BusinessMirror September 08, 2023

GIR settles at $99.8B as of

PAYMENTS made by the national government on its foreign currency debts and lower gold prices pushed the country’s gross international reserves (GIR) to below $100 billion in August 2023, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Based on the latest data, the country’s GIR level settled at $99.8 billion as of end-August 2023, from the end-July 2023 level of $100 billion.

However, the GIR level in August 2023 was higher than the $97.44 billion recorded by BSP in August 2022.

“The month-on-month decrease in the GIR level reflected mainly the National Government’s [NG] payments of its foreign currency debt obligations and the downward adjustments in the value of BSP’s gold holdings due to the decrease in the price of gold in the international market,” BSP said.

The BSP also said the net international reserves decreased by $0.1 billion to $99.8 billion as of end-August 2023 from the endJuly 2023 level of $99.9 billion. This refers to the difference between the BSP’s reserve assets or GIR and reserve liabilities

or short-term foreign debt and credit and loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The BSP’s reserve assets consist of foreign investments, gold, foreign exchange, reserve position in the IMF and special drawing rights.

The BSP said short-term debt based on residual maturity refers to outstanding external debt with original maturity of one year or less, plus principal payments on medium- and long-term loans of the public and private sectors falling due within the next 12 months.

The BSP, meanwhile, said the

latest GIR level represents a morethan-adequate external liquidity buffer equivalent to 7.4 month’s worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income.

The central bank said the GIR is viewed to be adequate if it can finance at least three-months’ worth of the country’s imports of goods and payments of services and primary income.

Moreover, the GIR in August is also 5.9 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 4.1 times based on residual maturity.

Cai U. Ordinario

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

Based on the PSA, the Volume of Production (VoPI) for manufacturing registered a year-on-year growth of 5.7 percent in July 2023.

This was faster than the year-onyear growth rate of 3.4 percent in the previous month. In July 2022, VoPI recorded an annual increase of 3.6 percent.

“The month-on-month and yearon-year improvement in manufacturing production volume in July 2023 may be attributed to the seasonal increase in manufacturing/ production, and other economic activities in the third quarter 2023 in preparation for the seasonal increase or even peak in demand/sales for many businesses and industries during the fourth quarter or the Christmas holidays season,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a note.

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

UK-BASED think tank

Oxford Economics said the recent weakness in goods trade has been concentrated in Asia and Europe, noting that the trend of ‘slowbalization,’ which was visible since the global financial crisis, will persist.

Oxford said the outlook for world goods trade growth remains “relatively downbeat.”

“Our baseline forecast is a shallow trade recession, with world trade in goods dropping 1.5 percent this year before staging a modest recovery in 2024 with growth of 2.3 percent,” the UK-based think tank said in a research briefing on Wednesday.

From 2019 to 2024, Oxford

Economics’ forecasts show that world trade in goods will grow at a similar pace to world gross domestic product (GDP) which is around 2 percent per year.

This, it said, means that the trend of ‘slowbalization’ visible since the global financial crisis, featuring a flat global goods trade-to-GDP ratio, will persist.

Geographically, Oxford said the recent weakness in goods trade has been concentrated in Asia and Europe.

In fact, it said “world import volumes fell by around 2 percent year-on-year in May to June this year, declining 6 to 8 percent year-on-year in advanced Asia and 4 percent in the eurozone.”

PBBM looks to Asean allies for rice imports

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

DESPITE the country’s recently reported sufficient rice supplies, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is now eyeing more imports of the food staple from Vietnam and Cambodia to ensure the country’s longterm food security.

At the sidelines of the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Indonesia, Marcos met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to discuss a possible five-year rice supply agreement.

Vietnam and Thailand are the country’s traditional sources of rice imports.

During the first five months of the year, the country imported 1.5 million tons of rice from Vietnam, worth US$772.4 million.

Marcos, who is also the Agriculture secretary, said the proposed supply agreement aims to address future volatility in the rice market.

“The suggestion of a longerterm arrangement is an important one because just having that as an assurance will stabilize the situation, not only for the Philippines, but for all of us in the region,” Marcos told Pham.

They also talked about fishery and maritime cooperation as well as security and defense matters.

In 2008, Vietnam agreed to sign a Memorandum of Agreement, wherein it agreed to sell 1,500,000 metric tons of rice to the government until 2010.

The same arrangement will no longer be possible following the enactment of Republic Act (RA) No. 110203 or the Rice Tariffication

ANNUAL preparations for the holidays allowed the country’s manufacturing output to increase in July 2023, according to the latest Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries (Missi) results released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

D I g n I tar IES dressed in traditional Indonesian batik clothing arrive for the gala dinner at the asean Summit in jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, September 6, 2023. (c ockwise from top left) President Ferdinand Marcos jr. and his wife louise araneta; US Vice President Kamala harris; canada's Prime Minister justin trudeau and his son xavier; South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon hee; Malaysian Prime Minister anwar Ibrahim and his wife Wan a zizah Wan Ismail; and japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife Yuko. Story on President Marcos's engagements with asean neighbors, below right. MAST IRHAM/POOL PHOTO VIA AP

Marcos, Harris eye bigger SCS drills with other states

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

Harris headed the US delegation to Asean meetings in lieu of US President Joe Biden in Jakarta. She met Philippine President Marcos Jr. briefly at the margins of the Asean-US Summit Wednesday.

t h e two leaders discussed the maritime security environment in the South China Sea, and reviewed opportunities to enhance bilateral maritime cooperation, including alongside like-minded partners,” the White House said in a readout released.

t he White House readout did not specifically mention the countries which they deem “like-mind -

ed partners.”

But prior to the bilaterals, Philippine Ambassador to Washington DC Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez said the US and Japan had earlier requested for a trilateral meeting at the sidelines of the Asean summits.

Japan and the Philippines are defense treaty allies of the US. t h e US and Philippines navies conducted a bilateral sail in the South China Sea last September

4. On that same day, the Japanese Navy also held anti-submarine exercises in the South China Sea. to kyo and Manila are still ne -

gotiating a status-of-forces agreement that would provide legal cover for both armed forces to conduct joint bilateral exercises.

t h e US likewise has defense arrangements with Australia and India under Quad, as well as with United Kingdom and Australia under AUKUS.

Last month, Biden met with the Japanese Prime Minister and South Korean President in Camp David where they agreed to expand security and economic cooperation.

President Marcos Jr. hailed the joint statement of the three leaders, called “ t h e Spirit of Camp David” which specifically opposed the militarization of reclaimed islands and rocks in the South China Sea, as well as illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

t h e [Camp David] Statement cemented a common security agenda among the United States, Japan, and South Korea, on arguably the most problematic issues in the region. Issues that undermine regional peace and prosperity, including but not limited to supporting the free and open international

order based on the rule of law,” Marcos said in his intervention speech during the US-Asean Summit. During their bilateral side meeting, Harris affirmed the US’s “ironclad alliance commitment” to the Philippines. Harris likewise “welcomed the strength of the bilateral relationship,” and highlighted the role the USPhilippine alliance plays in "ensuring a free, open and prosperous IndoPacific.” Marcos and Harris also welcomed the identification of four additional sites pursuant to the US-Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, as they upheld their “shared commitment to upholding the rules-based international order.”

t h e new EDCA sites in Palawan, Isabela and Cagayan “will drive US

Slowbalization…

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Meanwhile, the UK-based think tank noted that a “weakening” trend is also visible in recent data from China and other parts of emerging Asia.

Philexport’s take

investment to local communities across the Philippines and improve our shared ability to rapidly deliver humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.”

t h e White House added that both leaders also talked about opportunities to deepen commercial and economic cooperation.

t h is is the third time the two leaders met officially. t h e first time was when Harris traveled to Manila for an official visit a five months after Marcos Jr. assumed office last year. Harris also joined Biden during Marcos-Biden bilateral meeting in Washington, DC in May 2023.

President Marcos and the Vice President also discussed opportunities to bolster bilateral economic cooperation and enhance economic resilience.

Factory…

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Based on the PSA, the industry divisions that posted the fastest VoPI growth in July was the manufacture of beverages, which grew 12.6 percent in July 2023 from a contraction of 11.4 percent annual decrease in the past month.

Other industry divisions that contributed to the growth in July were the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products, 36.2 percent from 15.9 percent in the previous month; and the manufacture of food products, 1.2 percent from a contraction of 3.1 percent annual decrement in June 2023.

PSA data also showed that of the remaining 19 industry divisions, six registered year-on-year increases in July 2023. t h e top industries were the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products; manufacture of transport equipment; and manufacture of beverages.

In contrast, 13 industry divisions posted annual declines during the period. t h e highest annual drop was observed in manufacture of furniture, at a contraction of 27.7 percent.

Meanwhile, the VoPI for the manufacture of food products recorded an annual increase of 1.2 percent in July 2023 from its previous month’s annual decline of 3.1 percent. In July 2022, VoPI posted an annual increase of 7.8 percent.

t h e annual rate of VoPI for manufacture of food products in July 2023 was mainly caused by the decline in the manufacture of other food products industry group. t h is group contracted 4.5 percent during the month from a double-digit annual decline of 11 percent in the previous month. t h e manufacture of other food products industry group includes bakery products, sugar, and condiments, among others.

Meanwhile, in terms of the average capacity utilization rate, PSA data showed this was at 73.5 percent. t h is was higher than the 73.3 percent in June 2023 and 71.4 percent in July 2022.

All industry divisions reported capacity utilization rates of more than 50 percent during the month.

t h e top three industry divisions in terms of reported capacity utilization rate were led by the manufacture of computer, electronic, and optical products at 81 percent.

t h is was followed by the manufacture of rubber and plastic products at 80.7 percent and products manufacture of machinery and equipment except electrical at 80.4 percent.

t h e proportion of establishments that operated at full capacity (90 percent to 100 percent) was 27.8 percent of the total number of responding establishments. Meanwhile, 37.3 percent operated at 70 to 89 percent capacity, and 34.9 percent operated below 70 percent capacity.

At a recent media briefing, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) President Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr. revealed that while the country’s exports are growing, “it’s growing very slowly.”

t h e Philexport chief pointed to the effect of the geopolitics to the extent that the country’s supply chain is affected, mainly because the Philippines’s biggest trade partners were affected. In particular, he said, China slowed down in a way and this affected the Philippines.

t h e research briefing of Oxford highlighted that “China’s exports and imports are on a negative trend with particularly weak figures in July,” adding that this reflects a variety of factors including trade restrictions, sluggish Chinese consumer spending, and the ongoing real estate crisis.

“Economic weakness in China has already had a significant negative impact on trade in the rest of Asia, visible in some striking recent numbers from individual Asian economies,” the UK-based think tank said.

Moreover, further spillovers to world trade from “depressed trade” in China could be substantial, slowing industrial expansion in the region and hitting commodity prices, which damages both the exports and imports (via negative terms of trade effects) of major commodity exporters, Oxford said.

Last week, the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines, Foundation Inc. (Seipi) revised its growth target for electronics exports from 5 percent to zero percent for 2023 due to the ongoing geopolitical conflicts such as the trade war between the United States and China.

Seipi President Danilo C. Lachica revealed that the earnings from electronics exports from January to June 2023 is almost 7 percent down from the US$22.78 billion recorded in 2022 to US$21.19 billion in 2023.

t h e US$21.19 billion earnings from electronics exports recorded in the first half of 2023 is equivalent to 60.63 percent of the Philippine exports pie.

Seipi data showed the top five export destinations of electronics exports in June 2023 were Hong Kong with 20.82 percent the USA with 14.17 percent, China with 11.13 percent, Japan with 7.32 percent and Singapore with 6.27 percent.

PBBM…

Continued from A1

Act, which replaced the country’s quantitative restrictions with a general tariff.

t h e law also liberalized commercial rice importation and barred the government from importing rice through the National Food Authority (NFA).

Relaxed terms and conditions

A S IDE f rom Vietnam, the President also talked with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet about the possible easing of terms and conditions for Philippine firms to import rice from Khemer suppliers.

Last May, Cambodian suppliers exported 2,500 tons of rice to the country.

It was the first time Cambodia exported a “significant” amount of the food staple to the Philippines since the passage of RA 110203 in 2019.

Cambodia is aiming to get a 1-percent share of the country’s market of imported rice by 2024.

Marcos and Hun Manet also discussed expanding the Philippine-Cambodia direct flights and enhanced cultural, educational, and people-to-people exchanges. t h e country’s planned additional rice importations come on the heels of the government’s imposition of price caps due to the alleged rampant practice of hoarding by opportunistic traders and rice cartels: P41.00 per kilogram (kg) for regular milled rice and P45 per kg for well-milled rice.

Marcos said the illegal practice has led to soaring rice prices despite the Department of Agriculture (DA), projecting that the country will have a 10.15 million metric tons (MM t ) r ice supply during the second half of the year.

DA said the rice supply will be sufficient to cover the current rice demand of 7.76 MM t

PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. and US

Vice President Kamala Harris explored a possible expansion of their joint bilateral exercises with other countries in the South China Sea.

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz  @joveemarie

CITING the “crisis” in the country’s correctional system, a lawmaker has lamented the deterioration of the country’s penal institutions into “breeding grounds of despair and recidivism,” and called on Congress to help revert them into places of rehabilitation and transformation.

In demonstrating the appalling state of the Philippines penal facilities, Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan said officials of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) have informed him that there are only 16 medical officers and 3 psychiatrists providing health-care services to persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) locked up in district, municipal, and city jails managed by the agency throughout the country.

Jail c ongestion has reached “intolerable” limits, with prisons across the country meant for 12,251 PDLs now housing 51,561 individuals, according to the latest available data from the BJMP and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), Yamsuan said.

Our correctional system is in a stage of severe crisis,” said Yamsuan in his first privilege speech delivered before the plenary session of the House of Representatives on Monday, September 4.

In the N ew Bilibid Prisons alone, jails built to hold 6,435 inmates now have over 30,000 PDLs either crowding inside or spilling over to the facility’s open-air basketball court, Yamsuan noted.

C ity jails are no better, Yamsuan said, as PDLs resort to adopting unorthodox sleeping arrangements, such as rotating shifts for sleeping, sleeping on the steps of staircases, or even making improvised hammocks.

Yamsuan said the “nation’s correctional facilities, which are meant to be places of rehabilitation and transformation, have instead become breeding grounds for despair and recidivism.”

Therefore, distinguished colleagues, I ask this Congress to give primacy to measures that extend a hand of reform and redemption to our countrymen who deserve a second chance,” said Yamsuan, a former assistant secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG),

which supervises the BJMP. “B y supporting measures that will institut e reforms in our correctional system, we show through concrete action the strong commitment of the House of the People to the very principles of justice, compassion, and the belief in the potential of the individual to transform his life for the better,” he added.

Yamsuan earned the support of his fellow lawmakers from both the majority and minority blocs in issuing this appeal.

Iloilo 3rd District Rep. Lorenz Defensor and Zamboanga Sibugay 1st District Rep. Wilter Palma, who are both Deputy Majority Leaders; ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro; and Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, both from the Makabayan bloc and members of the minority in the House, manifested their full support to the proposal.

Yamsuan noted that the crisis in the country’s correctional system has spawned a multitude of problems, such as malnutrition and poor health among PDLs because jails supervised by both the BJMP and BuCor were allocated only P70 and P15 for the daily food and medical allowance, respectively, of each PDL.

Another gr ave concern exposed by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla is the corruption inside Bilibid, where some jail guards have set up a lucrative business of charging 20 percent commission for every peso sent to PDLs by their friends or relatives, Yamsuan said.

“It is easy t o blame prison officials for the continuing deterioration of our correctional institutions. But they themselves are fighting hard to survive in a fragmented system riddled with red tape—a system that lacks the manpower and resources to effectively manage PDLs and provide them humane living conditions,” he said.

Yamsuan has filed House Bill 8672, which aims to unify the country’s fragmented correctional system by creating a Department of Corrections and Jail Management (DCJM).

W ith President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. steering the country towards a “Bagong Pilipinas,” Yamsuan said a transformative mindset is needed in governance, “for indeed, we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them.”

Heart diseases, Covid-19 remain leading cause of death in 2022

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

in the region from January to December 2022.

This was followed by the City of Manila and Pasig with 648 (14.9 percent share) and 455 (10.4 percent share) Covid-19 deaths, respectively.

The data also showed Calabarzon ranked second with 2,857 deaths or 16.2 percent of total Covid-19 deaths followed by Central Luzon, which came in third with 2,361 deaths or a 13.4 percent share in the total and Western Visayas with 1,250 deaths or a 7.1 percent share in Covid-19 deaths in 2022.

as the leading cause of death in the country in 2022.

The data from PSA showed there were 664,221 Filipinos who died in 2022. This was a contraction of 24.5 percent from the 879,429 deaths recorded in 2021.

The top three causes of death in the country from January to December of 2022 were ischaemic heart diseases, neoplasms, and cerebrovascular diseases.

The leading causes of death in the same period in 2021 were ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, and Covid-19 virus identified.

THE toxics watchdog EcoWaste Coalition on Thursday appealed to online shopping giants Shopee and Lazada to ensure a mercury-free “9.9 mega sale” this coming September 9.

The group made the call after the group monitored listings for banned mercuryadded cosmetics and medical devices, as well as posting for mercury for dental use and gold refining.

According to the monitoring conducted by the EcoWaste Coalition on September 7 ahead of the 9.9 sale event, skin-lightening products banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for containing mercury above the trace amount limit of one part per million (ppm) continue to proliferate in online shopping platforms.

Among those illegally sold online are cosmetics covered by FDA Advisory Nos. 20221347 and 2018-106 (Temulawak Day & Night Cream), 2021-3060 (Golden Pearl Beauty Cream), 2021-3043 (Parley Goldie Advance Beauty Cream), 2021-1187 (88 Total White Underarm Cream), 2021-0646 and 2017-314 (Collagen Plus Vit E Day & Night Cream), 2017289 (Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene and Goree Day & Night Beauty Cream), 2015-025 (S’Zitang 7 Days Specific Whitening & Spot AB Set and S’Zitang 10-Day Whitening & Spot Day Night Set), 2013-053-A (Feique Herbal Extract Chinese Herbal Formula Whitening Anti-Freckle Set), 2010-004 (Jiaoli 7-Day Eliminating Freckle AB Set), and 2010-02 (Jiaoli Miraculous Cream).

Also sold online are other skincare cosmetics reported to the FDA by the EcoWaste Coalition for containing high levels of mercury, including Armena Gold Beauty Cream, 4K Plus Whitening Night Cream, 88 Whitening Cream, Lady Gold Seaweed Gluta/Super Gluta Brightening, Meyyong Seaweeds Super Whitening, Polla Gold Super White, and several variants of Dr. Yanhee, Dr. Wittisak, and Feique facial creams.

The group’s monitoring also revealed the continuing trade in mercury-containing medical devices, such as mercurial sphygmomanometers and thermometers, which the Department of Health (DOH) phased out in 2010 in accordance with DOH Administrative Order No. 2008-0021.

The group also spotted several postings for mercury products used to repair broken or decayed teeth. FDA Circular No. 2022-003 banned the importation, distribution, and sale of liquid mercury and dental amalgam capsules for use in dental restorative purposes.

The group also saw listings for “Hg for gold refining” (Hg is the chemical symbol for mercury). Executive Order No. 79 issued in 2012 banned the use of mercury in small-scale mining and mineral processing.

“We again appeal to Shopee, Lazada and other e-commerce sites to keep their customers safe from health-damaging mercury and mercury-containing products as the 9.9 online shopping promos begin,” Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition said.

“ To make online shopping mercury-free, they should direct their compliance staff to quickly take down postings for sale of banned mercury-added products such as mercurycontaining cosmetics and medical devices, as well as the sale of mercury for dental use and for gold refining.”

Lee Bell, Mercury Policy Advisor to the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) said: “Online sales of mercury and mercury products need to be eliminated. Illegal mercury-based cosmetics sold online are causing unnecessary and harmful exposure to mercury compounds, especially among women of childbearing age who are highly vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of mercury, as are their unborn children.”

The Minamata Convention has now phased out nearly all industrial processes and products containing mercury so there is no excuse for online sales of elemental mercury to continue.

A ccording to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), “Mercury is a toxic element. Although mercury occurs naturally, the levels in our air, water, land, food, and bodies have increased, due in part, to use and releases from mercury-containing products. O nce released into the environment, mercury and its compounds can build up in fish, wildlife, and humans. Even small amounts of mercury and its compounds can impact human health and the environment.”

Jonathan L. Mayuga

Based on preliminary data, PSA reported that out of the 17 regions, thousands of Filipinos in the National Capital Region (NCR); Region IV-A (Calabarzon); Region III (Central Luzon); and Western Visayas died of Covid-19 in 2022.

Index crime volume from Jan. 1 to Sept. 5 down by 8.80 percent

INDEX crime volume in the country for January 1 to September 5 this year has shown a decrease of 2,514 cases, which translates to an 8.80 percent decline from 28,558 cases in 2022 to 26,044 cases in 2023.

The top three most prevalent crimes for 2022 and 2023 remained consistent with rape, theft and physical injury.

These figures are based on the report of the Philippine National Police through its Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management Crime Research Analysis Center (CRAC).

Meanwhile, except for homicide cases, which logged an increase of 0.42 percent in 2023, cases of murder, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft and carjacking decreased in number registering a drop of 8.79 percent in focus crimes, demonstrating an overall improvement in the safety of Filipinos.

“I am pleased to see the continuing positive trends in our crime statistics. The decrease in crime rates reflects the hard work and dedication of our officers and the effectiveness of our police interventions and strategies. However, we will not become complacent. We will continue to strive for even greater peace and security for the Filipino people,” PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said on this development.

“The PNP’s commitment to improving peace and order in the Philippines remains steadfast, and these statistics serve as a testament to their dedication to ensuring the safety and security of the nation’s citizens,” he said.

Acorda added: “The PNP encourages the public’s continued cooperation in reporting crimes and providing information that can aid in the prevention and resolution of criminal activities.” Rex Anthony Naval

Registered deaths due to Covid-19 accounted for a total of 17,662 deaths or 2.7 percent of the total registered deaths from January to December 2022.

“This shows a decline of 84.3 percent from the 112,772 deaths due to Covid-19 that were registered in the same period in 2021,” PSA said.

The PSA said NCR recorded the highest number of Covid-19 deaths with 4,357 or 24.7 percent of the total Covid-19 deaths between January and December 2022.

In NCR, Quezon City reported the highest number of deaths due to Covid-19, with 898 or 20.6 percent of the total Covid-19 deaths

Meanwhile, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) reported the least number of registered Covid-19 deaths with only 68 cases or a 0.4 percent share.

PSA data showed Covid-19 with virus identified was the 11th leading cause of death in the country with 12,610 cases or 1.9 percent of the total deaths. It was ranked 3rd in the same period in 2021 with 79,423 deaths or 9 percent of the total deaths.

Meanwhile, registered deaths due to Covid-19 with virus not identified accounted for 5,052 or 0.8 percent of the total deaths, down from 8th in 2021 to 24th

From January to December of 2022, ischaemic heart diseases were the leading cause of death with 121,558 cases or 18.3 percent of the total deaths in the country.

Meanwhile, neoplasms came in second with 67,669 deaths (10.2 percent share), while cerebrovascular diseases were the third leading cause with 67,475 recorded cases (10.2 percent share).

Deaths due to diabetes mellitus recorded 41,886 cases or 6.3 percent share, making it the fourth leading cause of death, while deaths due to hypertensive diseases, which ranked fifth, recorded 38,119 cases or 5.7 percent share.

TWO years following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, four regions in the country reported over a thousand deaths between January to December 2022, according to Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Rep. Yamsuan issues call to reverse deterioration of penal institutions

Toxic mercury products sold online despite ban–groups

Friday, September 8, 2023

DOE crafts circular on exploration, devt and utilization of hydrogen fuel

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

THE Department of Energy (DOE) has crafted a circular that will include hydrogen fuel as among the energy sources governed by Presidential Decree 87 (PD 87) or the Oil Exploration and Development Act of 1972.

Some of the power firms that will venture into liquefied natural gas (LNG) have already considered hydrogen as a supplemental fuel for their LNG power plants when hydrogen becomes commercially available. They said gas turbines could be fired up using hydrogen.

The DOE defines native hydrogen as the natural occurrence of hydrogen gas in geologic formations. “The exploration, development and utilization of native

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

NEARLY 8 in 10, or 78 percent of surveyed professionals in the country said they are open to returning to their previous employer, according to a recent poll conducted by global recruitment consultancy firm Robert Walters.

hydrogen shall be governed by PD 87 as amended and implemented under the rules, regulations, issuances and procedures issued by the DOE relevant to the conduct of petroleum exploration, utilization and development,” the draft circular stated.

PD 87 is the law governing the discovery and development of indigenous petroleum in the country. It was declared to be the policy of the State to hasten the discovery and production of indigenous petroleum.

The DOE said that the exploration, development, and utilization of native hydrogen found in geological formations are the same with natural gas provided under Section 3 of PD 87.

Section 3 of PD 87 provides that petroleum shall include any

The recent survey conducted by recruiter Robert Walters, which polled nearly 1,000 professionals across six Southeast Asian countries, of which over 100 are from the Philippines, showed 47 percent of workers in the Philippines who had left their jobs in the past two years did so seeking better pay and benefits, while an additional 42 percent left for a better “career progression.”

mineral oil hydrocarbon gas, bitumen, asphalt, mineral gas and all other similar or naturally associated substances with the exception of coal, peat, bituminous shale or other stratified mineral fuel deposits. The DOE said native hydrogen gas can be associated with methane and other hydrocarbon gases and can be considered as a mineral gas.

The draft circular seeks to solicit comments from industry stakeholders on the proposed guidelines on the awarding of service contracts for the exploration, development and utilization of native hydrogen.

The DOE is continuously adopting new mechanisms and strategies to effectively carry out its plans and programs as mandated under PD 87. “There is a need to

BPI approves propagation of Bt cotton for commercial production

By Manuel T. Cayon  @awimailbox

As a result, the poll noted local professionals admit that they would be willing to consider returning to their previous employers, with 24 percent stating they would consider it for better remuneration, 21 percent for career progression opportunities, and 22 percent if there were changes to the leadership or team structure.

In a statement it issued on Thursday, Robert Walters said the Philippines is seen as one of the countries with the “highest proportion” of respondents who still keep in touch with their former companies, ranking alongside Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

The survey said only one in 10 or 12 percent of Filipino professionals are not in contact with their former employers, while a “remarkable” 88 percent of those surveyed admitted to staying in some form of contact with a previous manager—with close to a quarter or 23 percent stating that this was for the “primary purpose” of keeping the door open for future job opportunities.

Meanwhile, the poll revealed that 33 percent of local professionals have admitted to reaching out to a previous employer in the past two years regarding job opportunities, while 12 percent have expressed the intention to do so.

On the other hand, Robert Walters said the sentiment from Filipino professionals is “largely met with positive responses,” as over 90 percent of managers in the Philippines expressed their willingness to rehire them

provide guidelines to accelerate the exploration, development and utilization of native hydrogen to contribute to the country’s energy security, create jobs, and generate wealth,” the agency said.

Earlier, DOE Secretary Raphael Lotilla recognized that “green” hydrogen and ammonia cofiring in coal plants are emerging technologies that could augment the country’s energy sources.

Ammonia cofiring involves replacing some of the coal used for combustion in coal-fired plants with ammonia, while green hydrogen is produced through the use of renewably generated electricity.

Aboitiz Power Corp. earlier said it was considering the economic viability of co-firing ammonia with coal-fired power plants next year.

for suitable positions.

“Notably 80 percent of managers readily affirm their intention to consider allowing ‘good ex-employees’ to return and another 11 percent are open to the idea, but with a cautious approach,” the recruitment consultancy firm said.

In contrast, however, the recruitment firm said 7 percent of Philippine managers shared that they will not consider rehiring former employees. This, it noted, is a lower figure compared to the Southeast Asia average of 9 percent.

For his part, Toby Fowlston, CEO of Robert Walters said that while the global recruitment market has slowed slightly in 2023, candidate shortages continue.

With this, Fowlston highlighted, “And so the fact there is a pool of talent open to re-joining business should excite leaders.”

“Not only that but this is talent that can hit the ground running—they have already been inducted into your business, they will be familiar with processes, and have a previous vested interest in the brand—all qualities which can take years to instill in a new employee,” Fowlston pointed out.

In light of this research, the Robert Walters CEO said companies who are looking to hire can consider reengaging with alumni and train managers on holding a positive exit process as “boomerang employees” could well be a solution to skills shortage.

DAVAO CITY—The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) flashed the green light for the planting for commercial production in the country of a genetically modified cotton variety, the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (Isaaa) said.

In the September 6 issue of its online weekly publication, Biotech Update, Isaaa said the BPI issued a biosafety permit for the commercial propagation of Bt cotton (GFM cry1A), which was developed by the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA).

“The permit was granted to PhilFIDA after completion of the biosafety evaluation and the requirements for commercial propagation based on the Joint Department Circular [JDC]

No. 1, Series of 2021 issued by the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Health and Department of the Interior and Local Government."

The BPI issued the permit on August 24 and announced the approval on its website, the Isaaa said.

The Isaaa said Bt (Biotechnology) cotton

contains the Bt fusion gene, GFM cry1A, “produced based on the protein template of Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis.” The Bt fusion gene confers resistance to bollworm infestation.

The Alliance for Science, an organization of scientists, said Bt cotton has been genetically engineered to resist the dreaded bollworm (Heliothis armigera), “a destructive pest that is partly responsible for the decline of the country s cotton industry.” Bt cotton includes a gene derived from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which produces a protein that is toxic only to the newly hatched bollworm larvae that attack cotton.

“That means the Bt protein would not affect non-target organisms because its toxic effect is specific only to the bollworm pest,” the alliance said, adding that the crop technology largely replaces the need to control the bollworm through applications of synthetic chemical pesticides, which may cause harm to human health and the environment.

The Bt variety was being cultivated in experimental areas to secure approval for commercial release of the seeds. Technology demonstrations were done with cotton producers in the provinces of Ilocos, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Sarangani and South Cotabato involving 40 one-hectare farms.

Sen. Go leads relief effort for Pasay City indigents

SE naTor Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, in partnership with Councilor Julie Gonzales, assisted a total of 44 indigents from Barangay Malibay Plaza during his team’s relief effort in Pasay City on Monday. All of the beneficiaries received snacks, masks, and shirts from the team while there were select recipients who received their shoes and basketball and volleyball from Go who serves as chair of the Senate Committee of Sports.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) extended livelihood support to the identified beneficiaries through its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.

Meanwhile, Go has emphasized the pivotal role played by the recently signed Republic Act No. 11960, or the One Town, One Product (OTOP) Philippines Act, in institutionalizing the creation of better livelihood opportunities for Filipinos.

Go explained that the OTOP law, which he authored and co-

sponsored, represents the government’s efforts to decentralize economic opportunities. By giving each town and province the chance to showcase their unique products, he said, it could help shift economic power from the capital to the provinces and other regions and bridge the urban-rural divide. As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, Go has likewise been at the forefront of championing healthcare accessibility for all Filipinos. In his pursuit to alleviate the burdens of financially incapacitated citizens seeking hospital care, he introduced a program called Malasakit Centers in 2018.

The Malasakit Centers program has since established 158 operational centers and has helped more than 7 million poor and indigent Filipinos, according to the Department of Health.

The senator informed them that there are 31 Malasakit Centers across Metro Manila, including one at the Pasay City General Hospital, ready to assist with their medical-related expenses.

Survey shows ‘boomerang employees’ may be solution to skills shortage in workplace

PBBM vows to deepen Asean cooperation amid geopolitical tension, climate change

By Samuel P. Medenilla | @sam_medenilla

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday pushed for regional order and cooperation amid intensified geopolitical tensions and accelerating climate change during the 18th East Asia Summit in Indonesia.

Foremost of the said regional challenges, Marcos said, are the territorial issues in the South China Sea (SCS) and the buildup of global weapon stockpiles.

Assertive activities

HE called on parties involved in SCS conflict to refrain from committing “unilateral and asser-

tive activities,” which can spark regional misunderstandings, and miscalculations.

Su ch activities, Marcos said, include the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the militarization of reclaimed features in SCS.

The Philippines was among the countries, which protested against China for engaging in such actions.

T he President said he is determined to finally address the matter through the completion of the Code of Conduct (COC) of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) for SCS.

The Philippines remains resolute towards the peaceful resolution of disputes. We continue to support freedom of navigation and overflight, and the rules-based international order in the South China Sea,” Marcos said.

Dangers to global peace

THE President also expressed concern over Russia’s threat of using nuclear weapons in its war with Ukraine as well as North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile tests, which he said, “pose untold dangers to global peace and security.”

He called for the peaceful resolu-

tion of the conflict in Ukraine and for North Korea to comply with all relevant United Nation Security Council resolutions.

Marcos also reiterated his appeal to Myanmar for its government to complete the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus of Asean.

T he consensus aims to end the conflict in Myanmar after its military seized control of its government in 2021.

“ We maintain that endeavors by other parties to address the crisis should support and complement Asean’s efforts, and should be done in consultation with the Asean Chair,” Marcos said.

LDF

ON the issue of global warming, the President continued to advocate for the creation of an international Loss and Damage Fund (LDF) for those countries, which are now reeling from the effects of climate change.

He said the LDF would help the affected countries transition to a climate-resilient economy.

T he country, he said, is eyeing such financing to develop local strategic minerals supply and value chains.

A ddressing the said global concerns will only be possible through a joint international action, according to Marcos. We call on Asean and our partners to harness our shared interests and rally us into taking joint action, guided by Asean Centrality and universal multilateralism,” the President said.

The 18th East Asia Summit was among the related summits held together with the 43rd Asean Summit. A side from Asean leaders, the 18th East Asia Summit was also attended by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Navy missile frigates now capable of dodging deadly enemy torpedoes

THE Philippine Navy’s (PN) two Jose Rizal-class missile frigates are now capable of evading and dodging hostile torpedoes after the successful installation of “anti-torpedo reaction module” in the two ships last August 31.

T hese defensive systems were installed by French defense manufacturer Naval Group to the BRP Jose Rizal (FF150) and BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) last August 31.

“On 31 August 2023, Naval Group’s CONTRALTO® anti-torpedo reaction module was successfully installed into the C-Guard decoy launching system of the PN’s two Jose Rizal-class frigates. This important milestone is part of the contract signed in December 2021 to provide anti-torpedo defence system based on Naval Group’s CANTO®/CONTRALTO®

solutions,” Naval Group said in a statement Wednesday, September 6. CANTO® is the latest countermeasure generation in the defense industry.

T his breakthrough in the field of anti-torpedo defense applies a unique concept to defend the frigate.

I t is based on the dilution/confusion concept to defend high value and mission essential units by generating a high level acoustic signal over 360-degree, covering the full frequency range of the attacking torpedo.

T his anti-torpedo system is fitted with its associated reaction module CONTRALTO®, which computes the most appropriate evasive maneuver and deployment sequence once a threat is detected.

“The setting to work and testing of CONTRALTO® were performed at Subic-Agila

PHL fails to score on local tours for FIBA tournament

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

THE Philippines not only missed a direct ticket to the Paris Olympics in 2024. It also missed out on showcasing popular tourism destinations in the country to the international basketball teams participating in the ongoing FIBA World Cup. FIBA-exclusive” tour packages earlier announced by the Department of Tourism (DOT), however, failed to capture the attention of the targeted travelers due to the “lack of proper marketing,” according to Philippine Tour Operators Association (Philtoa) president Fe Abling-Yu. The “curated” tour packages unveiled by the DOT on July 25 was to encourage the ball players and their dependents, delegation members, and visiting fans to travel to 10 key domestic destinations. The agency estimated some 60,000 international visitors arriving for the tourney in Manila from August 25 to September 10.

Bay in the Philippines on August 31, 2023 in the presence of representatives from the PN, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Ministry of Defense and industrials responsible for anti-submarine warfare [ASW] systems,” Naval Group noted.

The commissioning of the ASW and CONTRALTO® anti-torpedo reaction modules completes the armament of the two Jose Rizal-class frigates.

T he successful installation of CONTRALTO® was carried out after an upgrade of the combat management system supplied by Hanwha Systems and of the C-Guard decoy launcher systems supplied by Terma.

“Th e next contractual milestone is planned in 2024 with the delivery of CANTO® anti-torpedo countermeasures and the training of the crews by Naval Group,” it added. Rex Anthony Naval

DILG reports 98.7 percent budget utilization for 2023

THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and its attached agencies had been prudent and effective in the utilization of its funds.

In a statement issued on Thursday, DILG Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said that 98.7 percent or P139.366 billion out of the total P141.2-billion obligation for the first semester of Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 had already been disbursed.

“ We assure you that the DILG is prudent in utilizing the funds intended for their allocated purpose. The Department ensures transparency in financial management following existing auditing rules and regulations,” he added.

In his report during the FY 2024 Budget

Hearing at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Abalos said that of the P141.206-billion fund, P123.508 billion went to personnel services for the entire DILG family, including all its attached agencies; P15.642 billion for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE); and P2.055-billion for capital outlay, as of June 30, 2023.

T he total DILG budget based on the General Appropriations Act (GAA) FY 2023 is P253.404-billion.

Of which, the DILG received P241.682billion allotment from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

O f the P241.682 billion, the Department for its priority programs and proj -

ects has so far obligated 58.43 percent or P141.206 billion.

Meanwhile, on the proposed FY 2024 DILG budget, DILG Assistant Secretary for Administration, Finance, and Comptrollership Ester Aldana explained that the agency proposed a budget of P7 billion for capital outlay, which will be allocated for information and technology equipment under the approved Information Systems Strategic Plan; construction of DILG Regional Offices in Region IV-B, VI, and II, fire stations, jail facilities, police stations, classrooms and dormitories; purchase of furniture in the newly completed DILG Regional and Field Offices; purchase of motor vehicles; and procurement of firetrucks. Rex Anthony Naval

DPWH justifies P216-B fund for flood management in ’24

O ther DPWH major programs include the Convergence and Special Support Program (P174.1 billion), the Network Development Program (P148.1 billion), the Asset Preservation Program (P115.6 billion), the Bridge Program (P45.8 billion), and the Local Program (P25.2 billion).

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), El Niño increases the likelihood of below-normal rainfall conditions, which could have negative impacts (such as dry spells and droughts) in some areas of the country. However, in the western part of the country, abovenormal rainfall conditions during the Southwest monsoon season (Habagat) may also be expected.

The warmer-than-average sea surface temperature anomalies across most of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific signified that a weak El Niño is present and may strengthen into moderate to strong towards the latter part of the year. Most

“ The plan highlights the contribution of nonhealth government agencies and non-government health systems stakeholders to attain societal health objectives,” he added.

In a recent high-level meeting between the Philippine government and the World Bank on Health Sector Rebuilding, Health Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa presented the DOH’s multicomponent project proposal to

climate models predict that this El Niño will likely persist until at least the first quarter of 2024.

PAGASA said the specific impact of El Niño on rainfall patterns depends on the geographical location.

In some regions, such as the western coast of South America, El Niño typically causes decreased rainfall and drought-like conditions. This is because the warm waters of the central and eastern Pacific shift westward, reducing the availability of moisture for rainfall along the coast.

However, in other parts of the world, such as the Philippines, the rest of Southeast Asia, and parts of the southern United States, the El Niño phenomenon can result in increased rainfall.

I n its August 23 outlook release, PAGASA said a potential drought is possible in several provinces by the end of February 2024.

T hese provinces include: Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Apayao, Mountain Province,

achieve these objectives over the medium term.

To situate the government’s current priorities and strategies in rebuilding a better and more resilient post-Covid-19 health sector, Balisacan shared with World Bank officials the lessons that government learned since the pandemic struck.

“In the formulation of the PDP [Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028], we took into account

Continued from A22

Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Viscaya, Quirino, Bataan, Bulacan, Zambales, Aurora, Metro Manila, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Quezon, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Palawan, Spratly Islands, Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, Sorsogon, Northern Samar, and Sarangani.

E arlier, PAGASA reported several provinces were already experiencing dry conditions due to  El Niño.

It said there have been seven severe El Nino events since 1980, with the last one lasting from 2015 to 2016, inflicting $327 million in agricultural losses.

When the Philippines last endured a full-blown El Niño event in 2019, vast parts of the country, including Metro Manila, reeled from a drought that caused widespread water shortages and farm losses after dams and lakes that supply potable and irrigation water experienced a massive decline in rainfall.

Continued from A22

the lessons learned from the past administration (especially from the experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic), global and regional trends over the medium term, our national and the global agenda for development, and our long-term vision embodied by the AmBisyon Natin 2040,” said Balisacan.

B alisacan also cited the evolving list of priority bills in the 19th Congress that are targeted to

We worked hard to prepare these tour packages as early as May or June, with even the HSMA [Hotel Sales and Marketing Association] talking to all its members to give us good hotel rates. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to use the official FIBA [We are basketball] logo,” she said. Aside from Philtoa and the HSMA, other partners in the DOT project were the Pacific Asia Travel Association, the Tourism Congress of the Philippines, and Atlantis.

The use of the official logo, Abling-Yu explained, would have allowed the DOT’s   discoverphilippines.travel website to be included as a “menu tab” on the FIBA website, thus driving traffic and tour bookings. “They [teams] know FIBA, but they don’t know DOT [Discover Philippines],” Abling-Yu said. She noted the Discover Philippines site, however, was able to use the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and FIBA Asian qualifiers logos.

‘No available offers’ BECAUSE of this, the tour organizers were unable to “block off seats” with airlines and could only offer land trips, she lamented.

“We understand the point of the airlines, because if we are unable to get the bookings, their seats will have gone unsold as well, which will mean losses on their end,” she said. As such, a visitor on to the Discover Philippines website, will only be shown hotels on the promoted destinations—Boracay Island, Coron/Palawan/Puerto Princesa/El Nido, Cebu/ Bohol, Davao, Iloilo/Bacolod, Pampanga/La Union, Metro Manila, Tagaytay, and Ilocos—but no listed tours or packages.

Also, on the official FIBA website, there is a short introduction on the Philippines as one of the World Cup 2023 hosts and its basketball legacy, but under “tourism information,” sub-tabs take site visitors to the official DOT website (beta. tourism.gov.ph) and an empty https://philippines. travel/ website.

E arlier, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said, “I share in all of your excitement for the FIBA Basketball World Cup as we also see this as a prime opportunity for the country to exceed that goal that we have set this year of ushering 4.8 million international travelers. Not only this will benefit our international tourism portfolio, but also our domestic tourism portfolio with all of these tour packages having been laid down from one region to the other.”

Immigration arrivals

ACCORDING to the Bureau of Immigration, there were 1,159 individuals who arrived for the FIBA World Cup as official delegates and team members.  The number of arriving fans, if any, could not be determined, as they are not part of the official delegations.

The DOT Facebook page showed it was able to treat certain basketball teams to tours of Intramuros using their Hop-on, Hop-Off bus program with Ube Express.  It likewise assisted in welcoming the teams at the airport and enhancing select sites.

There were 3.63 million international travelers who arrived from January to August 30, with South Korea topping the list of source markets. (See, “8-month inbound tourist arrivals already 76% of DOT goal,” in the BusinessMirror September 1, 2023.)

boost health in the country and are aligned with the strategies contained in the PDP. This includes the bill on the Elimination of Trans Fatty Acids, the Establishment of a Medical Reserve Corps, the Establishment of Regional Specialty Centers, the creation of the National Disease Prevention Management Authority, and the creation of the Virology Institute of the Philippines.

‘Health interventions for vulnerable rest on LGUs’

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

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

5 BAEK GEUM PHILIPPINES CORP.

Units 1, 2 & 3, Orient Goldcrest Bldg. 1, Lot 1, Blk 4, Calamba Premiere Industrial Park, Batino, City of Calamba, Laguna

6 FUJITSU DIE-TECH CORPORATION OF THE PHILIPPINES

113 East Science Avenue, Laguna Technopark, Biñan, City of Biñan, Laguna

7 H.R.D. SINGAPORE PTE LTD

Block 3, Cavite Economic Zone II, Bacao II, City of General Trias, Cavite

8 KINPO ELECTRONICS (PHILIPPINES), INC.

Lot 11, H.Y. Dimacali Ave., First Philippine Industrial Park II, Santa Anastacia, City of Sto. Tomas, Batangas

KIM, TAEHOON SMT Manager

Brief Job Description: Over-all in-charge of monitoring the progress towards achieving the objectives of the newly line and its continuous process/operation

HOSOKAWA, IPPEI Vice President - Mechatronics Assembly Manufacturing Section

Brief Job Description: Provide leadership and management to the department and track the development of department products

NAKATA, HIDEKI Adviser-Engineering

Brief Job Description:

Manage and direct technical quality within the industrial and mechanical aspects

ZHAO, LUPAN Foreman Officer

Brief Job Description: Assemble, debug and use machine,

Basic Qualification: Technically skilled for machine and with managerial skill level

Salary Range: Php90,000Php149,999

Basic Qualification: With extensive experience in the same field

Salary Range: Php150,000Php499,999

Basic Qualification: Possess administrative, managerial and supervisory skills

Salary Range: Php150,000Php499,999

Russian missile strike on Ukraine kills 17 as Blinken announces $1B aid package

By Samya Kullab The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine—A Russian missile tore through an outdoor market in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday, killing 17 people and wounding dozens, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned to the country with more than $1 billion in new American funding for Ukraine, including military and humanitarian aid.

Blinken’s fourth visit to the country was overshadowed by the strike in the city of Kostiantynivka, near the front line in the Donetsk region, that turned the marketplace into an inferno. It was one of the deadliest bombardments of civilians in the 18-month-old war. In addition to the dead, at least 32 people were wounded.

“Those who know this place are well aware that it is a civilian area,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a news conference with the Danish prime minister in Kyiv. “There aren’t any military units nearby. The strike was deliberate.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said such brutal Russian attacks underscore “the importance of continuing to support the people of Ukraine.”

Blinken’s visit was aimed at assessing Ukraine’s 3-month-old counteroffensive and signaling continued US support as some Western allies express worries about Kyiv’s slow progress against invading Russian forces.

“We want to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs, not only to succeed in the counteroffensive but has what it needs for the longterm, to make sure that it has a strong deterrent,” Blinken said. “We’re also determined to continue to work with our partners as they build and rebuild a strong economy, strong democracy.”

About $175 million of the total is in the form of weaponry to be provided from Pentagon stockpiles and another $100 million is in the form of grants to allow the Ukrainians to purchase additional arms and equipment, according to the State Department.

Noting progress in the counteroffensive, Blinken said the new aid “will help sustain it and build further momentum.” He said the new military assistance would be bolstered by the arrival of US Abrams tanks in the fall and the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets to complement training in Europe.

In addition to the military assistance, Blinken announced nearly $805 million in non-arms-related aid for Ukraine, including $300

million for law enforcement, $206 million in humanitarian aid, $203 million to combat corruption and $90.5 million for removing mines, the State Department said.

The package also includes a previously announced $5.4 million transfer to Ukraine of frozen Russian oligarch assets.

The aid announced by Blinken comes from money previously approved by Congress. President Joe Biden has requested another $21 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine for the final months of 2023, but it’s not clear how much—if any—will be approved.

Many Republican lawmakers are wary of providing more aid, and the party’s presidential frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, has criticized US financial support. Opinion polls also have shown a decline in support for the war by the American public.

Biden and the Pentagon have said repeatedly they will support Ukraine for as long as it takes. As of Aug. 29, there was approximately $5.75 billion left in the already approved funding for weapons and equipment taken from existing Pentagon stocks.

Blinken was to discuss other issues, including support for Ukraine’s economy, building on his June announcement of $1.3 billion to help Kyiv rebuild, with a focus on modernizing its energy network, which was bombarded by Russia last winter.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said US assistance to Ukraine “can’t influence the course of the special military operation”— Moscow’s euphemism for the war.

Blinken arrived in Kyiv for an overnight visit hours after Russia launched a missile attack on the city.

On the train to Kyiv, Blinken met with the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, who was also on an official visit, and thanked her for Denmark’s leadership in training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s and for promising to donate the fighter jets to Ukraine, according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. Washington officials said there

will be discussions of alternative export routes for Ukrainian grain following Russia’s exit from the Black Sea Grain Initiative and its frequent attacks on port facilities in the Odesa region.

Those alternatives may include new overland routes or ships hugging coastlines to keep out of international waters where they could be targeted by Russia’s navy. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also mentioned the potential to develop the Danube River corridor for grain exports.

After arriving in Kyiv, Blinken laid a wreath at the city’s Berkovetske cemetery to commemorate Ukrainian troops killed defending the country.

In a meeting, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine is grateful the US money is coming in the form of grants, not loans that would drive it into debt.

In other developments, Russia fired cruise missiles overnight at Kyiv in its first aerial attack on the capital since Aug. 30, according to Serhii Popko, the head of Kyiv’s regional military administration. Debris from a downed missile caused a fire and damage but no casualties.

One person was killed in the Odesa region in a Russian missile and drone attack on the port of Izmail that damaged grain elevators, administrative buildings and agricultural enterprises, authorities said.

The trip was Blinken’s fourth to Ukraine since the war began, including one brief excursion over the Polish-Ukrainian border in March 2022, just a month after the Russian invasion. But it will be the first time America’s top diplomat spends the night in Kyiv since January 2022, before the invasion, in what US officials called another sign of American support.

Blinken’s visit comes after some of Ukraine’s allies have privately expressed concern that Ukrainian troops may fail to reach their objectives.

While the US has been concerned by some day-to-day battlefield setbacks, American officials said, they are still generally encouraged by Ukraine’s handling of the military situation, particularly its air defense capabilities in knocking down Russian drones aimed at Kyiv.

Western analysts and military officials caution that the counteroffensive’s success is far from certain and that it could take years to rid Ukraine of entrenched, powerfully armed and skilled Russian troops.

Both sides will have to assess their supply shortages, with more battles of attrition likely over the winter. A long war could stretch deep into next year and beyond, according to experts.

The Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Lolita Baldor and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.

A DEAD body lies on the ground in front of a burning market after a Russian shelling attack in the city center of Kostiantynivka, Ukraine on Wednesday, September 6, 2023. More than a dozen people were killed and dozens more were wounded Wednesday when Russian shelling struck a market in the city in eastern Ukraine, officials said. AP/EVGENIY MALOLETKA

By Niniek Karmini & Jim Gomez

The Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia—The United Nations chief renewed an urgent call to the international community Thursday to seek a unified strategy to end the worsening crisis in Myanmar.

Secretary-General António Guterres said declining financial aid should be boosted to previous levels to enable the world body to respond to an “enormous tragedy.” He said the situation in Myanmar has further deteriorated since he met with Asean leaders in a 2022 summit, and again called on the crisis-wracked country’s military-installed government to immediately free all political prisoners and “open the door to a return to democratic rule.”

Myanmar’s army seized power on Feb. 1, 2021, from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, arresting her and top members of her governing National League for Democracy party, which had won a landslide victory for a new term in a November 2020 general election.

Security forces suppressed widespread opposition to the military takeover with lethal force, killing thousands of civilians and arresting thousands of others who engaged in nonviolent protests. The savage crackdown triggered armed resistance in much of the impoverished country.

Guterres made the case for an international response in a news conference Thursday before joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders’ summit meetings in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. Guterres also renewed his alarm over other issues being aggravated by nations butting heads. He warned that “there is a real risk of fragmentation—of a great fracture in world economic and financial systems with diverging strategies on technology and artificial intelligence and conflicting security frameworks.”

“Our world is stretched to the breaking point by a cascade of crises: from the worsening climate emergency and escalating wars and conflicts, to growing poverty, widening inequalities and rising geopolitical tensions,” Guterres said.

In August 2017, longstanding discrimination

The World

Australia, China open their first high-level dialogue in 3 years in a sign of slight thaw

By Huizhong Wu The Associated Press

TAIPEI, Taiwan—Australia and China opened their first highlevel dialogue in three years Thursday in a sign of a slight thaw to relations between countries that have clashed on everything from human rights to Covid-19 origins to trade.

“I welcome the recent positive developments in the bilateral relationship, but we know that there is more work to do,” said Craig Emerson, the head of the Australian delegation and a former trade minister.

against Rohingya Muslims in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, including denial of citizenship and other rights, boiled over when Myanmar’s military launched what it called a clearance campaign in northern Rakhine state in response to attacks on police and border guards by a Rohingya militant group.

More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh, where they remain in camps, as Myanmar troops allegedly committed mass rapes and killings and burned thousands of homes.

The International Court of Justice, the UN’s top court, ordered Myanmar in January 2020 to do all it could to prevent genocide against the Rohingya.

“I remain deeply concerned about the worsening political, humanitarian, and human rights situation in Myanmar, including Rakhine State and the plight of the massive number of refugees living in desperate conditions,” he said.

The U.N. chief expressed support to a fivepoint peace plan crafted by Asean leaders in 2021. It calls for an immediate end to violence in Myanmar and the start of dialogue among contending parties, including the ruling generals and Suu Kyi’s camp.

Asean leaders, however, acknowledged in a joint statement that their strategy has failed to make any progress in Myanmar.

Despite such failure, the 10-nation bloc’s leaders decided to stick with the plan and continue to prohibit Myanmar’s generals and their appointed officials from attending Asean’s high-level summits.

US Vice President Kamala Harris, who flew to Jakarta to join the summit talks in lieu of President Joe Biden, told the Asean leaders Wednesday that Washington supports their peace plan.

“We have a shared commitment to international rules and norms and to our partnership on pressing national and regional issues such as the crisis in Myanmar,” Harris said.

“The United States will continue to press the regime to end the horrific violence, to release all those unjustly detained and to reestablish Myanmar’s inclusive democracy,” Harris said.

The Associated Press writer Edna Tarigan contributed to this report.

The dialogue being held in Beijing will focus on trade, people-to-people links and security.

China’s former Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said the two countries should work together, but added, “We should adhere to the liberalization of trade and jointly oppose the Cold War mentality, bloc confrontation and trade protectionism.”

Beijing often uses those terms in opposing the actions of Western countries, particularly the US.

During the freeze in relations with Beijing, Australia formed a nuclear partnership with the US and the United Kingdom that enables Australia to access nuclear-powered submarines.

Australia’s current Foreign Minister Penny Wong has sought to stabilize the two countries’ relationship since her party won elections last year.

On Thursday, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also met with China’s Premier Li Qiang at the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Indonesia, describing the engagement as positive.

“I told Premier Li that we would continue to cooperate where we can, disagree where we must and engage in our national interest,” Albanese said to reporters, according to a statement from his office, saying he would visit China later this year at the invitation of China’s leader Xi Jinping.

China’s and Australia’s relations sank to low depths during the pan

demic. The previous Australian government passed laws that ban covert foreign interference in domestic politics, barring Chinese-owned telecommunications giant Huawei from rolling out Australia’s 5G network due to

security concerns, and for calling for an independent investigation of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In response, China effectively blocked out Australian barley in 2020 by imposing an 80.5% tariff, widely regarded in Australia as punishment. China also put tariffs on Australian wine, beef, and coal, as well as other products. China recently lifted the tariff against barley.

Australia is also hoping to see a breakthrough in the cases of five detained Australians in China, among which is Cheng Lei, a journalist who has been imprisoned for three years.

“We continue to advocate for positive progress on the cases of Australians detained in China,” Emerson said.

Malaysia

caps retail rice sales, conducts checks as prices soar

By Kok Leong Chan & Anuradha Raghu

MALAYSIA will limit retail purchases and boost enforcement to prevent locally produced rice being sold as the more expensive imported grain, as the fallout from India’s export curbs continuing to upend the market.

Purchases will be capped at 100 kilograms per person effective immediately until supply concerns ease, Paddy and Rice Regulatory Director General Azman Mahmood said. He made the remarks after a governmentconvened meeting with farmers and the state importer to discuss supply security.

“Almost every day I receive complaints from people about their difficulty in getting local white rice,” Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu said in a speech to the meeting, according to a transcript. “This issue is being looked into seriously by the ministry to ensure supplies are sufficient.”

Export restrictions by top shipper India have sent shock waves across Asia and Africa,

prompting worried consumers to implement measures to secure supply and contain rising food costs. Malaysia started checks on wholesalers and commercial millers last month after allegations that local grain was being sold as imported rice at higher prices, according to Sabu.

Malaysia’s stockpiles are currently sufficient and local white rice prices are still among the lowest in Southeast Asia at 2.60 ringgit (56 cents) a kilogram, Sabu said after the meeting. The country, which consumes about 200,000 tons a month, has inventories equivalent to 1.5 months of consumption, he said.

The government has conducted more than 900 enforcement checks since July to ensure the supply stability of local white rice, Sabu said.

Padiberas Nasional Bhd., Malaysia’s state trading enterprise known as Bernas, last week announced a 36 percent price hike for all imported white rice. The country buys about a third of its supply from overseas, mainly from India, Thailand, Pakistan and Vietnam. Bloomberg News

India’s rising geopolitical clout will be tested as it hosts G-20 summit

By Krutika Pathi

The Associated Press

NEW DELHI—Ahead of India’s hosting of the G-20 summit of leading economies, its prime minister invited 125 mostly developing countries to a virtual meeting in January to signal New Delhi’s intention to be their champion on the world stage.

As the leaders logged onto Zoom, Prime Minister Narendra Modi listed major challenges he said could be better addressed if developing countries had a bigger share in the emerging global order: the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, terrorism and the war in Ukraine.

“The world is in a state of crisis,” Modi said. “Most of the global challenges have not been created by the Global South. But they affect us more.”

India has pledged to amplify the voice of the so-called Global South—a wide of expanse of mostly developing countries, many of them former colonies, in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Oceania and the Caribbean.

That pledge will be put to the test this week when world leaders arrive in New Delhi for this year’s G-20 summit, which begins Saturday. But India has promoted itself not

only as a bridge to the developing world, but as a rising global player and—importantly—a mediator between the West and Russia.

Steering through fractures among the world’s various blocs over Russia’s war in Ukraine will be a “diplomatic high-wire act” for India, said Milan Vaishnav, director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

None of the several G-20 meetings this year have produced a communiqué, with Russia and China vetoing wording on the war that they once agreed to at last year’s summit in Indonesia, when the summit statement noted that “most members strongly condemned” the invasion.

If leaders don’t break this deadlock over the weekend, it could lead to the first time that the group’s summit has ended without a communique, an unprecedented setback for the grouping, said John Kirton, director and founder of the G-20 Research Group.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is not attending and neither is China’s leader Xi Jinping. Both are sending representatives.

Given New Delhi’s historic ties with Moscow, its surging relationship with the West, and its hostility with Beijing over a years-long boundary dispute, Modi is in a diplomatically complicated position.

India has relied on Russia, its Cold War era ally, for military hardware for decades—and more recently, for record amounts of cheap oil.

Despite India’s refusal to directly condemn Russia over the war, the West and allies have courted the country aggressively as they bank on it as a bulwark against China’s growing ambitions.

US President Joe Biden pulled out the red carpet for Modi recently as the two signed a slate of deals, the Indian prime minister was a guest of honor at France’s Bastille Day parade, and he was invited to attend the G-7 summit a few months ago.

“Is Prime Minister Modi as skilled and as committed as President Widodo of Indonesia was last year to find a way to produce a communique? That’s more of an open question given the progress of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Kirton said.

As the split over Ukraine casts a shadow over the G-20, India has focused on issues affecting developing countries, like food and fuel insecurity, rising inflation, debt and reforms of multilateral development banks. And in a bid to make the G-20 more inclusive, Modi has proposed the African Union become a permanent member.

Many G-20 countries want to focus on calling out Russia, but for a number of

developing nations dealing with local conflicts and extreme weather events, the Ukraine war is not as big a priority, said Happymon Jacob, founder of the New Delhi-based Council for Strategic and Defense Research.

“There’s a feeling (in the Global South) that conflicts in other parts of the world, be it Afghanistan, Myanmar or Africa, are not taken as seriously by developed countries or in forums like the G-20,” Jacob said.

A report from the Economist Intelligence Unit in March suggested growing support for Moscow from the developing world, with the number of countries actively condemning Russia falling from 131 to 122.

“Some emerging economies have shifted to a neutral position,” it noted.

The number of countries that lean toward Russia jumped from 29 a year ago to 35, it said. South Africa, Mali and Burkina Faso had moved into this group, highlighting Moscow’s rising influence in Africa. China remained the most prominent of the countries leaning toward Russia.

As India progresses economically, it increasingly leans toward the West—which is welcomed by Western powers—but it also sees itself as a counterweight to China in vying for influence in the developing world with which it has historic ties, Jacob said.

AUSTRALIA’S former Trade Minister Craig Emerson, left, and China’s former Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing shake hands at the 7th China-Australia High Level Dialogue at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Thursday, September 7, 2023. FLORENCE LO/POOL PHOTO VIA AP

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gestures as he speaks to the media during a press conference on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia on Thursday, September 7, 2023. AP/DITA ALANGKARA

Unified strategy and more funding urgently needed to end crisis in Myanmar–UN chief

China’s exports and imports fall in August as weak global demand keeps its economy under pressure

By Zen Soo The Associated Press

HONG KONG—China’s exports

imports

Customs data released Thursday showed exports for August slumped 8.8 percent to $284.87 billion in the fourth straight month of decline. Imports slid 7.3 percent to $216.51 billion.

The total trade surplus fell to $68.36 billion from $80.6 billion in July.

Chinese leaders have rolled

out various policy measures to shore up the economy after the country’s rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic fizzled earlier than expected.

The central bank has eased borrowing rules and and cut mortgage rates for first-time home buyers while providing some tax relief measures for small businesses.

So far, the authorities have avoided large-scale stimulus spending or broader tax cuts.

Demand for Chinese exports

weakened after the Federal Reserve and central banks in Europe and Asia began raising interest rates last year to cool inflation

Japan launches rocket carrying lunar lander and X-ray telescope to study celestial objects

By Yuri Kageyama The Associated Press

TOKYO—Japan launched a rocket Thursday carrying an X-ray telescope that will explore the origins of the universe as well as a small lunar lander. The launch of the HII-A rocket from Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan was shown on live video by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, known as JAXA.

“We have a liftoff,” the narrator at JAXA said as the rocket flew up in a burst of smoke then flew over the Pacific.

Thirteen minutes after the launch, the rocket put into orbit around Earth a satellite called the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, or XRISM, which will measure the speed and makeup of what lies between galaxies.

That information helps in studying how celestial objects were formed, and hopefully can lead to solving the mystery of how the universe was created, JAXA says.

In cooperation with NASA, JAXA will look at the strength of light at different wavelengths, the temperature of things in space and their shapes and brightness.

David Alexander, director of the Rice Space Institute at Rice University, believes the mission is significant for delivering insight into the properties of hot plasma, or the superheated matter that

makes up much of the universe. Plasmas have the potential to be used in various ways, including healing wounds, making computer chips and cleaning the environment.

“Understanding the distribution of this hot plasma in space and time, as well as its dynamical motion, will shed light on diverse phenomena such as black holes, the evolution of chemical elements in the universe and the formation of galactic clusters,” Alexander said.

Also aboard the latest Japanese rocket is the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, a lightweight lunar lander. The Smart Lander won’t make lunar orbit for three or four months after the

launch and would likely attempt a landing early next year, according to the space agency.

The lander successfully separated from the rocket about 45 minutes after the launch and proceeded on its proper track to eventually land on the moon. JAXA workers applauded and bowed with each other from their observation facility.

JAXA is developing “pinpoint landing technology” to prepare for future lunar probes and landing on other planets. While landings now tend to be off by about 10 kilometers (6 miles) or more, the Smart Lander is designed to be more precise, within about 100 meters (330 feet) of the intended target, JAXA official Shinichiro

that was at multi-decade highs.

Economists say much of the impact of those rate increases has yet to filter through major Western economies, where consumer spending has remained relatively strong.

“Looking ahead, we expect exports to decline over the coming months before bottoming out toward the end of the year,” Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics said in a report.

“Most measures of export orders point to a more substantial pullback in foreign demand than has so far been reflected in the customs data,” he said.

China’s trade has been gradually declining for the past two years, though August’s drops in export and imports were less severe than in July, when exports fell 14.5 percent from a year

earlier while imports were 12.4 percent lower.

Politically sensitive exports to the US fell 17.4 percent from a year earlier to $45 billion, the customs data showed, while imports of US goods slid 4.9 percent to nearly $12 billion.

China’s imports from Russia, mostly oil and gas, increased 13.3 percent from a year earlier to $11.52 billion.

Chinese purchases of Russian energy have swelled, helping to offset revenue lost to Western sanctions imposed to punish the Kremlin for its invasion of Ukraine.

Exports to the European Union tumbled 10.5 percent from the same time last year to $41.3 billion, while imports of European goods declined 2.5 percent to $24.56 billion.

Myanmar journalist gets 20-year sentence for reports on deadly cyclone–news site

By Grant Peck The Associated Press

Sakai told reporters ahead of the launch.

That allows the box-shaped gadgetry to find a safer place to land.

The move comes at a time when the world is again turning to the challenge of going to the moon. Only four nations have successfully landed on the moon, the US, Russia, China and India.

Last month, India landed a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole. That came just days after Russia failed in its attempt to return to the moon for the first time in nearly a half century. A Japanese private company, called ispace, crashed a lander in trying to land on the moon in April.

Japan’s space program has been marred by recent failures. In February, the H3 rocket launch was aborted for a glitch. Liftoff a month later succeeded, but the rocket had to be destroyed after its second stage failed to ignite properly.

Japan has started recruiting astronaut candidates for the first time in 13 years, making clear its ambitions to send a Japanese to the moon.

Going to the moon has fascinated humankind for decades. Under the US Apollo program, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon in 1969.

The last NASA human mission to the moon was in 1972, and the focus on sending humans to the moon appeared to wane, with missions being relegated to robots.

Flooding in southern Brazil leaves at least 31 dead, 2,300 homeless

By Wesley Santos & Diane Jeantet

The Associated Press

MUCUM, Brazil—Flooding from a cyclone in southern Brazil washed away houses, trapped motorists in vehicles and swamped streets in several cities, killing at least 31 people and leaving 2,300 homeless, authorities said Wednesday.

More than 60 cities have been battered since Monday night by the storm, which has been Rio Grande do Sul state’s deadliest, Gov. Eduardo Leite said.

“The fly-over we just did, shows the dimension of an absolutely out of the ordinary event,” Leite said in a video posted on the state’s social media accounts. “It wasn’t just riverside communities that were hit, but entire cities that were completely compromised.”

Videos shot by rescue teams Tuesday and published by the online news site G1 had shown some families on the top of their houses pleading for help as rivers overflowed their banks. Some areas were entirely cut off after wide avenues turned into fast-moving rivers.

Leite said Wednesday that the death toll had reached 31, and state emergency authorities said at least 2,300 people were made homeless. Another 3,000 had to temporarily evacuate their houses.

In Mucum, a city of about 50,000 residents, rescuers found 15 bodies in a single house. Once the storm had passed, residents discovered a trail of destruction along the river with most buildings swept away down to the ground level. Images showed a sheep hanging from an electrical line—an indication of how high the water had risen.

“The water arrived very fast, it was rising two meters (6½ feet) an hour,”

Mucum resident Marcos Antonio Gomes said, standing on top of a pile of debris. “We have nothing left. Not even clothes.”

In an indication of how long people might be stranded, the Mucum city hall advised residents Tuesday to seek out supplies to meet their needs for the next 72 hours. Other towns called on their citizens with boats to help with rescue efforts.

Gomes, a 55-year-old businessman, said it was the fourth time in 15 years that his house was damaged by floods. He said this one was the worst so far, and he expects more flooding in the future.

“There’s no way we can live here. This will come back. We have to abandon (this place),” Gomes said.

Many of the victims died from electrical shock, or were trapped in vehicles, online news site G1 reported. One woman died as she was swept away during a rescue attempt.

Search and rescue teams have focused on the Taquari Valley, about 150 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of the state capital, Porto Alegre, where most of the victims and damage were recorded. But those efforts expanded farther west on Wednesday morning, with helicopters sent to the Rio Pardo Valley.

More heavy rains were expected to hit the state’s center-south region, while possibly sparing worst hit areas. Authorities maintained three flooding alerts on Wednesday—for the Jacui, Cai and Taquari rivers.

Rio Grande do Sul was hit by another cyclone in June, which killed 16 people and caused destruction in 40 cities, many of those around Porto Alegre.

T he Associated Press writer Diane Jeantet contributed to this report from Rio de Janeiro.

BANGKOK—A court in Myanmar sentenced a photojournalist for an underground news agency to 20 years in prison with hard labor for his coverage of a deadly May cyclone’s aftermath, the media organization said Wednesday.

The sentence given Sai Zaw Thaike, a photographer for the independent online news service Myanmar Now, appeared to be the most severe for any journalist detained since the military overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.

The press freedom group Reporters Without Borders said in April that Myanmar is the world’s second-biggest jailer of journalists, behind only China. The country ranks near the bottom of the group’s 2023 World Press Freedom Index, placing 176th out of 180 countries.

Myanmar Now, which operates underground, reported that a military tribunal tried, convicted and sentenced Sai Zaw Thaike, 40, during the first court hearing since he was detained in the western state of Rakhine.

The proceedings took place inside Insein prison in Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city, where the photographer was jailed after his arrest. The news agency said Sai Zaw Thaike was allowed no family visits and denied legal representation.

“His sentencing is yet another indication that freedom of the press has been completely quashed under the military junta’s rule, and shows the hefty price independent journalists in Myanmar must pay for their professional work,” the news site quoted Myanmar Now Editor-inChief Swe Win as saying.

The news outlet said Sai Zaw Thaike was arrested on May 23 in Rakhine’s capital of Sittwe while recording the damage caused by Cyclone Mocha, the country’s most destructive storm in at least a decade. Mocha made landfall near Sittwe just over a week before his arrest and caused widespread flash floods and power outages.

The storm killed at least 148 people in Rakhine state, many of them members of the persecuted Muslim Rohingya minority living in internal displacement camps, and damaged more than 186,000 buildings.

The news service said he was initially indicted on several charges, including under a statute that falls

under the general heading of treason but is sometimes referred to as sedition. Other charges included incitement for allegedly causing fear, spreading false news and agitating against a government employee or the military, which carries a maximum prison term of three years.

He also was charged with online defamation, which is punishable by three years’ imprisonment, and with violating a Natural Disaster Management law for allegedly spreading false information about a disaster with the intention of causing public panic, which carries a potential prison term of up to one year.

Myanmar Now said it did not know which charges Wednesday’s conviction covered. Details of political trials are generally closely held by the authorities, and Myanmar Now’s report could not be independently confirmed.

The conviction of Sai Zaw Thaike is the latest assault on press freedom and journalists by the country’s military-installed government, which has cracked down heavily on independent media.

At least 13 media outlets, including Myanmar Now, have had their media licenses revoked and at least 156 journalists were arrested, about 50 of whom remain detained, according to the local monitoring group Detained Journalists Information. Nearly half of those still in custody have been convicted and sentenced.

At least four media workers have been killed and others were tortured while in detention.

Some of the media outlets ordered closed have continued operating underground without a license, publishing online as their staff members carry on reporting while trying to avoid arrest. Others operate from exile.

The military raided Myanmar Now’s office in Yangon a month after the 2021 takeover and some staff members, including chief editor Swe Win, fled criminal charges and went into hiding as authorities had their homes sealed.

Sai Zaw Thaike was the second journalist from Myanmar Now to be arrested. Video journalist Kay Zon Nway was detained while covering an anti-coup protest in Yangon in late February 2021 and released four months later under a broad amnesty.

“We will not waver in our commitment to continue providing news and information to the people of Myanmar, despite the immense challenges we are facing,” Swe Win said from exile.

and

both fell in August from a year earlier, reflecting tepid global demand that is adding to pressures on its slowing economy.

CONTAINERS wait to be transported on a dockyard in Yantai in eastern China’s Shandong province on August 6, 2023. China’s exports declined at a slower pace in August, even as the world’s second biggest economy remains under pressure amid weaker demand both domestically and abroad, according to customs data on Thursday, September 7, 2023. CHINATOPIX VIA AP

AN HII-A rocket blasts off from the launch pad at Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima, southern Japan on Thursday, September 7, 2023. KYODO NEWS VIA AP

Greek shipper pleads guilty to smuggling Iranian crude oil, will pay $2.4 million fine

By Jon Gambrell The Associated Press

The now-public case against Empire Navigation, which faces three years of probation under the plea agreement, marks the first public acknowledgement by US prosecutors that America seized some 1 million barrels of oil from the tanker Suez Rajan.

The saga surrounding the ship further escalated tensions between Washington and Iran, even as they work toward a trade of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets in South Korea for the release of five Iranian Americans held in Tehran. The court filings also shed light on the covert world of Iranian crude oil smuggling in the face of Western sanctions since the collapse of its 2015 nuclear deal — an operation that has only grown in scale over this year.

The US and its allies have been seizing Iranian oil cargoes since

2019. That’s led to a series of attacks in the Mideast attributed to the Islamic Republic, as well as ship seizures by Iranian military and paramilitary forces that threaten global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of the world’s oil passes.

Attention began focusing on the Suez Rajan in February 2022, when the group United Against Nuclear Iran said it suspected the tanker carried oil from Iran’s Khargh Island, its main oil distribution terminal in the Persian Gulf. Satellite photos and shipping data analyzed at the time by the AP supported the allegation.

The newly unsealed court documents rely on satellite images, as well as documents, to show that the Suez Rajan sought to mask its loading of Iranian crude oil from

one tanker by trying to instead claim the oil came from another.

For months, the ship sat in the South China Sea off the northeast coast of Singapore before suddenly sailing for the Texas coast without explanation. The vessel discharged its cargo to another tanker, which released its oil in Houston in recent days. The court documents seen Thursday confirm the US government seized the oil.

A lawyer for Empire Navigation, Apostolos Tourkantonis, pleaded guilty in April to a single charge of violating the sanctions on Iran. Empire, based in Athens, Greece, did not respond to a request for comment early Thursday.

The US Treasury has said Iran’s oil smuggling revenue supports

the Quds Force, the expeditionary unit of the Revolutionary Guard that operates across the Mideast. The court documents link the Guard to the trade, involving hundreds of vessels that try to mask their movements and can hide their ownership through foreign shell companies.

But the Suez Rajan case was unique at the time of the transfer because it was owned by the Los Angeles-based private equity firm Oaktree Capital Management. That likely gave American prosecutors an edge in pursuing this case. Oaktree, which has repeatedly declined to discuss the case, sold the vessel fully to Empire in late May.

Mark Wallace, a former US

ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush who heads United Against Nuclear Iran, praised Empire Navigation for agreeing to the plea. He described Iran’s oil smuggling as a “mob-like” operation and urged others to abandon the trade.

“They faced down Iranian assassination threats in Greece,” Wallace told the AP. “They took the off ramp to leave the mob.”

Wallace declined to elaborate, and the US court documents offered no detail on the alleged assassination threat—though prosecutors did cite “security risks to the defendants, the government, as well as the vessel and its crew members” in their application to seal the case from public view in March.

The delay in offloading the Suez Rajan’s cargo had become a political issue as well for the Biden administration as the ship had sat for months in the Gulf of Mexico, possibly due to companies being worried about the threat from Iran.

Since the Suez Rajan headed for America, Iran has seized two tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, including one with cargo for major US oil company Chevron Corp. In July, the top commander of the Revolutionary Guard’s naval arm threatened further action against anyone offloading the Suez Rajan, with state media linking the recent seizures to the cargo’s fate.

Iran has continued to make threats over the seizure and summoned a Swiss diplomat in Tehran

to express its anger. Switzerland has looked after US interests in Iran since the 1979 US Embassy takeover and hostage crisis.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment.

The US Navy has increased its presence steadily in recent weeks in the Mideast, sending the troopand-aircraft-carrying USS Bataan through the Strait of Hormuz and considering putting armed personnel on commercial ships traveling through the strait to stop Iran from seizing additional ships.

Late Wednesday, the US updated its warning to shippers traveling through the Mideast, saying: “Commercial vessels transiting through the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman continue to be illegally boarded and detained or seized by Iranian forces.”

This year, Iranian oil exports have mostly been above 1 million barrels a day despite American sanctions, according to the commodity data firm Kpler. In May and June, it went above 1.5 million barrels a day, with figures in August sitting at 1.4 million barrels daily, Kpler’s data showed. China is believed to be a major buyer of Iranian oil, likely at a significant discount.

“Justice was served,” Wallace said. “At the same time, there needs to be a serious policy review on why it took so long and why there are 300 vessels out there doing the same thing.”

Biden administration cancels remaining oil and gas leases in Alaska’s Arctic Refuge

By Becky Bohrer & Matthew Daly

The Associated Press

JUNEAU, Alaska—In an aggressive move that angered Republicans, the Biden administration canceled the seven remaining oil and gas leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday, overturning sales held in the Trump administration’s waning days, and proposed stronger protections against development on vast swaths of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

The Department of Interior’s scrapping of the leases comes after the Biden administration disappointed environmental groups earlier this year by approving the Willow oil project in the petroleum reserve, a massive project by ConocoPhillips Alaska that could produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil a day on Alaska’s petroleum-rich North Slope. Protections are proposed for more than 20,000 square miles (51,800 square kilometers) of land in the reserve in the western Arctic.

Some critics who said the approval of Willow flew in the face of Biden’s pledges to address climate change lauded Wednesday’s announcement. But they said more could be done. Litigation over the approval of the Willow project is pending.

“Alaska is home to many of America’s most breathtaking natural wonders and culturally significant areas. As the climate crisis warms the Arctic more than twice as fast as the rest of the world, we have a responsibility to protect this treasured region for all ages,” Biden said in a statement.

His actions “meet the urgency of the climate crisis” and will “protect our lands and waters for generations to come,” Biden said.

Alaska’s Republican governor

condemned Biden’s moves and threatened to sue. And at least one Democratic lawmaker said the decision could hurt Indigenous communities in an isolated region where oil development is an important economic driver.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who drew criticism for her role in the approval of the Willow project, said Wednesday that “no one will have rights to drill for oil in one of the most sensitive landscapes on earth.” However, a 2017 law mandates another lease sale by late 2024. Administration officials said they intend to comply with the law.

The Biden administration also announced proposed rules aimed at providing stronger protections against new leasing and development in portions of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska that are designated as special areas for their wildlife, subsistence, scenic or other values. The proposal still must go through public comment. Willow lies within the reserve but was not expected to be affected by the proposed rules. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s 1.5-million-acre

(600,000-hectare) coastal plain, which lies along the Beaufort Sea on Alaska’s northeastern edge, is seen as sacred by the Indigenous Gwich’in because it is where caribou they rely on migrate and come to give birth. The plain is marked by hills, rivers and small lakes and tundra. Migratory birds and caribou pass through the plain, which provides habitat for wildlife including polar bears and wolves.

Alaska political leaders—including some Democrats—have long pushed to allow oil and gas drilling in the refuge in part because of its economic impact on Indigenous communities in an area with few other jobs. Many of those same voices pressed Biden to approve the Willow project for the same reason.

“I am deeply frustrated by the reversal of these leases in ANWR,” said US Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat, using a common shorthand for the refuge. “This administration showed that it is capable of listening to Alaskans with the approval of the Willow Project, and it is some of those same Inupiat North Slope communities who are most impacted

by this decision. I will continue to advocate for them and for Alaska’s ability to explore and develop our natural resources.”

Alaska’s congressional delegation in 2017 succeeded in getting language added to a federal tax law that called for the US government to hold two lease sales in the region by late 2024.

Drilling opponents on Wednesday urged Congress to repeal the leasing provision from the 2017 law and permanently make the coastal plain off limits to drilling.

“It is nearly impossible to overstate the importance of today’s announcements for Arctic conservation,” said Jamie Williams, president of the Wilderness Society. “Once again, the Arctic Refuge is free of oil leases. Our climate is a bit safer and there is renewed hope for permanently protecting one of the last great wild landscapes in America.”

Alaska Republican US Sen. Dan Sullivan denounced Biden’s actions as the latest volley in what he called a “war on Alaska.”

Two other leases that were issued as part of the first-of-its-kind sale for the refuge in January 2021 were previously given up by the small companies that held them amid legal wrangling and uncertainty over the drilling program.

After taking office, Biden issued an executive order calling for a temporary moratorium on activities related to the leasing program and for the Interior secretary to review the program. Haaland later in 2021 ordered a new environmental review after concluding there were “multiple legal deficiencies” underlying the Trump-era leasing program. Haaland halted activities related to the leasing program pending the new analysis. A draft environmental review was released Wednesday.

The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, a state corporation that won seven leases in the 2021 sale, sued over the moratorium. But a federal judge recently found the delay by Interior to conduct a new review was not unreasonable.

The corporation obtained the leases to preserve drilling rights in case oil companies did not come forward. Major oil companies sat out the sale, held after prominent banks had announced they would not finance Arctic oil and gas projects.

Bernadette Demientieff, executive director of the Gwich’in Steering Committee, thanked the administration for the lease cancellation—but issued a warning.

“We know that our sacred land is only temporarily safe from oil and gas development,” she said. “We urge the administration and our leaders in Congress to repeal the oil and gas program and permanently protect the Arctic Refuge.”

Daly reported from Washington, D.C.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—A Greek shipping company has pleaded guilty to smuggling sanctioned Iranian crude oil and agreed to pay a $2.4 million fine, newly unsealed US court documents seen Thursday by The Associated Press show.

IN this satellite photo provided by Planet Labs PBC, vessels identified as the Virgo, left, and the Suez Rajan, by the advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran, are seen in the South China Sea on February 13, 2022. A Greek shipper has pleaded guilty to a charge over it smuggling sanctioned Iranian crude oil and agreed to pay a

CARIBOU graze in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, on June 1, 2001. In an aggressive move that angered Republicans, the Biden administration on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, canceled seven oil and gas leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, overturning sales held in the Trump administration’s waning days, and proposed stronger protections against oil drilling in 13 million acres of wilderness in the state’s National Petroleum Reserve. AP

Asean has yet to discover what it cares about

Woody Allen said, “eighty percent of success is showing up.” US President Joe Biden’s absence at the Asean Summit is a big demerit on his watch. Somebody should have reminded him that the bloc, with a gross domestic product of more than $2.9 trillion and a population of 647 million people, is collectively the fourth-largest trading partner of the US.

Bloomberg Opinion columnist Karishma Vaswani said: “Delhi, Hanoi, but not Jakarta. US President Biden is skipping the Asean meeting this week, and sending Vice President Kamala Harris instead. The optics aren’t great, especially as Biden is going to be in the region: He’s travelling to Delhi for the Group of 20 summit and Hanoi right after.”

“No matter what anyone says, getting the consolation prize is never fun.

And that’s what it must feel like for Indonesia, the host of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathering. Not only is Biden not attending, he’s snubbing a major regional power,” Vaswani added.

The harsh reality is that some Asian countries are simply more important to the US than others. “It is a cold, calculated decision to reinforce the ongoing stress on consolidating individual allies and partners like Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and now Vietnam,” says Michael Vatikiotis, author of several books on Asia, including Blood and Silk: Power and Conflict in Modern Southeast Asia. “It’s all about spooking China—and picking each of these countries off one by one is easier, rather than in a multilateral forum where Beijing will be present.”

The deliberate cherry picking of allies and partners is the brainchild of Kurt Campbell, Biden’s key Asia policy czar, according to Vaswani. The strategy is to create a network around China—a carefully strung together geographic necklace of countries that all see Beijing as a mutual threat.

In his Bloomberg article—Biden’s Asean snub prompts soul-searching over bloc’s relevance —Philip J. Heijmans said Biden’s absence in Asean this year is more disappointing to the region than when Donald Trump made a habit of skipping those summits. This time, however, former diplomats are saying the blame lies with the bloc itself.

“This is a manifestation of the gradual sense of drift and the increasing question mark about Asean’s relevance,” said former Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa. “Asean has allowed these meetings to become so robotic and so procedural—almost disconnected from the wider basic dynamics of our region.”

Unlike the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Asean members are not bound by a commitment to go to war in the event of an attack against one of its members. And while Southeast Asia’s foreign policy is geared toward avoiding becoming a geopolitical battleground, conflicting interests have stood in the way of having a strong consensus on longstanding threats, Heijmans said.

“In no place is that more apparent than the oil and gas rich South China Sea, where regular incursions by Chinese vessels have forced the Philippines and Vietnam to bolster their own claims. Just last week, the two joined India in their opposition to a new Chinese map.”

In a speech at the Asean Summit on Wednesday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang underscored China’s importance as the world’s second-biggest economy and as the top trading partner of Asean. Ignoring the fact that China’s bullying in the South China Sea only promotes discord and instability, Li cited China’s long history of friendship with Southeast Asia, including joint efforts to fight Covid.

Asean members, however, registered their protests against China’s aggression at sea. President Marcos has expressed his alarm over recent combativeness in the disputed waters. In early August, a Chinese coast guard ship fired a water cannon to try to block a Philippine Navy-operated boat that was bringing supplies to Philippine forces at the Ayungin Shoal.

“We do not seek conflict, but it is our duty as citizens and as leaders to always rise to meet any challenge to our sovereignty, to our sovereign rights, and our maritime jurisdictions in the South China Sea,” Marcos told fellow Asean leaders. Natalegawa called Asean’s failure to condemn China’s aggressive acts “a deafening silence.”

Some critics have dismissed Asean as “toothless and irrelevant” because “it ducks the big questions and seeks consensus by compromise.” Observers are wondering: When will Asean address the elephant in the room?

China’s aggressive behavior against its members is a “severe test of Asean’s unity, purpose and resolve.” One can’t take pride in a community where neighbors don’t care for each other. The bloc’s absence of response when a member gets bullied only proves the critics right—Asean has yet to discover what it cares about.

A strategy for inclusive growth and prosperity

sonny M. angara

Better Days

The Senate Committee on Finance, of which I am chairman, recently concluded its deliberations on Senate Bill no. 2426 or the proposed Tatak Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) Act, which aims to develop a strategy to encourage, support, and promote the production of more diverse, sophisticated, high quality and globally competitive Philippine products and services. This has been our advocacy over many years; in fact, we have been pushing for measures related to Tatak Pinoy including certain provisions under the Bayanihan to Recover as one Act, particularly on giving preference to locally manufactured PPes, credit assistance, loan programs for MSMes, among others.

This can be seen in the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, where we proposed several amendments including providing greater incentives for investors—particularly those who will generate new knowledge and intellectual property licensed to the Philippines; and in mandating the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) to adopt policies for developing and expanding the domestic supply chain and in promoting the diversification and sophistication of products. More recently, we also pushed for the bill institutionalizing the Shared Service Facilities program of the DTI, the Protected Geographical

Indications bill, as well as the National Quality Infrastructure Development bill—all of which are geared towards further improving our country’s productivity.

Over the course of seven hearings and five technical working group meetings on the Tatak Pinoy bill, we highlighted the need for the country to have a structural transformation if we are to achieve our goals as contained in the eight-point socioeconomic agenda of this administration. We believe that this measure is very timely especially since President Marcos has been actively engaging with the private sector, which has a critical role in achieving the objectives of this measure.

Throughout the numerous meetings and Committee hearings, the majority of our resource persons were also from the private sector and industries such as creatives, manufacturing, tourism, MSMEs, culture, heritage and gastronomy, and agriculture, not only to get their positions and recommendations on the Tatak Pinoy bill, but also as a means to expand awareness to this advocacy in order to encourage them to fully buy into this initiative.

Ultimately, we hope that this Tatak Pinoy bill would serve as a unifying measure for both government and private stakeholders towards a common goal of producing better and more complex products and services —which in turn would yield better and higher paying jobs for Filipinos.

Tatak Pinoy aims to provide a more coordinative strategy that is comprehensive, evidenced-based, and stakeholder-driven.

Considering that the challenges the country faces today are so multifaceted, overlapping, and far-reaching, clearly no single government agency could resolve these issues by themselves, which is why coordination at the highest levels of government will also be critical to the success of Tatak Pinoy.

Tatak Pinoy is an offshoot of the research pioneered by Drs. Ricardo Hausmann and Cesar Hidalgo on Economic Complexity, which measures a country’s economic growth by the diversity and sophistication of its productive capabilities. One particu-

larly useful aspect about Hausmann and Hidalgo’s work was how they used big data analysis and creative visualizations to numerically calculate the economic complexity of a given country or economy. This enabled them to rank each country based on what has since been called the economic complexity index or ECI. Among those in the top are Japan, Switzerland, Chinese Taipei, South Korea and Germany. Meanwhile, based on the same index, the Philippines ranked 33rd, which means that while we are far from the bottom, we still have a long way to go to be among those at the top.

Hence, the crux of our proposal is to mandate all the relevant government agencies through a Tatak Pinoy Council to work in tandem with the private sector in identifying gaps and ensuring that their individual efforts jive towards helping Filipino enterprises produce better products and offer world-class services, to create better jobs and income opportunities across the country.

A Tatak Pinoy Strategy shall also be formulated by the Council, which will serve as the country’s action plan—as a supplement to the Philippine Development Plan—for incrementally and systematically expanding and diversifying the productive capabilities of domestic enterprises, and hence of our economy as a whole.

We are grateful to President Mar-

See “Angara,” A21

In Southeast Asia, Harris says ‘we have to see the future’

By Chris Megerian | The Associated Press

JAKARTA,

Indonesia—It

took more than a day of flying, including two refueling stops, for Vice President Kamala harris to reach this year’s summit of Southeast Asian countries. And once she arrived, she had less than eight minutes of public speaking time during two meetings.

But in Jakarta’s cavernous convention center, adorned with billowing flowers and tropical plants for the occasion, Harris saw an opportunity to shape the future of United States foreign policy.

In an interview with The Associated Press, the vice president said that Washington must “pay attention to 10, 20, 30 years down the line, and what we are developing now that will be to the benefit of our country then.”

For her, that means working in Southeast Asia. Two-thirds of its population is under 35 years old. It’s the fourth-largest market for US exports. One-third of global shipping travels through the South China Sea.

“Think about it,” Harris said.

This was her third trip to Southeast Asia since taking office—Harris heads back to Washington on Thursday—and she’s visited more

countries here than any other region. It’s a sprawling constellation of nations, many of them eager for the personal touch of an American leader, and Harris has spent the past few years making the rounds.

Although addressing migration from Central America was the original task in Harris’ foreign policy portfolio, her more recent travels have put her at the center of White House efforts to bolster ties in Asia as a counterbalance to China. It’s an international parallel to her more prominent role in domestic politics, where she’s been taking the lead on core Democratic issues such as abortion rights in the upcoming election.

At home and abroad, progress can be slow or hard to measure. Harris’ approval ratings remain underwater, and her announcements in South-

east Asia tend to be counted in the millions of dollars rather than the billions. But she described her work in the region as something that will pay dividends over time as she gets to know its leaders.

“The strongest relationships will be based on consistency, on communication, on trust, and the ability to work together and to grow the sense of connection,” she said.

Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, said “many of our best successes in the region were made possible thanks to her diplomacy,” crediting Harris with helping to “move the ball forward on some of our top priorities.”

“In our administration, she has been a strong advocate for stepping up our engagement in Southeast Asia—and she’s put in the air miles to prove that—in recognition that our work there is critical to our own security and economic growth,” Sullivan said.

Some analysts believe China maintains an edge in the region, and the Australia-based Lowy Institute issued a report earlier this year concluding that Beijing was still gaining

ground in recent years.

However, Harris delivered a series of messages at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that were intended to demonstrate American commitment despite Biden’s absence from the summit.

“The American people have a profound stake in the future of the Indo-Pacific,” she said during one meeting. “We share a historic bond and common values with many of the people and nations here.”

Harris also paid tribute to Asean as an organization, despite growing doubts about its effectiveness for regional diplomacy.

“The fact that so many leaders are convening in this one place at the same time to address some of the biggest challenges facing our world is a sign of strength of both the commitment that each nation has to the coalition and the potential for collaboration,” she told the AP.

Others are less hopeful.

Dinna Prapto Raharja, a Jakarta-based analyst and professor on international relations, said Asean is being divided by competition between the US and China, with some See “Southeast,” A21

Senate says ‘no’ to escrow provision in the Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers

Dennis Gorecho

Pinoy Marino Rights

There will be no escrow provision in the senate version of the Magna Carta for Filipino seafarers.

The non-inclusion was confirmed by senator raffy Tulfo, chairperson of the senate Committee on Migrant Workers, during the interpellation by senator risa hontiveros on september 4, 2023.

“Seafarers will be ‘penalized’ by the escrow provision that will downplay their rights guaranteed by the constitution instead of protecting their rights and promoting their welfare,” says Senator Hontiveros.

The escrow provision aimed to amend the Labor Code that will have significant impact on the “immediately final and executory” nature of decisions issued by National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) and the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB). The proceeds shall remain in escrow until such time the finality of the decision issued by the appropriate appellate court is obtained.

Proponents stressed that such move is necessary to ensure the restitution of monetary awards in case the appropriate appellate court annuls or partially or totally reverses the monetary judgment award.

However, Hontiveros noted that the reversal rates in the CA (28 percent) and Supreme Court (30 percent) cannot overshadow the fact that almost 70 percent of decisions of the appealed NCMB cases are affirmed in favor of labor.

The NLRC reported that the affirmation rate of decisions appealed to the Court of Appeals in 2022 is 92 percent.

Hontiveros stressed that the numbers contradict the sweeping allegations that most cases are “frivolous” and are associated with “ambulance chasers” or lawyers who go to lengths to push seafarers to file labor cases against their foreign employers. There is not even substantial evidence to correlate the losing cases as cases initiated by ambulance chasers.

A seafarer seeks payment of monetary benefits because of the

well-being.

The seafarers will wait for longer years before they receive the NLRC/ NCMB award if the proposed escrow provision will be included.

In cases of seafarers with medical conditions, some incur huge debts to sustain their medication while others die before the decision by the Supreme Court is released.

Hontiveros further stressed that the escrow provision violates the constitutional guarantee on equal protection, which means that all persons or things similarly situated should be treated alike, both as to rights conferred and responsibilities imposed.

There is an invalid classification that runs counter to the constitutional provision, which provides that “no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws.” (Article II, Section 1).

It will partake of the nature of class legislation because it singles out seafarer claims from other labor claims, both local and overseas. There lies no substantial distinction between the claims of a seafarer and any other laborer.

Concordant, discordant: The Virgin in the Peñafrancia festival

weight of authorities not conscious of the power of religion, which as Richard Dawkins puts it, has a place for awe.

Tito Genova Valiente annoTaTions

This Friday, the eighth of september, an age-old tradition is going to take place in Naga City, in Bikol. From the Basilica Minore where the icon of the Virgin of Peñafrancia is enshrined the whole year round, she who is endearingly addressed as Ina or Mother, will be brought to the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral by way of the Traslacion

The distance between the shrine and the cathedral is insignificant in that, in the vocabulary of active individuals, it is “walkable.” But the procession has been noted for being wild and riotous, with devotees attempting to climb up the andas (perhaps taken from the Spanish verb “to walk”), a name given to the carosa on which the statue of the virgin is placed). What could easily be done in an hour or so can stretch to five or six hours.

Many things have happened to the said procession and many events have taken place in relation to how the Virgin is transferred. Before the Martial Law, local ROTC cadets were commissioned to form a human chain as the two icons of the Divino Rostro (literally, the Divine Face, which refers to a framed image of Christ on Veronica’s veil) and the centuries-old icon of the Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia passed by. The young men were sometimes no match to the savage force of the men, most of them drunk, and many of them of the belief that to touch the Virgin and suffer and struggle in the attempt to do so, would magnify more their faith.

Then and now, the contact of the human hand with what the devotees believe to be the divine representation, could involve taking a part of the icon—bits of votive flowers, a tassel, beads perhaps from the manto or cape—and using these elements in rituals that range from the benignly esoteric to downright sacrilegious. Those who engage in cockfights are said to feed their fighting cocks with

flowers burnt and infused into water. There are those who, through what folklorists refer to as homeopathic magic or imitative magic, derive from the touch a healing from serious ailments or forgiveness from their most heinous sins.

Martial Law has changed some parts of these rituals. With the then dictator’s objective to banish all forms of disorderliness and disobedience (remember, the devotees had the courage to contradict the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church to which they belonged), the militarization of the Traslacion occurred. While this may sound absurd now given the characteristic anti-administration stance of the region (save the two island provinces and some areas), it happened that soldiers in fatigue did carry on their shoulders the Mother of God!

As a compromise, the civilians were allowed to take the place of soldiers at areas where the procession could be controlled. As years went by, color-coding, an obsession of control-freak administrators, seeped into the tradition: the brown-shirted giving way to the yellows, and reds, and so on—the old ceremonials bending under the

All these attempts to change the contour of the devotion have come to naught. The so-called “disorderliness” remains. The carosa is now a huge orb made of shiny steel, its slippery surface meant to discourage those who wish to clamber up and hug the Virgin. But there is the old practice of men, mostly young, who tread on the shoulders and heads of the other men so that they could be closer to the Virgin. Upon their approach, however, there are priests of the burly type guarding the most important figure in the festival— this tiny icon, its body covered with a metal plate.

What has not changed is the fact —or the practice—that men, only

Why is this not ever questioned? The most practical question is that in the rowdiness, women are seen to be not safe. Interesting how this reasoning works because in the domain of navigating a safe world, it is the presence of men that brings danger to the social world. How then is the participation of women addressed? There is a dawn procession where women are given the space (note the subtle implication of authority in that statement) to be with the Virgin. This, however, does not justify the other fact that during the gentler return of the Virgin via a fluvial procession to Her home by the river, no women are allowed again to be on the pagoda, the large boat-like contraption, with Ina

Every year, for years, these questions are asked. As with any other queries on traditions, the resolutions are never easy. The issues are gender and structural inequality but something conceptually larger and overwhelming intrudes— the inner workings of religion, the mysterium tremendum et fascinans! It is that religion can make us tremble in fear, or draw from us the passionate explosion of love, or swath our beings with the unsaid.

men carry Her. Called “voyadores,” a word that is presumed to have been constructed from “boya” or “buoy.” These believers are responsible for propping up the Virgin, allowing Her to float above the throng. To the exclusion of women.

September thus comes and the women are on the side, some in tears, looking up to the magnificence of this Woman. No serpent is seen under Her glorious feet and yet when she is carried over the river, dark and dank, there is no sense about tracking waste disposal; there is but the thought that the Naga, the Mighty Snake that once held sway over the beliefs of our ancestors, is there deep beneath the river, in seclusion, because a Mater now rules our human frailties and strength. And the Bikolanos and Bikolanas will shout: Viva la Virgen! Viva el Divino Rostro. Not necessarily in that order.

“Will the 70 percent winning seafarers’ cases be sacrificed due to the 30 percent reversals?” she said.

Hontiveros likewise underscored that the provision is not equitable as the seafarer may move for the execution of the monetary award pending appeal upon posting of a bond, the amount of which shall be determined by the appropriate court.

Under the labor code, the posting of bond is imposed only on the side of employer. Labor is required to pay only a minimal appeal fee.

The proponents of the execution bond erroneously presumed that the seafarer is in the same economic footing with the employer.

A seafarer seeks payment of monetary benefits because of the fact that he is in financial distress due to his medical condition. Many are jobless, sick, disabled and infirm who incur huge debts to sustain their medication while others die before the decision by the Supreme Court is released.

Instead of saving his earnings for his medication, he will be forced to redirect them to the execution bond, jeopardizing further his economic

continued from A20

Without any leverage in prosecuting his monetary claims, chances are, the seafarer bows to the demand of his employer to either drop his claim or accept a small settlement.

Employers are throwing off-balance the already imbalanced legal battle on seafarers’ claims as every labor dispute is a David and Goliath situation.

In the end, the “balance of scale” will tilt more to capital as this will protect the business interest of the manning agencies and their principal rather than the seafarers themselves.

“It undermines the constitutional mandate to protect the rights of OFWs and to promote their welfare when it deprives seafarers an avenue to receive the fruits of their legal battle,” Hontiveros said.

The House of Representatives approved on March 6, 2023  its version of the Magna Carta (House Bill 7325) that contains the escrow provision.

Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 0917-5025808 or 0908-8665786.

sive growth, the growing trade and current account deficit, unemployment, underemployment, low salaries, and rural to urban migration, among many others.

Senator Sonny Angara has been in public service for 19 years—9 years as Representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and 10 as Senator. He has authored, co-authored, and sponsored more than 330 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.   E-mail: sensonnyangara@yahoo.com| Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @sonnyangara

Lawsuit contends Constitution’s ‘insurrection’ clause bars Trump from running again for president

By Nicholas Riccardi

The Associated Press

DENVER—A liberal group on Wednesday filed a lawsuit to bar former President Donald Trump from the primary ballot in Colorado, arguing he is ineligible to run for the White House again under a rarely used clause in the US Constitution aimed at candidates who have supported an “insurrection.”

The lawsuit, citing the 14th Amendment, is likely the initial step in a legal challenge that seems destined for the US Supreme Court. The complaint was filed on behalf of six Republican and unaffiliated Colorado voters by the group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

It will jolt an already unsettled 2024 primary campaign that features

Southeast . . .

continued from A20

countries seeking to bolster their economies through closer relations with one or the other.

“I don’t see solidarity at this moment, given the rivalry,” she said.

“Everybody works their own way.”

Harris’ travel to Southeast Asia began in her first year in office, when she visited Singapore and Vietnam, but the trip almost didn’t happen.

Phil Gordon, a national security adviser to Harris, said there was talk

the leading Republican candidate facing four separate criminal cases.

Liberal groups have demanded that states’ top election officials bar Trump under the clause that prohibits those who “engaged in an insurrection or rebellion” against the Constitution from holding higher office. None has taken that step, looking for guidance from the courts on how to interpret a clause that has only been used a handful of times since the 1860s.

While a few fringe figures have filed thinly written lawsuits in a few states citing the clause, the litigation Wednesday was the first by an organization with significant legal resources. It may lead to similar challenges in other states, holding out the potential for conflicting rulings that would require the Supreme Court to settle.

Colorado’s secretary of state,

of canceling because the administration was in the midst of a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“She personally insisted that we can do more than one thing at a time,” Gordon said. “She didn’t want to pull the plug on our commitment to Southeast Asia.”

During the trip, she repeatedly criticized China for trying to control access to the South China Sea, at one point describing the behavior as “bullying.”

“She didn’t knock it out of the park. It’s clear she was new to the issues. But she’s put in the work,”

Democrat Jena Griswold, said in a statement that she hoped “this case will provide guidance to election officials on Trump’s eligibility as a candidate for office.”

The lawsuit contends the case is clear, given the attempt by thenPresident Trump to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden and his support for the assault of the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The Republican has said he did nothing wrong in his actions.

The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, helped ensure civil rights for freed slaves—and eventually for all people in the United States. But it also was used to prevent former Confederate officials from becoming members of Congress after the Civil War and taking over the government against which they had just rebelled.

The clause cited in the lawsuit allows Congress to lift the ban, which

said Gregory B. Poling, who directs the Southeast Asia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He described Harris as “an effective avatar for the administration,” an important position when the president can only be in so many places at once.

David Rothkopf, a foreign policy writer who worked on trade issues under former President Bill Clinton and has met with Harris, said there’s “always a period of adjustment” for an incoming administration.

E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com cos for including this measure as one of his administration’s priority measures and we expect that this will be approved by both Houses of Congress soon—seeing the value and importance of a coordinated action towards improving our goods and services. It is our hope that Tatak Pinoy can provide solutions to crosscutting problems like poverty, inclu-

“She was new to the team,” he

it did in 1872 as the political will to continue to bar former Confederates dwindled. The provision was almost never used after that.

CREW and law professors of both parties contend the amendment is clear and is a qualification for president, just as the Constitution’s mandate that a candidate for the White House must be at least 35 years old and a natural born citizen.

But others note there is much unsettled about the provision and that a case involving this issue has not reached the justices in Washington. The clause cites a wide range of offices “under the United States” and states that the provision applies to, including “presidential electors”— but not the presidency itself. There is a debate among some experts about whether Trump’s acts constitute an “insurrection” under the language of the amendment.

said. “And now she’s seen as part of the team.”

It’s a role that she’s played frequently. In addition to skipping this year’s Asean summit, Biden didn’t attend the 2022 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in Thailand because it conflicted with his granddaughter’s wedding.

Harris went in his place, and she also stopped in the Philippines, a US treaty ally where she’s fostered a close relationship with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Associated Press writer Edna Tarigan contributed to this report.

fact that he is in financial distress due to his medical condition. Many are jobless, sick, disabled and infirm who incur huge debts to sustain their medication while others die before the decision by the Supreme Court is released.

DPWH justifies ₧216-B fund for flood management in’24

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

THE Department of Public Works and Highways on Thursday defended the agency’s huge allocation for the Flood Management Program worth P215.6 billion next year, as the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD) and lawmakers observed that this program is even bigger compared to the budgets of the four departments: Transportation, Social Welfare and Development, Health, and Agriculture.

A t a briefing on DPWH’s 2024 budget, Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the agency is only implementing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s commitment to address flooding in different parts of the country while studying the possible construction of water impounding facilities and water reservoirs to help mitigate the impact of climate change, including El Niño.

I n April, Marcos ordered the creation of a government team to focus on mitigating the impact of the looming El Niño phenomenon, expected to hit from July to September this year and to last until 2024.

One of the areas we are looking at is the implementation of flood control programs, particularly in 18 major river basins. We assure you that we are looking for a perma-

nent and sustainable river basins program,” Bonoan told lawmakers.

The President wants to emphasize that this is not only for flood control that we are looking at. We have to coordinate with other agencies so it will be water management resources. That is our priority program,” he said.

T he country has more than 4,000 river basins.

“ The President himself gave the specific instruction for the department to look into the flooding problems in many areas of the country because of the climate change phenomenon. We are looking for immediate action to address flooding at the same time we are looking at the long-term solution to this problem,” Bonoan said.

M arcos, he added, tasked them to consider the possibility of constructing water impounding facilities, impounding areas near river basins, and water reservoirs for water management, not only for flood control, irrigation, and other purposes.

T he DPWH’s expenditure program is pegged at P822.2 billion in 2024, 8 percent lower compared to P894.2 billion in 2023. The capital outlay will suffer a 10.40 percent decrease to P783.5 billion in 2024.

DOF USEC MAGNO QUITS, TO TEACH ANEW AT UPSE

FINANCE Undersecretary

T he Flood Management Program has a budget of P215.6 billion for 965 projects aimed at flood mitigation.

A ccording to the CPBRD, the P215.6-billion budget for the Flood Management Program is the biggest allocation of the DPWH operations budget at 29.8 percent.

This is even bigger compared to the budgets of the Department of Transportation (P214.3 billion), Department of Social Welfare and Development (P209.9 billion), Department of Health (P204.6 billion), and Department of Agriculture (P108.5 billion). The DPWH should build good-quality and climate-resilient flood control projects and facilities so that this program truly serves its purpose of protecting lives and properties, especially during disasters and calamities,” said the CPBRD.

Proper monitoring of these funds is also very critical because once these flood control projects are washed out, evidence of improprieties and wastefulness also dissipates,” he said.

By major programs, the CPBRD said the DPWH’s Flood Management Program is part of new appropriations for next year. Continued on A8

Maria Cielo D. Magno, who oversees the state’s revenue programming and finances, has tendered her resignation, the Department of Finance (DOF) confirmed on Thursday.

[Undersecretary] Cielo resigned effective Sept. 16,” Finance Spokesperson and Undersecretary Maria Luwalhati C. Dorotan-Tiuseco told the BusinessMirror in a Viber message on Thursday.

D orotan-Tiuseco did not provide further details, noting that she is not “privy” to any “other information” surrounding Magno’s resignation.

M agno was quoted by a CNN Philippines report as saying that there was “no direct request” from the Palace for her to resign.

M agno will resume teaching at her alma mater - the University of the Philippines’ School of Economics (UPSE) - after her tenure at the DOF, according to the CNN Philippines report.

P rior to becoming Finance

Undersecretary in August 2022, Magno was an Associate Professor in the University of the Philippines’s School of Economics. Magno earned both her Bachelor of Science in Business Economics and Master of Arts in Economics degrees at UP.

C NN Philippines reported

that no less than Malacañang was keeping an eye on Magno, which involves her policy proposals and her social media accounts.

O n Thursday morning, Magno posted on her personal Facebook account the following: “A wise man told me, if you do your job with integrity, you will be back in UPSE soon.”

Five days before that cryptic post or on September 1, Magno posted a picture of a graph depicting the Law of Supply and Demand with the caption “I miss teaching...”

C oincidentally, President Marcos Jr. ordered the imposition of a price ceiling on regular- and well-milled rice through Executive Order 39 on August 31, a day before Magno’s post.

A s Undersecretary, Magno leads the DOF’s Fiscal Policy and Monitoring Group (FPMG) that is “primarily responsible for forecasting and programming revenues of the national government (NG), cash programming, and monitoring of NG finances.”

Furthermore, the FPMG oversees tax reform proposals and other fiscal policy recommendations of the DOF.

Magno and Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno are yet to respond to BusinessMirror’s queries about the former’s resignation. Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

DBM explains ₧1.5-B cut in PHL Science High budget

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Thursday explained that the cut in the Philippine Science High School System’s (PSHSS) budget next year was caused by the latter’s low absorptive capacity.

T he DBM said PSHSS sought a budget of P4.214 billion for next year, but the former only recommended a P2.701-billion allocation under the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

“

‘Health interventions for vulnerable rest on LGUs’

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

LOCAL governments can serve as the key to ensuring that health interventions are delivered to vulnerable Filipinos nationwide, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

I n a statement, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan cited the need for strategic national investments to promote human and social development in rebuilding a resilient, post-pandemic health sector.

However, Balisacan said, the national government faces resource constraints that prevent it from delivering health interventions nationwide. This was one of the lessons learned in the pandemic.

“ We learned that there are limits to government resources and capabilities in delivering needed interventions to vulnerable sectors. Therefore, collaboration with local government units and partnerships with the private sectors and civil society is crucial,” Balisacan said.

B alisacan said the Philippines’ experience with the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the vulnerability of key sectors in the economy, chief

among these being health.

T hus, throughout the global crisis, the government had continuously evaluated and examined which measures worked and which ones did not.

A mong the lessons learned, Balisacan identified the need to fast-track investments in early warning systems for health crises and emergencies, and the need for a whole-of-government approach towards rebuilding the country’s health sector.

Given this, the Philippine Development Plans (PDP) seeks to address these concerns including the slow progress seen in achieving childhood nutrition and immunization.

T he PDP also intends to address the obstacles faced in the implementation of major health sector reforms -- among others, the need for collaborative effort of all government agencies and instrumentalities in fulfilling these target outcomes.

“ The PDP strategy framework for boosting health is built on the vision of a holistic approach to improve health outcomes, reduce health inequities where they exist, and achieve universal healthcare,” Balisacan said.

The remaining P1.513 billion was not recommended due to various considerations, such as the PSHSS Campuses’ low absorptive capacity ranging from 66 percent to 84 percent, as well as the non-submission of pertinent documents to ascertain implementation readiness of the proposed infrastructure projects,” the DBM said in a statement on Thursday.

T he PSHSS’s proposed 2024 budget is P335 million lower than its P3.036-billion allocation this year, the DBM said.

T he DBM explained that the reduction in PSHSS’s budget, particularly its capital outlay, on an annual basis was caused by nonrecurring and termination of certain locally-funded projects this year.

The decrease of P346.650 million in the PSHSS’ Capital Outlay budget corresponds to the 38 non-recurring and terminating locally-funded projects in 2023,” it said.

T he PSHSS budget for 2024 is made up of P1.472 billion for Personnel Services, P901.2 million for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE), and P327.3 million for the Capital Outlay, according to the DBM.

P SHSS recently aired concerns that the reduction in their budget would affect the system’s infrastructure projects for its regional campuses.

Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

GOODBYE, SAUCE As inflation continues its upward trajectory, the cost of tomatoes at Marikina Public Market hit a staggering P300 per kilogram on Thursday, September 7, 2023. The Philippine Statistics Authority's latest report indicates that the country's inflation rate rose to 5.3 percent in August, up from 4.7 percent in July. NONOY LACZA

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Companies

B1

Friday, September 8, 2023

Del Monte trims loss in Q1, but inflation hurts margins

By VG Cabuag @villygc

The global branded food and beverage company said, however, that its revenues rose during the period.

“Our margins were under pressure with inflation while interest rates rose, affecting the group’s bottom line,” Joselito D. Campos Jr., DMPL’s managing director and CEO, said.

“We are determined to bring margins up in the second half of our fiscal year through a combination of price adjustment and cost reduction, including minimizing waste further by continuously improving processes, and leveraging technology to enhance efficiency and lower expenses. Reducing leverage and interest expense is a key imperative and we are exploring all options to strengthen our capital structure.”

Last year’s net loss had included its

US unit Del Monte Foods Inc.’s oneoff refinancing cost of $71.9 million gross or $50.2 million net of tax and non-controlling interest.

DMPL generated sales of $516.7 million during the quarter, up 13 percent from the previous year with better sales in the United States and more fresh pineapple exports. The Philippines sales were higher in peso terms but flat in US dollar terms with the strengthening of the latter.

Del Monte Foods Inc. (DMFI) had sales of $356.4 million or 69 percent of the group’s turnover, and 18 percent higher than last year, driven by pricing actions and strong growth and development of the company’s branded product portfolio in both traditional and emerging channels.

The Philippine market, meanwhile, delivered sales of $75.9 mil-

lion, 5 percent higher in peso terms but flat in US dollar terms due to the peso depreciation.

Sales of packaged fruit, beverage and culinary were higher, supported by communication campaigns and value-for-money offers amid the inflationary environment.

The company said its gross profit declined by 18 percent to $108.3 million with a gross margin of 21 percent. Declines were driven by inflationary factors which had increased the group’s product costs.

Del Monte Foods implemented a price increase on July 31 and carried out a number of cost savings initiatives to restore margins, whose impact will be felt in subsequent quarters.

“The price increase implemented in the US on July 31 will also allow DMFI to offset inflation and improve gross margins in the second to fourth quarters of fiscal year 2024,” it said.

“The global environment remains unstable and the group remains vigilant in managing its operating expenses which include packaging materials optimization; power and fuel initiatives; investments to improve efficiency, productivity and minimize wastage, and product

bundling initiatives in distribution centers,” the company said.

“New market development initiatives in Mexico, South America and Canada driven by resources dedicated to expanding distribution of Del Monte branded portfolio in those markets including Kitchen Basics are expected to contribute to sales growth.”

Meanwhile, Jeanette Beatrice Naughton, daughter of DMPL’s chief executive, has been elected as director of Del Monte Philippines Inc.

Naughton is vice president, strategic planning of Del Monte Foods. She was responsible for spearheading the US unit’s strategic planning function and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, with principal involvement in the company’s mid-to-long term corporate vision, financial goals and key measures, business strategies and resources requirements.

“Naughton formerly held management positions at Google at their Mountain View, California headquarters. She has an MBA from the Sloan School of Management of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a BA Mathematics degree from Wellesley College,” the company said.

FGEN commissions LNG terminal

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

FGEN LNG Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Lopez-led

First Gen Corp., announced the commissioning of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, marking a significant development in its LNG project.

“First Gen’s LNG Terminal is now in the commissioning process and we look forward to utilizing LNG to support the energy security needs of the island nation,” said First Gen Executive Vice President Jonathan Russell.

First Gen had said that its LNG terminal will accelerate the ability to introduce LNG to the Philippines, to serve the natural gas requirements of existing and future gas-fired power plants of third

parties and FGEN’s affiliates.

“FGEN believes the FGEN LNG Terminal will play a critical role in ensuring the energy security of the Luzon grid and the Philippines.”

Recently, First Gen said it tapped Shell Eastern Trading Pte. Ltd. to deliver about 154,500 cubic meters of LNG cargo to its subsidiary First Gen Singapore Pte. Ltd.

The cargo will be transported by an LNG carrier, which will then handle the gassing-up and coolingdown of the BW Batangas floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) at Subic Bay, before transferring the cargo into storage tanks on board.

The BW Batangas is the FSRU of FGEN and BW LNG. After the LNG transfer into the storage tanks, the BW Batangas will then return to FGEN LNG’s terminal in Batangas

to complete the commissioning activities.

First Gen’s four natural gas-fired power plants have a combined capacity of 2,017 megawatts.

Last month, First Gen reported that it posted a recurring net income of P9 billion in the first semester, up by 30 percent from last year’s P7 billion, due to the strong performance of its subsidiary, Energy Development Corp. (EDC).

“It was EDC that mainly delivered higher earnings as a result of better operating income from higher electricity prices,” First Gen said.

Revenues stood at P71 billion at end-June this year, up from P66 billion from last year’s level. The company attributed this from elevated natural gas and Wholesale Electricity Spot Market prices.

SEC: Court convicts investment scammers

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has secured the conviction of six individuals involved in an investment scam operated by GDM Finance SARL.

The Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 158 in a decision dated April 17, it found Anita E. Armada, Milany P. Cabrera, Josephine D. Maranan, Nanette D. Tongco, Gerald L. Samson and Jacinto Lucio P. De Catalina guilty of violation of Sections 8 and 26 of Republic Act (RA) 8799, or the Securities Regulation Code (SRC).

The convicted individuals were sentenced to pay a total fine of P100,000 each, with subsidiary imprisonment. The case stemmed from information received by the SEC’s Enforcement and Investor Protection Department (EIPD) in July 2018, alleging that GDM had conducted a seminar in a mall where speakers enticed the audience to invest in the company for a weekly return of at least 2.5 percent.

After conducting an investiga-

tion, the EIPD confirmed that GDM was engaged in investment-taking activities. The investigation also uncovered that GDM had a Facebook account where it advertised that it could pay dividends to shareholders and provide a steady return on investment received.

In November 2018, the EIPD, together with the Anti-Cybercrime Group of the Philippine National Police, conducted an entrapment operation where the six were arrested. Section 8 of the SRC prohibits the sale or distribution of securities without first being registered with the SEC, while Section 26 makes it unlawful for individuals to employ fraud, deceit and omission to garner investments from the public. GDM had not registered any securities with SEC as required under the SRC, or secured a license to issue mutual funds, exchange traded funds and proprietary or nonproprietary shares or membership certificates and timeshares.

“In this case, it is clear that the accused is soliciting investment

from the attendees and promises that the same will earn guaranteed profits through the placements that will be made by GDM,” the court said.

“Additionally, the prosecution was able to establish that despite the securities being unregistered, such fact was not made known by the individual accused to its prospective investors who attended the orientation seminar. Thus, they are liable under Section 26.2 of the SRC for omitting a material fact that misleads the public into believing that the securities they offer are registered.”

To date, the SEC has secured the conviction of 33 individuals in 22 cases meted by the courts with a total imprisonment of 712 years and an aggregate fine of P28.4 million.

As of September 2023, 355 individuals are being actively prosecuted before the Regional Trial Courts in 145 cases for violations of the SRC and two cases for violations of RA 11765, or the Financial

and

Consumer Protection Act of 2022. VG Cabuag

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

PLDT Inc. said its enterprise arm will launch Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) solutions, as it has the potential to provide clients with the ability to efficiently scale their deployment of IoT devices.

In a white paper that PLDT Enterprise released to the media on Thursday, PLDT Enterprise said NBIoT is a type of wireless connectivity protocol that “runs on minimal bandwidth that extends its reach to far-flung areas and consumes minimal power that extends battery life to as much as 10 years, which makes it the ideal solution for massive-type IoT deployments.”

According to the study, NB-IoT’s use cases currently include smart metering for power distribution, the development of smart cities, and the introduction of smart agriculture, as well as asset monitoring.

“NB-IoT is a low-power, low-bandwidth wireless connectivity that can effectively scale thousands to potentially millions of connected IoT devices across different industries such as utilities, agriculture, and smart cities,” PLDT Enterprise EVP Melvin Jeffrey Chan said.

“It can be an alternative in reducing infrastructure costs when connecting sensors and devices, making it an affordable option for businesses of all sizes needing real time insights for business decision and strategy.”

The white paper further noted that NB-IoT provides “end-to-end

telecom-grade encryption for data transmission, secure device identification, and authentication.”

As it operates on a licensed spectrum, NB-IoT is a more secure option as compared to unlicensed communication protocol, ensuring that IoT devices are protected from interferences, hacking, and unauthorized access, according to the paper.

For IoT applications situated in hard-to-reach locations, this connectivity solution reduces the frequency in maintenance and significantly lowers operating costs for the deployment of devices and sensors.

“We leave no stone unturned to become the preferred digital transformation ally in the country. We put ourselves in our customers’ situations and take a closer look at their businesses and industries to provide adequate but cost-effective solutions. We believe that by doing this, we can go further together,” Chan added.

He noted that the NB-IoT market has a huge potential, citing a global study that pegged the value of the market at $634.4 million in 2021, a figure that is expected to swell to $32.5 billion by 2031.

Chan added that key considerations that could hasten the adoption of NB-IoT include network coverage and capacity, efficient device management, and a robust infrastructure that has the analytic tools, security measures, and cloud platforms to maximize the value of collected data.

Campos-led del monte pacific ltd. (dmpl) said its net loss in its fiscal first quarter ending July 31 narrowed to $13.1 million, from the previous year’s $30.5 million.

NB-IoT more efficient, cost-effective–PLDT

Board micromanagement: Addressing the issues

Part two

ADDRe SSING the issues of board micromanagement requires a careful and diplomatic approach to maintain a healthy working relationship between the board and the chief executive officer (CeO) while establishing clear boundaries.

Here’s a guide to share:

1. Do a self-assessment. Before taking action, evaluate the situation objectively to ensure that micromanagement is a legitimate concern and not a result of miscommunication or varying expectations.

2. Reflect on communication. Review how communication flows between the board and the CeO ensure that the CeO is providing adequate updates to the board about strategic initiatives, key decisions, and important developments.

3. Initiate private conversations. Schedule private discussions with key board members or the board chair to express concerns about the extent of micromanagement. Frame the conversation in terms of organizational effectiveness and efficiency.

4. Share the impact. ex plain how excessive micromanagement can impact the CeO’s ability to lead effectively, impede timely decision making, and hinder staff morale. Use examples to illustrate the negative consequences.

5. Clarify roles and responsibilities. emphasize the importance of clear role definitions and boundaries between the board’s governance and oversight responsibilities and the CeO’s operational leadership role.

6. Set expectations. Articulate the value of empowering the CeO to make operational decisions while the board focuses on strategic governance. Discuss how a balanced approach can enhance the association’s success.

7. Use data and metrics. Present data and metrics that demonstrate the CeO’s performance and the association’s achievements. This can underscore the CeO’s ability to effectively lead the organization.

8. Provide training. Offer training for board members on effective governance practices, the role of the board in strategic planning, and the importance of delegation and autonomy for the CeO

9. Foster open dialogue. encourage open communication between the board and the CeO establish regular channels for updates, feedback, and discussions to facilitate a transparent and collaborative relationship.

10. Define reporting protocols. Agree on reporting protocols that outline the types and frequency of reports the C e O will provide to the board. This can help alleviate the board’s desire for constant updates.

11. Develop decision-making guidelines. Work together to establish guidelines for decision making that clearly define which decisions require board input and which decisions the C e O can make

autonomously.

12. Set up board committees. Create specialized board committees (e.g., finance, governance, strategic planning) that focus on specific areas, allowing the board to channel its involvement and expertise effectively.

13. Evaluate micromanagement behaviors. If certain board members exhibit micromanagement tendencies, address the behavior directly and provide guidance on their role in governance.

14. Seek external mediation. If discussions within the organization are not yielding results, consider involving an external mediator, consultant, or advisor to help facilitate discussions and find common ground.

15. Revise board policies. Review and update board policies to ensure they align with best practices in governance and promote a healthy balance between the board’s oversight and the CeO’s operational leadership.

Addressing board micromanagement requires patience, collaboration, and a commitment to the association’s success. By fostering an environment of mutual respect, clear communication, and shared goals, the association can create a more balanced and effective working relationship between the board and the CeO

Octavio Peralta is currently the executive director of the Global Compact Network Philippines and founder and volunteer CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives, the “association of associations.” PCAAE will hold its 11th Associations Summit at the PICC on December 6, 2023. E-mail: bobby@pcaae.org

‘Hyper-personalization’ changing banks’

By Roderick Abad @rodrik_28

Contributor

AS clients are demanding “hyperpersonalization,” a financial consultant believes local banks must adapt cloud-computing technology to scale up operations and make customer experience (CX) more engaging.

According to er nst & Young LLP Financial Services Partner Anurag Mishra, the banking industry is ever changing as customers are demanding “hyper-personalization” that requires new technologies.

“Today is the best time to shift from a technology perspective because the number of options to deliver on customer experience is pretty huge and ‘Cloud’ [technology] can solve specific problems,” Mishra said during a conference organized by Swiss bankingsoftware developer Temenos AG.

Rishi Sarin, Temenos’s executive for its Asean business, cited an Accenture Plc report that shows Cloud-adoption increased twice last year compared to 2021.

The study, likewise, reveals that 94 percent of respondents from the banking sector indicated that half of all their banking business and technologies will migrate to the Cloud—the distribution

BSP adopts open-source tech for digital currency

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has selected Hyperledger Fabric as the distributed ledger technology (DLT) for the piloting of its wholesale “Central Bank Digital Currency” (CBDC) project.

The initiative, renamed from “Project CBDCPh” to “Project Agila,” aims to orient the BSP and participating financial institutions on digital-currency technology solutions that have the potential to enhance the country’s large-value payment system.

BSP said the DLT allows data and transactions to be recorded, shared and synchronized across a distributed network of different participants.

“This would be a useful mechanism for testing Project Agila’s use case scenario of enabling inter-institutional fund transfers even during off-business hours (i.e., evenings, weekends and holidays) or when ‘PhilPaSSplus’ is unavailable,” BSP said.

After the selection of the technology for the project, participants will test the use of wholesale CBDC technology alongside PhilPaSSplus—the next-generation Real Time Gross Settlement system—in a sandbox environment.

“With the goal of further enhancing the efficiency and safety of the national payment system, we will use

learnings from the project as input for crafting BSP’s wholesale CBDC project roadmap,” BSP Governor el i M. Remolona Jr. said.

The central bank said the Hyperledger Fabric technology was selected through a rigorous process that included system demonstrations, walkthrough procedures and a scoring system, covering the systems’ access, security, 24/7 availability, interoperability and programmability.

“Hyperledger,” a DLT innovation, was first developed by the Linux Foundation Inc. in 2015 as a crossindustry collaboration. Digital Assets Holdings Inc. and IBM Corp. contributed to the project in early 2016 through a product called “Fabric.”

According to the Hyperledger Foundation, the Hyperledger Fabric “is an enterprise-grade, distributed ledger platform that offers modularity and versatility for a broad set of industry use cases. The modular architecture for Hyperledger Fabric accommodates the diversity of en-

terprise use cases through plug and play components, such as consensus, privacy and membership services.” CBDCs are a form of digital money denominated in the national unit of account and are direct liabilities of the central bank. Wholesale CBDCs may be issued to commercial banks and other financial institutions to settle interbank payments, securities transactions and cross-border payments, among others.

“By the end of ‘Project Agila,’ the pilot participants are expected to have a clearer understanding of CBDC technology and assess the capability of wholesale CBDCs to foster advancements in the largevalue payment system. The results of the assessment are seen to guide the BSP and the industry on a possible launch of wholesale CBDCs in the Philippines,” Remolona said.

Participating financial institutions in this project are BDO Unibank Inc., China Banking Corp., Land Bank of the Philippines, Maya Philippines Inc., Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., and Union Bank of the Philippines. Meanwhile, observing financial institutions for succeeding stages are Citibank N. A. Manila, China Bank Savings, Wealth Development Bank Corp., and SeaBank Philippines Inc. The BSP also collaborated with multilateral organizations, such as the International Monetary Fund and the Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub, on the technical, risk management and governance aspects of the pilot CBDC project.

of services over the Internet—in the next three years.

This trend is giving rise to new business models like embedded finance or Bankingas-a-Service.

“There are currently huge investments by Cloud providers in the market so when we offer it as a service, it’s not only the reliability that comes in, but we can also provide security, stability and resilience,” he said.

The forum highlighted that regulations are no longer restricted to risk management, but more encouraging to innovations such as new e products for the Cloud computing technology landscape. Given this, regulators are putting some pressure on banks to look for better offerings for the industry.

Temenos is also pushing for “Lifestyle Banking” that has three components: onboarding the customer; CX; and, Artificial Intelligence (AI).

According to Temenos, the first component “promotes quick and error-free processes like scanning and gathering information in less than 90 seconds. CX, meanwhile, forms the “servicing part.”

The firm believes can leverage the third, AI, considering their vast collected data to give better advice to clients.

Nominations opened for Fifth BMAP Bank Marketing Awards

THe Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines (BMAP) announced last September 4 that the Bank Marketing Awards (BMA), running on its fifth year, is now open for nomination.

In partnership with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Financial Sector Forum, the BMA is open to members and non-member banks of BMAP and will be accepting nominations until September 28. The biennial awards program aims to promote bank marketing excellence and recognize outstanding bank marketing practices in keeping financial institutions responsive to the needs of the industry and the banking public.

This year’s BMA has seven categories: Best Product Program; Best Brand Program; Best electronic Channel Program; Best Program in Digital Marketing; Best Financial Inclusion Program; Best Customer-Centric Product or Program (a special award in partnership with the BSP); and, Best Sustainability Drive. The awards will be judged by an independent and distinguished panel of judges comprised of marketing and communication experts and leaders. Winners of the 5th Bank Marketing Awards will be announced during the annual BSP Financial education Stakeholders ex po in November. The BMAP is established in 1974

and composed of members from 46 financial institutions. Over the years, the Bank Marketing Awards program has become synonymous with recognizing banks that demonstrated commitment to advancing innovation, creative execution, raising awareness on consumer education and protection, creating positive customer experience and value, and making banking affordable and accessible to Filipinos. The BMA not only celebrates past achievements but also encourages banks to step forward and showcase their brand, marketing and customer-centric programs and initiatives.

“The Bank Marketing Awards is about showcasing the best practices in terms of servicing our customers and putting their needs and interests as a primordial component as we develop and deliver financial services,” BMAP President Mai Gacilo Sangalang was quoted in a statement as saying. “It also underscores the goal of the BMAP to advocate not only excellence in bank marketing and communication practices but also to help build public trust in the banking sector.”

To learn more about the awards criteria, nomination process and sponsorship opportunities, interested parties may email the BMAP Secretariat at bmapsecretariat@gmail.com.

Octavio Peralta

Are you an overthinker? Here are three tips

OVERTHINKING is both an important strength and a frustrating weakness.

Former clinical psychologist and researcher-turned-writer Alice Boyes, PhD, the author of The Anxiety Toolkit and The Healthy Mind Toolkit, highlighted the significance of acknowledging the advantages of thinking deeply and being able to dial it back whenever necessary.

“You may desire to retain the benefits of thoughtfulness while eliminating the self-defeating aspects,” she stated. “This will give you maximum flexibility, lower stress, and get the best results.”

Boyes, whose body of work focuses on how others can use diverse strategies from social, clinical and positive psychology studies in their everyday lives and romantic relationships, likewise reiterated that over-scrutinizing is not the sole path to success.

“Sometimes it is enough to recognize that you currently do not overthink every decision, and that can work out fine and even well,” she added. “You can begin to see yourself as someone who sometimes overthinks but not always.”

In support of Boyes, the Benilde Well-Being Center (BWC) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde

Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS

DAY: Gaten Matarazzo, 20; Pink, 43; Bernie Sanders, 81; Martin Freeman, 51; David Arquette, 51.

(DLS-CSB) encouraged the general public to apply three practical solutions to address overanalyzing:

1. Execute once, then optimize. When faced with a new task or situation, accomplish it with basic thinking. Only amend or develop your approach in subsequent times. This course leads to quicker judgments. It allows you to learn more through experience instead of delays.

2. Put your thoughts in a suitcase. Anxiety warns you to be more cautious of potential threats. Trying to stop these thoughts will only amplify them. While your worries cannot be silenced, you can put them in a suitcase. Carry them around but do not interact with them. This creates sufficient psychological distance from apprehensions and enables you to make more skilful choices and actions.

3. Embrace both impulsive and deliberate decisions. You may have experienced engaging in meta-cognition or “thinking about thinking”. Use this for your gain. Ponder on the decisions you have resolved that resulted in affirmative outcomes. Sometimes, the best ones are the results of exhaustive research and accurate perceptions. But this is not always the case. ■

NEW CZECH MARKER AT CAPAS NATIONAL SHRINE UNVEILED

SG AMBASSADOR REVISITS SINGAPOREAN SPECIALTY RESTAURANT

IN light of Tiong Bahru’s expansion in Manila, Singapore Ambassador Constance See Sin Yuan and her family graced the Uptown BGC branch of Tiong Bahru on August 27.

Accompanied by Tiong Bahru proprietors Danny Ngo, Abel Manliclic, Kathryna Yu-Pimentel, and Andrew Koh, they relished a nostalgic and succulent luncheon that aptly showcased the uniqueness of the Michelin-starred Singaporean cuisine.

Amid its ongoing expansion across Manila, Tiong Bahru Philippines not only takes pride in its flagship dish, the Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken, but also in its outstanding stature for meticulously heeding its employees’ well-being, surpassing expectations about basic compensation and benefits. Riding on their pledge to the welfare of their own workforce, the company will provide comprehensive insurance coverage, offering up to P60,000 per ailment and P20,000 for outpatient expenses, beginning September 1, 2023.

With this significant provision in place, employees in the dine-in section can expect an average monthly take-home pay of P25,000, inclusive of service charges. Further, the more prominent establishments like the expansive 150 sqm Tiong Bahru restaurant in Eastwood Mall will raise salaries of up to P35,000. In a statement, Tiong Bahru’s management shared: “We firmly believe that an equitable wage structure coupled with an extensive benefits package communicates the high value we place on our employees. By catering to their well-being, we foster a sense of contentment and dedication among our workforce.”

MAROŠ MARTIN GUOTH, economic and trade counsellor of the Embassy of the Czech Republic, representing Chargé d’affaires, a.i., Dalibor Mička, led the unveiling of the Czech marker at the historic Capas National Shrine on August 25, 2023. Originally erected for only seven Czechoslovak nationals, the new Czech marker honors the heroism of all 14 Czechoslovak nationals who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with their Filipino and American counterparts in the fight for freedom in the Philippines, namely: Jan Bžoch, Pavel Fuchs, Leo Hermann, Jaroslav Hrdina, Fred Lenk, Hans Lenk, Josef Vařák, Antonín Volný, Karel Aster, Karel Dančák, Bedřich “Fred“ Herman, Otto Hirsch, Arnošt “Ernest“ Morávek, and Norbert Schmelkes.

The event was graced by Department of National Defense (DND) assistant secretary Antonio Bautista, National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) commissioner Lino Dizon, Tarlac Governor Susan Yap, Capas Mayor Roseller Rodriguez, and

Philippines Jana Šedivá, who was the driving force behind the installation of the new granite marker. Driven by a deep sense of historical preservation, the former ambassador brought the project to fruition as “she rallied for support from government authorities, historians and other stakeholders,” Guoth added.

Gov. Susan Yap of the Province of Tarlac, meanwhile, said that the province of Tarlac is “honored and privileged to serve as its [Czech marker] home” and hopes that the marker may “serve as a lasting reminder of our shared history.”

Col. Agerico Amagna, chief of the Veterans Memorial and Historical Division of PVAO, shared a brief history of how the 14 Czechoslovak heroes dedicated their lives for freedom in the Philippines.

Unknown to many, 14 Czechoslovak nationals fought alongside Filipino and American forces in the Philippines during World War II. In honor of their bravery, a marker was erected at the Capas National Shrine but only for seven Czechoslovak nationals.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: A thorough approach to whatever you do will pay off this year. Dedication, loyalty, compassion and common sense will take you to a place that offers peace of mind. Refuse to let what others do tempt you to make poor decisions. Choose honor and integrity over risk and manipulation. Look for alternatives that help you focus on what’s important to you. Face the future with optimism, imagination and fearlessness. Your numbers are 6, 13, 18, 24, 36, 40, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Do something physical that will ease stress, keep you from saying something you shouldn’t and encourage you to do your own thing. Personal improvements will lift you and motivate you to do something you enjoy. ★★★

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Consistency will lead to success. You’ll gain ground if you are persistent and willing to do the work yourself. Don’t put things off due to temptation or interference. Make your voice heard and your plans feasible. ★★★★

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Bide your time. Spontaneity and haste will take you in the wrong direction. Work alone to avoid interference. Ask experts questions, but trust in yourself to make decisions. Personal improvements will attract attention.

★★

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Avoid controlling situations. Speak on your behalf to ensure you get both your point across and recognition for your thoughts and solutions. Hard work, intuition and intelligence will help you bring about positive change. Put faith in yourself, not others.

★★★★★

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Take care of financial, legal or health matters swiftly. You’ll learn something that helps you cut corners and save time and money. Don’t let a decision someone makes ruin your plans. Carry on by yourself or with someone like-minded. ★★★

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Adjust and carry on as planned. Use your knowledge, skills and experience in unique ways to get ahead or to help others. Turn a joint venture into a social event. A trip or shopping spree will go over budget if you aren’t careful. ★★★

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Do your best and finish what you start. Making a good impression is crucial if you want to get ahead. Conflicts between personal and professional responsibilities will lead to trouble. Communication and compromise will help alleviate a problem. ★★★

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Refuse to get angry or frustrated with others. Instead, put a unique touch on whatever you do, and you’ll come out ahead. Express your thoughts and desires with compassion and empathy for others. Address issues that can cause problems before they become overwhelming. ★★★★★

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Temptation to get involved in endeavors that sound too good to be true will engross you. Step back and rethink what’s best for you before you commit to something debatable. Pay attention, and you’ll avoid getting trapped or paying for someone else’s mistake.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Sharing will backfire on you. Do your thing and pay your way. Set high standards and take the initiative to add unique touches that will be noticed and admired. Taking on someone else’s fight will be costly.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Remain consistent to avoid backlash. Too many changes will make people question what you are doing. Designate how much you want to spend and on what before signing an agreement. A kind gesture will leave you in a vulnerable position. ★★★

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Make plans to have fun. Let your ideas shine through, and you’ll gain approval from someone you love and respect. Don’t be too quick to give someone access to your financial picture. Some things are best not shared for the time being. ★★★

BIRTHDAY BABY:

You are courageous, strong and empathetic. You are helpful and consistent.

‘BER’ MONTHS KICKED OFF WITH SEAT SALE

THE Philippines’ leading carrier, Cebu Pacific is giving every traveler an early Christmas gift as it brings back its trademark Piso Sale in time for the “Ber” months.

From September 7 to 10, 2023, CEB travelers can book their flights to select domestic destinations including Bacolod, Cebu, Iloilo, Kalibo, and Laoag, and international destinations such as Ho Chi Minh City, Macau, Seoul, Singapore and Taipei for as low as P1 oneway base fare, exclusive of surcharges and other fees.

The travel period will be from April 1 to August 31, 2024, allowing passengers to book ahead and score value-for-money fares.

Aside from the Piso Sale, the airline is also offering a special 27 percent discount on CEB Transfers for all its routes serving Boracay, making travel to one of the world’s best island resorts much easier and more affordable. CEB currently flies to Boracay eight times daily from Manila, twice daily from Cebu, and six times weekly from Clark.

CEB pioneered its trademark Piso Sale as early as 2004. Since then, many Filipinos have been able to fulfill their travel dreams and explore various local and international destinations through the airline’s signature promo.

Passengers may use their existing Travel Funds to book flights and avail themselves of add-ons. CEB also offers multiple payment options, including payment centers, credit or debit cards, and e-wallets.

CEB currently flies to 35 domestic and 24 international destinations, spanning across Asia, Australia and the Middle East.

Book flights now at bit.ly/CebuPacificSale

‘Nakabuhi’: Setting free a film festival

THEY called it Nakabuhi, which literally meant “released” or “let loose.” It could also mean “being freed.” The festival was founded in Buhi, a town noted for its Lake Buhi where once thrived the “sinarapan,” considered to be the smallest edible fish in the world. There are many stories about the lake and its origin. There are also many stories about how the town of Buhi was formed. Apparently, the first settlers were evacuees or, as the present term goes, “bakwit” from one of the strong eruptions of another volcano, Mayon, in the present-day Albay.

REALIZATIONS

THE actress has moved on from her past relationship and is happy with her new boyfriend but she was still shocked to confirm that someone she considered a friend was the reason why she and her ex split. The actress cannot believe that her former boyfriend and friend conspired against her, even as she put her full trust in them. For the actress, the worst thing is that their circle of friends knew and no one thought to tell her of what was happening. She trusted her friend and boyfriend so much that she didn’t believe the blind items about them then. Now, she realizes that everything was true. She was just too blinded by love to believe all the stories. Needless to say, the actress and her former friend are no longer on speaking terms.

SHE KNOWS

THE actress and the actor did a project together and although the publicity machine linked their names to each other, they have never publicly admitted that they were together. According to the grapevine, they were indeed in a relationship but that’s now over. The actress finally believed her concerned friends and associates when they pointed out the actor’s red flags. In the past, she didn’t want to believe them because the actor seemed to be gentle and loving. Later on, it puzzled her why he still wanted to keep the relationship a secret, even when they had been together for over a year. Finally, after a lot of thinking, the actress is now single. She told friends that one of the reasons why she broke up with the actor was his seeming fear of a deeper commitment.

POOR ACTING SKILLS

IS it true that the director of a new TV series, which is still being taped, is having difficulty with the lead actor’s lack of skills/talent? In the series, the actor plays someone who is very different from him in real life. So far, the director is reportedly not happy with the actor’s output and this is nothing new because his previous directors have had the same experience in the past. Right now, the director has no choice but to work with the actor and his limited talent because he is one of the network’s darlings. All his projects are talked about and make money. As for his lack of talent, let’s hope that the actor enrolls himself in acting workshops.

STRAINED RELATIONSHIP

THE actress’ already shaky relationship with her family is once again strained because of her new boyfriend. It appears that some well-meaning words from her family angered the actress and her boyfriend. The boyfriend is believed by some to be a gold-digger without any prospects for himself, and this is why he reportedly latched on to the actress who, as everybody knows, is moneyed. It seems that the actress’ family is suspicious of the guy as this isn’t the first time that she has been involved with someone who was with her for money. So the family did a little snooping and this reached the guy, who told the actress and so, she and her family aren’t talking again.

But for a group of creatives calling themselves members of Project Susog, whose main objective is to raise cultural awareness, the name of their town could be an origin for an artistic movement. The old notion that Buhi was an isolated town was challenged by these young men and women as they looked to having a film festival, using cinema, the youngest of the seven arts and one that could easily link them to the world outside. Thus was born the Nakabuhi Short Film Festival. This year, for the first time they dramatized the name of the festival by releasing the very event they founded and extending their works to the bigger area around Buhi. This is the so-called Partido de Rinconada, or simply Rinconada. The opening of the event also brought in the other filmmakers from the area. For this year, the Nakabuhi film festival had entries outside of Buhi, and these came from the towns of Nabua, Iriga and Baao.

From the group led by Ryan Cuatrona, an academic and artist (he is an animator and a filmmaker) teaching in the Jesuit university of Ateneo de Naga, the Nakabuhi went on to partner with another major institution in Rinconada, the Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges of the Philippines (CSPC). From the latter, another writer and college professor, Elbert Baeta, would form part of the more articulated organization.

Last week, the film festival opened on the patio facing the 16th-century church built by the Franciscans and dedicated to San Antonio de Padua and San Francisco de Assisi. Nine films competed in Nakabuhi Short Film Festival.

The jurors were composed of Elvert Bañares and Hubert Tibi, both award-winning filmmakers. Bañares and Tibi also had their share of being mentors in recognized film schools in the country. As a film critic and film educator, I completed the jury.

The screenings were informed by the metaphor the “nakabuhi” word initiated: schools were used but public places were also alternative sites. The name “Cinebanwa’’ was coined, a portmanteau for “cine,” meaning film, and “banwa,” which stood for town or

BTS’ JUNG KOOK TO JOIN GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL LINEUP TO MAKE ONE OF HIS FIRST US SOLO APPEARANCES

NEW YORK—Jung Kook of BTS will join the Global Citizen Festival lineup, making one of his first live solo appearances at the September 23 concert in New York’s Central Park.

The record-setting K-pop singer, whose debut solo single “Seven” hit no. 1 in the United States and around the world this summer, will join Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Anitta and Megan Thee Stallion as headliners of the event designed to encourage supporters, especially those in Gen Z, to take action on extreme poverty, gender inequality, climate change and other issues.

“The festival sheds light on important causes and drives action and I’m happy to take part in it,” Jung Kook said in a statement. “I can’t wait to perform in front of many people at the Great Lawn in Central Park.”

The Global Citizen Festival—which will also include performances from K-pop sensation Stray Kids, singersongwriter Conan Gray, rapper-DJ D-Nice, and actor-singer Sofia Carson—provides free tickets to the event in exchange for fans taking actions for social change on the group’s app and website.

Global Citizen supporters are urging governments to take action to address extreme poverty and the system issues that keep millions of people from escaping it.

Speakers ranging from Bill Nye the Science Guy to rapper Common, TV host Padma Lakshmi to basketball star Carmelo Anthony and numerous advocates from around the world will also be on hand to encourage viewers to take additional actions. The festival will be streamed live on Global Citizen’s website and numerous platforms, including Amazon’s Prime Video, Apple TV, Hulu Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Highlights will be broadcast on ABC. AP

community. The films were going to the communities.

In selected schools—Buhi National High School, Zeferino Arroyo High School in Iriga, CSPC, and Bula National High School, the last held in the municipal office of the town—we had screening and forums on cinema as text and culture. There were also conversations with teachers on film as learning tools.

As with any festival and film concourse, the results of the competition were much awaited by the filmmakers and the young audience.

There was an award for gender-sensitivity and this was given to Pretty Boy, a story about a boy who does online marketing and demonstrates makeup for men/ boys. The jurors found the filmic decision of putting at the center of this current discourse on gender a man instead of a woman truly original. The citation thus states: “When people talk of gender sensitivity or gender consciousness in cinema, they presume women as subjects. For this year, our choice is the tale of a young man who fights for his identity in a world where being a man or a woman comes second to being a person.” Pretty Boy is directed by Angel Alas Almonte.

The Jury Prize was awarded to Buradol (Kite), afilm most disarming because of its simplicity. The citation states: “The old saying is true: in brevity there is wit. This short film is just that—a memory of a young boy and his early passage to learning about life’s trials, no more and no less. There is no drama needed, not much action is necessary—only this slice of life that is magical and full of charm.” Buradol’s young lead, 11-

year old Ricson L. Baldon, won the Best Actor prize. The organizers of the festival reserved a Special Mention award to Agbay Pa (literally “Almost” or “A little bit more”). Directed by Jhon Prospero Nachor, the film was cited for its warm and endearing exploration of the “what ifs” in young people’s lives. The film was praised for being aspirational.

La Roca, a film about enchantment, depression and healing, won the Best Editing. It is directed by Christian Carl Daza.

In the end, with all the films nominated for the category, the well-made film, to use juror Elvert Bañares’s words, is the winner. This was Ranow (a Rinconada term for “lake,” an obvious reference to Lake Buhi). The jury’s citation reads: “In our best film can be found the exploration of the many elements of cinema: screenplay, cinematography, performance, etc. Dialogs are rendered minimal because images or the visual have to take over in the narrative of the film. While some of the results may have been accidental, like the abrupt silence towards the ending of the film, the effect nevertheless of these actions make this film a good example of the cinematic.” Ranow is directed by Jasmine Kate No. The film also garnered the prize for best screenplay, cinematography, production design, and best director.

A special guest of the awarding ceremonies was educator Dr. Dulce F. Atian, the present Officer In Charge for Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges in Nabua, who lauded the Nakabuhi project, calling it “daring, creative, and inspiring.” n

Joe Jonas files for divorce from Sophie Turner after 4 years of marriage

MIAMI—Joe Jonas filed for divorce from Sophie Turner on Tuesday after four years of marriage and two children. The 34-year-old Jonas Brothers singer filed to end his marriage with the 27-year-old star of Game of Thrones in Florida’s Miami-Dade County Court. The filing says “the marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken.”

Turner and Jonas married in a secretive ceremony at a Las Vegas wedding chapel on May 1, 2019, after the Billboard Music Awards. Country duo Dan + Shay performed at the wedding. The couple had a daughter, Willa, in 2020, and last year had another daughter whose name they have not made public.

Jonas is seeking joint custody of the girls, according to the divorce documents. The two had a prenuptial agreement that Jonas expects will be enforced, according to the filing.

Representatives for Jonas and Turner did not immediately respond to requests for comment. On Wednesday, Turner and Jonas each posted identical statements to their Instagram accounts.

“After four wonderful years of marriage we have mutually decided to amicably end our marriage,” the statement read. “There are many speculative narratives as to why but, truly this is a united decision and we sincerely hope that everyone can respect our wishes for privacy for us and our children.”

The couple said in interviews that mutual friends had long wanted to introduce them when they began

talking via Instagram direct messages in 2016. They met in person in October of that year and were dating each other exclusively by December. They announced their engagement in October 2017.

Turner, who is from Northampton, England, played Sansa Stark for eight seasons on HBO’s Game of Thrones and played Jean Grey in 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse and 2019’s Dark Phoenix

The Arizona-born Jonas came to fame with brothers Nick and Kevin in a band starting in 2005 and subsequent Disney Channel series. They released their sixth studio album in May and are currently on a tour of US stadiums. AP

JOE JONAS and Sophie Turner in March 2023.

Maynilad offers desludging services this September

4

Simple Ways to Improve Your Health and Live Your Best Life

BEING healthy and feeling good is not just about hitting the gym or eating your veggies. It’s also about finding the right balance in the things shaping your life, including your mental health, interpersonal relationships, and the aspirations that push you to continue moving forward every day.

If you’re looking to start taking care of yourself more holistically, here are some habits you can give a shot. Take these small steps today on your way to living your best life.

Be more mindful of what you eat

THE food you eat fuels you to take on your roles every day, may it be at home, the workplace or your community. As such, it’s important to make sure that whatever you eat and drink is good for your body. There are 101 ways to incorporate whole and nutrient-rich foods like fruits and vegetables as well as good sources of protein and fats in your meals without making them “boring” or repetitive. You can still enjoy a good, hearty meal without the guilt while being creative and resourceful with your ingredients.

Redefine self-care

IT’S time to stop equating self-care with just pampering and indulgence and relate it to ways that one can improve their well-being and cope with the stresses of everyday life. For example, in order to have adequate

and quality sleep every night, you might need the right pillows or sheets, a five-step bedtime routine or essential oils—you can consider that as self-care. Going out with friends or even just yourself to unwind is another form of self-care that isn’t talked about just as much.

Learn to manage stress

UNDENIABLY, life can be stressful at times. And while we cannot avoid it, there are many ways to alleviate stress, which can also manifest physically when not managed. Remember, it’s okay to take a break when you feel like you need one!

Meditating and practicing mindfulness regularly allow you to stay in the present and to learn to reduce negative emotions amidst stressful situations. Having an outlet like a journal or a creative hobby is also a healthy way to destress from a long day.

Stay active

ONE of the most effective (and free) ways to get an endorphin rush is through exercise. Endorphins are a feel-good hormone that helps you reduce stress, relieve pain, and improve your mood. Aside from making you feel good, being physically active allows you to manage your weight, minimize health risks, and make your body stronger.

Exercising doesn’t have to be a burden.

If going to the gym is not for you, there are other ways you can try that can cater to your personal preferences and routine just

like running. Running is one of the best cardio exercises you can do and it’s very easy to add to your daily routine. Whether it’s indoors using a treadmill or outdoors around your neighborhood, its benefits to your physical and mental health are unprecedented.

To embrace the first step in their journey toward their best life, over 5,300 participants composed of seasoned runners, beginners, kids, families, and people from various backgrounds gathered at the starting line of Run for Wellness last August 13, 2023 at UP Diliman, Quezon City. This event was held jointly by Southstar Drug and Maxicare to kick off their pioneering wellness initiative. Run for Wellness, now in its 12th year, aims to promote physical health and mental well-being among Filipinos. This was the first time Run for Wellness featured a Metro Manila leg in addition to the traditional location in Naga City, Camarines Sur, which is scheduled for September 10, 2023.

Southstar Drug and Maxicare, as champions of health and wellness, have partnered to support consumers in their journey toward a healthier and happier life. By offering an extensive selection of health essentials and world-class health services, they aim to be reliable companions, “Kasama sa Best Life,” for Filipinos. Visit southstardrug.com.ph

com.ph

Smart devices provider HONOR Breaks Record, Hits

Highest First Day Sale with HONOR 90 5G in Stores

HONOR, the leading global provider of smart devices, officially kicked off the sale day of the muchawaited HONOR 90 5G for only P24,990 in all HONOR Experience Stores and Partner Dealer Stores nationwide and is available also in all online partners via Lazada, Shopee, and Tiktok Shop.

“From the viral phone, HONOR X9a 5G, that was launched last January, this sale day marks another milestone for HONOR Philippines as we received double demand from our HONOR fans for HONOR 90 5G. Since we announced the availability of the HONOR 90 5G in the market, we have received a high volume of offline and online pre-orders from the public, and until today, a huge crowd of shoppers lined up at our stores

to purchase their own HONOR 90 5G, and we are truly thankful for all the support,” said Stephen Cheng, HONOR Philippines Vice President. HONOR 90 5G’s first day of selling was marked with excitement among the HONOR community and fans. Adding more fanfare to the event was the presence of HONOR Stars and GMA Sparkle celebrities Liezel Lopez, Bruce Roeland, and Jeff Moses. They got to meet and greet their fans and consumers who bought their brand new HONOR 90 5G.

For consumers who still haven’t purchased their own HONOR 90 5G, wait no longer as it comes at a great and affordable price of P24,990. The powerful phone comes with a flagship triple camera system consisting of a 200MP Main

Camera with a 1/1.4-inch sensor, a 12 MP ultra-wide and macro camera with a 112° field of view, and a 2MP Depth Camera.

The HONOR 90 5G is equipped with industry-leading eye comfort features. Receiving the TÜV Rheinland Flicker Free Certification and achieving the risk-free dimming level, the HONOR 90 5G is perfect for today’s entertainmenthungry generation who spend long hours viewing and watching content on their smartphones.  Experience the HONOR 90 5G in three stunning colors, Midnight Black, Emerald Green, and Diamond Silver via all HONOR Experience Stores and partner dealers nationwide and online partner stores via Lazada (https:// bit.ly/3YAczVu), Shopee (https://bit. ly/45snjI6), and TikTok Shop (bit.ly/ HONOR905G-TikTok).

HONOR Fans can also avail of the HONOR 90 5G via Home Credit for as low as Php 1,002 per month on a 0% interest installment payment.

Leading credit card providers BDO, BPI, Citibank, Eastwest, Metrobank, PNB, and Security Bank also offer 0% interest, payable up to 12 months.

For more updates and announcements, you may visit HONOR’s website www.hihonor.com or social media platforms: Facebook (Facebook. com/HonorPhilippines), Instagram (Instagram.com/honorph/) and TikTok: (Tiktok.com/@honorphilippines). To check out HONOR’s complete list of retail stores, go to https://www.hihonor. com/ph/retailers/.

WEST Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) is offering septic tank cleaning services to its residential and semi-business customers this September in select parts of Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Manila, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Quezon City, Valenzuela, and Cavite Province at no extra cost.

Maynilad’s sanitation program is one of the company’s efforts to lessen pollution loading into Metro Manila’s river systems. “We ask our customers to avail of this service, as it will help to protect community health and the environment,” said Maynilad Chief Operating Officer Randolph T. Estrellado.

Customers residing in Barangay 81, 82, 84, 85, 167, 171 to 176, 178, 180, 181, 183, 185, 186 and 188 in Caloocan; Brgy. Pamplona 1 to 3 and Talon Dos in Las Piñas; Brgy. Longos in Malabon; Brgy. San Isidro in Makati; Brgy. Poblacion and Putatan in Muntinlupa; Brgy. Tanza in Navotas; Brgy. Marcelo Green, Merville, Moonwalk, San Antonio, San Dionisio, and San Isidro in Parañaque; Brgy. Capri in Quezon City; Brgy. Bagbaguin, Lawang Bato, Mabolo, Paso de Blas, Pasolo, Rincon and Veinte Reales in Valenzuela City may avail of Maynilad’s desludging service.

Moreover, some Maynilad customers in Cavite Province, particularly in Brgy. 10-A,

10-B, 13, 16, 18, 19, 23, 26, 28, 29, 29-A, Dalahican, Panapaan, and San Roque in Cavite City; and Buhay na Tubig, Bucandala 1 to 5, and Carsadang Bago 2 in Imus City may avail of the company’s septic tank cleaning services at no extra cost. Septic tank cleaning service normally costs around P4,700 per truck.

Maynilad customers interested to avail of the company’s septic tank cleaning service may call the Maynilad Hotline 1626 to determine the requirements and procedures. Additional information is also available in the company’s website, www.mayniladwater. com.ph, and social media accounts (Twitter: @maynilad, Facebook: /MayniladWater). Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire of Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) in the Philippines in terms of customer base. Its service area includes the cities of Manila (all but portions of San Andres and Sta. Ana), Quezon City (west of San Juan River, West Avenue, EDSA, Congressional, Mindanao Avenue, the northern part starting from the Districts of Holy Spirit and Batasan Hills), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas, and Malabon, all in Metro Manila; and the cities of Cavite, Bacoor, and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario, all in the province of Cavite.

Filipino Chess Phenom Triumphs at the Asian Amateur Chess Championship 2023 in UAE

SANTIAGO German, a rising Filipino star in the world of chess, has emerged victorious once again, clinching the gold medal at the prestigious Asian Amateur Chess Championship 2023. The nine-day long tournament, hosted by the UAE Chess Federation under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, witnessed fierce competition from over 150 players sponsored by various Asian National Chess Federations.

With this latest triumph, German continued his winning ways after his recent first-place victories at the 6th ZOR Chess Championship 2023 held in Dubai in late April, and the Major Section in the Coventry Open Tournament held in the UK in February this year. As the champion of the Asian Amateur Chess Championship 2023, German also gained the coveted Candidate

Master title, as well as a gold medal, trophy, and a cash prize.

German has likewise recorded multiple wins in the United Kingdom, where he currently studies as an undergraduate at Warwick University. German’s past victories in the UK include securing first place at the Coventry Rapidplay in December 2021, as well as a second-place finish at the Major Section of the 44th Kidlington Chess Tournament in Oxford in February 2023.

“I am so privileged to be able to play across continents with some of the best players in the world – and for this, I am extremely grateful to my family, my friends, and my countrymen for their unwavering support,’ said German. The 21-year-old chess prodigy is the youngest child of noted businessman and trading magnate Lito German, who is currently residing in Dubai.

SANTIAGO German (second from left) receiving his first-place trophy and gold medal from (L-R) Asian Chess Federation General Secretary Hisham Al Taher, Abdul Karim Hassan Al Marzouqi, and Tournament Director Sultan Ali Al-Taher.

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

ERNEST JOHN “EJ”

OBIENA is on a roll following his gold medal conquest at the NetAachen Domspringen on Friday in

Katschhof in Aacehn in Germany.

Obiena won at 5.92 meters—the same height he cleared in ruling the ISTAF Berlin in Germany three days ago—thus obliterating his 10th and last-place finish at the Wanda Diamond League Zurich leg only four days after he claimed silver at the world championships in Budapest.

Sam Kendricks targeted 5.92m

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Editor: Jun Lomibao

Friday, September 8, 2023

OBIENA FLIES TO ANOTHER GOLD IN GERMANY

but missed. He went for 6.02m twice and also missed. His best jump at 5.87m made the American settle for the bronze medal.

France’s Thibaut Collet clinched the bronze medal at 5.82m in the competition that lured 15 pole vaulters.

The mental battle between EJ [Obiena] and Sam Kendrick was amazing,” Obiena’s personal adviser Jim Lafferty told BusinessMirror on Thursday. “Both going for the win, using

passes as a tactical and mental tool to out-duel each other.”

Trying to outduel each other the 27-year-old Obiena and Kendricks did as the tournament warmed them up for the windup of the Wanda Diamong League—the last leg in Brussels on Saturday and the starstudded final on September 16 and 17 in Eugene, Oregon, site of Obiena’s bronze medal finish in last year’s world championships.

Wow! The crowd was treated to a truly world class competition,” Lafferty said of the ObienaKendricks showdown.

O biena now has 19 podium finishes in 21 tournaments—indoor and outdoor—he has competed in this season.

Obiena warmed his heels at 5.55, got to 5.75 in his second attempt and hit 5.92 in one attempt. He tried 6.02 to beat his personal

CONE TO COACH GILAS IN HANGZHOU ASIAD

the then called the Centennial Team to a bronze medal finish. He was also head coach when the country won the gold medal in the 2019 Philippines Southeast Asian Games.

A lthough the Gilas final 12 for Hangzhou wasn’t officially announced by both the SBP—represented by its president Al Panlilio and vice president Ricky Vargas—and the PBA—also Vargas as chairman, commissioner Willie Marcial and vice chairman Bobby Rosales (Terrafira)— hints were made as to who will form the core of the team.

By Josef Ramos

TIM CONE was named head coach of the men’s national team to the Hangzhou 19th Asian Games.

It’s one gargantuan task with Gilas

Dapitan bracing for fast, hot race

THE heat plays a major role in determining the winner of the 5150 Dapitan Philippines despite a fast course set for the event on Sunday in Zamboanga del Norte.

Hosting the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-km bike and 10-km run event for the first time, Dapitan City set a course that provides both the seasoned and upcoming campaigners, including 10 foreigners, a new triathlon experience.

The race course is a fast one,” race director Neville Manaois. “The swim will be clear and easy to navigate, the bike leg is a 2-loop fast route with some hills at the far turnaround and the run part will be two loops and very fast that would also take runners in historic areas.”

He added that their meticulous planning ensures every athlete’s safety, enjoyment and a race course that is historic.

It’s different from Subic since its less industrial and less busy. It’s a city course that passes through communities and offices,” Manaois said. “It will be fast like Bohol but Dapitan passes more in local communities, adding to the warmth and charm of the race.”

John Alcala top-bills the merry mix of bidders, both in the overall and in his age-group category (30-34), with the Dipolog City ace seeking to match his stirring triumph in the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Puerto Princesa in Palawan late last year.

He also won the 5150 Subic last June, thus making him the “hunted” from among the talent-laden cast that includes former Bohol 5150 champion Satar Salem, former Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Fernando Casares, Andrew Remolino, a two-time SEA Games silver medal winner, Jailani Lamama and Jonathan Pagaura.

M anaois also expects the battle for top honors to be furious and exacting given the weather conditions in the Olympic-distance race.

Pilipinas’s first game against Bahrain set 18 days from today, Friday.

B ut with Ramon S. Ang (RSA) telling Cone to coach the “national team,” he didn’t think twice to accept the task.

You can’t say no to RSA,”

Cone told reporters in a joint news

conference called by the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas on Thursday afternoon at the league’s offices in Libis, Quezon City.

Cone was head coach of the national squad to the Asian Games way back in 1998 in Bangkok where he steered

Cone, Vargas and Ginebra San Miguel governor Alfrancis Chua said shoo-ins are San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo, who was instructed to fly back to Manila from Cebu where he’s on vacation, and Gin King Scottie Thompson, who had to postpone a trip to Japan.

“ The usual suspects,” said Cone when asked who’ll be in the final 12. “And we’ll be practicing starting Monday.”

Cone was on the original roster submitted by the Philippine Olympic Committee to the Hangzhou Asian

W ith San Miguel Beer on top of the Hangzhou campaign, Chua said the logic was to ask the PBA’s most successful coach to handle the Asian Games campaign. Tell him to coach for the country,” narrated Chua quoting Ang when he sought the SMC honcho’s permission on Cone.

C hua will be the team manager and Marcial deputy team manager in Hangzhou, while Jong Uichico, Josh Reyes, LA Tenorio and Richard Del Rosario will be Cone’s deputies.

Cone, owner of 25 PBA crowns, narrated that he was in the middle of a nine-hole round of golf with the LA Lakers’ Austin Reeves and some members of the US team on Monday morning when he got the call from Chua telling him of his appointment.

Doing it again kind of takes my breath away,” Cone, 65, said, adding “I’m preparing to have a two-way player who can play good offense and an absolutely great defender.”

N aturalized players  Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame, Japeth Aguilar and Roger Pogoy are among the “usual suspects,” according to Cone and Chua, although Chris Newsome, CJ Perez, Calvin Oftana and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, who were on the list submitted by the SBP to the POC last July, are believed to be tops on the choices for the final 12.

Uy saves best in final rd, bags 2nd-straight title in Del Monte

DANIELLA UY battled back from three strokes down to card a two-under 70 that was enough to beat Seoyun Kim of Korea and amateurs Mafy Singson and Velinda Castil by two in the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Del Monte Championship on Thursday in Bukidnon.

Uy dominated the final 18 holes with a four-under card after 13 holes in third-to-last flight but got too excited trying to rip the field and cap her fiery run in the closing holes, leading to a couple of bogeys in the last four and giving Kim, Singson and Castil some glimmer of hope in a wet finish to the P750,000 championship.

But she dashed it with a routine par on the par-five 18th in driving rain as she signed for a pair of 35s for a 54-hole haul of 219 and took the top P90,000 purse, a couple of months after snapping a long title spell with a one-stroke escape over Yvon Bisera at Forest Hills.

After going four under, I thought of pushing it more but made bogeys on Nos. 15 and 17 instead,” said Uy, who matched Harmie Constantino’s back-to-back victories at Luisita and Villamor. “I

DANIELLA UY rallies from three strokes down for a title-clinching two-under 70 on Thursday. ROY DOMINGO worked on my tempo on every shot.”

Castil, 15, who showed up the pros in the first two rounds, proved resolute in her young age majority of the final round, staying in the title hunt despite a two-bogey, one-birdie card after 14 holes until she blew it all with a closing double-bogey in tough conditions.

She wound up with a 75 and settled for joint second with Kim and Singson at 221.

K im rallied with a bogey-free

70 while teeing off at the back, and Singson, who nailed her second Ladies Professional Golf Tour (LPGT) win at Valley, also last June, carded a 73.

Singson later took the low amateur honors after edging the promising junior golfer in the countback.

Bisera shot a third straight 74 and wound up fifth at 222 while Constantino put in a 73 to tie Pamela Mariano at sixth with 223 after the latter, just one stroke behind Castil

Filipino hoops fans wow foreign media

TIM REYNOLDS refused to call Filipino fans basketballcrazy now that the veteran sportswriter of the Associated Press (AP) have been in the country for almost two weeks covering the FIBA World Cup.

“ We came here knowing they’re basketball-crazy, but I didn’t know what that meant until you get here. It’s unfair to call them basketball-crazy,” Reynolds said. “They’re basketballderanged, is what they are.”

R eynolds is one of AP’s authority in sports, having covered not only

basketball but dozens of other sports all over the world. The Olympics, FIBA World Cup, National Basketball Association, name it. Throw in the golf and tennis majors for good measure.

As it turned out, Reynolds said he has never experienced anything like a big game on the big stage and under the bright lights in the Philippines.

“ The level of it surprised me. It’s not just a few people. It’s not just a couple-thousand people. It’s awesome to see, and it just speaks to the power of this game,” Reynolds said.

“ I’ve seen it [basketball] played in a lot of places in the world and they love it in a lot of places, but I don’t know if any place loves the game more than the people do here,” he added. He also zoned in at how Filipinos continued to support the national team through its struggles in the world meet. There’s so much passion here.

after 36 holes, who skied to a 76.

Juyoung Yang made a 75 for eighth at 224 while fellow Korean Minyeong Kim placed ninth at 226 after a 76 and Chihiro Ikeda shot a 74 for joint 10th at 227 with Korean amateur Jiwon Lee, who tripped with a 78.

A fter anchoring her Forest Hills’ romp on conservative play, Uy said she changed tactics at Del Monte, switching on the attack mode early on and sustaining her assault to the finish.

“At Forest Hills, it was more like of playing it safe. But here I was hitting my driver off the tee. I was very confident of my drives here. This course is rather long for us, so I forced myself to hit the driver and it worked since it gave me more chances for birdies,” said Uy, who thanked the host club, her family and friends for her continued success in the circuit backed by the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.’s official apparel Kampfortis Golf.

Truly, birdies on Nos. 3 and 4 put her back in contention from joint fifth and though she reeled back with a double bogey on No. 5, Uy strung up three straight birdies from No. 9 and added another on the 13th to seize control on her way to accomplishing her three-day mission.

Their team went 1-4 and finished 24th-place. For people who aren’t here and don’t understand how difficult it is to get around this city in a typhoon, and they [Filipino fans] still filled that place to cheer on a winless team at that time, that tells you all you need to know,” he said.

It is so much more than what I thought it was. I knew from covering the [Miami] Heat and [FilipinoAmerican coach] Erik Spoelstra that people from the Philippines love basketball, but I had no idea how much.”

CLYDE MONDILLA found the putting touch he flaunted in the first round that he lost in the next but put himself back at the helm with an eagle-spiked 65 under overcast skies for a one-shot lead over Reymon Jaraula in the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Del Monte Championship Thursday in Bukidnon.

Despite a solid frontside that featured a birdie on No. 4 and an eagle on the ninth, Mondilla still scrambled trying to regain the right strokes as he missed short birdie bids in the first three holes and threeputted from 10 feet on No. 10 to typify his struggle on the surface he’s so familiar with.

But things turned around after he dropped a three-foot birdie putt on No. 13 as he picked up another stroke on a muffed eight-foot eagle putt on the next then drilled three more inside six feet to string a clutch five birdie-run that carried the multititled campaigner past three aces and moved him on the threshold of back-to-back championships on the Philippine Golf Tour (PGT). He was actually aiming to make it six straight but hit a tree on his second shot on the par-five 18th and blasted way past the hole to settle for par and a 33-32 for a 54-hole total of 15-under 201.

I didn’t expect to be on top again, just tried to put myself into good position but got my confidence back [in putting] in the last 9 holes,” said the runaway winner at Forest Hills last June who drove past halfway point leader Justin Quiban and erstwhile joint second-running Reymon Jaraula and Jhonnel Ababa to zero in on the top P437,000 purse in the P2.5 million championship put up by ICTSI. B ut Jaraula stayed where he stood at after 36 holes, pressing his own title drive following a big win at Valley, also last June, with a bogey-free 67, capped by birdies in the last two holes as he assembled a 202 to seal a final round duel of homegrown bets.

My putting went well but not my luck,” said Jaraula, who also rued a couple of missed birdie opportunities from short range in near-ideal scoring conditions. “But I remain confident after going bogey-free, so I need to focus on Friday.”

CLYDE MONDILLA is back up

Mondilla rallies with eagle-spiked  65 to regain lead

TIM CONE expounds on his plans for Hangzhou during Thursday’s press conference. With him are (from left) Al Francis Chua, Al Panlilio, Ricky Vargas and Willie Marcial. Not in photo is Terrafirma’s Bobby Rosales.

ERNEST JOHN “EJ” OBIENA is again stringing podium finishes.

SUBCOMPACT cars will always have a spot in the evolving vehicle segment. No matter how the Crossover SUV segment dominates the industry, the small sedans and hatchbacks are here to stay and will never lose their preferential factor, at least for first-time car buyers.

After the recent launch of these updated models, Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI) hosted a ride-and-drive event for media members to experience the enhancements. But this time, it is more than the usual long drives with the integration of various technical exercises. These series of tests are to validate each of the vehicle’s strong points.

Tech and aesthetic enhancements

THE New City’s main highlight is the inclusion of the brand’s proprietary Honda Sensing as a standard feature. Developed under the grand concept of “Ambitious Sedan,” the top-spec RS receives newly crafted RS-exclusive add-ons (redesigned

HONDA’S SUBCOMPACT DUO IS STILL IN THE GAME

front grille and front/rear bumper with carbon-wrapped lower molding). The LED Daytime Running Lights and Fog Lights are also standard. The flank’s sharp horizontal character lines inspired by the Katana Blade in Motion now have a new Side Sill Garnish (exclusive to the RS). Of course, the newly designed sporty 16-inch Alloy wheels. The New City highlights a premium, functional, and spacious cabin inside. The better visibility is courtesy of the updated windshield shape, minimizing blind spots. New accents are Dark Red front panel garnish, high gloss black interior (RS), and high gloss black front panel garnish/silver interior (V). There is also a new 4.2 Full

TFT Meter with white and green Ambient Light for the rest of the variants. The eight-inch Advanced Touchscreen Display Audio (RS, V, and S) now has an improved LCD, better reverse camera resolution, and wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (RS, V, and S).

T he New Brio has a newly designed Piano Black RS Front Grille featuring a new design pattern with a bigger opening. It is complemented with All-LED Headlights (RS), freshly updated Fog Lights and newly designed Fog Light Garnish (RS), Daytime Running Lights (RS and V variants), RSdesign Side Sill Lower Garnish, a Tailgate Spoiler, RS-design Rear Bumper Lower Garnish and Tail Lights. More so, the updated 15-inch RS Design Alloy Wheels

(RS), 14-inch Alloy Wheels (V), and 14-inch Steel with Cover Wheels (S).

Inside, the hatchback features Black Fabric Seats with Red Accents for RS variants. The improved and standard seveninch Capacitive Touchscreen Audio has new audio controls with illumination (RS and V) with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Bluetooth, Android Smartphone Mirroring, and six-speaker audio setup (inclusive of additional two tweeters for the RS variants, and 4-speaker audio set up for V and S). Both updated models retained their respective powertrains. With its triedand-tested 1.5-liter DOHC i-VTEC with Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), the New City generates 119hp and 145 N-m of torque. Then, the New Brio with its 1.2 liter 4-cylinder SOHC i-VTEC engine generating 89hp and 119N-m of torque mated to a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and a five-speed M/T option (1.2 S MT Variant).

Technical tests superiority

THE participants did a series of technical driving exercises on the asphalt grounds of the Batangas Racing Circuit. The circuit laps for both models incorporated the element of fuel economy to make the test more engaging and, ultimately, safer. Cruising

speeds were maintained even without braking when entering tight turns by not pushing the throttle to achieve the ideal speed and theoretical fuel consumption reading. These methods showcased both vehicles’ impressive agility by simply operating the steering correctly while following the markers.

The New City was also tested for its ability to maintain stability and control even when doing sudden braking on slippery surfaces. But the most compelling test done was the notorious “Moose test.”

Accelerating to a cruising speed, a sudden evasive maneuver was done without applying brakes. Impressively, the vehicle retained control when the expert driver attempted to counter-steer back to the original path.

To demonstrate the New Brio’s outstanding agility, a Gymkhana test was done where each participant went through the course design with cone markers to mimic numerous and alternating tight turns. Even in stock form, the New Brio performed well. All the drivers needed to do was to accelerate, brake, and steer correctly.

Fun to drive

THE long stretches of freeways are where the New City’s Honda Sensing function

shines. Like any Honda model equipped with the brand’s driver assist functions, the long drive was more relaxed and compellingly safer like how Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow (LSF) actively kept the pace based on the vehicle upfront, picking up and slowing down by applying brakes to keep a safe distance. The system also works well with Lead Car Departure Notification System (LCDN).

As e xpected, the Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS) actively senses and works during lane changes and even on long bends with visible lanes. As for the Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) with Lane Departure Warning (LDW), it actively applied slight resistance and movement during lane changes without using the turn signals, almost like a constant reminder. Of course, the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) was always active in flashing warnings on the screen for collision alerts.

A s for the New Brio, considering its small engine, overtaking slower vehicles while hauling three adults plus cargo may be a hurdle, but shifting to Sport mode aided the motor in retaining higher revs for more torque. Providing more allowance for momentum was necessary. On tight turns is where the Brio’s nimble frame shines as the vehicle maneuvered well in great form and control. Good steering feedback made every entry to and exit from tight turns easier.

Reaching the beach r esort destination in San Juan, Batangas, feeling relaxed was not surprising. Because onboard, whether the New City or the New Brio, space for three adult occupants was never an issue. Long drives with these subcompact models are really comfy, fun, and safe.

Toyota has paid ₧448B in taxes

“F rankly, Dr. Ty was hesitant and concerned about how we could contribute to our partnership with Toyota since we had no experience in the automotive field. Thanks to the support of the pioneer team some of whom are still with us today, they tackled challenges one at a time...and the rest, as they say, is history.

to renew that commitment.

“In pursuit of our vision, TMP remains committed to supporting local manufacturing through our partnership with parts makers, other industry players and, of course, the government.

“

REVEALED during the recent 35th founding of Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) by TMP Chair Alfred V. Ty (AVT) were several stunning milestones that helped propel the brand as the country’s consistent top automaker for the longest time.

Alr eady, the best-selling Toyota Vios has sold more than 2 million, with 1 million Vios units built solely by Filipino craftsmen.

T MP being truly a partner in nationbuilding, it has paid P448 billion in taxes thus far.

H ere is AVT’s anniversary speech at the Grand Hyatt Manila on BGC Taguig.

“ Our celebration of our 35th anniversary is extra special for me. This year, I received a SPECIAL LOYALTY AWARD from TMP in recognition of my 30 years of service. It has really been a very exciting three decades.

“Allow me to express my special thanks to the Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, Mr. Akio Toyoda, for joining us this evening. Akio san, thank you for flying in to join us, since your last trip 5 years ago. You have always been a very strong beacon of hope and inspiration especially during the COVID years. Indeed, you bring light when it is needed most.

“ Where do I start?

Well, we began as a humble start-up back in 1988. Sometime 1985-86, my father and TMP founding Chair—Dr. George Ty— was invited by Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda to be the Toyota distributor for the Philippines.

“From a start-up team of about 20 people, Toyota Motor Philippines is now close to 4,000-strong.

“As of mid-year 2023, we have locally produced 1.03 million units, delivered a cumulative total of 2.24 million units to Filipino homes all across the country.

“In t erms of contributing to the economy, TMP and the Toyota Group have cumulatively invested P73.7 billion since 2000, paid duties and taxes of P448 billion and exported US$18.76 billion of auto parts and components since 1997.

All these milestones could have only been possible because of your support.

In behalf of the over 71,000 members in the ENTIRE Team Toyota Philippines ecosystem—in TMP, our suppliers, dealers and business partners—I would like to sincerely thank all of you.

Today, in behalf of over 2 million Toyota owners in the Philippines, I want to say to Akio san...please keep those amazing Toyotas and Lexuses coming and keep showing us the FUN of driving!

Toyota’s roadmap to a cleaner, carbon neutral-world includes multiple pathways. We believe it begins with hybrid electric vehicles that are fun-to-drive yet helpful in reducing emissions and increasing fuel efficiency, without the need for a charging infrastructure network.

When we opened 35 years ago, TMP committed to a vision of not only building cars but also helping build a nation. Today, as my father did 35 years ago, I am delighted

We are constantly on the lookout for new paths and opportunities to harness the strengths of the nation. As you may know, a single car is no longer simply made of physical parts alone. Today, the advancements in microcomputing makes software an ever more critical differentiator.

“Ladies and gentlemen, 35 years ago, we established Toyota Motor Philippines, a company wholly committed to improving the lives of Filipinos through the business of manufacturing and selling automobiles. Many things have changed since, but the philosophy established by our founders, Dr. Shoichiro Toyda and Dr. George S.K. Ty, of #1 in Quality and #1 in Customer Service will always remain the same.

Thank you and please enjoy the rest of the evening.”

PEE STOP Aries P. Alconaba welcomes race buffs anew to watch free of charge the Toyota GAZOO Racing Vios Cup Leg 2 roaring off at 9 a.m. on September 8-9 at Clark Speedway in Pampanga…Lyka-Mae Andres reports that the All-New Honda CR-V will be launched on September 13 at the Grand Hyatt Manila in BGC Taguig...Congrats on the new posting of Maricar Parco at Changan, Froy Dytiangquin as Chery’s Managing Director and Karl Magsuci as Subaru Country Manager...Ramon S. Ang personally introduced to the media recently the Purosangue FUV (Ferrari Utility Vehicle) and the Ferrari SB29 at his swanky Velocita Motors on Edsa. Despite their being a bit too pricey (the FUV comes at P46M and the SB29 at P26M), Ang’s sales force find themselves a bit too busy these days sorting out advance orders.

Story & photo by Randy S. Peregrino

Henry Ford Awards Best Motoring Section

THE New City RS (Black Top) in Electric Lime Metallic and New Brio RS in Ignite Red Metallic poster colors at the Batangas Racing Circuit