BusinessMirror November 24, 2022

ITH 21 affirmative votes, the Senate on Wednesday approved on second and third reading the P5.268trillion budget bill for 2023, which the Palace had certified as urgent.

e voting proceeded to third reading after the majority overruled Minority Leader Koko Pimentel who wanted to postpone it to Monday, saying the certification from Malacañang did not specify a public calamity or emergency.

“Absent such reason [calamity or emergency] the certification has no leg to stand on to justify dispensing the rule,” said Pimentel, invoking the 3-day gap required between the second and third reading on legislative measures.

e P5.268-trillion budget bill embodied in House Bill 448 appropriates funds for government operations from January 1 to December 31, 2023.

It will now go to a bicameral panel of senators and congressmen tasked to reconcile conficting provisions in the two budget versions separately passed by the Senate and the House earlier on third reading.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri vowed to spread out over at least two 5-day work weeks the budget deliberations next year, acknowledging the difficulty of both senators and Senate staff in tackling multiple agency budgets in one day, sometimes holding marathon sessions of from 12 to 16 hours.

e second and third reading vote missed by two days the earlier projection by Sen. Juan Edgardo

VIETNAM on Wednesday announced it is open to “balancing” its trade with the country by increasing its imports of Philippine goods and services.

Vietnam National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue made the remark during his meeting with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. in Malacañang last Wednesday.

In a statement, the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) said Vuong “declared that Vietnam is planning to import more commodities and goods from the Philippines.”

“And I also believe that apart from rice trade, we can expand our current relations to the import and export of construction materials, particularly cement,” Vuong said.

THE Philippines may import 425,000 metric tons (MT) of sugar in the current crop year 2022-2023, as projected local production remains insufficient to meet the country’s total demand for the commodity.

In its biannual world sugar report, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) revised downward its output forecast for the Philippines from 2 million metric tons (MMT) to just 1.85

MMT. e latest output estimate is just a tad higher than the 1.8 MMT recorded production volume in the previous crop year, based on historical USDA data.

With the lower production forecast, the USDA sees the Philippines’s sugar import volume for the Philippines reaching a fouryear high.

e USDA projected that the Philippines will import 350,000 MT of refi ned sugar and 75,000 MT of raw sugar from the September 2022 to August 2023 period.

e USDA estimated that the

country’s total sugar consumption would fall to 2.2 MMT, 4.34 lower than the previous crop year’s 2.3 MMT.

e Sugar Regulatory Administration’s (SRA) pre-mill production forecast for the current crop year stood at 1.876 MMT.

e SRA earlier greenlighted a 150,000-MT refi ned sugar importation program in the current crop year.

Latest SRA data showed that about 146,000 MT of refi ned sugar under the said importation program has entered the country al-

ready as of November 13.

e country’s lackluster production in the previous crop year due to typhoon damage caused a deficit in supply, pushing sugar prices to record-high levels.

Sugar industry stakeholders earlier pointed out that the anemic pre-mill production forecast of the SRA points to one thing: the need for importation. (Related story: www.businessmirror.com. ph/2022/09/09/pre-mill-output-projectionssignal-more-sugar-imports/)

THE government is now studying giving a new round of assistance for companies struggling to pay the 13th month benefits of their workers, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

In a radio interview on Wednesday, Labor and Employment Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma said the aid may be in the form of a subsidy.

“We are studying if we can give assistance or subsidy to companies, which are unable to comply with the 13th month law,” Laguesma said.

e labor official said the assistance may also be the reimplementation of the interest-free loan facility of the Small Business Corp.

During the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nation (Asean) Summits in Cambodia, Marcos said he wants to address the country’s trade deficit with Vietnam.

Last year, the country registered $4.2 billion worth of imports from Vietnam, most of which are rice imports.

Meanwhile, the total exports to Vietnam was only $1.6 billion.

Marcos welcomed the pronouncement of Vuong since it will help further strengthen the bilateral relations between Philippines and Vietnam.

“So, it looks like those of us in government will have to catch up to the business community and strengthen and make the—fi nd

new ways to coordinate, to help one another, especially as we come out of this pandemic economy and with the problems that we are feeling because of the confl ict in Ukraine,” Marcos said.

e contingent led by Vuong will be holding a business and investment forum on ursday, which aims to present to Vietnamese businessmen possible investment opportunities in the country.

“I hope that will lay the groundwork for further strengthening trade and investment ties bilaterally. I suggest that we can work bilaterally and also multilaterally to address the challenges facing our region,” Vuong said.

(SB Corp.), which was launched last year.

“We are checking if the facility is still open and available and what’s the status of payment by those who were helped,” Laguesma told BM in an SMS.

Last year, SB Corp. allocated P500 million for its “soft loan” program to help micro and small fi rms meet their 13th month payouts.

DOLE said it is considering providing the support since it noted no company can be exempted from Presidential Decree (PD) 851, which grants the 13th month benefit for employees in the private sector.

Under the decree, the 13th month pay should be “proportionate” to the total salary earned by workers in a year divided by 12 months.

“ ere is a saying that the law may be hard [to follow], but it is the law. is [PD 851] is a basic social legislation to help [workers],” Laguesma said.

He urged employers to give the 13th month benefit of their workers before its deadline on December 24, 2022.

High biz costs, supply chain woes to be addressed by exports plan

urge all our exporters to grab this opportunity to listen, learn, and participate in the diverse exportrelated topics and export marketing activities that will happen this 1st week of December. To be globally competitive, we must actively engage, learn and seek opportunities for continuous development,” Peñaranda said.

According to DTI, every fi rst week of December is declared Exporters’ Week per Presidential Proclamation 931, series of 1996.

BUDGET HURDLES 2ND, 3RD READING IN SENATE

Angara, the 2013 budget’s main sponsor, but the Senate still expects to meet its timelines as set with the House of Representatives, in order for the 19th Congress to have a budget sent to Malacañang and signed into law in December.

Aside from trade and investment, Vuong said the bilateral talks between Philippines and Vietnam could also be expanded to cover defense and security, education and training, science and technology, tourism as well as people-to-people exchange.

Samuel P. Medenilla

“ e next Philippine Export Development Plan is more aggressive, highlighting technology and stronger collaborations towards innovation, skills upgrading, and integration to help counter the negative impacts of issues such as red tape, supply chain disruptions, increasing business costs, climate change, and other challenges,” said OrtizLuis Jr., and Export Development Council (EDC) Vice Chairman in a statement shared by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Wednesday.

e remarks were made by Ortiz-Luis as the DTI, through the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB), in partnership with the Export Development Council (EDC) and the Philexport, is set to resume the onsite conduct of the National Exporters’ Week (NEW) activities from December 1 to 7, 2022.

e Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) for 2023-2028

will be launched during the 2022 National Export Congress (NEC) which will be held on December 7. e DTI said the NEC will cover discussions on how the government aims to pave the way for “exporting breakthroughs” in the next six years.

“ e PEDP shall defi ne the country’s medium-term and annual export thrusts, strategies, programs and projects and shall be jointly implemented by the government, exporters, and other concerned sectors,” the DTI said in the NEC invitation.

“ e new PEDP is envisioned to take an industry development centric approach in export development through, among others, attracting export-oriented investments in innovation-driven sectors to increase product and service diversification,” it added.

Meanwhile, Ortiz-Luis expressed optimism that despite the

SERGIO R. ORTIZ-LUIS JR.

many challenges, the export industry can achieve its growth target of nearly $120 billion to $130 billion from exports of goods and services in the next five years.

For his part, DTI-Trade Promotions Group (TPG) Assistant Secretary Glenn G. Peñaranda has encouraged Philippine exporters to participate in the event, which he said will help exporters to be globally competitive.

“ e thematic discussions and activities during 2022 NEW aim to capacitate Philippine exporters, particularly [micro, small, and medium enterprises] MSMEs, as they go through their exporting journey from developing their products and services, creating their marketing and promotion strategies, and delivering to their customers. We

e agency said the government and the private sector commit to working together continuously to sustain export promotion and development.

For this year’s celebration, the Trade department said a series of activities are organized free of charge for Philippine exporters and would-be exporters.

“Four Usapang Exports sessions will be lined up with extensive export-related topics, business-tobusiness matching activities, and an exhibition featuring exporters, export enablers, and e-commerce platforms and service providers.

e event will be held at the Marriott Hotel, Pasay City,” the DTI said.

With the activities lined up, DTI said exporters will also be able to reach out, network, and seek guidance from our Export Enablers in the Exporters and Export Enablers’ Exhibit on December 5 and 6, 2022, which will feature exportrelated services of government agencies, fi nancing institutions, startups, and other trade-related organizations.

CA confirms Bersamin, Diokno

THE 24-member Commission on Appointments on Wednesday confi rmed the ad interim appointments of former Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin as Executive Secretary of the Office of the President and former Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno as Secretary of the Department of Finance.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, presiding chairman of the Commission on Appointments affi rmed Bersamin has the full support of lawmakers comprising the bicameral body empowered to confi rm presidential appointments. At the same time, Zubiri assured full support for Diokno, recalling how he had the quickest appointment in recent CA history, with the CA approving his

USDA...

e country’s sugar production as of November 13 rose by 33 percent year-on-year to 392,637 MT driven by higher sugarcane milled, based on latest SRA data.

SRA data showed that total sugarcanes milled as of the reference period reached 4.682 MMT, 29.11

appointment after a 5-minute deliberation as DBM Secretary in 2016.

“His [Diokno] leadership is unquestionable in steering the ship of state in these very troubled fi nancial times,” Zubiri said. “ e DOF for me is in great hands under the stewardship of this fi ne patriot and gentleman. ank you for your continued service to our country,” Zubiri said.

Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada conveyed his support for the appointment of Diokno.

Estrada said he knows the nominee personally, he having served under the administration of his father, former President Joseph Estrada. “I think he is one of the best Cabinet secretaries under the administration of my father,” he said.

Butch Fernandez

percent higher than the 3.626 MMT recorded in the same period of last year.

However, despite the higher raw sugar production and entry of imported stocks, the retail price of the commodity remains elevated.

SRA data showed that the average retail price of raw sugar in Metro Manila as of November 11 was at P87.535 per kilogram while refi ned sugar retail price averaged at P101.86 per kilogram.

Seventeen senators were designated members of the bicameral panel, with Finance Committee chief Juan Edgardo Angara chairing the Senate contingent. Members are Senators Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Imee Marcos, Cynthia Villar, JV Ejercito, Ronald dela Rosa, Sherwin Gatchalian, Bong Go, Risa Hontiveros, Mark Villar, Alan Peter Cayetano, Chiz Escudero, Nancy Binay, Grace Poe, Francis Tolentino and Jinggoy Estrada.

Earlier, Minority Leader Pimentel also pointed out that the budget is not really P5.268 trillion and to state it as such is misleading. Manifesting his reservation that “the presentation of the budget is not accurate,” Pimentel noted that the budget tucks in P588 billion in unprogrammed expenditures, which he stressed must be included in the computation. “So, actually the increase on the budget year on year is not 4 percent, it is actually 11 percent.”

He also lamented that the lump sums are still found in it, the most famous being the confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) that he had actively opposed not just for their sheer magnitude, but because the CIFs of civilian agencies not traditionally doing security work—such as the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education— are growing bigger. Pimentel said having too many CIF items in the budget ties the hands of state auditors.

“Given the current defi nition of what a confidential fund is, civilian agencies cannot be justifi able recipients of such funds,” Pimentel stressed.

However, he eventually voted in the affi rmative on third reading, and pointed out several “good features” of the appropriations bill.

First, he said, it gives priority to agriculture, with the Department of Agriculture budget increasing by 44 percent.

It also “observes the constitutional priority” to education and social services; and gives ample support to the health sector.

“For the fi rst time, we have a budget for the [newly created] Department of Migrant Workers [DMW],” he said.

e budget bill “also attempts to help LGUs [local government units],” Pimentel noted.

While he had repeatedly done his work as fi scalizer while the budget was being deliberated on, Pimentel concluded that the “attitude should be to give it the benefit of the doubt,” it being the Marcos administration’s fi rst full-year budget.

Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros said she will submit her explanation of vote in writing.

supports small-scale miners

THE country’s largest labor group is now pushing for new legislation which will cut red tape for the government registration of small scale miners.

In a statement on Wednesday, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) President Raymond C. Mendoza backed the pronouncement of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. that he wants to update Republic Act (RA) No. 7076 or the Act Creating A People’s SmallScale Mining Program to ensure small-scale miners enjoy “social assistance and labor protection.”

Marcos said currently most of the small-scale mining activities in the country are unregistered, which leaves its workers vulnerable to precarious working conditions.

Mendoza, who is also a deputy speaker at the House of Representatives, said a possible amendment to RA 7076 will make it easier for interested parties to register in the Minahang Bayan program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Minahang Bayan or the People’s Small-Scale Mining Area is an initiative of DENR, which aims to regulate small-scale mining through registration.

Based on its October 2022 data, DENR reported that there are al-

ready 100 Minahang Bayan sites nationwide.

Mendoza said this could rise if DENR futher streamlines its processing for applicants. “ is can be principally achieved by streamlining the Minahang Bayan petitioning, licensing, and registration processes by promoting localized access, simplifying documentary requirements, ensuring affordable fees, ensuring reasonable application time, establishing one-stop-shops, and leveraging technology,” Mendoza said.

TUCP said there are an estimated 200,000 to 500,000 small-scale miners nationwide, which could benefit from the “legitimization and formalization” of their operations.

PHILIPPINE Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) President Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr. said the next Philippine Export Development Plan will be “more aggressive” to combat issues such as rising business costs and supply chain disruptions.

The Nation

DILG kicks off campaign to end violence against women

By Glen Jacob Jose

DEPARTMENT of the In terior and Local

Govern ment (DILG) Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. has issued the guidelines for the 2022 observance of the 18-day campaign to end violence against women (VAW).

T he six-page Memorandum Cir cular (MC) 2022-146 dated Novem ber 21 signed by Abalos, stated that this year’s campaign will spotlight the gains and milestones achieved in the bid to prevent and address VAW in the country and this will be done through the assessment of VAW-related laws implementation and enhancement of initiatives for such measures.

T he MC stated that this year will mark the start of the new six year (2022-2027) recurring theme for the campaign; “United for a VAW-free Philippines.’’

A balos explained that the MC will “guide the stakeholders on the national observance of the 18-day campaign to End Violence Against Women from November 25 to De cember 12, 2022.

Pursuant to Proclamation 1172, Series of 2006 which declares November 25 to December 12 of every year as the 18-day campaign to end violence against women and Republic Act [RA] No. 10398 which declares November 25 of every year as the National Consciousness Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children, the Philippine Commission on Women [PCW] in collaboration with the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and their Children [IAVAWC] is spearheading the ob servance of the 18-day campaign to End Violence Against Women [VAW],’’ read the MC.

With the issuance of the MC, Aba los ordered the DILG regional direc tors to immediately disseminate the directive to all concerned local gov ernment units [LGUs] within their respective jurisdictions.

A balos also requested the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Minister of the Interior and Local Government to circulate the same MC to all local officials within the territory.

Carl, ‘Kulot’s’ case: Caloocan judge convicts cop for torture, planting of evidence in 2017 drug op

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

THE Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Caloocan City has declared Police Officer 1 Jeffrey Perez guilty of planting of evidence and torture in connection with the brutal killings of teenagers Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo “Kulot”

In a 36-page ruling issued by Caloocan RTC Branch 122 Presiding Rodrigo Pascua Jr., the trial court gave more weight to the testimony of star witness Arnold Perlada, along with the findings of Dr. Erwin Erfe, a forensic consultant and designated direct of the Public Attorney’s Office Forensic Laboratory Service, in con victing Perez of violation of Republic Act 9745 or the Anti-Torture Act of 2010 (two counts) and violation of Section 38 of RA 10591 or the Com prehensive Firearms and Ammuni

tion Regulation Act and Section 29 of RA 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 for planting of evidence.

“After a careful scrutiny of the records and evaluation of the pieces of evidence presented by the prosecu tion, the Court is convinced that the prosecution was able to overcome its burden,” the trial court said.

The Court finds the testimony of Perlada on matters relevant to the case before us, corroborated by the forensic report and the expert testimony of Dr. Erfe worthy of

belief,” it added.

Perez, along with his co-accused PO1 Ricky Arquilita, claimed that Arnaiz was killed in a shooting in cident during a legitimate anti-ille gal drug operation. Arquilita died during the pendency of the trial of the case, which extinguished his criminal liability.

Perlada testified that on August 17, 2017, he and a friend came from a par ty in Taksay Street in Caloocan when he witnessed Arnaiz’s killing.

Perlada said he saw the accused bringing Arnaiz out of a parked po lice car with “Caloocan” signage and ordered him to kneel on a grassy area.

T hen he saw Arnaiz holding up his bound wrists and shouted “susuko na po ako,” but was shot three times.

T he witness also testified that he saw another young boy inside the po lice car that night, who is believed to be de Guzman, a friend of Arnaiz.

A rnaiz and de Guzman went missing from their residence in Cainta, Rizal.

T heir bodies were later found in a creek in Gapan, Nueva Ecija with Arnaiz sustaining gunshot wounds, while de Guzman was stabbed 30 times.

Forensic examination on Arnaiz’s body showed that he was kneeling when he was shot several times on the chest, suggesting intentional killing on the part of the accused.

It was also discovered that Ar naiz was tortured before he was killed as his wrists were swollen and bore handcuff marks and his eyes were bruised.

Meanwhile, the autopsy on de Guzman showed that he was tor tured prior to his death with 28 stab wounds.

His body was found on September 5, 2017 in a creek in Nueva Ecija with his head wrapped in packing tape.

PO1 Jeffrey S. Perez is found guilty beyond reasonable doubt for all the crimes charged against him,” Pascua said in his ruling dated No vember 10.

For violation of Republic Act 9745 or the Anti-Torture Act of 2010 against Arnaiz, the court sentenced Perez to a prison term of six months as minimum to four years and two months as maximum.

For violation of the same law in re lation to de Guzman, the accused was sentenced to reclusion perpetua.

In the case of planting of evidence

under Section 29 of RA 9165 on Ar naiz, the court meted two life terms against Perez, in addition to “absolute perpetual disqualification from any public office.”

F or planting of evidence under Section 38 of RA 10591, the trial court sentenced Perez to reclu sion perpetua.

“Additionally, accused is hereby ordered to pay the heirs of Carl Ange lo Arnaiz and Reynaldo de Guzman alias Kulot moral damages amount ing to P1 million and exemplary damages amounting to P1 million, or a total of P2 million for each of the victim’s heirs,” the court said.

An interest at the rate of 6 per cent per annum shall be imposed on all monetary awards from the date of finality of this decision until fully paid,” the court added.

Furthermore, the court said the victim’s heirs are “likewise entitled to claim for compensation as pro vided under Republic Act 7309 for an amount to be determined by the government agency concerned.”

R A 7309 is the law that created the Board of Claims for victims of unjust imprisonment or detention and victims of violent crimes.

Villafuerte ‘cautiously optimistic’ on polluters’ pledge at COP27

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

ASENIOR lawmaker is “cau tiously optimistic” on recent commitment by the world’s largest polluters at the just-conclud ed global warming forum in Egypt of hefty financial aid for develop ing nations like the Philippines that have done little to cause planet heat ing and yet are bearing the brunt of climate upheavals caused by rising world temperatures.

C amarines Sur Rep. Luis Ray mund Villafuerte, in a news state ment, said the initial pledges made by rich states to this “loss and dam age” fund last weekend at COP27 was just a little over $200 million, a “puny” amount when compared to the $100 billion in annual funds for climate financing that they have pledged in 2009, but which they have yet to meet till now.

“ The failure—again—of afflu

ent economies that have grown richer from their largely unchecked GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions to move with fast and real urgency at the just-finished, two-week COP27 in Egypt in holding the world’s car bon pollution to 1.5 degrees Celsius of pre-industrial levels and forking over $100 billion in climate mitiga tion and adaptation funds to the highest-risk countries like the Phil ippines gives reason for guarded or cautious optimism,” Villafuerte said. Worse, he said, “there was no concrete steps included in the final COP27 accord passed last weekend to hit the target in the Paris Climate Accords of 2015  [Paris Agreement] of making the world’s economy carbon-neutral by 2050 by limit ing global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius of the pre-industrialization levels, in order to prevent the worst of climate change from happening in the decades ahead.”

In fact, he added, reported stone

SPEAKER Martin Romualdez

on Wednesday personally pre sented a copy of House Resolu tion (HR) 571 further strengthening the ties between Manila and Hanoi through the Philippine-Vietnam Par liamentarian’s Friendship Society to National Assembly of Vietnam Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

R omualdez welcomed the visit of his Vietnamese counterpart by pre senting to him a copy of the said HR during their meeting at the House of Representatives.

Hue, accompanied by other Viet namese lawmakers and government officials, arrived Wednesday morn ing for a three-day official visit to the country.

Mr. President, please accept this copy of House Resolution No. 34 as a token of the commitment of the House of Representatives to be a steadfast partner of our Vietnam brethren walking lockstep along the path of mutual peace and develop ment for both our nations,” Romual dez said, who was invited by Hue to visit Vietnam.

F or his part, Hue thanked Ro mualdez and the Philippine law makers for their warm welcome as he also stressed the importance of strengthening the strategic partnership between the two

countries and enhancing trade and economic relations, as well as people-to-people exchanges.

I n adopting HR 34, the House said, “Among the ten [10] mem ber countries of the Asean InterParliamentary Assembly [AIPA], the Philippines and Vietnam have developed a special relation through the years anchored on shared goals, common visions, and mutual interests for the benefit of their peoples and towards a genu inely peaceful and productive path in regional cooperation.”

As a member of the Asean, the Philippines accords great impor tance to its continuing friendship with the member countries, espe cially with Vietnam, and views the friendship and historical ties of solidarity and cooperation among the Southeast Asian countries as essential elements to attain peace and prosperity in the region,” the resolution added.

To achieve its purpose of further strengthening Philippines-Vietnam ties, HR 34 called for the continua tion of the existing exchange of visits by parliamentarians from both coun tries and through the designation of official members of the PhilippineVietnam Parliamentarian’s Friend ship Society (PVPFS) from the ranks

of lawmakers in the House.

T he resolution designated the chairman of the House Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Diplomacy as chairperson of the PVPFS, with the chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs as the vice chairman.

Members of the PVPFS include the Deputy Speakers and the chairs of the Committees on Economic Affairs, Trade and Industry, Agri culture, National Defense, and the West Philippine Sea, along with the vice-chair of the Committee on InterParliamentary Relations and Diplo macy and other members as may be designated by the Speaker.

T he friendship society between lawmakers of the Philippines and Vietnam was organized nearly a de cade ago, on March 18, 1993, when the House unanimously adopted House Resolution No. 30. On the other hand, diplomatic relations between the two countries were es tablished on July 12, 1976.

It was during the bilateral meet ing between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the 40th and 41st Asean Summits in Cambodia when the latter announced Hue’s visit to the Philippines. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

walling by wealthy Middle Eastern and African states prompted the deletion from the text of the final COP27 agreement, a provision on committing to phase out the use of all fossil fuels.

How can the world accelerate de carbonization without a calibrated phase out of the use of all fossil fuels, which are the main culprits for rap idly increasing global temperatures responsible for the increasingly dead lier climate disasters,” he added.

V illafuerte, who is also president of the National Unity Party (NUP), was referring to the 27th United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference that took place from November 6 to 18 in the Egyptian city of Sharm El Sheik, and, which, he said, was capped by the initiative of the world’s affluent states to put up a new climate loss and damage fund as some sort of repatriation to poorer economies now wracked by worsening climate hazards like

storm surges, flash floods, land slides and droughts.

Earlier, Villafuerte said that Presi dent Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s resolute advocacy of urgent climate action on the international stage—from New York to Bangkok—has cast our Chief Executive, whether he likes or not, as the champion or point person of high-risk developing economies long seeking financial and technical aid from wealthy nations responsible for unbridled GHG emissions.

V illafuerte noted that in his engagements at last week’s 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meet ing (AELM) in Bangkok, Thailand, “Mr. Marcos had strongly pushed for collective action from APEC’s 21 member-states on dealing with three urgent issues to hasten global recovery from Covid-19, and one of these concerns is climate change.”

A s for COP27, Villafuerte said: “In what has been seen by

certain quarters as a breakthrough for the most climate-vulnerable countries like the Philippines that need an ever-increasing amount of money to fight off planet heating, COP27 ended last weekend with an agreement for the world’s biggest carbon polluters to help compensate developing states for the weather disasters wrought on the latter by fast-rising global temperatures.”

“ While we should welcome this fresh pledge of financial support for high-risk nations in fighting climate change,” said Villafuerte, “I am cau tiously optimistic that such a COP27 pledge will actually help the world move fast and real enough to meet the declared global resolves in past COPs to limit planet warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius of pre-industrial levels and for the biggest GHG emitters to cough up a combined $100 billion yearly for the climate mitigation and adaptation programs of island nations and other highly vulnerable  countries.”

Implementation of Davao Region’s MDDA law pushed

LAWMAKER from Mindanao on Wednesday called for the implementation of the law creating the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority (MDDA) to continue the economic expansion of the Davao Region.

Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte said the MDDA would put in place efficient and long-term solutions to the challenges facing the rapid ur banization and progress of one of the fastest growing regional economies in the country.

D uterte, in a news statement, noted that Metro Davao spurred the pre-pandemic growth of the Davao Region to 7 percent in 2019, making it the country’s third fastest growing regional economy.

Even amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Davao Region continued its eco nomic expansion at 5.9 percent in 2021, which is above the national level, said Duterte citing data from the Phil ippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Under Republic Act (RA) 11708 or the MDDA law, Metropolitan Davao is composed of the cities of Davao, Panabo, Tagum, Island Garden in Samal, Digos, and Mati, as well as the municipalities of Sta. Cruz, Hagonoy, Padada, Malalag, Sulop, Carmen, Maco, Malita and Sta. Maria in the Davao Region.

Duterte noted that Metro Davao spurred the pre-pandemic growth

of the Davao Region to 7 percent in 2019, making it the country’s third fastest regional economy. Even amid a pandemic, the Davao Region con tinued its economic expansion at 5.9 percent in 2021, which is above the national level, said Duterte citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

T he development of Metro Davao, which serves as the economic and administrative core of the Davao Region and the entire Mindanao, re quires a unified approach to lessen, or even nip in the bud the problems that plague fragmented urban com munities, Duterte said.

We should not delay anymore the implementation of the law creating the MDDA. Metro Davao is seven times the size of Metro Manila and even bigger than the land area of Singapore. The MDDA is necessary so that the development plans of the cities and municipalities comprising Metro Davao will move in a synchro nized path that is beneficial to all,” Duterte pointed out.

We can save Metro Davao from haphazard planning and transform it into a smart, sustainable, and re silient metropolis if the Metro Davao Development Authority can start do ing its job,” added Duterte, who was one of the principal authors of the MDDA law in the 18th Congress.  Duterte said the MDDA’s respon

sibilities and functions are designed to further energize Mindanao’s econ omy, expand job and business oppor tunities and improve the delivery of public services in the Davao Region.  A mong the key concerns that the MDDA should urgently address is Metro Davao’s infrastructure sys tem, its transportation policies and programs, solid waste disposal and flood control management, water and power supply, urban planning and shelter concerns, Duterte said.  He added that with the MDDA in place, Metro Davao could further boost the development of Mindanao, and transform it into a major eco nomic gateway in Asia.   Under the law, the Metropolitan  Davao Development Council (MDDC) will serve as the MDDA’s governing board and policy-making body.

T he Davao Regional Development Council began drafting the MDDA law’s Implementing Rules and Regu lations and the initial budget as well as the MDDC’s staffing pattern in May this year. The final outputs will be endorsed to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

T he 18th Congress passed the MDDA law in the final months of the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. The law was signed by Duterte in April 2022, with only two months left before the end of his term. Jovee

Marie N. Dela Cruz

de Guzman in August 2017.

House adopts reso on stronger Philippines, Vietnam relations ‘for mutual peace, devt’

BusinessMirror

Move It welcomes issuance of DOTr order reviving motorcycle taxi TWG

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

THE Department of Trans portation (DOTr) has or dered the reconstitution of a technical working group (TWG) on motorcycle (MC) taxis, a move that third player Move It called a “win-win solution for commuters and industry drivers.”

I n a department order (DO) dated November 7, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista called for the revival of the TWG as the body that would “oversee and moni tor the continuous pilot implemen tation of MC taxi operations.”

A ccording to the order, the TWG shall be composed of the DOTr As

sistant Secretary and chief of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) as chair; a board member of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) as vice chair; and the chief of the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic, chairperson of the Office for Trans portation Cooperatives, chief of the LTO-Law Enforcement Staff, chief of the LTFRB Technical Division, and representatives from the DOTr Road Transport and Infrastructure Office, or their duly authorized representatives, as members.

T he Secretariat shall be com posed of representatives from the LTO and LTFRB.

R epresentatives from the Met ropolitan Manila Development

Authority and the Committees on Transportation of the House of Representatives and the Senate shall also form part of the TWG to ensure that a whole-of-gov ernment approach is undertak en in the issuance of additional guidelines for the continued pilot implementation.

Under the order, the TWG has the power to review and supple ment guidelines and regulations, as maybe necessary; ensure proper and effective coordination among all concerned government agen cies and stakeholders involved; and ensure that the data and informa tion from the pilot implementation shall be properly reviewed and sub mitted to Congress.

“ The reconstitution of the TWG ensures the continuous operation of MC taxis pending enactment of the appropriate legislation legal izing and regulating the MC ridehailing service in the country,” Move It said. “While we await for that law, it is important that our commuters continue to have ac cess to affordable, safe and faster mode of public transportation that is MC taxi.”

Move It, one of the three firms taking part in the governmentbacked pilot study for the safety and viability of MC taxis, expressed hope the reconstitution of TWG will lead to the swift passage of the proposed “MC Taxi Act.”

We earnestly hope that the re

convening of the TWG will provide a stronger basis for the MC taxi to be legalized,” Move It said. “The grow ing traffic concern calls for various innovative options. In the metropo lis, the legalization of MC taxi creates a seamless door-to-door experience for commuters.”

It likewise called for the govern ment to ensure an environment of “free and open competition” to en sure maximum benefit to the public.

It is about time that the govern ment allows more players and not limit the MC taxi business to only three companies so that we can give our commuters more options. The convenience and safety of our com muters should be our primordial concern,” Move It said.

to host world’s first green travel trade show

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

OVER 20 countries will be participating in the world’s first green travel trade show to be held in the Phil ippines next year.

I n a news conference on Tues day, former Tourism Secretary Mina Gabor said some “400-500 delegates” from all over the world are expected to participate in the International Ecotourism Travel Mart (IETM), which will be held from March 29 to April 2, 2023, in Silang, Cavite.

T he travel mart will feature the world’s buyers and sellers of eco tourism packages; exhibitors of ec otourism-related and sustainabilityadvancing products, services and

destinations; as well as speakers and panelists in a two-day forum and certification course.

She told the BusinessMirror the travel mart will “expose delegates to the experts in ecotourism; I think they’ll be able to learn about ecotour ism in such a short time.” She added, travel the fair will also expose the green and sustainable products of the country.

“ We [also] want to show [Filipino delegates] the best ecotourism sites of the other countries, or how the other countries are actually devel oping their sites. There will be a lot of presentations and especially in the tourism forum, they will show the best practices in ecotourism, how people are taking care of their areas, etc.,” said Gabor, who is chair and president of the Silang-based International School for Sustain

able Tourism, which is co-presenting the event with Asian Ecotourism Network (AEN), along with the co-organizer, the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB).

Gabor cited Palawan as a leader in ecotourism, in particular El Nido Resorts of the Ayala Group.

For her part, ACB Executive Direc tor Dr. Mundita S. Lim said, the inter national travel mart “elevates tourism as a leader in promoting the balance between economic development and harnessing nature as a means to over come current challenges.”

C iting challenges that Asean heritage parks faced during the Co vid-19 pandemic, Lim noted there is a growing awareness that nature is part of the solution to public health and climate change-related problems, as people are excited to be back outdoors again.

W hile acknowledging its social costs, Leechiu said the contribution of POGOs to the economy should be weighed carefully. He had noted before that the property sector ac counts for a substantial share of the listed firms in the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

Dela Rosa’s concern: Data

FOR his part, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, chairman of the Peace and Order committee which is jointly conducting the POGO inquiry, mean while grilled officials on the social cost of POGOs.

D ela Rosa questioned the basis

for citing “continuing vulnerabili ties” when police data have shown a total halt to POGO-related crime since the surge in such incidents spurred a full investigation by the police and the NBI, alongside the Senate investigation.

Dela Rosa also asked concerned

T here are 51 heritage sites in Asean member-economies, which are important in preserving a wide array of ecosystems in the region. Of these, Lim noted that 80 percent are engaged in ecotourism.

L ocal communities in many of these sites have seen a drastic de cline in visitors during the pandemic. She cited the cases of communities around the Gunung Leusur Nation al Park in North Sumatra, and the Way Kambas National Park in Lam pung province, where elephants and orangutans are present.

“ But these days, as the region is slowly recovering from the impact of the global health cri sis, mass tourism is slowly being into more eco-friendly tourism ventures.  We see opportunities for greater participation of lo cal communities, empowerment

of local cultures, and enhancing windows for sustainability and continuity,” said Lim.

Meanwhile, Masaru Takayama, IETM co-chair and AEN president, said via Zoom, “Experts, ecotour ism practitioners, advocates, par ticipants and exhibitors are ex pected at the IETM for the great opportunity to learn and network across cultures.”

A EN, which is the Asian initia tive of the Global Ecotourism Net work based in Costa Rica, provides relevant opportunities for mem bers to work together on a regional scale. It actively seeks out channels for growth opportunities with both small and large organizations with in Asia and shares among members significant information and educa tional materials. The Philippines is an active AEN member.

PPA probes collection of pax insurance fees at ports

THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has warned the public against the illegal collection of “insurance fee” at ports follow ing reports that passengers are be ing required to pay the fee prior to vessel boarding.

PPA issued a memorandum to all port managers nationwide to reit erate strict implementation of PPA Memorandum Circular No. 06-2010 or the “Prohibition on the Mandatory Sale of Passenger Insurance Cover age,” which states that no additional insurance shall be collected from passengers at ports under the PPA.

According to existing rules and reg ulations, all passengers boarding the ships are already covered by the insur ance policy of the ship in case of occur rence of any untoward incident while they are on board, thus, collection of mandatory passenger insurance that only entails additional expenses to the riding-public is no longer needed.

PPA General Manager Jay San tiago emphasized that PPA person nel who will be found involved in the unauthorized collection of ille gal fees from passenger, including the insurance fee at port, shall face administrative charges.

“ Heads will roll once proven guilty of unauthorized collection of fees inside the port, including this mandatory passenger insurance.

The PPA management is taking this matter very seriously as we are after the welfare and comfort of our pas sengers,” said Santiago.

Under Executive Order No. 170, the government lowers the cost of all “in ter-island transportation,” to which in response, PPA issued Memorandum Circular No. 17-2003 on July 16, 2003 that provides that only terminal fees and nothing else should be collected from passengers at the ports.

officials how they quantify social cost, adding, “we should have solid data” on this, so as not to be stam peded into a solution.          The senator clarified that he is neither “pro-POGO nor anti-POGO” but simply wants to make sure the claims of social costs are based on

solid data. He alluded to the earlier Senate investigation on the evils of e-sabong, the suspension of which he had pushed on account of the glaring social cost—the disappearance of over 30 people associated with elec tronic cockfights, and who remain missing until now.

Meanwhile, per Republic Act No. 9295 or the “Domestic Shipping De velopment Act of 2004,” ship own ers are mandated to have insurance allotted for each passenger with an equivalent value of at least P200,000 for usage in the event of any accident during their sea travel.

“ The law is clear that there should be no other expense on the part of the passengers at ports. I encouraged the public to report any incident of collec tion other than the terminal fee being charged to them,” Santiago stressed.

By Glen Jacob Jose

AT least 10 cops from the Drug Enforcement Group of the Philippine National Police (PDEG) have been relieved from their assignments amid the ongoing investigation over the  990 kilos of “shabu” seized following an opera tion in Manila that also led to the arrest of a police sergeant who owns a lending agency.

M aster Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr., owner of Wealth and Personal Development Lending Inc. in Sta. Cruz, Manila and an intelligence officer of the PDEG was arrested after he yielded at least two kilos of shabu inside his car in a followup operation in Quiapo, Manila on October 9.

According to PNP Spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo, Mayo and his co horts were temporarily transferred to the Personnel Holding and Ac counting unit (PHAU) at Camp Crame, so as not to influence the ongoing investigation of the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG)

“No less than the Chief PNP [Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr.] issued an order to really investigate this case…,” Faja rdo told reporters in an interview.

S he added that she doesn’t have the exact number on how many were relieved, but she placed an initial count of 10 affected police men and non-commissioned per sonnel to pave way in the ongoing investigation.

“I don’t have the list right now but I understand that his [Mayo’s] highest immediate supervisor, a lieutenant colonel who is the chief of the NCR Special Operations Units [SOU] of the PDEG, so he was relieved under the doctrine of command responsi bility…when this incident happened and the others are junior officers who are members of the team leaders of these NCR teams,” said Fajardo.

She explained that with respect to the relief of some PDEG personnel, they were not implicated by Mayo, but were nevertheless relieved to give way to the ongoing investigation.

PBBM to Pinoy scientists, researchers: Stay in PHL and we will support you

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Mar cos Jr. on Wednesday called on local scientists and researchers to come up with new technologies to address climate change and help the country achieve food security and economic transformation.

I n his speech at the 2022 Na tional Science and Technology Week (NSTW) in Pasay City, the President said the government must set the agenda for compa nies and institutions engaged in research and development (R&D) so they could have direct contri bution in nation building.

[The] problem that we are find

ing is that research is not directed. Everyone has their own program, has their own projects. It’s not their fault. They’re studying what they’re interested in,” Marcos said.

We in government have to give di rection so that the output of our R&D is immediately useful to our farmers, to our businessmen, to our MSMEs [mi cro, small, and medium enterprises], to our citizens,” Marcos said.

National priorities

HE noted several researchers have already conducted studies, which provide new solutions for pressing national problems on food securi ty, job creation, health, education and climate change adaptation, among others.

A mong the innovations, which he cited is the GeoRiskPH Integrat ed System that allows the govern ment to consolidate hazard and risk data and then share and analyze it through the platform.

T he President also lauded the Collaborative Research and Development to Leverage Philip pine Economy (CRADLE) and Small Enterprise Technology Upgrad ing Program (SETUP) programs of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), which help companies, particularly MSMEs to improve their products, processes, and services to boost their produc tivity and competitiveness.

A side from setting research agen da, the President said the govern

ment, particularly, local officials, also have a crucial role in main streaming the new technologies from local researchers.

“I think that it is absolutely neces sary that you invite all the LGUs [lo cal government units] or a represen tative thereof to come and see some of the available technologies because many of these are immediately ap plicable to the local government— the local communities around the country. And this will provide new opportunities,” Marcos said.

Government support

THE government, through the DOST, will continue to provide aid to local researchers through schol arships and other support, accord

ing to Marcos.   T he President hopes the com mitment will convince researchers to remain in the country and share their knowledge to others.

We underscore the important role of our scientists, our researchers, and engineers who diligently conduct studies, generate new knowledge, and devise better strategies to safe guard and advance [the] well-being of Filipinos,” Marcos said.

Let us dedicate our knowledge and skills, [and] work harmoni ously so as to uplift the lives of our countrymen as we take fur ther strides towards a more in formed, a more inclusive, more prosperous, [and] more sustain able nation,” he added.

By Andrea E. San Juan

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

TO boost the production of pro cessed banana byproducts, members of the Agape MultiPurpose Cooperative based in Barangay Agape, Loboc, Bohol recently received a processing facility from the Depart ment of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

T he group has 105 members and they are currently producing banana chips, which are being sold through the floating restaurants cruising the Loboc River, a popular ecotourism activity in Bohol.

T he group is currently seeking Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for their product, an impor tant step in the commercialization of food products and byproducts.

A joint project of DAR under the Village Level Farm-Focused Enter prise Development (VILFED) and the Department of Trade and Industry,

Cooperative Development Authority, and the local government of Loboc, the construction of the P450,000 processing facility aims to further develop the group’s products.

Ronald Pumatong, DAR Provin cial Agrarian Reform Program Of ficer, said the project is in line with Secretary Conrado Estrella III’s direc tive to develop quality food products produced by farmers themselves, and help them penetrate and compete in the commercial markets.

The project aims to develop and strengthen the agri-enterprises of the farmers’ organization and its members to enable them to sustain the productivity of the lands awarded to them by the government,” Puma tong said in a news statement.

He explained that establishing farm-focused community enter prises promotes value-adding ac tivities to the major and secondary crops of the farmers.

THE Board of Investments (BOI) is currently processing 55 projects under the Infor mation Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) sec tor that have registered with BOI to adopt up to 100 percent work-fromhome (WFH) arrangement.

“As of November 17,2022, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) has endorsed for registration with BOI 163 projects under the ITBPM sector with a total investment of P13.9 billion,” the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said in a news statement issued on Monday.

However, the DTI, as BOI’s mother agency, revealed that of the 163 proj ects, the BOI is currently processing only 55 projects, which it said, have already paid the administrative fee.

T he DTI said Registered Business Enterprises (RBEs) that can exercise the option to register with BOI are: RBEs that have remaining tax incen tives under Section 311 of Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for En terprises (CREATE) law; and RBEs

with approved incentives on or before September 14, under the CREATE law with the concerned investment promotion agency (IPA), particularly those currently registered with Peza, that intend to register with the BOI.

Pursuant to the DTI Memoran dum Circular No. 22-19, supported by the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB), which was issued last October 18, the RBEs have until December 31,2022 to exercise the option to register with BOI.

However, those who did not ex ercise the option shall no longer be allowed to register and shall be cov ered by Section 309 of CREATE.

Section 309 of Republic Act No. 11534 or CREATE law states: “A quali fied registered project or activity un der an Investment Promotion Agency administering an economic zone or freeport shall be exclusively conducted or operated within the geographical boundaries of the zone or free port being administered by the Investment Promotion Agency in which the project or activity is registered.”

I T and Business Process Associa tion of the Philippines (IBPAP) Presi

dent Jack Madrid said last June that the continued study and eventual amendment of Section 309 of CRE ATE can better address the long-term implementation of the work from home (WFH) or hybrid work.

Section 309 applies to RBEs regis tered with Peza. Meanwhile, the BOI is the only IPA not affected by the boundary constraints or zone limits.

Within 30 days from the issuance of the BOI Certificate of Registration, the DTI said covered RBEs shall sub mit to the concerned IPA the follow ing: list of equipment and/or other assets brought out of the economic or Freeport zones, including the number of laptops, desktops, or other assets; acquisition cost, book value, and year of acquisition of the equipment and other assets; and the total number of employees and number of employees under the WFH arrangement.

W hile some RBEs have availed of the paper transfer registration from Peza to BOI, the Peza noted in Oc tober that it would retain the moni toring and reporting of the subject locators’ performance and for other compliance requirements.

DILG and CCC strengthen partnership for LGU climate expenditure tagging

THE Department of the Interio rand Local Government (DILG) and the Climate Change Com mission (CCC) will collaborate to help build and strengthen the capacities of Local Government Units (LGUs) for Climate Expenditure Tagging. T he activity will help both the lo cal governments as well as concerned national government agencies (NGA) to determine how much have been

More investment

spent or would be spent for climate change-related programs, projects or activities.

T his as DILG Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. signed and is sued Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2022-144 enjoining LGUs and DILG offices to participate in the CCC’s we binar, “Leveraging Local Budgets in the Context of Covid-19 Recovery and Sustainable Environmental Manage

in

ment” on November 22 and 23. The MC also reminds local chief execu tives of their local governments’ sub missions under the Climate Change Expenditure Tagging (CCET).

T he webinar will feature new in sights on the intersections of climate action, health, sustainability, and lo cal climate investments. This webi nar is part of the celebration of the Climate Change Consciousness Week

with the theme “Sama-samang Tu mutugon sa Hamon ng Nagbabagong Klima.” Registration is open via the link: https://bit.ly/LocalCCET2022, the CCC said in a statement.

Pursuant to DBM-CCC-DILG JMC No. 2015-01, local governments at the provincial, city and municipal levels must submit their climatetagged Annual Investment Programs (AIPs) together with the Quality As

climate action to save lives and livelihood sought

TOP officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Climate Change Com mission (CCC) called for more investment in climate action while strengthening col laboration to achieve climate-resilient de velopment during the opening ceremony of the 15th Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week (CCC Week 2022) on Monday.

With the theme “Sama-samang Tumutu gon sa Hamon ng Nagbabagong Klima,” CCC Week 2022 draws together various climate change and environment stakeholders in the Philippines in a collective push towards transforming climate change commitments into action towards a climate-smart and climate-resilient Philippines by 2050.

P ursuant to Presidential Proclamation 1667 s. 2008, the CCC spearheads the an nual observance of Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week from November 19 to 25 aimed at raising con sciousness in addressing the impacts of the changing climate.

In a news statement, DENR Secretary Ma ria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, who represents President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in the

CCC stressed the importance of investing in initiatives to pursue climate resilience.

Citing the record-high P453.11 billion for climate change adaptation and mitigation at P289.73 billion, Loyzaga stressed the need for more investments to support the coun try’s climate-resilient development.

“ More investments are still needed if we are to make transformative strides to achieve climate-resilient development. The coming years will present more opportu nities to show how the whole-of-society effort can shape the future of our coun try,” Loyzaga said.

Sen. Cynthia Villar, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, Chairperson of the House Committee on Climate Change and Bohol First District Representative Edgar Chatto also joined the activity.

In her recorded message, Villar remarked that the impacts of climate change on bio diversity, food security, and our communi ties are becoming even more pronounced, thereby needing serious and urgent atten tion from all.

We should take climate change more seriously and urgently. We should rally all

communities to institute appropriate strat egies to [this] make environment climateresilient and not to initiate activities that would aggravate the sufferings of the peo ple,” said Villar. “Filipinos are called to do their parts to counter the ill effects of climate change,” she added.

C hatto, for her part, highlighted the need to collectively strengthen the capacities of communities to reduce loss and damage.

The vulnerability of our society is mea sured in three aspects: Susceptibility, Cop ing, and Adaptability. We may not control the natural events, but we need to strengthen our susceptibility measures, our coping mecha nisms in minimizing damage, adaptation or our long-term strategies to anticipate changes to mitigate or avoid the adverse ef fects and impacts,” said Chatto.

T he Opening Ceremony of the CCC Week 2022 took place at Novotel Manila. The Cli mate Investment Forum 2022 immediately followed the ceremony, which brought to gether various stakeholders to identify strat egies in achieving the Philippine Nationally Determined Contribution targets, priority actions on climate finance, and opportuni ties for climate action. Jonathan L. Mayuga

surance and Review (QAR) forms.

T he DILG and CCC work hand-inhand to build the capacities of local governments in mainstreaming cli mate change in local development plans and investment programs, through the Local CCET and Train ing of Trainers on enhanced Local Climate Change Action Planning, among other initiatives.

A balos received CCC Vice Chair

person Robert Borje during a cour tesy call last month, where both of ficials reaffirmed the importance of further strengthening DILG-CCC institutional partnership and in scal ing up climate change action capacity building projects for LGUs.

T hrough the DILG and CCC partnership, LGUs demonstrated increased capacities for climate ac tion and reporting. Jonathan L. Mayuga

PNP relieves 10 PDEG cops in ₧6-B ‘shabu’ case in Manila

Bohol farmers get ₧450K banana chip processing facility to boost production 55 IT-BPM firms enlist for full WFH arrangement with BOI

Violent protests erupt at Apple’s main iPhone factory in China

Taiwan says it’s in ‘comfortable’ position after Xi-Biden talks

By Sarah Zheng

TALKS between the leaders of China and the US were good for peace in Asia-Pacific, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said, underscoring how ten sions in the region have eased in recent weeks.

“The kinds of messages coming from the United States this time, we feel rather comfortable about the meetings,” Wu said Tuesday at a briefing in Taipei before islandwide elections.

considers part of its territory. The People’s Liberation Army held un precedented military drills around Taiwan after the visit, launching missiles over the island.

Even before those exercises, Chi na had been ramping up military, economic and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan. In November last year, Beijing said it was sanctioning top officials in Taipei including Wu, ac cusing them of “fanning up hostility across the Taiwan Strait.”

Workers at the Foxconn Tech nology Group plant streamed out of dormitories in the early hours of Wednesday, jostling and push ing past the white-clad guards they vastly outnumbered, according to videos sent by a witness to por tions of the protest. Several whitesuited people pummeled a person lying on the ground with sticks in another clip. Onlookers yelled “fight, fight!” as throngs of people forced their way past barricades. At one point, several surrounded an occupied police car and began rocking the vehicle while scream ing incoherently.

The protest started overnight over unpaid wages and fears of spreading infection, according to the witness, asking to remain anonymous for fear of repercus sions. Several workers were injured and anti-riot police arrived on the scene Wednesday to restore order, the person added.

In one video, irate workers sur rounded a silent, downcast man ager in a conference room to voice grievances and question their Cov id test results. It wasn’t clear when the meeting took place.

“I’m really scared about this place, we all could be Covid posi tive now,” a male worker said. “You are sending us to death,” another person said.

A Foxconn representative

declined to comment on the incident.

The rare instances of violence at the plant in the central city of Zhengzhou reflects a build-up of tensions since the lockdown began in October. Many among the vast workforce of more than 200,000 at “iPhone City” have been plunged into isolation, forced to subsist on spartan meals and scrounge for medication.

Many eventually fled the plant on foot last month. Foxconn and the local government appeared to have gotten the situation under control in recent weeks, promising unusually high wages to attract new staff and promising better working conditions.

Wednesday morning’s protests suggest that is no longer the case. It underscores how Xi Jinping’s Covid Zero policy, which relies on swift lockdowns to stamp out the disease wherever it pops up, is increasingly weighing on the economy and throwing swathes of the global supply chain into disarray. Beijing recently issued new directives ordering officials to minimize disruption and use more targeted Covid controls, but surging outbreaks in major cities have forced local authorities to reach for strict curbs again.

“It’s really a mess,” said Barry Naughton, a professor at the Uni

versity of California San Diego who specializes in Chinese economics.

“They’ve created a situation where the local decision makers are under intolerable pressure.”

The offshore yuan fell after Bloomberg’s report, extending losses and making it the worst performer in Asia on Wednesday.

The Chinese currency “is un derperforming its other Asian FX peers on reports of protests at Foxconn’s plant in Zhengzhou that supplies Apple products,” Stephen Innes, managing part ner at SPI Asset Management wrote in a note. “However, a broader, more optimistic inter pretation is that China is hitting the limits of ‘Covid zero’ and the authorities’ efforts to loosen re strictions will continue.”

Violence has erupted sporadi cally across China over Covid re strictions. In May, hundreds of workers clashed with security per sonnel at Quanta Computer Inc.’s factory in Shanghai after they were barred for months from contact with the outside world, while pro tests have emerged in locked-down areas of Guangdong, the southern manufacturing hub.

The Foxconn situation serves up another reminder of the dan gers for Apple of relying on a vast

production machine centered on China at a time of unpredict able policy and uncertain trade relations.

Zhengzhou is the site of Apple’s most critical production, churning out an estimated four in five of its latest-generation handsets and the vast majority of the highestend iPhone 14 Pro units. Apple warned this month that shipments of its newest premium iPhones will be lower than previously expect ed—just ahead of the peak holiday season shopping.

The sprawling compound has operated for weeks within a “closed loop,” or a self-contained bubble that limits contact with the out side world. That is keeping some production going. Apple and Fox conn have said they’re working to replace staff that have left and resume full production as soon as possible.

Naughton, the professor, said Beijing is putting intense pressure on local officials to realize contra dictory goals.

“The tension is that Beijing wants both Covid Zero and full economic growth,” he said. “It’s kind of impossible.”

W ith assistance from Rachel Chang and Wenjin Lv/Bloomberg.

Search effort intensifies after Indonesia quake killed 268

By Andi Jatmiko The Associated Press

CIANJUR, Indonesia—More rescuers and volunteers were deployed Wednesday in devastated areas on Indonesia’s main island of Java to search for the dead and missing from an earthquake that killed at least 268 people.

With many missing, some re mote areas still unreachable and more than 1,000 people injured in the 5.6 magnitude quake, the death toll was likely to rise. Hos pitals near the epicenter on the densely populated island were already overwhelmed, and pa tients hooked up to IV drips lay on stretchers and cots in tents set up outside, awaiting further treatment.

More than 12,000 army person nel were deployed Wednesday to increase the strength of search ef forts that being carried out by more than 2,000 joint forces of police, the search and rescue agency and volun teers, said Suharyanto, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency chief.

Television reports showed police, soldiers and other rescue personnel using jackhammers, circular saws and sometimes their bare hands and farm tools, digging desperately in the worst-hit area of Cijendil village where tons of mud, rocks and trees were left from a landslide.

Suharyanto, who like many In donesians uses only one name, said aid was reaching thousands of people left homeless who fled to temporary shelters where supplies

can be distributed only by foot over the rough terrain.

In several hard-hit areas, water as well as food and medical supplies were being distributed from trucks, and authorities have deployed mili tary personnel carrying food, medi cine, blankets, field tents and water tankers.

Volunteers and rescue personnel erected more temporary shelters for those left homeless in several vil lages of Cianjur district.

Most were barely protected by makeshift shelters that were lashed by heavy monsoon downpours. Only a few were lucky to be protected by tarpaulin-covered tents. They said they were running low on food, blan kets and other aid, as emergency supplies were rushed to the region.

He said more than 58,000 sur

vivors were moved to shelters and more than 1,000 people were in jured, with nearly 600 of them still receiving treatment for serious injuries.

He said rescuers had recovered 268 bodies from collapsed houses and landslides that triggered by the earthquake, and at least 151 still reported missing. But not all of the dead have been identified, so it’s possible some the bodies pulled from the rubble are of people on the missing list.

Rescue operations were focused on about a dozen villages in Cian jur, where people are still believed trapped, Suharyanto said.

In a virtual news conference on Tuesday evening, Suharyanto said that more than 22,000 houses in Cianjur were damaged and the

agency was still collecting data on damaged houses and buildings in the town.

Indonesia is frequently hit by earthquakes, many much stron ger than Monday’s whose magni tude would typically be expected to cause light damage. But the area is densely populated, and experts said the shallowness of the quake and inadequate infrastructure contributed to the severe damage, including caved-in roofs and large piles of bricks, concrete, and cor rugated metal.

The quake was centered on the rural, mountainous Cianjur dis trict, where one woman said her home started “shaking like it was dancing.”

“I was crying and immediately grabbed my husband and children,” said Partinem, who goes by only one name. The house collapsed shortly after she escaped with her family.

“If I didn’t pull them out, we might have also been victims,” she said, gazing over the pile of broken concrete and timber.

More than 2.5 million people live in Cianjur district, including about 175,000 in the main town of the same name.

Many of the dead were public school students who had finished their classes for the day and were taking extra lessons at Islamic schools when the buildings col lapsed, West Java Gov. Ridwan Kamil said.

The Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contrib uted to this report.

Officials in Washington and Taipei have been in touch since US President Joe Biden met Chinese leader Xi Jinping on November 14 at the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia, Wu said, adding: “We remain in communication with the United States.”

In their first in-person meet ing since the Covid-19 pandemic began, Xi and Biden agreed to a se ries of gestures aimed at improving ties. The leaders of the world’s two biggest economies said they would also resume talks on issues includ ing climate change and economic stability. National Security Advi sor Jake Sullivan had promised the US would brief Taiwan on the Xi-Biden meeting.

Beijing broke off many routine contacts with Washington after Nancy Pelosi in August became the first sitting speaker in 25 years to visit Taiwan, which China

The punishments included bans on travel to the mainland, though they would likely have little practi cal effect because the officials are unlikely to ever go there.

Beijing has also been alarmed at Biden’s repeated comments that the US would militarily defend Taiwan in case of attack, an ap parent shift in policy after decades of what was called “strategic am biguity.” Biden officials have said the American approach remains unchanged and accuse China of changing policy by ramping up military exercises.

Wu said at the briefing Wednesday that what Biden conveyed to Xi “was that United States opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo.”

“In other words, the United States opposes the way that China has been threatening Taiwan,” he said. “I think the US position is rather strong in this regard.” Bloomberg News

Kim Jong Un’s sister warns US of ‘a more fatal security crisis’

By Hyung-Jin Kim The Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea—The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned the United States on Tuesday that it would face “a more fatal security crisis” as Washington pushes for UN condemnation of the North’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile test.

Kim Yo Jong’s warning came hours after US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that the US will circulate a proposed presidential statement condemning North Korea’s banned missile launches and other destabilizing activities. After the meeting, Thomas-Greenfield also read a statement by 14 countries that supported action to limit North Korea’s advancement of its weapons programs.

Kim Yo Jong, who is widely considered North Korea’s second most powerful person after her brother, lambasted the United States for issuing what she called “a disgusting joint statement together with such rabbles as Britain, France, Australia, Japan and South Korea.”

Kim compared the United States to “a barking dog seized with fear.” She said North Korea would consider the US-led statement “a wanton violation of our sovereignty and a grave political provocation.”

“The US should be mindful that no matter how desperately it may seek to disarm [North Korea], it can never deprive [North Korea] of its right to self-defense and that the more hellbent it gets on the anti-[North Korea] acts, it will face a more fatal security crisis,” she said in a statement carried by state media.

Monday’s UN Security Council meeting was convened in response to North Korea’s ICBM launch on Friday, which was part of a provocative run of missile tests this year that experts say is designed to modernize its nuclear arsenal and increase its leverage in future diplomacy. Friday’s test involved its most powerful Hwasong-17 missile, and some experts say the successful steepangle launch proved its potential to strike anywhere in the US mainland if it’s fired at a standard trajectory.

During the Security Council meeting, the United States and its allies strongly criticized the ICBM launch and called for action to limit North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. But Russia and China, both veto-wielding members of the Security Council, opposed any new pressure and sanctions on North

Korea. In May, the two countries vetoed a US-led attempt to toughen sanctions on North Korea over its earlier ballistic missile tests, which are prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions.

North Korea has said its testing activities are legitimate exercises of its right to self-defense in response to regular military drills between the United States and South Korea, which it views as an invasion rehearsal. Washington and Seoul officials say the exercises are defensive in nature.

Kim Yo Jong said the fact that North Korea’s ICBM launch was discussed at the Security Council is “evidently the application of double-standards” by the UN body because it “turned blind eyes” to the US-South Korean military drills. She said North Korea won’t tolerate any attempt to undermine its right to self-defense and will take “the toughest counteraction to the last” to protect its national security.

On Monday, North Korea’s foreign minister, Choe Son Hui, called UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “a puppet of the United States.” There are concerns that North Korea may soon conduct its first nuclear test in five years.

The status of North Korea’s nuclear capability remains shrouded in secrecy. Some analysts say North Korea already has nucleararmed missiles that can strike both the US mainland and its allies South Korea and Japan, but others say the North is still years away from possessing such missiles.

HUNDREDS of workers at Apple Inc.’s main iPhonemaking plant in China clashed with security personnel, as tensions boiled over after almost a month under tough restrictions intended to quash a Covid outbreak.

SCREENSHOT from video of police officers outside the Foxconn dormitory compound. BLOOMBERG

RESCUERS help clear up debris from the ruins of a house damaged during Monday’s earthquake in Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia, on Wednesday, November 23, 2022. More rescuers and volunteers were deployed Wednesday in devastated areas on Indonesia’s main island of Java to search for the dead and missing from an earthquake that killed hundreds of people. AP/TATAN SYUFLANA

KIM YO JONG , sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, delivers a speech during the national meeting against the coronavirus, in Pyongyang, North Korea on August 10, 2022. The influential sister of North Korean, leader Kim Jong Un has warned the United States that it would face “a more fatal security crisis” as Washington pushes for UN condemnation of the North’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile test.

KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY/KOREA NEWS SERVICE VIA AP

Agriculture/Commodities

‘Progressive GMO rules to boost food security’

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

BAYER Philippines Inc. (Bay er) hopes that the national government’s regulations for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) will remain “progressive” to ensure the timely release of new seed technologies that could bolster the country’s food security.

Bayer Managing Director Angel Michael Evangelista said the coun try’s regulatory procedures on bio technology are “progressive” com pared to those of its Asean peers, providing technology developers with an efficient research and de velopment climate.

“ It is progressive compared to Asean and it is good that it is like

that so we can introduce our bio technology technologies, such as our seeds. It is very good actually,” Evangelista told the BusinessMir ror on the sidelines of the opening of the multinational’s P750-million office in Taguig City.

At present, Bayer has two biotech nology seed products in the market— DEKALB, a hybrid corn variety and Arize, a hybrid rice variety.

There will be new products in the pipeline for both crops, which will have new traits. [We will also have] more progressive crop protec tion products,” Evangelista said.

Evangelista noted that the compa ny’s new office would contribute to the development of its agriculture-focused products as it allows them to conduct more efficient online collaboration with

farmers and technology developers.

T he Philippines earlier this year revised its biotechnology regula tory procedures after years of com plaints and concerns from industry stakeholders regarding the delayed approvals of new technologies. (Re lated story: https://businessmir ror.com.ph/2022/01/03/phl-toroll-out-in-2022-revised-biotechsetup-to-fast-track-approvals/)

T he national government last month approved the commercial propagation of Bt eggplant, making it the third genetically engineered crop in the domestic commercial market following Bt corn and Golden Rice.

A Global Agricultural Informa tion Network (Gain) report earlier lauded the approval of Bt eggplant, which was more than a decade in the

Talaingod hopes unique aroma of its coffee will draw tourists

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

DAVAO CITY—The tribal town of Talaingod in Davao del Norte is banking on its unique coffee product, which the national and municipal govern ments would promote and market, to attract more tourists to the area.

Municipal Administrator Clifford Libayao said Talaingod’s coffee has its own “unique aroma” due possibly to the town’s topography.

I think, what’s make our coffee more distinct, the key is actually our elevation here in Talaingod, because we have good elevation here in Ta laingod. I think that makes the cof fee in Talaingod of good quality.”

Libayao said he is planning to link the town’s coffee production to the tourism industry and expand the market of its local coffee producers.

He said Talaingod has about 1,700 hectares of coffee farms scattered in

various areas in the municipality. He noted that the land area of Talaingod “is wide enough to [meet] the grow ing demand for Talaingod coffee.”

Talaingod is 112 kilometers north of Davao City. Members of the AtaManobo tribe make up the majority of the town’s population.

T he Department of Trade and In dustry (DTI) Davao del Norte Field Office has worked out a plan to posi tion Talaingod as the coffee corridor of the province.

If you want to invite people to Talaingod, we really want them to personally visit Talaingod, and get a taste of its coffee so that we can emphasize that this is Talaingod,” the DTI said.

Initial talks were held with the lo cal tourism industry players in Talain god to patronize the coffee produce of Ata-Manobo farmers who were or ganized into a people’s organization, growing the Arabica and Robusta va rieties. The Talaingod Coffee Growers Association (Tacoga) has the youth

and women Ata Manobo residents as its production crew.

DTI-Davao del Norte Provincial Director Romeo L. Castanaga said Talaingod needs the branding and promotion of its coffee that is being produced by the indigenous peoples. He said Talaingod is yet “to grind a considerable volume of coffee to compete with established producing areas in Mindanao.”

Castanaga said the taste of the Talaingod coffee is its competitive edge. “The market is really waiting for Talaingod coffee.”

He said Tacoga has been provid ed with productivity training and a shared service facility. A shared fa cility is a support mechanism that is offered by the DTI to farmers and other community associations.

T he DTI has also enrolled the Tacoga members in the DTI Rural Agro-Enterprise Partnership for Inclusive Development and Growth Project “for them to have a sustain able market of their coffee.”

making, noting that it signals the Philippines’s commitment to end hunger and achieve food security

DAVAO CITY— A demon stration farm for veg etable production in Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte may persuade growers to tap it and the surrounding areas for vegetable production.

T he one-hectare plot in Barangay Panlaisan, Cabadbaran City would now become the techno-demo farm to serve as show window which would determine the viability of the space, “given its soil condition before introducing it to interested vegetable growers for the expansion of the city’s vegetable production,” said Cabadbaran City Agriculturist Maria Arceli Soria.

T he area was planted with veg etables in April as a demonstration of the viability of production. Three months later, the City Agriculture Office, Department of AgricultureCaraga High-Value Crops Develop ment Program and private seed com panies gathered in July to witness the bountiful harvest and to turn the event into a Vegetable Produc tion Technology Expo.

through biotechnology. Bt eggplant was the first geneti cally engineered crop to be approved

for commercial propagation under the revised biotechnology rules of the Philippines as stipulated in Joint De partment Circular 1 Series of 2021.

T he Gain report, prepared by the United States Department of Agricul ture-Foreign Agricultural Service in Manila, pointed out that the approval of Bt eggplant, which is resistant to fruit and shoot borer, shows the Phil ippines’s commitment to end hunger and achieve food security.

“With the approval for commercial cultivation, the Philippines will be better positioned to meet Sustain able Development Goal [SDG] 2: end hunger, achieve food security, and promote sustainable agriculture. Spe cifically, Bt eggplant will contribute to the Philippines meeting Targets 2.1, 2.3 and 2.4,” the report read.

T he techno-demo farm was estab lished to showcase the potential area for vegetable production in the city.

C abadbaran City Mayor Judy Chin-Amante said the area may be a potential site for mass vegetable production.

“ With the entry of a big shopping mall in the city, this is a challenge for our local farmers to produce more so we could provide them with the supply of food they need,” ChinAmante said.

C abadbaran City is 28 kilo meters north of Butuan City, the capital of Agusan del Norte and the center of trade and commerce in the Caraga Region.

DA Regional Technical Direc tor Rebecca R. Atega lauded the Cabadbaran municipal govern ment for prioritizing the needs of the local farmers in terms of market linkage.

Jose Ian Delacruz and Stephen Dy, the farmer-cooperators of the land said the demonstration farm presented options to their fellow vegetable growers.

“ From the technologies offered by the participating seed compa nies, this could maximize our veg etable production since they can already identify what’s viable and suitable to plant. Hence, this could also boost our local production since most of our high-value crops are from Northern Mindanao and Davao region,” they said.

Marilyn Baron, president of the Cabadbaran City Vegetable Grow ers Association, thanked the DA for setting up the initiative for them to apply what they have gathered from the site to their farms.

“ We were amazed by the perfor mance of other varieties of seeds which we think could produce a higher yield. The higher the yield, the higher the income for our asso ciation,” Baron said.

Some 250 participants from dif ferent farmers’ cooperatives and associations in Cabadbaran City, including barangay agriculture work ers and Barangay Agriculture and Fisheries Para-Technicians attended the field day in July. Manuel T. Cayon

THE municipality of Caluya in Antique was awarded as the National Grand Winner in the recently concluded sixth edition of the Department of AgricultureBureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Re sources’ (DA-BFAR) Malinis at Ma saganang Karagatan (MMK).

Caluya, Antique will receive P30 million worth of fisheries livelihood projects while second placer, Padre Bur gos municipality in Southern Leyte, and third placer, Sagñay municipality in Camarines Sur, will get P18 million and P10 million worth of fisheries live lihood projects, respectively.

T he MMK, which commenced in 2016, is the national search for the country’s outstanding coastal com munities recognizing exemplary initiatives and accomplishment in coastal and fisheries resource man agement as well as documenting best practices and strategies of the win ning municipalities. The 2021 MMK awarding ceremony was only con ducted this year due to the Covid-19 restrictions in the communities.

T he three outstanding munici palities were selected from five re gional winners which included Bal anga, Bataan and Cantilan, Surigao del Sur. The five regional winners, meanwhile, were hailed out of 42 participating coastal municipalities. The screening and selection process es were done starting June.

The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Re sources strategically develops com prehensive policies and frameworks to effectively provide sufficiently affordable food for generations of Filipinos by focusing on sustainable management of coastal and marine resources which are major sources

of food and livelihood for people,” BFAR Officer-in-Charge Atty. De mosthenes R. Escoto said.

Participating coastal communities were evaluated according to the follow ing criteria: (1) no illegal fishing; (2) observance of closed fishing season; (3) declared Marine Protected Areas; (4) clean, coastal waters without any garbage or industrial effluence flowing to the sea; and (5) effective mangrove protection and rehabilitation program.

“Ngayong buwan ay ipinagdiriwang din natin ang Pandaigdigang Araw ng Pangisdaan. Nawa ay mapaalalahanan tayo na ang isang malinis at masaganang karagatan ay lubhang mahalaga upang mapanatili ang produksyon ng isda sa bansa at manatiling buhay ang kabu hayan ng ating mga mangingisda,” DA Assistant Secretary for DA Wide-Field Inspectorate James A. Layug said.

The municipality of Caluya show cased exemplary accomplishments in preventing garbage disposal in their municipal waters. The LGU launched the Zero Plastic Waste Campaign through their Solid Waste Management Plan ordinance to combat plastic waste pollution. Additionally, the LGU estab lished a material recovery facility which houses various equipment to process and transform plastic wastes into ecobricks for the municipal ecopark.

T he Padre Burgos municipality, meanwhile, has a commendable fish eries resources conservation and man agement with the establishment of eight Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Massive information and education campaign materials were produced to preserve the MPAs. The LGU also has eight mariculture parks engaged in milkfish culture and hatching areas for sea turtles which are indicators of a rich marine biodiversity.

FLOODING in eastern Austra lia is hurting the quality of the wheat harvest in one of the world’s biggest exporters, worsening a global shortage of the high-grade variety used to make bread and ra men noodles.

T hat’s going to put a damper on the international wheat market which was counting on a bumper harvest from Australia to ease tight inventories and cool food costs. While the crop is still likely to be a large one, torrential downpours and floods could turn an unusual ly hefty chunk of the harvest into grain fit only for animal feed, and reduce the quantity that’s suitable for milling into flour.

T he quality worries are evi dent in the widening premium for eastern milling wheat over the feed variety, which hit a re cord high this month. The lack of milling-quality grain across the east coast this year means that demand for more general-pur pose wheats with lower-protein content is gaining traction, said James Maxwell, senior manager at Australian Crop Forecasters.

“People are like—you know what, I’ll make do with what I’ve got, I just want whatever I can get,” Maxwell said in a phone interview.

W hile Indonesia and the Philip pines do buy general-purpose wheats such as Australian Standard White (ASW), where it qualifies as a mill ing grade, it’s not a classification that typically holds a significant premium, Maxwell said.

It’s certainly zero surprise to see the higher proteins go up, but ASW —a little more, because normally ASW is priced a little bit lower,” he said, adding that the elevated price could indicate that the market is an

ticipating a “massive downgrade” of the crop into animal feed.

More wet weather

THE impact of the flooding on wheat quality in eastern Australia is still hard to predict, largely because the weather has prevented farmers from heading out into the fields to start harvesting the crops. The weather is set to remain wet across New South Wales next week, according to fore caster Maxar.

With analysts and farmers just starting to get a clearer idea of the “patchwork of good to bad” in terms of the harvest, all signs point to higher prices for any grain that of fers the bare minimum in terms of protein content, Maxwell said.

For China, that could prove pain ful. One of the world’s top import ers, the country is buying more from Australia than ever. Over 60 percent

of Chinese imports came from Down Under in the first 10 months of 2022, more than double the share for all of last year, customs data and Bloom berg calculations show.

R ains have also slowed the harvest in parts of Western Aus tralia, another huge growing re gion, where the local industry as sociation is predicting a further bumper crop. For the country as whole, wheat exports could still reach 26 million tons this season, almost three times the amount in 2019-20, when supplies were cut by drought, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

California’s lost rain CALIFORNIA has lost out on a full year’s worth of rain and snow since 2020, according to a state-funded study, leaving the most farmland idle in recent memory across a

region that supplies a quarter of United States fresh food.

T he most severe drought in a mil lennium led to well over a half million acres of idle fields in 2022, research ers said in the report looking at how California’s driest three-year period on record has impacted the US’s larg est agriculture producer.

Most of the unused land lies in the Central Valley, which produces about a fourth of the country’s food, including 40 percent of its fruits and nuts. Next year could see even more fallowed land throughout the state as the government tries to manage dangerously low water levels in the Colorado River, which flows into California.

“ The pressure is on for cutbacks,” said Josue Medellin-Azuara, a Uni versity of California at Merced pro fessor who led the study released on Tuesday. Bloomberg News

DEKALB corn from Bayer PHOTO FROM WWW.DEKALBASGROWDELTAPINE.COM/

Demo farm to test viability of Cabadbaran City in Agusan del Norte for veggie production

editorial

‘No one should die on Edsa busway’

EpifaNio de los Santos avenue is Metro Manila’s longest and the most congested thoroughfare, stretching around 24 kilometers from Caloocan City to pasay City. During rush hours, Edsa can become so congested that no vehicular movement is possible. Unfortunately, on the Edsa busway, many people have been killed and injured by rogue bus drivers.

In a recent press statement, Move As One Coalition said too many people have died in preventable road crashes near or on the Edsa busway. The group cited the following traffic accidents:

On November 11, 2020, traffic enforcer George Banez was helping a senior citizen cross Edsa when the driver of a Joanna Jesh bus—one of the fleet on the Edsa busway—hit him. Banez died shortly after the incident.

On April 19, 2021, five people were hurt in a road crash—involving a bus and an ambulance—on the Edsa busway.

On July 8, 2021, a bus driver on the Edsa busway fatally hit a child throwing rocks at him.

On September 12, 2022, four persons were injured when two buses on the Edsa busway got involved in a traffic collision.

On October 11, 2022, a man who allegedly stole money from a taxi driver near the Main Avenue station of the Edsa busway was trying to run away when a bus driver hit him.

On November 2, 2022, a man jumped over the barrier to cross Edsa and was hit by a speeding bus driver.

Gravely concerned about the deaths and injuries of people on the Edsa busway, the Move As One Coalition is urging government to investigate the causes of these road accidents, and to invest in measures to raise the safety, quality, accessibility and capacity of the Edsa busway so road users arrive safely at their destinations.

The traffic advocacy group cited the need to build at-grade crosswalks, which will benefit pedestrians by making their passing a priority on the streets. The group also cited the need to reduce speed limits near these crosswalks, widening the busway lanes, using safer barriers, introducing BRT-ready vehicles with doors on the correct side, and providing proper training for bus drivers.

With a relatively low investment cost and short implementation timeframe compared to rail development, a project to upgrade and expand the Edsa busway should be one of the top mass transit priorities of the Marcos administration, the group said, adding that the small and piecemeal investments in the Edsa busway, apart from being wasteful, has already cost people their lives.

The Coalition also called for the strict implementation of Republic Act No. 10586, or the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013. The deadliest crash along the Edsa busway on February 18, 2022 involved a driver who was under the influence of alcohol. Three people died in the road accident.

The Philippines is bound by the Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG target 11.2: “By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older person.”

In 2020, 8,017 people, or 22 persons a day, died in a “transport accident” in the Philippines, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. It would do well for government to revisit and tighten the country’s safety standards to prevent fatal road accidents.

Compared to other highways in the world, Edsa is a relatively short thoroughfare. It should not be a big challenge for a competent authority to prevent fatal accidents on the Edsa busway. If government can’t solve the Edsa traffic problem, it should at least make road safety a top priority. No one should die or get injured in a preventable road accident on the Edsa busway.

Bye-bye G-20?

OUTSIDE THE BOX

for virtually all of the 20th century, the ph ilippines was tucked tightly under the wing of the a merican Eagle for better or worse.

In retrospect, it might have been better if the negotiations over the US bases had been conducted more diplomatically and for longer behind closed doors than on the floor of the Philippine Senate. But that is 20/20 hindsight, especially in light of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. All water under the bridge.

Nonetheless, as the rest of our Asean neighbors were moving more to a balanced foreign policy approach with the US and China, we continued to move in one direction towards Washington D.C. Either through incompetence or something a little more sinister, the US did nothing of significance to help the Philippines and mitigate the Chinese advance in the South China Sea.

You have to stop going down before you can start going up. While receiving an incredible amount of both valid and unwarranted criticism, President Duterte rebalanced our foreign relations posture. Now it is up to President Marcos to build on that rebalancing.

Back in the good old days of the

Cold War, the USA was the country that many loved to hate. While people were protesting in front of US embassies, the American tourist dollars were most welcome. In many ways, the US was the generous and gentle giant that could be counted on for its benevolence while encouraging and sometimes demanding obedience and cooperation.

But two things happened. The first was the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of a bilateral world in 1991. Seeing that it had no opposition to its superpower status, the US moved from compassionate bodyguard to more of a coarse bully. Nations could no longer play the US against the USSR.

Ten years later in 2001—and after a decade of being challenged in the Middle East beginning with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990—the US experienced the September 11 attacks. Justified or not, this gave reason for massive military operations that reached Syria to Afghanistan, lasting until the final troop withdrawal in 2021.

The East Asia Summit comprises 18 members but 10 are Asean members and it can only be chaired by an Asean member. No matter how “powerful” an individual nation like Australia, China, Japan, India, New Zealand, Korea, Russia, and the US might be, you want to be in Asia, you need to talk to Asean. And by extension, the Philippines. Kamala Harris just proved that.

Along the way, both the newly minted Russia and its “anti-American” ally China increased in economic and military power, China with its manufacturing capabilities and Russia with its natural resources, especially crude oil.

The Group of 7 (G-7)—Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US—formed in 1973 accounts for about 42 percent of global gross domestic product, and 10 percent of the population. But it is now nearly 2023, not 1973 or even 2003.

The G-20 or Group of Twenty began in 1990 and includes such nations as Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. But the G-20 is split between “East/West,” “North/South” and “Developed/Developing.”

Welcome to the 21st century. What started as Brazil, Russia, India, and China informally in 2001, formally became BRICS with the addition of South Africa. In 2012, Hu Jintao, the then President of China, described

the BRICS countries as defenders and promoters of developing countries and a force for world peace. Western analysts highlighted “potential divisions and weaknesses in the grouping, including significant economic instabilities, disagreements among the members over the UN Security Council, and India and China’s disputes over territorial issues.”

They hate us because they ain’t us, with 41 percent of the world population, 25 percent of the world GDP and over 16 percent of all global trade. Following Russia’s announcement of Iran and Argentina’s BRICS membership bids, the alliance president revealed that Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have the same plans. Add to that Algeria, Thailand, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates and perhaps the Philippines, and we have a new “New World Order.” If approved, the new proposed BRICS would create an entity with a GDP 30 percent larger than the US and with over 50 percent of the global population.

The East Asia Summit comprises 18 members but 10 are Asean members and it can only be chaired by an Asean member. No matter how “powerful” an individual nation like Australia, China, Japan, India, New Zealand, Korea, Russia, and the US might be, you want to be in Asia, you need to talk to Asean. And by extension, the Philippines. Kamala Harris just proved that.

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

Bolsonaro contests Brazil election loss, wants votes voided

By David Biller & Carla Bridi | The Associated Press

BraSiLia, Brazil—More than three weeks after losing a reelection bid, president Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday blamed a software bug and demanded the electoral authority annul votes cast on most of Brazil’s electronic voting machines, though independent experts say the bug doesn’t affect the reliability of results.

Such an action would leave Bolsonaro with 51 percent of the remaining valid votes—and a reelection victory, Marcelo de Bessa, the lawyer who filed the 33-page request on behalf of the president and his Liberal Party, told reporters.

The electoral authority has already declared victory for Bolsonaro’s nemesis, leftist former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and even many of the president’s allies have accepted the results. Protesters in cities across the country have steadfastly refused to do the same, particularly with Bolsonaro declining to concede.

Liberal Party leader Valdemar Costa and an auditor hired by the party told reporters in Brasilia

that their evaluation found all machines dating from before 2020—nearly 280,000 of them, or about 59 percent of the total used in the Oct. 30 runoff—lacked individual identification numbers in internal logs.

Neither explained how that might have affected election results, but said they were asking the electoral authority to invalidate all votes cast on those machines.

The complaint characterized the bug as “irreparable non-compliance due to malfunction” that called into question the authenticity of the results.

Immediately afterward, the head of the electoral authority issued a ruling that implicitly raised the possibility that Bolsonaro’s

While the machines don’t have individual identification numbers in their internal logs, those numbers do appear on printed receipts that show the sum of all votes cast for each candidate, said Aranha, adding the bug was only detected due to the efforts by the electoral authority to provide greater transparency.

own party could suffer from such a challenge.

Alexandre de Moraes said the court would not consider the complaint unless the party offers an amended report within 24 hours that would include results from the first electoral round on Oct. 2, in which the Liberal Party won more seats in both congressional houses than any other.

Creomar de Souza, political analyst of Dharma Political Risk and Strategy, said the wording of de Moraes’ ruling indicates the electoral court is likely to reject the appeal.

The bug hadn’t been known previously, yet experts said it also doesn’t affect results. Each voting machine can still be easily identified through other means, like its city and voting district, according to Wilson Ruggiero, a professor of computer engineering and digital systems at the Polytechnic School of the University of Sao Paulo.

Diego Aranha, an associate professor of systems security at Aarhus University in Denmark, who has participated in official security tests of Brazil’s electoral system, agreed.

“It does not undermine the reliability or credibility in any way,” Ruggiero told The Associated Press by phone. “The key point that guarantees correctness is the digital signature associated with each voting machine.”

While the machines don’t have individual identification numbers in their internal logs, those numbers do appear on printed receipts that show the sum of all votes cast for each candidate, said Aranha,

“Bolsonaro”

John Mangun

Ambassador

Accountant testifies Trump claimed decade of huge tax losses

By Michael R. Sisak | The Associated Press

NEW YORK—Donald Trump reported losses on his tax returns every year for a decade, including nearly $700 million in 2009 and $200 million in 2010, his longtime accountant testified Tuesday, confirming long-held suspicions about the former president’s tax practices.

Donald Bender, a partner at Mazars USA LLP who spent years preparing Trump’s personal tax returns, said Trump’s reported losses from 2009 to 2018 included net operating losses from some of the many businesses he owns through his Trump Organization.

“There are losses for all these years,” said Bender, who was granted immunity to testify at the company’s criminal tax fraud trial in Manhattan.

The short exchange amounted to a rare public discussion of Trump’s taxes—which the Republican has fought to keep secret—even if there was no obvious connection to the case at hand.

A prosecutor, Susan Hoffinger, questioned Bender briefly about Trump’s taxes on cross examination, at one point showing him copies of Trump tax paperwork that the Manhattan district attorney’s office fought for three years to obtain, before moving on to other topics.

The Trump Organization, the holding company for Trump’s buildings, golf courses and other assets, is charged with helping some top executives avoid income taxes on compensation they got in addition to their salaries, including rent-free apartments and luxury cars. If convicted, the company could be fined more than $1 million.

Trump is not charged in the case and is not expected to testify or attend the trial. The company’s former finance chief testified that he came up with the scheme on his own, without Trump or the Trump family knowing.

Allen Weisselberg, testifying as part of a plea deal, said the company also benefited because it didn’t have to pay him as much in salary.

Bender’s testimony came on a day full of Trump-related legal drama, including the US Supreme Court clearing the way for Congress to get six years worth of tax returns for Trump and some of his businesses.

Also Tuesday, the judge in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil fraud lawsuit against Trump and his company set an October 2023 trial date; a federal appeals court heard arguments in the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago documents investigation; and Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, testified before a Georgia grand jury probing alleged 2020 election interference.

Bender’s tax loss testimony echoed what The New York Times reported in 2020, when it obtained a trove of Trump’s tax returns. Many of the records reflected massive losses and little or no taxes paid, the newspaper reported at the time.

The Times reported Trump paid no income tax in 11 of the 18 years whose records it reviewed, and that he paid just $750 in federal income tax in 2017, the year he became president. Citing other Trump tax records, The Times previously reported that in 1995 he claimed $915.7 million in losses, which he could have used to avoid future taxes under the law

The Times reported Trump paid no income tax in 11 of the 18 years whose records it reviewed, and that he paid just $750 in federal income tax in 2017, the year he became president. Citing other Trump tax records, The Times previously reported that in 1995 he claimed $915.7 million in losses, which he could have used to avoid future taxes under the law at the time.

at the time.

Manhattan prosecutors subpoenaed Bender’s firm in 2019, seeking access to eight years of Trump’s tax returns and related documents, finally getting them after a protracted legal fight that included two trips to the US Supreme Court.

Bender handled tax returns and other financial matters for Trump, the Trump Organization and hundreds of Trump entities starting in the 1980s. He also prepared taxes for members of Trump’s family and other company executives, including Weisselberg and Weisselberg’s son, who managed a company-run ice rink in Central Park.

Weisselberg, who pleaded guilty in August to dodging taxes on $1.7 million in extras in exchange for a five-month jail sentence, testified that he hid company-paid extras such as Manhattan apartments and Mercedes-Benz cars from his taxable income by having the company’s comptroller, Jeffrey McConney, reduce his salary by the cost of those perks.

Bender testified that Weisselberg kept him the dark on that arrangement—and that he only found out about it from prosecutors last year.

But emails shown in court Tuesday suggested that McConney tried to loop him in as early as 2013, with attached spreadsheets listing Weisselberg’s pay and reductions for extras, including Trump-paid tuition for his grandchildren’s private schooling.

Bender, who testified that he got numerous emails from Trump executives daily, said he didn’t recall seeing those messages. If he had, he said: “We would have had a serious conversation about continuing with the client.”

Mazars USA LLP has since dropped Trump as a client. In February, the firm said annual financial statements it prepared for him “should no longer be relied upon” after James’ office said the statements regularly misstated the value of assets—an allegation at the heart of her lawsuit.

Trump blamed Bender and Mazars for the company’s troubles, writing on his Truth Social platform last week: “The highly paid accounting firm should have routinely picked these things up—we relied on them.

VERY UNFAIR!”

ers to draw their own conclusions.

Many have been protesting relentlessly, making claims of election fraud and demanding that the armed forces intervene.

Rationalize sugar importation to avert a crisis

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza

MAKE SENSE

GOvERNmENTs have their respective peculiarities. For example, a government can be proactive and ardent in responding to developing issues. It can be dynamic, aggressive and responsive to unfolding concerns; or it can be passive and allow things to happen without any response at all. The administration of President Ferdinand R. marcos Jr., we are happy to note, is a combination of being dynamic and proactive.

With the President himself on top of the Department of Agriculture, the agency that has regulatory control on sugar, I trust that his administration will do what is right and appropriate for the country’s sugar industry.

For instance, national dependence on locally produced sugar is not possible anymore since the demand has far exceeded the local production and supply of sugar. The BBM administration would do well to look into a number of possible solutions—such as a clear import policy that allows companies to import sugar, investment in the local sugar industry, among others—to avoid a sugar crisis in the future. After all, any problem in our sugar supply affects not only the industry in general or beverage sector in particular, but also the different sectors of the economy that need a steady supply of the sweetener.

To facilitate economic recovery from the effects of the pandemic, the Philippine government has been easing restrictions, allowing people to freely move and return to their pre-Covid ways. Consumption of products is starting to rise to prepandemic levels. It was reported that

during the early part of the year, the fast-moving consumer goods sector, especially the food and beverage sector, was growing at a healthy double-digit rate. However, the erratic sugar supply started to pose serious problems for the consumer goods sector. As a result, from August 2022 onwards, the growth plummeted from double-digit to negative because of the lack of available sugar for production.

The sugar shortage was the culmination of several factors—the dwindling output from sugar farms and mills, extreme weather conditions and typhoons that affected sugar planters, the lack of supply of specific sugar quality needed by the food and beverage sector, the absence of timely intervention, failed importation plan, and decades of underinvestment in our sugar industry.

It is not surprising that the Philippines is experiencing a sugar crisis. Based on the historical data for the past 10 years, the country’s sugar production has been experiencing a downward trend, with domestic demand outpacing sugar production every year. The decline in the country’s sugar production

What does this sugar supply shortage mean to the Philippine economy? In 2021, the Carbonated Soft Drinks industry contributed approximately P32 billion in taxes. However, in 2022, this amount has significantly declined since key players in the soft drinks industry have reduced excise tax payments by as much as 40 percent, or an equivalent of P30 million/day due to the massive drop in production. It is estimated that the lost excise tax collection for this year is already at a total of P2.7 billion.

has been confirmed by the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s Sugar Statistics Bulletin, which shows a substantial decrease (from CY 21-22 to CY 22-23) in sugarcane milled (from 21M MT to 1.3M MT), raw sugar production (from 1.8M MT to 106K MT—a decrease of 94 percent), and refined sugar production (from 748K MT to 39K MT—a decrease of 95 percent). The downward trend is likewise apparent in the decline in sugarcane areas in the past five years. Every year, the total land area for sugarcane plantation has been decreasing, adversely affecting the amount of sugar produced locally.

But what does this sugar supply shortage mean to the Philippine economy? In 2021, the Carbonated Soft Drinks industry contributed approximately P32 billion in taxes. However, in 2022, this amount has significantly declined since key players in the soft drinks industry have reduced excise tax payments by as much as 40 percent, or an equivalent of P30 million/day due to the massive drop in production. It is estimated that the lost excise tax collection

for this year is already at a total of P2.7 billion. Moreover, as a result of the current shortage in sugar supply, prominent beverage manufacturers have reportedly been constrained to reduce their production operations by approximately 30 percent to 40 percent.

Decline in production would consequently lead to unavailability of sweetened beverages in the market. Vendors such as sari-sari stores and carinderias are experiencing dwindling delivery of stocks of beverages, particularly soft drinks, since the sugar shortage. Members of the Philippine Association of Stores and Carinderia Owners (PASCO) reported that what used to be about P1,500 sales in soft drinks have become only P600 when the sugar shortage came into the picture in August, which is equivalent to a decline of almost 75 percent in sales.

Further, the decline in production also affects labor and employment. The CSD industry employs over 17,000 workforce of committed men and women. According to a 2016 statement, the Beverage Industry Association of the Philippines (BIAP) member-firms employ over 30,000 workers, and for each direct job in a BIAP member firm, an additional six to 10 other people are employed in secondary, support or allied services. Any plant closure or suspension consequently means reduction of employment and retrenchment of employees. Thus, the sugar supply crisis, if left unchecked, will be a bane to the nation’s economy and the Filipino people.

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza is the chairman of the Federation of Philippine Industries and Fight Illicit Trade; a broad-based, multisectoral movement intended to protect consumers, safeguard govern-

Malaysian king searches for PM to end deadlock

By Eileen Ng | The Associated Press

KUALA LUmPUR, ma laysia—ma laysia’s king met with lawmakers Wednesday and will next consult other royal families in a continuing search for a prime minister after inconclusive general elections that saw the rise of Islamists sparked anxieties in the multiracial nation.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan, or Alliance of Hope, topped Saturday’s poll with 82 parliamentary seats, but failed to reach the 112 needed for a majority.

Former Prime Minister Muhyiddin’s Malay-centric Perikatan Nasional, or National Alliance, won 73 seats. The hung parliament renewed a leadership crisis in Malaysia that saw three prime ministers since 2018.

The biggest winner was the PanMalaysian Islamic Party, the hardline ally in Muhyiddin’s bloc, with 49 seats—more than double what it won in 2018. Known as PAS, it backs Islamic Shariah law, rules three states and is now the single largest party.

As the contest for the top job drags on, police have tightened security as posts on social media warned of racial troubles if Anwar’s multiethnic bloc wins. Malay Muslims form two-thirds of Malaysia’s 33 million people, who include large ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.

National police chief Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said Wednesday that security has been tightened at strategic locations nationwide to ensure

The president’s son, federal lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, repeated that concern at a conference in Mexico last week.

public safety and order. Police have earlier warned of stern action against social media users fanning racial and religious sentiments.

A group of civil society and rights organizations said they detected a coordinated attempt on social media to promote Muhyiddin’s bloc and demonize Anwar and one of its Chinese-dominated allies, the Democratic Action Party, or DAP. Islamic stalwarts have often used DAP as a bogeyman to warn Malays of Chinese political dominance if Anwar’s bloc wins.

The group said in a statement that the posts blamed DAP for causing violence in 1969 that left hundreds dead, mostly Chinese. An affirmative action program that gives privileges to Malays in jobs, housing and education was introduced after the 1969 unrest to give them more opportunities to narrow the wealth gap with the businessminded Chinese.

“The posts then evolved into videos containing images of weapons and guns, with messages warning the Malay majority to beware of DAP and

by domestic and international experts who have never found evidence of it being exploited to commit fraud.

King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah proposed a unity government after meeting the two leaders Tuesday but Muhyiddin rejected the idea. The monarch Wednesday met leaders from the third largest bloc, the alliance led by the United Malays National Organization, as well as another influential bloc from Borneo island.

Pakatan Harapan. They also threatened a return of racial unrest,” the group said. Short video app TikTok reportedly said it has zero tolerance against any form of hate speech and violent extremism and will remove content that violates its community guidelines.

King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah proposed a unity government after meeting the two leaders Tuesday but Muhyiddin rejected the idea. The monarch Wednesday met leaders from the third largest bloc, the alliance led by the United Malays National Organization, as well as another influential bloc from Borneo island.

UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told the Malaysiakini online news portal that the king requested his National Front to be part of a unity government during the meeting. He said the alliance’s decisionmaking body and its 30 lawmakers

who won in the polls will hold more talks Wednesday evening. The National Front had earlier said it will support neither leader and remain in opposition.

The palace in a statement said Sultan Abdullah will meet Thursday with royal families from nine states to consult them on the deadlock. Malaysia’s hereditary state rulers, who take turns as the country’s king every five years under a unique rotation system, are highly regarded by the country’s Malay majority as the guardians of Islam and Malay tradition.

“Our country’s future is valuable and we have to plan it carefully,” the king said in the statement as he appealed for calm.

Anwar’s reformist alliance won 2018 elections that led to the first regime change since Malaysia’s independence from Britain in 1957. But the government collapsed after Muhyiddin defected and joined hands with UMNO to form a new government. Muhyiddin’s government was beset by internal rivalries and he resigned after 17 months.

UMNO leader Ismail Sabri Yaakob was then picked by the king as the prime minister.

Many rural Malays fear they may lose their rights with greater pluralism under Anwar. Fed up with corruption and infighting in UMNO, many opted for Muhyiddin’s bloc in Saturday’s vote.

adding the bug was only detected due to the efforts by the electoral authority to provide greater transparency.

Bolsonaro’s less than two-point loss to da Silva on October 30 was the narrowest margin since Brazil’s 1985 return to democracy. While the president hasn’t explicitly cried foul, he has refused to concede defeat or congratulate his opponent—leaving room for support-

Dozens of Bolsonaro supporters gathered outside the news conference on Tuesday, decked out in the green and yellow of Brazil’s flag and chanting patriotic songs. Some verbally attacked and pushed journalists trying to enter the venue.

Bolsonaro spent more than a year claiming Brazil’s electronic voting system is prone to fraud, without ever presenting evidence.

“We always distrusted these machines.... We want a massive audit,” the younger Bolsonaro said. “There is very strong evidence to order an investigation of Brazil’s election.”

Brazil began using an electronic voting system in 1996 and election security experts consider such systems less secure than hand-marked paper ballots, because they leave no auditable paper trail. But Brazil’s system has been closely scrutinized

The Senate’s president, Rodrigo Pacheco, said Tuesday afternoon that the election results are “unquestionable.”

Bolsonaro has been almost completely secluded in the official residence since his Oct. 30 defeat, inviting widespread speculation as to whether he is dejected or plotting to cling to power.

In an interview with newspaper O Globo, Vice President Hamilton

Mourão chalked up Bolsonaro’s absence to erysipelas, a skin infection on his legs that he said prevents the president from wearing pants.

For its audit, the Liberal Party hired the Legal Vote Institute, a group that has been critical of the current system, saying it defies the law by failing to provide a digital record of every individual vote.

In a separate report presented earlier this month, the Brazilian military said there were flaws in the country’s electoral systems and proposed improvements, but didn’t

substantiate claims of fraud from some of Bolsonaro’s supporters.

Analysts have suggested that the armed forces, which have been a key component of Bolsonaro’s administration, may have maintained a semblance of uncertainty over the issue to avoid displeasing the president. In a subsequent statement, the Defense Ministry stressed that while it had not found any evidence of fraud in the vote counting, it could not exclude that possibility.

Biller reported from Rio de Janeiro. Associated Press writer Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report

ment revenues and shield legitimate industries from the ill effects of smuggling.

SEA ECONOMIES NOT YET TAPPING CHIANG MAI FUND

SOUTHEAST Asian econo mies such as the Philip pines and Indonesia still have sufficient buffers pre venting them from tapping the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilat eralization (CMIM), according to the Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO).

I n a commentary, AMRO Strategy and Coordination Of ficer Andrea Salvador and Ad visor to Strategy and Coordi nation Group Chanthevivanh Keobounphanh said both econo mies have sound economic fun damentals and effective toolkits to manage exchange rate stabil ity and inflation.

T he Asean+3 region estab lished a crisis prevention fa cility, called the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization Precautionary Line (CMIM-PL), which is a swap line for a CMIM member with “sound economic fundamentals” but is experienc ing potential short-term liquid ity and/or balance-of-payment (BOP) difficulties.

They could easily pass the first criteria for precautionary access. However, on whether these economies are experienc ing a potential liquidity squeeze that would warrant PL activa tion, recent data, supported with the adequate policy tools, indicate otherwise,” Salvador and Keobounphanh said. “So far, both seem to have ample reserves as their first line of defense against liquidity dif ficulties and easing exchange rate pressures.”

O fficial data as of end-Oc tober 2022 indicated that suf ficient reserves for the Philip pines and Indonesia represent

7.5 months’ and 5.8 months’ worth of imports respective ly. These are well above the 3 months of imports as the head line threshold.

C iting Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe M. Medalla, the AMRO experts said the BSP has enough US dollar liquidity to stabilize and ease exchange rate pressures and will not use any bilateral or regional currency swap arrangements.

Similarly, Salvador and Ke obounphanh said Bank Indo nesia has stated that its official reserve assets remain adequate, supported by a stable domestic economic outlook.

“ The cases of the Philippines and Indonesia are among the reasons...the CMIM has never been tapped. Member econo mies in the region still have suf ficient foreign reserves as their first line of defence. Only when a country feels it needs more li quidity buffers will it use exist ing facilities,” AMRO said.

E arlier, the Philippines post ed a Balance of Payments (BOP) surplus after six consecutive months of posting deficits this year, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Data showed the country’s overall BOP surplus reached $711 million in October 2022. This is only the second time BOP was in surplus after March 2022 when the surplus reached $754 million.

However, BSP said, the BOP surplus in October was lower than the $1.1 billon posted in October 2021 (full story here:  https:// businessmir ror .com.ph/2022/11/18/ bsp-reports-lower-bop-defi cit-in-october/). Cai U. Ordinario

Senate POGO probers seek more data from Pagcor on ‘roadmap’

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

SENATORS on Wednesday grilled gaming regulators on the government’s roadmap for the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), which policy makers are under pressure to ban altogether owing to concerns that social costs outweigh the economic benefits.

A t the last hearing on the con troversy by two Senate commit tees, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, probe co-chairman, pressed the legal counsel of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) for more details on the basis of their projections for grow ing state revenues from POGO to the “optimal” level before the pandemic, when lockdowns caused revenue to plunge.

Pagcor presented a 4-page “road map” with short-, medium- and long-term goals, with a target of hitting P10 billion by year 2027.

G atchalian, chairman of the Ways and Means committee, sought more details, however, on Pagcor’s projections, particularly on the profile of the countries of origin of POGO customers. He noted that China, the main source of cus tomers and main source of POGO workers, has always declared on line gaming illegal; hence, harsher moves by Beijing to enforce such policy could pose risks to Pagcor by way of declining revenue if, for example, China halts the outflow of dollars.

It appeared that one basis for

Pagcor’s optimism is that in the Asean, the Philippines is now the only one allowing online gaming operator, and hence, it is aiming for “100 percent” market share in the region.

G atchalian wanted to know, however, the rest of Pagcor’s pro jections for a global scale, beyond Southeast Asia.

Meanwhile, Gatchalian pointed to the danger of losing foreign di rect investments (FDI) as the fallout from the “reputational risk” to the Philippines of being unable to con trol crime associated with POGO, and other social costs.

F ormer Finance Secretary Gary Teves, whom the senator invited as resource person, said the “signal will have to be very clear” to other countries once the Philippines makes a firm decision on whether or not to totally phase out POGOS.

Teves, echoing earlier warnings by property experts like David Leechiu, said there will be a big economic impact if the total ban “is implemented right away with out a phaseout mechanism.” Such impact will be felt on revenue and jobs, he said.

A ppearing for the second time before the joint panels, Leechiu on Wednesday said the so-called glut in the property market—which some quarters feared would lead to a bubble if POGOs are abruptly banned in whole—had actually be gun in 2015 and would have caused serious disruptions if the POGO sector had not come along.

Popcom flags need to rush creation of jobs for Pinoys

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

They will comprise] a vital seg ment of the local workforce and employment, as well as contribute to national economic gains.”

A side from women and young people, Tacardon echoed the UN’s position on inclusivity by tapping segments of the population that could be gainfully employed, in cluding the disabled, immigrants, and the elderly.

able jobs out there. We also need to capacitate our workers, so that they can be more productive members of society,” Tacardon said. “This demographic opportunity can be a key factor to achieve the country’s higher socioeconomic objectives. It is rare, and we cannot afford to miss it.”

I n doing so, Popcom said, the country would be able to revitalize socioeconomic development, which is still reeling from the effects of the pandemic.

T he Philippine Statistics Au thority’s (PSA) 2020 Census of Population and Housing showed that of that year’s total number of 109.035 million individuals, more than half—or 69.4 million— are within the 15 to 64 years old working-age bracket.

“ To fully tap this significant quantity of workers, the national government needs to provide steady streams of quality jobs, while ca pacitating them appropriately so that they can acquire needed skills by industries,” Popcom Officer in Charge-Executive Director (OIC-ED) Lolito R. Tacardon said.

This should be a priority; oth erwise, we might miss the chance to hasten the country’s socioeco nomic growth to further improve the quality of life of every Filipino,” he added. The Popcom marks Popu lation and Development (Popdev) Week from November 23 to 29.

Tacardon said that, unlike oth ers experiencing labor shortages, the country is fortunate to have an almost 70-million strong workready citizenry.

He also echoed Popcom’s posi tion during World Population Day in July that “young [adolescent] Filipinos who comprise about 20 percent of the Philippines’s popu lation and [its women will play a crucial part in the attainment of its much-aspired demographic dividend in the near future . . .

H e noted that this large pool of potential Filipino workers re quires more available jobs. With sound policies and a quality labor force, this demographic shift can work to the country’s advantage of achieving its desired demographic dividend, which its Asian neigh bors such as Thailand and South Korea were able to accomplish decades back.

Tacardon then urged the private sector, as well national and local leaders, to set policies and provide programs that can capture the ben efit of having a larger work force.

He said equal opportunities for both sexes should also be consid ered. This, as the labor force-par ticipation rate, according to PSA in August 2022, is still higher among men than women at 76.2 percent and 55.9 percent, respectively.

Now is the best time to fully utilize our human resources. We need to ensure that there are avail

Meanwhile, he explained that the rise in the number of produc tive Filipinos is a result of collective efforts in reducing the levels of fer tility and mortality nationwide.

T acardon elaborated that “since couples and individu als have effectively limited and spaced the number of their chil dren in previous decades, the young base of the population has declined, and those in the working-age gradually increased. This reflects the effective imple mentation of Popdev programs, such as family planning.”

Popdev Week is celebrated an nually from November 23 to 29 by virtue of Proclamation No. 76 signed on October 20, 1992. It an nually establishes the significant relationship between population dynamics and overall development.

T his year’s observance focuses on ways the growing number of the country’s labor force will be in strumental in contributing to the nation’s sustainable progress.

Bill allots ₧5 billion for Pag-asa Island’s devt

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

ASENIOR lawmaker is push ing for the passage of a bill declaring and developing the 37.2-hectare Pag-asa Island—the largest Philippine-occupied land mass at the northeastern section of the disputed Spratly archipelago—as a recreational and fishing tourism destination.

I n House Bill 6228 filed last Mon day, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pi mentel said Pag-asa, which China calls Zhongye Island and which has been constantly swarmed by Chinese ves sels, would be established as a Philip pine leisure fishing tourism site.

“ The ultimate purpose of our bill

is to pave the way for Pag-asa’s de velopment, considering that other countries claiming all or parts of the Spratlys archipelago are also increas ing their presence on the islands, reefs and shoals that they occupy there,” Pimentel said.

Under the bill, Pag-asa would be developed “into a thriving commu nity by attracting both foreign and local tourists, particularly visitors inclined to engage in recreational fishing, including catch-and-release fishing.”

T he bill also seeks to “afford small fisherfolk supplemental sources of income from tourism-related activi ties, such as leasing their boats and services to holidaymakers, including visitors that may wish to fish in and

around Pag-asa for leisure, exercise or competition.”

Surrounded by shallow coral rang es, Pag-asa lies some 480 kilometers northwest of Puerto Princesa City, and has been occupied by the Phil ippines since 1970.

Pag-asa is the largest landform of the Kalayaan Island Group, which also includes the islets of Likas, Pa rola, Lawak, Kota, Patag and Panata and Balagtas Reef, Ayungin Shoal and Rizal Shoal.

O n June 11, 1978, then Presi dent Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. issued Presidential Decree No. 1596, which created the Municipality of Kalayaan over the Kalayaan Island Group un der the Province of Palawan.

T he Kalayaan municipal govern

ment is based in Pag-asa, which is also the town’s lone barangay.

A sixth-class municipality, Kalay aan is the least populated town in the Philippines, with only 193 residents who all live on Pag-asa, according to the 2020 census.

Once enacted, our bill would also provide the Municipality of Ka layaan, which currently has little to no income, a new recurring revenue stream from tourism-related activi ties,” Pimentel said.

P imentel is also author of House Bill 1782 that seeks to appropriate P5 billion for the installation of new naval forward operating bases to secure the West Philippine Sea’s gas and oil deposits “for the enjoyment of future generations of Filipinos.”

THE Philippines needs to fasttrack efforts to create jobs for 69.4 million working age Filipinos, according to the Commission on Population and Development (Popcom).

HARRIS IN PALAWAN Vice President Kamala Harris tours the local village of Tagburos in Palawan on Tuesday, November 22, 2022. Harris urged countries to stand up for territorial integrity and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, which has been challenged by China, and said Washington would press an international campaign against “irresponsible behavior” in the disputed waters.

HAIYUN JIANG/THE NEW YORK TIMES VIA AP, POOL

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Grab to House: Acquisition of Move It is above board

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

Grab Philippines has assured the House of representatives that its acquisition of Move It is above board and compliant with the rules set by a technical working group (TWG) under the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Move It made the assurance on Wednesday during a hearing of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development on calls by some quarters for the government to review the deal between Grab and Move It.

Move It is one of the firms taking part in the pilot implementation of motorcycle (MC) taxis.

“We are happy to disclose that the acquisition complied with the law, and all approvals required for the acquisition have been obtained.

It did not violate any requirement of the MC Taxi TWG,” Move It said in its opening statement read by its lawyer Ann Albana.

“We wish to assure the public that the operations of Move It will still be under the supervision of the MC Taxi TWG, and it will continue to abide by MC Taxi Guidelines, especially on the safety and welfare of the consumers.”

Some quarters claimed that the Grab-Move It deal was designed for

Grab to have “instant accreditation” by virtue of its acquisition of Move It, which was granted accreditation by the TWG.

But Move It said the arguments against it and Grab are “clearly misplaced and are merely based on speculations and conjectures.”

It added that even with the acquisition, Move It continues to hold and possess the accreditation given by TWG, and it is not in any manner transferred to Grab.

Even with the acquisition, Grab and Move It will remain two distinct and separate entities, it added.

“Thus, it is erroneous and misleading to claim that the accreditation has been transferred to Grab by virtue of the acquisition,” Move It said.

Move It said its Certificate of Compliance and Provisional Authority to Operate were not transferred to a different entity even after the acquisition.

“The Certificate of Compliance and the Provisional Authority to

Operate also do not require prior approval by any government agency, including the MC Taxi TWG, in case of change in ownership structure of Move It.”

‘Pro-competitive’

MOr EOv Er, Move It said the acquisition was not anti-competitive since Grab is not offering motorcycle ride-hailing services.

“At present, there are other market players who appear to have a stronger presence in the motorcycle ride hailing market,” Move It said, referring to its rival Angkas.

“In fact, the acquisition is procompetitive and pro-consumer. Strengthening Move It will improve and develop competition and satisfy the increasing unserved demand for motorcycle taxis.”

Because of the acquisition, Move It said it will benefit from Grab’s innovation and economies of scale, and the public “will have access to superior service at competitive pricing.”

VMWare remains bullish on PHL

By Edwin P. Sallan

ClOuD computing technology provider v M Ware remains bullish on the Philippines as it sees “very strong investment in data center infrastructure.”

This was noted by v Mware vice president and managing director for Southeast Asia and Korea Paul Simos in an interview with BusinessMirror and other media outlets during the recently concluded v M Ware Explore trade show event in Singapore early this month.

As the country’s economy begins to bounce back from the pandemic following the easing of Covid restrictions, Simos sees the Philippines as being in a unique position to “take advantage of cloud growth in Southeast Asia and become the region’s infrastructure provider.”

“We’re seeing strong demand in the Philippines on how we’re helping customers take advantage of the cloud for scale and how we can transform existing [technology] into a modern application environment while leveraging scale and reach through public cloud and edge cloud

PSALM seeks bids for N. Ecija power plant

THE Power Sector Assets and l i abilities Management Corp. (PSA l M ) said on Wednesday it has started the ball rolling for the sale of the 165-megawatt Casecnan Hydroelectric Power Plant (CHEPP).

The state-owned corporation said it held a pre-bid conference on November 22, noting that the public bidding for the hydroelectric power plant will be on an “as-is, where-is” basis.

“The deadline for the submission of bids for the power generation asset is on 24 February 2023, 12:00 noon at the PSA l M Office in Quezon City,” the company said.

A “run-of-river” type of power plant with limited impounding area, CHEPP is located in Sitio Pauan, Brgy. v i llarica, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, about 150 kilometers north of Manila. Lorenz S. Marasigan

capabilities,” Simos added.

Simos, however, cautioned that while many organizations in Asia Pacific in general are committed to a multi-cloud environment or to being Cloud First, “many are fast approaching a plateau in their multicloud usage.”

“Instead of adopting a Cloud Smart approach, many organizations are in risk of entering a state of Cloud Chaos, losing visibility and control as more and more of their apps and data are spread across more and more clouds,” he pointed out.

Simos cited a recent v Mwarecommissioned study by va nson Bourne that revealed a lack of strategic approach to multi-cloud. The survey revealed that 70 percent of all organizations responding to the study in Asia Pacific are already using multiple public clouds, only 38 percent say their multi-cloud strategy is fully defined. What’s more challenging is that Asia Pacific organizations surveyed appear to have a disconnect between their applications and cloud strategies.

“Organizations need to make their investments in multi-cloud

work harder. It is time to shift gears and transition to a cloud-smart strategy not just to weather what is to come, but to continue getting the scale of productivity and profitability they have been enjoying when they first moved to the Cloud far into the future,” Simos added.

To help organizations in the next phase of the cloud journey, v Mware Explore (formerly known as v MWorld) recently unveiled offerings focused on helping customers to better run, scale, and secure enterprise workloads across private and public clouds and at the edge to adopt a Cloud Smart approach to their multi-clouds.

Among these offerings is v Mware Sovereign Cloud which now features v Mware Tanzu on sovereign cloud, v Mware Aria Operations Compliance pack for sovereign clouds, and new open ecosystem solutions. These innovations are designed to enable v M Ware’s 25 global partners to deliver services equivalent to those found in public clouds, while also better assuring data is protected, compliant, and resident within national territories

v M Ware, according to Simos, sees a growing demand for sovereign cloud in Korea and Southeast Asia including the Philippines as the technology, according to v MWare, is “architected and built to deliver security and data access that meets strict requirements of regulated industries and local jurisdiction laws on data privacy, access and control.”

Simos said that because of the geographic distribution of Southeast Asia and Korea, “governments have concerns about security risk, data sovereignty and so a lot of legislation is asking for that certainty of information and data residing within country.”

“The sovereign cloud program [goes] through a process of certifying those partners in line with government regulations to ensure that they’re compliant. Then customers within regulated industries know they can take advantage of those cloud offerings while meeting the government regulations,” Simos said, in concluding why sovereign cloud is “relevant in every market” in the region.

must bolster ESG efforts’

THE private sector should commit to the earnest implementation of environment, social and governance (ESG) efforts and not just “tick the box” as required by the country’s regulators.

In a webinar organized by the Institute of Corporate Directors, Maria victoria Tan, Ayala Corp.’s risk management and sustainability unit head, said ESG should be a major factor in a company’s business model and should add business value to the effort.

“It’s about keeping your house in order. You cannot add value if your ESG foundations are weak,” Tan said during the webinar.

Tan said the company’s chief executives, brothers Jaime and Fernando Zobel de Ayala, have been harping about taking corporate social responsibility, or CSr , to the next level to create shared value, or CS v CSr is about using business re-

sources to respond to social and environmental problems in the world. CSv is about incorporating that positive social and environmental impact into the company’s business model in a way that generates economic value.

“You are transforming communities wherever you are located through the financial resources given to you, the human resources given to you,” she said.

“Businesses and organizations must do more than comply. They must create value, not only for their companies but also for the society over the long term. They must not only be sustainable, but aim to be regenerative, so as to not deplete the planet’s continuously declining resources,” said Pedro Maniego Jr., senior policy advisor of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities and trustee of ICD.

Tan also said the Ayala Group is looking into the living wage and

is aiming to set an amount above the minimum wage that can lead to satisfying living conditions for their employees.

“Being a sustainable company would mean that you are addressing issues quite comprehensively. Putting up a business, which is an ecosystem, is all about creating value for all stakeholders,” she said.

Chuchi Fonacier, deputy governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, said tackling environmental concerns is equally important as confronting governance and socioeconomic issues.

“The social and economic repercussions of the global health crisis have demanded organizations to devote increased attention to governance issues, particularly those concerning disclosure of information, business ethics and reputation, risk management, and internal controls,” Fonacier said. VG Cabuag

San Miguel unit starts toll refund for ETC disruption

SAN Miguel Corp. (SMC) said it has started issuing refunds to motorists on Wednesday, in light of its recent announcement of waived toll for those that were affected by a system glitch last week.

The company said the refunds will cover all vehicles that passed through affected tollways, including the South l u zon Expressway (Slex), Star Tollway, Naia Expressway (Naix), and Skyway from Alabang to Buendia on November 17 between 6:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. “To effect the refund, SMC Infra said it will electronically credit the Autosweep accounts of vehicles with r F ID tags starting November 23.

Meanwhile, motorists who paid in cash will be given a one-time free pass, which they can use at any exit of Slex, Star, NAIAx, or Skyway Stages 1 and 2,” the company said in a statement.

Motorists can avail their free pass at any cash/mixed-lane exits along the toll roads by surrendering their valid official receipt issued on November 17 from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

l a st week, roughly 84,000 motorists were affected by the traffic jam along portions of its expressways, due to a network outage in SMC’s electronic toll collection (ETC) platform. Lorenz S. Marasigan

‘Firms

Banking&Finance

Term deposits take hit after policy tweak

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE recent policy rate setting may have had a “partial passthrough” on the recent auction of interest-bearing term deposits, the central bank said.

which was below the BSP’s expected volume range. The central bank increased the offer volume in the Term

Deposit Facility (TDF) auction to P360 billion from P350 billion in the previous week. The BSP awarded a total amount of P142.205 billion from P142.235 billion in the 7-day TDF and accepted all bids received amounting to P136.681 billion in the 14-day TDF.

“The results of the TDF auction reflected the partial pass-through of the BSP policy rate hike last week. Going forward, the BSP’s monetary operations will remain guided by its assessment of the latest liquidity conditions and market developments,” BSP Deputy Governor Francisco G. Dakila Jr. said.

The volume was allocated between

the 7-day and 14-day tenors at P200 billion from P210 billion and P160 billion from P140 billion, respectively.

However, the BSP said both tenors were undersubscribed with bid-to-cover ratios at 0.71x and 0.85x the respective volume offered in the 7-day and 14-day TDF.

The resulting weighted average interest rates (WAIR) for the awarded bids in both tenors continued to increase from the rates last week.

The WAIR for the 7-day tenor rose by 21.3347 bps to 5.4921 percent as that for the 14-day tenor increased by 19.7338 bps to 5.6635 percent.

Income decline, growing spending prompt rise in borrowing

By Andrea San Juan

AD e cl I n e in income and growth of expenses has led to an increase in borrowing and tendency to acquire debt in the past 12 months, results of a survey by Digido Finance corp. revealed.

According to the study, 55 percent of respondents reported increased spending in the last 12 months, while only 5 percent saw a decrease. concurrently, the study shows that 21.5 percent said they “began to think more often about obtaining a loan” in the last 12 months. Interestingly, the study shows that this is especially true for older people. In fact, across age groups, 33 percent of those between 50 years old and 64 years old are eager to borrow more.

Meanwhile, the study noted that 13 percent of respondents said they have used loans or plan to continue using loans in approximately the same amount and 10 percent did indeed start applying for more loans.

“Unsurprisingly, the respondents who predominantly reported a drop in income responded in this way,” Digido said.

On the other hand, 12 percent of respondents claimed to avoid official loan sources entirely while 11 percent no longer considered taking on credit as frequently. Another 9 percent began to actually cut their number of loan applications. About 41 percent of respondents said their average income decreased in the last 12 months, with 29 percent of them saying “it decreased significantly” while 9 percent saying

“it decreased slightly.”

Wants, needs A R e P ORT by Digido issued last Wednesday read that the results of the study reaffirm the previously established negative impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the material well-being of Filipinos. “The financial gap is further exacerbated by the growing material wants and needs,” the report said. “In essence, credit is the only means of breaching the divide. l oans, both formal and informal, continue to notably grow in popularity.”

The firm said its study shows that the main reasons for the change in income over the past 12 months were shifts in additional earnings and change in salary.

According to Digido, “what is no-

table about that is that the majority of respondents claiming both of these factors also reported an increase in their income. In regards to its reduction, the reasons turned out to be predominantly more cardinal: a change in employment status, position and place of work.”

Meanwhile, when asked directly how respondents assess their own financial situation, 26 percent said they were “in dire need of money” while 24 percent said “money is enough only for essentials.”

Digido said the study, which focuses on the change in the wealth of Filipinos over the past year, is based on a sample of the population with previous experience in online borrowing.

Digido is part of Singapore-headquartered fintech Robocash Group.

The yields accepted in both tenors also continued to shift higher and widened to a range of 5.1-5.825 percent in the 7-day TDF and 5.1500-6 percent in the 14-day TDF.

According to the national economic and Development Authority (neda) and local economists, monetary authorities’ decision

to hike interest rates due to the recent policy action of the US Federal Reserve may temper the country’s growth prospects.

The recent decision of the Monetary Board to raise interest rates by 75 basis points increased the BSP’s overnight repurchase facility rate to 5 percent from 4.25 percent.

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) received last Wednesday total tenders worth P278.886 billion,

Health& Fitness

BusinessMirror

Re-tooling, retraining health-care workers key to preparations vs future pandemics–expert

By Rory Visco | Contributor

NOW that traffic is getting tighter, it’d be correct to guess that after just a few months shy of three years of the Covid-19 pandemic, people—commuters, whether workers, students and what have you—are back on the road, traversing the main thoroughfares to get to their destinations.

This is especially true for employ ees, majority of whom are now work ing onsite. Companies have thought of various ways to keep their business going and now that Covid-19 is some what diminishing but its presence is still being felt, the focus now is how to keep their workforce safe.

d r. Joselito Gapas, head of oc cupational health of First Philippine holdings, said during the latest “Stop Covid deaths” episode titled “May l iwanag ba ang Bukas para sa mga health Workers” organized by the University of the Philippines, UP Ma nila NIh National Telehealth Center and UP Philippine General hospital (UP-PGh), said that despite the many challenges and trials that Covid-19 brought to the country for almost three years, it is like that the country will be headed for a good Christmas and hopefully a better 2023.

“With more vaccination and no serious Covid variant in the horizon at present we can say that the risks to the health of workers including health care workers are lower than ever,” d r. Gapas said.

Risk, probability, consequence he said that at present, the prob ability and consequence that would e quate to risk to workers, includ ing health-care workers, are now lo wer than ever. The probability or

chance of getting infected is lower because of established minimum public health standards such as masking, distancing, personal hy giene, vaccination, testing (antigen a nd rT-PC r ), isolation, plus ven tilation in workspaces, education a nd awareness, and hybrid work ar rangements. These are just some of t he control measures implemented to lower the probability of getting infected or spreading the infection.

In terms of consequence, d r Gapas said vaccination is still the key because it provides long-term protection against severe Covid-19 outcomes. There are also early di agnosis and treatment modalities f ocusing on high-risk groups to reduce the consequence of infec tion to them. Medical facilities are now better prepared, and o m icron subvariants at present have lower disease severity, and we know more about Covid than before.

“But keep in mind that we should not be complacent. hopefully soon, we can transition to an endemic state. We hope to stay that way longer. But again, the population can gradually reduce immunity, and if we fail to vaccinate regularly, Covid may reemerge with a new variant or subvariant, and we go through the same cycle. That is why we should always be on guard because epidemics are a

never-ending cycle,” he explained.

What does the future hold?

IN terms of the future, dr. Gapas said there is still the threat of infectious disease outbreak getting bigger, the interval for potential outbreaks is getting shorter, and there are emerg ing diseases that are called the “nov el” virus (SA r S -CoV 1, SA r S -CoV 2, h1N1), and then the re-emerging en demic diseases such as dengue, zika, ebola, monkeypox, West Nile fever, polio, and others. he said these are endemic diseases that we are all liv ing with but have the potential to re-emerge and become an outbreak.

dr. Gapas pointed out that accord ing to the World health o rganiza tion (W ho), the risk of epidemics is increasing because of several factors such as increasing global popula tion, increasing mobility of people, a nimals and plants, increasing urban density, increased pressure on natu ral systems (deforestation, human encroachment on the natural world) and changing ecosystems of species, and the impact of climate change.

So what are we looking forward to now as we look into the future? he said that there should be strategies on both global, regional, national, and even local levels against future outbreaks. Fortunately, d r. Gapas said global health agencies such as the W ho have what is called the one health” approach versus future outbreaks.

This approach, he said, protects human and animal health and their shared environment via a global and transdisciplinary strategy, and links issues like vaccination between hu mans and animals. Through human a nd animal monitoring, he said a potential epidemic or emerging/ reemerging infectious disease can be promptly identified. And now, the prevention and management of

health risks is dependent on protect ing and preserving the environment.

T hrough this approach, the fo cus, d r. Gapas said, is integrated in protecting human, animal and environmental health. o ne he alth is founded on three important pil lars such as Communication, Coor dination, and Collaboration, which we all learned during the Covid-19 outbreak. “There should also be community responsibility, that it is not only us and our families that are safe from an outbreak but also the other people we interact with on a daily basis. We have to see it on that perspective.”

Silver lining for health-care workers dr . Gapas cited a quote by Sir Win ston Churchill, the UK’s Prime Min ister during World War II, who said d i fficulties mastered are oppor tunities won.” he a gain reminded everyone that Covid-19 is still on going, the crisis remains and no one k nows when will it be over so there’s a need to find a silver lining to this, of if there is enough motivation and capacity to find a silver lining, then it should be done.

r ight now, he said that healthcare workers are every country’s most valued resource so there’s a need for better and sustainable health orga nizations and systems, while health professionals had and will continue to assume leadership positions at all levels. “As health professionals, we will be called upon to play multiple roles other than our clinical roles so we need to address these roles. We need to become efficient communi cators and as educators we need to obtain skills so that we shall be ef fective in engaging our stakeholders. We had many learnings that can be seen as opportunities that we can take advantage of, but we also need to retool and re-train.”

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

World Toilet d a y, ob served on November 1 9, raises awareness of the 3.6 billion people living without access to safely managed sanitation.

o p en defecation in communi ties, especially in fields and wa terways, can lead to diseases such a s diarrhea and worm infections, undernourishment and stunting in children.

Almost one in four barangays in the Philippines have been certified as Zero o p en d e fecation (Z od) with families in these communities having access to safe toilets and abandoning the practice of open defecation.

It is about taking action to tack le the global sanitation crisis and a chieve Sustainable d e velopment Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. “Sanitation and Ground water” is this year’s theme of World Toilet d ay 2022.

Unsanitary toilets

Wh I le progress has been made in several municipalities and cit ies across the country, the 2021 Field he alth Services Information System (F h S IS) report shows that 6.3 million households still use unsanitary toilets or practice open defecation.

In Iloilo province, over two mil lion women, men and children have a bandoned open defecation, show ing a decreasing trend of acute wa tery diarrhea and acute gastroen teritis cases.

T his feat has earned the prov ince the recognition of being the f irst province in Western Visayas to be certified Z o d status.

Editor: Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

Renewed commitment

oN t he occasion of the World Toilet day, Iloilo renewed its commitment to continue prioritizing sanitation programs to reach Grade 2 basic sanitation level.

“There’s still a lot more work ahead for us. To reach G2 by 2028, it requires ensuring toilets and handwashing facilities are avail able anywhere Ilonggos go to in our c ommunity—whether in schools, health centers, day care centers and other public places. At the mini mum, we would need at least 167 m illion pesos to subsidize the cost of building a toilet, and we can only achieve this with the continued support of our local chief execu tives and development partners,” s ays Arthur defensor Jr., Provincial Governor of Iloilo.

l i xil is donating 1,250 SAT o pans to Iloilo province as part of the partnership with UNIC e F t o make affordable and appropriately de signed toilets available to commu nities. Currently, there are over 137 s chools in the province that do not have gender segregated toilets and 16,730 households that are sharing a toilet with another household.

“With Philippines living through the effects of climate change, toi lets and sanitation systems must b e built or adapted to cope with extreme weather events, so that they remain functional and ground water is protected,” said o y un saikhan d e ndevnorov, UNIC e F r e presentative.

Safe toilets

By Roderick L. Abad Contributor

HEALTH-CARE service multinational Zuellig Pharma has thrown its support behind the government by committing to provide quality and affordable health-care access for all Filipinos.

The company is among the members of the business community here and abroad that have expressed their willingness to explore public-private partnerships (PPP) with the new administration during the high-level business dialogue with President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. as part of his first en gagement with an international body and working visit to the United States.

In t his meeting that was organized by the US-ASEAN Business Council and the US Cham ber of Commerce in New York, the participants talked about how inclusion, sustainability and health care can result in a vibrant economy and resilient society in line with the priorities of the chief executive.

“President Marcos Jr.’s eight-point socioeconomic agenda in the near and medium term stresses the importance of tackling

health as a pre-requisite to a robust econ omy and an inclusive and resilient society,” Zuellig Pharma Philippines Market Manag ing Director Jannette Jakosalem said at the roundtable discussion on the sidelines of the 77th United Nations General Assembly.

With this in mind, the top executive re iterated their commitment to strengthen government and stakeholder engagement in the country, forging dynamic partnerships, and further contributing to nation-building.

“Zuellig Pharma is all for this and has made available the right digital solutions, tools, and systems to support both the private and public sector in championing this cause,” she noted.

PPP on immunization, healthcare for all THE Philippines continues to face the ensu ing global health crisis. To date, Covid-19 has reportedly infected at least 3,908,295 Filipinos in the past couple of years, while claiming 62,342 lives.

T hough still confronted by this pandemic, the country is also dealing with other illness es, adding to the challenges of the national healthcare system at present.

IN c elebration of its 55 years of patient partnership, The Medical City (TMC) re cently launched two major initiatives— the Remote Care Center and the Center for Diagnostic Medicine.

T he Remote Care Center aims to provide patients access to health-care services even outside the hospital, bringing continuous care, convenience and safety, and an inno vative and compassionate approach to TMC’s patient partners.

The center is designed to provide in-home support and care as an alternative to admis sion to an in-hospital setting for eligible patients including those requiring complex continuing care and rehabilitative care.

The Remote Care Center brings healthcare services closer to homes and com munities, providing patients the best care possible, anytime, anywhere. Its numerous benefits include early intervention to prevent complications, convenience for the patients, improved access to care, and patient empow erment and education resulting in better health outcomes.

Patients manage health vitals under medical supervision from the comfort of their home, opening hospital spaces to treat those who need critical care and lowering readmission rates.

“Indeed, The Medical City proves that the future of healthcare is coming home,”

For influenza and pneumonia, this island nation has the sixth highest death rate glob ally. In fact, the latter was the seventh cause of mortality last year, with at least 32,000 deaths identified.

A s of August 2022, dengue cases in the entire archipelago have increased by 105 per cent than a year ago. The common flu affects the livelihood and productivity of millions of Filipinos, contributing to an average of seven days downtime to a typical work force.

G ender-wise, cervical cancer is the second killer of women in the Philippines. Most of the country’s adult population are chroni cally infected with the Hepatitis B virus at an alarming 7.3 million cases. What’s more, the country is ranked No. 6 among the na tions with the highest number of rabies cases around the world.

Jakosalem pointed out that the gov ernment and the private sector need to work hand-in-hand to stop these lifethreatening diseases from affecting mil lions of Filipinos everyday through massive innoculation.

“ Energy source challenges and supply chain disruptions necessitate innovative

and sustainable ways to deliver health care, and this is where Zuellig Pharma can help,” she said.

Amid a backdrop of rising costs of en ergy sources globally, our proposal is to help design a robust partnership program on immunization to ensure sustainable supply chain structures and processes which enable greater cost effectiveness to drive logistical efficiencies,” she added.

As a responsible corporate citizen, the firm endeavors to address the health menaces that are plaguing the Filipino people nowa days and strives to aid them from the b aran gay level, per Zuellig Pharma Government Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Head Chito Maniago.

“We believe in empowering Pinoys with quality and affordable health care, and we look forward to continue to collaborate with the government especially the Department of Health to achieve this,” he stressed.

T he company recently upgraded the eZHealth digital app, which caters to the teleconsult, vaccination, diagnostics, and other health needs of at least 3 million Filipinos.

“Being proclaimed as a Prov ince-wide Certified Z o d is a very long process that has required years of investment and the will of its leaders. For the Province of Iloilo to achieve this accomplish ment speaks greatly about the lon g-term commitment of the l G Us of Iloilo led by our gover nor, Arthur d e fensor Jr., together with our municipal Mayors. It is truly an amazing achievement for the Western Visayas r e gion,” says Adriano P. Suba-an, r e gional d i rector of doh Western Visayas.

de N de V NoroV a dded: “We can not undermine the benefits of h aving something so basic as safe toilets. Particularly for women and girls, toilets at home, school and at work help them stay healthy and safe, especially during menstrua tion and pregnancy.”

I loilo province started imple menting Zod in 2014, months after typhoon Yolanda devastated parts of the province and left thousands of households without access to safe toilets.

With support from UNIC e F, the first 40 barangays in 8 municipali ties were declared Z od by 2015.

The provincial government has since allotted P5 million yearly to subsidize the cost of building a toilet.

CA r dI NA l Santos Medical Cen ter (CSMC) was awarded for its platinum accreditation by In vestors in People (IiP) at the recently concluded concourse and awarding cer emony “The Keys to Culture-building: More than Just a Nice Place to Work!”. The event was held via Zoom last oc tober 28, 2022.

CSMC’s VP and he ad of hu man r esources, Maria l ouzel “ lucky” d i azTiozon, was a keynote speaker for the concourse, where she discussed the various implementations done by the hospital to enhance and maintain the well-being, morale and performance of its employees, medical staff and patient community.

during her talk. “ everything that we do today, our efforts, our hard work and our perseverance is imbued with the hope that we are creating value for all our stakeholders [and] that by addressing the needs of all concerned, we are demonstrating our own value as stewards of our hospital.”

After the concourse, the program proceeded with the awarding ceremo ny, where CSMC’s President and C e o r aul C. Pagdanganan, received the platinum award.

says Dr. Amiel Dela Cruz, TMC’s Chairman of Department of Medicine.

The Center for Diagnostic Medicine, backed up by The Medical City’s advanced diagnostic technologies and medical experts from multiple fields, aims to provide welldesigned programs that incorporate multidis ciplinary case analyses to avoid misdiagnosis.

Uncertain diagnosis and treatment plans can come at a substantial cost. That’s why, with regard to our health, it pays to be cer tain. Be confident with your health care and opt for a second opinion with the Center for Diagnostic Medicine,” said Dr. Christian G. Delos Reyes, TMC’s chief marketing officer.

The Center for Diagnostic Medicine aims

to help patients create confident and in formed decisions about their medical condi tions. A team of highly experienced doctors and staff will be assigned to a patient based on his or her needs. To avoid misdiagnosis, the center implements a well-designed program that incorporates multidisciplinary cases analysis.

“The center will be a hub for those who wish to seek a second opinion or want their cases re-analyzed. We want to position ourselves as the hospital that can diagnose the hard-to-diagnose diseases,” adds Dr. Delos Reyes.

For more information, visit https://www. themedicalcity.com/.

This included the hospital’s Nursing Career d e velopment Program which aims to transform nurses into globally competitive professionals through cir cular migration; the Psychosocial Well ness Program which was the institu t ion’s response to the growing burnout faced by frontliners during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic; the Webi Con series that sought to educate and inform the public on various medical ailments, treatments and prevention measures and many others.

o u r most important role as leaders is not to be perfect or ‘always on’, but to truly make health and safety part of our top priority,” d i az-Tiozon said

“Allow me to thank Investors in People for recognizing our efforts in building our community of Caring Car dinal l e aders. I can proudly say that we have successfully continued to serve patients with world-class service and care,” said Pagdanganan. “This award further strengthens our commitment to investing and engaging with our people, and this reaccreditation is a testament to how well we take care of our people and drive teamwork in achieving our goals.”

CSMC partnered with IiP almost a decade ago and has undergone several rounds of reaccreditation through the years. The hospital was able to achieve its Gold status in 2019, and this year, was finally able to secure the Platinum status. Cardinal Santos is only the fifth institution from the Philippines to re ceive the highest level bestowed by IiP.

Zuellig Pharma supports vaccination, accessible health-care programs of govt

Iloilo is first province in Western Visayas to be given ZOD status

Cardinal Santos receives platinum award after reaccreditation by Investors in People

The tragedy of sudden infant death syndrome: A pediatrician explains how to protect your baby

By Rachel Moon | University of Virginia

EACH year, about 3,400 US infants die suddenly and unexpectedly while sleeping, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On October 12, 2022, SciLine interviewed Dr. Rachel Moon, professor of pediatrics at the University of Virginia and the chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Moon discussed the best ways for babies to sleep safely and the recent media reports heralding a study on “the cause” of SIDS.

Below are some highlights from the discussion. Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.

What is SIDS?

It stands for sudden infant death syndrome, and it is a term that describes when babies die suddenly and unexpectedly. It has been superseded by a more comprehensive term called sudden and unexpected infant death, which encompasses SIDS and then other sleep-related deaths (such as accidental suffocation) and deaths that occur when a baby is sleeping or in a sleep environment.

What exactly causes these babies to die?

Ultimately what happens is that, for most babies, there is a lack of arousal. They can’t wake up to respond when they are not getting enough oxygen or

there’s too much carbon dioxide in their system. This is not something that you can see in a lab test or blood test or any kind of test. We only find out when the baby has died.

What is the safest way for babies to sleep, and why?

We want every baby to sleep on their back on a surface that is firm and flat, which means not inclined, and safety-approved. So, ideally a crib, a bassinet, a playpen or another product that is approved by the CPSC, the Consumer Product Safety Commission. And then nothing should be in that area but the baby. We also want babies to be in a smokefree environment and ideally to get as much human milk, breast milk, as possible.

What sleeping situations are dangerous for babies?

Babies should never, ever, ever sleep on couches, sofas or stuffed armchairs.

What is known about the safety of letting a baby nap in a sling or baby carrier?

The thing that we worry about is that when a baby is in that kind of device, the baby’s body position can be such that it blocks their airway or that their face is up against something that can obstruct their airway.

So it’s fine for the baby to be in a carrier or a sling, but we recommend that the baby be upright so that

the head and neck are straight and that the airway is straight. And then we also recommend that the baby’s head and neck be above the top of the carrier so that you can always see the baby’s face and that there’s no obstruction of the nose and the mouth.

What is known about the safety of letting a baby nap in a car seat?

If you are traveling, a car seat is absolutely the safest place for your baby to be. However, when you get to where you’re going, then it is best if you take the baby out of the car seat and then put the baby on a flat, firm surface.

When babies are at an incline, it’s actually harder for them to keep their airway straight. Their heads are really big and heavy for the size of their bodies. And so it takes a lot more work when they are at an angle than if they’re flat on their back. They can develop muscle fatigue, and that can actually be dangerous for them.... There is actually some really compelling biomechanical data that led to the CPSC restricting and hopefully banning inclined sleep products such as rockers and similar products.

What is the evidence on the safety of ‘co-sleeping,’ where babies sleep in bed with their parents? The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a crib or bassinet or another safety-approved device that is next to your bed. We know that babies who sleep in the same bed as their parents are at higher risk for

death. We recommend for the space to be right next to your bed because that makes it easy for you to turn and pick up the baby or comfort the baby or bring the baby into bed for feeding. If you do bring the baby into the bed for feeding, that’s fine. But when you or the baby gets ready to fall asleep, then just move the baby back into the crib.

What should parents and other caregivers know about the recent headlines claiming a study had found ‘the cause’ of SIDS?

These researchers—they looked at dried blood samples. And these are the tests that are done on your baby when your baby is born to look for genetic diseases. They took these dried blood samples and looked for a particular chemical that’s in the body, called butyrylcholinesterase. And they found it to be at a different level in babies who died from SIDS than babies who did not die from SIDS.... While I think it’s an interesting result, and while it may lead to other tests and other studies, at this point, it is not the be-all and end-all.

We don’t have a test that can diagnose who is going to die from SIDS and who’s not. And so you still have to follow the safe sleep guidelines.

n SciLine is a free service based at the nonprofit American Association for the Advancement of Science that helps journalists include scientific evidence and experts in their news

‘Very Merry Gingerbread Christmas’ launched

IT’S a “Very Merry MOA Gingerbread Christmas” as the SM Mall of Asia is transformed into a magical Gingerbread Village for the holidays.

The aroma of freshly baked gingerbread cookies welcomes mallgoers as they step into a Christmas wonderland filled with larger-than-life gingerbread houses, peppermint candy canes, and giant sugar cookies of MOA’s Magical Friends.

Taking center stage is a dazzling 65-foot Christmas tree featuring 1,600 color-changing LED lights, shiny red balls and berries, topped with a spectacular multi-pointed Bethlehem star. The tree sits atop a giant two-tiered cake adorned with gingerbread men and gingerbread cookie Christmas trees, bells, and reindeer. The Christmas tree lighting

The Mandaluyong Children’s Choir and the UST Singers, the Gingerbread Ladies, and a surprise appearance by Santa brought Christmas closer to mallgoers.

The occasion was also a wonderful way to celebrate the season of giving and sharing with the launch of the SM Bears of Joy. Purchase a pair of these cute and cuddly collectibles for P250, with one bear to keep, and the other to be donated to MOA’s

selected beneficiary Virlanie Foundation. Mallgoers can look forward to more holiday treats like the MOA Augmented Reality experiences. Four festive filters are available including Santa Claus, Reindeer, Snowman, and Sparkle. Simply scan the QR code and watch the Christmas centerpiece and magical spots around the mall come to life.

MOA’s holiday highlights also include Meet and Greet Sessions with Santa Claus every Saturday and Sunday at the MOA Central Atrium ongoing until December 25; the spectacular MOA Holiday Fireworks Show at SM By the Bay every Friday and Saturday at 7 pm until December 30; and the MOA Holiday Market ongoing until January 6, 2023.

THE Covid-19 pandemic has caused unimaginable loss, grief and trauma, challenging our collective mental health and well-being. Many families were pushed into poverty and isolation. Mothers and children in lockdown were especially vulnerable to violence at home. According to peer-reviewed journal The Lancet, “community lockdowns can increase violence against women, and exceedingly stringent stay-at-home orders have trapped victims with their abusers.”

Aside from this, many parents have been overwhelmed with teaching their children at home, since they have missed the structures and routines of regular school days, play dates, birthday parties and sports practices. I can imagine the various effects the pandemic has had especially to younger children.

Parents also needed help on dealing with their children who might have felt isolated or developed bad habits of excessive screen time, and the effects of social-media conversations. Which is not to say the internal emotional rollercoaster that some parents went through allowed time for self-reflection.

I recalled the words of Katherine Hill in the book

A Mind of Their Own: Building Your Child’s Emotional Wellbeing in a Post-Pandemic World: “At the very time teenagers should be flexing their muscles of independence, they find themselves grounded and in

an educational limbo, with life as we know it on hold. Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that one in five children have reported persistent stress during lockdown, which is in itself a predictor for mental health disorders.”

How are children and their primary caregivers coping? How about those with disabilities? How can we help them heal and increase the quality of their lives during this period of transition and great change through creative interventions?

With the support of Unilab Foundation, Mind You, and LFX Multimedia Studio, the Austrian Embassy Manila partnered with Kwago Bookstore and Publishing Lab to launch a children’s book with a 3D interface, titled Sala Sa Init, Sala Sa Lamig, for Austrian

Literary Society’s International Literature

Co-created by Filipino author Czyka Tumaliuan and Austrian illustrator Amir Abou-Roumié, this book project is an intercultural literary initiative that aims to promote mental health for kids and families through arts and literature. The story revolves around a child that sees her mother as an octopus. The child thinks her mother as quite wonderful, but her mother doesn’t see herself as how her child sees her—the mother feels that she is a monster to her child and to everyone, which is a symptom of mental divergence (delusion and feeling of worthlessness). It’s now up to the child to coax her mother to accept who she is, love herself and go back to society.

“Very limited research and clinical attention have been paid to the experience of being a parent with disability. Because of this, parents are given little support in preparing for the possible adverse effects of their illness on their children,” book author Czyka Tumaliuan shared.

“This story book for children seeks to raise awareness about the experiences of parents with disabilities in a very positive and hope-based manner from someone like myself who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I am no expert. I shared it based on

my experience, hoping to connect with parents who are going through the same battle.”

“We partnered with like-minded organizations because the embassy wants to promote mental health through arts and literature as part of Austrian Literary Society’s International Literature Dialogues,” Austrian Embassy cultural representative Madeleine Mitchell Diolanda shared.

Guests can come for free on November 26, 3 pm, at the Kwago Bookstore in Curious Coffee and buy the book at 30-percent off, plus register for a free illustration for kids workshop by Austrian artist Amir Abou-Roumié (bit.ly/registerforSSISSL).

As the World Health Organization pointed out in its report about mental disorders last June 8, one in every 8 people in the world live with such disorder. This may include anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, eating disorders, disruptive behavior and dissocial disorders or neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and ASD (autism spectrum disorder).

As parents, we need to be more aware and accepting of this reality so when we are faced with it in our own family or community, we can be more open to prevention, and treatment and do away with any discrimination and stigma.

Dialogues on November 26, 2022, 3 to 5pm at Kwago Bookstore inside Curious Coffee.

ceremony was led by Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano and chairman of the executive committee of SM Prime Hans Sy. They were joined by Carol Sy, SM Supermalls president Steven Tan, and SM Mall of Asia senior assistant vice president Perkin So.

THE Mandaluyong Children’s Choir delighted audiences with well-loved Christmas carols.

THE Gingerbread Ladies welcome Santa at the launch.

AT the launch of the “Very Merry MOA Gingerbread Christmas” were (from left) chairman of the executive committee of SM Prime Hans Sy, Pasay City Mayor Imelda CalixtoRubiano, SM Supermalls president Steven Tan, and SM Mall of Asia senior assistant vice president Perkin So.

SWEETS An adorable gingerbread man and gingerbread cookie Christmas tree and bell adorn the giant two-tiered cake in MOA’s magical Gingerbread Village.

A Race To Remember: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Vios Cup’s Engine-Revving Finale

and Riz Javier claiming the third spot. Media Sporting Class also saw Jan Lacuna keeping his podium spot, with Ronald Delos Reyes and Kevin Franciso finishing second, and third respectively.

The influencers also showed what they got when it came to being the star on the race track. Bringing home the Promotional Class top spot was Miguel Romulo, who bested two other strong contenders, Ashley Gosiengifiao, who finished second, and Carla Lizardo, who took third place.

It was a quick rise to the top spot for Enzo Pineda, who championed the Influencer Sporting Class, with Jules Aquino and Aaron Villaflor eventually claiming the second and third spots, respectively.

In the GR GT Cup Class of Autocross Challenge, Russel Reyes was champion whose performance upgraded from being second during the previous leg to now gaining the top spot, became a challenging yet fulfilling feat. Jether Miole finished second, while Mark Elman claimed the third spot.

Bellevue Bohol, Your Time Import and Export launch eco-friendly mobile classroom for Panglao pupils

THE Bellevue Resort in Bohol, through their partner foundation Specialized Training and Education for Pilipino Students (STEPS) Mission School, recently teamed up with Anthony Wu and Jeannie Jin of Your Time Import and Export to open the Mobile Classroom of Hope for pupils in Barangay Doljo, Panglao.

The classroom primarily stands as a supplementary daycare center to teach children how to read before they enter grade school. It also offers livelihood training programs for parents of enrolled students.

With The Bellevue Resort’s longtime commitment to sustainability, it has made certain that this project is no exception to them. The resort harnesses its energy from solar panels to minimize environmental impact and maximize cost efficiency which they also see as a great opportunity to educate children about climate change and the importance of promoting sustainability.

“When we learned that 40 percent of fourth graders in public schools still do not know how to read, we thought of different ways to help the community here in Bohol. And one of our best means is to increase access to education,” shares Dustin Chan, managing director of The Bellevue Resort.

“We are grateful to STEPS and Your Time Import and Export for partnering with us to give hope and guidance to children to have brighter futures.”

Today, the Brgy. Doljo preschool has 50 pupils under the mentorship of two full-time and part-time teachers. The organization also currently holds phonics classes for 80 first-grade pupils from different elementary schools in the local community.

With the addition of the Mobile Classroom of Hope, the project now has five existing classrooms. Classes are completely free. All they need to do is for the parents to sign a commitment to participate in educating their children by continuing the teaching at home.

Since The Bellevue Resort launched its Mission School with STEPS 10 years ago, they have reaped the priceless reward of seeing thousands of graduates, including pupils who have finished at the top 10 of their classes during elementary school.

For more information on The Bellevue Resort - Bohol’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, contact (+6338) 422 2222 or email info@thebellevuebohol.com.

To know more about the resort, visit www.thebellevuebohol.com.

TOYOTA Motor Philippines concluded this year’s TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) Vios Cup with an unforgettable final weekend.

Fifty-five racers across the Super Sporting, Sporting, and Promotional classes of Circuit Championship and Autocross Challenge all gathered at the Clark International Speedway last November 19, 2022, yet again for the ultimate finale of this year’s TGR Vios Cup season.

It was a season finale to remember as many of the last leg’s teams ultimately sustained their momentum to win podium finishes for their racing teams. Successfully pushing the pedal to the metal are the second leg’s top finishers, who took home the championship for their respective categories.

Some of the race challenges in the latter part of the racing day witnessed extreme racing conditions as the rain started to pour at the Clark International Speedway. This made every class’ win even more worth all the strategic clutches and drifts throughout the wet speedway.

For Race 9’s Promotional Class Winners, it was Jay Lao of OTR Racing Team who ultimately won the top podium finish, with Ian Rosales of Toyota Team Cebu placing second, and Alain Alzona of Alzona Racing Team taking the third spot.

Sporting Class racer Joaquin Garrido of the Obengers Racing Team championed Race 9, with Michael Keilani Jordan of Jordan Racing Team finishing second, and Jiro Garbes of Toyota San Fernando completing the top three.

It was quite an eventful weekend for the Obengers Racing Team as Inigo Anton also bagged the top spot for Race 9’s Super Sporting Class, with Red Diwa finishing second, and John Dizon, also from Obengers Racing, finishing in third.

Autocross Challenge racers also had their fair share of the wild turns at the tracks, but this did not stop the previous leg’s winners from still finishing in their respective top spots.

For the Media Promotional Class, Pablo Salapantan still finished on top, with Siegwald Go advancing to second place

Following the last leg of TGR Vios Cup, TMP will announce the overall season champs this December to officially wrap up the season and award the races who really championed the competition from start to finish.

With the TGR Vios Cup 2022 season coming to a close, there’s a lot more to expect for next season as TMP continues to level up and bring the love for local racing to motorsports enthusiasts nationwide. No pumping of brakes here, with TGR Vios Cup gaining its speed for more turns, drifts, and racing thrills for the next season.

In case you missed it, catch the action again during the final leg of this year’s Vios Cup on the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing PH’s official Facebook and YouTube channel.

The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Vios Cup 2022 was organized in cooperation with Bridgestone and partner Petron. Other sponsors are Brembo, Denso, AVT, 3M, OMP, Tuason Racing, Kinto One, myToyota Wallet, and ROTA.

EWBC, Singapore Airlines extends partnership for EastWest Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Mastercard

EAST West Banking Corporation (EWBC), together with Singapore Airlines (SIA), has announced its renewed partnership for five more years with the benefits-packed credit card, the EastWest Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Mastercard. Cardholders can look forward to more ways to earn miles easier and gain exclusive access to travel, shopping, dining benefits and more.

First launched in 2019, the EastWest Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Mastercard is positioned as the bestin-class airline cobrand card in the Philippines that enables cardholders to fulfill their dreams and aspirations to travel by earning miles faster. The card boasts of a generous spend-to-miles conversion rate, with cardholders earning three times more miles when they spend on Singapore Airlines Group, e-commerce and cross-border. In addition, cardholders can earn up to 15,000 anniversary bonus miles each year.

The card also offers other benefits such as low foreign currency conversion of only 1.7%, up to four complimentary lounge access per year, and free comprehensive travel insurance and convenience insurance of up to P20 million for cardholders and their family members.

The contract signing was attended by representatives from both EastWest and Singapore Airlines and signifies the strong commitment from both partners to continuously offer the best deals for KrisFlyer members and EastWest customers.

“The partnership extension is a sign of more exciting times ahead for our clients, especially for frequent flyers. The EastWest Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Mastercard offers generous

spend-to-miles conversion rates and the lowest foreign currency conversion fee, that I’m sure travelers will enjoy,” said Lawrence L. Lee, Executive Vice President and Consumer Lending Head of EastWest.

“The partnership signals our commitment to offer more ways for KrisFlyer members in the Philippines to earn miles as well as to enjoy more rewards. With the EastWest Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer MasterCard, our customers can live and breathe the things they love, from flying, shopping, dining, to exploring new experiences, and be rewarded for it.” added Rachel Tan, Vice President of KrisFlyer Partnerships of Singapore Airlines.

Apply for the EastWest Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Mastercard now and receive up to 6,000 welcome bonus miles

upon reaching the minimum accumulative retail spend requirement* within three months from card activation.

Simply head to the nearest EastWest store or apply via ESTA, the EastWest System Tech Assistant chatbot, at www. ewlend.com/CreditCard today.

In conjunction with the partnership extension, EWBC and SIA will progressively roll out a series of exclusive promotions for cardholders that includes bonus miles and special sales. Cardholders can look out for more information on EWBC website in due course.

*Qualified spend includes straight/ retail or merchant installment transactions, online purchases, mail/telephone order transactions, Quick Bills and auto-charged transactions. Terms and conditions apply.

Fighting disinformation on the Internet requires industry, individual efforts—DFNN

ALONGSIDE the numerous innovations brought on by technology are just as many pitfalls, such as fake news and disinformation. A recent survey shows that an overwhelming 90 percent of the country’s adult population has been exposed to some form of fake news, whether that’s through the internet, television, or their own friends and family.

Disinformation has now gone past gossiping and spreading rumors, and its effects have a reach far beyond our online spheres. Today, unverified facts about Covid-19 and its vaccine plague internet communities on a global scale. Influencers and fake news peddlers openly spread misleading content to their followers. Even online and text scams frequently fool people into sharing personal details or money.

“Amid the many technological advancements we’re seeing day-to-day, we’re living in a precarious digital landscape,” says DFNN’s President and CEO Calvin Lim. “Access to the internet also means access to a world of information, a large chunk of which is not properly verified. Individuals must protect themselves against this growing issue, but at the same time, the system and larger groups like companies should also work to protect the regular consumer,” he adds.

There are several ways to protect oneself from online propaganda, DFNN notes. Here are five of them.

Verify sources at all times: It’s best to make sure that all information and news comes from legitimate sources like reputable media outlets, especially before sharing these to social media profiles or to family and friends.

When getting information from social media, track its original source: Information can often be taken out of context or edited to fit a certain narrative. Before believing or sharing news tidbits like short videos or photos, find the full source to get the complete story.

Read beyond the headlines: News and articles may be written using clickbait or

misleading headlines, only for the full story to say something completely different. Be sure to always read entire articles.

Diversify sources: Even when reading credible sources, it’s still a good idea to get news from a variety of trustworthy outlets to gain different perspectives and larger amounts of information.

Protect online footprint and identity: Do not share personal information to suspicious sources or individuals, to avoid being targeted by scams or illicit groups that claim to be legitimate.

On a larger scale, DFNN believes that industry-wide changes to digital security, data privacy, and technological infrastructures will also play a key role in combating fake news and disinformation. Artificial intelligence and machine learning, for example, can be used to spot and filter misleading information. Meanwhile, blockchain technologies are already being used to create credibility for verified news by making sources easily trackable, and attaching digital seals of approval for its veracity.

“Technology is a double-edged sword of innovation and propaganda, but there is always something we can do to fight this significant but overlooked part of online security,” states Lim. “We have an internet epidemic on our hands, but there are two very important weapons to combat it and that’s us as individuals, and technology that aims to secure.”

Fighting disinformation is In line with DFNN’s vision of digital inclusivity. The company continues to look for partnerships that harness value from integrating digital solutions and finding synergies as new technologies come to the forefront such as blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, fintech exchanges and markets; pervasive internet with entry of other low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and other space technologies, recognizing that providing a secure customer experience is integral to its growth and resilience to challenges.

FROM left to right, First Vice President and Credit Cards Business Head of East West Banking Corporation Aylwin

Herminia Tamayo; Executive Vice President and Consumer Lending Head of East West Banking Corporation Lawrence Lee; Vice President KrisFlyer Partnerships Singapore Airlines Ltd. Rachel Tan; General Manager Philippines Singapore Airlines Ltd. Sia Nam Kung

CIRCUIT Championship winners from left, Michael Feilani Jordan of Jordan Racing Team, Ian Rosales of Toyota Team Cebu, Red Diwa of JBT Racing / Toyota Isabela, Alain Alzona of Alzona Racing – Toyota General Santos, Inigo Anton of Toyota North Edsa – Obengers Racing, Joaquin Garrido of Toyota Otis – Obengers Team, John Dizon of Obengers –Funhanmart, and Jiro Garbes of JBT Racing / Toyota San Fernando

I N the photo from left are STEPS Familia Mission Philippines VP Joy Gamonez and President Manny Gamonez, Your Time Import and Export owners, Jeannie Jin and Anthony Wu, First Lady of Panglao Aniceta Arcay, Panglao Mayor Edgardo Arcay, Johnny Chan, Chairman of The Bellevue Hotels and Resorts, Dustin Chan, Managing Director of The Bellevue Resort and Roberto Rossino, General Manager of The Bellevue Resort.

Envoys&Expats

SFA: PHL, Bangladesh to harness  opportunities in tech, agri, health

THE Philippines and Bangladesh should further explore business opportunities in various sectors, according to Secretary of Foreign Affairs (SFA) Enrique Manalo.

I n a seminar to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Philippine-Bangladeshi bilateral ties, the top diplomat said relations on the economic front had grown steadily over the past few years.

Trade between Manila and Dhaka, Manalo said, increased from approximately $48 million to $105 million in 2021, while overcoming the impact of the pandemic.

He also mentioned the recent $3.9-million investment made by Bangladesh-based business-process outsourcing firm TELSU Inc., and the continuous operation of Liwayway Corp. in Gazipur since 2019.

“

I hope that this upward trend in our trade and investment relations will continue, and that the full potential of our economic partnership will be realized in the next few years,” the SFA stated. “There

are still many business opportunities to explore in areas such as telecommunications, information technology, agriculture and the health sectors, just to name a few.”

B angladesh’s Foreign Minister Dr. Abdul Momen agreed with the need to “initiate new collaboration” in agriculture, digital economy and education, while strengthening cooperation in regional and international fora.

F or Ambassador Borhan Uddin of Bangladesh, now is the time to “review bilateral cooperation in the last 50 years: what we have achieved, and what could be achieved.”

“(Although) we have made significant achievements from our bilateral cooperation, there is no reason to be complacent with that,” Uddin urged. “We have to make robust and exponential progress.”

The envoy added: “Being developing countries, there might be a sense of competition in some sectors. If we complement each other without being competitive, I believe both countries can equally benefit from the common sources.”

T he two nations established formal diplomatic relations on February 24, 1972; the Philippines was among the first to recognize Bangladesh’s independence.

T hrough the years various agreements in trade and investments, culture, merchant shipping, as well as youth and sports development brought cooperation between the

two to new heights.

For Manalo, Dhaka and Manila could further boost interactions on ways to address climate change and other emerging challenges, including food security, which is a priority area for the government.

I note that the government of Bangladesh will soon hold its general elections in 2023. Rest assured that the Philippines will continue to work with [Bangladeshi] leaders in strengthening our cooperation in areas of mutual concern for the benefit of both our peoples,” the SFA said.

Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA

German Chamber lauds circular on easing constitutional restrictions in PHL’s RE sector

THE German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (GPCCI) welcomed the recent amendments to the provisions of Renewable Energy Act of 2008 which will enable more foreign players to enter the local renewable-energy (RE) sector.

T his pertains to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) recent decision under Department Circular 2022-11003, which will allow foreign citizens or foreign-owned entities to engage in the exploration, development, and utilization of the country’s RE resources such as solar, wind, biomass, ocean or tidal energy, following the amendment of Section 19 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 9513, or the

“Renewable Energy Act of 2008.”

“ The RE sector has always been an interest for many German investors when they consider doing business [locally],” said GPCCI Executive Director Christopher Zimmer. “Germany has a strong RE industry, with a lot of know-how and experience that could contribute to the energy transition of the Philippines.”

Zimmer added: “We [expect] seeing the rules finalized, so more companies can explore this sector’s large potential for cooperation and energy generation.”

“ With the impressive amount of interest the DOE has been receiving both from local and foreign investors in [RE] development, particularly in the offshore wind potential,

the state can now directly undertake the exploration, development, production, and utilization of [RE] resources; or it can enter into [RE] service or operating contracts with Filipino and/or foreign citizens, or Filipino and/or foreign-owned corporations, or associations,” Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said.

T he chamber noted that the amendments follow the opinion released by the Department of Justice. It states that RE investments in the country are not subject to the Constitution’s 40-percent foreignownership restriction.

L otilla further stressed: “The country has a vast potential in RE development. Now that the foreign equity restrictions in [that] sector

have been relaxed, we expect an increase in investments…which would certainly contribute to our economy, provide jobs to our people, and help meet the goal of increasing the RE in the power-generation mix of 35 percent by 2030, and 50 percent by 2040.”

H is statement was echoed by DOE Renewable Energy Management Bureau Officer In Charge-Assistant Secretary Mylene Capongcol in an event organized by GPCCI in partnership with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, or GIZ, in Manila. It covered discussions covering private-sector engagement in the field of RE and green hydrogen to replace diesel generators.

Taiwanese NGO conducts community-resilience practice

NONGOVERNMENT organization (NGO) Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF), with support from the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hosted an advocacy campaign for community resilience in fire safety on November 19 at the Andres Bonifacio Integrated School in Mandaluyong City, with more than 300

participants from Barangay Addition Hills.

TFCF invited guests from their stakeholders who were part of their mission, including the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the Bureau of Fire Protection-Mandaluyong Central and Mauway branch teams, the

Universidad De Manila-Social Work Department faculty, and local officials of Barangay Addition Hills.

The activities highlighted achievements and initiatives of programs related to fire safety and community resilience. During the event local volunteer leaders conducted activities and games relevant to the said advocacies.

In addition, the organization presented testimonies from the families who benefited from their programs, such as housing support, community/environment improvement, and community patrolling. With those, the organization currently works with families to replace their houses with fire-resistant materials.

Protecting Filipino kids: We mean business

PROTECTING children is something that matters to us all.

Earlier this month I met with participating children and coaches who are part of the Australia-supported “Football for Humanity Foundation” program, which uses sports to educate and empower vulnerable children about the dangers of online sexual abuse and exploitation. We were very happy to see how the partnership has grown, and is now helping children in 40 hotspot communities across this country.

Australia recognizes that pedophiles continue to prey on Filipino children via the Internet. I congratulate the Philippines for enacting a new law that defines a stronger, more collaborative response against online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, including child sexual abuse or exploitation materials— both of which worsened during the pandemic.

Since 2019 the Australian government has been supporting its Philippine counterpart to raise public awareness on child online safety, as well as improve the capacity of police and courts to detect, investigate and prosecute cases on online abuse and exploitation of children through the “SaferKidsPH” initiative. As part of the program, we help ensure that children and families can access services in their schools and communities whenever they need to report and seek assistance relating to online sexual abuse and exploitation.

Australia has also been working globally to protect children by bringing sexual perpetrators to justice and assisting in rescuing children who are victims of this type of cyber crime. During the Australian Federal Police’s 35-year presence in the Philippines, we have collaborated with partner-agencies across various crime types with an increasing focus on protecting Filipino children from sexual abuse by countering its recent and rapid growth.

W hile Australia continues its support in combatting online sexual abuse and exploitation of children through our development, law enforcement and financial-intelligence tie-ups, succeeding in this goal needs coordinated and multisectoral re-

sponse from governments and stakeholders, including the private sector. So in 2020 the Australian government advocated for the participation of the private sector and the Australian-Filipino business community. We supported an agreement between the Australian-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (ANZCHAM) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Phils. to promote and support child online protection through advocacy, volunteerism and fundraising support.

With more than 350 ANZCHAM member-companies, the partnership aims to bring the conversation to the members’ respective organizations, and eventually to their employees’ own homes.

I am happy to see that partnership grow. In 2022 the ANZCHAMUNICEF cooperation continues to advocate for SaferKidsPH through activities—including information drives through its various platforms, town-hall meetings for membercompanies to help private sectoremployees understand the dangers of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, as well as providing parents tips and guidelines on ways to make their children safe as they use the Internet.

T he partnership has also helped develop an online-donation page for ANZCHAM member-firms and employees interested in supporting the SaferKidsPH activities. Last year they were able to raise funds for the construction and equipping of a child-friendly facility in Angeles City, Pampanga that will provide childprotection training to community frontliners and assist child victims of online sexual abuse and exploitation, with legal and psychosocial support.

A s Australia and the Philippines continue to work together to keep Filipino children safe, I am excited to extend our cooperation with the business community even further. I look forward to working with the Philippine government, civil society, and the private sector in exploring ways to encourage businesses to do more for Filipino children.

(HK Yu is the Australian ambassador to the Philippines. Follow her on Twitter: @AusAmbPH.)

IDEAS EXCHANGE Ambassador Gerard Ho Wei Hong of Singapore met with Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman at the Department of Budget and Management Headquarters on November 15. Both ideated opportunities for cooperation between the Philippine and Singaporean governments, including the Sovereign Wealth Fund, climate finance, and digitalization. The DBM chief acknowledged the island-state as one of the country’s biggest investors.

FB: AMENAH F. PANGANDAMAN

EXPANDING TIES Ambassador Leslie Baja (left) and Honorary Consul Mohamed Ali Deyahi inaugurated the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Nouakchott, Mauritania on November 4 as the country’s first in the African state. The Filipino envoy said the opening of the consulate is expected to expand ties in “economy, agriculture, and fisheries, among others.” The two nations established formal diplomatic relations on September 30, 2013. FB: PHL EMBASSY-MOROCCO

COURTESY CALL Ambassador Shobini Gunasekera of Sri Lanka trades tokens with Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, as the former expressed interest in exploring best practices for cooperation in migrant labor, possible partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and the finalization of the proposed memorandum of understanding on labor cooperation between her country and the Philippines. ALEJANDRO ECHAVEZ, DOLE-IPS

THE ambassador (standing, third from left) handed over soccer balls to students and coaches as part of the Australia-supported “Football for Humanity” program, together with Dr. Jhay Bisco who is the principal of Ricardo P. Cruz Sr. Elementary School (from left), Mayor Lani Cayetano of Taguig City, and FFH Cofounder Belle Tiongco. AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY

SECRETARY Enrique Manalo PNA

DON’T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA...

LUSAIL, Qatar—Lionel Messi stood with his hands on his hips near the center circle, looking stone-faced as Saudi Arabia’s jubilant players ran in all directions around him after pulling off one of the biggest World Cup upsets ever against Argentina.

The South American champions and one of the tournament favorites slumped to a 2-1 loss Tuesday against the second lowest-ranked team at the World Cup in a deflating start to Messi’s quest to win the one major title that has eluded him.

A sked how he felt after a painful start to his record fifth World Cup for Argentina, Messi said: “The truth? Dead. It’s a very hard blow because we did not expect to start in this way.”

Saudi Arabia’s comeback joins the list of other major World Cup upsets: Cameroon’s 1-0 win over an Argentina team led by Diego Maradona in the opening game of the 1990 World Cup; Senegal’s 1-0 victory over defending champion France in the 2002 tournament opener; or the United States beating England by the same score in 1950.

“ We know the World Cup is this

way,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “Sometimes you can steamroll the opponents and, in a couple of plays, you are losing.”

That summed up the pattern of a match that started with Messi giving Argentina the lead, calmly converting a penalty in the 10th minute for his 92nd international goal. It had all the makings of a routine win for the defending Copa America champions, who were on a 36-match unbeaten run—one short of the record in international soccer.

D idn’t turn out that way.

Goals by Saleh Alshehri and Salem Aldawsari in a five-minute span early in the second half gave the Saudis a landmark result in the first World Cup staged in the Middle East. Their previous biggest win was 1-0 over Belgium at the 1994 World Cup, secured by a storied individual goal by Saeed Al-Owairan.

“All the stars aligned for us,” Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard said. “We made history for Saudi football.”

Th e 35-year-old Messi, playing in his fifth—and likely his final— World Cup for Argentina, scratched the side of his head and shook hands with a Saudi coaching staff member after the final whistle.

He walked toward the tunnel with a group of other Argentina players and looked despondent, an all-toofamiliar scene for the seven-time world player of the year who has yet to win soccer’s ultimate prize.

We are facing two finals now,” said Argentina striker Lautaro Martinez, looking ahead of remaining group matches against Mexico and Poland. “We screwed it up in the second half.”

The unlikely victory by a team made up entirely of Saudi-based players was sealed by a somersault by Aldawsari, who brought down a high ball just inside the penalty area, spun his way past Nahuel Molina with the help of a ricochet, dribbled past Leandro Paredes and drove a powerful shot to the far corner in the 53rd.

A stunned Messi watched as Saudi Arabia’s green-clad fans, who had come over the Qatari border in their thousands, celebrated in disbelief in the stands. Saudi Arabia’s substitutes swarmed onto the field to congratulate Aldawsari, who sank to his knees after his post-goal acrobatics. AP

Senator Jinggoy hails boxers, chess prodigies

Elite Men and Women Boxing Championships in Amman.

Paalam won the men’s bantam weight gold medal, while Petecio and Bacyadan claimed bronze medals in women’s featherweight and middle weight, respectively.

“ The valiant efforts and successes of Paalam, Petecio and Bacyadan in the continental tilt proved yet again the exceptional caliber, resilience, and grit of our Filipino athletes alongside the world’s best,” Estrada said.

Their performance and victories in the international arena, Estrada added, uplifted the image of the Philippines and reinforced the country’s standing as a celebrated boxing powerhouse.

“ The outstanding achievements of our Filipino boxers can motivate and inspire the younger generation

to immerse themselves in sports to develop discipline, perseverance, and commitment to excellence—all positive qualities that are important in nation-building,” he said.

Estrada also introduced Senate Resolution No. 308 extolling the exemplary performance of the National Youth Chess Team for bringing home the overall championship at the Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championships in Bangkok last November 12.

The chess prodigies embody the bright future of Philippine sports, whose world-class talent should be nur tured and further developed through adequate support to grassroots and amateur sports programs,” he said.

“ The junior chess champions and grandmasters-in-the-making stand as good role models for their fellow

THE look on Lionel Messi’s face and body says it all as Saudi Arabia slays powerhouse Argentina, 2-1. AP

Filipinos to encourage them to take up sports that foster self-discipline, team work, and excellence,” Estrada added.

The delegation hauled 32 gold, 27 silver and 21 bronze medals in the individual and team categories of the regional tilt which drew almost 200 players from 12 countries.

They also secured Woman Interna tional Master, FIDE Master, Woman FIDE Master and candidate masters titles from the event.

Asian age group swim championships set at NCC pool in November next year

By Josef Ramos

CAPAS, Tarlac—The Philippines will host the 11th Asian Age Group Swimming Championships in November next year—the second major international competition to be staged at the world-class New Clark City (NCC).

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and Asia Swimming Federation (AASF) Secretary General Taha Sulaiman Al Kishry signed a memorandum of agreement for the hosting chores on Wednesday morning at NCC’s FINA-certified Aquatics Center, a showcase facility like the nearby Athletics Stadium during the country’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

“I would like to thank the AASF for giving us the opportunity to host a big event like this,” Tolentino said. “It’s really hard to bid to host an international event like swimming.”

The AASF chose the Philippines over Thailand and Vietnam as host because of the world-class NCC pools that will cater to competitions in swimming, diving, artistic [synchronized] swimming and water polo— including a category for boys and girls as young as 11.  Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) president and CEO Atty.

More than 1,400 young swimmers from 42 Asian countries are expected to compete in the championships. The continental competition is the second of two major international competitions after the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019 that will be staged in the FINA-standard swimming and diving pools.

With this kind of venue [NCC], we are lucky to be chosen,” said Tolentino, also head of PhilCycling and of Tagaytay City. “We, the POC, BCDA and PSI [Philippine Swimming Inc.] will work together to achieve a successful hosting.

The facilities here are excellent from the warm up to the competition pool,” said Al Kishry, adding that the Aquatics Center is Olympic standard. “There’s nothing you can ask for about the venue.”

A l Kishry said he expects top officials from FINA, swimming’s world governing body, to attend the championships.

Perez said that a year’s prepara tion would help the POC, BCDA and NCAA for a successful hosting of championships.

It’s not easy to host an event like the Asian championships. It re quires a year of preparation and dry runs to make it better,” Perez said.

T he NCC’s other world-class fa cility, the Athletes Village, would house the swimmers, coaches and officials. The specific competition dates in November 2023 will be announced later.

Top juniors resume hunt for titles, ranking points in Brookside Open

FINISHING touches for the 72nd Fil-Am Men’s Invitational that kicks off this weekend with the seniors tournament were undertaken during a team captains’ meeting Wednesday at the Camp John Hay Golf Club in Baguio City.

Fil-Am co-chairmen Anthony de Leon of Baguio Country Club (NCC) and Jude Eustaquio of John Hay and rules officials Jose “Pepot” Iñigo and Jack Imperial met the teams’ captains of the tournament, the world’s biggest amateur tournament in terms of participation.

Tops on the agenda were new health guidelines topped by the elimination of antigen tests that were implemented last year. Each participant, however, must submit proof of full vaccination and booster shots while the locker facilities will operate within limits.

All set for 72nd Fil-Am golfest

back to earth after long periods of staying afloat up there in the sky.

We’re talking halted win streaks here. How uncanny is it that in the past several days, win streaks in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) all stopped and brought everything back to square one?

Week of halted streaks

WHAT a week. Could the full moon and lunar eclipse that turned the Moon into a bloody red orb in early November have an eerie effect on some things here on earth?

M aybe not, but astrologers warned that the phenomenon in the skies could bring about some surprising shake-ups and developments.

A nd looks like it did. Because in the world of sports alone, several teams in different sports organizations fell

The Chicago Bulls, struggling thus far with six consecutive losses, pulled down the Boston Celtics’ green balloon with a 121-107 win at the United Center. Hitting 51.7 percent of their shots highlighted by 48.3 percent three-point shooting, the Bulls simply outshot the Celtics and stopped their nine-game win streak to a shocking stop.

At the PBA, NorthPort brought Converge’s seven-game streak to a screeching halt. Batang Pier William Navarro almost singlehandedly punished the Fiber Xers, falling just an assist short of a triple double with 29 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists.

N orthPort took advantage of the absence of Converge import Quincy Miller who was reportedly benched as a disciplinary measure. With Ginebra San Miguel winning over TNT over the weekend, the erstwhile phenoms of the PBA now slide to fourth.

“ On behalf of Jude (Eustaquio), I welcome everyone to this annual event,” BCC general manager de Leon said. “We are happy to see new and old friends here and have a sort of a reunion.”

More than 1,200 players representing 240 teams are seeing action in the longrunning event. A total of 100 teams are competing in the seniors and 26 are play ing in the lower divisions of the regular teams starting this weekend, with still 110 squads on the waitlist.

The two-week event is held in part nership with BCC, Camp John Hay, The Manor, The Forest Lodge and Le Chef with presenters 3K Rock Engineer ing and Construction Corp., Toyota, Boysen,and Columbia Sportswear and major sponsors Palm Grove, Britanny Corp. and Asiatraders Corp.

THE chase for top honors and ranking points in the national juniors circuit shifts to Cainta with more than 150 entries seeing action beginning Thursday in eight age groups in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP) Brookside Open at the Brookside Hills Tennis Club’s clay courts.

Ivan Manila and Alfonso Infante gear up for a showdown in the boys’ premier division while siblings KayeAnn and Mica Emana brace for a fierce duel in the girls’ 18-under of the Group 1 tournament presented by Dunlop.

The event is a prelude to next week’s Brookside Open featuring the country’s leading and rising players.

For details, contact event organizer Bobby Mangunay at 09154046464.

Brothers France and Frank Dilao also look to dispute the 16-under crown with last week’s Philippine Columbian Association Juniors 14-under winner Reign Maravilla joining the title hunt along with Manila, Tristan Licayan, Samuel Davila, Yusuf Burahan and

Fourth is the lowest spot that they can land on, however, and already Coach Aldin Ayo is focusing on how they’ll scale the heights again. Taking care of team business is the priority as well as the usual preparations.

I n the UAAP, De La Salle University (DLSU) has turned out to be the league’s official Streak Buster. Almost given up for dead after losses to National University (NU), University of the Philippines (UP), University of the East, Far Eastern University and and Adamson University in the first round, De La Salle shrugged off its loss to Ateneo in their second round encounter and has turned its fortunes around.

Its most attention-getting feat lately is how it ended the Fighting Maroons seven-game win streak with a masterful fourth quarter performance in their latest meeting on Sunday.

W hat looked like a dominant UP game, particularly in the third quarter and early fourth quarter, turned out to be a master class in end games by the Green Archers who held steady to win, 82-80, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. The win rendered the last minute heroics of JD Cagulangan and Zavier Lucero (who both scored scintillating threes to close the gap to two) moot and academic.

B ut La Salle’s biggest conquest and dream-smashing move comes from the Lady Archers in women’s

Hannah Divinagracia, Sandra Bau tista, Joy Ansay and Chloe Mercado, on the other hand, are tipped to crowd for the girls’ 16-under trophy in the weeklong tournament, a part of the coun try’s longest-running talent-search put up by Palawan Pawnshop president and CEO Bobby Castro.

L icayan and Maravilla also banner the 14-under cast that includes Lexious Cruz, Gavin Kraut, Zachary Morales, Ynigo Naredo, Seth Torrecampo and Gerard Manigque, while Bautista, Ansay, Maristella Torrecampo and Cadee Dagoon prime up for fierce duels in their side of the battle.

Tipped to contend for the crowns in the youngest category (12-under) in the tournament, backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and Universal Tennis Rating are Brendan Morales, Dean Palaroan, Lorenzo Go and Naredo (boys) and Maristella Torrecampo, Ronielle Oliveros, Kylie Cautivo and Dagoon (girls).

basketball. Just Wednesday, the DLSU women shocked the Lady Bulldogs with an overtime win, 61-57 at the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion. The loss was not just a one-day sad outcome. It destroyed a 108-game win-streak that started eight years ago when Afril Bernardino-led NU defeated Adamson University in Season 77 in July 2014.

Ironically, the last time the NU women’s basketball team lost a game was also at the hands of the DLSU Lady Archers in a do-or-die game of the Season 76 finals in October of 2013.

H ad they continued to collect more wins, the Lady Bulldogs would have given the UConn Huskie’s 111 games winning streak a run for its money. UConn holds the record for the most consecutive wins worldwide. Just three won games more, and four more for the win, the NU Lady Bulldogs would have become world famous—for years to come—because of such a rare and distinguished achievement.

T he Lady Bulldogs still sit atop the women’s basketball ladder despite the loss. But amazing La Salle is now second, overtaking the UST Growling Tigresses who were the acknowledged next best women’s team before the La Salle uprising.

W hat a difference a red moon makes.

PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (fourth from left) and Asia Swimming Federation Secretary General Taha Sulaiman Al Kishry shake hands after signing the memorandum of agreement. With them are (from left) Bases Conversion and Development Authority Senior Vice President for Corporate Services Group Arrey Perez and President and CEO Atty. Agnes VST Devanadera, POC legal head Atty. Wharton Chan and MTD Philippines president Patrick Nicholas David. ROY DOMINGO

Joshua Diva.

THE 72nd Fil-Am Men’s Invitational holds a team captains’ meeting Wednesday to formally launch the event set from Saturday to December 1. Shown are tournament co-chairmen Anthony de Leon of Baguio Country Club and Jude Eustaquio of Camp John Hay Golf Club, along with rules officials Jose Iñigo and Jack Imperial.

ESTRADA

Agnes VST Devanadera and Senior Vice President for Corporate Services Group Arrey Perez, as well as POC legal chief Atty. Wharton Chan and Secretary-General Bones Floro and MTD Philippines president Patrick Nicholas David were at NCC to witness the ceremony.

SENATOR Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada sought a Senate commendation for the latest batch of achievers in the field of sports as he filed Senate Resolution Nos. 309 commending and congratulating the boxers who won medals in a recent tournament in Jordan.

E strada hailed in the resolution Tokyo Olympics silver medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio and Hergie Bacyadan for bagging medals in the Asian Boxing Confederation