply represents our broad perspective on mobility in the future. Just like how the possibilities are as limitless as our imaginations.

vehicles daily. “Prior to the rehabilitation of the deck slab, strengthening of the girders were made using additional tendons and installation of carbon fiber which was completed March this year,” Villar said. Included in the repair of the bridge involved the redecking of slabs, center island, replacement of expansion joints, concrete sidewalks, railings, installation of drain pipes and 50 millimeters thick of asphalt overlay. Just this August, the second phase of the project have made the wes tbound lanes closed to traffic while the first phase, likewise, have made the eastbound lanes, closed to traffic last May 25. Built in 1979, the 40-year-old bridge sits at the boundar y of Marikina and Pasig cities, and is par t of the Marikina-Infanta Highway.

FedEx creates possibilities

for road safety

Honda Motor Co. Ltd, for its part, highlighted its 2030 vision and passion, which is to serve people worldwide with the “joy of expanding their life’s potential.” Once again, no less than the company President and CEO Takahiro Hachigo spearheaded the media presentation of Honda’s 2030 vision along with the lineup of latest EV vehicles. “The Tokyo Motor Show has a special place in our heart as a motor show held in the home market of Honda. We believe that the Tokyo Motor Show should be an occasion where the fundamental strengths of Japan and new value that only Japan can create get communicated from Japan to people all around the world. “At the same time, we hope that a broader range of customers will grow their interest in cars and motorcycles through this Tokyo Motor Show, including young people who will forge the future,” said Hachigo. Three vehicles took center stage representing mobility electrification and a new industry benchmark for compact cars. Unlike the other presenters who displayed concept vehicles, what Honda brought to the table this year were a future-oriented urban commuter along with two electric scooters, all driven by Honda e:Technology, plus a new-generation hatchback. “Furthermore, we want Honda booth visitors to enjoy real-world experiences of how Honda mobility products can expand the ‘ joy of mobility’ and ‘people’s life’s potential,’” Hachigo added.

sectioned high-definition infotainment monitors, including view panels for side-view cameras (rather than mirrors). This dedicated EV model was developed based on Honda’s vision of what cars should look like 10 years from now. The Honda e will be available in Japan starting 2020 as a mobility product that will expand people’s life’s potential. Motivated by an electric motor, Honda e offers charging and feeding system compatibility so users can enjoy firsthand experience of the exchange of energy. There’s also Honda Personal Assistant, which utilizes Honda’s original artificial-intelligence technologies. This provides appropriate information through natural conversations with the user. The Honda e will give users the preview of a future life where cars seamlessly connect with society and daily lives.

Electrified scooters

Imagine scooters, aside from electric-powered, also capable of swapping power source. Sounds cool, right? Honda is also extending its electrification Honda e:Technology to its motorcycle lineup. Intended mainly for business-use and delivery services,

The future-oriented urban commuter

FedEx Express volunteers painted a mural to serve as a reminder to more than 7,000 Commonwealth Elementary School students about the importance of road safety.

EDEX Express, the world’s largest express transportation company, and Safe Kids Worldwide Philippines recently celebrated 2019 International Walk to School Week with the theme ”Safe Journey, Safe Kids.” Students and teachers of Commonwealth Elementary School joined FedEx Express team members in an advocacy walk, mural painting and crosswalk painting activities. The Commonwealth Elementary School is situated along Commonwealth Avenue, one of the most dangerous highways in Metro Manila, based on the number of road-related injuries. To reduce these incidents, Commonwealth Elementary School has been actively participating in road safety initiatives since 2007. John Peterson, FedEx Express Philippines managing director, led

Story & photos by Randy S. Peregrino

15 FedEx volunteers and 150 students in interactive activities highlighting the fundamentals of road safety. The repainted crosswalks will benefit over 14,500 students from two schools in the area. FedEx and Safe Kids launched International Walk to School in the Philippines, in 2004. To date, the program has reached over 1.7 million students in over 100 schools in Pasay, Manila, Quezon City, and Angeles, Pampanga. FedEx sponsors the program in 10 markets around the world including five markets in Asia-Pacific, and is aligned with FedEx commitment to positively impact 50 million people by the company’s 50th global anniversary in 2023, through five strategic pillars: delivering goods, sustainable transportation, employment pathways, global entrepreneurship and road safety.

During the 45th Tokyo Motor Show, Honda presented the Urban EV Concept vehicle representing the future direction of design and technology of mass-produced electric vehicles. Presented this year was the production version of Honda e. Early this year, the preproduction version was initially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. Interestingly, the exterior appearance pays homage to the original concept design. Wheels now look more appropriate and road-worthy. Inside, more changes were adapted in order to make it more both driver and passenger-centric layout. Gone is the single long bench and replaced with conventional front seats. Still, those wooden trims are ver y much evident along with the straightfor ward horizontally laid out dashboard. Interestingly, the top portion of the dashboard have

Honda’s triumvirate of modern electrified vehicles

Honda e’s electric powertrain

presented were the Benly e: electric scooter and Gyro e: electric three-wheeled scooter. With Honda Mobile Power Pack, a portable and swappable battery motivates both variants. “By electrifying business-use motorcycles we see a lot in our everyday lives, Honda wants to offer a quieter and cleaner environment for people’s daily lives and, at the same time, we want to contribute to the happiness of working people, as well,” Hachigo explained. “By connecting these electrified motorcycle and automobile products through our power products and energy, we can further advance

our value creation for mobility and people’s daily lives, and Honda will continue proposing such a new world that only we can create with Honda e:Technology,” he added. Next spring, Honda will start offering the Benly e in Japan.

Introducing the all-new Fit/Jazz

Perhaps, what everybody was waiting for—the global debut of the latest generation Fit/Jazz. Since its introduction in 2001, its design evolution contributed to its global success with over 7.5 million units sold. “What we strive to do with this all-new Fit is to establish the standard for compact cars suited to this new era. We believe this car will be able to become an industry standard for the new era only if it can win admiration in the Japanese market where fulfilling customer needs for compact cars is especially difficult compared to other parts of the world. Based on this belief, we squarely and sincerely faced our customers in Japan and perfected this all-new Fit as a global model President and CEO Takahiro Hachigo with all-new Fit/Jazz

The all-new Fit has redesigned dashboard

The all-new Fit’s two-motor hybrid engine

oring

expands

sMirror

fe’s potential

Friday, November 1, 2019

Ford Philippines Dominates Pickup Category in Auto Focus Media’s Choice Awards

Receiving one of the trophies for Ford Philippines is EJ Francisco, AVP for Communications, from veteran broadcaster (right), host, and motoring journalist Ron de los Reyes from Auto Review.

top spec trims and finishes inside and out. Safety-wise, the all-new Fit is equipped with the Honda sensing advanced safety and driver-assistive system. Further, this all-new model is the first to be equipped with the Honda connect on-board communication module developed exclusively for Honda vehicles.

“Honda will continue taking on challenges in various areas in order to serve people worldwide with the “joy of expanding their life’s potential.” And we hope that the Tokyo Motor Show 2019 will be an opportunity for many people to enjoy the broad range of products that embody Honda’s 2030 Vision,” Hachigo concluded.

ORD Philippines recently dominated the pickup category of the 2019-2020 Auto Focus Media’s Choice Awards with the Ranger Raptor winning 3 out of the 4 awards in the said category. The Ranger Raptor was awarded Bes t Design, Bes t Engine Performance and Best in Safety Features in the pickup category. The fourth award is Best Value for Money. “The Ranger Raptor is definitely one of the most innovative vehicles that Ford has ever produced. We thank the organizers and judges from the Philippine motoring media for this recognition for the Ranger Raptor which continues to make our Ford showrooms busy. We look forward to seeing more Filipino customers drive their very own Ranger Raptor and experience its Built Ford Tough capabilities,” shared PK Umashankar, managing director of Ford Philippines.

The 2019-2020 Auto Focus Media’s Choice Awards” is an equally impor tant component of Sunshine T V ’s Automobile Indus tr y Mer i t Progr am. The AFMCA aims to fur ther recognize the automobile industr y’s continuing ef for ts to provide car owners and motorists with the best on-board features, st yling, per formance and overall value. A selec t group of recognized motoring media professionals and practitioners comprised the AFMCA Voters’ Panel. Ford has been a consistent award recipient in the Auto Focus Media’s Choice Awards and Auto Focus People’s Choice Awards. Last year, the Ford Mustang was named Sports Car of the Year in the People’s Choice category. The Ford Ranger was awarded Best Design—Pickup of the Year while the Ford Expedition received the Best in Safety Features—Large SUV of the Year award.

Suzuki maintains growth in Q3 Honda e’s futuristic dashboard fitted with wide and high-definition screens

that Honda will propose from Japan to the rest of the world,” Hachigo explained. What’s really striking was the fresh design inside and out. Inspired by the new design concept “emotional value,” the innovative look is nowhere near our expectations, in a good way, of course. This new look, according to Honda, cannot be expressed numerically, and embodied four dimensions of comfort. Another different feature is a front pillar with a cross-sectional structure, which enables impact energy to f low to the vehicle body in the event of a collision. Moreover, this newly designed front pillar offers overwhelmingly wide and superior frontal visibility compared the predecessors. As for the interior, the instrument panel features a flat-topped design emphasizing horizontal and straight lines. The latest generat ion a lso feat u res enhanced usability, which supports people’s mobility. That includes ergonomic layout to ensure com-

fort for all occupants. Motivation comes from a twomotor hybrid system. This powertrain will offer smooth driving thanks to the second electric motor. There were five variants introduced. There’s the Basic type with simple and endearing design including a front face design with a gentle look, and seamless and flowing exterior form. The Home variant, meantime, has that high visual and tactile quality by coordinating colors and materials. Next is the Ness, which features exciting color coordination. It is a sporty and fashionable type, which will enable customers to enjoy driving as if they enjoy fitness and sports. Perhaps, the intriguing one was the Crosstar variant. With different front grille along with roof rails and matte trims all over, the overa l l look transformed into a crossover-ty pe design. This type projects an enhanced image of compact and, yet, tough vehicle. Last is the Lu xe variant, which features

and introduces New Vitara C ONSISTENT with its strong performance for the first two quarters of the year, pioneer compact car distributor Suzuki Philippines (SPH) finishes the third quarter with positive growth yet again, enabling the company to post 19-percent sales growth for the first nine months of the year over the same period in 2018. The continued sales increase is the result of the brand’s strategic marketing efforts, which emphasize numerous promotions and interactive events, and are aimed at boosting product visibility. SPH hopes to ride on this strong market and brand momentum to further strengthen its position in the market through the remaining months of 2019. “Suzuki’s current standing in the Philippine automotive industry is a significant milestone for the brand. After securing the fourth spot in the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) ranking—the highest rank in the brand’s history—and climbing to the fifth spot in the local automotive industry roster last quarter, we, at Suzuki Philippines, can definitely say that 2019 has been a monumental year for the brand,” shared SPH Director and General Manager for Automobile Division Keiichi Suzuki. “These back-to-back achievements further fuel our drive to deliver on the brand’s promise of quality driving experience with every Suzuki vehicle,” he added.

Top sales drivers: Ertiga, Swift, Celerio

The Ertiga, Swift and Celerio continue to excite and stimulate the market as Suzuki’s best-selling vehicles. The

three award-winning models combined accounted for 56 percent of total sales from January to September this year. The well-loved family vehicle Ertiga still dominates the Suzuki auto sales chart with a 34-percent share. This seven-seater vehicle fortified its position as the top-favorite Suzuki vehicle with the release of the Ertiga Black interior version, which drove sales up even further. Aside from its fuel efficiency and spacious interior that complement the body’s elegance and modern style, the Ertiga demonstrates good engine performance that is powerful and cost-efficient, making it an ideal vehicle for practical Filipino families. Swift kept its position as the second top-selling Suzuki model with an 11.4-percent share of total sales. This hatchback remains the millennials’ top choice among Suzuki vehicles. With its sleek and stylish design that is very recognizable on the road, millennials can definitely

identify with this fun and compact Suzuki hatchback. Accounting for 11-percent share of sales, the Celerio ranks third among Suzuki’s top-selling vehicles. This hatchback, known for its space and roomy dimension, can accommodate up to 254 liters worth of cargo with an uncompromised fiveseater capacity. Alongside its remarkable fuel efficiency that ups the ante for its category.

SPH debuts New Vitara to Philippine driving arena

Another vehicle from Suzuki Philippines that stunned the market this year and won the 2019-2020 Auto Focus Media’s Choice Awards’ Compact SUV of the Year: Best Value for Money award is the Suzuki Vitara. Committed to continue its legacy and stand firm to its promise to provide value-packed and affordable products to more Filipinos, Suzuki proudly debuts the improved and upgraded New Vitara. This CBU Unit from Magyar Suzuki Corp.

(MSC Hungary) is available in GL+, six-speed automatic Transmission and GLX, sixspeed automatic transmission variants. Suzuki has made several improvements and upgrades in both the exterior and interior of the New Vitara. It is now equipped with newly designed grills, lower bumpers and new rear combination lamps, all of which create an expressive exterior. The new stylish suede front and rear seats, cluster meter and premium-feel cabin create a comfortable yet stylish interior vibe. “The New Vitara will surely appeal to car enthusiasts looking for an improved version of the classic Suzuki vehicle. It is our pleasure to bring another modified Suzuki vehicle to the Philippines. The New Vitara will certainly deliver an exceptional driving experience to Filipinos—the Suzuki way,” shared Keiichi. For more information about Suzuki Philippines and its automobiles, please visit www. suzuki.com.ph.

Motoring BusinessMirror

E4 Friday, November 1, 2019

Toyota’s noble transformation from routine to radical

’M back, thank God! There’s no place like home, indeed. Tokyo was good, as usual, what with its sushis and sashimis truly delectable as always. They are almost equal in ranking to the attraction that the Tokyo Motor Show (TMS) offers to every car cognoscenti once every two years—a come-on that Toyota had been dangling, unselfishly and consistently, to me and for which I had never resisted since the world’s No. 1 carmaker started inviting me in 1999. Truly, I am flattered and truly grateful as well. Oh, yes, it’s been 20 years to the day Vince Socco had brought me aboard the Toyota delegation to the biennial TMS. It’s been that way for me, uninterrupted, in the last 11 editions to one of the most attended—if not the most attended—car shows in the world. As the Beatles belted it out so succinctly: “It’s 20 years ago today…” That long, fellas. As always, Tokyo is a city you will never skip when given the chance to visit it. It’d be a crime of unspeakable magnitude if you do. That’s why I never passed up every chance to be there as passing it up would be like rejecting the thrill of a first kiss to the love of your life. Unforgivable. And, oh, the wagyu beef that is intrinsically Japanese? Ah, so endlessly heavenly it is that Jing Atienza, the stylish senior vice president of Toyota Motor Philippines, would readily trade off his equally succulent Batangas beef if only to prove his pure devotion to it. But you know what?

Toyoda introduces the e-Palette

Akio Toyoda

Jing, in his matchless mien of humility, had so selflessly offered to me the last winsome slice of wagyu during our farewell dinner of shabu-shabu in Tokyo—at the plush Seryna joint up in the sky offering a breathtaking vista of Tokyo’s terrific and glitteringly lighted night line. How could I refuse? To mark Jing’s generosity, my last gulp of hot sake put an exclamation flush-down to the last bit of wagyu. Burp.

Open Future

GOING now to the 46th edition of the TMS, I’d say it had a rather sharp curve out of the usual. From basically an exhibition of concept cars usually highlighted by exquisite design that arouses de-

sires and makes for a veritable feast to the eye since the event’s birth in 1954, this time, the show’s menu consisted mainly of futuristic fun, more of mobility than mundane, if not gaudy, exhibitionism and, finally, functionality taking over fast and furious muscles that was indelible in the first 45 versions of the TMS. The event ending on November 4 has the slogan, “Open Future,” as it highlights the future of our global society, maximizing the use of a rapidly evolving technology in conjunction with the latest in automotive trends. Chairman Jun Nagata said of the TMS Committee: “The word ‘open’ means the event will not be limited to showcasing the auto industry. By being open to other industries and collaborating with them, we are trying to demonstrate the mobility-centered society of the future.” Of the more than 187 companies and organizations from

eight countries participating in the show, Toyota’s novelty-driven mobility spin had absolutely stood out from the rest of the intrepid pack. Its focus on transporting PWDs (persons with disabilities) and other handicapped commuters with ease has become an enviable thrust, with Toyota’s concept vehicles resembling that of widebodied buses with so much space for comfortable mobility once passengers are inside a vehicle. Dubbed the e-Palette mode, the vehicle is astonishingly equipped with wheelchair locks to ensure safety for wheelchairbound travelers.

Toyoda’s paradigm shift

WITH a mindset made for the future, seeing and seeking radical transformation from the routine to the radical, Toyota Motor Corp. chieftain Akio Toyoda is boldly transforming the automotive landscape for tomorrow’s needs.

“Unless the Tokyo Motor Show goes through a major paradigm shift, it won’t be able to attract more visitors,” said Toyoda during the Toyota presentation before a jam-packed crowd. Toyoda, the chairman of perennial event organizer JAMA, said he hopes to attract 1 million people to the TMS. To achieve this, Toyoda centered on a “theme park” scheme where people can get a glimpse of a future lifestyle through various exhibits and attractions that are not limited merely to the auto industry. In the “Future Expo” area alone at Big Sight, Toyota’s thrust on hydrogen energy for tomorrow’s car, such as how fuel cell cars work and space technology targets, is well-pronounced for visitors’ appreciation. The show’s concept cars are going greener than usual, with visitors embracing the near-future through test-drives of micro-

mobility vehicles led by Toyota’s i-Road model which anchors its production on zero-emission platform. This year’s event also zeroed in on being family friendly, allowing free entry of high-school students and young toddlers—a first in the event’s history. “The key word for this year is a firsthand experience,” said Toyoda. “We want to make this show a memorable occasion for families, including children, to enjoy and cherish years after the show is over.” Indeed, a new era has begun.

PEE STOP Thank you to Toyota hotshots Elijah-won Sue Marcial, Carlo Ablaza and Atty. Rommel Gutierrez for their priceless assistance during our coverage of the Tokyo Motor Show. And also to Nadinne Capistrano and Carlo Nemo, for playing their backstopping roles with impeccable precision while manning the fort in Manila. Mabuhay kayo!

A way to Worry-free ‘Undas’ travels I F you are among the thousands of Filipinos who will travel to the province this long weekend in time for Undas (All Saints’ Day), then you need to ensure that your car is properly equipped and in tip-top condition for a safe and stress-free travel. This Undas, Prestone, is joining anew the Nlex Corp.’s “Safe Trip Mo, Sagot Ko,” an assistance program that aims to provide hassle-free travel experience to motorists traversing the North Luzon Expressway, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), and the Manila-Cavite Expressway (Cavitex). To help you prepare for a safer and more convenient journey, Prestone, trusted brand of Coolant, Brake Fluid and Engine Oil, is also here to remind you to look closely at your BLOCBAGETS. This handy mnemonic stands for Brakes, Lights, Oil, Coolant, Battery, Air, Gas, Engine, Tire and Self. Simply put, it’s all the things you need to check before using your car for a long drive to prevent accidents or breakdowns. Brake. To check if your brake system is not faulty, you should push the brake pedal all the way to the floor. It should not feel spongy and have little to no resistance. Make sure your Brake Fluid and other parts are still in good condition. Otherwise, you need to let a mechanic check if you are due for parts replacement, cleaning, or flush and fill of brake fluid. Lights. Inspect your auto lights, such as the headlights, turn signal signals, brake lights, reverse lights, and taillights, to ensure safety for nighttime driving. To confirm if they are working properly, test all the lights and check if the light beam reflects on the wall. It also pays to check your lights for dirt, cracks and breakage. If there will be any, have them cleaned or fixed. Oil. Cars need oil to lubricate its small engine components. Checking your engine’s oil level and color is important to keep the engine working and to prevent dealing with expensive repairs. When oil is below the

minimum level, it’s time to refill. Look for leaks, as well, since they signify that your car is losing oil quickly. Coolant. Coolant is the fluid that absorbs heat from the engine and then dissipates it through the radiator. If you want to prevent the overheating nightmare, then a simple check if your car has the right level of Coolant can save the day. Battery. Before you get in your car, make sure that your battery is well-charged and has clean terminals. Also, check if the cableto-terminal connection is placed. By doing so, you can be sure to prevent being stuck on the roadside because your battery dies in the

middle of your driving. Air. Your car’s tires should always be properly inflated to prevent accidents and decreased fuel efficiency. Use a tire pressure gauge to check if the tire, regardless if it is old or new, have the right inflation. Gas. Do not forget to check your fuel level through the fuel gauge before taking your car for a drive. Ensuring a full gas tank, especially during long drives, can save you from the stress of looking for a gas station or being stuck in the middle of the road. Engine. Check for engine problems, such as leaks and other sounds like pinging, tapping, knocking, or any weird noise, which may hint at any issues. If any of these are present, then better have a mechanic check it. Tire. Worn-out tires can lead to accidents. Before a long trip, check your tires for bumps, tears and other signs of damage. Self. Last, you should also be well-prepared for a long drive. Make sure that you are physically and emotionally fit to drive— free from sickness, dizziness, alcohol and tiredness (sleep well before the long drive). To help you with your auto care needs, Prestone will be providing FREE TOP Ups and five-minute Vehicle Check in specific locations along Nlex, SCTEx and Cavitex. From October 30 to November 3, 2019, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., visit the Prestone roadside STMSK motorist camps in SCTEx Floridablanca Lay-by (Subic bound) and Cavitex Parañaque toll plaza and Kawit toll plaza. Prestone will also be present in Petron Lakeshore along Nlex Outbound, Mexico Pampanga; Caltex Mega Station in Nlex-SB, San Felipe, San Fernando, Pampanga; and Shell of Asia in E1, Guiguinto, Bulacan, to provide additional information, as well as exciting games and freebies. If you want to grab exciting deals, Prestone product will also be available through its STMSK in Caltex Drive and Dine along Nlex Valenzuela, Metro Manila. www.prestone.com.ph.