BusinessMirror September 12, 2022

MICHAEL FLYNN: FROM DC INSIDER TO HOLY WARRIOR EXPLAINER »B4 ALEXANDRA THE GREAT! Just imagine what’s going on in Alexandra “Alex” Eala’s heart and mind as she nails the final point to win the girls’ singles title at the expense of Czech Lucie Havlickova, 6-2, 6-4, at the US Open in Flushing Meadows at dawn Sunday (Manila time). Eala accomplished what no other Filipino tennis player has done before—win a title in a major. Story in B7 Sports. PHOTO BY TROI SANTOS See “PHL,” A2

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for government to be proactive in imposing

See “Salt,” A2

A ustralia was followed by Chi na at $2.894 percent, Thailand at $605,126 and New Zealand at $415,542, PSA data showed.

What is needed, Peña-Reyes told this newspaper, is for travel restrictions to be put in place swiftly and

I n 2021, debt services for March, January, and June were in the sixdigit level at P268.323 billion, P219.799 billion, and P150.195 billion, respectively.

HE Philippines will weather global head winds such as the spec ter of recession in Europe as the country will rely on its own people and industries, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and local economists.Overthe weekend, think tank Oxford Economics said soaring energy prices across the Eurozone and the United King dom would likely lead to busi ness closures and slow down economic growth in Europe.   B ased on the Philippine Sta

T his is the second highest debt service payment made by the coun try this year. The highest was at P215.838 billion in January 2022.

T he data showed that debt ser vice between January to July de clined 26.33 percent to P614.553 billion in 2022 from P834.239 bil lion in 2021.

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“ Kung papatay patay [If we’re slow] and we get caught flat-footed, [that’s risky] We were too reactive instead of proactive before. We should learn from that,” PeñaReyes said. “It’s a delicate balancing act. We need to push testing and tracing to be properly informed of our decisions. Blanket/shotgun approaches could have dire consequences on the economy.”

THEsoareddebtcountry’sserviceby

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Meanwhile, the country’s debt ser vice in July was driven by higher amor tizations amounting to P104.107 bil lion. This skyrocketed by 6,789.94 percent from the P1.511 billion in amortizations paid in July 2021

Broken down, gross domestic borrowings from January to October settled at P2.23 trillion, down by 5.08 percent from P2.35 trillion in 2020.

The new variant is a threat, especially with the holidays coming up and more foreigners being allowed to travel to the Philippines, De La Salle University economist Maria Ella Oplas toldTheBusinessMirror.holidaysusually bring in Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who are eager to spend Christmas

Previousthem.instances when the country had the opportunity to impose travel restrictions did not prevent the spread of Covid-19. That was mainly because the decision was not made immediately, he said.

T he country’s other sources of imported salt products included Egypt, Pakistan, India, Spain, Ja pan, Israel, South Korea, Malaysia, USA, Canada, Netherlands, Ger many, Italy, Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Belgium, and Bahrain.

Meanwhile, gross foreign borrowings in the same period also contracted by 9.7 percent to P518.7 billion from last year’s P574.4 billion.

158.02 percent in July 2022, the start of the thefromaccordingadministration,MarcostodatatheBureauofTreasury(BTr).

PHL’s –PSA10%importssaltriseinH1data

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

‘Close borders, cut Omicron exposure risk’

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

However, the total volume of salt products imported in the first half was 7.86 percent lower than the 293,610.141 MT imported vol ume in the same period of last year, based on PSA data.

The bulk of the amount was sourced from Fixed Rate Treasury Bonds (P1.19 trillion), followed by short-term borrowings from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas or BSP (P540 billion), Retail Treasury Bonds/Premyo Bonds (P463.3 billion), Retail Onshore Dollar Bonds (P80.84 billion). In the same period, there was also a net redemption of Treasury Bills amounting to P43.94 billion.

See “Debt service,” A2 w P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 18 pages |

NATL GOVT BORROWINGS FOR 10 MOS DIP TO P2.75T

B ased on the data, total debt service reached P156.198 billion in July 2022, higher than the P60.537 billion posted in July 2021.

Despite this, debt amortizations between January and July this year reached P305.247 billion, a 46.13percent decline from the P566.68 billion posted in the same period last year.

This was raised through global bonds (P146.17 billion), program loans (P139.98 billion), euro-denominated bonds (P121.97 billion), a project loan (P86.41 billion), and yen-denominated samurai bonds (P24.19 billion).

which, she said, the economy can no longer afford.

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 50.4600 n JAPAN 0.4374 n UK 67.2329 n HK 6.4722 n CHINA 7.9013 n SINGAPORE 36.8968 n AUSTRALIA 36.2807 n EU 56.5758 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.4531 Source: BSP (November 26, 2021) n Monday, September 12, 2022 Vol. 17 No. 339 DEBT SERVICE UP 158% IN JULY, HITS P156.198B PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 57.1400 n JAPAN 0.3966 n UK 65.7396 n HK 7.2796 n CHINA 8.2142 n SINGAPORE 40.6806 n AUSTRALIA 38.5581 n EU 57.1343 n KOREA 0.0413 n SAUDI ARABIA 15.2037 Source BSP (September 9, 2022)

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

with their loved ones, while foreigners living in temperate regions usually want to relax in tropical countries like the Philippines. This year’s influx of OFWs is expected to be heavier since many of them were unable to come home for the holidays in December 2020.

The suspension of the rules for “Green List” countries will be in effect from November 28, 2021 to December 15, 2021.

Net debt redemption means there were more debts repaid compared to the amount borrowed during the period.

With only two months left for this year, the latest figure is already equivalent to 89.6 percent of its P3.07-trillion borrowing program.

THE P2.75year-on-yearbyend-Octoberborrowingsgrossgovernment’snationalasofshrankalmost6percenttotrillion.

P SA data showed Australia was the country’s top supplier of salt products as it accounted for 70.3 percent of total imports during the reference period. Imports of salt products from Australia rose by 8.6 percent to $9.970 million from $9.179 million last year.

Latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed that the government’s gross borrowings during the 10-month period fell by 5.99 percent from P2.92 trillion a year ago.

tistics Authority (PSA), some 7.7 percent of the country’s Overseas Filipino Workers are located in Europe. The latest Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data showed remittanc es from Europe reached $1.79 billion in the first semester of 2022.“As in the past decade and last year, the performance of the Philippine economy is un likely to depend much on the growth performance of Europe, the United Kingdom, or even North America or headwinds in the global economy in general.

PHL to weather impact of Europe recession–Neda

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

LOSING the country’s borders is one of the most immediate courses of action the government must take to prevent the latest Covid-19 variant, Omicron, from reaching Philippine shores, according to local economists.

I made this point at the recent

the economy back to its highgrowth path.

HE country’s salt imports in the first half rose year-onyear by 10 percent to $14.176 million from last year’s $12.903 million, latest government data showed.Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data analyzed by Business Mirror showed that the country imported 270,535.016 metric tons (MT) of salt products, including table salt, denatured salt, pure so dium chloride, and seawater, from January to June.

He151-A. noted Hong Kong, which has confirmed a case of the Omicron variant, will also fall under the Yellow list countries.

T he data also showed that the Philippines imported salt products from a total of 27 countries during the six-month period.

Omicron risk spurs revival of rulesquarantineinPHL coconut farmers and farm workers have been registered with the government since it started upsales added.   “The list will be posted in public spaces where people can easily see of coconut farmers registry would be just in time for the expected rollout of coconut levy-funded Republic Act (RA) 11524 or the Coconut Industry Trust Fund Act. See “3-M farmers,” A2 PEOPLE walk past the mural of Gat Andres Bonifacio at Manila City Hall Underpass. The country will celebrate the 158th birth anniversary of Filipino revolutionary hero Gat Andres Bonifacio on Tuesday, November 30.

“My recommendation is to protect the borders. Do not allow people with a history of travel to countries with positive cases to enter,” Oplas said. “We should be more restrictive. [We have to be] more protective in terms of our Oplasmeasures.”saidthat while this will be a setback to some industries, this is a fair measure considering that this could help prevent placing the country in another strict lockdown,

“It is better that we do protective preventive measures than get exposed again. We have a lot to lose,” Oplas said. “We should do it now so that we can open just before Christmas. If it gets contained, we can open it again.”Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development (ACERD) Associate Director Ser Percival K. Peña-Reyes said closing the country’s borders would be effective but should still adhere to the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

See “Omicron,” A2

NTERNATIONAL concerns over the possible spread of the more infectious Omicron Covid-19 variant prompted the government to reimpose mandatory facility-based quarantine for all arriving passengers in the country.  Acting Presidential spokesperson Karlo B. Nograles announced on Sunday that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) suspended the implementation of its Resolution No. 150A (s.2021), effectively imposing stricter protocols for all inbound travelers. Tonote, IATF Resolution 150A had allowed fully vaccinated non-visa travelers from Green List areas to enter the country without the need for facility-based quarantine as long as they secure negative Reverse TranscriptionPolymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR) test within 72 hours prior their “Exceptdeparture. forcountries classified as ‘Red,’ the testing and quarantine protocols for all inbound international travelers in all ports of entry shall comply with the testing and quarantine protocols for ‘Yellow’ list countries,” Nograles said, citing the provision of IATF Resolution No.

ECCP (European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines), MAP (Management Associa tion of the Philippines), and FEF (Foundation for Economic Freedom) forums,” Socioeco nomic Planning Secretary Ar senio M. Balisacan, however, told BusinessMirror over the weekend.Inhisprevious statements, Balisacan said the economic team remained optimistic about the country’s GDP pros pects. He said the overall goal from 2023 to 2028 would in crease job creation and improve poverty reduction by steering

See “Borrowings,” A2 Continued on A2 w P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 20 pages |n Monday, November 29, 2021 Vol. 17 No.52

However, the higher debt service made by the country in July did not lead to a higher debt service in the seven-month period of 2022.

T his will be done, the Neda Chief said, with the help of pri vate sector investments that will lead to high-quality job creation and increase the share of wage and salaried workers to a range of 53 percent to 55 per cent by 2028, from 48 percent in 2021.With the creation of more, better, and more resilient jobs, poverty incidence is seen to be reduced from 18.1 percent in 2021 to a single-digit level of 9 percent in 2028.

T he last consumer trend men tioned in the report is the “virtual reality check.” Under this trend, the report revealed that 51 percent of consumers are interested in shopping for digital clothes to wear in a virtual environment in the next 12 months.

Iceland’s strategy, on the other hand, is offering a 10-percent dis count for customers 60 and over on all purchases every Tuesday. “By helping seniors who often struggle with cost-of-living increases, the grocer is building loyalty by treat ing shoppers in a positive way that they will appreciate and remem ber,” the report stated.

T he survey shows 46 percent of

P SA data showed that salt prod ucts that were the most imported during the six-month period were other salt products, valued at $8.298 million, followed by salt containing at least 94.7 percent of sodium chloride, at $3.242 million.

likely to do this.

Energy costs

L ast month, the BSP reported that personal remittances from Overseas Filipinos (OFs) grew by 4.4 percent year-on-year to reach $3.1 billion in June 2022, from $2.9 billion recorded in the same month last year.

I n the January to July 2022 pe riod, interest payments reached P309.306 billion, a 15.6-percent growth from the P267.559 billion posted in the same period last year.

For 2022, the government has programmed debt payments to reach P1.298 trillion.

BusinessMirror www.businessmirror.com.phMonday, September 12, 2022A2 News

T he survey also noted that peo ple’s concerns about personal financ es vary widely depending on where they live. For one, consumers in Latin America worry the most, with 69 percent of respondents saying they are concerned or very concerned.

Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

Recent devts

Asda is ‘dropping and lock ing’ prices of more than 100 items through the end of the calendar year in response to consumer worries about inflation. In addition, the gro cer has launched its ‘Just Essentials’ line, which is a new line of budgetfriendly basics,” the report noted.

Inflation, rising cost of living top concerns–Accenture poll

What’s surprising is that people of all income levels and generations are interested in shopping for reallife products in virtual worlds,” the report stated.

Concern regarding the country’s reliance on importation to meet lo cal salt requirements were aired in the past few weeks after agriculture officials sounded the alarm over dwindling domestic production of the commodity. The Department of Agriculture (DA) pointed out that the country imports 93 percent of its salt supply, which it described as an “unfortunate circumstance to a country with 36,000 kilometers of shoreline.”TheDA attributed the dwin dling local salt production to years of neglect by the government to implement programs that would support and boost local salt farm ers productivity and welfare . (Re lated story: https:// business mirror industry/) government-to-revive-phl-salt-.com.ph/2022/08/30/

C larete said this division in Russian leadership could lead to the victory of Ukraine in the war and the political demise of Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Ukraine victory is now happening. There’s an impeachment call in the Krem lin. Division in leadership and lack of resources because of sanctions prevent Russia from recovering lost territory.”Ifthewar ends, Clarete said en ergy prices will decline and greater mobility of trade will occur. He added

C larete said investments in mili tary goods could also fuel an eco nomic boom in Europe and North America. Under a new leadership, should Putin be impeached, it would also make Russia more keen on selling its natural gas to Western countries.(Thiswill) please Western Coun tries (and enable Russia) to recover immediately from its recession due to sanctions and defeat.  EU (European Union may also) expand with Ukraine as the latest member,” Clarete said.

“We intend to achieve these targets while adhering to prudent macroeco nomic management to ensure that we do not compromise our economy’s fiscal health in the medium and long term. We seek to maintain infrastruc ture spending at a relatively high level of about 5 percent to 6 percent of our national output until 2028,” Balisacan earlier said.

T he report also cited the strat egies of supermarkets to provide consumers more room for purchas ing power amid inflation woes. For instance, two UK supermarkets— Asda and Iceland—have made changes to help consumers.

A mid the spending trade-offs among consumers, especially the low-income earners bearing the brunt of economic stress, the report noted that retailers will certainly feel the impact of the “spending shuffle.”

A ccenture said its most recent survey suggests there are three consumer trends retailers should pay attention to as they drive the business forward.

Customs data also showed that other imported salt-based products were pure sodium chloride and sa line solutions that were meant for use in various industries such as pharmaceuticals, hospitals, and laboratories. Some of the specific brands declared in Customs records were Honeywell Saline Personal Eye wash Bottle, Emprove and Certipur.

T he report added that consum ers now consider things like gym membership and vitamin subscrip tions to be essential spending like food and groceries.

M eanwhile, the report also shows that regardless of their in come, there has been a “redefini tion of essential categories” among post-pandemic consumers who now embrace the importance of self-care. The survey shows that on average, consumers expect to spend 27 percent more on “health and fitness” in 2022.

Government documents showed the country has six tariff lines for salt products: 25010010 for table salt, 25010020 for unprocessed rock salt, 25010050 for seawater, 25010091 for other salt products with sodium chloride content more than 60 percent but less than 97 percent calculated on a dry basis, fortified with iodine, 25010093 for other salt products with sodium chloride content of 97 percent or more calculated on a dry basis, and 25010099 for other salt products.

Debt service...

W ith the evolving consumer trends, Accenture underscored the critical role that reliable data sources play in challenging times. It said, “They [retailers] should un derstand that consumers’ channel preferences will ebb and flow over time, and that the emerging virtual world is becoming more relevant— more real—all the time.”

Salt...

By Andrea E. San Juan

EIGHT in 10 consumers say that inflation and the rising cost of living are their top economic concerns, according to global professional services firm Accenture’s 2022 Consumer Pulse Survey.

I f this is realized, this would be higher than the P1.204 trillion that the government shelled out in 2021 to repay its debts as the Covid-19 pandemic raged.

T he company surveyed more than 11,000 consumers from 16 countries: Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States andOVietnam. neconsumer trend to watch out for is “the anxiety pivot”. Here, the report gives emphasis on consum ers’ shifting behavior. At the height of the pandemic, consumers were concerned about their own health. However, the report noted that nowadays, “they are more anxious about the economy, which is also not surprising given the turbulent times we are living in.”

T he bulk of the interest rates were domestic interest rates at P32.418 billion, while the remaining P19.673 billion were foreign interest rates.

With this, the report noted that retailers can play an active role in promoting conscious consumption. One way to do this is by developing strategies that help customers ex tend the life of the products they buy.

U niversity of the Philippines School of Economics (UPSE) Direc tor for Research Renato E. Reside Jr. also said the impact on OFWs living in Europe will depend on whether they were employed in sectors that would be affected by the slowdown.

W ith this, the survey revealed that this situation has a “silver lining for sustainability.” It shows that 38 percent of consumers who face budgetary pressures said they are repairing and upcycling their possessions; 38 percent said they are buying reusable and refillable products; 30 percent said they are buying second-hand items; and 29 percent are purchasing recycled or refurbished things.

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lationships they have with custom ers by recognizing and responding to their economic concerns.”

T his resulted in the growth of the cumulative personal remittances by 2.8 percent to $17.1 billion in the first half of 2022, from $16.6 billion recorded in the comparable period in 2021. Cai U. Ordinario

T he country’s imports of other salt products rose by 83.6 percent year-on-year from $4.519 million while imports of salt containing at least 94.7 percent of sodium chlo ride grew by 157.9 percent from last year’s $1.257 million, based on PSA data.

As consumers feel squeezed by the economy, they are making new and sometimes difficult spending trade-offs,” the report noted. In fact, the survey shows that con sumers with low incomes are most

O xford Economics, in its brief, said global GDP is now expected to slow to 1.7 percent in 2023 from 2.8 percent in 2022. The forecast for 2023 is 0.6 percentage points lower than their forecast a month ago.

WITH the higher energy costs, Ox ford Economics said it was prompted to raise inflation forecast for the Eu rozone for next year by 2.2 percent age points to 4.3 percent.

consumers across nations are con cerned about their personal health, while 51 percent worry about their personal finances, and 56 percent worry about their country’s economy.

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The remittance risks are also tempered by favorable developments for Middle Eastern economies and the appreciation in the US Dollar, the denomination of much of remittanc es to the Philippines,” Reside said. “The risks to Philippine consump tion moving forward will come from the extent of inflation as well as the strength of the general economy.”

A deeper downturn is possible if gas prices continue to rise or en ergy rationing is required. But more substantial government support to limit the near-term pain and reduce uncertainty about prices and supply in the long term could trigger upside surprises,” it also said.

C iting the practices of some retailers, the report noted that Givenchy and Celine will repair all products bought at authorized boutiques for up to two years after purchase. Apple, one of the world’s largest technology companies, is now selling 200 iPhone parts so that consumers have the option to repair their own phones at home. Nike, for its part, is accepting re turns of gently worn shoes as part of its refurbishment program.

“ In addition to changing what they buy, consumers are also in terested in and willing to change how they buy. We saw this during the pandemic when consumers turned to digital channels out of necessity,” the report added.

FOR his part, former UPSE Dean Ramon L. Clarete said the analysis of Oxford Economics on the state of the economy of the Eurozone and the UK may have not factored in recent developments such as the impeach ment call in the Kremlin.

T he survey showed consumers with low income plan to spend less money in 2022 on luxury items; on socializing in bars; on big-ticket or one-off purchases such as car, house, laptop; eating out in restau rants; and leisure and travel.

tail Treasury Bonds.

Sustainability

AS for sustainability, the report also unveiled that regardless of fi nancial situation, consumers are more conscious of and intentional about what and how they buy. The survey showed 28 percent of con sumers have realized they can live happily with less—and reduced consumption as a result.

salt, pink rock salt, industrial salt, crystal salt, Italian salt, iodized salt and solar salt. Some of the brands of imported salt were McCormick, Kirkland, Carmencita, and Chun gjungwon, based on customs data.

PHL...

T his is followed by consumers in North America, where 56 percent are concerned; the Middle East and Af rica with 56 percent and Europe with 53 percent. Meanwhile, consumers in Asia Pacific worry the least about personal finances, but it’s worth not ing that the Asian countries included in the survey are China, India, Sin gapore and Vietnam.

In terms of interest payments for July, BTr data showed this reached P52.091 billion, which was an 11.75-percent contraction from the P59.026 billion posted in July 2021.

Customs records showed that the various imported salt products were refined salt, sea salt, pink Hi malayan salt, Himalayan light pink

Higher costs could trigger a wave of business closures, exacerbating the hit to the economy. In addition, more aggressive rate hikes by both the ECB and Bank of England now seem likely, as concerns about sus tained high inflation are mounting,” Oxford Economics said.

T he country’s imports of table salt declined by 79.5 percent to $1.264 million from $6.153 million as volume of imports was slashed by 85 percent year-on-year to just 19,187.801 MT, PSA data showed.

T he bulk of domestic interest payments, which reached P27.899 billion, were accounted for by Fixed Rate Treasury Bonds. This was fol lowed by P3.575 billion paid for Re

A ccording to the report, anoth er consumer trend that retailers should be aware of is “the spend ing shuffle,” as spending patterns have shifted dramatically.

Under this consumer trend, the report highlighted, “It is a critical time for retailers to reinforce the re

R eside noted that remittances have been resilient in the face of recessions, including the Global Fi nancial Crisis of 2009. This means, he said, should a recession in Europe occur, remittances would be able to weather these challenges.

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that investments needed to recon struct Ukraine will also help in re covery efforts.

T he report says retailers respond to this trend by  experimenting with the best ways to blend virtual and real-world experiences so they are seamless for customers.

By Manuel T. Cayon Mindanao@awimailboxBureauChief

Armed Forces of the Phil ippines (AFP) is assured of receiving at least another P40 billion in fresh funding for the mili tary’s capability-building procure ment projects, a senior lawmaker said on Sunday.

The 116-meter corvettes would reinforce the Philippine Navy’s exist ing two lead warships—the guided missile frigates BRP Jose Rizal and BRP Antonio Luna that were both launched in 2019.

Duterte said he would go with the recommendation of Acting City Health Officer Ashley G. Lopez to maintain the mandatory wearing

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

the implementation of the optional face mask-wearing, only then that the city will follow suit.”

The lawmaker said he believes the country needs a naval force ca pable of deterring potential foreign aggressors at sea.

from the P40 billion in programmed appropriations for the AFPMP in next year’s budget, there’s an addi tional P5 billion in unprogrammed appropriations.Programmed appropriations al ready have definite funding sources while unprogrammed appropria tions provide standby authority for the Department of National Defense (DND) to incur additional obliga tions for modernization projects, the lawmaker explained.

D uterte added he doesn’t “want us to lead because Covid-19 is a huge problem.” He referred to the impact of Covid-19 on the local economy.

Pimentel further said the unpro grammed appropriations would be released only when extra funding becomes available, such as when gov ernment revenue collections exceed targets or when new foreign loans or grants are approved.

of face mask indoors and outdoors untilItDecember.isokayuntil December be cause I want to see what will hap pen to provinces, municipalities and cities that will not impose face masks,” the mayor said. “If these areas would show good result after

This year, the AFPMP has P29 billion and P10 billion in pro

Z. Duterte.Duterte said in a radio interview that the optional wearing of face masks outdoors would not be im mediately implemented in the city if the Office of the President would approve the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

Sadain explained that the project components of the proposed flood control plan—with a design con sideration of 100-year flood return period—will capture the entire flood mitigation for Central Luzon from Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Bulacan.

The Nation

tapped planning and engineering con sulting firm Woodfields Consultants Inc. to formulate an “effective and ef ficient” plan for the Pampanga River Basin in Central Luzon, one of the areas most frequently affected by flooding.

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is developing a proposal for the construction of a structure to curb flooding in major areas in Central Luzon, Public Works Senior Under secretary Emil K. Sadain said.

Woodfields Consultants is tasked to “come up with one whole plan for the Central Luzon-Pampanga River Floodway Flood Control Project with a retarding swamp in the San Antonio swamp and the Pampanga Delta Development Program Phase 2,” Sadain further said.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny T. Pimentel was quoted in a statement as saying that the new fund for the AFP’s Modernization Program (AF PMP) in the 2023 national budget is meant to sustain the periodic pay ments for multi-year modernization contracts and to make the initial payments for new acquisitions.

CITY—This city will take the cautious road until the end of the year before heeding the liberal imprimatur of the

T he agency has yet to finalize the funding scheme for the implementa tion of the project. However, Sadain said the DPWH is considering the offer of the Korea Eximbank.

Situated in Central Luzon, the Pampanga River Basin from the mouth of Manila Bay traverses the provinces of Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Bulacan. Other major river net works connected to Pampanga River Basin: are Talavera; Rio Chico; Pan tabangan; Colonel; Peñaranda; Saco bia; San Miguel; and, Angat.

DAVAO

national government that it would be fine to start with allowing people not to wear their face mask only in the outdoors.Thecityis in no rush for optional face mask wearing,” a statement is sued by the city information office last Friday, quoting Mayor Sebastian

Pimentel, who previously served as House strategic intelligence com mittee chairman, said that aside

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

Davao City to keep policy on wearing of face masks, observe impact of easing on neighboring areas

Sadain added that the agency has

“Being an archipelagic nation, we are most vulnerable to external threats coming from the sea,” Pimen tel said. “We are seeing this vulnera bility now in the West Philippine Sea, where we have difficulty defending and enforcing our sovereign rights.”

T he anti-ship medium-range cruise missiles are meant for the Philippine Marine Corps’ Coast De fense Regiment.

DPWH working on proposal to address C. Luzon flooding

THE

grammed and unprogrammed ap propriations, respectively.

In December last year, the DND signed a P28-billion contract with South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Indus tries Co. Ltd. for the procurement of two brand-new corvettes capable of

conducting anti-ship, anti-subma rine and anti-aircraft missions.

Pimentel said he favors bigger modernization projects for the Phil ippine Navy and the Philippine Ma rine Corps in the years ahead.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has the final authority to approve any recommendation by the IATF, the city information office said.

www.businessmirror.com.ph Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Monday, September 12, 2022 A3BusinessMirror

Engineering interventions such as widening of river channels and con struction of viaduct, dikes, revetment works, cut-off channel, control weirs, floodgates and sluicegates are pro posed to mitigate and prevent flood damages brought about by the incur sion of river waters to communities.

In January this year, the DND also inked a P18.9 billion deal with India’s BrahMos Aerospace for the delivery of three brand-new shore-based su personic ramjet missile batteries.

In June this year, the DND like wise signed a P30 billion contract with Hyundai for the acquisition of six brand-new 94.4-meter offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the Philippine Navy.

Lawmaker assures AFP to get another ₧40B in new funding

The proposed monthly Apera, he said, will cover military and uniformed personnel as well as civilian government employees occupying regular, contractual, or

month in order to provide for some of the State workers’ needs, moreso in time of calamity.”

Spanning 9.7 hectares, the sprawl ing resort complex will be home to a two-level casino with hundreds of gaming tables and thousands of electronic gaming machines pep pered across 21,000 square meters of floor area, making it the largest and most varied gaming floor in the Visayas and Mindanao region and three hotel towers with a total of 1,000 room keys to luxe accom modations. It will also have a fourfloor retail center that will house high-end brands and high-fashion boutiques, plush VIP cinemas, and a curated mix of global and regional dining concepts to delight local and international customers.

On top of the six pillars, Pascual highlighted that manufacturing is “the country’s guarantee of sustain able and inclusive growth because it provides more stable and higherpaying jobs.”

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sengers, with the bulk, at 1.16 million, accounted for by domestic travelers.

rean tourists. And once our conven tion facilities open, we will also have MICE (Meetings Incentives Conven tions and Exhibitions) guests.”

Attracting more than gamers FOR now, the north wing of Nustar’s casino is open to gamers, as well as Fili Hotel and an assortment of restaurants, including Mott 32, a Michelin-starred favorite from Hong Kong. Still on soft open, Mott 32 is already a runaway success among the discriminating Cebuanos, and even those from Manila who have been fortunate to have snagged reserva tions at the dining establishment, where a full-course meal could run up to P10,000 per person.

SBMA mulls over Universal Studios Lot-type complex

“And, we just have to find our niche industries where we can be competitive and based on our expe rience there are certain niche indus tries that we can focus on to gener ate industry-led growth,” the SBMA official added.

WHILE there are no recent figures for MCIA alone, data from the De partment of Tourism (DOT) showed, from just 1,779 between February 10—when the country reopened to vaccinated international visitors— to February 28, arrivals from South Korea have reached 165,167 as of August 28. But from February 28 to July 10, 2022, MCIA welcomed 39,016 foreign tourists.

The previous year, the MCIA re ported the arrival of 1.33 million pas

A flagship project of Universal Hotels and Resorts Inc. (UHRI), com pany President and CEO Frederick D. Go said, “We welcome you all to join us in ushering in a new era of leisure and entertainment at the Nustar Re sort and Casino, where Cebu is set to take center stage in redefining luxury experiences throughout the region.”

On reviving the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, the senator said it is better to put up a new nuclear facility rather than to revive the mothballed BNPP. “It’s already over 40 years old. It is more difficult to revive and ret

He expressed optimism that Nu star will gain more guests “as more tourists come, especially from China and Japan. For now, we only have Ko

A4 BusinessMirror www.businessmirror.com.ph

In filing the enabling Senate Bill 1027, Estrada proposed the grant of an additional P2,000 in the monthly PERA of government employees and rename it as Aug mented PERA, or “Apera.”

“On the ground we’ve realized that in certain sectors we can be competi tive. There’s a saying that the Filipino worker is world-class but in certain aspects, the Filipino worker is best in class,” Agregado stressed.

“Why are we going to export when we cannot supply the do mestic market? We do not see any opposition against the [proposed] SO 1,” he added.

Artistic capabilities

CEBU CITY—“Things are pick ing up,” our local tour guide, Raymond, informs me, when I ask how things are going in the tour ism“Ofindustry.course, it’s still far from prepandemic levels. Before, I was booked back to back for tours,” he said. “These days, I’ll be lucky to have 6 tours in a Raymondweek.”adds he was fortunate to receive P5,000 in cash assistance given by the Department of Labor and Employment during the pan demic lockdown, which completely wiped out the country’s tourism gains. Of course, that ayuda was quickly used up.

Economy

Under the first outcome of effi ciency , court systems—both adju dicative and administrative—will be streamlined based on the needs of stakeholders both inside and outside theThejudiciary.     SCwillundertake a judicia ry-wide organizational review and restructuring.   Underthesecond outcome of innovation, the SC will shift and run all adjudicative and adminis trative processes to an automated platform.   Underthe third and final outcome of access, the SC  will work towards bringing services faster, closer, and more efficiently to the people.

“I know from experience that this is not as easy as it sounds— after all, we all had to keep up with technology, and that includes the Justices of the High Court as well. But we remain firm: technological advances are already shaping how we work and how we live; indeed, they are already reshaping soci ety itself—and we must be ready to adapt and utilize them for our benefit, and for the benefit of the people we serve,” he added.

Faster, cheaper litigation seen as SC fast-tracks videoconferencing rules

continued from a10

He noted that the DTI will lead in positioning the manufacturing sector for success and linking with agriculture and services especially the creative industries, the research and development activities, the IT and business process management, software development and the digi tal economy.

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

Meeting on nuke energy issues pitched by Gatchalian

The SBMA official highlighted that “this is something where we feel that we can be competitive not just our actors and actresses but also our directors and editors and animators.”

AGREGADO underscored that the concept of developing a Univer sal Studios Lot-type complex also stemmed from the need to “lever age on the artistic capabilities of our“Insteadpeople.” of factory buildings, we’re trying to build a concept of large studios similar to what you see in Hollywood, especially at this age wherein the demand for content is so high because of video on demand,” Agregado said.

to state workers to augment their earnings amid the continuing rise in the cost of living, aggravated by the spike in oil prices.”

continued from a10

While it is still a concept, Agrega do said the SBMA is hoping to iden tify the location and generate fund ing to build “in the next year or so.”

While only 90 rooms of the 397room Fili Hotel are available for book ings, there are indications that the establishment is also attracting more than just gamers. Campillo says hotel occupancy is running as high as “90 percent,” especially on weekends.

rofit BNPP compared to a new one that does not need retrofitting. In my opinion, let’s use the newer and safer and modular technology,” he said.

STELLA ARNALDO

THE Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) said it is eyeing to develop a Universal Studios Lot-type complex, which it said could back the untapped indus try of content. The 400-acre Univer sal Studios Lot is a television and film studio complex in Universal City,“ThisCalifornia.isstilla concept on our part. It’s a concept that we’ve been working on only recently. It was born out of our experience of hosting production companies that have used Subic as the venue to film content for Netf lix and from this, we discovered that this can be a huge industry that we can tap especially with the demand for media content,” SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator and lawyer Ramon O. Agregado said last Sat urday at the First University of the Philippines (UP) Leadership Forum held in Taguig City.

casual positions, whether appoint ive or elective positions.

Strategic actions

MID oil price hikes trigger ing skyrocketing cost of basic commodities, the Marcos ad ministration was asked to increase economic relief allowance to gov ernment workers as Senator Jose Pimentel “Jinggoy” E. Estrada sought to mitigate the impact of soaring oil and price “Governmentincreases.workers’ economic relief allowance are not enough amid rising oil price increases,” Estrada said.

production for the domestic market amid projected lacklus ter production this current crop year.“We have an estimated demand of 2.2 million metric tons to 2.3 million metric tons. We do not see that our production would hit the demand,” he said.

Export of raw sugar to US curbed amid supply woes

“As the inflation rises, many of the essential things that Filipinos need to buy will become unafford able and the amount under the first PERA will have no impact,” the sena tor stressed, referring to the ad ministration’s Personnel Economic Relief Allowance.

As chairman of the Senate Com mittee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, Estrada pressed the need to “double the amount of government subsidy”

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

Those stationed abroad already receiving overseas allowances shall not be entitled to Apera once it is passed int law.

Cebu tourism still short on numbers, but big on hopes

AT the same event, Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual cited six strategic actions that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will pursue to help the country “grow and develop globally competitive and innovative industries that support inclusive growth and improve environmental sustainability and quality of life for all AmongFilipinos.”these are: embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution; developing micro, small, and me dium enterprises (MSMEs); In tegrating trade and investment promotion; and, industry devel opment

CJ Gesmundo expressed opti mism that the PBA would align its plans and programs with the Court’s SPJI in order to successfully imple ment these reforms.

that the country is experiencing some problems, mostly weath er-related ones, that prevent it from shipping raw sugar to the US “Butmarket.weshould not tell them that we are giving up our right for the quota allocations,” he said.SRA Administrator David John Thaddeus P. Alba earlier explained that the tight supply was behind the SRA board’s de cision to allocate all raw sugar

Further,policies.Pascual said DTI aims to develop capacity-building and human capital programs to prepare the workforce for future production, promote regional industrialization through innovation and entrepre neurship and create and foster an enabling economic environment to attract more investments.

Though the inclusion of nuclear power into the country’s energy mix was approved by former President Rodrigo Duterte, Gatchalian said there is a need to convene experts, lawmakers and government officials to craft laws related to the utilization of nuclear power.

Estrada pointed out “it is also time to raise the subsidy to P4,000 per

“The problem right now is that ‘B’ sugar prices are higher than ‘A’ sugar prices. What if there comes a time wherein the price of ‘B’ sugar is P2,500 and the price of ‘A’ sugar is P4,000? Then we should export,” he said.“People forget that A sugar pric es are usually higher than B sugar prices. We should not lose that market,” he Lobregatadded.added that Philip pine officials can always ex plain to their US counterparts

“I think the first step is to have an executive-legislative coordina tion meeting to determine the necessary laws we need to craft.

[“Sa pagtaas ng inflation rate o ang pagtaas ng presyo ng ilang pangkarani wang serbisyo at produktong binibili ng mga konsyumer, hindi na makabuluhan ang halaga ng PERA na natatanggap ng mga manggagawa sa gobyerno.”]

‘Economic relief for govt workers not enough’–solon

THIS Sunday, September 11, 2022, photo shows the casino lobby at Nustar Resort and Casino in Cebu City.

Monday, September 12, 2022 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Agregado underscored the impor tance of being “very deliberate” in trying to identify which industries and which activities the country in tends to compete in. He added that doing so will prepare the country’s workforce and will sustain these in

Gokongwei Group makes a wager

The senator recalled it was first granted in 1990 to all government employees to cushion the impact of price increases brought about by the Gulf War, the monthly P500 PERA was increased to P2,000 in 2009 to supplement government work ers’ salaries due to the rising cost of living.“With the continued rise of prices of commodities and gasoline, the P2,000 PERA is definitely not enough to help them tide over the financial difficulties,” he added.

By Andrea San Juan

This is very technical and the Congress and Senate can not do it alone. We need the technical ex perts to write it and we also need international lawyers to partici pate,” Gatchalian explained.

Paolo Campillo, Nustar’s general manager, and a 30-year veteran in the hotel industry, informs us that the 190-seat restaurant, which is open only for dinner, is accepting reserva tions “for October,” with September already full.

“I hope that the Court can also count on you to push for both the adoption of these reforms in the ju diciary, and the adaptation of your peers in the profession to innova tions and technological advances. I urge you to invest in the skills and resources needed to enable the shift that we envision,” the Chief Justice said.

TheAir.first international flights re started by the country’s largest car rier, Cebu Pacific, from the MCIA, were also to Incheon, impressing on the importance of the market.

But no doubt, the Gokongwei Group is seeing signs of resurgence in the tourism sector as it finally launched Nustar Resort and Casino, its first foray into gaming leisure, at the Cebu South Road Properties.

dustries in the long run.

But he expresses optimism that with the return of the South Korean tourists, their industry will soon turn“Nakuaround.Ma’am, the Koreans love it so much here! And we have so many direct flights already.”

A

Taking into consideration the ex perience of developed economies, the Department of Energy (DOE) said nu clear power would be tapped as a via ble alternative baseload power source, as the Philippines seeks to retire coal plants in line with its commitment to help limit climate change. Lenie Lectura

[“Napapanahon na rin na itaas ito sa P4,000 kada buwan para mapunan ang ilang gastusin ng mga manggagawa sa gobyerno na kadalasang tumutugon sa mga pampublikong tungkulin lalo na sa panahon na may krisis at kalamidad.”]

According to the web site of the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA), there are daily flights from Seoul (Incheon) via T’Way Air, Ko rean Air, Jeju Air, Jin Air, along with flights from Busan via Jin Air and Busan

The Gokongwei Group disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange that as of June 30 this year, it allo cated about P1.05 billion from the P5.56-billion proceeds on the sec ondary offering of its RL Commercial REIT investments, to Nustar.

U bra President Elias Jose Inciong made the statement following the announcement of the Tariff Com mission (TC) that the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (Pampi) has filed a petition to retain the 5 percent tariff rate on MDM of chicken and turkey.

WeMMT.need rules now, so that the brouhaha over Sugar Order No. 4, as well as how Sugar Order No. 3 was allocated, does not happen again.

SRA urged to issue ‘clear’ sugar import rules

prices have soared to a record—further adding to es calating food costs as grocery chains start ramping up orders ahead of the holiday baking season.

T he US dairy woes echo those in Europe, where drought has withered farms and threatened to push up prices for milk and cheese even higher. Pro duction issues in California, which produces more than 18 percent of US milk supply, adds pressure to already

Spot butter rose to a record $3.17 per pound Friday. The culprit, accord ing to one dairy market expert, is high temperatures in California, the lead ing dairy state in the United States. Hot weather makes it difficult for cows to produce milk, and lingering drought has also reduced the availability of animal feed, according to Nate Don nay, director of dairy market insight at StoneX Group Inc.

the world’s biggest dairy exporter, raised its earnings forecast on the basis of higher prices for cheese and protein products.

“As long as it is temporary and limited to accredited processors whose production capacities are vali dated and registered,” Inciong told the BusinessMirror , when asked about Pampi’s petition.

Duterte issued Executive Order (EO) 123 last year that extended the lower tariff rates on chicken and turkey MDMs until December 31, 2022. The tariff rate on chicken MDM will revert to 40 percent starting January 1 next year, based on the EO.

Bloomberg News www.businessmirror.com.ph

BANANA producers belonging to the Arakan River Irrigators Credit Cooperative (Aricco) of Naje, Arakan will supply Liberty Fruits Inc. in Kidapawan City with Cardava bananas.

Donnay. High US dairy exports have also contributed to tight supply, he said.

It’s time to define how the import volume is to be determined, and who gets to import what and how much,” he said.

T

Monday, September 12, 2022

Earnings forecast

Butter’s US surge comes as retailers begin to buy ahead of holidays in No vember and December to capture con sumer demand for baking. Rising spot prices can signal higher retail prices ahead, even though butter in stores is already at a record high, according to

A5BusinessMirror

THE chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means urged the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to issue “clear and coherent” rules for allocating sugar import volumes and determining the quantity of allowed total imports.

Holiday baking could get pricier as butter climbs to record

It should not be the decision of one government agency. Who gets

T he BusinessMirror earlier re ported that Pampi urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to extend the lower tariff rate on poultry MDM to temper the spikes in the prices of processed meat products. (Related story: amid-price-hikes/).iffs-on-mdm-government-urged-ph/2022/07/08/extend-low-tarhttps://businessmirror.com.

The lack of transparent rules could allow for corruption in the granting of import permits. In economics, when public resources are scarce, the best way to manage it is often through auctions. It will generate funds for local industry development, instead of the supposedly ‘pro-rated’ way the SRA allocates import permits, which of course favors incumbents and big players,” he said.

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

We now know what problems can arise when the rules are unclear.

HE United Broiler Raisers As sociation (Ubra) is amenable to extending the validity of the lower tariff rate on imported me chanically deboned meat (MDM) of poultry, but the measure should be “temporary” and limited to “accred ited” local meat processors.

I think what really put us over the top was the heat in the west,” he said.

Inciong said the extension of valid ity of the 5-percent poultry MDM tar iff rate should be “limited to 6 months to 1 year” depending on current ship ping conditions.

been three to five times the price of sugar in the world market. So, until we can sustain our own domestic de mand, at the very least the rules for how much to import and who can im port have to be clear.”

Meanwhile, Salceda has suggested the conduct of an auction for sugar im port slots to ensure “fair allocation” as well as to generate revenues for local industry support.

“ Charge them at just 10 percent of the differential between import cost of goods and local prices. That is what we can give sugar farmers as direct compensation for the in juries incurred from imports,” he said.

T he Department of Agrarian Re form (DAR) said this was made pos sible by the link it established between the farmers and their first institution al buyer of bananas so that they can have a steady market for their produce.

Pampi “to continue and retain” the tariff rate of 5 percent on MDM of chicken and turkey.

Pampi President Felix Tiukinhoy Jr. told the BusinessMirror that his group will not comment at pres ent so as not to “preempt” the TC’s proceedings.FormerPresident

Inciong said the tariff rate on poul try MDM should revert to its original rate of 40 percent once economic con ditions have “normalized.”

T he TC added that the schedule of the public hearing will be announced “at a later date.” The TC has already set a September 30 deadline for the com ments, inputs and position papers of interested parties.

tight US dairy supplies as costs to feed cows soar. Animal feed is made from grains like corn, which have seen ris ing prices as Russia’s war in Ukraine —one of the world’s biggest breadbas kets—constricts global supply.

T he initiative was implemented under the DAR’s Linking Smallhold er Farmers (LinkSFarmM) project in partnership with the local government units and private entities.

A lbay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda is sued the statement during the week end amid the possibility that the country would require at least 400,000 metric tons (MT) of imported sugar in crop year 2022-2023 which kicked off on September 1.

DAR: Liberty Fruits to source banana from N. Cotabato farmers

I consider the auction fees important because we do not im pose tariffs on sugar from Asean countries. So, in place of tariffs, these can fund local competitive ness programs as well as direct compensation, similar to the Rice Farmer Financial Assistance or RFFA funds.”

to import at P20 or less and sell at P120 at retail is a unique privilege. It’s rent, basically. And it’s great power—and potentially a great source of corruption—if we do not harmonize the way these clearances are granted.”

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

“ We understand that the dealing with Covid-related demand condi tions. However, at some point, the intent of the law should be imple mented. Since there is no longer a quantitative restriction [QR] for rice, MDM at 5 percent, as a consideration for its extension, should go back to 40 percent,” he said.

BUTTER

The demand signals we saw at the end of FY22 have continued driving improved prices and higher margins across our portfolio of non-reference products, particularly in cheese and our protein products such as casein,” said Chief Executive Officer Miles Hurrell. “Strong offshore prices for protein, as reflected in the recent increase in EU and US milk prices, mean our protein portfolio has been performing very well.”

Agriculture/Commodities

SALCEDA is also proposing the cre ation of a Local Sugar Industry Com pensation Fund for the domestic sec tor, from auction proceeds.

FONTERRA Cooperative Group,

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

Compensation fund

Salceda also suggested that the SRA issue these rules, or recommend to the President that an EO be issued to that effect.

Poultry group amenable to extending validity of lower MDM tariff rate

With the partnership, Aricco mem bers will directly conduct collective marketing for their fresh Cardava banana products, says Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Charish Paña.

“ The only reason it was brought down to 5 percent was that it was used as compensation in order for the Phil ippines to maintain the QR for rice,” he added.TheTC announced on September 6 the conduct of an investigation regarding the petition filed by the

“

Salceda said the SRA’s pre-milling season estimate is that the country will produce only 1.876 million MT (MMT) of sugar this year, around 400,000 MT short of the usual minimum demand of 2.2

T he DAR earlier trained Aricco as a consolidator of clusters of smallholder Cardava banana farmers from baran gays Naje, Malibatuan, and Dorolu man so that they can collectively sell their bananas in order to have a just and more reasonable price for their products. Jonathan L. Mayuga

“

N onetheless, the Ubra official raised anew the group’s perennial

BLOOMBERG NEWS

There are promising policy solutions here that will reduce corruption, increase available re sources for the local industry, and make import programs relevant and more responsive to actual market demand.”

The price of sugar here has always

concerns over the effects of having a lower tariff rate on poultry MDM, including the possibility of technical smuggling or misdeclaration as well as the inclusion rate of the raw material in processed meat products.

“

T he Auckland-based company now sees normalized earnings in the year ending July 2023 of 45-60 New Zea land cents a share, up from an earlier projection of 30-45 cents, it said in a statement Friday. Last month, Fon terra said 2021-22 earnings per share would be at the top end of its 25-35 cents guidance range.

“ The perennial problem (of the poul try industry) is the misdeclaration of chicken leg quarters and chicken cuts as MDM—as the latter has a tariff of 40 percent while MDM is 5 percent.”

spent over 50 billion euros to sup port households and businesses af fected by the Covid-19 pandemic and now by the energy crisis and rising

i n

the Thessaloniki International Fair, in which Greece’s heads of government announce the coming year’s economic policies.

KYIV, Ukraine—Russia’s Defense Ministry announced Saturday that it was pulling back troops from two areas in Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv region where a Ukrainian counteroffensive has made significant advances in the past week.

Also Saturday, German For eign Minister Annalena Baerbock paid an unannounced visit to Kyiv and said Europe would not tire of helping Ukraine, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to raise the pressure by withhold ing energy Baerbocksupplies.saidGermany will as sist Ukraine in finding and remov ing mines and other unexploded ordnance left by Russian troops in areas where they have been pushedDespiteback.Ukraine’s gains, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the head of NATO warned Fri day that the war would likely drag on for months. Blinken said the conflict was entering a critical pe riod and urged Ukraine’s Western backers to keep up their support through what could be a difficult winter. Kozlowska reported from Lon don. Associated Press writer Frank Jor dans in Berlin contributed to this report.

In the embattled Donbas, the Ukrainian governor said civilians were killed and wounded overnight by Russian shelling near the city of Bakhmut, a key target of the stalled Russian offensive. Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram that two people died and two were in jured in Bakhmut and the neigh boring village of Yahidne.

“It will be like an avalanche,” he said, predicting a Russian fallback. “One line of defense will shake, and it will fall.”

ONDON—King Charles III was formally proclaimed sovereign of the United Kingdom on Sat urday, as officials unveiled details of the meticulously choreographed cer emonies that will culminate in the state funeral of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Sept. 19.

The Ukrainian military was more circumspect, claiming to have taken “more than 1,000 square kilometers” (386 square miles) from pro-Kremlin forces this week. It said that “in some areas, units of the Defense Forces have penetrated the enemy’s de fenses to a depth of 50 kilometers,” matching the British assessment, but did not disclose geographical details.Officials in Kyiv have for weeks been tight-lipped about plans for a counteroffensive, urging residents to refrain from sharing informa tion on social media.

cer

The same report said Ukrainian forces “may collapse Russian posi tions around Izyum if they sever Russian ground lines of commu nication” north and south of the town.Vladislav Sokolov, head of the Russian-appointed local adminis tration, said on social media that authorities in Izyum had started evacuating residents to Russia.

Prince William and his brother Harry, together with Catherine, now Princess of Wales and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, delighted mourners near Windsor Castle with a surprise joint appearance to thank the public for their floral tributes and condolences.

People came by the thousands to pay their respects outside Bucking ham Palace in London. The scene was repeated at other royal residences across the UK and at British embas sies around the world.

By Costas Kantouris & Demetris Nellas The Associated Press

tank, likewise referenced sweep ing Ukrainian gains, estimating that Kyiv has seized around 2,500 square kilometers (965 square miles) in its eastern breakthrough. The institute said it appeared that “disorganized Russian forces (were) caught in the rapid Ukrai nian advance,” and cited social media images of apparent Russian prisoners seized around Izyum and surrounding towns.

Arms, made the proclamation, flanked by trumpeters in gold-trimmed robes before leading cheers—“hip, hip, hoo ray!”—for the new king. Gun salutes rang out in Hyde Park, at the Tower of London and at military sites around the UK as he announced the news, and scarlet-robed soldiers in the palace courtyard doffed their bearskin hats in a royal salute.

“The Russian army in these days is demonstrating the best that it can do — showing its back,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video released by his office Saturday night. “And, of course, it’s a good decision for them to Russianrun.”Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said troops would be regrouped from the Balakliya and Izyum ar eas to the eastern Donetsk region. Izyum was a major base for Rus sian forces in the Kharkiv region, and earlier this week social media videos showed residents of Balak liya joyfully cheering as Ukrainian troops moved Konashenkovin.said the Russian move was being made “in order to achieve the stated goals of the spe cial military operation to liberate Donbas,’” an eastern area home to two separatist regions that Russia has declared sovereign.

In this time of sorrow for the House of Windsor, there were hints of a possible family reconciliation.

Charles proclaimed UK king; sons unite to thank the public

Earlier Saturday, Ukrainian officials claimed major gains in the Kharkiv region, saying their troops had cut off vital supplies to Izyum.Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko also suggested troops had retaken Kupiansk, a town along the main supply route to Izyum, long a focus on the Russian front line and the site of heavy artillery and other fight ing. Nikolenko tweeted a photo showing soldiers in front of what he said was a government build ing in Kupiansk, 73 kilometers (45 miles) north of Izyum.

HESSALONIKI, Greece—

“I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real,” William said.

Izyum, Balakliya and Kupiansk to respected Ukrainian partners.”

The Ukrainian Security Ser vice posted a message hours later saying troops were in Kupiansk, further suggesting it had been seized. The military did not im mediately confirm entering the town, a railway hub that Russia seized in VideosFebruary.onsocial media ap peared to show Ukrainian forces on the outskirts of Izyum at a roadside checkpoint. A large statue with the city’s name could be seen in the images. Ukrainian forces did not acknowledge holding the city.

Charles has struck a note of con tinuity, vowing in a televised address Friday to carry on the queen’s “life long service,” with his own modern izingThestamp.newmonarch looked both to the past—noting his mother’s un wavering “dedication and devotion as sovereign”—and the future, seek ing to strike a reassuring note of con stancy while signaling that his will be a 21st-century monarchy. He reflected on how the country had changed dramatically during the queen’s reign into a society “of many cultures and many faiths,” and pledged to serve people in Britain and the 14 other countries where he is king “whatever may be your background or beliefs.”Forasecond day on Saturday, Charles waded into the crowds to meet his subjects and shake hands. Trying to overcome a reputation for aloof ness, he is signaling a more relaxed approach to the monarchy than that of his mother.

The news came after days of ap parent advances by Ukraine south of Kharkiv, the country’s secondlargest city, in what could become the biggest battlefield success for Ukrainian forces since they thwarted a Russian attempt to seize the capital, Kyiv, at the start of the nearly seven-month war.

Igor Girkin, a Russian who was an early leader of a Moscow-backed separatist uprising in Donetsk in 2014, sneered at the portrayal of the pullback being strategic. On the messaging app Telegram, he ac idly called it “the brilliant (clearly within the framework of the plan and even ahead of schedule) op eration to transfer the cities of

that the European Union was com ing round to such solutions.

The prime minister announced a number of additional measures, such as a cost-of-living check of 250 euros paid to some 2.3 mil lion beneficiaries, raises in pen sions and the minimum wage, tax cuts, a 150 million euro subsidy to farmers to compensate for higher fuel and animal feed costs, better wages for national health service and armed forces personnel and others. Taken together, he said, these handouts, excluding the electricity bill subsidy, would cost 5.5 billion euros.

It was the first time that quarrel ling younger royal generation had worked together publicly since the Sussexes stepped aside from royal duties in 2020 and moved to Cali fornia. The thousands who flocked to Windsor on a sunny day were in their thrall, as the couples gratefully accepted flowers, talked to parents and children at length, shook hands and accepted heartfelt condolences.

T

Next year is also going to see new elections, most likely more than one. The first ballot is not expected to result in any single party gaining a majority of seats in Parliament and a coalition govern ment looks highly unlikely. That would result in a second round of elections, which would be fought under a different electoral law that w ill give the winning party a 30seat bonus. Demetris Nellas reported from Athens, Greece. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addresses attendants at the opening emony the Thessaloniki ternational Fair,

The1994.strong economy, expected to grow more than 5% in 2022, provides the government with the margin to spend extra. But, starting in 2023, heavily indebted Greece’s government must also post primary budget surpluses, as agreed with the EU.

in the northern g r eek city of Thessa loniki, s a turday, s e pt. 10, 2022. a P Photo/Gi annis Pa P an ikos

Trade

“Better late than never,” he told reporters earlier Saturday, as he was touring the trade fair’s exhibits.Mitsotakis said his govern ment will continue to subsidize electricity bills “whatever the cost.” But Greek officials also have said that subsidies will now include incentives to reduce con sumption and, when possible, re place natural gas with other fuel sources for heating.

The World BusinessMirrorMonday, September 12, 2022A6 Editor: Angel R. Calso

Since early 2020, Greece has

Inflationinflation.inGreece, running at an annual 11.4% clip in August, is slightly off its 12.1% peak in June, but still at levels not seen since

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told the televi sion channel Ukraina that the Rus sians had no food or fuel for their troops in the area as Kyiv had cut off their supply lines.

Normal parliamentary business has been suspended during a period of mourning for the queen. The House of Commons held a rare Saturday ses sion so lawmakers could pay tribute to the late monarch.

Greek PM: EU must respond as one to Putin’s ‘blackmail’

The new king formally approved a series of orders, including one declar ing the day of his mother’s funeral as a publicCharlesholiday.was accompanied at the ceremony by wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, and eldest son Prince William, who is now heir to the throne and known by the title that Charles long held, the Prince of Wales. In his first statement since his grandmother’s death, Wil liam said the queen “was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life”—a clear reference to the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997.

However, Zelenskyy said Fri day that troops had reclaimed more than 30 settlements in the Kharkiv region since the start of theElsewhere,counteroffensive.Ukrainian emer gency services reported that a 62-year-old woman was killed in a Russian missile strike in the Kharkiv region when her home was flattened overnight.

The proclamation was read at other locations across the UK, including in the medieval City of London.

The claim of a withdrawal to concentrate on Donetsk is similar to the justification Russia gave for pulling back its forces from the Kyiv region earlier this year when they failed to take the capital.

The European Union should have a coordinated response to the challenge posed by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “black mail” with the supply of natural gas, Greek Prime Minister Kyria kos Mitsotakis said Saturday. He said Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is meant to “legitimize a despotic authoritarianism and enable any local troublemaker” to do the same, a hardly veiled refer ence to Greece’s neighbor Turkey and the increasingly aggressive rhetoric of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.“Inthe Ukraine war, we stand with those defending themselves, we stand with democracy and free dom... we know what it means to have an (aggressive) neighbor,” Mitsotakis said.

Palace officials promised Saturday that the public will have opportunities to see the late monarch’s oak coffin as it journeys from Balmoral Castle to Edinburgh and then to London, where her body will lie in state for four days starting ofofficialpast,balconytheproclaimingendedAccessionJames’sBritishamongTrussashaveresponsibilitiesheritanceanewceremonialemonyherhisent,spentonand,traditionfilledBritain’ssoroffarewellsaidtheEdwardWednesday.WilliamFitzalan-Howard,officialinchargeofarrangements,theceremonieswouldbe“afittingtooneofthedefiningfiguresourtimes.”Thequeen’seldestsonandsuccesCharleswasofficiallyproclaimedmonarchSaturdayinapomp-ceremonysteepedinancientandpoliticalsymbolism—forthefirsttime,broadcastlivetelevisionandonline.The73-year-oldCharles,whosevendecadesasheirapparautomaticallybecamekingwhenmotherdiedandvowedtofollowexample.Buttheaccessioncerwasakeyconstitutionalandstepthatintroducedthemonarchtothecountry,arelicoftimebeforemasscommunications.“Iamdeeplyawareofthisgreatinandofthedutiesandheavyofsovereigntywhichnowpassedtome,”Charlessaidhetookonthedutiesofmonarch.NewBritishPrimeMinisterLizandfiveofherpredecessorswerescoresofcurrentandformerpoliticianswhogatheredatSt.PalaceforthemeetingoftheCouncil.Saturday’saccessionceremonywitharoyalofficialpubliclyKingCharlesIIItobecountry’snewmonarchfromaatthepalace.Incenturiesthiswouldhavebeenthefirstconfirmationthepublichadtheirnewsovereign.DavidWhite,theGarterKingof

By Jill Lawless, Danica Kirka & Sylvia Hui The Associated Press

The country has also just seen a change of leader. Truss was appointed prime minister by the queen on Tues day, just two days before the monarch died. On Saturday, Truss and other senior UK lawmakers lined up in the House of Commons to take an oath of loyalty to the new king.

Putin wants to turn European anxiety about energy into politi cal destabilization, Mitsotakis added in the keynote speech at

The Greek premier reminded his audience that Greece had pro posed months ago a cap on natural gas prices and a decoupling of elec tricity prices from those of natural gas and expressed his satisfaction

By Karl Ritter & Joanna Kozlowska The Associated Press

“It just felt like a really special mo ment in history,’’ said Beverly Nash from Kent. “And it was lovely actually seeing him. I didn’t think I would feel as emotional as I did.’’

Meghan approached a teenager in the crowd, who put her hand over her mouth in shock. The pair spoke briefly then the girl said: “Can I have a hug?” Meghan leaned in to give her a big hug.

The Ukrainian governor of Kharkiv, Oleh Syniehubov, accused Moscow of pummeling retaken settlements. He said via Telegram that five civilians were hospital ized in the Izyum district, while nine others suffered injuries else where in the region.

In the Russian-held city of En erhodar, home to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, electricity and water were restored after a four-day outage due to an explo sion, the city’s Ukrainian mayor, Dmytro Orlov, said.

Britain’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that it believed Ukraini an troops had advanced as much as 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Kharkiv, and described Russian forces around Izyum as “increas ingly“Russianisolated.”forces were likely tak en by surprise. The sector was only lightly held and Ukrainian units have captured or surrounded sev eral towns,” the British military said, adding that the loss of Kupi ansk would greatly affect Russian supply lines.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think

g r ee C e ’s

Russia orders troop pullback from Ukraine’s Kharkiv area

For many Britons, the queen’s pass ing, though long expected, is a desta bilizing experience. Queen Elizabeth II is the only monarch most have ever known, and her death comes as many Britons are facing an energy crisis, the soaring cost of living, the uncer tainties of the war in Ukraine and the fallout from Brexit.

The fighting in eastern Ukraine comes amid an ongoing offensive around Kherson in the south. Analysts suggest Russia may have taken soldiers from the east to reinforce the latter area, offering the Ukrainians the opportunity to strike a weakened front line.

King Charles i ii signs an oath to uphold the security of the Church in s c otland during the a ccession Council at s t J ames’s Palace, l o ndon on s a turday, s e pt. 10, 2022, where King Charles iii is formally proclaimed monarch. Victoria Jones/Pool Photo V a a P

Catherine, for her part, focused on young children in the crowd, bending down low to speak to them warmly face-to-face.Thelate sovereign’s coffin now rests at Balmoral Castle, the sum mer retreat in the Scottish Highlands where Elizabeth died on Thursday.

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Enerhodar and its Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant have come under repeated shelling in recent weeks, which Russia and Ukraine accused each other of committing. The shelling has raised fears of a radiation leak at the plant, which has been cut off from outside pow er sources; the facility has been forced to rely on power from its only working reactor for systems cooling and other safety measures. Orlov said workers from the plant assisted in restoring Ener hodar’s power, but it was not clear if the electricity was coming from the plant or from a nearby thermal generating station.

The Grattan Institute, an Australian public policy think tank, has called for the Business Investment and Innovation visa program, under which the Significant Investor falls, to be scrapped, saying it leads to projects being financed that wouldn’t normally be green lit, and that holders provide relatively little tax income for the government.  Bloomberg News

China sends college students to quarantine under zero-Covid

As of last week, approximately 65 mil lion Chinese residents were under lock down, despite just 1,248 new cases of domestic transmission being reported on Sunday. Most of those were asymptomatic. The lockdowns have sparked protests online and confrontations with health workers and police, and have exacted a major toll on the economy, affecting global supply chains for electronics and other products. The weekslong lockdown in China’s biggest city of Shanghai over the summer prompted an exodus of migrant workers and foreign business people, the repercussions of which have

ingful import substitution of energy- and gas-intensive products,” said Oliver r a kau, an economist at Oxford Eco nomics. “The evidence is likely to mount in the coming months.”Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said in an earlier interview with Bloom berg News that Europe needs to act immediately to address the crisis, or the region’s econ omy will “go into a full stop.”

Germany imported around 2.8 billion tons of inorganic chemicals in the first half of 2022, according to Germany’s federal statistics office. That’s around 40% more in volume terms than during the same period a year Meanwhile,ago. domestic chemical production has fallen precipitously as manu facturers curtail production due to sky-high gas costs.

ingly getting vi tal chemicals from abroad as the country’s in dustrial giants like BASF SE struggle with skyrocketing energy prices from r u ssian gasChemicalcuts.  import volumes have almost doubled this year as the crisis deepened.

China has pursued the relentless en forcement of the policy, even as virtually every other country has sought to return to normal life with the help of vaccines and drugs to fight the virus.

The shift underscores the depth of the energy crisis in Germany, which is suffering from higher prices than neigh boring countries due to its de pendence on r u ssian gas. The drop in domestic production could be an early sign of the economic crisis that is build ing in the country.

He called for intervention in the markets, with the im position of a price cap on gas trading. “The indefinite halt of Gazprom’s Nord Stream 1 pipeline marks a structur ally tighter gas-supply pro file for Europe, with prices set to remain sharply higher relative to their five-year av erage,” said Patricio Alvarez, a Bloomberg Intelligence in dustryConcernsanalyst. are mounting that gas solidarity agree ments will be limited among EU partners as the coldest months approach. Such deals between EU member states are part of a larger mechanism that set out action to be taken in a gas emergency. Germany’s neighbors Belgium, Luxem bourg, the Netherlands and Poland refuse to engage in “constructive negotiations” about such bilateral deals, German Economy Minister r obert Habeck said in a report to lawmakers seen by Bloom berg. Bloomberg News

EIJING—Almost 500 students at China’s premier college for broadcast journalists have been sent to a quarantine center after a handful of Covid-19 cases were detected in their dormitory.

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Hong Kong government and justice ad ministration. They were detained before a Saturday reading session for children by their union, and were held for more than a year without bail.

“It’s actually costing us on average for every person, because these are people who are generally coming in at quite a late stage of their life, often at the end of their business career and coming to Australia, basically to settle down and retire,” she said in an interview. “I can’t see a lot of reasons to keep it.”

Millionaire’s visa aimed at rich Chinese faces axe in Australia

for overcrowding, poor sanitation and spoiled food.

The former members of the General Union of Hong Kong Speech Therapists were handed their punishments by Judge Wai-kin Kwok at the District Court on Saturday, according to the report. They were convicted Wednesday of conspiring to publish, distribute, display or repro duce seditious publications.

Quarantining anyone considered to have been in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus has been a pillar of China’s “zero-Covid” policy. The quarantine centers include field hospitals, as well as converted stadiums and exhi bition centers that have been criticized

E r M AN y i s increas

Bloomberg News

Their case continues a crackdown on free speech in the former British colony in the wake of the mass anti-government protests that swept the city in 2019. China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong the following year, and city authori ties have revived the long-dormant co lonial era sedition offense as part of a campaign against dissent.

The World BusinessMirror Monday, September 12, 2022 A7www.businessmirror.com.ph

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the government has politicized a public health crisis. His administration has re jected statements from the World Health Organization that the policy is unsustain able, and has refused to approve foreign vaccines that are widely considered more effective than those produced by Chinese companies.Xi,whohas not traveled abroad since the start of the pandemic in early 2020, has taken control of all levers of power and struck a confrontational tone in foreign policy, while sidelining or imprisoning rivals. He has eliminated term limits on the presidency and is expected to receive a third five-year term as Communist leader at next month’s party congress. AP

yet to be felt. With the release of economic data this week, analysts will be looking for insights into how China’s handling of the pan demic is impacting economic activity in the world’s second-largest economy. Lock downs have been accompanied by nearly daily testing, travel restrictions and the suspension of classes at all levels.

“Zero-Covid” is closely associated with President and Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, leading to accusations that

The 488 students at Communication University of China, along with 19 teach ers and five assistants, were transferred by bus beginning Friday night.

About 60 people have been arrested for sedition under the 1938 Crimes Ordinance since September 2020.

Germany cranks up vital chemical imports as energy crisis hikes costs

Five Hong Kongers jailed for 19 months each for sedition: SCMP

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Na tional Oil Company sent its first shipment of low-carbon ammonia to Germany this month. “Weare going to see mean

UST r A LIA i s set to review a visa for people who invest at least A$5 million ($3.4 million) in the country, with the home affairs minister saying she sees little reason to retain the program that has been criticized as providing a fast track for wealthy Chinese. TheSignificant Investor visa is designed to attract funds into the country, with holders required to maintain their investment for the term of the visa, which can be up to five years. Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neill told Sky News Australia Sunday that there weren’t a lot of benefits to continuing the scheme.

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BASF, Germany’s largest chemical producer, said in July it had begun buying am monia, rather than producing it, to reduce gas consumption at its Ludwigshafen factory.

H ONG Kong court has sentenced five former speech therapists to 19 months each for publishing se ditious children’s books that incited ha tred of the government, the South China Morning Post reported.

The two men and three women in their 20s were arrested in July last year for pub lishing three books with the intention of inciting “hatred or contempt” against the

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“The Serpent” told them that not only was that dying thing not true, but in fact they would “be like God.” How could anyone resist that?

its housing projects, although it is barely keeping up with the demand, allocating a measly 1 percent of its national budget. On the drawing board are plants to create new urban centers outside the metropolis, which would hopefully reduce the stress that is currently burdening Metro Manila. But such initiatives take time to materialize, not to mention the required “whole of government” approach, which is so difficult to achieve. Meanwhile, the demand for urban housing will only continue to grow.Oneready and proven approach would be the setting up of in-city dwelling centers similar to the Worker’s Inn that the MMDA used to operate. This can be done at a fraction of the cost of building houses, as well as the time needed for the government to immediately provide temporary but adequate shelters to the millions of urban workers that travel to Metro Manila everyday. What can be immediately utilized for this are the many

The population of Metro Manila grows by at least 5 million during the daytime. Imagine the benefits that will be reaped with the substantial reduction of this number of entrants: traffic decongestion, pollution reduction, as well as the overall urban well-being of everyone in Metro Manila.

www.news.businessmirror@gmail.comMonday, September 12, 2022 • Editor: Angel R. Calso Opinion BusinessMirrorA8

But the correct attitude is to not be discouraged but to try harder, and this we are doing by launching programs and activities that encourage more Filipinos to read more books. The Manila International Book Fair (MIBF), for example, is bringing back its on-site event this year after two years of postponement due to the pandemic. Happening from the 15th to the 18th of September at the SMX

Revisiting the MMDA Worker’s Inn

Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II

The Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP) has also revived this year the Filipino Readers’ Choice Awards (FRCA), an

In the 1700s, there was the “Spanish Prisoner” scam. You are told that the scammer is in contact with a “wealthy person of high estate who has been imprisoned in Spain under a false identity.” If you put up the money to bribe the guards to let the prisoner go, you will not only get your money back but will receive a big reward and maybe even get to marry the rich guy’s daughter.

How many times do we have to be told, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” There should be a limit to your suspicion and cynicism, but at least take some time to check things out. If you get a message or even a call that an unexpected delivery requiring a substantial cash payment is coming, you could call the express company to attempt to verify.Ifitislegitimate, they will come back another time. Your rule should always be “When you have any doubt, don’t.” Don’t reply to strangers. Don’t give personal information over the phone or through e-mail. Don’t assume anything without verification. Don’t pay.

RISING SUN

Many people assume that the victims must have specific traits, such as being naive, vulnerable, or less intelligent. However, in most cases, the person who falls for a scam does so because of the psychological techniques employed by the scammer—and not a flaw. Being scammed is not your fault. Except you actually are the one that deserves the blame just like the one fish in the lake that takes the bait and gets caught by theNothook.being taken advantage of by a scammer requires common sense. To think that the government can protect you no matter how many Senate hearings they have is outside of common sense. Some say that registered SIM cards are the answer and that may be true. But locks on doors are designed to make it harder for the burglar, not to prevent robbery. However, we all have to take personal responsibility and it is not that difficult to defeat the scammer if we use a little discipline.

editorial

A and B). Among the independent publishers that are part of the Indie Village are Avenida, Milflores, Komikon, Everything’s Fine, The Independent Publishers-Collab (TIP-C), and ABC Educational, as well as The Indiepubcollab PH, which brings titles from 8 Letters, Aklat Alamid, Aklat Mirasol, Aklat Ulagad, Alubat Publishing, Atma Prema Wellbeing Group, Kasingkasing Press, Isang Balangay Media Productions, Gantala Press, Librong Lira, Pawikan Press, San Anselmo Press, Southern Voices Printing Press, and TBC Publications.

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The most important common-sense rule is that you should never depend on someone else—the government, the phone company, or your best friend—to protect your financial interests.

HAT I consider was a good initiative from my predecessor when I was still in government was the MMdA Worker’s Inn. Operating as a low-priced lodging facility, it was a self-sustaining project with its occupancy at any given time close to 100 percent. Priced at P100 per night at that time, it was a no-frills dorm type set-up with no air-conditioning and with spartan facilities. But patrons never complained. Rather than spending 30 percent of their wages on the daily 4-5-hour public transport commute from their homes in Cavite, Laguna or Bulacan, they would stay at the inn for the workweek and go home during the weekends. This resulted in substantial savings for the workers, not to mention the quality work time they provide to their employers in Metro Manila. It was a good project with lots of benefits. unfortunately, I found out that the program was discontinued sometime after I left the agency.

Got scammed? It’s your own fault

See “Orbos,” A9 BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business GroupAdvertisingChairmanChiefCreativeAssociateEditorPublisherinChiefEditorNewsEditorSeniorEditorsOnlineEditorDirectorPhotographeroftheBoardPresidentSalesManagerCirculationManager T. Anthony C. Cabangon Lourdes M. Fernandez Jennifer A. Ng Vittorio V. Vitug Lorenzo M. Lomibao Jr., Gerard S. Ramos Lyn B. Resurreccion, Dennis D. Estopace Angel R. Calso Ruben M. Cruz Jr. Eduardo A. Davad Nonilon G. Reyes D. Edgard A. Cabangon Benjamin V. Ramos Aldwin Maralit Tolosa Rolando M. Manangan BusinessMirror is published daily by the Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing, Inc., with offices on the 3rd floor of Dominga Building III 2113 Chino Roces Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Makati City, Philippines. Tel. Nos. (Editorial) 817-9467; 813-0725. Fax line: 813-7025. (Advertising Sales) 893-2019; 817-1351, 817-2807. (Circulation) 893-1662; 814-0134 to 36. E-mail: news.businessmirror@gmail.com www.news.businessmirror@gmail.com Printed by brown madonna Press, Inc.–Sun Valley Drive KM-15, South Superhighway, Parañaque, Metro Manila Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Founder Since 2005 ✝ MEMBER OF

You might have thought that the Dugo-dugo and Budol-budol gangs were something new.

There will be booths dedicated to independent book publishers— check out the Indie Village (booths 245 to 248 and 231 to 234, aisles

is not a product of modern technology. God told Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge because they would die.

In our own backyard, the government is responding to this through

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LA, or the walled city in Hong Kong, such informal and densely populated communities are but by-products of the need to house these urban migrants. In his book, “The Arrival Cities,” author Doug Sanders wrote that a third of humanity is on the move…creating this century’s focal points of conflict and change. And indeed conflict, as increasing urban populations lead to much inequality and stress on government services, not to mention pollution, congestion, and crime.

The National Book Development Board and the Manila Critics Circle have opened nominations for the 40th National Book Awards. This is open to printed books published in the Philippines in 2021 (Filipino or English) and 2019-2021 (Ilocano), excluding textbooks. Nominations will be accepted until October 10 only.

Thomas M. Orbos

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STREET TALK

Convention Center, the MIBF is the biggest and longest-running book fair in the country. This year, there will be around 80 exhibitors joining the event, and people are expected to come in droves and beat the 2019 record of 160,000 visitors.

No one knows who said it first, but the reason scams pay off is because “there’s a sucker born every minute.” That word “sucker” has many meanings: greedy, dishonest, ignorant, impatient, stressed, always obeys authority, and too friendly or even lonely.

A nation that reads

The only difference between now and the “Good Old Days” is that now a scammer can talk seemingly one-on-one with hundreds of individuals through e-mail and text messages. The US Federal Trade Commission reports scammers stole $3.3 billion in 2020 pretending to be a Nigerian Prince, a fake dating profile, or your long-lost cousin.

The urban migration that we are now experiencing is a global phenomenon brought about by the

lack of livelihood in areas outside the urban centers. Whether it be the favelas in Brazil, the projects in

online popular choice awards. The last time the FRCA was held was in 2015. Voting started last September 2 so Filipino readers can vote for their favorite books across 15 categories. More than 1,500 books were nominated for this year’s FRCA. Readers have until September 23 to vote for their favorite titles. To encourage readers to discover more books from the list, the FRCA and BDAP will also be holding an online book fair with Shopee within the month, highlighting FRCA-nominated titles. Winners of the 2022 FRCA will be announced in November during the Philippine Book Fair in Baguio, another project of the BDAP. The voting form can be found at bit.ly/frca2022voting Finally, the National Book Development Board (NBDB) and the Manila Critics Circle have opened nominations for the 40th National Book Awards. This is open to printed books published in the Philippines in 2021 (Filipino or English) and 20192021 (Ilocano), excluding textbooks. Nominations will be accepted until October 10 only, so visit the Facebook page of NBDB or its web site ( booksphilippines.gov.ph) for more details and to obtain the link to the nomination form.

udGInG by the efforts of organizers, the excitement of the reading crowd, and the activities being launched for the readers of this country, it seems that the Philippines’ book industry and our reading culture are doing quite well. So far, that is an observation that does not align with the statistics regarding our children’s reading performance. For example, based on the 2018 PISA results, the Philippines fared worst in reading comprehension among the 79 countries that participated in the assessment. The PISA was conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and development (OECd) to measure the performance of 15-year-old students in reading and other subjects.

Scams can be on a large scale. In the late 1800s, Daniel Drew used techniques known as “poop and scoop” and “pump and dump” to defraud stock market investors. The list is endless.

But we are most concerned and most hurt by those one-on-one events that take our hard-earned money and leave psychological scars of foolishness and feeling helpless. Understand that scams require a personal relationship between the crook and the victim.

the BIR. This WCE was pursuant to Revenue Memorandum Orders No. 31 and 32 issued in 2010. The WCE covered the various aspects of the BIR’s functions of collection and enforcement. There was a separate portion of the WCE that dwelled on basic management skills for the revenue officers performing supervisory functions. In the preparation for taking the WCE, the BIR examinees undertook review sessions of the various taxation developments and the other components of the examination, which can further improve the training and skills enhancement programs, as well as determine the most effective assignments for BIR’s audit personnel. Most of them were compelled to prepare well for the WCE. The objectives of the WCE were clearly laid out: Examinees who passed the WCE would be given corresponding recognition for purposes of promotion and their ratings considered in determining future assignments. Those who fail would undergo further training.

Their “walkabout,” the first time the brothers have appeared amicably together in public since March 2020, comes at a time when the younger generation of Britain’s royal family must step up their responsibilities significantly.William,long second-in-line to the throne, is now the heir apparent after his father, King Charles III, became Britain’s new monarch upon his mother’s death. That means William and Kate, both 40 and parents of three young children, immediately assume a much more central role as the new face of the monarchy.

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Long before he ascended to the throne, Charles indicated that he wanted a “slimmed down” monarchy with a tighter core group of full-time working royals and lower expenses.

The UNJUST in ‘just compensation’ cases

formally introduced to the lifelong learning concept in 2014. I was then recently appointed as the Chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy (BOA) and I was asked by then Professional Regulation Commission Chair Teresita Manzala to join a group of PRC officials to a Kuala Lumpur conference. This was a gathering of Asean educators who discussed trending developments in learning and professional development, including the LL.

The group includes Charles and his wife, Camilla, now the Queen Consort; William and Kate; the queen’s only daughter, Princess Anne; and the queen’s youngest child, Prince Edward, and his wife, Sophie. Also working royals, but much lesser

ters/lodging facilities such as the MMDA Worker’s Inn can go hand in hand with the need for permanent housing that all of us aspire for.

OnDOn Prince William and wife Kate made a surprise joint appearance with Prince harry and wife Meghan on Saturday, warmly greeting a large crowd gathered outside Windsor Castle to remember their long-reigning monarch, Queen elizabeth II.

Siegfred Bueno Mison, Esq.

Another private lot owner, who at one time sent a geodetic engineer to re-survey her 74-square-meter property, got the surprise of her life when a city road erased all traces of what was once her vacant lot. Immediately, she commenced the process of claiming payment from the local government unit that stealthily took her real property without payment of just compensation. After two decades (from the discovery in 2002 to this year 2022) of tossing like a volleyball game—involving parcellary plans and sketch maps, tax assessment and legal opinion, and an appraisal of the fair market value from the city assessor —the land owner sees little hope in getting paid. For despite ample and credible proof of government taking, a committee from the said local government units has managed to reject the landowner’s claim, unconvinced that the city government indeed took the property. What else needs to be proven when a city road has visibly encroached on the private property, as validated by some city officials themselves?

A former infantry and intelligence officer in the Army, Siegfred Mison showcased his servant leadership philosophy in organizations such as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Malcolm Law Offices, Infogix Inc., University of the East, Bureau of Immigration, and Philippine Airlines. He is a graduate of West Point in New York, Ateneo Law School, and University of Southern California. A corporate lawyer by profession, he is an inspirational teacher and a Spirit-filled writer with a mission.

William will now likely spend more time championing those topics. He already made his mark by founding the Earthshot Prize, an ambitious “legacy project” expected to hand out millions of pounds in grants for environmental initiatives over the next 10 years.

“It was so beautiful to see. I felt so emotional and I felt the queen would have loved it,” said Banita Ranow, 28. Her mother, Baljinder, said the visit was “fabulous.”

IWAS

The population of Metro Manila grows by at least 5 million during the daytime. Imagine the benefits that will be reaped with the substantial reduction of this number of entrants: traffic decongestion, pollution reduction, as well as the overall urban wellbeing of everyone in Metro Manila. This may just be a stopgap measure, but the ingredients for the success of such a solution is at hand, not to mention that its benefits have been proven with the MMDA Worker’s Inn. All that the government needs to do is to embark on such a program again.

Joel L. Tan-Torres is the Dean of the University of the Philippines Virata School of Business. Previously, he was the Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy, and partner of Reyes Tacandong & Co. and the SyCip Gorres and Velayo & Co. He is a Certified Public Accountant who garnered No. 1 in the CPA Board Examination of MayThis1979.column accepts articles from the business and academic community for consideration for publication Articles not exceeding 700 words can be e-mailed to jltantorres@up.edu.ph.

Unfortunately, these landowners bear the burden, both in expenses and stress, just “pleading” for the pertinent State agency to give them payment for the public use of their erstwhile private land. In the province of Albay, one such owner argued his claim for just compensation before the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for almost two decades, only to pass away before he received any “just” compensation. All throughout his justifiable claim, three government offices made use of the land with nary a rental or a courtesy to the original landowner.

Stepping up: Next generation of royals to see more scrutiny

(To be continued)

ers are “promptly” paid just compensation.Coined by Poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a saying goes—“ Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink,” which suggests that despite being surrounded by abundance, not one seem to benefit from it. Such ironic situation happens in these eminent domain cases—the land is vast and owned, yet not a square meter benefits the owner. If at all, he or she will soon kiss another piece of land in permanent slumber before payment is even approved or released. Such irony plagues us perennially and yet if only we run true to the terms of the law, a basic one at that, and act on it promptly, we would be saving on time, blood, sweat and tears to avoid its sting. In the spiritual realm, a similar irony continues to abound. For while Jesus Christ already laid down his life on the Cross for us, a great number still “punish” themselves believing that they are sinful and un-forgiven. The blessings are abundant yet a few stand to benefit from them. If only we embrace His grace and act on it accordingly, we would be leading righteous lives.

For questions and comments, please e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com.

Not many other recognizable “working royals”—members of the royal family who officially represent the monarch—were left to share the hundreds of official engagements and numerous overseas visits undertaken each year.

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DEBIT CREDIT

In his first speech to the nation, which was broadcast Friday, Charles formally bestowed his own title, the Prince of Wales, to William. Kate is now the Princess of Wales, and is the first person since William’s late mother, Princess Diana, to hold theWilliamtitle. and Kate also inherit Charles and Camilla’s other honorary titles, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. That means managing and taking income from the Duchy of Cornwall, an estate comprising land across the UK that is reportedly worth 1 billion pounds.

That was before Harry’s move— and before the princes’ uncle, Prince Andrew, was effectively banished from public life following sexual misconduct scandals.

Any State authority has that power of eminent domain but subject to “just” compensation. Private landowners need to be compensated, otherwise the government becomes the “informal settler” who ought to be evicted! Such power of the State, also referred to as expropriation or condemnation is one of the tripod powers that are inherent in the State in the exercise of sovereign authority. No less than the Constitution has assured citizens that private property cannot be taken for public use without just compensation.

menced, or way before the owner is paid, and, most deplorably, even before the land owner is apprised of the said project. The long list of right-of-way claims pending before the DPWH attests to this fact, showing the same pattern of irony involving a private landowner being ousted by a Goliath government agency-“squatter.”Whatispeculiar in these cases is that a lengthy period of time, to the extent of being unreasonable, has seemingly stretched across two-thirds of the lifetime of each of the claimants. In one right-of-way claim in Sultan Kudarat, a private lot of approximately 8,000 square meters, 15 x 500 meters in dimension, was taken by the government and utilized as a 2-lane national highway. The road was constructed sometime in 2008, or 14 years ago. Until now, the just compensation claim is pending and the lot owners battle the inevitable effects of aging, if not poverty.

God’s grace is never a license to commit sin, for following Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross, the Bible, in Romans 6:2 tells us that “How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? ” No two letters (“un”) should precede the word “just” in just compensation, as there should be no life in sin when we are already dead to it.

Even without really knowing then the LL concept, I was pleased to note the success of this LL exercise that I initiated way back in 2010. Since then, I have been living the lifelong learning experience and gaining from its positive outcomes.

LL is the process of gaining new knowledge and competencies throughout one’s lifetime to further professional and even social development. This learning experience continues even after one graduates and leaves the confines of the school. It is commonly perceived that LL is self-initated and self-motivated. However, a person may be compelled to pursue LL activities if it is a deciding factor in moving up in the career ladder. As in the case of the recently concluded examination given by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Lifelong learning is the process of gaining new knowledge and competencies throughout one’s lifetime to further professional and even social development. This learning experience continues even after one graduates and leaves the confines of the school. It is commonly perceived that LL is self-initated and selfmotivated.

Monday, September 12, 2022 Opinion A9BusinessMirrorwww.news.businessmirror@gmail.com

hen private property is taken by the State for public use, the private landowner ought to be compensated, and promptly at that. Such directive is set forth in Article III, Section 9 of the Philippine Constitution. In reality, however, there are instances where the subject parcel of land has long been expropriated for a public necessity before the owner actually receives what is referred to as just compensation. I know of individuals who suddenly find their lots being utilized as city roads, or as areas where buildings of government offices are already erected.

Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, moved away from the UK to seek financial independence and freedom from severe British media scrutiny into their lives.

William and Harry had been on frosty terms since Harry quit as a senior royal and moved to the US two years ago. Their show of unity Saturday was reportedly initiated by William and left some observers hoping that Harry, 37, might return to the fray and support his elder brother in sharing the heavy workload now on William’s “Certainlyshoulders.Williamand Catherine, as the new Prince and Princess of Wales, will be even more in the media spotlight if that’s possible,” said Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine. “Until Thursday, there was a buffer between him and the throne. That buffer has now been removed.”

The government can also leverage its many empty lands for private developers to use under a public-private partnership, where they can put up shelter and lodging facilities that can then be leased to private individuals.Theonly problem with this kind program is that it will not provide urban housing “ownership” to the intended beneficiaries, which is the traditional mindset of what shelter means to the majority of our people. But this should not matter nor should affect the present housing roadmap of the government. Temporary shel-

THE PATRIOT

Any State authority has that power of eminent domain but subject to “just” compensation. Private landowners need to be compensated, otherwise the government becomes the “informal settler” who ought to be evicted!Suchpower of the State, also referred to as expropriation or condemnation is one of the tripod powers that are inherent in the State in the exercise of sovereign authority. No less than the Constitution has assured citizens that private property cannot be taken for public use without just compensation. Though vested in the legislature, eminent domain may be validly delegated to local government units, other public entities and public utilities, subject to the terms and conditions of the delegating statute. Under Republic Act 8974, guidelines for expropriation proceedings are laid out to facilitate the acquisition of right-of-way, site or location for national infrastructure projects. Ideally, the appropriate implementing agency initiates expropriation proceedings before the proper court and complies with the legally mandated guidelines. Theoretically, only when a court issues the order to take possession of the property shall the said government agency physically “take” the property and implement projects for public use. While admittedly this procedure is being followed to the letter in most areas all over the country, we are not blind to glaring circumstances where the government implementing agency has pushed its shovel on a private land long before any expropriation proceedings are com-

Joel L. Tan-Torres

I commend the intention of BIR Commissioner Lilia Guillermo, who initiated this measure, on ensuring the quality and capability of those who may be assigned to these sensitive RDO positions. It has also been whispered that this approach is intended to address the recurring “padrino system” of some BIR personnel resorting to influential backers to push for their assignment or promotion to the RDO positions. Instead, the results of the written examinations can be considered for the promotion of only the “best of the best.” I view this initiative as one aspect of the LL, where people will have to continue their LL processes to further their professional track. I am interested to know how this initiative of the new BIR Commissioner moves forward.

By Sylvia Hui | The Associated Press

Living the lifelong learning experience

Again, to clear the irony of ironies, our Savior was already “wounded for our transgressions, buried for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes, we are healed,” as Biblically spoken in Isaiah 53:5. So how then can we continue to believe that we are still unrighteous? We are taught that this Grace propels us to lead a righteous life, if only we accept it.

The couple is now settled in California with their two young children. Both Harry and Meghan repeatedly have aired their unhappiness with the royals since their departure.

unused government buildings that are scattered all over Metro Manila, which can be rehabilitated for minimal costs.

A common denominator in these woeful episodes is that pertinent government offices keep on tossing and reverting one piece of document after another, only to repeat the process and end up with either a measly amount of compensation, far from being just, that the private owner can take the route leading to a mental institution, or a conclusion with a hanging clause that can debilitate the land owner with vertigo. These are the cases of “just” compensation as UNJUST reparation. Sadly, there seems to be nothing prompt in the State policy of ensuring that own-

Tensions were put aside on Saturday, as the two princes and their wives arrived in the same car to greet people who pressed against road barriers outside the gates of Windsor Castle. Each royal stopped to speak to both children and adults, accepting flowers and condolences from an excited crowd.

Orbos . .

known, are the queen’s first cousin, Prince Richard, and his wife, Birgitte.

“It will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real,” William wrote in a statement Saturday. “I will honor her memory by supporting my father, The King, in every way I can.”

I recall that when I was the BIR Commissioner some years ago, I initiated the conduct of a Written Comprehensive Examination (WCE) for all Revenue Officers belonging to the agency’s Assessment Group, Intelligence Officers and Special Investigators, and Legal officers of

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Charles also spoke briefly of Harry in his address to the nation, expressing his “love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas.”

In his speech, Charles said he knows won’t be able to devote as much time and energy to causes he cares most about, such as the environment and climate change.

“With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the center ground where vital help can be given,” Charles said Friday.

Last September 10, 2022, aspirants for promotion to the position of Revenue District Officers (RDO) trooped to the BIR National Office to take a written competency examination to test their mettle in handling these leadership posts. The RDOs are the front-line offices dealing with taxpayers and responsible for collecting taxes of billions of pesos. There are 125 RDOs throughout the Philippines. I gather that the examination dwelled on testing the knowledge of taxation, management skills and on how to improve revenue generation with focus on digitalization. I hope that the RDO aspirants did well in their examinations, including those who, for such a long time, have not experienced taking such tests.

The author may be reached at tmo45@georgetown.edu

It’s a stark contrast to how thing were just two weeks ago, when William and Kate announced they were moving their family from central London to a more rural base in Windsor. Observers thought they were seeking more privacy and a more “normal” upbringing for their children, who just started a new year together at a private school.

Those tensions were put aside Saturday, as the two princes and their wives arrived in the same car to greet people who pressed against road barriers outside the gates of Windsor Castle. Each royal stopped to speak to both children and adults, accepting flowers and condolences from an excited crowd.

Universal setback

T he senator believes that the small modular reactors (SMR), which is ideal for use on remote ar eas with limited access grid, would be adopted first ahead of nuclear power plants. “The modular plants will come in by 2026 or 2028. These are small so these are easy to deploy in one to two years. Within his term, modular can happen, but not those over 1,000megawatts because those would take 10 years,” he said.

Human devt index sees many nations slip; PHL down 3 rungs

The UNDP said implementing poli cies that focus on investment—from renewable energy to preparedness for pandemics, and insurance—includ ing social protection— to prepare our societies for the ups and downs of an uncertain world. While innovation in its many forms—technological, economic, cultural—can also build capacities to respond to whatever challenges come next.

HE export of raw sugar to the United States is not a priority right now as the country continues to reel from tight supply of sugar, the Phil ippine Sugar Millers Association (PSMA) said.

However, since the previous crop year 2021-2022, the Phil ippines has allocated all of its raw sugar output for domestic use. The current Sugar Regu

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

“ He wants to, number one, fol low IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] guidelines. Num ber two, he wants to use the latest technology, which is modular. His message, based from his SONA, is he wants to be very careful and we support that because we don’t have a law yet. We also don’t have a regulator yet and it has to be inde pendent. Also, there are many con ventions and treaties that we have yet to sign,” Gatchalian pointed out.

PSMA President Pablo Lobregat told the BusinessMirror that ex porting raw sugar to the US market is not a priority of the industry “at this point in time” given problems hounding domestic production.

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“The world is scrambling to re spond to back-to-back crises. We have seen with the cost of living and energy crises that, while it is tempting to focus on quick fixes like subsidizing fossil fuels, im mediate relief tactics are delaying the long-term systemic changes we

I n terms of inequality, the coun try’s Gini coefficient averaged 42.3 between 2010 and 2021. Gini coef ficient is a measure of inequality where perfect inequality is 100 and perfect equality is zero.

“I know the focus now of the PBA is not just to remain resil ient  amidst emerging challenges, but to stay relevant especially in the face of  evolving technology...I am happy to see that we are one in this goal,” the Chief Justice said.

latory Administration (SRA) board earlier announced that it has recommended a full “B” raw sugar allocation for the current crop year 2022-2023.

“We promulgated the Guide lines on the Conduct of Videocon ferencing, which institutionalized the conduct of virtual hearings and electronic testimony for the du ration of the Covid-19 pandemic. In line with our efforts towards a technology-driven judiciary, we have decided to allow the conduct of all court proceedings through videoconferencing even after the end of the pandemic,” CJ Gesmun do said.    Theadoption of videoconferenc ing for court proceedings is part of the SC’s   Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI). The SPJI institutional blueprint of the Court En Banc’s plans and programs for the delivery of responsive and real-time justice.

must make,” Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, said.

In line with this, the Chief Justice urged lawyers to embrace technol ogy so the Court can fully implement its programs under the SPJI.     “ My hope is that the PBA helps

A10 Monday, September 12, 2022 Continued on A4Continued on A4

G esmundo also praised PBA’s recent relaunch of its web site in a bid to capitalize on social media and other technological tools to increase engagement with its mem bers and the general public.

T he SPJI  was approved by the Court on June 28, 2022 under A.M. NoG22-04-26-SC.    esmundosaid the SPJI “is a plan powered by an Innovation Agenda to review and assess the or ganizational structure and opera tions of the various offices of the Judiciary, and to develop and estab lish an information and communi cations technology infrastructure for the Philippine Judiciary.”

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

Continued on A4

However, Lobregat explained that the Philippines must not lose the US market for good, as it serves as a reliant alternative market for local raw sugar, espe cially at times when local prices are lower than US prices.

T he Philippines has been a long-time beneficiary of the United States’s tariff-rate quota (TRQ) system for its sugar im ports. Under the TRQ system, the Philippines receives a raw sugar allocation that is allowed to enter US soil at a lower tariff rate.

T he report explores why the change needed isn’t happening and suggests there are many reasons, including how insecurity and polar ization are feeding off each other today to prevent the solidarity and collective action we need to tackle crises at all levels.

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EXPORT OF RAW SUGAR TO U.S. CURBED AMID SUPPLY WOES

This thought-provoking new analysis aims to help us break this impasse and chart a new course out of our current global uncer tainty. We have a narrow window to reboot our systems and secure a future built on decisive climate action and new opportunities for all,” he added.

Faster, cheaper litigation seen as SC videoconferencingfast-tracksrules Meeting on nuke byissuesenergypitchedGatchalian

HE vice chairman of the Senate Committee on En ergy proposed a meeting among the executive and legisla tive branches of the Marcos ad ministration to carry out the nec essary laws for nuclear power in theScountry. enatorSherwin Gatchalian said at last week’s The Future En ergy Show Philippines 2022 that it would take years before the country can put up a nuclear power plant because stringent measures must be Iimplemented. nhisfirstState of the Nation Address (Sona), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said it was “time to reexamine” the adoption of nuclear power because “there have been new technologies developed that allow smaller scale modular nuclear plants and other derivations thereof.”

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

THE UNDP said for the first time in the 32 years that UNDP has been calculating it, the Human Develop ment Index, which measures a na tion’s health, education, and stan dard of living, has declined globally for two years in a row.

Speaking before the 130th Foun dation Day and Law Day celebration of the Philippine Bar Association (PBA), the oldest voluntary national organization of lawyers in the coun try, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmun do said the SC Committee on Virtual Hearings and Electronic Testimony is now working on the rules.

HE Philippines slipped three notches in the Human Development Index (HDI), falling behind its ASEAN-5 peers, according to the latest report from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

“ Even before Covid-19 hit, we were seeing the twin paradoxes of progress with insecurity and polar ization. Today, with one-third of people worldwide feeling stressed and fewer than a third of people worldwide trusting others, we face major roadblocks to adopting poli cies that work for people and the planet,” Steiner said.

lead the way as we advance these innovations across the entire judi ciary. In particular, I hope the PBA can lend its resources, expertise, and networks to raise awareness about the reforms we are pursu ing,” the chief magistrate said.

We are collectively paralyzed in making these changes. In a world defined by uncertainty, we need a renewed sense of global solidarity to tackle our interconnected, com mon challenges,” he added.

At this point in time it is not a priority but neither should you say give up [‘A’ sugar forever]. [If the US] takes it away, [we] cannot blame them but [we] do not tell them that we give up [our quota allocation],” Lobregat said in a recent interview.

T he reversal is nearly univer sal as over 90 percent of coun tries registered a decline in their HDI score in either 2020 or 2021

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2015 when it posted a score of 0.698. In the past two decades, the improvement in the country’s HDI was only 0.5 while in the past 10 years, it was only 0.33.

U NDP also said new calculations show, for instance, that those feeling most insecure are also more likely to hold extreme political views.

T he country now ranked 116th out of 191 countries with an HDI score of 0.699 out of 1.0. With this ranking, the Philippines remained a country with medium human de velopment.Thecountry also posted the sec ond largest decline in HDI ranking in Southeast Asia. Only Indonesia and Cambodia posted improve ments in their HDI ranking based on 2021 data.

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and more than 40 percent de clined in both years, signaling that the crisis is still deepening forWmany.hilesome countries are begin ning to get back on their feet, recov ery is uneven and partial, further widening inequalities in human development. Latin America, the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have been hit particu larly hard.

T he use of videoconferencing for court proceedings was allowed by the Court at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

These remain important. But we also need to protect the planet and provide people with the tools they need to feel more secure, re gain a sense of control over their lives and have hope for the future,” he

Despite not allocating a single volume of raw sugar for export to the US market, the Philippines continued to receive quota allo cations in fiscal year 2022 and even in the upcoming fiscal year 2023, which starts October 1, from the United States.

T he SRA board has the power to classify the country’s sugar output depending on its destined market: A for the US market, B for the domestic market and D for the world market. A “C” sugar would refer to reserved sugar that could be further reclassified by the SRA board as either A, B, or D.

T he last time that the Philip pines exported raw sugar to the United States was in crop year 2020-2021, with a total volume of 112,008 metric tons commer cial weight (MTCW) out of its total 138,154 MTCW quota.

It is anchored on four guiding principles—timely and fair jus tice, transparent and accountable justice, equal and inclusive jus tice, and technologically adaptive management—and aimed at three outcomes such as efficiency, inno vation, and access.

ITIGANTS may soon experi ence faster and cheaper liti gation as the Supreme Court (SC)  disclosed that the rules on the continuous adoption of video conferencing for court hearings are now being ironed out.

Human development has fallen back to its 2016 levels, reversing much of the progress towards the Sustain able Development Goals (SDGs).

G esmundo said PBA’s support will be valuable since its leaders have also called on members “to embrace technology.”

Badded.asedon the report, the coun try’s HDI score is the lowest since

“ This will all be very helpful in informing [not just] our colleagues in this profession, but our people as well,” he said.

T he report also said life expec tancy at birth in the Philippines is 69.3 years old; expected years of schooling, 13.1 years; mean years of schooling, 9 years; and Gross National Income (GNI) per capita using 2017 purchasing power par ity is at $8,920.

I ncome share of the richest 1 percent in the Philippines, using 2021 data, was at 16.9 percent. In the past decade, the share of income of the poorest 40 percent was 16.1 percent and the share of the rich est 10 percent was 33.5 percent.

The private sector group said the MoU will aid the a dvisory o pinion 2021-06 issued by the National Privacy commission (NPc) in allowing for the sharing of relevant data for purposes of fraud investigations.

PS ac said the agreement forged by the telcos will also intensify the private sector’s anti-fraud initiative by enabling the taking down of malicious sites and phishing links. The private sector group also noted that the telco firms have agreed to create and convene their respective Quick Response Teams (QRT) composed of their own cybersecurity specialists in order to prevent, monitor, report, and resolve cybersecurityUnionBankincidents.chief Information Security o f ficer (c I S o) Joey Rufo, Globe Group c ISo a nton Bonifacio, Smart Senior Vice President (SVP) and Head for Enterprise Joseph Ian G. Gendrano, and c o nverge c I S o Benjamin B. a z ada signed theTheMoUother signatories included UnionBank a nti-Financial c r imes Governance head and PS ac Digital Infrastructure Secretariat Ernesto c Herrera III, Smart c I S o a n gel Redoble, c onverge c h ief Technology o f ficer Paulo Martin Santos, and the respective Data Protection o f ficers of each firm—Smart communications’ l e ah Jimenez and c onverge’s l aurice Tuason.

“We believe that central lu zon will be a viable alternative industrial location outside the c avite–l a guna–Batangas (c ala B a) corridor,” colliers Research a ssociate Director Joey Roi Bondoc said in the company’s latest Market Intelligence report.

“Togetheruda.with our telecommunications partners: Globe, Smart and c onverge, we want the Digital Filipino to be protected from cyber crimes by ensuring that cyber criminals cannot hide behind the anonymity of prepaid numbers and the internet. We will hold them accountable. We want the citizens to be 100 percent Digital. We want a secure Digital Filipino,” a g uda said. a l so present at the MoU signing was Bankers a s sociation of the Philippines (B a P) Managing Director Ben c a stillo.

The systems were used widely during Shanghai’s two-month lockdown earlier this year, with staff at Tesla’s carmaking plant near the city at one point sleeping on the factory floor to keep production moving. companies including apple Inc. supplier Foxconn Technology Group, Volkswagen aG and car parts giant Robert Bosch GmbH have also imposed closed loops at factories in or close to chengdu. Bloomberg News

the Road to IP o 2022, a virtual event aimed at creating awareness about the benefits of IP o listing and the requirements and processes in successfully conducting a maiden share offering to the public. Road to IP o 2022 is scheduled on September 15.

Region-wise, central lu zon was the largest recipient, accounting for around 73 percent or P33.94 billion of overall pledges, followed by central Visayas amounting to P3.94 billion or 8.5 percent, and ca labarzon with P3.7 billion or 8.0 percent.

equitable progress for the nation, there is the potential abuse of these tools in the wrong hands,” PS ac said in its statement. Andrea E. San Juan

‘Foreign investments to spur takeup of industrial space’

lE a P is the bourse’s marketing program focused on assisting interested and potential listing applicants. The program provides handholding guidance to clients via oneon-one advisory sessions, access to online pre-listing assessment tools, and assistance in connecting poten-

First used during the Beijing Winter olympics as a way of keeping athletes and support staff separate from the wider population, closed loops are now being

widely deployed in c h ina as a way of maintaining manufacturing even when a city is locked down. Workers are typically required to live on site, are tested regularly and are barred from contact with outsiders, including family.

stages of an IPo application and advise them on how to comply with the various requirements. a successful IPo will be beneficial to all capital market stakeholders and an IPo undertaken by a well-prepared company will have better chances to succeed.”PSEsaid the l E a P piple consists of companies that are preparing to list on its Main and Small, Medium and Emerging (SME) Board. The companies are in various industries including property, technology and business solutions, food and beverages manufacturing, specialty retailing, agricultural products, mining and materials, among others.

l E a P will be introduced to business owners who will be attending

The city is located in the south of Sichuan province, which has imposed a range of pandemic curbs recently in line with china’s strict covid Zero policy. The 21 million residents of chengdu, the provincial capital some 160 miles to the north, have been locked down for more than a week as authorities try to contain a persistent virus outbreak.

The lE a P partners who are part of the event include BDo capital and Investment corp., BPI capital corp., c hina Bank capital corp., First Metro Investment corp., Investment and capital corp. of the Philippines, PNB capital and Investment corp., RcBc capital corp., SB capital Investment corp. and Unicapital Inc.

The Road to IPo is a key initiative of the PSE in partnership with the Securities and Exchange commission and Department of Trade and Industry.

PSE said three of those that enrolled in the program, which started in the fourth quarter of 2020, have already listed this year.

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“This marks the first course of action of the PSac Digital Infrastructure sector, headed by UnionBank c h ief Technology and o perations of ficer and chief Transformation of ficer Henry a g uda, shortly after it was formed last month,” PSac said in a statement on Saturday.

a n IPo is a milestone specific to each company. a s such, we do not rush the process and allow the companies under lE a P to follow their own pace, with the proper guidance from our team and our pool of financial advisors,” Monzon said.

authorities in Yibin told the city’s some 4.6 million residents to stay at home Friday, amid what they described as a “severe” covid situation.

SMEs keen on going public tap PSE marketing program

“From 2022 to 2024, we see the completion of about 307 hectares (760 acres) of new industrial space in Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales,” Bondoc said. colliers noted that central lu zon is becoming a destination of choice for industrial park development nationwide on the back of its improving infrastructure connectivity and establishment of new industrial spaces in the region, resulting from the rise of more integrated communities. Roderick L. Abad

During the 2022 UnionBank Innovation Festival held at the newly opened UnionBank Innovation c a mpus in San Pedro, l a guna last Friday, executives of UnionBank of the Philippines, Globe Group, Smart c ommunications, and c onverge Ic T Solutions inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU ). a ccording to PS ac the MoU a ims to strengthen cybersecurity and combat financial crimes through Fraud Prevention and Data Sharing Measures.

Telcos to bolster fight against fraud

BusinessMirrorEditor: Jennifer A. Ng

The partner financial advisors of lE a P will also have booths at the Road to IPo 2022 to give attendees the opportunity to ask basic IPo questions and interact with their prospective IPo listing advisors.

HE robust inflow of foreign investments in the second quarter, particularly in the transportation and storage and manufacturing sectors, is expected to drive industrial and warehouse space absorption, according to colliersFromPhilippines.apriltoJune, the approved investment pledges from foreign sources grew 105 percent to P46.2 billion ($889 million), data from the Philippine Statistics authority (PSa) showed. Some P19.3 billion or about 42 percent was pledged for real estate activities. This was followed by transportation and storage (31 percent) at P14.52 billion, and manufacturing (13 percent) at P6.15 billion.

For developers who plan to expand their industrial footprint, colliers told them to explore the opportunities in the region given its skilled manpower and new industrial parks.

By VG Cabuag @villygc

HE world’s biggest maker of batteries for electric cars said its largest plant in china is now operating a factory bubble as the city where it’s located is locked down to comply with Beijing’s zerotolerance pandemic curbs. c ontemporary a mperex Technology c o.’s factory in Yibin has imposed a so-called closed loop system that will enable it to operate “in an orderly manner,” while complying with measures to contain the spread of c o vid, according to a statement late Friday. The battery giant is Tesla’s main lithiumiron-phosphate battery supplier in c h ina, one of the automaker’s most important markets globally.

Companies

The digital infrastructure group of PS ac was formed to provide President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. with practical recommendations to promote wider spread internet access and to advance digitization initiatives.“Whiletechnology and innovation have the power to stimulate

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B1Monday, September 12, 2022

tial clients to seasoned IPo advisors. The services offered under lE a P are free of “Businesscharge. owners looking to raise funds through the stock market may not know where or how to begin their IPo journey or may feel overwhelmed by the process,” PSE president and cEo Ramon S. Monzon“Undersaid. our lE a P program, we guide them through the various

Executive officials of the local telcos in the country shared industry insights to kickstart these digitization initiatives. The members of the PS ac Digital Infrastructure group are Globe Group President and c E o Ernest c u , Smart and Pl D T President and c E o a l fredo S. Panlilio, and c onverge c E o and c o -Founder Dennis a nthony Uy. The digital infrastructure group is headed by UnionBank c h ief Technology and o p erations o f ficer Henry a g

The Philippine Stock exchange Inc. (PSe) said some 37 potential initial public offerings (IPO) from mostly small and medium sized firms have taken part in its Listing engagement and Assistance Program or LeAP.

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Under the recently signed MoU the private sector group said all telcos have committed to create a framework to share relevant data to profile fraudsters abusing technology and victimizing Filipinos without requiring a very lengthy court order to extract information about fraudsters.

Tesla’s battery supplier operating under Covid restrictions

ocal telecommunication players (telcos) have agreed to strengthen cybersecurity and combat financial crimes amid growing fraud concerns, according to the digital infrastructure arm of the Private Sector advisory council (PSac).

“Cool Minds, Brave Hearts: The People of the Philippine Central Bank” is available for purchase to the public. For inquires, contact the BSP Store or e-mail address bspstore@ bsp.gov.ph.

tions recorded were from 4Ps Pantawid CCT beneficiaries receiving their social grants from the government.

“So, obviously, there is very little passthrough, especially since sugary drinks use imported bottler’s grade sugar; the wholesale price of which is just P20 per kilogram.”TheHouse leader also said the Congress also wants to see whether it will really have an impact on obesity.

Last September 9, the Department of Health announced it is pushing for higher taxes on sweetened beverages and “junk food” or non-nutritious food.

House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Salceda said that the committee will study the impact, especially since revenue collection has already flat-lined to the P32 billion to P35 billion per year mark.

real time, including crediting to partner merchants’ RCBC settlement accounts.

Sin Tax Reform laws—Republic Act (RA) 11346 and RA 11467 along with certain T R AI n provisions—imposed higher excise taxes on cigarettes, heated tobacco products, vapor products and alcoholic beverages.

It became vital during the pandemic to track and trace people to prevent the spread of the virus. It wasn’t immediate, but governments eventually came together to standardize testing, impose travel restrictions, and develop and distribute vaccines.

The company said the terminals are deployed to about 1,000 merchants spread across 81 provinces, making RCBC having the most extensive reach using these handheld devices. The lender said its device even services geographically-isolated areas.

Book gathers BSP chiefs to celebrate CB history

“In reviewing its policy and disciplinary procedures, the PRC should focus its regulatory function on undesirable acts arising from the exercise of the professions,” Laguesma said.“Every regulation should pass the test of reasonableness and should not be used to penalize professionals simply because of their socio-economic circumstances,” he added.

Salceda said he’s already preparing a bill on higher taxes on vape products, “especially now that global jurisprudence already acknowledges the harm in vaping.”“Itisnow acknowledged in courts abroad that vaping has harms. So, there is an impetus to further discourage consumption there,” he said. Salceda added that the committee will also study cigarette and alcohol taxation levels.

“This book is just scratching the surface of a mountain of rich material that is the stories of the people who work at the central bank,” Landingin was quoted in a statement as saying.

TEACHERS and other professionals with pending administrative cases due to debts can now renew their professional identification cards without being tagged by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

BACk

The BSP has been working on several bilateral agreements to expand relations with neighboring countries’ centralEarlierbanks.this year, BSP governor Felipe Medalla said that the BSP is currently working with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Bank negara Malaysia (BnM) in establishing bilateral linkages between Philippines’s InstaPay with Singapore’s Paynow and Malaysia’s Duitnow.

hospitals for isolation and treatment, would make populations resilient to future pandemics. Stricter livestock guidelines are frequently being introduced, and proactive monitoring of the health status of animals and birds in poultry and livestock farms and markets is helping to identify new viruses. Building codes and construction regulations have been introduced to handle pandemic threats.

“The better approach there might be to restrict sales in schools where children have greater access to them.”

“Definitely, my office will pursue more regulation; taxation aside. Definitely, we are going for a ban on sugary drinks in public and private grade schools,” Salceda said.

“It seems that global best practices that really work are closer to regulation than taxation, especially on salt levels,” he added citing the Singapore model. Salceda explained that model “is industry and government working together to lower salt levels in food.”

The national Book Development

Through personal essays from current and former BSP officials and comprehensive profiles of central bank governors, the book pays tribute to the institution’s storied past by retelling how the central monetary authority and financial system supervisor delivered on its mandates since its founding in 1949.

“Again, we will consider all proposals and all counter-arguments, including illicit trade, jobs losses, inflationary impact, as well as what works in other countries. In principle, the committee believes in health taxes, especially to fund universal health care,” he said.

access to financial services anywhere in the country,” said Lito Villanueva, RCBC executive vice president and chief innovation and inclusion officer.

Solons to consider DOH’s proposal to raise ‘sin tax’

The excerpt was taken from the KPMG Thought Leadership publication: mediamgmla@kpmg.com,thememberPhilippinelimitedtracing-and-regulating-your-health.html.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2022/08/tracking-https://home.KPMGIntl.Ltd.isaprivateEnglishcompanybyguarantee.InthePhilippines,ithasthepartnershipR.G.Manabat&Co.asafirm.FormoreinformationonKPMGinPhilippines,youmaysendanemailtoph-kp-sendusamessageonsocialorvisit

“This will provide not only teachers but also other professionals immediate relief,” Labor and Employment Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma was quoted in a statement as saying.MO44 barred professionals from “renewing their licenses with PRC for purportedly having unpaid debts,”

PRC Commissioner Erwin M. Enad said they are now considering tagging teachers only after their adjudication instead of when they are summoned.Laguesma said he supports the amendment of the said policy since it could affect the livelihood of the affected teachers.

THE House Committee on Ways and Means will consider the proposals of the Department of Health to raise excise tax rates on socalled “sin” products, including sweetened beverages, cigarettes, alcohol and novel tobacco products like “vape.”

Tracking, tracing and regulating your health

MEDICAL and well-being initiatives have seen tremendous advancements in the wake of modern technologies, efficient care delivery, and significant biomedical research breakthroughs.

By VG Cabuag @villygc

The MOU is set to provide an opportunity for the BSP to expand and strengthen bilateral relations with central bank partners in the Central Asia region. The MOU affirms the commitment of both central banks to strengthen cooperation and to establish an arrangement for the

www.home.kpmg/ph.

Singapore model SALCEDA, however, said the committee is not inclined towards a “junk food” tax.

grassroots-based sachet banking has always been at the core of RCBC’s inclusive innovations. We are on track in doubling the number of our partner merchants and terminals deployed in the next couple of months as our commitment towards empowering mSMEs as merchants as well as enabling underbanked Filipinos with easy and secure

ATM go accepts all Bancnet cardholders making the service available to any bank-issued prepaid or debit cards to do transactions such as cash deposit and withdrawal, balance inquiry, bills payment and e-load purchase.

“We will still study taxes on junk food; but we lean towards regulation rather thanThetaxation.”lawmaker also said that the committee is still open to higher taxes on cigarettes, alcohol and novel tobacco products such as “vape.”

Perspectives

This Friday, september 2, 2022, photo shows BsP Governor Felipe M. Medalla (front row, middle) being joined by (front row, from left) former Monetary Board Member and Prime Minister Cesar E. Virata and former MBM Fe Barin; (second row, from left) former BsP Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr., former Central Bank of the Philippines Governor Jaime C. Laya, author Roel Landingin, former BsP Governor and now Finance secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, former CBP Governor Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr., and Mrs. Maria Teresita F. Espenilla representing late former BsP Governor Nestor A. Espenilla Jr.; (from the left third row) MBM Peter B. Favila, MBM Anita Linda R. Aquino, and former MBM Juan de Zuniga Jr.; (from the left top row) BsP Deputy Governor Chuchi G. Fonacier, former MBM Armando L. suratos, BsP Deputy Governor Francisco G. Dakila Jr., and BsP Deputy Governor Eduardo G. Bobier.

PRC stops ‘utang tagging’ of debt-saddled teachers

AI and wearable devices have long been a staple in advanced countries. They are also now easier to access in developing ones, a critical development in alerting authorities to potential health issues before they spread and generate broad and costly damage. We also see an increase in cross-border data and recordssharing regarding people’s health to help researchers analyze trends and develop solutions before people suffer from medical crisis.

exchange of information, capacity building, and research in key areas of central banking, the BSP said.

IZAL Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) announced it has deployed more than 1,400 ATM go terminals to cover the entire Philippines.

BSP inks deal to solidify relations with Kyrgyz CB

BAngkO

Banking&Finance

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) announced that it has inked a partnership with the national Bank of kyrgyz Republic (nBkR) to strengthen bilateral relations.TheBSP over the weekend said the two central banks have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation in the Field of Central Banking Activities.

“We will definitely consider the proposals for higher taxes on sweetened beverages. It might help reduce overall sugar demand and help us manage the supply deficit and reduce the need to import,” said Salceda (Albay, 2nd District). “It seems like there is space, especially since sugary drinks increased prices year-on-year by just 3.9 percent lastTheAugust.”lawmaker cited official statistics as showing that sugar prices increased 26 percent over the same period.

Over the next nine years, the world’s largest economies joined the initiative, working closely together either regionally or globally to prevent similar healthcare crises.

Today, significant measures are being taken to reduce global healthcare disparities amongst minorities and in rural and regional areas, with diagnoses of abnormal diseases and viruses now being reported regularly to a global governing body.

By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

Why did this happen?

Sin tax laws have facilitated P85 billion into government’s coffers from 2018 to 2021.

Last Sunday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced PRC suspended the provision of its Memorandum Order (MO) 44, which tags professionals with pending loan-related administrativeThecases.PRC is an attached agency of DOLE.

It seemed reasonable to assume an overhaul of the medical health infrastructures, including pandemicready medical halls and portable field

Onboarding partner merchants do not require initial capital or expense for the use of the ATM go terminal and data connection as these are provided by RCBC for free. All transactions are

R

As of end-August, ATM go recorded transactional volume of more than P6.2 billion, growing 32 percent from last year. The lender said it also recorded transaction count at over 2 million, also recording 43-percent growth from last year. More than 60 percent of transac-

ers since their license should be a different matter from their loan case,” the lawmaker said during a budget hearing last week. Castro called for the scrapping of MO 44.

RCBC said it has also facilitated the digital disbursements of over P20 billion in social grants to more than 5 million household beneficiaries benefitting about 30 million individuals. Through the years, RCBC ATM go has continuously seen sustained double-digit revenue growth and a compound annual growth rate at 85 percent, the bank said.

Sentral ng Pilipinas governor Felipe M. Medalla, together with four former central bank chiefs, recently led the celebration of the BSP’s rich history as told in the book, “Cool Minds, Brave Hearts: The People of the Philippine CentralFormerBank.”governors Benjamin E. Diokno, Amando M. Tetangco Jr., Jose L. Cuisia Jr., and Jaime C. Laya joined the celebration held at the BSP head office in Manila with author Roel Landingin on September 2, 2022.“Asthe book showcases the BSP’s tapestry of trials and triumphs, we aim to bring into the consciousness of every Filipino our inspiring journey that shaped and sharpened the contours of the Philippine economy and financial system over the years,” said BSP governor Medalla.

Along the way, countries have implemented their own guidelines and are now regulating their citizens to encourage them to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to prevent severe and debilitating diseases and illnesses that significantly strain health systems and budgets. And therein lies the problem that some have long called the “Big Brother of patientHavemonitoring.”governments pushed the boundaries too far regarding preventative health initiatives? Where does one draw the line between tracking health and controlling an individual’s lifestyle? And what role are pharmaceutical companies playing in enforcing such regulations to drive profits?

in 2021, amidst the COV ID-19 pandemic, the U k and the US agreed to form a new partnership to fight the future existence of a pandemic and tackle international health inequalities.

When the first wearable technology was released to the world, it was promoted as a life-enhancing product that would eventually monitor all aspects of your health. Smart bio-devices are now implanted into our skins and are continuously tracking us on an everyday basis. now that people can track their health at the swipe of their skin, some are questioning how their health is being monitored and whether it is restricting their freedom of choice when it comes to theirEvenhealth.though there are concerns about data, privacy and individual health freedoms, wearable healthcare technology is continually offering possibilities in treating medical conditions, with digital developments helping to improve people’s well-being and quality of life. Privacy watchdogs say the emergency powers and extreme measures implemented shortly after the pandemic must be carefully watched lest they bring about the most significant loss of liberty the world has ever seen.

CREDIT: BSP

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

The lawmaker has already formed a study group with civil society and government agencies on the matter “to craft ideal rates and taxation design.”

There is also an increase in joint projects between governments and other sectors to reduce the price of bio-devices and provide support to older citizens. Yet, access to healthcare is still impacted by racial, ethnic, and cultural differences that are often overlooked concerning their role in medicalCulturalcare.impediments like language barriers most prominently affect access to healthcare, but family roles, belief differences, and diverse political mindsets remain obstacles to implementing a global approach to healthcare business and research.

BusinessMirror Editor: Dennis D. Estopace • Monday, September 12, 2022 B3www.news.businessmirror@gmail.com

according to the DOLE. PRC Acting Chairman Jose Y. Cueto Jr. said the suspension will remain in effect pending their review of their disciplinary procedures for teachers with debt-related complaints.Exempted from the suspension are professionals, whose authority to practice was suspended or revoked through a final and executory order, decision, or resolution of the Board of Commission.”ThePRCmade the decision after ACT Teachers Party-List representative France L. Castro flagged the so-called “utang-tagging” (loan tagging) policy by the agency-in-charge of the professional sector for such teachers.Castro condemned the policy, which she said has been in effect for several years and affected hundreds of teachers.“Thisshould not be done to teach-

Further barriers include a distrustful society fighting back against governmental regulations and monitoring, with great debate over what is deemed ethical and unethical. As these struggles continue, it’s interesting to note that the population at large is slowly becoming healthier and placing less strain on health systems and tax Supportersdollars.of existing, apparently successful preventative healthcare measures insist regulation of international data privacy and usage has been safely implemented. Whether they can bring the general public on board with that assessment remains to be seen.

Aside from regular ATM services that require ATM cards, ATM go terminals now allow card-less withdrawals using RCBC banking apps such as RCBC Digital andTheDiskarTech.Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has set its twin outcomes under the Digital Payments Transformation Roadmap, that is, converting at least half of retail financial transactions to digital, and at least 70 percent of Filipino adults to have transaction accounts by the end of 2023.

Potential impact

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

Board and the Manila Critics Circle awarded the publication with a nat ional Book Award (Best Book on Professions) last July 2022.

ATM go is a digital-based financial service for remote and unbanked communities all over the country. The Philippines’ first neighborhood ATM enables partner merchants such as cooperatives, microfinance institutions, rural banks, sari sari stores, pawnshops, money service business, supermarkets and other micro small enterprises to offer the services in their respective communities. These partner merchants earn incremental income from transaction fees.

Through bilateral cooperation, the BSP and nBk R can leverage on each other’s approaches and methodologies in the areas of internal audit, corporate governance, and risk management, among others, it added.

Besides, Salceda said, defining what junk food is will definitely be a challenge.

RCBC: Handheld ATM Go terminals cover entire PHL

“If we are going to have one na tion under God, which we must, w e have to have one religion. One

The AP and “Frontline” found that Flynn has endorsed 99 candidates for the 2022 election cycle. At least 80% have publicly spread lies or sown doubt about Trump’s 2020 loss, or participated in efforts to overturn the election, the AP and “Frontline” found. About two dozen of the candidates were at the Capi tol on January 5-6, 2021. One-third h ave served in the military. At least 38 have used Christian nationalist rhetoric.More than 40 of Flynn’s en dorsements were for candidates

A dozen gubernatorial candi dates won Flynn’s backing, includ ing nominees Dan Cox in Maryland a nd Doug Mastriano in Pennsylva nia. Both organized buses to take p eople to Washington for what turned out to be the siege at the Capitol on January 6.

Flynn was a leader of the “Stop the Steal” effort to overturn the re sults of the 2020 presidential elec tion that Trump lost to Democrat J oe Biden. Flynn sat in the front row at a rally near the White ho use on January 6, 2021, when thenPresident Trump urged his sup porters to march on the Capitol.

The AP and “Frontline” spoke with dozens of people, reviewed campaign finance records, cor porate and charity filings, social m edia posts and similar opensource information, and attended several public events where Flynn appeared. Reporters examined doz ens of Flynn’s speeches, interviews a nd public appearances.

Flynn’s events.

A ssociated Press writers Richard Lardner, Eric Tucker, Helen Wief fering and Aaron Kessler, photogra pher Carolyn Kaster and “Frontline” p roducers Richard Rowley and Paul Abowd contributed to this report. Explainer

Michael Flynn: FroM Dc insiDer to holy warrior

made baseless claims of election fraud after they lost in the pri maries.Flynn and his allies have sug gested he wants to get back into g overnment. Some Flynn critics worry the growing influence that flows from the network he’s build ing may help him get there.

I n the years since, Flynn has tra versed the United States, trying to a ssemble his own political support.

Financing election denial

F Ly N N h as become involved in well-financed groups that advo cate changes to the way elections a re run, based on the false premise there is widespread voting fraud.

F lynn often says the country is in the midst of a “spiritual war” and that many of his fellow citi zens are “evil.”

AP/C A rolyn K A s ter

Flynn was named chairman of America’s Future Inc., one of the country’s oldest conservative non profit groups. It had about $3 mil lion in assets at the end of 2020, and F lynn told the AP and “Frontline” in February that he had raised an estimated $1.7 million since be coming chairman.

nation under God, and one religion under God, right?” he said.

AT T en dees raise their hands as they worship inside the tent during the ReAwaken America tour at Cornerstone Church, in Batavia, new York, Friday, August 12, 2022. speaking at the event, Michael Flynn, former national security adviser to former President donald Trump, is trying to build a movement centered on Christian nationalist ideas, where Christianity is at the center of American life and institutions. AP/C A rolyn K A s ter

Takeaways from the investigation: A foundation of Christian nationalist ideas

99 endorsements

The America Project’s leader ship has said it has given millions more to “grassroots organizations” around the country. Campaign fi nance records show it has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to various political groups. It also launched an initiative in several states to mobilize and train poll watchers and precinct captains, and to drive get-out-the-vote efforts.

Flynn himself sat down for a rare on-camera interview with what he calls the mainstream media.

Flynn and Patrick Byrne, found er of Overstock.com , l ast year launched The America Project. The group said it planned to spend $50 million in the 2021 budget year, ac cording to a filing with North Caro lina charity regulators. Its leaders t old AP that it had spent tens of millions less than that.

The initiative has raised alarm bells with pro-democracy advo cates.

At one fundraiser, a preacher prayed over Flynn, saying America would stay a Christian nation and that Flynn was “heavy armaments” in the Lord’s quiver. At the Chris tian Patriot’s Rally at a church in N orthern California, Flynn was presented with an assault-style rifle on stage. In Virginia in July, he said pastors “need to be talk ing about the Constitution from t he pulpit as much as the Bible.” In Texas last November, Flynn told a crowd “this is a moment in time where this is good versus evil.”

Flynn, a retired army lieutenant general and onetime national security adviser to President Donald Trump, has been systematically building a political movement based on christian nationalist ideas.

Mi C h Ael FlY n n, a retired three-star general who served as Trump's national security adviser, speaks on stage during the ReAwaken America tour at Cornerstone Church, in Batavia, new York, Friday, August 12, 2022. Thousands of people gathered to hear his message that the nation is facing an existential threat, and to save it, his supporters must act. AP/C A rolyn K A s ter MAn is baptized during the ReAwaken America tour at Cornerstone Church, in Batavia, new York, Friday, August 12,

F Ly N N made more than 60 inperson speeches in 24 states, ac cording to a count by the AP and

Some Flynn-backed candidates

T he thread of Christian na tionalism runs through many of

B4 www.businessmirror.com.phBusinessMirrorMonday, September 12, 2022

By Michelle R. Smith | The Associated Press

“ They dress like us and they talk like us, but they don’t think and act like us,” he told a podcaster recently. “And they definitely do not want what it is that we want.”

A

2022. AP/C A rolyn K A s ter

Mi C h Ael FlY n n Jr. talks to people as he sits at the merchandise booth for his father, a retired threestar general who served as Trump's national security adviser, during the ReAwaken America tour at Cornerstone Church, in Batavia, new York, saturday, August 13, 2022. The elder Michael Flynn has drawn together election deniers, mask and vaccine opponents, insurrectionists, Proud Boys, and elected officials and leaders in state and local Republican parties. Along the way, AP and Frontline documented, Flynn and his companies have earned hundreds of thousands of dollars.

s eeking state or even local posts. h e e ndorsed candidates for the state legislature in Michigan, Ohio, Arizona, Florida, Texas and Missouri. In Arizona, Michigan, California and Colorado, he gave his approval to candidates for secretary of state, a position that typically involves the administra tion of elections.

T he two groups have spent mil lions on election-related endeav ors, including a misinformationd riven review of the 2020 presiden tial election results commissioned b y Arizona Republicans.

Frontline.” h e often asserts that the United States was founded on Judeo-Christian values. The bed rock, he warns, is crumbling.

Michael

An investigation by The As sociated Press and the PBS se ries “Frontline” found that Flynn h as used public appearances to energize voters, made politi cal endorsements to build alli ances and amassed a network of n onprofit groups to advance the movement. Along the way, Flynn and his companies have earned hundreds of thousands of dollars for his efforts.

Christian nationalism seeks to merge the identity of Christians and Americans, and pushes the idea that the United States was founded on biblical principles and has a favored relationship with a Christian God, said Samuel Perry, a sociologist at the University of Oklahoma, who studies conserva tive Christianity and politics.

prioritize Ipo Watershed as 96% of Metro Manila’s water supply comes from Ipo Water shed. Knowing that one of the most densely populated areas in the country is heavily reli ant on one area has reinforced that there is a strong need for reforestation.Inthesame way that Metro Manila heavily relies on Ipo

We are devoting a special column each month to answer our readers’ questions about public relations. Please send your questions or com ments to askipraphil@gmail.com.

Marketers cannot run their email campaigns alone. Email ser vice providers (ESPs) are required to run massive campaigns—those targeting hundreds to even mil lions of customers. These ESPs provide contact database man agement, segmentation, person alization, automation, tracking, unsubscribe management, and email and landing page creation. Examples of ESPs are Mailchimp and Hubspot.

HAVING these digital platforms is not necessarily a death knell for so-called traditional media. There are campaigns now that run almost solely on digital, but there are programs that still re quire the more traditional media types. The same way online pub lications have not killed newspa pers (yet), digital and traditional can co-exist and provide better coverage for many communica tors and marketers.

One of the most important things to consider is consumer behavior and media consump tion. Where are your audiences getting their information and media fix? Do they have access to the platforms you would like to use? Access includes device and connectivity. Do they know how to use your chosen platform, par ticularly digital? Do your research before deciding on the channels that you will use.

n Email and automation marketing

n Paid search or pay per click (PPC)

you’ve left some items in your cart without checking out, I’m al most absolutely sure that you’ve received an email prompting you to: “Check out now! Stocks are running out!” Email marketing campaigns are typically used to convert customers to a sale and to gain brand loyalty.

On the flipside of SEO is paid search or PPC, which, as its name implies requires marketers to pay for clicks from an interested audience. If you’ve noticed your search results on Google, some of them appear with an “Ad” icon right beside the site link or URL. These are the ones that appear on the very top of search results. Your ads appear to people who are actively looking for your brand, product, or service. As these us ers are already actively searching for what you’re offering, there is a high chance of conversion when they see your web site on the top of their search results.

n Web site optimization

work that they do. With their “A Tumbler For Tomorrow” campaign, you are not only purchasing a tumbler, but you are also donating to the cause and helping spread awareness. Find out more about this campaign by clicking here. Follow CBTL on Facebook, In stagram, and LinkedIn or vist their website.

TradigiTal:ThebesTofboThworlds

Part Two

If you have a credit card, bank account, or online shopping plat form account, you are very fa miliar with marketing emails. Notice how many emails you get from online shopping platforms in the run-up to double days (did you splurge on any 9/9 sales last week?) and paydays? Or if

n Organic search or search engine optimization (SEO)

BusinessMirror Marketing Monday, September 12, 2022 B5www.businessmirror.com.ph

I

The most popularly known pillar is on-page optimization, where the right keywords are placed in the right positions on a page’s content to increase its searchabil ity. Technical optimization has to do with the site itself, outside of the content: site speed, mobile friendliness, and security through migration to HTTPS. Off-page optimization is mainly driven by backlinks, or other sites linking to your site, thus building your site’s reputation.

hard work of forest rangers. In light of this, coffee shop chain The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf got a glimpse of the life of a forest ranger when they visited Mt. Balagbag at Ipo Watershed, Rizal. This was made possible by Philippine Parks & Biodiver sity and Eco Explorations. In the team’s visit, they discovered how crucial it is to

Watershed, Ipo Watershed’s reforestation also heavily re lies on our forest rangers. The work that they do is not only difficult but can also be dan gerous.This is why CBTL focus es on helping and spreading awareness that to attain suc cessful reforestation we must care for the rangers and the

An optimized web site provides an environment that’s conducive for visitors to engage with the content there. The design and the content of your site will depend on your objectives for setting it up: for awareness and interest (also called a portfolio or bro chure site), for generating leads, or for e-commerce. Optimizing your web site means getting rid of these friction points: confusing navigation, slow checkout process (for e-commerce sites), unclear or no benefits to converting, and slow web site.

The general concept is similar to your traditional TV commer cials, but instead of targeting the mass market, display ads are highly targeted to your desired au dience segments. I’m sure you’ve experienced this: while browsing a web site or watching videos on YouTube, you eerily get a very rel evant ad. Maybe you’re not in the market yet for that product or ser vice, but it’s something that you actually have use for and have the potential to buy. This is because of display advertising’s targeting ca pabilities. Your ads can be placed onto thousands of web sites and even mobile apps. These ads will be shown side-by-side with con tent relevant to your offering, to audiences whose characteristics and behaviors you’ve identified yourself. Two of the most popular providers of display ad solutions are Google Display Network and Facebook.

n Content marketing

This is one of the most impor tant channels that you can use, as this can drive your whole inbound marketing strategy. Content al lows audiences to learn more about your brand: your values, your solu tions, your entire universe. Good content will tell them what your product or service can do to solve their problems. It is also a great way for you to make your brand relatable to your target market, to create a relationship with them. Your content strategy will impact all stages of the buyer’s journey, so make sure you are prepared to provide content that they can re late to, wherever they may be in their journey.

Budget is another key consid eration. Placing an ad on TV or a national broadsheet is cost-pro hibitive. For some brands though, these placements are unavoidable.

PR Matters

If you do not have much advertis ing budget, shifting your spend to digital may be more cost-efficient. Placements can complement each other, too, if you have cash to burn. For example, the launch of a TV ad can be accompanied by a digital campaign that can prompt viewer action—taking advantage of a now-common behavior of si multaneously viewing from mul tipleKnow-howscreens. is also important. Do you have a team who can maxi mize the use of certain platforms, particularly digital ones? It’s not necessary to have this knowledge in-house, as there are agencies that can run these omnichannel campaigns for you. Just prepare to fork over a fairly significant amount, not just to pay your agency, but to ensure optimal media

Using them together

PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier organization for PR professionals around the world. Abigail L. Ho-Torres is AVP and Head of Customer Experience of Maynilad Water Services, Inc. She spent more than a decade as a business journal ist before making the leap to the cor porate world.

n Social media marketing

Bran D & B US i n ESS: Th E CO ffE E B E a n & T E a L E a f S T r E ng T h E nS CO m mi Tm E n T TO r E f O r E STaT i O n MANILA, themostWhattoforestationPHILIPPINES—Reisoftenthoughtmeanjustplantingseeds.mostdon’tknowisthatoftheprocessrequiresexpertiseandconstant

N last week’s column, we got a dose of the very basic things you need to know as you prepare to use digital platforms for your commu nication. As with any campaign, you don’t just throw everything in, including the kitchen sink. Considering how scarce financial resources are and how much clutter there is in the online space, com municators and marketers have to be smart about their strategies, which include platform choices. Here are the digital channels that marketers and communica tors can use to reach their audi ences.

This is used to drive awareness and interest—or top-of-funnel buyer’s journey points—in your brand, product, or service. Mar keters use social platforms to show content and create social engagement that will influence these top-of-funnel activities. Through social media market ing, brands can build relation ships with their publics, leverage organic feedback through social listening, offer positive customer experience via instant and genu ine feedback, and build the brand story through content.

FREEPIK.COMSTORIESBYDESIGNED

n Display advertising

Simply put, this exercise en tails making your brand, product, or service more discoverable on search engines without having to place ads or pay for clicks. Contrary to popular belief, however, SEO goes beyond just using the right keywords. SEO or organic search has three pillars: technical, onpage, and off-page optimization.

Andbuys.donot forget your objec tives. What outcomes do you want to see from this campaign? These will dictate your spend, your plat form, and your metrics.

By Abigail L. Ho-Torres

of its digital transformation through the offering of its products and services online. This transformation allowed CLIB to reach an untapped market that stands to benefit most from affordable and accessible insurance products.

Walk the aisles of love at Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino’s Pacific Grand Ballroom Exhibition Hall from September 23 to 25, 2022.

Visit this link for more information: https:// bit.ly/CWE-FBevent. To register, kindly refer to the following Exhibitors-links: https://forms.gle/ NFYuj5kzbqc3L5gT7; Participants - https://forms. gle/hBM6Bw3A4LW1Q3ur9

Goodness that Melts your Heart WITH this understanding of consumers’ needs for snacking, Cadbury Dairy Milk launched a new campaign last August 2022 in line with the

brand’s goal to inspire goodness in Filipinos. Supported by a lighthearted and poignant TVC, the brand aims to remind Filipinos that the unselfish act of kindness and generosity in reaching out makes both them and the other person feel good, as inspired by the softness and deliciousness of Cadbury Dairy Milk.

Showcasing nothing less than world class talents and couture pieces all in one stage, this year’s event also features “Gugma - Weddings at Waterfront” a bridal fashion show featuring the works of 25 local artists in collaboration

On its seventh year, the Singaporebased award honors exceptional insurance companies in Asia that deliver outstanding initiatives, products, and solutions to its clients.

To learn more about Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance, visit www.cebuanalhuillier.com.ph

FROM LEFT , Jonathan Batangan, First Vice President and Group Head for Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Brokers Inc. and Jean Henri Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO.

Shoe donations from SM Store’s Share Shoes

For children who have mostly gone to school barefoot or in slippers, a pair of shoes not only encourages them to continue going to school but also instills in them self-confidence. World Vision Philippines Resource Development Director Jun Godornes attests to this, saying that shoes from the Program will greatly boost the morale of the school children of World Vision. He added that Share Shoes will help ease the many challenges facing kids and their families with the resumption of face-to-face classes this school year.

CLIB bags Domestic Broker of the Year award at Insurance Asia Awards 2022

the rewards and loyalty program of SM. Through SMAC’s online donation platform www.smac.ph, it enabled customers to transfer SMAC points to the Share Shoes program from May 15, 2022 to July 31, 2022.

Monday, September 12, 2022B6

As the biggest department store chain in the country and through its employee volunteers, SM Store leverages its network to help Filipinos from cities to even last-mile communities. Aside from the children of Diasan in Isabela, Share Shoes has reached beneficiaries in Metro Manila, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Clark, Cabanatuan, La Union, Dagupan, Baguio, Tarlac, Laguna, Zambales, Malolos, Lipa, San Pablo, Lucena, and Puerto Princesa in Luzon; Bacolod and Iloilo in the Visayas; and Zamboanga, Davao and General Santos in Mindanao.

Celebrate inclusivity with a deaf awareness, basic sign language seminar this month at Overdoughs

Waterfront Cebu City Hotel to host most awaited Cebu Wedding Expo 2022 after two-year break

LAUNCHED in 2018, Share Shoes promotes the culture of purposeful giving by providing shoes to kids who need them most. SM Store customers donate new or pre-loved shoes in exchange for

WO years after its transformation into an insurance brokerage firm, Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Brokers Inc. (CLIB) bagged the Domestic Broker of the Year – Philippines award at the Insurance Asia Awards 2022. CLIB’s initiative in offering its products in the digital space was also recognized as it also won the Insurtech Initiative of the Year.

THIS year, SM Store introduced a new way of sharing shoes in partnership with SMAC,

HE month of September is a significant month for those who are deaf. The World Health Organization celebrates International Week of Deaf People from September 19 to 25 with the theme “Building Inclusive Communities for All.” Within that week, on September 23, the world will be

This year’s theme is “Starry Starry Night.” Through this, organizers want those who are getting married to convey the message that the sky's the limit when it comes to envisioning their big day. The goal is to also instill a feeling of importance and to remind guests that the couple’s big day will be all about them amidst all the glitter and glamor this event holds.

with Cary Santiago. Through this, models will be walking the runway wearing none other than these designers’ stunning pieces — also something guests can look forward to as they envision themselves walking the runway of their lives. The organizers have also partnered with Dia Gold, home to the latest trend and exquisite unique designs of diamond jewelry products.

Be prepared to be captivated by the biggest wedding event: Cebu Wedding Expo 2022. As one of the grandest events of the year, we want to be able to promote more than just accessibility, having everyone get the chance to engage with their possible wedding organizers, suppliers, and partners to envision one of the biggest and most memorable days of their lives.

FILIPINOS are genuinely kind and generous, but due to their differences, it’s easier for them to do nothing, detach themselves, and build barriers around each other. However, Cadbury Dairy Milk wishes to inspire Filipinos to reach out and share meaningful moments with others through its smooth and creamy chocolate goodness. Cadbury believes true generosity lies in this act of reaching out and showing a little softness in order to make goodness happen.

“Our children here at Asociacion de Damas Filipinas are among the urban poor,” said Beth Florido, ADF Executive Director. “We have programs to keep them out of the streets and help them focus on their studies and development. It matters to us that with every donation that we get, these fit the needs of our community.”

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Diasan, a remote farming community in Echague, Isabela, elementary students would walk more than an hour in bare feet or in slippers over rough terrain each day just to go to school.

The Insurtech Initiative of the Year award also recognizes CLIB’s acceleration

Be more deaf aware this month of September as Overdoughs, the company that employees deaf partners, is organizing “A Deaf Awareness and Basic Filipino Sign Language (FSL) seminar” on September 13 and 27, 2022 from 4 pm to 5:30 pm at the Overdoughs Café in Promenade, Greenhills.

With the continuous collaborations and partnerships with reliable and reputable insurance providers, CLIB has been able to expand its roster of services. Its current portfolio has a total of more than 150 products from personal, life, health, vehicle, and business and liability insurance, which are being offered across Cebuana Lhuillier’s over 3,000 branches nationwide, as well as other CLIB platforms and distribution partners.

Together with this new campaign, the brand is releasing new and limited-edition decorative sleeves to adorn its various chocolate variants. They don’t only look good but also encourage consumers to reach out and melt someone’s heart by sharing a delicious chocolate bar with their loved ones. As a bonus for e-shoppers, Cadbury Dairy Milk has an exclusive free tote with every minimum purchase of P500 of any Mondelēz participating products on Shopee and Lazada! Check it out and check out today on Lazada and “Chocolate,Shopee.like Cadbury Dairy Milk has come to mean so much more to people, especially in light of the past two years of the pandemic,” shares Raf Baradas, Cadbury Dairy Milk Brand Manager. “In the face of such confusion and hardness in the world, we seek familiar, simple and yet comforting things to help us reach out and make something good happen. We want to expand the role of our brand from being something you enjoy, to something you share to create enjoyment for others. After all, we could all benefit from a little generosity, a little softness and a little chocolate in our days and Cadbury Dairy Milk is here to support that.”

its services using different apps and forging strategic partnerships with various online platforms. As an insurance brokerage offering a variety of affordable insurance products, CLIB was able to bridge the protection gap during the pandemic through digital payment aggregators, e-commerce, banking apps, the insurance marketplace, and online banking platforms,” added Anthony Lou Bernabe, CLIB Interim Group Head.

Its web-based app ProtectNow acts as a one-stop insurance shop, allowing clients to compare the lowest prices of insurance offerings, monitor their insurance policies and claims in real-time and aggregate the best possible insurance options for home, auto, travel, and family ins

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Tons of perks await you, apart from having everything you’ll ever need to plan your big day all in one place. Guests can come and book on the spot and get a hold of exclusive deals!

celebrating International Day of Sign Languages with the theme “Sign Languages Unite Us.”

Organized in partnership with Hand and Heart, the workshop aims to help participants gain a more thorough understanding of the deaf culture and to empower individuals to communicate more with Overdoughs’ friendly and capable deaf partners and other members of the deaf community.

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discounts, which they can use to shop in any SM Store branch nationwide.

T last, Cebu welcomes back the mostanticipated bridal fair after a two-year pandemic hiatus. This 2022, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino enchants exhibitors and participants to make their vows.

“Since the pandemic started in 2020, CLIB showcased its innovations by digitizing

“Weuncertainty.arehonored to be recognized by an internationally acclaimed award-giving body like Insurance Asia Awards. This is a strong testament to our commitment of providing excellent insurance products to our kababayans that they can rely on during the most challenging of times. Guided by our mission of financial inclusion, we will remain steadfast in our commitment to serve our clients by continuously innovating our products and services,” says Jean Henri Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier president and CEO.

Through the accumulated SMAC points and shoe donations from partner organizations Richwell Phils. Inc. Group of Companies, the leading distributor and manufacturer of branded children’s products, and Under Armour Philippines, an international sports apparel and equipment brand, Share Shoes will distribute 10,000 pairs of shoes to the beneficiaries World Vision Philippines in Malabon, Baseco in Manila, Quezon City, Liloan and Sogod in Cebu, and North Cotabato. World Vision is an international humanitarian organization devoted to improving the lives of children.

The sessions will cover the following: Deaf awareness workshop Deaf culture do’s and don’ts How to communicate with the deaf Basic Sign Language – alphabet and greetings. Register now at HTTPS://BIT.LY/ THEGOODSIGN. Slots are limited!

With the help of SM Foundation and other childrenofthandistributedShareandofandasorganizations,partnersuchCaritasPhilippinestheDepartmentSocialWelfareDevelopment,ShoeshassincemoreamillionpairsshoestoFilipinonationwide.

The award affirms CLIB’s efforts to provide Filipinos with better access to more inclusive and affordable insurance and Cebuana Lhuillier’s market leadership and commitment to push financial inclusion to its stakeholders even in the times of

“We are deeply humbled by these prestigious awards. Year after year, we try to come up with innovative solutions for the market that we serve. This pandemic pushed us to elevate our services by expanding our digital footprint to meet the growing demands of our clients. We will continuously assert our relevance by constantly enabling our clients to get protected easily, anytime and anywhere,” said Jonathan Batangan, First Vice President and Group Head for CLIB.

Cadbury Dairy Milk is the number one chocolate brand in the Philippines in modern trade and supermarkets. It’s a familiar name that evokes warm and soft feelings of deliciousness and generosity.

The children of the Asociacion de Damas Filipinas (ADF), a Catholic orphanage in Manila, were among the recent beneficiaries of Share Shoes. Four-year-old day care ward Mauie received a pair of LED shoes and couldn’t hide her excitement upon seeing her shoes light up with every step. “Sa ibang bata lang sa Taft (Avenue) ko ‘to nakikita! Meron na din ako?! (I only see these on other children in Taft! Now, I own one?!),” she exclaimed with glee.

More shoes for more kids through SMAC points and partner donations

The experience of the Diasan school children is replicated in many underserved communities in the Philippines, from far flung rural areas to the urban poor, where many families do not have the means to provide for their basic needs. This reality inspired the SM Store to establish Share Shoes, one of its corporate social responsibility programs that aims to provide Filipinos access to essential“Shoesgoods.are essential—they help protect our feet from diseases and injuries. Still, because of poverty, many Filipinos, especially children, do not have access to decent and well-fitted shoes,” said Dhinno Tiu, Executive Vice President of SM Store.

Chocolate: Delicious and Inspiring THE brand found that chocolate and indulgent snacks’ roles in people’s lives have changed since 2020. According to the State of Snacking Report, 74 percent of people shared they cannot live without chocolate. What’s more, snacks like chocolate are no longer consumed just for their taste, although that does play a big factor. In fact, snacks help improve consumers’ physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. Consumers say there are snacks for nourishment, and then equally as important are snacks that are just for enjoyment and satisfaction. Additionally, eight out of 10 people don’t want to sacrifice on flavor when looking for indulgent snacks. People want snacks that uplift their mood, taste great and help them feel better.

From the cities to last mile communities, SM Store’s

These insights are from the 2021 State of Snacking Report commissioned by Cadbury Dairy Milk’s parent company Mondelēz International and compiled by the Harris Poll and Next Atlas. The report highlights the expanding role that snacking plays in the lives of consumers and inspires the Company to continue to deliver the right snack, at the right time, made the right way.

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Promoting the culture of purposeful giving

Teener Kazumi wished for and got a pair of black leather shoes. She and her friends Shan, Rochelle and Magnus are incoming grade 7 students. While students are not required to wear their school uniforms this year, she said that it is better to be prepared. “There will be school programs when we will be required to look formal,” the budding photojournalist said.

Reach out and melt someone‘s heart with the goodness, deliciousness of Cadbury Dairy Milk

Share Shoes benefits Filipino school children

Maraming salamat, Alex, sa karan galan at papuri na iyong inaani para sa bansa,” Binay said. “Isa kang inspira syon sa bawat Pilipino at patunay na anumang pangarap ay kaya nating abutin basta’t mayroon tayong pagsisikap, tiyaga, at pananampalataya sa sarili at sa Maykapal.”

L lanes took advantage of Alejo’s errors and relentlessly attacked his opponent for a

T he Fighting Maroons banked the P50,000 cash prize besides the first championship trophy of the tournament organized by the Philippine Badminton Association, powered by Smart Communications and supported by the MVP Sports Foundation, Ducksports, Young and Apacs.

But all that hardwork, effort and sacrifices yielded a very amazing result at dawn Sunday, when the country was far asleep.

S he was also down, 3-4, in the second set, but showed nerves of steel translated into crisp and lethal returns to bag the next three sets for the match and the trophy.

It’s like in the last 12 years, the country has been continuously breaking new ground in many aspects. You can see director Marie Jamora making strides in Hollywood. There is also this new documentary film Delikado—about the senseless and shameful illegal trades in Palawan—by American filmmaker Karl Malakunas with help from some local producers. Delikado has been doing well in the international film festival circuit. There too are chefs also putting Filipino cuisine on the map and recording artists like Ben&Ben gaining recognition abroad.

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Guiao expects tallest import to power RoS

I don’t want to think of anything else, anything higher than quarterfinals,” Guiao said.

Guiao won seven PBA crowns all in reinforced conferences. He described the 6-foot-10 Nigerian, a former National Basketball Association (NBA) player, after four days of practice as a legitimate big man.

“What a way to start tryniecethechairmanshipmyofPSC.Myowngavethecounanotherreasontobeproudandtocelebrate.Amazing,”Ealasaidinatweet.Senatorswereasproudasthecountry’ssportsleaders.“Salamatatmabuhayka,AlexEala,sapagigingisangmaningningnainspirasyonsamgakabataanatsaatingbayansaiyongpanalosaUSOpen,”SenatorPiaCayetanosaid.“Hanggangsamgasusunodmopangtagumpay!”Sen.AlanPe-

LEXANDRA “ALEX”

be a tough nut to crack against a highly-inspired Express side in the semifinals where they scored an 1815 victory behind Vosotros’s gamehigh 11 points.

huge lead he never relinquished. Alejo made a run but his miscues forced him to yield the match.

“Ipinagmamalaki ka ng ating bansa at ipinagdarasal namin ang iyong patuloy na tagumpay,” he said. “Inspirasyon ka sa ating mga kabataan dahil sa iyong galing, sipag, at dedikasyon.”

THAT’S our champion, Alexandra “Alex” Eala, draped in Philippine flag with the US Open girls’ singles trophy in her arm. TROI SANTOS

The Braves and Beermen notched their first triumphs each in the opening leg, while leaving both the Dyip and Kings winless in their respective campaigns.

“Our heartfelt congratulations to Alex Eala for winning the  2022 US Open junior girls tournament and bringing home the Philippines’s first ever singles grand slam title in tennis,” Sen. Nancy Binay said.

she has a trifecta of junior Grand Slam titles to go with her 2020 Australian Open and 2021 French Open doubles.

Ne Eala.ciationappreexpressedpion’sOpenEala,man(PSC)Commissionpinepointedwly-apPhilipSportsChairNolitheUSchamuncle,for

Completing the UP roster were Lea Inlayo, Susmita Ramos, Enzo Rivera, Jaja Andres, Paul Gonzales and Althea Rio Fuentespina.

G onzalez, on the other hand, timed her attacks, using the opponent’s shots to her favor in both sets.

Because we have several rookies, we had to make adjust ments,” Inlayo said. “And we t hank Tito Conrado [UP team manager] because after two years of the pandemic, we didn’t stopThistraining.”willbe a big boost to our campaign in the coming UAAP [University Athletic Association of the Philippines] season,” Inlayo added.

E ala, the 2022 US Open girls’ juniors champion.

A nd before she knew it, she won, 6-2, 6-4, a bewildered and shocked look on her face in the process dropping her racket.

or early

TNT beats Meralco in PBA 3x3 final

Guiao will be relying on big man Daniel Ochefu—the tallest among the imports—in the upcoming Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup.

“We just have to put our focus there before thinking anything higher— quarterfinals is doable, I think.” He also praised the management for keeping its first round and second round picks. Josef Ramos

EALA has spent the last five years bereft of a normal teen life. She’s been smashing one tennis ball after another with her racket under any weather condition away from home at the Rafa Nadal Academy in far away Mallorca, Spain.

A nd recently, Kai Sotto joined the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft. Although undrafted, he has not given up on his dream to play in the NBA. His career has been something followed very keenly by Filipino sports fans. Trolls even.

Meralco guard Tonino Gonzaga sent the game into overtime with a clutch deuce, 19-19, with a second to play in the tightly-fought finals.

I DON’T recall a surge in achievements in these athletic competitions since the 1980s 1990s.

Jeff Manday exploded for 11 points and Ken Bono added seven in San Miguel Beer’s 19-17 win over Barangay Ginebra.

A nd there’s Hidilyn Diaz bringing home the Philippines’ first ever Olympic gold medal while Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam brought home silvers in boxing from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

The national’s men’s team recently went on a stirring run in the recently concluded 44th Chess Olympiad.

Oh, and Filipino basketball and football players have extended beyond the Asean region to Taiwan, Korea and Japan to play professional ball.

The women’s national football team reached the semifinals of the 2022 Women’s Asian Cup in India and qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia next year. Not resting on their laurels, they also won the Asean Football Federation Women’s Championship.

ETURNING Rain or Shine

The Tropang Giga proved to

S eniors Jason Vanzuela and Michael Clemente wrapped up UP’s title run with a 21-16, 21-11 win over Arjhay Lazareto and Ramon Timothy Santos in men’s doubles.

By Josef Ramos

Yuka Saso also conquered the US Open for Women while representing the Philippines (although she switched to her

22-20, in the men’s singles and Gonzales disposing of Dana Navarro, 21-7, 21-7.

Great time for PHL sports and more

THE University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons strike a championship pose.

Until running to TNT, the Express were on a roll that saw the rookie franchise bring down giants Purefoods and San Miguel Beer in pool play and bundled out NorthPort, 19-13, in the quarterfinals.

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S amboy de Leon and Chris Exciminiano delivered the winners in overtime for the Tropang Giga who brought home the top prize of P100,000.Itwasthe sixth leg championship for TNT dating back to Season 1.

R anged against Tokyo Olym pian Ishii Miki and Mizoe Sayaka, Rondina and Pons gave Japan 1 everything to handle before drop ping a 21-17, 17-21, 10-15 deci sion in the morning match. The Japanese are seeded No. 2 in the 22-team field.

It’s the start of many beautiful things to come for her. It’s historic and inspiring,” Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said.

as operate in the shade.

I n Saturday’s opener, Rondina and Pons beat Singapore 2’s Alicia Tan and Sharon Beh, 21-9, 21-7. The other Philippine pair of Dij Rodri guez and Gen Eslapor failed to reach the round of 16 after dropping their two Pool B matches.

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NIVERSITY of the Philippines (UP) topped the inaugural Philippine Intercollegiate ChampionshipsBadmintonaftera3-0 sweep of San Beda University Sunday at the Centro Athletico Badminton Court in Quezon City.

“ First of all, I would like to thank my family. Without them, I do not know if I can achieve this,” Eala said. “I would like to also thank those who prayed, to my sponsors and my teammates, to Rafael Tennis Academy.”

Platinum Karaoke salvaged a podium finish by defeating J&T in a low-scoring game, 12-10.

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No other Filipino has accomplished what Eala did at the US Open—even the late great Felicisimo Ampon whose

A lmond Vosotros then missed a potential game-winning two at the buzzer.“This Leg 1 is crucial, so our mindset was to win,” said Exciminiano, who finished with eight points behind Vosotros’s game-high nineThpoints.eBolts got six points each from Gonzaga and Alfred Batino as they settled for the P50,000 prize money.

R odriguez and Eslapor lost to Thailand 1’s Le21,awadeeKongphopsarutawadeeWorapeerachayakornandTarNaraphonlaphat,14-21,15-andbowedtoVietnam’sNguyenThiTuongByandVuNgocLan

I fought wholeheartedly not only for myself but also to help the future of Philippine tennis,” Eala said, and in Filipino, during the post-match on-court victory speech. “My victory is not only for me—it’s the victory of every Filipino.”

A nd I am covering as much of them as I can.

NT Tropang Giga leaned on its championship experience to nip Meralco in overtime, 21-19, and claim the opening leg crown of the Philippine Basketball Association 3x3 Season 2 First Conference Sunday at the Robinsons Place Antipolo.

T he Bolts meanwhile, turned back Purefoods, 16-11, in the first round of the knockout stage, before hacking out an 18-16 semifinals win against Platinum Karaoke to seal the title showdown with the Tropang Giga.

S he toppled a giant of sorts at Flushing Meadows—she was ranked No. 10 while Havlickova was No. 3.

Rondina, Pons put up gallant stand in Roi-EtFighting

S an Beda bagged the runnerup prize of P20,000. Ateneo and

The 15th-seeded Rondina and Pons advanced from the pool play after finishing second in Pool B with an even 1-1 won-lost record.

Gerald and Jennifer Rosales, Felix Barrientos, Dyan Castillejo, Manny Pacquiao, and many others.

There’s so much more.

A ll I can say is Philippine sports is taking off and what a great time for fans and journalists alike.

T NT ousted Blackwater Red President, 18-16, in the quarterfinals.

C arlos Yulo has had a great 2022 where he took home three gold and one silver medals in the Asian Gymnastics Championships in Doha.

These achievers are building the work of people like the late Lydia de Vega, Stephen Fernandez, Paeng Nepomuceno, Toni Leviste, Ed Ocampo, Arianne Cerdeña, Onyok Velasco,

W hile our national problems, disasters and even scandals have hurt our image in the national community, it is good to know there are sunbeams of hope shining through.

“ He [Ochefu] is a legitimate bigman who plays inside although he can shoot from the outside,” Guiao told BusinessMirror on Sunday. “But his strength is more of being an inside operator.”

Guiao said that the former Washington Wizards center has a strong perimeter shot and is a solid defender in the paint, making it easier for Beau Belga, Leonard Santillan, Rey Nambatac, Mike Nieto and Gabe Norwood to defend as well

Th ink about it.

illustrious career marked with Davis Cup, international and continental victories was missing a major trophy.

I n the classification phase, Cavitex held Terrafirma to a seasonlow output for a 21-6 rout as Chester Saldua and Tzady Rangel finished with six points each for the Braves.

Japanese nationality soon after).

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A t past midnight Sunday, Eala, 17, was beating Lucie Havlickova of the Czech Republic at the US Tennis Association Billie Jean King Tennis Center Court 11 in Flushing Meadows, New York.

Head Coach Joseller “Yeng”

E J Obiena recently placed third in the pole vault competition in the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. That was a solid follow up to his gold medal finish in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.

I think his experience in Japan and South Korea will definitely be a big help. So I expect he can provide us a lot in the upcoming conference,” Guiao said. “He’s also the biggest among imports, sizewise. He moves decently.”

O chefu, playing out of the Villanova Wildcats, saw action in the NBA D-League from 2017 to 2019 before pursuing his campaign overseas.Guiao, meanwhile, set a modest goal of making the quarterfinals of the Commissioner’s Cup that starts on September 21.

The Ateneo Blue Eagles won the inaugural World University Basketball Series in Japan.

How sweet it was and now, Eala is heaping praises from all over.

However, that is not all.

ter Cayetano was as ecstatic as his senator-sportswoman sister.

Sports B7Monday, September 12, 2022BusinessMirrormirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph | Editor: Jun Lomibao

Maroons top intercollegiate tilt

R ookies Kervin Llanes and Anthea Gonzales kicked off UP’s campaign with Llanes beating Laurence Alejo, 21-13,

Polytechnic University of the Philippines shared the bronze medal and received P10,000 each.

“We are truly blessed with incred ibly talented athletes! Congratulations to Alex Eala for being the first Filipina to win a junior Grand Slam singles title at the 2022 US Open!” Alan Peter Cayetano said.

HE Philippines’s Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons yielded to Australia 2’s Alisha Ste vens and Georgia Johnson, 16-21, 18-21, in the round of 16 to bow out of contention in the Asian Vol leyball Confederation Beach Tour Roi-Et Open Sunday in Thailand.

Nguyen, 17-21, 11-21.  U p next for the teams sent to the tournament by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation is the AVC Senior Women’s Beach Volleyball Championship from September 14 to 17 also in Roi-Et.

A lex Eala won the US Open juniors championship. Now,

E ala trailed 1-2 in the opening frame but won the next five games to make the first-set win a virtual walk in the park.

“She inspires a lot of young players to continue or start playing tennis.”Alex would go a long, long way in her tennis career, which is just “WeTolentinobudding,”said.expectAlex to bring more honors to the country.”

VICTORY OF FILIPINO–ALEXEVERYEALA

Third, all Drunk Elephant products are formulated at optimal pH levels, blend together easily, and are highly absorbable, so they can be used to create customized skincare “smoothies.” So, yes, here’s the fun part: When you use Drunk Elephant, you don’t need to layer the products. You can just make your skin-care “smoothies.” For instance, my favorite smoothie for daytime is the B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum, the Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil, and the D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops. Another great skincare “smoothie” is the combination of the B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum, C-Firma Fresh Day Serum, and the Protini Polypeptide

That set included Drunk Elephant’s Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil. That wasn’t the first time I have used marula oil but I knew at once that this was different. Whenever I would apply it at night after all my skin-care products, I would wake up to soft and well-moisturized skin. The facial oil was not oily, nor did it clog my pores. Sometimes, I would mix it with my concealer or foundation during the day to thin out the products.Oneother Drunk Elephant product I fell in love with was the Lippe Balm. I have very dry lips because I wear matte lipsticks a lot. There are a couple of lip balms and lip masks that I love applying before I go to bed but they’re too emollient for daytime wear. Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm is the lip balm I apply during the day before I put on lipstick. It’s moisturizing but it doesn’t change the texture of your lipstick.

n 1982: Grace Kelly was a Hollywood queen before she became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956. Her classic films, such as the rom-com High Society (1956), and Alfred Hitchcock suspense thrillers, like Dial M for Murder (1954), Rear Window (1954), and To Catch a Thief (1955) are regarded as style inspirations by fashion designers. Also cited as her fashion legacies are her wedding dress by Helen Rose and the Hermès purse which became known as the Kelly bag. Sadly, the great beauty died at the age of 52 on September 14, 1982, from injuries sustained in a car crash. Grace is listed 13th among the American Film Institute’s 25 Greatest Female Stars of Classical Hollywood Cinema.

n 1992: Number 9 on that AFI list is the Berliner Marlene Dietrich, also an icon to fashion designers and screen stars. A gender-nonconformist, she declared to The Observer in 1960: “I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men. If I dressed for myself I wouldn’t bother at all. Clothes bore me. I’d wear jeans. I adore jeans. I get them in a public store—men’s, of course; I can’t wear women’s trousers. But I dress for the profession.” She died on 6 May 1992 at age 90. On RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9, Sasha Velour portrayed Marlene on Snatch Game, on her way to winning the crown. Drag queen and American gay liberation activist Marsha P. Johnson also died this year, on July 6, 1992. Leading up to and after the Stonewall Uprising in 1969, Marsha was one of the most prominent figures in the LGBT movement. She modeled for Andy Warhol, and performed onstage with the drag performance troupe Hot Peaches, and was a staunch AIDS activist with ACT UP.

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At the recent Venice Film Festival, Ana de Armas broke down in tears as her Marilyn biopic, given a 14-minute standing ovation. “Playing Marilyn was groundbreaking. A Cuban playing Marilyn Monroe. I wanted it so badly. You see that famous photo of her and she is smiling in the moment, but that’s just a slice of what she was really going through at the time,” Ana told life of the world’s greatest sex symbol.

n 2012: Black Excellence is synonymous with Whitney Houston, known as “The Voice.” Ten years after she drowned in her bathtub on February 11 at age 48, Mac Cosmetics is collaborating with the Whitney Houston Estate to create a makeup line that pays tribute to the life and legacy of the iconic singer. The collection is set to launch in late 2022 to coincide with Whitney’s biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody. Naomi Ackie will portray Whitney while Stanley Tucci is Clive Davis. I hope the film will also explore Whitney’s relationship with her bestfriend and onetime lover, Robyn Crawford (Nafessa Williams), to reinforce her status as a bonafide LGBT icon and inspiration.

n 1952: When her father, King George VI, died in February, a 25-year-old Elizabeth became Queen. She just celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in February 2022. Let’s leave it to political scholars to debate on her complicated legacy as a leader. But when it comes to her influence in fashion, there’s no argument that she favored classic, clean, crisp and sometimes rainbowcolored lines as she embarked on her civic duties. Her couturiers included Norman Hartnell, Hardy Amies, Stewart Parvin and Angela Kelly; her famous boxy handbags were from Launer London; and the mid-heel shoes were from Rayne or Anello & Davide. Elizabeth preferred monochromatic head-to-toe looks so her subjects can see her even from afar.

n 1997: The year 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the passing of two fashion stalwarts: Princess Diana and Gianni Versace. Gianni, who nurtured

under tragic and mysterious circumstances. Besides her singular style, she is best known today for her humanitarian efforts and activism.

‘GRIEF

2022: A hero to the LGBT community and one of the first big designers to put nontraditional models such as transgenders, porn stars and drag queens on the catwalk was the French Manfred Thierry Mugler. His outlandish, theatrical and avant-garde aesthetic remains well-regarded and relevant to this day. The French haute couturier died on January 23, 2022, at age 73. This year, Japan suffered massive losses with the successive passing of Issey Miyake (5 August) and Hanae Mori (11 August ). Miyake was unequalled for his high-tech high-fashion clothing creations and for “reinventing” the Mariano Fortuny pleats in the 1980s. Mori, meanwhile, was the first Asian woman to be admitted as an official haute couture design house by

n 1972: The world’s greatest fashion designer, the Spaniard Cristóbal Balenciaga, died this year. He dressed the most glamorous women of all time such as Ava Gardner, and fashion icons Gloria Guinness and Mona von Bismarck. Coco Chanel said he was the only “authentic couturier” while Christian Dior called him “the master of us all.”

n

n 1962: Far from forgotten even 60 years after her death on August 4 is Marilyn Monroe. The screen goddess was reintroduced to a younger generation when Kim Kardashian wore one of her iconic dresses to the Met Gala on May 2 this year. Marilyn wore the Jean Louis dress created from a Bob Mackie sketch to sing “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden on his 45th birthday, on May 20, 1962. Contrary to reports, the historic garment wasn’t damaged by Kim as attested by its new owner, the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museum, which bought it for $4.8 million.

One, Drunk Elephant is a biocompatible brand. What does that mean? Being biocompatible means the products work with our body’s natural biological processes and have no potential to irritate the skin.

Icons 1952-2022

THE first Drunk Elephant products I owned came from a set of minis that I received from an office exchange gift several Christmases ago. The set was in such great demand at Sephora.ph that the actual gift I got during the Christmas party was a note saying that it would be delivered to me once stocks became available.

is the price we pay for love.” This sentiment was expressed by Queen Elizabeth II to those who lost loved ones during the September 11 attacks in New York. More than 20 years later, these comforting words resonate even more as we mourn not only the loss of the beloved British monarch but also other world leaders—former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos.

Two, all Drunk Elephant products are formulated without the Suspicious 6 (essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical sunscreens, fragrances/dyes and SLS). The brand said that “removing these six ubiquitous ingredients allows the skin to return to its healthiest, most balanced state.”

architect of haute couture.”

B8 Style Monday, September 12, 2022 • www.businessmirror.com.phBusinessMirror ICONOCLASTS 1952/2022: Queen Elizabeth II; 1962: Marilyn Monroe; 1972: Mori.MiyakeThierryHouston;2012:2002:and1997:MarshaMarleneGraceBalenciaga;Cristóbal1982:Kelly;1992:DietrichandP.Johnson;PrincessDianaGianniVersace;SylviaRivera;Whitney2022:Mugler,IsseyandHanae PHOTOS FROM THE INTERNET

Skin-care brand without the ‘Suspicious 6’ is finally in the Philippines

My favorite products from the brand, aside from the Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil and Lippe Balm, are the Protini Polypeptide Cream (this has a high level of peptides and amino acids), T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum (this AHA-BHA helps minimize blackheads and whiteheads), C-Firma Day Serum (this helps brighten skin), and Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser (best for oily and combination skin types, this helps remove makeup even though you’d still need to double

FoundedCream.byTiffany Masterson, Drunk Elephant was launched in the United States in 2013 with six products.

The Chan Lim Family of Artists and Students Painting Exhibit at SM City Santa Rosa was launched last August 28, 2022, featuring the works of artist Chan Lim’s students and family members. In D. Edgard A. Cabangon, Sharon Tan, artist Chan Lim, Ester Lim, and

Since then, I have gone through three bottles of the Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil and the same number of Lippe Balms. I also love the D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops, which my daughter calls “that thing you apply that makes you look golden.”

Fast forward to 2022: I received an invitation to preview Drunk Elephant, which has already been acquired by Shiseido, and will soon be available in the Philippines. At that time, I had just come from Singapore, where I purchased a bottle of the Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil at Sephora.

Finally, Drunk Elephant is excited to announce that the brand will be launching in the Philippines, with retail partners Watsons Philippines and SM in October. The brand will be available online at lookatme.com.ph and the LOOK At Me store SM Aura Premier, SM Megamall, SM Makati, and LOOK At Me SM Mall of Asia.

During a getting-to-know-you session hosted by Drunk Elephant for the Philippine media, I learned three important things about the brand.

The Museo Balenciaga in Getaria displays 1,200 pieces of his work supplied by his protegee Hubert de Givenchy, who called him “the

2002: Sylvia Rivera, who died on February 19, was another prominent American gay liberation and transgender rights activist and drag queen who fought alongside Marsha P. Johnson. Of Puerto Rican and Venezuelan descent, Sylvia was also a poster girl for Latin Excellence.