BusinessMirror September 18, 2023

House set to begin plenary debates on 2024 budget

THE House of Representatives will start the plenary debates on the proposed P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024 on Tuesday as it is targeting to finish the budget process on September 27.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, in a statement on Sunday, said the House will approve President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s budget before Congress goes on recess later this month.

He said the House would immediately send the appropriations bill to the Senate for its own deliberations upon its approval in the lower house.

We will work morning and afternoon and on Thursday and Friday this week to meet our timeline. The national spending bill is the single most important piece of legislation Congress passes every year,” Romualdez said.

Through the national budget, we hope to sustain our recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, create more income and job opportunities for our people, and improve their quality of life through the timely delivery of basic social services like education, healthcare, infrastructure, and financial aid,” he added.

P lenary debates on Tuesday morning on the proposed 2024 outlay will kick off with sponsor -

ship speeches, followed by debates on general principles and provisions and consideration of the budgets of the Department of Finance, Department of Tourism, and the National Economic and Development Authority, including their attached agencies, and certain offices under the Office of the President (OP).

O n deck on Wednesday are the Office of the Ombudsman, Commission on Elections, Commission on Human Rights, Department of National Defense, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, and more OP agencies.

O n Thursday, the House will scrutinize the spending proposals of the judiciary, Department of

Justice, Department of Agrarian Reform, Presidential Communications Office, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, and state universities and colleges.

F riday will see the chamber considering the budgets of Congress, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Department of Migrant Workers, the Department of Labor and Employment, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, including their attached agencies, and funding support for several government corporations.

BusinessMirror

EXTERNAL DEBT SLIDES TO $117.9B AT END-JUNE

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

Data showed the country’s total external debt (EDT) stood at $117.9 billion as of end-June. This is lower by $894 million or 0.8 percent from the $118.8 billion recorded in March.

BSP said this brought the external debt ratio—EDT expressed as a percentage of GDP—to 28.5 percent from the previous quarter’s 29 percent.

“ The decline in the debt level during the second quarter was due mainly to the impact of the US Dollar appreciation against other currencies amid further monetary policy tightening by the Federal Reserve,” BSP said.

A stronger dollar, the BSP said, reduced the value of the country’s borrowings denominated in other currencies to $963 million.

T he sale of Philippine debt papers by non-residents to residents also decreased the debt stock by $305 million. These offset prior periods’ adjustments of $264 million and net availments of $110 million.

B SP also said the country’s debt stock rose by $10.2 billion. Part of the increase was driven by total net availments of $7.8 billion, the bulk of which were from the National Government (NG) at $7.9 billion.

T he BSP added there was a change in the scope of the external debt to include nonresidents’ holdings of Peso-denominated debt securities issued onshore at $3.7 billion while there were also prior periods’ adjustments of $312 million.

The transfer of Philippine debt papers issued offshore from nonresidents to residents of $1.3 billion and negative FX revaluation of $295 million partially tempered the year-on-year increase in the debt stock,” BSP said.

Maturity

THE government’s medium and long-term debts (MLT) are expected to mature before babies born this year will be allowed to vote.

CHINA OPPOSES BID TO REQUIRE NATIONS TO PROTECT OCEANS

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome @maloutalosig

CHINA has opposed efforts by small island nations to require coastal states to protect the oceans and seas to stop the worsening effects of climate change.

S mall islands in the Pacific such as Palau, The Bahamas, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Antigua and Barbuda, are facing the existential threat of rising sea levels caused by climate change.

T he island nations formed the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (COCIS) and sought for an advisory opinion of the United Nations maritime tribunal, the

International Tribunal on the Law of the Seas (ITLOS), on the obligations of countries to combat climate change.

COCIS argued that ocean warming and ocean acidification have caused extreme weather disturbances that impact health, ecosystems, infrastructure, livelihoods and food all over the world.

In this regard, COCIS wants the ITLOS to determine the specific obligations of the members of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to prevent, reduce and control pollution of the marine environment, as well as protect and preserve the marine environment to stop ocean warming, sea level rise and acidification.

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

LOCAL exporters of semiconductors and electronics said the Philippines’s free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea would help the industry expand its market share and boost its growth prospects.

T he Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. (Seipi) noted that around 5 to 6 percent of semiconductors and electronics produced in the Philippines are shipped to South Korea.

Seipi President Danilo C. Lachica said FTAs are “always helpful” for

exporters.

“Otherwise, we are at a disadvantage, ‘ yung countries na may FTA tapos tayo wala…Because the overall unit cost will be higher for us. So it’s definitely beneficial for not just electronics, all the industries na nag- e-export,” Lachica told reporters on the sidelines of the 21st International CEO Conference organized by the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) held last week in Taguig City. S ans a trade deal with Seoul, he said electronics from the Philippines would have be less competitive than those shipped by countries that have an existing FTA with South Korea.

THE Philippines’s external debt declined by nearly a billion dollars as of end-June after the United States Federal Reserve tightened monetary policy in the second quarter, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

elderly woman carefully selects tomatoes at Paco Market in Manila, where tomato prices have soared to as

‘PUV modernization, Dyson investment will create jobs’

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan & Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

THE Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program offers a “substantial” economic benefit as it is seen to generate over 3,000 jobs in the manufacturing industry, according to the Automotive Body Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (ABMAP).

“ The PUV Modernization Program is a game-changer for our sector. It not only addresses the transportation needs of our citizens but also fuels economic growth by creating more than 3,000 jobs and increasing added value contribution to the manufacturing sector,” Von Carlo Deveza, spokesperson for ABMAP said in a statement on Saturday.

A BMAP said the manufacture of PUV bodies requires “skilled labor” and the use of advanced technologies, contributing to the development of a “more robust” and competitive manufacturing sector in the Philippines.

W ith the demand for modern PUVs on the rise, the group of truck body manufacturers said local manufacturers are seeing increased production.

A BMAP said the job creation resulting from program is not limited to factory workers alone. It also involves various aspects of the supply chain, such as research and development, logistics, and quality control, which it said signifies further boosting the nation’s manufacturing ecosystem.

O n top of the projected jobs that will be generated, ABMAP said the growth of the manufacturing sector is expected to have a “multiplier” effect on the Philippine economy, as it “stimulates local consumption and promotes the development of small and medium-sized enterprises

[SMEs] involved in various aspects of the PUV production process.”

“As the PUV Modernization Program continues to unfold, it is clear that it is not only a transportation revolution but also a catalyst for

economic progress,” ABMAP said. With the combined efforts of the government, industry stakeholders, and the hardworking people of the Philippines, the program is well on its way to reshaping the nation’s transportation landscape while fostering job creation and economic prosperity,” it added.

T he PUV Modernization Program, initiated by the Philippine government, is a comprehensive plan aimed at enhancing public transportation across the country. It focuses on upgrading public utility vehicles to meet higher standards of safety, efficiency, and environmental friendliness, providing commuters with a more reliable and comfortable transportation experience.

O ne of the key components of this program is the production of modern PUV bodies, which are essential for the transformation of the country’s public transportation system, ABMAP said.

Additional investments

OVER 1,000 jobs are expected to be generated from the additional investments secured by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during his trip in Singapore.

T he Presidential Communications Office (PCO) announced over the weekend that Singapore-based technology firm Dyson Ltd. has committed to an P11-billion expan-

sion plan in the Philippines, which is expected to create 1,250 jobs.

“ So we have announced a significant investment equivalent of P11billion into the new factory, the new R&D [research and development] center…and we want to expand also in terms of staff, software, and others that we require over the next two years,” Dyson’s CEO Ronald Krueger told the President during their meeting last Saturday in Singapore.

Currently, Dyson is operating a local factory, which manufactures electric motors.

It is now eyeing to move more contract manufacturing into the country later this year.

M arcos welcomed the expansion plan since it will translate into more employment opportunities for software engineers and other engineering graduates.

M alaysian retail specialist Valiram Group is also set to expand its local operations by “developing airport outlets for duty-free retail tourism.” Valiram Executive Director Mukesh Valiram to help boost the local presence of its partner brands such as Victoria’s Secret as well as Bath and Body Works through the said initiative.

We now have a net worth of over 500 stores. And some brands are not yet represented in the Philippines and so we’ve been working hard and with everyone’s support and guidance, we’re looking forward to expanding very quickly,” Valiram told the President in a separate meeting.

T he President ended his fiveday working visit in Singapore last Sunday. During the trip, he participated in the 10th Asian Conference of Milken Institute and watched the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix 2023 upon the invitation of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

A mong those who accompanied him in the trip were House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, PCO Secretary Cheloy VelicariaGarafil; Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual and Ambassador Medardo Antonio G. Macaraig.

B SP estimated that the weighted average maturity for all MLT accounts remained at 17.3 years.

P ublic sector debts have a longer average term of 20.1 years while private sector debts have an average maturity of 7.2 years.

ST [short term] accounts—or those with original maturities of up to one year—accounted for 14.7 percent of the outstanding debt stock and comprised mainly of bank liabilities, trade credits and others,” BSP said.

Meanwhile, more than half or 57.2 percent of the country’s MLT debts have fixed interest rates. BSP said these debts amount to $57.5 billion.

T he remaining 41.2 percent or $41.4 billion have variable interest rates and 1.7 percent or $1.7 billion are non-interest bearing MLT debts.

B SP data showed public sector external debt went up to $74.5 billion or $686 million in the second quarter of 2023 from the previous quarter’s $75.2 billion.

Its share to total slightly dropped to 63.2 percent from 63.3 percent a quarter ago. About $67.7 billion or 90.9 percent of public sector obligations were NG borrowings.

T he remaining $6.8 billion of these debts were borrowings of government-owned and controlled corporations, government financial institutions and the BSP.

I n terms of private sector debt, data showed it declined by $208 million to $43.4 billion as of endJune 2023 from $43.6 billion as of end-March 2023. However, BSP said its total share increased slightly to 36.8 percent in June from 36.7 percent in March.

T his was driven mainly by net

On September 25, lawmakers will consider the budgets of the Civil Service Commission, Commission on Audit, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, and additional OP agencies.

P roposed appropriations for the OP, Office of the Vice President, Department of Education, Metro Manila Development Authority, Dangerous Drugs Board, and several other OP agencies, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources will be tackled on September 26.

S eptember 27, Wednesday, will be the last day of budget deliberation.

“monkey face” case: “So that means telcos just keep accepting registrations even though the ID used is fake, or regardless of the image in the ID. In a word that means they don’t have a validation process and telcos are not doing anything to filter out whether the applicant is human or not.”

He added in a radio interview on Sunday, “that means the law has a good justification, but implementation is lacking – especially implementation by telcos.”

G atchalian floated some options for legislators looking to amend the law so that its intended purpose can be reached. One of these is to limit the kind of IDs that can be used to register, from the current 17.

For example, as I was looking at the law, it allows police clearance, PRC ID, OWWA I—just so everyone who needs to be listed can do so, we expanded the types of IDs,” but sadly, he said, “it has been abused.”

Yet another option, said Gatchalian, is to limit the number of SIMs that one can register, to limit the activities of scammers. He cited the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) as saying that right now, 118 million SIM cards are registered.

The country has 70 million adults, that means even infants have SIM cards. So we concluded that many people register more than one SIM” and, he added, some of them peddle the extra registered SIMs to people who use them for crime, including those for illegal POGO operations.

However, Gatchalian himself acknowledged that this cannot be arbitrarily done and must consider the fact that certain businesses need to register multiple SIMs, especially the business sales units.

repayments of $630 million and negative FX revaluation of $67 million, offsetting the impact of prior periods’ adjustments of $263 million and the sale of Philippine debt papers by residents to nonresidents of $226 million.

Creditors

BSP said the top creditors of Filipinos were the citizens of Japan which accounted for $13.3 billion of loans; the people of the United States of America, $4.1 billion; and those in the United Kingdom, $3.7 billion.

T he central bank said loans from official sources had the largest share at 37.9 percent out of the total outstanding debt.

T hese loans are composed of debts secured from multilateral sources which reached $32 billion and those from bilateral creditors that amounted to $12.6 billion.

A part from official debts, BSP said borrowings in the form of bonds/notes reached $40.7 billion or 34.5 percent and obligations to foreign banks and other financial institutions at $25 billion or 21.2 percent.

BSP said the rest of the loans worth $7.5 billion or 6.4 percent were owed to other creditors composed mainly of suppliers/exporters.

I n terms of currency mix, the country’s debt stock remained largely denominated in US Dollar worth $90.4 billion or 76.7 percent of total and Japanese Yen at $9.3 billion or 7.9 percent of total.

T he remaining share of 15.4 percent pertained to 16 other currencies, including the Philippine Peso, the Euro, and Special Drawing Rights.

To be taken up are funding proposals for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Transportation, Department of Budget and Management, and lump-sum appropriations.

Turno en contra speeches and amendments are also scheduled on that day, to be followed by final and third-reading approval of the

I t cited the ITLOS’ Statute that part of its mandate is to issue advisory opinion on provisions related to the implementation of UNCLOS, regarded as the Constitution for the oceans.

COCIS argued that based on the 1999 South China Sea arbitration award, which the Philippines won against China, part of the general obligation of the coastal states is to “ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control respect the environment of other states or of areas beyond national control.”

Since early this month, the seven-member tribunal has been conducting hearings in its courtroom in Hamburg, Germany. Aside from COCIS, other countries and international organizations were allowed to provide inputs to the small islands’ request.

L ast Friday, China appeared before the Tribunal and expressed its opposition to the COCIS bid.

I TLOS, their diplomats argued, lacks jurisdiction to issue an advisory opinion.

“ The full Tribunal does not have advisory competence. The competence of the Tribunal derives from the consent of States as reflected in the authorization given by the Tribunal’s constituent documents. As a matter of fact, UNCLOS and its Annexes, including the Statute

proposed 2024 national budget. House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Elizaldy Co and House Committee on Appropriations Senior Vice Chairperson Stella Luz Quimbo assured the public that there will be no reenacted budget for next year. “ We have taken significant strides towards finalizing the 2024 budget, which promises to be a landmark budget focused on national growth and the welfare of the Filipino people,” said Co. Q uimbo, for her part, said, “We need to finish on time; we don’t want a delay, we don’t want a reenactment budget, and we don’t want any form of delay.” E arlier, the leadership of the House of Representatives vowed to approve in a “transparent manner” the proposed P5.768-trillion 2024 national budget before the congressional break on September 29. Compared to the current year’s P5.268 trillion in appropriations, the projected budget for the next year is 9.5 percent higher.

of ITLOS (“Statute”), do not confer advisory jurisdiction on the full Tribunal,” Ma Xinmin, Director-General, Department of Treaty and Law, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said.

China also took issue with the arguments of COCIS and other countries that UNCLOS members are obliged to protect the marine environment as cited in the South China Sea arbitration ruling.

“China notices that some States mentioned the so-called South China Sea arbitration awards in their written and oral statements. The position of China on this issue is clear and consistent. The arbitral tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration acted ultra vires, erred in fact finding, misinterpreted and perverted the law in adjudication. The so-called “awards” are null and void and should not be invoked as a legal basis,” Ma stressed.

T he Chinese diplomat said while China “fully empathizes with the practical difficulties faced by many developing countries, including island States, in coping with climate change,” Beijing thinks that other international laws, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement are the appropriate international laws that should address climate change.

Senate on-track to pass law designating maritime areas

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

THE Senate is maintaining its momentum to pass a law designating maritime areas where the Philippines can exercise sovereignty and jurisdiction.

T his developed amid fresh tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and increasing concern over the impact on food security of restrictions imposed by foreign forces in the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

T he optimism that the Senate can soon consolidate nine pending bills and approve a single, coherent measure follows last week’s holding of the first meeting of the Upper House’s Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones chaired by Sen. Francis Tolentino.

Tolentino said they earlier approved Senate Resolution 76, which creates the “Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones” that will have jurisdiction to

study and report related matters—including measures relating to archipelagic baselines, maritime zones, archipelagic sea lanes, and other incidental matters.

“[It comes in the wake of tensions in the WPS, heightened concerns of increasing prices in food, and recent] announcements of the rise in electricity prices,” the senator explained.

“It is timely, then, that the Senate of the Philippines provide the necessary support for our fellow workers in the government and the executive branch in order to better secure the benefits of the vast Philippine maritime zones, including our territorial sea…and the large, [EEZ].”

H is push during the hearing drew strong support from peers, notably Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Robinhood Padilla.

Phil. maritime zones

FOR Gatchalian, the passage of a legislation establishing Philippine maritime zones would strengthen and help

enforce the country’s claim over the WPS, as affirmed by the United Nations’ Permanent Court of Arbitration’s 2016 ruling.

S uch a measure, once enacted, will be reinforcing the landmark arbitral victory that the Philippines secured against China that invalidated Beijing’s so-called “nine/10-dash line” claim over the WPS.

Gatchalian just filed Senate Bill 2394, or “The Philippine Maritime Zones Act,” intended to delineate the country’s maritime zones and unify domestic laws on maritime domain through the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).

“In effect, the 2016 arbitral ruling will be enshrined in our laws, and this is going to be one of the strongest signals to the world that we are asserting sovereignty, [our EEZ], and our sovereign rights in the region,” Gatchalian insisted.

According to him, declaring the country’s maritime zone boundaries would mean the country would be

fortifying the geographical extent of its maritime domain. He said the enactment of local laws would enforce the country’s compliance with Unclos, thus enabling the country to enjoy the rights and benefits of the convention.

Under the Gatchalian bill, the country’s maritime zones will comprise internal waters, archipelagic waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, EEZ, and continental shelf in accordance with international law.

To enhance the Philippines’s national security while protecting its economic and environmental interests, Gatchalian likewise has filed another bill seeking the designation of the country’s archipelagic lanes.

Nine bills vs ‘9-dashes’ MEANWHILE, Padilla said in Filipino that there are currently nine bills in the Senate on the topic.

If enacted, they will provide necessary flexibility in the adoption of subsequent laws appropriate to the country’s rights, policies, and obligations in maritime zones.

Padilla noted that, according to the arbitral court’s ruling, China has no valid claim to the total area by way of its “nine/10-dash line,” and the Philippines is entitled to its entire 200 nautical-mile EEZ and continental shelf.

Remulla orders transfer of Fil-Indian case-handling to Justice Department

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has ordered the cases involving the illegal possession of firearms and drugs filed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) against Filipino-Indian businessman Amith Chandiramani to be transferred to his office for the conduct of cause build-up and preliminary investigation.

In an order dated September 11, 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) chief also designated Assistant State Prosecutor (ASP) Michael John Humarang to handle the case and file charges, if warranted by evidence, against Chandiramani.

Aside from the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition as well as drug cases, the justice chief also assigned Humarang as the handling prosecutor of all cases “between/ among the same parties which are connected to, necessarily included, or as a consequence of these cases, including counter-charges, which might arise in the future.”

Remulla’s order consequently stripped the Office of the City Prosecutor (OCP) of Dasmariñas City, where the complaint was originally filed, of jurisdiction over the said cases.

“Likewise, ASP Humarang shall handle all cases between/among the same parties

which are connected to, necessarily included, or as a consequence of these cases, including counter charges, which might arise in the future,” he said.

“In this connection, the [Dasmariñas City, Cavite OCP is directed to forward] to ASP Humarang all the records of the aforementioned criminal complaint,” he added.

It can be recalled that Chandiramani was arrested last June by the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Special Action Force, and Cavite Provincial Police Office inside his house for alleged illegal possession of firearms.

Recovered from the scene were several firearms and ammunition.

The Fil-Indian’s camp said he was freed from detention after the police failed to bring him for inquest proceedings within 36 hours after his arrest.

The case against the businessman underwent a regular preliminary investigation and on August 1, the City Prosecutor of Dasmariñas City issued a resolution dismissing the complaints for illegal possession of firearm with respect to the Colt Carbine 5.56-mm rifle, and illegal possession of explosives with regard to the fragmentation grenade for alleged violation of the rules on search and seizure, as they failed to present video clips of their body-worn cameras.

However, the former was indicted for alleged illegal possession of a 9-mm. pistol.

Chandiramani’s lawyer Edmundo Magpantay said the PNP has filed a motion for reconsideration (MR) of the resolution issued by the city prosecutor dismissing the complaint for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

“This is not a reinvestigation. The complainant filed a motion for reconsideration asking the [Dasmariñas City Office OCP to reconsider its] earlier resolution dismissing the complaint for illegal possession of Colt Carbine 5.56 mm., and illegal possession of explosives which are non-bailable offenses,” Magpantay explained.

“Thus, the [MR] is still part of the preliminary investigation that must be resolved by the DOJ pursuant to aforesaid department order,” he added.

Magpantay said the Dasmariñas City OCP should immediately comply with Remulla’s order, as they may be held administratively liable for gross insubordination if they continue to handle the case.

“Pursuant to the [Department Order], it is the DOJ that must resolve all issues pertaining to the case, i.e. the motion for reconsideration filed by the complainant,” the lawyer added. “This is particularly true, since the MR is still part of the preliminary investigation.

Public-school

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

LAWMAKERS are urging Congress to put into the front burner two measures that will benefit about 800,000 public-school teachers: a bump up in their salaries, and making permanent their teaching supplies’ allowance.

Rep. LRay Villafuerte of Camarines Sur made this appeal as the Department of Education (DepEd) last week kickedoff the annual month-long celebration of National Teachers’ Month, which will run till October 5.

Villafuerte sought the swift Congressional approval of these two proposals after the Palace tasked the DepEd to study ways to further adjust public-school teachers’ pay over and above the wage increase that they receive annually under the Salary Standardization Law (SSL).

School year (SY) 2023-2024 opened for public schools on August 29, with the total number of registered students exceeding 24 million.

However, the [OCP] is yet to comply with the said order despite the fact that it already received the DO.”

Family feud

THE DOJ is currently conducting a preliminary investigation on the falsification of public documents complaint filed by Chandiramani against his brother billionaire Rajiv Chandiramani, as well as their mother Pushpa, and five others.

The case involves the disposition of several properties worth over P1 billion which were left behind by patriarch Prem Chandiramani following his death in 2011.

Amith claimed that the respondents connived with each other and, by “deceit and machination,” succeeded in depriving him of his inheritance from their father amounting to billions of pesos in the form of real-estate properties and business interests.

In his counter-affidavit submitted to the DOJ, Rajiv denied having committed any falsification in order to take control of their late father’s properties.

Rajiv claimed that the falsification complaint was merely resurrected by his complainant-brother to pressure him to give-in to the latter’s demands for more money after their initial compromise agreement in 2022.

Villafuerte and three fellow “CamSur” representatives have authored House Bill (HB) 1851, which mandates a significant increase in the salarygrade level of public elementary and high-school teachers from Grade 11 to Grade 19 in the face of the rising inflation and cost of living.

Other co-authors of the bills include Reps. Miguel Luis Villafuerte and Tsuyoshi Anthony Horibata from the same province. They likewise authored HB 1849, which seeks to make permanent the school supplies’ allowance of P5,000 that public-school teachers have been entitled to during the pandemic to lessen their burden of coughing-up personal money to deliver education services during the hybrid learning system of face-to-face and remote or online teaching.

The latter bill further provides for a continuous increase in the annual allowance for teaching supplies throughout the succeeding academic years.

In HB 1851, the authors said their proposed salary upgrade shall be “differentiated in accordance with the five qualifications and length of service rendered by teachers and shall not be prejudiced by across-the-board salary adjustments.”

The bill mandates the national government to appropriate an amount necessary to carry out the proposed pay hike, and that the salary increase shall “take priority over other non-educational and non-agricultural budgetary allocations.”

It requires the DepEd to come up with a specific programmed budget needed to cover expenses for upgrading salary levels of all corresponding teachers’ plantilla positions for a period of at least five years “to allow the Department of Budget and Management [DBM] to make the necessary budgetary adjustments to facilitate the smooth implementation of this Act.”

HB 1851 states that the amount necessary to implement the pay hike plan shall be included in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the year,

following this bill’s enactment into law.

In HB 1849, the solons noted that one of the sectors that was severely suffered during the pandemic is education, and that “with the closure of schools, students and teachers were forced to resort to alternative learning methods to ensure continuity of learners’ education.”

For them, the predicament “has compelled our teachers, especially those in public basic education, to shoulder additional expenses for Internet connectivity, electronic gadgets, and other necessary materials, among other concerns.”

They recalled that, recognizing the teacher’s predicament, the DepEd and DBM issued Joint Circular 2 implementing Special Provision 11 in the 2021 GAA on cash allowance for school teachers in basic education.

Joint Circular 2 entitled teachers to each receive a maximum of P5,000 as cash allowance for the purchase of teaching materials and supplies, as well as for expenses incurred on Internet access, communications, and their annual medical examination.

However, the said circular only covered an allowance for a limited duration for teachers still enduring the pandemic’s continued effects, according to the bill’s authors.

Hence, their proposal to provide added financial relief to public-school teachers by making the temporary allowance a permanent one, and with a provision for a steady increase in amount in succeeding SYs.

HB 1849 institutionalizes a tax-free allowance for the purchase of teaching supplies and materials to implement various learning-delivery modalities in the amount of P5,000 per teacher for SY 2023-2024 and SY 2024-2025; P7,500 per teacher for SY 2025-2026; and P10,000 per teacher for SY 20262027 and thereafter.

The bill states that the amount necessary for granting the said allowance to teachers shall be charged against the DepEd’s appropriations under the annual GAA.

It directs the DepEd secretary to conduct a periodic review of this annual allowance, “taking into account the current prices of teaching supplies and materials and, if warranted, recommend the necessary increase in the amount of the allowance.”

According to the proponents of the twin measures, the low salary rates of around 800,000 public-school teachers have “caused disincentivization to improve their skills and pursue further education and training. This situation also makes the teaching profession unattractive to the youth, especially to the ‘cream of the crop’ graduates from top colleges and universities in the country.”

“Moreover, labor groups and teacher associations have been lobbying for years to increase teachers’ [salaries] by upgrading their salary grade,” the solons further noted.

According to them, their two bills aim to attract more students to the education sector, while incentivizing teachers to further upskill as they strive for excellence in their field, eventually leading to an increase in the public-education system’s quality.

educators’ pay, benefits top Congress’ agenda for Natl Teachers’ Month

Speaker, Lower House to explore solutions with DOE, fuel firms vs gas price stampede

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

SPEAKER

The gathering will include the review of the imposition of excise tax or value-added tax (VAT) on oil and petroleum products, as well as possible amendments to the “Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998,” or Republic Act (RA) 8479.

Romualdez and House Com -

mittee on Energy officials will hold the 3 p.m. meeting at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City.

As a start, he said the Lower Chamber can consider the possible review of laws imposing excise tax or VAT on oil and petroleum products, plus possible amendments to

RA 8479, which “tied” the government’s hands in bringing down oil prices.

Several bills have been filed in Congress calling to suspend, or outright, scrap excise taxes imposed on petroleum products.

The provisional authority of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law or “TRAIN” to suspend the fuel excise tax imposition whenever the $80-price cap is breached ended in 2020.

There are also bills pending in Congress calling for amendments to RA 8479.

“We will try to find a win-win solution for our people and, of course, those in the oil industry,” the House Speaker said.

“No one is spared from the ill effects of the high cost of living due to oil price hikes. Everyone is struggling. [T]his is beyond anyone’s control,” said Romualdez. “If the price of crude oil in the world

market increases, so do prices in the rest of the world.”

“But we want to sit down with these oil companies and discuss ways or suggestions on how we can alleviate the hardships of our fellow countrymen due to the constant rise in petroleum prices, [then] find common ground in areas that are within our control,” he added.

Invited to attend the consultative meeting as of Sunday were leaders of the House Committee on Energy, DOE officials led by Undersecretary Sharon Garin, Mia Delos Reyes of Petron Corp., Timothy James Laurel of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Tanya Samillano and Romina Antonio of the Independent Philippine Petroleum Companies Association, representatives from Chevron Phils. Inc., the Philippine Institute of Petroleum, Flying V, and Total Philippines Corp.

DOE targets full commercial ops of electricity market’s ancillary services trading by Dec. ’23

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

THE Department of Energy (DOE) is targeting the full commercial operation of the trading of ancillary services or power reserves at the electricity market in December.

In a draft circular released

Saturday, the agency said the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP), operator of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), will start with the final preparations and limited live-dispatch operations of the Reserve Market (RM) starting September 26 until December 25 this year.

“Starting December 26, 2023, the market operator shall implement the full commercial operation of the RM, wherein the cooptimized energy and reserve schedules, including their associated prices generated by the market dispatch-optimization model, shall be financially binding,” the draft circular stated.

The Energy Department said sanctions and penalties will be relaxed from December 26, 2023 until March 25, 2024. “Starting March 26, 2024, all trading participants shall ensure full compliance.”

The RM is the venue for trading of ancillary services or power reserves meant to support the

The solution, Romualdez said, can come from a united front of all stakeholders—oil companies and the government included.

“On our part in the government, we can compromise; perhaps what we can initially offer is a possible review of excise tax or [VAT] on oil and petroleum products,” Romualdez noted. “This is a good place to start.”

“Also, one possibility to look [into] is suspending the collection of excise taxes or VAT on oil and petroleum products, depending on the Palace’s plan after hearing our report of the result of this meeting,” he said.

Convincing players

ROMUALDEZ is also planning to talk to food manufacturers as well as the supermarket association after hinting that they, too, are planning to raise the prices of common goods with the series of

power transmission system.

The DOE is still awaiting from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) the price determination methodology (PDM) for the implementation of the co-optimized energy and RM in the WESM.

Last Friday, the ERC granted preliminary approval to the joint application of the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) and the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC) for the PDM, as well as for the implementation of the co-optimized energy and RM.

oil price hikes.

“We will attempt to convince them to at least postpone their plans, if there are any, until after Christmas in the spirit of the Yuletide season,” said Romualdez. “The simultaneous increase in prices [and] the price of crude oil is too heavy on the pocket.”

“While we understand that even [they are affected by the situation],” the Speaker furthered. “But we will appeal to their sense of compassion and ask them if they can find a way to manage until Christmas.”

The House leader from Leyte said the government is doing its best to alleviate the situation of the people, “but what we are experiencing is a [global] crisis.”

“That’s why various agencies are ready to provide assistance, because the government also feels the people’s predicaments,” the lawmaker added.

“The co-optimization of energy and reserve is a PDM enhancement in the WESM that will allow the market trading participants to offer their energy and reserve capacity simultaneously in a specific day and dispatch interval in the market,” the ERC explained.

It said trial operations of the RM, which commenced last June 26 and will be implemented by IEMOP for three months, must be completed before it can determine “whether cooptimized energy and RM is implementable.”

Sen. Go assists struggling MSMEs in Abulug, Cagayan Asean conference highlights medicinal forest-tree research

SENATOR Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go seeks to further strengthen government interventions in creating more livelihood opportunities for struggling Filipinos recovering from various crises.

In coordination with Mayor Jesus Vargas, the senator directed his team to provide additional assistance to 29 microentrepreneurs at the Abulug Municipal Hall in Cagayan on Wednesday, September 13. Each individual received snacks, masks, shirts, and balls for basketball and volleyball from Go’s office. His team likewise gave away shoes to select recipients.

Meanwhile, a contingent from the Department of Trade and Industry provided negosyo kits to qualified beneficiaries via a livelihood program for microentrepreneurs recovering from calamities and other crises. Go was instrumental in initiating the program during the Duterte administration, and continues to support its implementation to help more affected communities.

The lawmaker urged the recipients in Filipino to use the kits to open businesses, eventually expand them and bring the profits to their respective families. He then remarked that it is satisfying to reap the benefits of their hard work.

In a video message, Go also expressed his optimism that the economy will soon recover, considering that the government remains focused on developing more livelihood opportunities, especially for the marginalized sector.

The lawmaker acknowledged that the current times have been hard, as many lost their jobs.

Nonetheless he encouraged them not to lose hope, as the government is doing everything it can to help the people recover.

The senator authored and co-sponsored Republic Act (RA) 11960, or the “One Town, One Product Philippines Act.” The newly signed law shall assist and capacitate micro, small and medium enterprises, or MSMEs, in developing new, innovative as well as more complex products and services through significant improvement in the areas of quality, product development, design, packaging, standards compliance, marketability, production capability, brand development, sustainability, and in securing licenses, product registration, plus other market authorization, among others.

The other day, Go’s team extended similar aid to more MSMEs in Sanchez Mira.

Health: Top agenda

A S chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, Go reaffirmed that

he remains committed to boosting the country’s health sector via the “Malasakit Centers Act of 2019,” which he principally sponsored and authored. He then advised the public to take advantage of the medical assistance programs offered at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) in Tuguegarao City.

A brainchild of his, the program mandates all Department of Health (DOH)-run hospitals and the Philippine General Hospital in Manila City to establish their Malasakit Centers in helping poor and indigent patients with their medical expenses. To date, there are 159 operational centers that have successfully helped more than 7 million Filipinos nationwide.

In line with this, the senator was also instrumental in pushing for the funding of “Super Health Centers” in the province. These will be strategically placed in Aparri, Lal-lo, Buguey, Peñablanca, Sta. Teresita, Sto. Niño, Tuao, and Sta. Praxedes.

The said centers are designed

to make basic health services available including database management, outpatient birthing, isolation, diagnostics that include laboratory, X-ray and ultrasound services, pharmacy and ambulatory surgical unit.

Other available services are eye, ear, nose, and throat service; oncology centers; physical therapy and rehabilitation as well as telemedicine; through which remote diagnosis and treatment of patients are made possible.

The senator expressed his confidence that more Filipinos will be closer to the government’s health services, especially with the recent passage of RA 11959 or the “Regional Specialty Centers Act.” The said law mandates the establishment of Regional Specialty Centers within existing DOH regional hospitals.

He shared that many Filipinos from various parts of the country lack access to proper health facilities that can address their ailments, that is why it is vital to bring medical services from the government to those who need them most.

Supporting Cagayan infra

AS vice chairperson of the Senate committee on Finance, Go reiterated his vision for a more progressive Cagayan, as he supported the construction of a revetment along the Cagayan River; installation of street lights in Lal-lo; construction of various roads in Sta. Teresita, Aparri, Amulung, Baggao, Calayan, Gonzaga, Iguig, Santa Ana, Enrile, Tuao and Tuguegarao City; construction of a river-control structure at the Zinundungan River; installation of streetlights in Camalaniugan; and the CVMC’s upgrading.

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has emphasized the significance of advancing research and knowledge on medicinal plants and forest trees.

The one-day Asean Conference on Medicinal Forest Trees held on September 7 in New Clark City, Pampanga gathered around 117 participants from Southeast Asia. It underlined the role of researchers in increasing awareness about the potential benefits of the important natural resource.

In a statement, Director Maria Lourdes G. Ferrer of the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) urged participants of the conference to continue championing research, innovation, and responsible management of the country’s natural resources, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and information sharing to bring about transformative change.

“Through your rigorous research, innovative thinking, and unwavering [resolve] to responsible stewardship of our natural resources, we have unearthed possibilities that will undoubtedly expand beyond the limits of current knowledge,” Ferrer said.

She noted that the conference discussions not only deepened understanding,

but also promoted linkages for the advancement of medicinal non-timber forest species.

Besides the inadequate research support, the conference acknowledged the shortage of published literature on medicinal forest trees. It also emphasized the substantial threats posed by forest degradation and habitat loss to vital medicinal forest tree species. Furthermore, there is a pressing need for more ethnobotanical and pharmacological research on medicinal plants and forest trees.

The ERDB recommended integrating the said issues into the DENR’s “Research, Development, and Extension (RDE) Agenda.” Simultaneously, efforts will continue in collecting data on medicinal forest trees and conducting ongoing ethnobotanical and pharmacological research.

To enhance science communication, there will be an improved information and education campaign on the medicinal value of forest trees, along with increased promotion of RDE on medicinal forest trees.

The publication of research results will continue to raise awareness and encourage the use of these valuable resources.

“Together, we can fully realize the medicinal potential of our forest trees, creating a brighter and healthier future,” the ERDB director concluded.

Ferdinand Martin Romualdez is set to gather major oil players and the Department of Energy’s officials today to explore “win-win” solutions that will address the seemingly endless series of oil price hikes.

THE senator comes to the aid of Cagayanons’ livelihood and health. PNA FILE PHOTO

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PSA sees slight decline in Q3 palay output

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

THE country’s rice output in the third quarter may settle at 3.788 million metric tons (MMT), slightly lower than the 3.79 MMT recorded a year ago, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The PSA had adjusted downwards its palay production estimate based on standing crop as of August 1. The July estimate was higher at 3.876 MMT.

“The updated estimate of palay production for the period of July to September 2023 as of 01 August 2023 reflected a decrease of -2.3 percent from its estimate of 3.876 million metric tons as of 01 July

2023,” the PSA said in its latest forecast report published recently.

The PSA said the cause for the downward revision in its forecast is the expected smaller harvest area for the third quarter. Based on its estimate, palay harvest area in July to September would reach 926,950 hectares smaller than last year’s 931,750 hectares. The projected contraction in harvest areas would offset the expected improvement in yield during the third quarter.

“Based on standing crop for the period of July to September 2023, the yield per hectare of palay may improve to 4.09 metric tons [MT] or by 0.5 percent compared with the previous year’s same period yield of 4.07 metric tons.”

As of August 1, the PSA said about 168,070 hectares or 18.1 percent of the estimated 926,950

hectares of harvest area of standing crop have been harvested. Palay collected from these areas reached 693,510 MT.

“Of the total area of 758.88 thousand hectares of standing palay yet to be harvested as of 01 August 2023, 14.7 percent were at the vegetative stage, 55.5 percent at the reproductive stage, and 29.8 percent at the maturing stage.”

The PSA also said the country’s corn output in the third quarter could go up by 5.4 percent to 2.48 MMT from last year’s 2.35 MMT. However, the PSA revised downward its corn output forecast from its July estimate of 2.56 MMT.

The PSA noted that the yearon-year increase in output is driven by the expansion in harvest area and better yield.

“Harvest area based on standing corn for the period of July to

September 2023 may increase to 820.73 thousand hectares or by 1.8 percent from 806.42 thousand hectares actual estimate of harvest area in the same period of the previous year,” its report read.

“Correspondingly, the yield per hectare of corn may increase to 3.02 metric tons or by 3.8 percent from its previous year’s same quarter record of 2.91 metric tons.”

The PSA said about 25.3 percent or 207,590 hectares of the 820,730 hectares of standing crop have been harvested already and yielded 580,420 MT of corn.

“Of the 613.14 thousand hectares of standing corn yet to be harvested as of 01 August 2023, about 7.2 percent were at the vegetative stage, 49.0 percent at the reproductive stage, and 43.8 percent at the maturing stage.”

Bill allots financial and technical support for revival of local salt-making industry

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

FARMERS and producers

who depend on the moribund local salt-making industry may soon have access to necessary funding and technical support, according to a lawmaker.

Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte made the assurance as the Senate recently followed the House of Representatives in passing its version of a congressional measure establishing the Philippine Salt Industry Development Council (PSIDC), which shall craft and implement a roadmap to speed up the modernization and industrialization of the Philippine salt industry.

The Senate approved on third and final reading by a 22-0 vote Senate Bill (SB) 2243, which aims to make this industry competitive again in the local and international markets and help create more jobs in the agriculture and agribusiness sectors.

Villafuerte said the lower chamber had earlier passed House Bill (HB) 8278, which also seeks to establish the PSIDC “to craft and implement a roadmap

to speed up the modernization and industrialization of the Philippine salt industry.”

Following the measure’s approval in both chambers, he said the next step for lawmakers is to hammer out at the bicameral conference committee level a consolidated bill, which, upon ratification by both the Senate and the House, shall be submitted to the Palace for President Marcos’ approval and enactment into law.

“Under the proposed Roadmap, the would-be PSIDC shall, among others, identify sources of financing and facilitate credit windows from state-run banks and the ACPC [Agricultural Credit Policy Council] for them to accelerate the development of the moribund salt industry,” Villafuerte, a lead author of HB 8278, said.

“With an archipelagic nation like the Philippines ironically importing over 90 percent of its annual salt requirement, the main task of the PSIDC is to draw up a short-, medium-, and long-term roadmap to expand land area devoted to the production of this agricultural product, boost farm productivity, promote investments in this sector, institutionalize

Flood of Russian wheat halves world prices from wartime high

RUSSIA’S second consecutive bumper wheat harvest is reinforcing its position as the No. 1 exporter, but it’s also easing price pressures stemming from Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin’s war—including blockading and bombarding ports—has hobbled Ukraine’s food exports, helping cement Russia’s domination of the global wheat market. That’s reflected in record Russian shipments, as the nation’s traders overcome the financing and logistical challenges some faced in the aftermath of the invasion.

However, Russia’s overflowing grain ports have also yielded a silver lining for wheat consumers buffeted by a cost-ofliving crisis: the lowest prices in almost three years. Despite the Kremlin’s efforts to exploit the situation—by shoring up wheat prices to replenish its own coffers—the Chicago market is trading at less than half the peak reached after Moscow first invaded.

“There are not a lot of competitors for Russian wheat,” said Hélène Duflot, a grainmarket analyst at Strategie Grains. “Russia is the price maker at the moment.”

With the supply glut depressing prices,

Russia is trying to use its dominant position to put a floor under the market. Not only would that placate its own farmers, upset by dwindling incomes, but would also boost the Kremlin’s war-strained coffers by generating additional tax revenues.

Russian officials have been trying to enforce an informal price floor for exports, according to people familiar with the matter. That’s forcing some traders to renegotiate or even cancel deals, the people said, asking not be identified as the matter is private.

The government can enforce the price floor by refusing to grant export documents to lower-cost shipments, the people said.

Still, the application of the floor has been inconsistent.

This month Egypt booked a massive quantity of Russian wheat in a private deal at a price below the unofficial floor in public tenders. Several days later, Egypt said that the trader would be allowed to supply grain from origins other than Russia. That allows the Russian agriculture ministry to “save face” on deals that fall below its price floor, according to Andrey Sizov, managing director at research firm SovEcon.

“If they don’t necessarily sell Russian wheat, it implies they haven’t violated the

capacity-building programs for salt farmers and producers through the ATI [Agricultural Training Institute], and market overseas our Philippine products made from this nutrient.” HB 8278—the substitute bill on the proposed “Philippine Salt Industry Development Act”—was unanimously passed by the House on third and final reading by a 287-0 vote before the 19th Congress adjourned sine die last June.

Last February Albay Rep. and House Committee on Agriculture and Food Vice Chairman Joey Salceda said the country’s salt industry, which has declined significantly from its peak in the 1970s, “is the easiest agricultural industry to revive.”

Salceda said he believes that the salt industry is not dead.

“But it’s a bonsai industry. We try to cut it with so many self-imposed regulations. As an extremely low-margin business, the salt sector has been stunted by regulation,” he said.

“We now import 93 percent of our salt. That is in a country with one of the longest coastlines in the world. Shameful is one way to describe it. Stupid is another way.”

Russian price floor,” Sizov said. Russia’s agriculture ministry didn’t respond to questions on whether it enforces an official price floor. “We stand by our prices, which are dictated by increased production costs,” said Eduard Zernin, head of the Russian Union of Grain Exporters.

Nevertheless, the price floor is yet another sign of the Kremlin seeking to tighten control over Russian grain exports, and thereby the global market.

International trading houses fled Russia earlier this year as official criticism of foreign companies was ramped up. Moscow also continues to woo buyers in Africa and the Middle East, while assaulting Ukraine’s farm-export infrastructure and mixing grain from occupied regions with its own output.

Underlining Moscow’s wheat market dominance, the US Department of Agriculture earlier this week increased its forecast for Russian exports, while lowering its projection for global shipments.

The upshot is that despite lingering uncertainty about Ukrainian shipments, those concerns are more than offset by Russia’s own bountiful wheat fields, according to Alexander Karavaytsev, senior economist at the International Grains Council.

“Russia’s continued bumper and competitively priced exports have been a major factor weighing on exporter sentiment at other key origins in recent months,” he said. Bloomberg News

A FARMER in Pangasinan displays threshed rice in this BusinessMirror file photo

Russia-N. Korea military cooperation alarms Yoon; to discuss issue at UN

By Hyung-Jin Kim The Associated Press

Worries about Russian-North Korean ties have flared since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to Russia last week for a summit with President Vladimir Putin and to tour a slew of high-profile military and technology sites. Foreign experts speculate Kim could refill Russia’s ammunition inventory drained in its 18-month war with Ukraine in return for economic aid and technologies to modernize his weapons systems targeting South Korea and the US.

“Military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is illegal and unjust as it contravenes U.N. Security Council resolutions and various other international sanctions,” South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said in written responses to questions from The Associated Press before his departure to New York to attend the UN General Assembly.

“The international community will unite more tightly in response to such a move,” he said.

In his address Wednesday at the annual U.N. gathering, Yoon will speak about his assessment of the RussianNorth Korean moves, according to his office in South Korea, which added it is discussing countermeasures with the US, Japan and other partners.

While Russian-North Korean cooperation is feared to fuel Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine, it has also stoked security jitters in South Korea, where many think a Russian transfer of sophisticated weapons technologies would help North Korea acquire

a functioning spy satellite, a nuclearpowered submarine and more powerful missiles. Some experts still say North Korea would end up receiving food and cash in return for supplying ammunition and shells because Russia closely guards its high-tech weapons technologies.

North Korea’s advancing nuclear arsenal has been a major source of tensions in the region, with the North openly threatening to use nuclear weapons in potential conflicts with its rivals and conducting a barrage of missile tests since last year. In response, Yoon and US President Joe Biden in April agreed to expand joint military exercises, increase the temporary deployments of US strategic assets and launch a bilateral nuclear consultative group.

“Our two countries (South Korea and the US) reaffirmed that any nuclear attack by North Korea will be met with a swift, overwhelming and decisive response that will bring about the end of the regime,” Yoon said.

“Going forward, (South Korea)-US extended deterrence will develop into a joint system in which both countries discuss, decide and act together,” he said. “We will also enhance the ability to deter and respond to any nuclear or missile threat from North Korea.”

Since entering Russia last Tuesday in his first foreign travel in 4 1/2 years, Kim has inspected some of Russia’s most advanced weapons systems including nuclear-capable bombers, fighter jets, hypersonic missiles and

So U T h Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol addresses the 77th session of the United nations General Assembly on September 20, 2022 at Un headquarters. South Korea’s President Yoon said the international community “will unite more tightly” to cope with deepening military cooperation between Russia and north Korea, as he pushes to raise the issue with world leaders at the Un General Assembly this week. a P P H OtO/Ma Ry aLtaffe R

a warship. During a summit with Putin at Russia’s most important space launch center on Wednesday, Kim vowed “full and unconditional support” for Putin.

Some South Koreans call on their government to consider providing lethal weapons to Ukraine in retaliation against Russia’s possible weapons technology transfers. But South Korea’s Defense Ministry said its policy of not supplying weapons to countries at war remained unchanged.

Yoon recently announced South Korea will provide an additional $300 million to Ukraine next year, on top of the $150 million promised this year. He said South Korea will prepare for a mid- to long-term support package worth more than $2 billion.

South Korea has provided Ukraine with demining equipment, emergency evacuation vehicles, pickup trucks, medical supplies, tablet PCs and other items. Yoon said in the coming year South Korea will continue to communicate closely with Ukraine to send it what is truly needed.

Since taking office last year, Yoon, a conservative, has made a bolstered military alliance with the US the heart of his foreign policy while pushing to

move beyond history disputes with Japan — Korea’s former colonial ruler — and expand a trilateral SeoulWashington-Tokyo security cooperation. That has triggered concerns that South Korea’s relations with China, its biggest trading partner, will be hurt.

Yoon dismissed such a notion, saying “the trilateral cooperation harbors no intention of marginalizing any particular nation or establishing an exclusive coalition.”

Citing his meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping last November and Premier Li Qiang this month, both on the margins of regional gatherings, Yoon said he learned that “China also attaches importance to (South Korea)China relations.”

During their November meeting, Yoon said Xi expressed his willingness to visit South Korea when the Covid-19 pandemic situation stabilized. Yoon said Li and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had also expressed their support for resuming a trilateral Seoul-Beijing-Tokyo summit in South Korea for the first time in four years.

“All three countries—the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan—share a common understanding that it is important for China to play a responsible and constructive role not only in resolving pending issues on the Korean Peninsula and in the region but also in addressing global challenges,” Yoon said.

In his UN speech, Yoon said that he’ll also raise the issue of gaps in three areas—development, climate responses and digital transformation—and present how South Korea will contribute to resolving them. Yoon said that as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2024-25 term, he’ll also mention that South Korea will play a responsible role on security issues that require international solidarity like the war in Ukraine and the North Korean nuclear program.

While in New York, Yoon said he will hold bilateral summits with the leaders of about 30 countries. Yoon said he’ll try to use those summits to discuss bilateral cooperation and explain South Korea’s hopes to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan, South Korea’s second-biggest city.

Libya probes dams’ collapse after flood that killed more than 11,000

Yousef Mourad

&

By Samy Magdy

The Associated Press

De R n a Libya—Libyan authorities have opened an investigation into the collapse of two dams that caused a devastating flood in a coastal city as rescue teams searched for bodies on s at urday, nearly a week after the deluge killed more than 11,000 people.

i t ’s unclear how such an investigation can be carried out in the n o rth a f rican country, which plunged into chaos after a natO -backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. f o r most of the past decade, Libya has been split between rival administrations—one in the east, the other in the west—each backed by powerful militias and international patrons.

One result has been the neglect of crucial infrastructure, even as climate change makes extreme weather events more frequent and severe.

Heavy rains caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel caused deadly flooding across eastern Libya last weekend. t he floods overwhelmed two dams, sending a wall of water several meters high through the center of Derna, destroying entire neighborhoods and sweeping people out to sea.

More than 10,000 people are missing, according to the Libyan Red c r escent. s i x days on, searchers are still digging through mud and hollowed-out buildings, looking for bodies and possible survivors. t h e Red c r escent has confirmed 11,300 deaths so far.

c laire n i colet, who heads the emergencies department of the Doctors Without Borders aid group, said that rescuers found “a lot of bodies” on f r iday and were still searching.

i t w as a big number...the sea is still ejecting lots of dead bodies unfortunately,”

N. Korean media says Kim discussed arms cooperation with Russian defense minister

By Kim Tong-Hyung & Hyung-Jin Kim

The Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea—North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held discussions with Russia’s defense minister on strengthening “strategic and tactical coordination” between the countries’ militaries, the North’s state media said Sunday, as Kim continued a visit to Russia’s Far East that has raised concerns about an arms alliance that would fuel Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

The talks with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu came after Kim on Friday was shown some of Russia’s most advanced weapons systems deployed for its war on Ukraine, including nuclear-capable bombers and hypersonic missiles, and a key warship of its Pacific fleet, the Korean Central News Agency said.

Kim’s trip, highlighted by a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, has underscored how their interests are aligning in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with the West. U.S. and South Korean officials have said North Korea could provide badly needed munitions for Putin’s war on Ukraine in exchange for sophisticated Russian weapons technology that would advance Kim’s nuclear ambitions.

further comment.

she told t h e a s sociated Press.

s h e said major aid efforts were still needed, including urgent psychological support for those who lost their families. s h e said the burial of bodies is still a significant challenge, but there has been progress in coordinating search and rescue efforts and the distribution of aid.

a u thorities and aid groups have voiced concern about the spread of waterborne diseases and shifting of explosive ordnance from Libya’s recent conflicts.

Haider al-s a eih, head of Libya’s center for combating diseases, said in televised comments s at urday that at least 150 people had suffered from diarrhea after drinking contaminated water in Derna. He urged residents only drink bottled water, which is being shipped in as part of relief efforts.

Libya’s General Prosecutor, al-s e diq als o ur, said that prosecutors would investigate the collapse of the two dams, which were built in the 1970s, as well as the allocation of maintenance funds. He said prosecutors would investigate local authorities in the city, as well as previous governments. i reassure citizens that whoever made mistakes or negligence, prosecutors will certainly take firm measures, file a criminal case against him and send him to trial,” he told a news conference in Derna late f r iday. He said the probe will include investigators from different parts of the country. s u ch an inquiry would face major obstacles given Libya’s lingering political divide, even as the devastation brought a rare moment of unity, with Libyans on both sides rushing aid to Derna.

Jalel Harchaoui, an expert on Libya at the London-based Royal u n ited s e rvices i nstitute for Defense and s e curity st udies, said that an investigation could pose “a unique challenge”

to judicial authorities, since it could lead to the highest ranks of leadership in eastern and western Libya.

Later on s at urday, a local television station reported that Derna’s mayor, a b delMoneim al-Gaithi, was suspended pending an investigation into the disaster, according to a government decree dated s e pt. 14.

a h med a m dour was appointed acting mayor for the flood-stricken city, the station said.

s in ce 2014, eastern Libya has been under the control of Gen. Khalifa Hifter and his selfstyled Libyan n at ional a r my. a rival government, based in the capital, tr ipoli, controls most national funds and oversees infrastructure projects. n either tolerates dissent.

t h e key challenge to a thorough investigation is the Hifter coalition’s longstanding behavior; its historic lack of accountability writ large could obstruct the unearthing of truths,” Harchaoui said.

During a visit to Derna on f r iday, Hifter promised promotions to all military personnel involved in the relief efforts.

Local officials in the city had warned the public about the coming storm and last s atu rday ordered residents to evacuate coastal areas in Derna, fearing a surge from the sea. But there was no warning about the dams, which collapsed early Monday as most residents were asleep in their homes.

a report by a state-run audit agency in 2021 said the two dams hadn’t been maintained despite the allocation of more than $2 million for that purpose in 2012 and 2013.

a tu rkish firm was contracted in 2007 to carry out maintenance on the two dams and build another dam in between. t h e firm, a r sel c o nstruction c o mpany Ltd., said on its website that it completed its work in n o vember 2012. i t d idn’t respond to an email seeking

Local and international rescue teams were meanwhile working around the clock, searching for bodies and potential survivors in the city of 90,000 people.

ay oub said that his father and nephew died in Derna on Monday, a day after the family had fled flooding in the nearby town of Bayda. He said that his mother and sister raced upstairs to the roof but the others didn’t make it.

“ i found the kid in the water next to his grandfather,” said ay oub, who only gave his first name. “ i am wandering around and i still don’t believe what happened.”

a l -s o ur, the top prosecutor, called on residents who have missing relatives to report to a forensic committee that works on documenting and identifying retrieved bodies.

Libyan authorities have restricted access to the flooded city to make it easier for searchers to dig through the mud and hollowed-out buildings for the more than 10,000 people still missing. Many bodies were believed to have been buried under rubble or swept out into the Mediterranean s e a, they said.

t he storm hit other areas in eastern Libya, including the towns of Bayda, s u sa, Marj and s hahat t. te ns of thousands of people have been displaced in the region and took shelter in schools and other government buildings.

Dozens of foreigners were among those killed, including people who had fled war and unrest elsewhere in the region. Others had come to Libya to work or were traveling through in hopes of migrating to e u rope. at least 74 men from one village in e g ypt perished in the flood, as well as dozens of people who had traveled to Libya from war-torn sy ria. Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Jack Jeffery contributed to this report from London.

While his predominant focus is on military cooperation, Kim also appears to be using his trip to encourage broader exchanges between the countries as he tries to break out of diplomatic isolation.

The governor of Russia’s Primorye region, which includes Vladivostok, said he plans to meet with Kim on Sunday. Gov. Oleg Kozhemyako said on his messaging app channel they would discuss exchange programs for schoolchildren to attend summer camps in one another’s country and other ways to cooperate in sports, tourism and culture. Russian media said Kim may also visit food industry businesses in Primorye.

A day after visiting an aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur that produces Russia’s most powerful fighter jets, Kim on Saturday traveled to an airport near the port city of Vladivostok, where Shoigu and other senior military officials gave him an up-close look at Russia’s strategic bombers and other warplanes.

All the Russian warplanes shown to Kim were among the types that have seen active use in the war in Ukraine, including the Tu-160, Tu95 and Tu-22 bombers that have regularly launched cruise missiles.

During Kim’s visit, Shoigu and Lt. Gen. Sergei Kobylash, the commander of the Russian long-range bomber force, confirmed for the first time that the Tu-160 had recently received new cruise missiles with a range of more than 6,500 kilometers (over 4,040 miles).

Shoigu, who had met Kim during a rare visit to North Korea in July, also showed Kim another of Rus -

sia’s latest missiles, the hypersonic Kinzhal, carried by the MiG-31 fighter jet, that saw its first combat during the war in Ukraine.

Kim and Shoigu later traveled to Vladivostok, where they inspected the Admiral Shaposhnikov frigate. Russia’s navy commander, Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov, briefed Kim on the ship’s capabilities and weapons, which include long-range Kalibr cruise missiles that Russian warships have regularly fired at targets in Ukraine.

KCNA, which has reported Kim’s activities in Russia a day late while crafting the details to meet government propaganda purposes, said Kim was accompanied on Saturday’s visits by his top military officials, including his defense minister and the top commanders of his air force and navy.

Following a luncheon, Kim and Shoigu talked about the regional security environment and exchanged views on “practical issues arising in further strengthening the strategic and tactical coordination, cooperation and mutual exchange between the armed forces of the two countries,” KCNA said.

In their July meeting, Kim gave Shoigu a similar inspection of North Korean weapons systems before inviting him to a massive parade in the capital, Pyongyang, where he rolled out his most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to target the United States.

Kim’s visits to military and technology sites this week possibly hint at what he wants from Russia, perhaps in exchange for supplying munitions to refill Putin’s declining reserves as his invasion of Ukraine becomes a drawn-out war of attrition.

Kim’s meeting with Putin was held at Russia’s main spaceport, a location that pointed to his desire for Russian assistance in his efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance assets and missile technologies.

Experts have said potential military cooperation between the countries could include efforts to modernize North Korea’s outdated air force, which relies on warplanes sent from the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

Kim in recent months has also refocused on strengthening the country’s navy, which analysts say could be driven by ambitions to obtain Russia’s sophisticated technologies for ballistic missile submarin es and nuclear-propelled submarines as well as to initiate joint naval exercises between Russia and North Korea.

Later Saturday, Kim visited a local theater to watch Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty ballet performance. KCNA said Kim received a rousing ovation by people at the theater and expressed “deep thanks to the performers and the theater for their impressive and elegant ballet of high artistic value.”

Russia’s RIA Novosti state news agency said Kim left after the first act.

Editor: Angel R. Calso

SEOUL, South Korea—South Korea’s president said the international community “will unite more tightly” to cope with deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, as he plans to raise the issue with world leaders at the UN General Assembly this week.

In this photo released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Saturday, September 16, 2023, north Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, center right, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, and Admiral nikolai Yevmenov, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian navy, center left, visit the Admiral Shaposhnikov frigate of the Russian navy in the port of Vladivostok, Russian Far East. The visit was part of Kim’s trip across Russia’s Far East that has featured talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and sparked Western concerns about an arms deal between the two old allies. Russian Defense Minist Ry P R e ss s e R v ice via a P

South Korean teachers want new laws to protect them from abusive parents

By KIM TONG-HYUNG The Associated Press

By Samuel Petrequin The Associated Press

BRUSSELS—Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on Friday that he will seek the help of government experts on extremism in the wake of a series of school arsons. Officials believe the attacks are connected to a controversial sexual education school program.

De Croo spoke just hours after a sixth school in the French-speaking Wallonia region was torched this week. Signs protesting the so-called Evras program were discovered in some of the schools, according to authorities.

The weekend demonstrations in the capital city were triggered by the death of a teacher who was found dead at her elementary school in July after reportedly expressing emotional distress caused by complaints from allegedly abusive parents.

The protesting teachers, who have rallied for weeks, say current laws make it difficult to exercise control over their classrooms and leave them at the mercy of overbearing parents, who could easily accuse them of emotionally abusing children.

South k ore an lawmakers are currently debating bills that would meet some of the teachers’ demands for immunity from child abuse claims. But some experts have raised concerns over

the potential changes, saying the proposals could further weaken protection for children, who toil for years in hypercompetitive environments.

In South k ore a, graduating from elite universities is seen as crucial for career and marriage prospects.

According to Education Ministry and the National Health Insurance Service data provided to liberal opposition lawmaker k i m Woni last week, more than 820 elementary, middle- and high-school students died of suicide between 2018 and 2022.

Dressed in black, thousands of teachers and school staff occupied a street near the National Assembly, chanting slogans and holding up signs that read: “Grant teachers

By Áine Quinn & Kateryna Choursina

Uk R AINE i s defying Russia’s de-facto blockade of its Black Sea ports by sending empty ships to collect grain for the first time since a safe-passage deal collapsed almost two months ago.

Two ships “confirmed their readiness to use the route to the port of Chornomorsk to load almost 20,000 tons of wheat for Africa and Asia,”

Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr k u brakov said on social media. The ships carry the flags of Palau and crewmembers are from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Egypt and Ukraine.

Both vessels were at the port of Chornomorsk as of Saturday evening, according to ship tracking data.

Russia’s exit from the UN and Turkey-brokered Black Sea grain deal in July forced Ukraine to use more complicated and expensive routes to ship its harvest abroad. While grain has been redirected via rail, river and road routes, Russia has repeatedly targeted key river ports on the Danube with drone attacks.

The ships’ passage to Ukraine is fraught with risks as Russia has said it would treat any ships headed to Ukraine’s ports as potential carriers of weapons. In August, Russia’s navy opened fire on a cargo vessel to force it to stop for checks.

Five ships, including container and bulk vessels, have used the new corridor supervised by Ukrainian navy and left the ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdennyi, where they had been stuck since Russia’s invasion started in February 2022.  Bloomberg News

immunity from child emotional abuse claims.” The protesters said more than 9,000 teachers have been reported by parents for child abuse in the past eight years.

“I hope that the bills being discussed now (by lawmakers) will be passed as soon as possible to secure teachers’ rights to life and empower teachers to provide good education,” said Ahn Ji Hye, a teacher and one of the protest’s organizers.

Police reportedly estimated that around 20,000 people turned out in Saturday’s rally.

Amid the teachers’ growing anger, South k ore a’s conservative government launched a task force earlier this month to explore new education-related laws that would reflect the opinions of teachers in an effort to protect them from child abuse allegations.

The education and justice ministries in their joint press release accused Seoul’s former liberal government of employing policies that “overemphasized the human rights of children,” which they said led to an increase in “unwarranted child abuse reports.”

Brazilian leader Lula rekindles ties with Cuba at G77 summit in Havana

By Eléonore Hughes The Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO—Brazilian

President Luiz Inácio Lula da

Silva met with his Cuban counterpart Saturday in Havana, signaling a revitalization of ties between the two countries in the first trip by a Brazilian president to the Caribbean nation in nine years.

Lula was in Havana for the summit of the Group of 77 emerging economies plus China. The group, founded in the 1960s, is meeting in Cuba just days ahead of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Addressing the summit Saturday, Lula lamented the US-led embargo of Cuba. The island “is the victim of an illegal economic embargo. Brazil is against any unilateral coercive measure,” he said.

“We reject the inclusion of Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism,” he added. Lula was referencing the US’s list of countries it considers to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism. Countries on the list are subject to sanctions.

Cuba and Brazil share strong historical and demographic ties. Brazilian soap operas are popular in Cuba, and both have rich musical traditions.

Lula and former Cuban leader Fidel Castro were friends, and Lula’s narrow victory over former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro in last year’s election was celebrated in Cuba.

The event in Havana was an opportunity “to officialize the reestablishment of political and diplomatic relations with Cuba that were completely abandoned during the Bolsonaro administration,” said Paulo Peres, a political scientist at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.

Ties were strong between the two countries when Lula’s leftist Workers’ Party was in power between 2003 and 2016 but turned sour under Bolsonaro, who was in favor of the embargo.

Lula and Cuba’s leader Miguel DíazCanel were expected to discuss Cuba’s debt to Brazil’s development bank. Re -

ported by the Brazilian press to stand at around $540 million, the debt was mainly amassed during huge works on Cuba’s Port of Mariel, located approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Havana.

Cuba stopped paying the loan in 2018. Bolsonaro allies on the far right regularly used the issue to accuse Lula of preferring to build a port in communist Cuba rather than finance national projects.

“The successful recovery of the funds lent to Cuba to finance works carried out by Brazilian companies on the island will be relevant to counter the opposition’s criticism of the Workers’ Party,” said Antonio Jorge Ramalho Da Rocha, a professor of international relations at the University of Brasilia.

Lula is also very interested in increasing Brazilian companies’ use of the port and making the most of its infrastructure to facilitate international commerce with the Caribbean and the US, said Peres.

An expansion of trade links between the two countries is also expected to be on the agenda. In 2022, Brazil had a trade surplus of approximately $287 million with Cuba, according to a January statement by Brazil’s foreign affairs ministry. Brazil principally exported vegetal fats and oils, rice and poultry meat.

Cuba is in the throes of what some experts have called its gravest economic crisis since the Cuban Revolution in 1959. While increased imports of a range of goods would be welcome on the island, the Cuban government

is widely thought to lack the funds to pay.

But Cuba is also going through a transformation process, with the opening of small and medium-sized private companies. Since small ventures became legal in September 2021, more than 8,000 companies have been launched in Cuba.

The two leaders were also likely to discuss Brazil’s “More Doctors” program, said Peres. Launched in 2013, the initiative recruited doctors from abroad to work in remote areas of the country where there was a lack of health care services.

Bolsonaro criticized the program, which led to its hasty suspension in the early days after his election in 2018.

Both countries have an interest in restarting “More Doctors,” said Peres. Cuba’s cash-strapped government would welcome the income from the doctors’ salaries, while Brazil continues to suffer from a lack of health care professionals in rural areas.

Bolsonaro had little interest in international affairs. Since taking office in January, Lula has been seeking to project Brazil as a major player on the global stage.

Part of that strategy has been to take numerous international trips, during which Lula has pushed for a revamping of the global world order in favor of more power to Global South countries.

After his trip to Cuba, Lula will head to New York, where he will give the opening speech of the UN’s General Assembly and meet with President Joe Biden in a bilateral meeting.

year, around 100,000 students in the Wallonia-Brussels federation are required to attend the two sessions for a total of four hours of training.

Protests, with a few hundred people taking part, have also been organized in Brussels.

Several Islamic groups have also condemned the program in a joint statement, fearing it will favor “hypersexualization” of children.

Rumors about the nature of Evras have also been spreading on the Internet.

De Croo said that sexual education has been provided in Belgium for half a century and warned that the country will not take steps backwards.

The program is a required four hours of training for students aged 11 to 12 and 15 to 16, intended to help them develop their relational and sexual lives. The program had been around and available for all age groups for years, but was not compulsory until now.

“In a democracy like ours, we will never allow our schools to be a target,” De Croo said. “We live in a country of tolerance, and tolerance means we can have a debate, different points of view, but it can never lead to violence, especially in places frequented by our children.”

Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden on Friday called for a halt to the attacks.

“We don’t touch our schools,” Verlinden said during a news conference with De Croo. “It’s a red line.”

De Croo said he has asked the body in charge of processing intelligence on “terror, extremism and radicalization” to analyze the situation, and Verlinden said she’s asked the federal police to provide support to local forces in the affected region.

No one has claimed responsibility for the fires set to the six schools, and no suspect has been arrested. This

By Farai Mutsaka

The Associated Press

hARARE, Zimbabwe—Barely a week after being elected as a local councilor for Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, Womberaiishe n h ende and a relative were pulled out of their car by unidentified men, shot with a stun gun and handcuffed.

t h ey were then bundled into a pickup truck and driven about 70 kilometers (more than 40 miles) outside of h a rare, the capital, where they were whipped, beaten with truncheons and interrogated, and injected with an unknown substance, their lawyers say.

h a ving been questioned over what their Citizens Coalition for Change party is planning after August’s disputed and troubled national election, the ordeal ended when the two men were dumped naked near a river, the lawyers allege.

t h eir story isn’t new in the southern African nation, which has a long history of violence and intimidation against opposition to the ZA n u - PF party during its 43-year rule.

t h ere are signs that the country has now slipped into another era of brutal oppression, even as newly reelected President Emmerson Mnangagwa speaks publicly of “peace, love, harmony and tolerance.”

Behind those sweet words, more than a dozen opposition CCC figures—from elected representatives to officials and activists— have been arrested by police in the three weeks since the election, the party says. o t hers have been targeted with violent abductions.

“It is the beginning of a new term and we are seeing people being abducted and tortured, people’s homes being burnt down, and lawyers arrested for simply doing their job,” said Doug Coltart, one of n h ende’s lawyers, who was himself arrested.

“It only creates the impression that we are going to see further breakdown in the rule of law in Zimbabwe.”

Mnangagwa, a former guerrilla fighter known as “the crocodile,” won a second term as president last month in an election rejected by the CCC as flawed and questioned by international and regional observers, who

“It’s not new, it’s the basis of sexual health, but also the basis for our children to be are aware of their rights and (physical) integrity,” he added.

Other officials sought to bat down the rumors.

“I would like to call on everyone to calm down and try once again to cut through the lies circulating about the Evras system,” the education minister in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Caroline Desir, said Friday. “No, it does not prepare a pedophile system. No, it doesn’t plan to make children want to change gender. No, it doesn’t plan to teach children how to engage in sexual activities.”

Local media quoting the prosecutor’s office in the city of Charleroi said the investigation has not established a link between the six arsons so far.

Charleroi mayor Paul Magnette compared the arsons to a “form of terrorism.”

“These are arson attacks on schools, which are sacred places,” he told Sudinfo media. “They are places where children learn respect and tolerance.”

According to local media, two other schools, in the city of Liege, also in Wallonia, have been vandalized.

cited numerous problems, including a climate of fear and intimidation. t hat a ppears to still be a mainstay in Zimbabwe six years after renowned autocratic leader Robert Mugabe was ousted in a coup and replaced by Mnangagwa in 2017.

Coltart and another of n h ende’s lawyers, ta piwa Muchineripi, were detained and charged with obstructing justice for telling police that they couldn’t question n h ende and relative Sanele Mkuhlani over their beatings while they were sedated, they said. Coltart isn’t new to harassment, having been arrested by authorities for doing his job at least four times before, but he said the latest crackdown so soon after the elections doesn’t “bode well for the next phase.”

Mnangagwa and his party have repeatedly denied allegations of using repression to crush dissent. Yet the president, who turned 81 on Friday, described the opposition’s allegations as “noises from some little boys” and threatened to imprison “anybody who wants to be nonsensical and bring chaos.”

Mnangagwa’s often-repeated assertion that Zimbabwe is a mature democracy under him is seen as a facade by many, including prominent international rights groups like Amnesty International and h u man Rights Watch. A truer picture of Zimbabwean politics might be the deep red and black welts and rips in the skin visible across n h ende’s back and lower legs, the result of a lashing with a heavy sjambok whip, his lawyers said. n h ende recounted his experience and showed his wounds in a video released by the CCC, the closest challenger to ZA n u - PF in the election.

“ t h ey beat us up trying to extract information about our post-election plans,” n h ende said in the video, during which he winces in pain as he speaks. t h e sight of an elected representative showing injuries from a beating isn’t uncommon in Zimbabwe.

More than 15 years ago, then-opposition leader Morgan ts vangirai was photographed by the world’s media with a swollen and badly bruised face, one eye completely closed, after having been detained by police during the Mugabe era and severely beaten.

SEOUL, South Korea—Thousands of South Korean schoolteachers and staff rallied in Seoul on Saturday for more legal protection from bullying by parents, a rising problem in a country known for its brutally competitive school environments.

Teachers hold up their banners during a rally to demand the better protection of their rights near the National assembly in seoul, south Korea on saturday, sept. 16, 2023. Following the suicide of an elementary school teacher in July, teachers across south Korea have been pushing for improved systems to protect teachers from widespread malicious complaints from parents. The signs read, “Pass (the teacher rights restoration bills) in september parliament session.” AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

Arson attacks at Belgium schools believed connected to controversial sex ed program

Zimbabwe leader says there’s democracy, but beating and torture allegations emerge

cUBaN President Miguel d az-canel, left, accompanies Brazilian President luiz nacio lula da silva during a visit to revolution Palace, in havana, cuba on saturday, september 16, 2023. lula is in havana for the G77 + china summit. AP Photo/R A M on E S PI no S A

editorial

The rice cartel makes the whole nation suffer

The Rice Tariffication Law (RTL)—Republic Act 11203—was signed in 2019 to bring down the price of rice and help farmers who would be hurt by the removal of quantitative restrictions on imported rice. Under the RTL, our rice farmers were assured they will remain protected by a relatively high tariff wall of 35 percent to 40 percent.

The Neda said the Rice Tariffication Law is the best model that we have to help both farmers and consumers. By removing quantitative restrictions, Neda said RTL will be able to address both the needs of consumers for a lower retail price of rice and use the tariff revenues to fund the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) that will provide assistance to farmers.

Farmers were vigorously against the rice tariffication measure when it was being debated in Congress. However, President Duterte’s economic team was united in its vision to reform the rice sector. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol was the lone voice opposing the measure. But his fellow Cabinet members and finally the President were persuasive in convincing Piñol about the economic benefits of their proposal.

Farmer groups said the RTL made their situation worse. Long on promises, the RTL miserably failed to bring down the price of rice. “Analysis of data from the Philippine Statistics Authority revealed that consumers saved a measly P52 per year during the first three years of the Rice Tariffication Law, which opened up the domestic market to unlimited volumes of cheap imports,” the Federation of Free Farmers said.

When the rice cartel started hoarding after India announced a rice export ban, rice prices skyrocketed. In response to surging rice prices, President Marcos imposed a price ceiling of P41 per kilo for regular milled rice and P45 per kilo for well-milled rice.

The Tariff Commission on Friday held a public hearing on the proposed reduction of rice import tariff rates. The Department of Finance wants to cut the 35 percent rice import tariff rates “temporarily to 0 percent or maximum of 10 percent to arrest the surge in rice prices.”

Various groups called the hearing a farce. In a statement, the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura, Federation of Free Farmers (FFF), Philippine Confederation of Grains Associations, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, Pambansang Mannalon, Mag-uuma, Magbabaul, Magsasaka ng Pilipinas, and National Movement for Food Sovereignty, called the hearing “a sham public consultation.”

Raul Montemayor, FFF national manager, said “the exercise is designed to make it appear that stakeholders are being consulted on the proposal.” But the timing stinks because farmers are about to harvest the main season crop, and rice prices will naturally go down.

“Encouraging additional imports through tariff reduction will further depress palay prices and discourage farmers from expanding their future production, thereby making the country even more dependent on imports,” Montemayor said.

At an average landed cost of P27.34 per kilo of imported rice, he said the tariff at 35 percent is P9.57 per kilo, while at 10 percent rate the tariff will go down to P2.73 per kilo. Should the rate be slashed to 10 percent, the tariff reduction would be about P6.83 per kilo. “So, the potential reduction in the price of rice is about P7 per kilo. If we assume that rice prices go down by P7 per kilo, the effect of that in palay price would be about P4.44 per kilo reduction,” he said.

“If there is a direct transmission in tariff reduction into a reduction in palay prices, multiply that by palay production in 2022 [at 19.75 million metric tons], the farmers’ losses will be about P88 billion in terms of reduced income,” Montemayor said.

The farmers said even the US, the richest country in the world, maintains a strong safety net for America’s farmers, which includes disaster assistance, crop insurance, technical assistance, and access to credit.

The Rice Tariffication Law’s 35 percent tariff wall is there to protect the farmers. Now they want to remove the only safety net for millions of Filipino farmers. “Why don’t they just make a Rice Zero Tariff Law to avoid giving us false hopes,” an irritated farmer said. “They should know that the whole nation suffers because of the rice cartel. This is the solution where they should focus on.”

Citicore fast-tracks RE capacity

InnovATIon has become the hallmark of the way Citicore Renewable energy Corp. is changing the business landscape insofar as the country’s march towards green energy projects is concerned. After experimenting with what it calls as “Agrovoltaic” technology, where pechay crops are planted under solar panels, the firm has accessed a green loan facility that allows it to scale its planned one gigawatt capacity build-up every year for the next five years.

That green loan facility, which commands lower interest rates than commercial ones, came from Pentagreen Capital, a sustainable infra debt financing partnership between HSBC and Singapore sovereign wealth fund, Temasek Holdings. With an initial funding of $30 million, the landmark green loan will ultimately translate to $100 million that would let Citicore RE achieve its planned rollout of five gigawatts. One gigawatt of RE will energize 876,000 households a year and will result in less power outages in some parts of the country. The country, as part of a global initiative to reduce CO2 emissions, is aiming to have 35 percent of its energy needs powered by renewable energy sources by 2030 and then 50 percent 10 years later. That means Citicore is well-positioned for its accelerated RE output that it can either sell through the

Last March, Citicore Renewables harvested pechay crops planted underneath its solar panels in Dalayap, Tarlac City that sends the message that agriculture can also thrive under solar panels. Before the innovative take on that plot of land, the prevailing impression was that solar power generation will displace agriculture. The company has also partnered with the local farmers for the planting of other crops like arugula and turmeric.

grid or via the spot market. This initial $30 million tranche will provide funding for the construction of four greenfield projects and two more that have been recently completed. These projects are expected to add around 691 gigawatt hours (GWHs) of renewable electricity supply into the Luzon grid annually. The RE supply will mean a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 430,000 tons of carbon dioxide.

“Pentagreen’s partnership with Citicore Renewables is a vote of confidence in our ability to scale up, enabling us to achieve our planned 1GW project roll out this year, in line with our 5GW in 5 years roadmap. We appreciate Pentagreen’s support for our solar projects as it unlocks the development of our renewable energy capacity pipeline in an accelerated manner,” according to Citicore President and CEO Oliver Tan.

The funding facility is the first international institutional investment and is designed to enable mobilization of additional debt funding to support the construction of Citicore Renewables’ ready-to-build projects. For Pentagreen CEO Marat Zapparov, the green fund’s partnership means supporting Citicore Renewables’ “ambition of becoming a leading green electricity provider in the Philippines.”

Last March, Citicore Renewables harvested pechay crops planted underneath its solar panels in Dalayap, Tarlac City that sends the message that agriculture can also thrive under solar panels. Before the innovative take on that plot of land, the prevailing impression was that solar power generation will displace agriculture. The company has also partnered with the local farmers for the planting of other crops like arugula

and turmeric.

Aside from its solar panels in Tarlac City, the company also has solar energy plants in Negros Occidental and in Cebu and is looking at other sites that would see this same messaging thrust that solar plants and agribusiness can live together. It is this innovative take that shows how the company is looking at its business model from a different perspective. There is also a CSR undertaking beneath that marriage of solar generation and farming since the company tries to partner with farmer families in producing the pechay and other harvests. Thus, the farmers are not displaced totally when the farm plots they till are converted to shining solar energy plants.

Perhaps, it is this novel approach that allowed Citicore Renewables to get that initial funding support from Pentagreen Capital, a first for the country actually, and this could blossom into more funding partnerships that could help propel the economy to greater heights. After all, the economy’s growth is a function of the energy capacity it can harness for business establishments and manufacturing facilities.

Pretty soon, with the entry of more RE projects in the energy pipeline, the government can later on address the high energy rates in the country that has hamstrung our march towards that elusive goal of becoming a lower-middle income country. That would mean a lot for the poor folks, some of whom get by on just P50 for food daily.

Fed’s higher-for-longer mantra has doubters in bond market

By Michael Mackenzie & Edward Bolingbroke

AmId signs the bond market has bought into the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates higher for longer, a cohort of investors is placing bets on the economy hitting a wall—and a sharp policy reversal in short order.

Treasury yields have settled into tight ranges this month near the highest levels in more than a decade as data show a resilient economy and inflation still well above the Fed’s 2 percent target. But with yields anticipating a peak in the policy rate, the outlook for growth takes on greater importance.

The past week has seen a pickup in demand for options that will turn a profit should interest rates tumble before the middle of next year. That’s a direr scenario than what’s seen in the swaps market, where traders are no longer pricing in a rate cut during the first half of 2024.

Bond traders have been placing these sorts of bets since the hiking cycle began and so far they haven’t panned out. But this time may be different, as the Fed’s tightening cycle has had more time to work through the economy.

The Fed is widely expected to leave its policy rate unchanged next week after lifting it in July for the 10th time in an aggressive hiking cycle that began in March last year. It’s also seen significantly raising its forecast for growth and indicating another rate increase this year in its so-called dot plot. The rate outlook for 2024 remains up for debate. In June, the median projection showed a full percentage point cut by the end of next year.

The longer rates stay elevated so does the risk of a downturn, and at the margin there are more signs of consumer stress as higher borrowing costs and weaker hiring start to erode household spending. With the Fed seen being close to its policy rate peak, the focus is now on growth softening.

“There is a question mark around whether the economy is transition-

The week saw notable demand for options linked to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate— which closely aligns to the projected path of Fed’s policy rate— hedging multiple rate cuts before June. These trades likely accompany existing positions that reflect the Fed’s current message, allowing some traders to benefit from a surprise policy pivot.

ing to a soft landing or does the labor market weaken towards a more recessionary outlook,” said Roger Hallam, global head of rates at Vanguard Asset Management.

The week saw notable demand for options linked to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate—which closely aligns to the projected path of Fed’s policy rate—hedging multiple rate cuts before June. These trades likely accompany existing positions that reflect the Fed’s current message, allowing some traders to benefit from a surprise policy pivot.

One trade positioned for a 3 percent rate by the middle of next year versus a current market level around

5 percent. The premium paid on that bet was in excess of $10 million. Other similar trades surrounding March were also made over the course of the week.

Ramping up wagers that the Fed could pivot to rate cuts by mid-2024, or even before, stands in sharp contrast to policy makers stressing a higher-for-longer narrative. Meanwhile, the current Fed rate at 5.25 percent to 5.5 percent, well above the US annual inflation rate and threemonth annualized figure, is seen as threatening the growth outlook. As a result, investors are more worried about recession than they were nine months ago, according to Robert Waldner at Invesco.

“There is an increasing risk of recession as rates stay high and nominal growth comes down,” the chief strategist said. “As inflation is coming down, central bank policy is getting tighter, and if they don’t consider this, it will increase the risk of an accident.”

Positioning through options for next year’s Fed meetings in March and June may make sense, given the bond market faces the likelihood of

United Nations is incomplete without Taiwan’s participation

The 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is scheduled to commence at UN headquarters in New York from September 5 to 26, 2023 with the theme “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) towards peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability for all.”

Over the past years, the world has faced many challenges, especially when the PRC continues to increase military provocations and coercive measures in the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan Strait, and even South China Sea. While the Philippines’ “National Security Policy 2023-2028” envisions “a free, resilient, peaceful, and prosperous archipelagic and maritime nation, at peace with itself and its neighbors, enabled and protected by reliable defense and public safety systems,” Taiwan has been an international force for good, willing to work with nations worldwide to achieve post-pandemic recovery and sustainable growth.

For example, under its “New Southbound Policy,” Taiwan has been implementing various cooperation initiatives with the Philippines. The 3rd batch of “Filipino Young Farmers Internship Program in Taiwan (FYFIPT)” just departed for Taiwan last August, and those young farmers will come back home to reshape the landscape of Philippine agriculture and enhance food security. Taiwan also works with partner countries on a wide range of issues, including ocean conservation, climate financing, gender equality, inclusive education, and social innovation, etc.

however, it is disappointing that UNGA Resolution 2758 (XXVI), adopted in 1971, continues to be misused and misrepresented as equivalent to the so-called “one China principle,” which is unilaterally advocated by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). That Resolution neither takes a position on Taiwan’s status nor bestows upon the PRC the right to represent the people of Taiwan.

In addition, access to the United Nations should be a right for all

Is the grant of ‘ayuda’ the solution?

BeGINNING this month, the government begins rolling out its Lifeline Rate (LR) program that will aid low-income households in paying their electricity bills.

and not just a privilege for some.

It is regrettable that Taiwanese people are being barred from accessing UN premises for visits. The United Nations refuses to recognize Taiwan passport as proof of identification—even though this document is recognized by almost every country in the world. Consequently, Taiwanese media outlets and journalists are also unable to obtain accreditation to cover UN meetings and events. It is alarming that civic space in the United Nations and freedom of the press are being restricted. While half of the world’s commercial container traffic passes through the Taiwan Strait each day and Taiwan produces over 90 percent of the advanced chips that power daily life around the world, Taiwan resolutely exercises restraint to maintain peace and stability in the region. At this critical juncture, including Taiwan in the UN mechanism is a crucial next step to make progress towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The absence of Taiwan’s valuable input and contributions is detrimental to both the international community and the future of humanity. I hereby call on the Philippine government, its Congress, and its people to support Taiwan’s inclusion in the United Nations and related meetings, mechanisms, and activities, and this, I believe, will further enhance the global common good.

Wallace Minn-Gan Chow Representative Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines

The LR program provides for a subsidized rate to qualified lowincome electricity customers who cannot pay their electricity bills at full cost. This is a good example of government granting “ayuda” to the marginalized segment of society.

Beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or those living below the poverty threshold set by the Philippine Statistics Authority can apply for the program. Only one application for each household will be granted with the lifeline rate.

To apply for the program, beneficiaries should submit to the Distribution Utility (DU), or the electric Cooperative (eC), their duly accomplished Lifeline Rate application forms, most recent electricity bills, and any valid government-issued identification cards with the signature and address of the applicant.

Is the grant of this ayuda benefit the appropriate response to the increasing electricity bill burden of our marginalized Filipinos? I argue that there is a better solution for the woes of practically all households and consumers.

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being stuck in a holding pattern as investors wait for clarity on the economy. It’s very reasonable to see lower yields in an economic environment heading into a downturn, according to Vanguard’s ha llam. But the picture for bond buyers gets complicated should higher energy prices stall the recent disinflationary trends.

“Sticky inflation would make it very difficult for the Fed to ease next year,” he said.

Given the uncertainty over the

I say that the better response is for the energy Regulatory Commission (eRC) to finally rule on the refund of the over-collections from electric billings of the DUs and eCs. These over-billings have been arising for several years already, and it is incumbent that these excess collections be returned to the consumers.

I present the following undisputable facts, using Meralco as the test case.

1. Meralco billing rates have remained provisional and unchanged since 2012.

2. T he electricity rate reset process for the period 2012 to 2022 has not been completed. The reset for 2016 to 2022 has not even started.

3. T here was an error in the calculation of provisional rates.

4. In the absence of a completed rate reset, the eRC allowed rates for Meralco were only provisional or interim rates subject to further adjustments after the completion of the process.

5. eRC made a partial correction of the error in 2022 resulting in four refund orders totaling P48 billion. The above shortcomings are ex-

outlook for the economy and rates, parking funds in cash-like equivalents has been gaining favor. Shorterdated Treasuries returning 5%-plus have seen a significant slice of investment flows locking in relatively high yields, according to ePFR fund data for this year.

For Monica Defend, head of the Amundi Institute, the middle of the Treasury curve looks attractive for a multi-strategy portfolio. With rates staying higher for longer, yields should turn lower as the economy weakens, and the five- to 10-year sectors “are a good alternative to equities,” she said. Bloomberg

UAW strike exposes tensions between Biden’s goals of tackling climate change and supporting unions

By Chris Megerian | The

Associated Press

WASHINGTON—Two of President Joe Biden’s top goals— fighting climate change and expanding the middle class by supporting unions—are colliding in the key battleground state of Michigan as the United Auto Workers go on strike against the country’s biggest car companies.

The strike involves 13,000 workers so far, less than one-tenth of the union’s total membership, but it’s a sharp test of Biden’s ability to hold together an expansive and discordant political coalition while running for reelection.

Biden is trying to turbocharge the market for electric vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent China from solidifying its grip on a growing industry. his signature legislation, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, includes billions of dollars in incentives to get more clean cars on the roads.

Some in the UAW fear the transition will cost jobs because electric vehicles require fewer people to assemble. Although there will be new opportunities in the production of high-capacity batteries, there’s no guarantee that those factories will be unionized and they’re often being planned in states more hostile to organized labor.

“The president is in a really tough position,” said er ik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. “What he needs to be the most pro-labor president ever and the greenest president

ever is a magic wand.”

The union is demanding steep raises and better benefits, and it’s escalating the pressure with its targeted strike. Brittany eason, who has worked for 11 years at the Ford Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, said workers are worried that they’ll “be pushed out by computers and electric vehicles.”

“how do you expect people to work with ease if they’re in fear of losing their jobs?” said eason, who planned to walk the picket line this weekend. electric vehicles may be inevitable, she said, but changes need to be made “so everybody can feel secure about their jobs, their homes and everything else.”

Biden on Friday acknowledged the tension in remarks from the White house, saying the transition to clean energy “should be fair and a win-win for autoworkers and auto companies.”

he dispatched top aides to Detroit to help push negotiations along, and he prodded management to make more generous offers to the union, saying “they should go further to ensure record corporate profits mean record contracts.”

As part of its demands, the UAW wants to represent employees at battery plants, which would send ripple effects through an industry that has seen supply chains upended by technological changes.

“Batteries are the power trains of the future,” said Dave Green, a regional director for the union in Ohio and Indiana. “Our workers in engine and transmission areas need to be able to move into the new generation.” executives, however, are keen to keep a lid on labor costs as their companies prepare to compete in a global market. China is the dominant manufacturer of electric vehicles and batteries. “The UAW strike and indeed the ‘summer of strikes’ is the natural result of the Biden administration’s ‘whole of government’ approach to promoting unionization at all costs,” said Suzanne Clark, CeO of the US Chamber of Commerce.

Some environmental groups, conscious of how labor remains crucial to securing support for climate programs, have expressed support for the strike. “We’re at a really pivotal moment in the history of the auto industry,” said Sam Gilchrist, deputy national outreach director at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Presidential politics have increased the stakes for the strike, which could damage the economy going into an election year, depending on how long it lasts and whether it spreads.

It’s also centered in Michigan, a key part of Biden’s 2020 victory and critical to his chances at a second term.

Former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination, sees an opportunity to drive a wedge between Biden and workers. he issued a statement saying Biden “will murder the US auto industry and kill countless union autoworker jobs forever, especially in Michigan and the Midwest. There is no such thing as a ‘fair transition’ to the destruction of these workers’ livelihoods and the obliteration of this cherished American industry.”

In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Trump said that “electric cars are going to be made in China,” not the United States, and he said “the autoworkers are being sold down the river by their leadership.”

Trump’s comments have not earned him any support from Shawn Fain, president of the UAW.

“That’s not someone that represents working-class people,” he told MSNBC earlier this month. “he’s part of the billionaire class. We need to not forget that. And that’s what our members need to think about when they go to vote.”

Ammar Moussa, a spokesman for Biden’s campaign, said Trump “will say literally anything to distract from his long record of breaking promises and failing America’s workers.” he noted that Trump would have let auto companies go bankrupt during the financial crisis rather than bail them out as President Barack Obama did at the time. Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, contributed to

pected to result in over-recoveries amounting to about P160 billion. eRC is still validating the over-recovery balance of about P112 billion.

A nnually, a liability for possible over-recovery is recognized by Meralco in its financial statements. At the end of 2022, the liability had a net balance of P101 billion.

Once the error is fully corrected and the validation completed, monthly power costs will be reduced by the estimated amounts shown below. In addition to this, a further reduction in monthly power costs is expected after eRC issues an order for the refund of the over-recovery balance.

Meralco recently announced an imminent increase in power costs due to increasing fuel costs of generation. With the increases in the prices

of other commodities, the impact on consumers will be significantly alleviated by the timely eRC decision on the above. The eRC decision could also reduce consumer power bills from the other 20 private distribution utilities all over the Philippines, which followed the same process as Meralco.

The grant of “ayuda” and re-scheduled payments are welcome relief, but returning the over-collected consumer funds does a lot more to preserve the dignity of consumers.

Alfredo Non is a CPA by profession and a former Partner at SGV & Co. He served as Commissioner of the Energy Regulatory Commission till he completed his term in 2018. He also served as Director and Executive Officer of several private companies and a former professor in Financial Management at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business.

UN nuclear agency slams Iran for barring ‘several’ inspectors from monitoring its program

By Emily Schultheis The Associated Press

Be R LIN—The UN nuclear watchdog harshly criticized Iran on Saturday for effectively barring several of its most experienced inspectors from monitoring the country’s disputed atomic program.

The strongly worded statement came amid longstanding tensions between Iran and the International Atomic energy Agency, which is tasked with monitoring a nuclear program that Western nations have long suspected is aimed at eventually developing a nuclear weapon. Iran insists the program is peaceful.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the IA e A , said Iran had withdrawn the designation of “several experienced Agency inspectors,” barring them from taking part in the monitoring of its program.

“Iran has effectively removed about one-third of the core group of the agency’s most experienced inspectors designated for Iran,” he said.

Grossi went on to “strongly condemn this disproportionate and unprecedented unilateral measure,” saying it “constitutes an unnecessary blow to an already strained relationship between the IA e A and Iran.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry linked the move to what it said was an attempt by the United States and three european countries to misuse the IA e A “for their own political purposes.”

The US, Britain, France and Germany criticized Iran in a joint statement at an IA e A board meeting in Vienna this week, calling on Tehran to step up cooperation with the agency.

Britain, France and Germany also said Thursday that they would maintain sanctions on Iran related to its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

“Iran had previously warned

about the consequences of such political abuses, including the attempt to politicize the atmosphere of the agency,” said Nasser Kanaani, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry.

The Vienna-based IA e A reported earlier this month that Iran had slowed the pace at which it is enriching uranium to nearly weapons-grade levels. That was seen as a sign that Tehran was trying to ease tensions after years of strain between it and the US.

Iran and the US are negotiating a prisoner swap and the release of billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen in South Korea.

World powers struck a deal with Tehran in 2015 under which it agreed to limit enrichment of uranium to levels necessary for nuclear power in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. UN inspectors were tasked with monitoring the program.

Then-President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the US out of the accord in 2018, restoring crippling sanctions. Iran began breaking the terms a year later. Formal talks in Vienna to try to restart the deal collapsed in August 2022.

Iran has long denied ever seeking nuclear weapons and continues to insist that its program is entirely for peaceful purposes, though Grossi has warned that Tehran has enough enriched uranium for “several” nuclear bombs if it chose to build them. Tehran likely would still need months to build a weapon.

The IA e A , the West and other countries say Iran had a secret military nuclear program it abandoned in 2003.

“Without effective cooperation, confidence and trust will continue to be elusive,” Grossi said Saturday. Without these inspectors, he said, the agency will not be able to effectively “provide credible assurances that nuclear material and activities in Iran are for peaceful purposes.”

LAWMAKERS REJECT CALLS TO HALT ONLINE SIM REGISTRATION

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

TELCOS AND REGULATORS—AS WELL as law enforcement agencies—are under pressure to improve the implementation of the SIM Registration Act, with the chief author of the measure pushing back against those who view the problem as rooted in the law.

“

The problem is not with the SIM registration law, it’s in the enforcement. The law has enough teeth against fraudsters as well as safeguards to privacy of our people,” said Sen. Grace Poe, who called for a hearing by the Public Services committee to determine why scams using mobile phones still persist one year after the law’s enactment.

S he said authorities should start to test the mettle of the law by arresting and penalizing text scammers.

The good provisions of the law, she added, should be put into effective use by concerned agencies, law enforcers and telecommunications companies (telcos), instead of halting its implementation.

“ Authorities have the duty to effectively enforce the law. If there’s strong evidence against those caught violating it, they should be made an example of,” said the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act 11934 or SIM Registration Act.

S he cited recent police raids on cybercrime hubs which led to the discovery of hundreds of pre-registered SIM cards.

What happened to those caught with fake SIM card? Shouldn’t they be charged and jailed?” she asked.

She lamented how authorities before had cited the absence of a law in failing to run after fake SIM cards or those using them for scams. “Now we’ve given authorities the legal weapon to do this, and our people expect them to do their job,” added Poe, speaking partly in Filipino.

Poe said she expects the inclusion of the live selfie as part of the verification process in SIM registration.

T he National Telecommunications Commission and telcos are discussing ways to beef up the law’s implementing rules and regulations amid the continued proliferation of text scams.

S he said proposals to impose a fee starting on the fourth SIM as a deterrent to its illegal use should also be discussed.

H owever, she said those in charge of the SIM registration should also give consideration to legitimate companies that need to register their employees as a group.

Monkey face RECENTLY, attention was drawn to the fact that someone used the photograph of a monkey to register a SIM, a problem that regulators passed on to telcos. The latter pointed, however, to the “automatic” uploading by their system of images picked up in government IDs, which are strictly required.

According to Poe, “concerned agencies and telcos must be able to plug the loopholes in their effective implementation without halting registration.”

Backing down against scammers is not an option,” she added.

For his part, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said, partly in Filipino, in reference to the

DOE: Power rates declining as demand, fuel prices fall

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

B ased on data collected by the agency, the average power rates in the entire country stood at P13.61 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in March. This fell to P12.51 per kWh in April and further to P12.05 per kWh in May. It then slightly went up to P12.26 per kWh in June but declined to P11.69 per kWh in July and dropped to P11.15 per kWh in August.

“ Summer is over so demand decreased,” said DOE Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara during Meralco Power Academy’s “Giga Summit on Sustainable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and the Future Grid 2023” last week.

“

It is also important to note the decreasing trend on electricity rates

from the beginning of the year up to the previous month (August) was due to the lower price of fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas,” she added.

T he lowest average power rate during the six-month period was recorded in August. Luzon’s average power rate last month stood at P10.92 per kWh, Visayas at P11.44 per kwh, and Mindanao at P11.20 per kWh.

We recently established databases for electricity rates in each distribution utility across the country. The Energy Regulatory Commission [ERC] has published the database of electricity rates and consumers are empowered with information on how their

respective distribution utility is performing,” she said.

B ased on the same data, the average power rates of the distribution utilities (DUs) versus electric cooperatives (ECs) during the period were lower. From March to August this year, DUs charged P11.98 per kWh, P11.35 per kWh, P10.92 per kWh, P11.46 per kWh, P10.84 per kWh, and P10.24 per kWh.

T he ECs, meanwhile, collected P13.85 per kWh in March, P12.67 per kWh in April, P12.19 per kWh in May, P12.36 per kWh in June, P11.81 per kWh in July, and P11.28 per kWh in August.

“ Notice that in general, private distribution utilities have lower rates than electric cooperatives,” added the DOE official.

T his may be brought about by the type of fuel that the DUs and ECs source from their power supplier. “We all know that the DUs enter into a power supply agreement. Our electricity rates largely depend on the price of generation. So, if the fuel that was sourced was expensive at that time then our electricity rates also go up.”

C oal makes up 44 percent and 59.6 percent of the installed capacity and gross power generation

of the country, respectively. This is followed by renewable energy (RE) with 29.2 percent of the installed capacity and 22.1 percent of the total gross power generation as of 2022.

F or RE breakdown, geothermal and hydro sources continue to dominate the country’s RE mix in 2022 with a 9.3-percent and 9-percent share, respectively, in the total gross power generation, while solar is significantly low in gross generation due to its variability and limitation to daytime use.

I n terms of energy demand, the country’s total final energy consumption (TFEC) in 2022 reached 35.9 millions of tons of oil equivalent (MTOE), a slight increase from its 2021 level of 35.1 MTOE.

A mong the major economic sectors, transport is the most energyintensive sector with a 34.4-percent share, followed closely by the residential sector with 28.8 percent.

T he aggregate oil demand, including non-energy and fuel input to power generation, increased to 18.3 MTOE in 2022 from 17.7 MTOE in 2021. This was attributed to the accumulation in oil consumption in the transport sector and power plants.

‘Expiry of anti-dumping duties on Turkish flour to hurt local industry’

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

FLOUR millers are pushing for the extension of the antidumping duties on Turkish wheat flour, which “poses a threat” to the domestic industry.

T he Philippine Association of Flour Millers Inc. (Pafmil) said Manila should not allow the antidumping duties on wheat flour from Turkey to expire. The expiration of the antidumping duties would enable Turkish firms which had exited the market due to an inability to compete at their normal prices to regain their foothold in the Philippines and regain market share to the detriment of fairly priced exporters and local producers,” according to the staff report of Pafmil presented at the hearing organized by the Tariff Commission last Friday.

“ While the Philippines’s significance as an export market for Turkish wheat flour has lessened through the years due to the anti-dumping duties that are imposed, the Philippines will remain a highly attractive market,” it added.

L ocal four millers claimed that there is a “well-established” trading relationship between the Philippines and Turkey. Moreover, they said there is increasing domestic demand for wheat flour end-products, such as bread and pastries, which means that competitively priced wheat flour from Turkey will remain “a strong option.”

D uring the hearing, Rodolf Britanico, counsel for petitioner Pafmil, cross-examined the oppositor, the Southeast Anatolian Exporters’ Association, which was represented by Gülden Bozdeniz.

Britanico questioned Bozdeniz’s presentation, saying there is “no evidence on continuation/ recurrence of injury.” To support this claim, Bozdeniz displayed

a graph that showed the Philippines’s wheat flour imports from Turkey declined to 3,697 metric tons (MT) in 2022 from 116,592 MT in 2015.

Further, Bozdeniz said that from 2015 to 2020, four Turkish exporters were excluded from the order. After 2020, she said that out of 17 companies, one exporter had been excluded and 8 exporters have dumping margins below 6 percent.

I n response, Britanico pointed out that the Philippines imposed the anti-dumping duty on Turkish wheat flour from 2015 to 2020, the same period shown on the graph displayed on the presentation of Bozdeniz.

T he imposition of the antidumping duty on Turkish wheat flour was extended for another three years or until later this year. It is set to expire on October 27, nearly eight years since the Philippine government had determined the necessity of implementing the trade remedy to protect the local flour milling industry.

T he counsel for the local flour millers said, “I just want to put it to you that the decrease or decline of Turkish exports to the Philippines is a result of the antidumping duties.”

B ritanico cited Section 19 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 8752 or the Anti-Dumping Act of 1999 which states: “An expiry review shall be initiated when there is sufficient evidence that the expiry of the definitive anti-dumping duty would likely result in a continuation or recurrence of dumping and injury.”

“ Such a likelihood may be indicated, for example, by evidence of continued dumping and injury or evidence that the removal of injury is partly or solely due to the existence of the duty or evidence that the circumstances of the foreign exporters, or market condi -

tions, are such that these would indicate the likelihood of further injurious dumping,” the provision further noted.

Britanico asked Bozdeniz why she did not show the chart of the situation before the imposition of anti-dumping in 2014.

“ For your information, Ms. Bozdeniz, this was the situation before any anti-dumping measures were imposed by the Tariff Commission and the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines. As it shows, the dumping of Turkey rose from 2011 up to 2014,” he said.

B ritanico presented a graph which he obtained from the Bureau of Customs (BOC), showing the surge in Turkish flour exports to the Philippines to 143,160 MT in 2014, from 16,721 MT in 2008.

“ It was only in 2015 which was actually reflected in your graph that it went down. And I appreciate your discussion about how this dumping went down from 2015.However I would like to repeat …that the decline was due to the imposition of the anti-dumping,” Britanico said.

A nti-dumping is a trade remedy allowed under World Trade Organization agreements. It permits a state to impose additional duties on products that are being exported at a price that is lower than the prevailing market price in the country of origin. The anti-dumping duties allow the price of exported product to be at parity with its home market price level.

Under the extended measure, the Philippines imposed antidumping duties on Turkish wheat flour of up to 29.57 percent, depending on the exporter. (Related story: https:// businessmirror .com.ph/2023/09/14/ flour-millers-buck-lifting-ofanti-dumping-duties/?fbclid=I wAR2oAn3YUXk1M7QCy8XCW

ELECTRICITY rates are on a downward trend as demand has fallen and the prices of the type of fuel sourced by power distributors have declined, according to the Department of Energy (DOE).

See “Lawmakers,” A2

SEC warns public vs firms selling illegal investments

By VG Cabuag @villygc

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has warned the public not to invest in “Alao/ Alao Investment Platform,” “The Wealthwise International Management

OPC” and CCO Media Philippines/ Clear Channel Outdoor Asia Corp. as these entities offer illegal investment products to the public.

Alao Investment claims it is a crowdfunding investment company with an office located at New York City in the US. It is actively enticing the public to invest into its projects, such as “wind harvest,” real estate investments and “Zenni” home, in exchange for a promise of high profits and monetary rewards, the SEC said in an advisory issued on September

14. Each of these projects has a variety of investment plans. The minimum investment under its basic plan is P100 and up to P100,000 for the master plan.

“Accordingly, a person who invests can earn 2 percent for 5 days and 5 percent for a period of 30 days, depending on the project chosen to invest in. Aside from that, the investor

is also entitled to receive a monetary reward of P6,000 as a senior partner every time he recruits two new investors to also become as senior partners,” the SEC said.

The SEC said “Alao Investment” is not registered as a corporation or partnership and operates without the necessary license to solicit, accept or take investments from the public.

“Wealthwise,” meanwhile, is enticing the public to invest through its Facebook page or its web page. It is offering investments to the public with a minimal amount of P500 to a maximum of P384,000, with three compensation plans. The entity promises investors to earn up to 15 percent for 15 days for a “quick plan,” 40 percent for 14 days for a “smart plan” and 100 percent in 28 days for a “wise plan.” Investors are also promised earning 10-percent “direct-referral bonus” and a “unilevel bonus” equivalent to 10 percent.

According to the SEC, CCO Media’s investment scam activities involve the use of an application by offering investment products called

original equity funds ranging from P200 to P1 million, in exchange for daily returns ranging from 3 percent up to 50 percent, depending on the level of investment.

Clear Channel USA claims that CCO Media and Clear Channel Outdoor Asia Corp. has misappropriated its name, trademark and intellectual property rights without its authority.

Both Wealthwise and CCO Media, the SEC said, showed either dubious records or does not have the authority to sell investment products.

The SEC said the Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection law (Republic Act 11765) prohibits investment fraud, defined as any form of deceptive solicitation of investments from the public. The latter includes Ponzi schemes and such other schemes involving the promise or offer of profits or returns sourced from the investments or contributions made by the investors themselves and the offering or selling of investment schemes to the public without a license or permit from the SEC.

Customs seizes ₧82-M worth of smuggled rice

THE Customs bureau said it recently conducted a string of raids on various warehouses keeping smuggled rice.

In a statement on Sunday, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said a joint inspection with other government agencies led to the seizure of P40-million worth of imported rice from Vietnam, Thailand and China.

The raids were conducted last September 14 on a warehouse in Pulang Lupa, Las Pinas, and another warehouse 16 kilometers northeast in Bacoor, Cavite.

According to the BOC, its investigation revealed a trader was selling a 25-kilo sack of Vietnamese Rice for P1,320 in the market, equivalent to P52.8 per kilo.

“This price significantly exceeded the Department of Agriculture’s prescribed range of P41 to P45 per [kilogram] for well-milled and regularmilled rice,” the BOC said.

The BOC explained that the raid took “extensive” investigation, surveillance and test purchases. The joint raid was done by the BOC with the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), Enforcement and Security Service (ESS), Port of Manila (POM), Legal Service, Philippine Coast Guard and barangay officials.

The Customs bureau said the warehouse owners argued they were not importers but rice traders.

“In response, Customs operatives requested the owner to provide proof

of payment of correct duties and taxes from their supplier or importer,” the BOC said.

“Authorities granted the owner a 15-day period to submit the necessary documentation to validate the legality of the importation of the subject sacks of rice and payment of correct duties and taxes due thereon,” the BOC added.

In an earlier development, the BOC also seized P42-million worth of 42,180 sacks of smuggled rice in Zamboanga City. The BOC is looking at donating the forfeited rice stocks to the national government.

The BOC discovered discrepancies in the import documents submitted by the rice importer. First, the imported rice stocks were not covered by required sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI). Second, the goods were declared as “White Rice 15-percent broken” but they were found to be “Jasmine fragrant rice” after examination by customs personnel.

The BOC added that on September 1, the Port of Zamboanga issued an “Order of Forfeiture” against the subject sacks of rice for violation of Section 1113 (f) in relation to Section 117 of Republic Act (RA) 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, the Rice Tariffication Law, and RA 10845, otherwise known as the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling law.

Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

Pagcor to become purely gaming regulator–Tengco

NG gross borrowings crawl on investors’ high-yield bids

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

Gross external borrowing accounted for 16.25 percent of the state’s total gross financing in July.

Net external borrowing by the national government in July stood at P20.71 billion following a P729 million payment.

Meanwhile, the national government’s gross domestic borrowing, which accounted for 83.75 percent of total July financing, stood at P110.498 billion. The amount was 34.15 percent lower than the P167.81 billion that the national government borrowed from the domestic market in the same month of last year.

38 percent lower than the P175 billion it recorded in July last year. The national government’s next domestic borrowing stood at P110.419 billion, according to the Treasury.

The national government fell short of borrowing the whole P180 billion from the domestic market last July as rising yield continues to hound the Treasury’s tenders for various securities. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2023/07/27/risingyields-hobble-btr-in-hitting%e2%82%a7180b-target/)

THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) is in the process of transition towards becoming a purely regulatory body from its current dual role as both operator and regulator, chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco said.

Tengco made the remarks during the opening session of the “IAG Academy Summit” on September 13 where he was the keynote speaker and later one of the panelists in a forum called “Voice of the Umpire: Regulators’ Talk.”

According to Tengco, Pagcor’s shift to a purely regulatory function is part of the agency’s goal to “level the playing field and ensure future growth and viability for all gaming industry players.”

“We have started preparing for this transition in earnest, and we are starting where it matters most–within Pagcor itself,” he said adding that the process should be completed by 2025.

Tengco said that as a 40-yearold organization, Pagcor knows its strengths and is aware of its limitations.

“We certainly know our potentials and capability to become the gold standard in the Asian gaming scene,” he said.

Tengco said Pagcor recognizes its people as its greatest asset but

the shift to a purely regulatory role could impact some employees, thus the crafting of plans to avoid displacement especially in Pagcoroperated casinos that will need to be privatized.

“We have been going around the country during the past few months, holding town hall meetings with our employees,” he said. “We tell them there is no reason to worry because we have plans in place to mitigate, if not totally avoid, any personnel displacement.

“You will be surprised to know how people react to our plans, and how they express their trust in our process,” Tengco said.

The Pagcor chief said the agency is also “making necessary changes in its corporate structure, business processes and procedures to make it more responsive and competitive.”

Transition plans include moving into a single corporate office to enhance coordination, efficiency and performance as well as modernizing existing casinos to attract more players and make Pagcor’s assets more attractive to potential buyers.

Tengco told the summit audience, which includes regulators from the Asia-Pacific region, that Pagcor has also recently implemented new regulations for international gaming licensees to lessen, if not eliminate, illegal activities.

Latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) showed that the state’s financing in July was P43.014billion lower on an annual basis.

The tripling of external gross borrowing by the national government was offset by the 34.15-percent decline in domestic gross borrowings, resulting in overall lower state fi-

nancing in July.

Treasury data showed that gross external borrowing in July reached P21.439 billion, 200 percent over the P7.141 billion recorded in the same month of last year.

Gross external borrowing during the reference month all came from project loans, based on Treasury data.

Treasury data showed that both the national government’s financing through auction of Treasury bills (Tbills) and Treasury bonds (T-bonds) declined on an annual basis.

The state borrowed P2.119 billion through T-bills in July, compared to the P7.19 billion net redemption it made last year. In terms of T-bonds, the state borrowed P108.379 billion,

However, from January to July, the national government’s gross borrowing rose by almost 25 percent year-on-year to P1.554 trillion from P1.24 trillion. The increase was driven by better local tender of government securities in the earlier months of the year due to favorable yields coupled by the P163 billion raised from the retail bond offering in January.

SEC to beef up enforcement vs crypto, scammers

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced it would beef up its enforcement through collaboration with international organizations in a move to protect the public from securities fraud and other forms of investment scams.

“Scammers are becoming more advanced and sophisticated in their techniques as new technologies arise. As such, the SEC must constantly improve its investigation and enforcement capabilities to ensure that we are always one step ahead in preventing scams,” SEC Chairman Emilio B. Aquino said.

The SEC, in partnership with the

SEC in the United States and the Asian Development Bank, hosted several workshops and training last month.

The workshops aimed to strengthen the capability of the SEC Philippines’s enforcement personnel in conducting investigations on securities-related crimes such as insider trading, market manipulation, offmarket fraud and crypto scams.

The SEC expressed gratitude to their US counterpart, the ADB and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (Iosco) “for sharing their experiences and learnings with us and other law enforcement agencies in the Philippines.”

According to Aquino, these “will

surely guide us as we pursue more programs and activities toward the protection of the investing public.”

The investigation and enforcement training workshops were held jointly with the aforementioned institutions.

Paul Gumagay, associate director for operations and technical assistance in the US SEC Office of International Affairs (OIA); Tom Swiers, branch chief in the OIA; and, Glenn Gordon, associate regional director of the US SEC Miami Regional Office, shared their experiences and techniques in apprehending investment scammers and filing court cases against scammers.

Perspectives The co-innovation revolution

IN the rapidly changing business world, where innovation reigns supreme, the traditional client-advisor relationship has undergone a significant transformation.

Once considered a one-sided dynamic, where clients sought advice and expertise from trusted advisors, it has now evolved into a collaborative partnership characterized by co-innovation. This shift marks a pivotal moment in the way businesses operate and highlights the power of collaboration, trust, and shared vision.

The trusted advisor TRADITIONALLY, advisors held a position of expertise, providing clients with valuable insights, guidance, and recommendations. The client relied on their advisor’s knowledge and experience, seeking their advice in times of decision-making or problem-solving. This relationship was typically characterized by a one-way flow of information with the advisor being the primary source of expertise.

The need for collaboration AS businesses face increasing complexity and disruptive challenges, the need for collaboration became apparent. Recognizing that innovation requires diverse perspectives, ideas, and expertise, the shift toward a coinnovation partnership emerged. This transition marked a departure from the traditional client-

advisor role, as clients sought more active involvement and partnership in problem-solving and strategic moves.

The co-innovation revolution

n Trust as the foundation. Trust plays a central role in coinnovation partner relationships just as it did with the traditional client/advisor relationship. However, the shift to coinnovation demands a deeper level of trust.

n A catalyst for growth. The transition to a trusted co-innovation partnership creates a growth dynamic. By actively involving clients in the innovation process, a co-creative environment is fostered, enabling the exploration of new ideas, perspectives, and solutions.

n Implications and future outlook. The trusted co-innovation partnership has far-reaching implications for both advisors and clients. As technology continues to advance and markets evolve, the trusted clientadvisor co-innovation partnership will become increasingly vital for businesses to stay competitive and relevant.

Benefits from a co-innovation partnership CLIENTS and advisors gain five key benefits from co-innovating together.

1. Enhanced problem-solving and decision-making. The shift to a trusted co-innovation partnership empowers clients to ac-

tively engage in problem-solving and decision-making processes. By leveraging the expertise and diverse perspectives of both clients and advisors, a wider range of potential solutions can be explored, leading to more effective and innovative outcomes.

2. Accelerated innovation and adaptability. In a rapidly evolving business landscape, speed is of the essence. Co-innovation partnerships enable organizations to respond quickly to market shifts, technological advancements, and changing customer demands.

3. Strengthened client relationships and loyalty. The shift to a trusted co-innovation partnership fosters a deeper level of engagement and collaboration between advisors and clients. As clients become active participants in the innovation process, they develop a stronger sense of ownership and investment in the outcomes.

4. Continuous learning and knowledge exchange. The co-innovation partnership promotes a culture of continuous learning and knowledge exchange. Both advisors and clients bring their unique insights, experiences, and expertise to the table, creating a rich environment for learning and growth.

5. Competitive advantage and differentiation. By embracing the role of a trusted co-innovation partner, advisors differentiate themselves in the market. This shift signals a commitment

Established in 1983, the Iosco is recognized as the global standard setter for the securities sector, as it allows for international securities regulators to cooperate on capital market development and stability.

On August 18, the SEC Philippines, US SEC and the ADB entered into a Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MMoU). The MMoU is a multilateral instrument established in 2002 that provides for cross- border cooperation among its signatories, particularly on information exchange, for the purpose of regulatory enforcement regarding the securities market. VG Cabuag

to innovative thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and customer centricity.

Conclusion THE revolution from trusted advisor to trusted co-innovation partner reflects the changing nature of business relationships in a dynamic and innovation-driven world. Embracing this shift opens up new possibilities for both advisors and clients, allowing them to cocreate solutions, drive growth, and navigate the complexities of the modern business landscape together. By fostering trust, embracing collaboration, and valuing shared expertise, clients and advisors can forge stronger, more resilient partnerships that fuel innovation and pave the way for a prosperous future.

The full unabridged version of this excerpt can be found here: https://kpmg.com/sg/en/ home/insights/2023/08/the-co-innovationrevolution.html.

© 2023 KPMG Int’l Ltd. is a private English company limited by guarantee. R.G. Manabat & Co., a Philippine partnership, is a memberfirm of a global organization of independent member-firms affiliated with KPMG Int’l Ltd. All rights reserved.

E-mail ph-kpmgmla@kpmg.com or visit www.home.kpmg/ph.

This article is for general information purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice to a specific issue or entity. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the B usiness M irror KPMG International or KPMG in the Philippines.

THE national government gross borrowing in July hit P131.937 billion, about a quarter lower than the P174.951 billion it borrowed in the same month last year as the state fell short of its domestic borrowing program due to high yields asked by investors.

This september 13, 2023, photo shows Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) President and COO Juanito L. sañosa Jr. speaking during the “iAG Academy iR Awards Night” at a hotel in Manila. The Pagcor, its CEO said during the event prior to the awarding ceremonies, is in the process of becoming a purely gaming regulator. CREDIT: PagCoR

Citing sustainability, Starbucks wants to overhaul its iconic cup. Will customers go along?

By Peter Prengaman The Associated Press

Bethany Patton steps up to the counter and places her pink mug into a shoebox-sized dishwasher. It spins. It whirs. Water splashes inside. after 90 seconds, the door opens and steam emerges. a barista grabs the mug, dries it and prepares Patton’s order—a 16-ounce Starbucks double espresso on ice.

For bringing her own cup, Patton gets $1 off her drink.

“Saving the environment is important and all, but I probably come here more in knowing that I’m going to get a dollar off,” says Patton, 27, a cancer researcher at Arizona State University. Two friends who came on the afternoon coffee run nod as they hold the cups that they, too, brought along.

Just as noteworthy as what they're carrying is what they are not: the disposable Starbucks cup, an icon in a world where the word is overused.

For a generation and more, it has been a cornerstone of consumer society, first in the United States and then globally — the throwaway cup with the emerald logo depicting a longhaired siren with locks like ocean waves. Ubiquitous to the point of being an accessory, it has carried a message: I am drinking the world's most recognizable coffee brand.

Now, in an era where concern for sustainability can be good business, the Starbucks disposable cup may be on its way to extinction thanks to an unlikely force: Starbucks itself.

Convenience collides with virtue

By 2030, Starbucks wants to move away completely from disposable cups, which represent big portions of the company’s overall waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

The stated reason is that it's the right thing to do for the environment, and Starbucks has a history of lofty sustainability goals around various aspects of their global opera -

tions. Some have been met, such as new stores being certified for energy efficiency; others have been revised or scrapped entirely. For example, in 2008 the company said that by 2015 it wanted 100% of its cups to be recyclable or reusable. Today, that's still a long way away.

Today's drive to overhaul the cup comes with an obvious business imperative. Producing disposable products like cups creates greenhouse gas emissions, which warm the planet and lead to extreme weather events and other manifestations of climate change. That goes against customers' increasing expectations for companies to be part of the solution to climate change.

Still, while customers want companies to be environmentally conscious, that doesn’t mean they’re willing

which become the return bins for the reusable cups.

“This obviously has some energy and production costs, but using recycled content is always going to be less energy intensive (and) emit less CO2 than using virgin plastics,” says Tyler Eglen, the lab's project manager. For several years, Starbucks has been increasing the amount of recycled material in disposable paper cups. In some markets last year, Starbucks began using single-use paper cups made with 30% recycled material, an increase from 10%. The plan is to have all cups at 30% recycled material in all US stores starting in early 2025.

That pushes the limits of what can be done with recycled paper material that holds hot liquids. Paper pulp from recycled cups has shorter fibers than virgin pulp, which means less rigidity, important particularly with hot coffee. How much recycled material can be used in manufacturing new cups depends on how equipped any particular area is to gather material and recycle it. Big cities have major recycling infrastructure, but many communities around the world have little to no recycling capacity.

Another barrier: the lining inside the cup, crucial to keeping a hot liquid from quickly breaking down the paper. Made of polyethylene, a heatresistant plastic, the liner is about 5% of the total cup but a significant piece of its overall carbon footprint. There is also the plastic lid.

“Today, the reality is that for protection, as we put a hot beverage inside, we need a good seal on those cups," says Jane Tsilas, Starbucks’ senior manager for packaging.

A similar testing and refining process is happening with disposable cold-drink cups. At the Tryer Center innovation lab in Starbucks' Seattle headquarters, drinks with ice in plastic cups are placed in holders attached to a platform. It then shakes as technicians look for leaks and flaws.

to give

up convenience. And there's this: Could eliminating the millions of paper and plastic cups used each year hurt Starbucks? After all, those cups, in the hands of customers, are advertising — a market penetration that makes Starbucks feel ubiquitous.

At the store where Patton gets her coffee, Starbucks already doesn't serve any in disposable paper or plastic cups. Customers who don’t bring their own are given a reusable plastic one that can be dropped off in bins around campus. It’s one of two dozen pilots over the last two years, aimed at changing how the world’s largest coffee maker serves its java.

The goal: to cut the company's waste, water use and carbon emissions in half by 2030. Pulling that off will be tricky and fraught with risks. It provides a window into how companies go from ambitious sustainability targets to actual results.

“Our vision for the cup of the future—and our Holy Grail, if you will—is that the cup still has the iconic symbol on it,” says Michael Kobori, head of sustainability at Starbucks. “It’s just as a reusable cup.”

Starbucks sees the change as an opportunity to cast the siren, and the company, in a different light. It also wants to push more suppliers in its production chain to provide recycled material and partners, such as universities and other locales that house stores, to be able to handle all that comes with reusable cups.

Erin Simon, vice president for plastic waste and business at World Wildlife Fund, says commitment from

major companies can help. But ultimately, she says, major change can happen only with corporate collaboration—and government regulation.

“Not one institution, not one organization, not even one sector can change it on its own," Simon says.

At Starbucks, the changes will create ripple effects. Jon Solorzano, a Los Angeles lawyer who advises companies on developing climate-friendly operations and disclosures, (an area referred to as “environmental, social and governance”), says the company likely has hundreds of suppliers that help manufacture cups.

“It’s kind of like turning an aircraft carrier around,” Solorzano says. “Little tiny tweaks, which seem insignificant, can actually have big operational challenges for an organization."

Starbucks is not the first company to push toward a reusable cup. From large companies in Europe, such as RECUP in Germany, which uses reusable cups and other food packaging, to local coffee houses in cities like San Francisco, the goal for years has been to shed disposable paper and plastic.

But as the largest coffee company in the world, with more than 37,000 stores in 86 countries and revenues of $32 billion last year, Starbucks could force change across the industry. At the same time, failure to adapt and lead could hurt the coffee giant in customers' eyes.

“I’ll always choose the more sustainable company,” says Irene Linayao-Putman, a public health worker from San Diego who recently bought Starbucks while visiting Seattle.

The road to overhauling the container transcends just making a different choice or spending money. Improving sustainability requires navigating a web of technological developments, seeking out like-minded suppliers and testing how far customers can be pushed to change.

For Starbucks, it means doing two major things in parallel that seemingly conflict: Move toward only reusable cups while developing disposable cups that use less material and are more recyclable. And managing the optics along the way.

“They are just trying to get more buyers,” 10-year-old Aria June said with a laugh after buying Starbucks in Seattle. Then, prodded by her father, she added that sustainability and getting more business could co-exist.

The mechanics of reuse

AT t he Arizona State store, if customers don’t bring their own cup, they are given a reusable plastic one with a Starbucks logo. If they bring it back, they get $1 off, just like customers who bring their own. And if they don't want to hold onto it? There are bins around campus, and the cups are washed by the university—part of a partnership with Starbucks—and returned to the store.

Cups too damaged to be reused, along with disposable Starbucks cold drink cups and other plastic found in the trash, are sent to the university’s Circular Living Lab. They're shredded, melted and extruded into long, lumber-like pieces. Those pieces are cut, sanded and built into boxes,

For the last several years, Starbucks has been testing different kinds of plastics. In 2019, the company went to a strawless lid, eliminating a good amount of plastic. By the end of 2023, the goal is to reduce by 15% the amount of material in each cup.

To do that, technicians examine different parts of the cup to see where less material may be used without weakening it. For example, could reducing the thickness where many people hold the cup, about halfway between the middle and lid, mean the cup collapses and the drink spills on the customer?

"If it passes tests with baristas, then we would put it in the stores,” says Kyle Walker, a packaging engineer on Starbucks' research and development team.

Not as easy as it might seem Ev E NTUALLy, the endpoint is this outcome, which is more sustainable and good PR, too: No more disposables at Starbucks.

That's because no matter the tests or technological innovations, there are limits to how much waste can be reduced with disposable paper and plastic cups. Long-term reductions in waste will come from reusable cups.

The company has a long way to go. Since the reintroduction of reusable cups in some stores in July 2021— reusable cups were not used during much of the Covid-19 pandemic— only 1.2% of worldwide sales in fiscal year 2022 came from reusables.

Starbucks refused to provide data on how many disposable cups it uses in any given year.

For all the talk of sustainability and increasing consciousness about climate change, it’s fair to assume that a significant number of Starbucks’ disposables end up in landfills. Even in Seattle, a progressive city with good recycling infrastructure, there are many cups in garbage cans outside Starbucks stores.

va lencia v i llanueva, a barista at the Arizona State store, has noted a growing consciousness among customers about the cup-washing machine and the “borrowed” cup program. That gives her confidence that the future is reusable cups. After all, it's not as if anyone is clamoring to be wasteful—even if what they're giving up is an item that

Francis Libiran sparkles at Tanglawan Festival

IN terms of land area and population, San Jose Del Monte (SJDM) is the largest town in the province of Bulacan. It was proclaimed as a Component City under Republic Act No. 8797 on September 10, 2000, becoming the first city in the Central Luzon province.

San Jose Del Monte, or Saint Joseph of the Mountain, was declared a highly urbanized city (HUC) on December 4, 2020.

However, it will have to go through a plebiscite, on October 30, 2023, along with the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, for its city charter to be ratified.

Voting yes to its HUC status is the battle cry of the city’s most prominent couple, Mayor Arturo B. Robes and his wife, Congresswoman Florida P. Robes, who “envisions the Rising City of San Jose del Monte to serve as a beacon to the San Joseños, bringing about economic development and opportunities to the city to uplift the lives of every San Joseños.”

ILLUMINATING

DURING the 16th city anniversary celebration of SJDM, the couple successfully launched the Tanglawan Festival. It derived its name from the Tagalog word, tanglaw, which means light, symbolizing the light that serves as a guide for its people toward progress.

This year’s theme is “Tanglaw Ko, Bukas Mo, Mananatiling Bulakenyo. Yes to HUC!,” according to deputy festival director Glenn de Jesus.

Sa amin pong mag-asawa, higit sa selebrasyon ang pakahulugan namin sa Tanglawan Festival. Ito po ay isang legacy, pamana at kasaysayan na aming ambag hindi lamang sa turismo at sibilisasyon ng lungsod ng San Jose del Monte, kundi ito ay aming kontribusyon sa mayamang kultura nating mga Pilipino maging sa buong mundo. Sa pamamagitan ng Tanglawan Festival pinagliliwanag, pinasisigla at binibigyang buhay natin ang dating lungsod na hindi napapansin kahit sa napaka-raming potensyal nitong taglay,” Mayor Robes said on opening night at the city’s sports complex.

The 10-day celebration of the Tanglawan Festival every September include street dances, concerts, exhibits, masses and parades. A grand fashion show featuring the accessories of Marilao’s pride, Arnel Papa, and the designs of SJDM’s own Viña Romero were featured in a showcase called “Tanglaw ng Kahapon.”

SPARKLING

ENTERTAINING and high-energy performances were provided by Robi Domingo, Darren Espanto, Paul Salas, AC Bonifacio and Jillian Ward. The glamorous highlight, however, was the haute-couture presentation by Francis Libiran, who hails from the town of Balagtas.

The luxurious pieces the bankable designer showed actually came from four different

French

FRENCH luxury fragrance, skincare and makeup brand Lancôme is back in the Philippines with a pop-up store at Fashion Walk, Greenbelt 5, in Makati.

Don’t let the word “pop-up” fool you. The brand is back for good and I’m happy because Lancome is a brand that I feel is special to me. It is true that we associate scents with different eras of our lives. In college, my fragrance was O de Lancôme, a fresh green herbal. When I was in my late 20s, I shifted to Lancôme Tresor, a fragrance with notes of rose, mugent, lilac, peach and apricot blossom. When I got married, my perfume was Tresor.

Lancôme re-enters the luxury beauty industry in the Philippines with the goal of providing elevated beauty experiences, from product formulation to retail experience.

The brand’s portfolio of skincare, make-up, and fragrances is strong and the pop-up features cutting-edge beauty technology backed by years of research and innovation.

Advanced Génefique Face Serum is Lancôme’s flagship skincare product. Génefique is a patented serum that contains six billion pre- and probiotic fractions in every bottle and its claim is that it strengthens the skin’s protective moisture barrier to create heathy and glowing skin.

The Génefique dropper is perfectly engineered to dispense the right amount of product, no more no less. I also love how it clicks when you close the cap. I like how little serum you have to use and how good it works under makeup. It did take some getting used to as someone who slathers her serums

collections he calls “Mosaic,” “Opulence,” “2020” and “Wildflower.”

“These collections lived in separate worlds, each with its own inspiration. Yet, we saw the opportunity to weave together an entire story. We merged the structured lines of ‘Mosaic,’ the declared bold statements of ‘Opulence,’ the dramatic silhouettes of ‘2020,’ and the soft and romantic touch of ‘Wildflower,’” Libiran bared.

The colors, textures and designs blended harmoniously, creating these visual and diverse facets of the signature Francis Libiran artistry. Yaofa de la Cruz, carrying a symbolic lamp, opened the show in a creation crafted from pleated silk organdy, a piece from the “Mosaic” collection that embodies sheer luxury and refined texture.

Jach Manere modeled a piece from the “2020” collection, a dream in ruched soft tulle, showcasing graceful gathers that add a touch of romance

and allure. Gabby Basiano, Binibining Pilipinas International 2022, displayed a piece from the “Opulence” collection adorned with the brand’s signature custom Art Deco embroidery and beadwork, embodying timeless sophistication and their artisan’s intricate craftsmanship.

Santino Rosales, Jericho’s son, wore a three-piece double-breasted Italian wool brocade, while Mister International Philippines 2023 Austin Cabatana donned an elegance-meets-romance three-piece double-breasted suit crafted from fine lace and luxurious Italian wool. Both standout menswear outfits are from the “Wildflower” collection.

Supermodel Jasmine Maierhofer closed the show, which was directed by Bernard Maybituin of Lumina Events and Models Management Inc. with stage manager Julius Uy. “This exquisite piece from the ‘Opulence’ collection features delicate tulle adorned with our signature custom Art Deco beading,” Libiran

in the makeup category.

“Lancôme offers a powerful beauty experience with a positive impact on women. Carrying its French legacy, spirit and elegance, our philosophy revolves around the belief that happiness fuels an unparalleled radiance, inspiring women to illuminate from within. In an era where luxury standards have evolved, our brand places emphasis on self-acceptance, the celebration of individuality and authenticity,” said Yannick Raynaud, L’Oréal Philippines country managing firector. “Lancôme equally invests in excellence and craftsmanship, always standing for superior quality in its formulation, personalization and innovation.”

noted.

The materials used for these pieces were organdy, tulle, fine custom lace and Italian wool, mixed with the signature brand details like our custom handmade Art Deco embroidery and beadwork. Libiran and his team sourced all the fine materials from Turkey, Thailand and India.

Come October 22, Libiran will have a back-to-back show with Dubai-based Filipino fashion designer Furne Amato to be held at the Grand Ballroom of Waterfront Cebu City Hotel, in celebration of its 25th anniversary.

The highly talented Libiran will also be celebrating his 25th anniversary as a fashion designer this year and is preparing several events for his beloved clients and followers. His show in his native province is a prelude to his own festivities.

What made you say yes to doing the show during the Tanglawan Festival?

“The Libiran Clan is actually from Bulacan. Embracing my roots, I was driven to celebrate our heritage and empower local artists. Through fashion, I wove their stories into my designs, preserving traditions and fostering creativity. It was not just about the clothes; it was about a shared journey, uniting the past with the future, and giving back to the community that has shaped me.” n

RETAILER’S TWO-MONTH SALES PROMO EMBRACES ALL FORMS OF BEAUTY

By Roderick L. Abad Contributor

CELEBRATING diverse and inclusive beauty, Robinsons

Department Store has kicked off a two month-long shopping sale called “Standout Beauty: Beauty For All,” offering a variety of skincare, makeup, and self-care brands to everyone.

Shoppers of all ages, skin types, preferences and styles can now avail of this best promotion suited to their beauty needs at any of its brick-and-mortar outlets and online shops in GoCart, LazMall, and Shopee Mall until September 30.

Prizes, freebies and exclusive discounts were on offer for customers during the Beauty Fair Week at Robinsons Ermita, Midtown Atrium Activity Center.

On the other hand, the beauty section of this branch will have special displays and activations from top beauty and self-care brands, namely, L’Oreal Philippines, LuxAsia, Hebe, P&G, Unilever, Colourette, Ever Bilena, Do Day Dream, RMK, Nivea, JNTL, IN2IT, Dermesse, and Beach Hut—all offering rewards and up to 50 percent on selected products.

Meanwhile, mallgoers enjoyed the Standout Beauty event earlier this month where customers enjoyed the participating brands’ booth activities and had the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite beauty influencers.

“Whether customers were seeking cosmetics, skincare products, fragrances, or haircare essentials, they found something that resonates with their unique style and beauty goals in Robinsons Department Store. This two month-long celebration empowered individuals to shine as they are, without shame or judgment,” said Robinsons Department Store marketing head Anne Jamnague.

More information can be found at the Robinsons Department Store pages on on Facebook and Instagram.

expanding through the years as spaces surrounding it opened one by one. It was the perfect homecoming, 10 years in the making,” said Eric Dee.

From offering only sunglasses in 2013, the brand expanded into optical eyewear and has opened over 100 stores across the Philippines before introducing beauty and beverage lines with Sunnies Face and Sunnies Coffee (formerly Cup Point).

and creams liberally.

Lancôme also brings a couple of tech tools to the Philippines. The Pro-Radiance Booster is a device that has a unique technology and is combined with the formula of Génefique to achieve firmer, smoother, and youthfully radiant skin. For this, the equivalent of a quarter of Advanced Génifique bottle will be used on your face.

Lancôme also has Skin Screen, which shows projective aging to help you take steps to keep your skin healthy.

The Lancôme pop-up has what I call a fragrance bar with the brand’s hero scent Idole, which targets Gen Z with notes of citrus, rose, jasmine and white musk layered over a vanilla.

The L’Absolu Rogue lipstick, designed for long-lasting wear with cream and matte finishes, is Lancôme’s headliner

SCHOOL OF COOL FOR EYEWEAR

IF you want cool and affordable eyewear, you know that the place to get them is Sunnies Studios. The brand celebrates its 10th anniversary in October and it has finally unveiled its flagship store in the same place in Glorietta where Sunnies Studios first opened. The first Sunnies Studio ever in Glorietta 2 could barely fit 10 customers. Now, it is the eyewear and lifestyle brand’s biggest store that’s 12 times its original size.

To formally celebrate the opening, Sunnies Studio’s cofounders Georgina Wilson and Eric and Bea Dee hosted a party at the Sunnies Fun House, as the flagship store is called. Our story lies within the lines and curves of the Glorietta store. It had a lot of firsts and grew as the brand grew, slowly

To help keep these businesses afloat during the pandemic, Sunnies Studios developed more functional eyewear collections such as reading glasses, polarized sunglasses, and Anti-Rad Eyewear for blue light protection. These are all housed at the Glorietta branch, or what the brand likes to call the Sunnies Fun House.

The Sunnies Fun House, which was designed by FilipinoAustralian artist Jessica Dorizac, was inspired by architectural structures and paper cutouts, and bears witness to the brand’s obsession with good design and finding the beauty in every day things. The store are has custom mirrors and the best brews from Sunnies Coffee (I love the Strawberry Iced Tea). You’ll also find a customization area where you can have your eyewear cases engraved, free with any purchase whether old or new.

What I also like about shopping at Sunnies Studios is that the staff really helps you in choosing your frames. They will give you their honest opinion when asked, and they can also talk about what people are buying.

FRANCIS LIBIRAN FINERY: (clockwise) Santino Rosales, Jasmine Maierhofer, Jach Manere, Yaofa de la Cruz and Gabby Basiano. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MELVIN SIA

luxury beauty brand back in PHL

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Meralco’s first Giga Summit brings in global experts on nuclear power

IN the continuing pursuit towards a more resilient and sustainable future, the Meralco Power Academy (MPA) brought together over 30 local and international power industry experts in the first ever Giga Summit on Sustainable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Future Grid.

The Giga Summit, which took place from September 11 to 13, 2023 at The Fifth at Rockwell in Makati City, aimed to foster knowledge exchange among industry leaders, policymakers, and experts from across the globe and become a platform for exchanging insights, shaping power and energy trends, and sharing best practices.

The Sustainable Energy discussions on the first day revolved around accelerating the transition towards cleaner and more progressive sources of energy that benefit both people and the planet.

This featured nuclear power experts including Canada-based Filipino nuclear scientist Dr. Francisco “Ike” Dimayuga of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation Executive Vice President Roland Backhaus, University of California, Berkeley Director of International Partnerships for College of Engineering Dr. Matthew P. Sherburne, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Director of Illinois Microreactor R&D Center Dr. Caleb Brooks.

“Giga Summit will serve as an avenue to spark relevant discussions on the role of next generation technologies in our transition towards stable and sustainable energy supply. With the growing interest

MERALCO EVP and CEO and MPA Vice Chairman Ronnie L. Aperocho on nuclear power, our invited experts will shed light on the opportunities and exciting developments in the area of small and micro modular reactors and share experiential learnings that will be relevant as we put forward plans to utilize these technologies,”

Meralco Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and MPA Vice Chairman Ronnie L. Aperocho said. The second day of the summit covered Energy Efficiency with sessions that will delve into the various ways to optimize energy consumption; while the third day will

tackle Future Grid with discussions on fasttracking the development and integration of advanced metering infrastructure to meet the growing demand for a smarter and more resilient energy infrastructure.

Also joining the summit were distinguished energy industry experts from both the government and private sector including the Department of Energy, Energy Regulatory Commission, Meralco, ASEAN Centre for Energy, Commonwealth Edison Co., Korea Electric Power Corporation, and Plasma Kinetics, among others.

Cybersphere Philippines 2023 works towards a cyber resilient ICT nation

Among many others, the two-day conference provided a focused platform for the ICT, international cybersecurity, and cloud solution vendors, experts, and thought leaders to meet, share experiences and views, and explore rapidly growing opportunities with decision-makers and stakeholders in the Philippines, all under the overarching theme, Towards a Cyber Resilient ICT Nation.

“The Philippines is at the beginning of the path to build a robust national ICT infrastructure with good cybersecurity resilience and embark on large-scale cloud technologies adoption. The market potential is enormous and the rapid development of these areas of the ICT market is inevitable. That’s why we at APAC EXPO Pte Ltd are here to collaborate and share our knowhow,” said Managing Director Andrew Mariott.

ATTENTION, deal seekers! If you love Greenwich’s Overload® pizzas and delicious pastas, then this is your chance to satisfy your Greenwich cravings at P100 off by using the promo code GW100 on foodpanda!

“We’re thrilled to welcome the ber months with the barkada! Get into the festive spirit and indulge in your ultimate Greenwich pizza and pasta faves, as P100 is on the house if your orders are worth P399 and above. Just don’t forget to input the promo code, GW100, on your next order via foodpanda,” said Ali De Torres, marketing head for Greenwich.

The promo will cover all foodpanda delivery stores nationwide and will run on the following dates: September 4 to 7, 13 to 14, 20 to 21, and 27 to 28. The offer is exclusively for delivery transactions with a minimum order of at least P399.

Can’t decide what to order? Aside from Greenwich’s Overload® pizzas Hawaiian and All-in Overload®, Lasagna Supreme®, and more, you may also try their newest products, Pizzawrap and Pizza-Rice Bakes!

So what are you waiting for? Mark your calendars and be sure to order your favorite

food from Greenwich on foodpanda to save Php 100! Remember the code: GW100. For more information, visit Greenwich’s official Facebook page, Greenwich Barkada, or message Greenwich Barkada on Facebook Messenger.

Gov't agency Professional Regulation Commission opens new office at Lucky Chinatown in Manila

THE Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), in partnership with Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, announced the grand opening of its new office at Lucky Chinatown on September 7, 2023. The latest branch marks a significant milestone for Megaworld’s continuous partnerships with various government offices by enhancing accessibility and convenience for professionals seeking licensure examinations, ID renewals, and other services.

The opening ceremony was graced by PRC Chairperson Atty. Charito Zamora and Ronald Watson, the OIC Director of PRC NCR. “We are committed to providing exceptional services and experiences to all our patrons. This partnership with PRC aligns perfectly with our dedication to convenience and accessibility, and we look forward to securing more partnerships to offer even more services that will benefit our valued customers here at Lucky Chinatown,” said Nori Mizoguchi, general manager of Lucky Chinatown.

THE PRC ribbon-cutting ceremony at Lucky Chinatown was led by OIC Director of PRC NCR Ronald Watson, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls AVP and Cluster General Manager Mark Sta. Ana, PRC Chairperson Atty. Charito Zamora, Lucky Chinatown General Manager Nori Mizoguchi, and Megaworld Lifestyle Malls Corporate Operations Group Manager Jocelyn Melitante.

Professionals of various fields can now conduct transactions with the PRC from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, at the 3rd floor of the Prosperity Wing. Megaworld Lifestyle Malls is the retail and commercial development arm of Megaworld Corporation, one of the Philippines’ largest real estate companies, and the leading lifestyle mall developer. The Retail Asia Awards 2023 Marketing Initiative of the Year awardee’s mission is to make happiness and meaningful connections a lifestyle for its communities as the country’s premier developer of lifestyle destinations with exceptional designs, offerings and experiences.

SM Store celebrates 65th anniversary through Share Shoes Campaign to benefit indigent school children

THE simple things in life are oftentimes taken for granted. To some people, tangible objects like clothes, bags, or shoes are normal commodities that they can easily buy and eventually dispose of at will. Meanwhile, millions of people around the world, specifically children, walk barefoot as they lack financial resources to avail themselves of decent footwear.

for only P65.00 and shall be considered as a Share Shoes Champion.

In a statement, Dhinno S Tiu, Executive Vice President of SM Store, said the campaign exemplifies the value and symbolism of shoes for both SM and its advocacy to support the community:

IN January 2022, the Philippines recorded a 68 percent Internet penetration rate, representing more than 76 million Filipino Internet users. The country’s digital competitiveness also showed improvement last year, with knowledge and technology taking 62nd and 54th spots, respectively, according to the World’s Digital Competitiveness Ranking.

The opportunities from digital innovations were accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic as limitations on mobility prompted citizens to accelerate migration to digital spaces. These changes are evident in the growth of digital payment systems, online meeting platforms, electronic health services, online retail, direct delivery services, and many others.

However, with increasing connectivity comes increasing cyber threats. Last year’s ITU (International Telecomunication Union) Global Security Index placed the Philippines 61st out of 194 countries.

Individually, Filipinos are susceptible to data breaches and privacy violations online. On a societal level, cyber attacks by state or non-state actors on critical infrastructure can undermine national security and impact economic activity.

While cyber threats originate online, their consequences can manifest beyond the digital space into our physical lives. These kinds of attacks also have direct economic costs. In fact, firms spend more to repair infrastructure damaged by ransomware attacks. A 2018 study by Frost & Sullivan found that potential economic loss in the Philippines due to cyberattacks can reach USD 3.5 billion or 1.1 percent of the total Philippine GDP.

That’s why efficient solutions and infrastructure are essential in combating cyber threats and ensuring business survival.

Thus, Cybersphere Philippines 2023 Conference, held on September 5 and 6, 2023, at Shangri-La The Fort, was a huge success and it was attended by private and government stakeholders.

It was organized by APAC EXPO Pte Ltd with the full endorsement and support of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), PNP AntiCybercrime Group, PNP Information Technology Management Service, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Tourism Promotion Board (TPB).

“We are happy to note that decisionmakers from DICT and related IT agencies plus IT security personnel from the private sector have also congregated at the conference to explore the latest technologies to build their required ICT infrastructures,” he added.

During the opening of the Cybersphere conference, the DICT, CICC, NPC, NTC together with Scam Watch Pilipinas, the telcos, and several government agencies, launched the National Scam Watch Movement for a multilayered approach to combat cyber scams in the country.

The two-day program focused on three major tracks on Cybersecurity, e-governance, and ICT Infrastructure and Connectivity discussed by industry leaders and experts. Each track is composed of sub-topics which were further discussed through a panel discussion at the end of each session.  Further, attendees met Cybersecurity enthusiasts from around the world and heard firsthand the latest security and ICT trends and innovations.

Overall, Cybersphere Philippines was two days of full activities and building connections while unraveling the latest cybersecurity and cloud technology discoveries and successes.

According to a 2017 article by William Blischke, an American Sociology professor at the California State University Dominguez Hills, 14 percent of the earth’s inhabitants lack shoes or have inadequate footwear. He adds that in some developing countries, shoeless children cannot attend school because they may communicate and contract diseases from their foot sores. This is why some international non-profit organizations claim that shoes, or the lack thereof, are one of the most visible signs of poverty.

In the Philippines, there is no available academic study that justifies Filipino children’s actual lack of shoes. However, this phenomenon can be substantiated by the 2023 report of the Department of Education, which states that one of the most pressing issues in the basic education system is the lack of access to resources. Since school shoes are an integral part of a student’s uniform even in public schools, it will be difficult for less-privileged families to purchase them. This leaves children with no choice but to either use their old and ill-fitting shoes, or worse, walk barefoot just to complete their education.

This is the challenge that the SM Store intends to address through the Share Shoes campaign. The campaign seems to provide school shoes to the poverty-stricken students of the Philippines. In line with the celebration of SM’s 65th founding anniversary and through the help of its dedicated customers and partnerorganizations, SM Store aims to donate more than 16,000 pairs of shoes to the last-mile schools and communities in the country. With a minimum of P3,000 single-receipt-spend at any SM Store, a customer is entitled to donate a pair of shoes, which originally retails for P299,

“Shoes have been the core of our business for over 65 years. Thus, giving out thousands of shoes to the Filipino children who need them the most through the generosity of our customers, is a symbolic gesture of our commitment to continue to live the legacy of sharing and giving back to our partner communities.”

More than a material donation, SM Store hopes that these pairs of shoes would help the children’s journey towards a better life. Through a simple act of giving, these underprivileged children will be able to learn, play, and flourish in school. And by protecting their young feet, time will come when they can confidently step, walk, run, and even leap towards their individual goals and dreams.

Shop at your favorite SM Store from September 1, 2023 to November 15, 2023 to support a child in need. For only P65, you can help transform a life by being a Share Shoes Champion! Help us put shoes on a child’s feet and together, let us witness how they walk through life with smiles on their faces. (Per DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-172377, Series of 2023)

ANDREW Marriott, Managing Director of Cybersphere with Celso Manuel of Contactpoint were among the participants of the two-day conference.

Taylor SwifT: Pr whiz?

very important, especially in the PR world where reputation is everything. Stay true to your brand and your company’s mission vision, goals, and advocacies.

In the whirlwind of opinions in the internet, standing by your morals can feel intimidating. It’s best to “only share what you only feel, are comfortable with, and stay true to your beliefs. This will show a deeper level of authenticity for your audience to connect and relate to.”

To T e m m e dia forges par T n ership wi T h h o oT sui T e To b ols T e r a s ia presence HONG KONG—Totem Media, a digital-enabled brand agency based in Hong Kong and operating around Asia, is excited to announce a new partnership with Hootsuite, the global social media management platform. With this new relationship, Totem Media has become an official re seller for Hootsuite across the Asia region, including China, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia a nd India.

SEEMS there is no stopping Taylor Swift! She is making musical and cultural history as she outdoes herself—with 50 million albums sold and over 23 billion views on YouTube.

Time Magazine says that her ongoing Eras tour, which pays homage to her amazing, 17-year career, is set to become the biggest tour of all time only a third of the way through its run. We’re talking about billions here. And a movie about the tour is scheduled to be released in October.

But her influence goes beyond the money. Swift counts Serena Williams, Kendal Jenner, Karli Kloss, Selena Gomez as among her besties. The University of Ghent in Belgium is launching the first Taylor Swift-inspired literature course of its kind in Europe. Just the other day, she added nine trophies to her numerous awards at the MTV Music Awards.

She is also a marketing whiz from whom communicators like us can learn from. Here are five takeaways we can keep in mind with a little help from Promolta. com’s How Taylor Swift Built a Successful Musical Career.

1. p ur sue your passion.

S W IFTIES a ll know her story, which Promolta.com beautifully summarizes here. “Taylor Swift started pursuing music as a young child in Pennsylvania. She performed in local contests, theatre shows, and fairs. By the age of 14, her passion for music continued to grow, prompting her family to move to Nashville so she could pursue a career in music. Two years later, Swift signed to the record label that would produce her first six albums that would amass over 45 million copies sold worldwide.” The rest, they say, is history.

w h at pr pros can learn: “Making big moves to pursue your passion can feel risky at the moment, but can pay off enormously when you stay focused on your end goal,” Promolta.com says.

“As the Asia region becomes increasingly more important for global brands, we see the value of Hootsuite as a centralized dashboard for marketing leaders. Management teams i n Asia need to keep track of multiple markets, ensuring that brand growth is clear and consistent,” said Chris Baker, Founder of Totem Media.

“We are excited about how this partnership will allow us to increase the impact of our work in social media, brand tracking, growth planning, insights, and data analysis. Hootsuite, together with its r ich ecosystem of apps and tools, should be a foundational platform for CMOs managing the region,” Chris furthered.

Hootsuite is widely recognized for being a leader in the comprehensive management of social and content marketing. Its core service allows brands to create and curate, schedule and manage, report and

If a career in communication is your great passion, learn as much as you can about the profession. Read books, read both traditional and digital media releases that will help you know what clicks, read great PR stories. If agency work is for you, learn as much as you can about it by joining an agency. If corporate PR is for you, don’t be afraid to start from the bottom to build your career in your dream company.

At the same time, develop your skills. Write, write, write. Keep abreast of the latest communication trends and see how you can incorporate these in your work. Build meaningful relationships with media, clients, and colleagues.

2. b e a uthentic in your content.

“A KEY re ason for Taylor Swift’s incredible success is down to the relatability of her personality and music across generations and cultures,” says marketing and branding expert Allyson Stewart-Allen. “She’s a gifted songwriter, singer, live performer, and marketer, mastering broad appeal without blandness.”

Promolta.com agrees. “A big pull of Swift’s music is her honesty and authenticity,” it says. Swift, after all, “writes all her songs and shares her personal experiences through her music. She sings about emotions that are true to her, but also relatable to the audience.”

By writing about “her relationships, feuds, and family, she is able to connect with her listeners emotionally and keep them invested in her stories.”

w h at pr pros can learn: This all boils down to being yourself and being authentic. This makes your content unique and allows viewers to build a connection with you.

For communicators, this means knowing your brand and your company and remaining true to it. While it may be tempting to latch on great campaigns which your competitors or other brands are doing, it’s best to build on your brand, and what makes it unique.

analyze social media (and audiences) across an array of channels. Integrated AI features, together with its deep tool set, make Hootsuite a uniquely powerful solution.

“For brands that prioritize content, branding, and customer care a s centers of growth, Hootsuite is an almost indispensable toolset,” added Chris.

K m Js nominaT e d aT 2023 a s ia co n T e n T s awards MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Beyond dominating on-air and online, multiplatform leader and multi-awarded GMA Public Affairs show Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS) continues to raise the Philippine flag as it earns a finalist spot at the 2023 Asia Contents Awards (ACA) and Global OTT Awards – adding to the show’s long list of international recognitions.

Hosted by Jessica Soho, KMJS is nominated in ACA’s Best Reality

You cannot pretend to be another brand, and it waters down your message. Let’s learn from Swift, who captures her audience with her story telling capabilities, creating an immediate relatability with fans of her music.

3. m a ke the best out of a negative situation

I N 20 16, Promolta.com recalls that Swift had a notorious feud with Kanye West. This was rekindled by West’s song “Famous,” which refers to Swift, as a derogatory word.

While Swift denounced the song upon release, West’s wife Kim Kardashian retaliated with an edited recording of a phone call between both artists seemingly approving the song before its release.

This portrayed Swift as a “liar on a massive scale” since West and Kardashian have a collective 369 followers on social media.

Instead of sulking in the storm of negativity, “Swift used the experience as an inspiration for her album Reputation that sold over 1 million copies in its first week and resulted in Swift’s first all-

and Variety category for its story “Sugat ng Pangungulila (Wounds of Woes).” KMJS is the sole Philippine nominee in the said category, j oining Netflix’s Physical 100, SNL Korea Seasons 3 & 4, Let’s Feast Vietnam, Our Game: LG Twins, TVING’s Food Chronicle, and Content Wavve’s Bloody Game 2. “Sugat ng Pangungulila (Wounds of Woes)” featured the story of Daxen —a son of an OFW who suffered a n undiagnosed skin disease. With the help of KMJS, Daxen’s neighbors, the local government units, a nd the hospital in Antique, Daxen was rescued and is now continuing with his maintenance medicines. After the episode was aired, help came not just from neighboring cities and provinces but also from Filipinos abroad. Daxen’s story even inspired his town to create a rescue volunteer group called DAO Lifesaving Advocates.

stadium tour.”

w h at pr pros can learn: We can consider this a lesson in Swift’s style of crisis management. She turned this crisis into an opportunity.

After all, “challenges are inevitable, so it is important to make the best out of them instead of letting them discourage you. Those challenges could result in content that boosts your channel to new heights.”

4. st and by your morals.

PROMOLTA notes in 2019, “Swift for the first time ever shared her political opinions on events happening in the news and even included those ideas on her album Lover.”

While not all of her fan base were pleased with her ideas, “this news transparency added more depth to Swift’s public image and showed she stands up for what she believes in. This gave her fans more to connect and relate to than just her songs.”

w h at pr pros can learn: Integrity and being true to one’s self is

We are happy and grateful that our story about Daxen is being recognized by another prestigious international award-giving body.

To be nominated is an honor by itself because the Busan Asian Content Awards is tough! On behalf of Team KMJS, thank you very much especially for the privilege of representing GMA Network and the Philippines!” Soho said.

The winners of the ACA will be announced at the BIFF Theater, Busan Cinema Center in Korea this October.

Early this year, Daxen’s story gave KMJS its third New York Festival medal since 2019 when it won t he World Gold Medal at the prestigious 2023 New York Festivals TV & Fi lm (NYF) Awards.

Data from Nielsen TV Audience Measurement show that for the month of August, KMJS topped all programs with a combined (GMA

5. st ay connected with fans S W IFT ’ S s trong connection with fans is part of her relatability. Promolta.com highlights how “she has shown her appreciation for fans through surprise appearances, thoughtful gifts, and even listening parties free of cost.”

Likewise, she is known for regularly interacting with her fans on social media, openly communicating with them about her upcoming projects. Through these connections, “Swift shows her gratitude which makes her fans feel seen and appreciated and even more resulting in their loyalty throughout the years.”

Swift’s generosity is legend, not in the big business philanthropic way, but by beginning charity at home. In the midst of her recent Eras tour, she surprised everyone by giving a total of $55 million in bonuses to her truck drivers, crew, and staff that came with checks and a handwritten note from her.

w h at pr pros can learn: Staying connected with your fans—or customers when we are talking about brands—“show appreciation for their support, making them feel more like family, and less like strangers.” Interacting with fans —or customers, employees, and business partners—“build a loyal base that sticks around through ups and downs.”

All in all, gratitude, generosity, and staying true to what you are is everything in a changing world.

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 association for senior professionals around the world. Millie Dizon, the senior vice president for Marketing and Communications of SM, is the former local chairman.

We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.

and GTV) people rating of 16.3% in Urban Philippines and 14.8% in Total Philippines. Online, KMJS’ numbers continue to grow. As the most followed Philippine TV program on Facebook, KMJS’ official Facebook page has already reached 30 million followers.

L ast September 03, KMJS aired the exclusive interview of Jessica with the wife of the late Mike E nriquez, where Lizabeth “Baby” Yumping-Enriquez shared their love story and the medical journey of Mike. The interview landed on #1 spot on YouTube Philippines.

Catch KMJS every Sunday night on GMA, GTV, and Pinoy Hits channels. Online, netizens can watch the l ive streaming on KMJS’ official Facebook page as well as GMA Public Affairs’ official YouTube channel. Global Pinoys can catch KMJS via GMA international channel GMA Pinoy TV.

SEPP KUSS: ALMOST THERE

GUADARRAMA, Spain—Sepp Kuss arrived at the Spanish Vuelta tasked once more with helping to shepherd some of the top stars in cycling over the mountains and put them in a position to win the prestigious race.

Twenty racing days later, Kuss was being congratulated by his teammates on Saturday for having virtually locked up the first Grand Tour title for an American man in a decade.

Kuss crossed the finish line of the 20th and penultimate stage flanked by Jonas Vingegaard, the two-time defending Tour de France winner, and Primoz Roglic, who was aiming to match a record with a fourth Vuelta title.

His illustrious Jumbo-Visma teammates locked arms with Kuss and gently pedaled over the final meters.

“It was very special to finish the stage with my teammates after all the team had put in so much work. I am very, very happy,” Kuss said in Spanish. “[We are] almost there...we still have tomorrow.”

Kuss will wear the red leader’s jersey heading into Sunday’s final stage, when cycling custom dictates that title rivals respect the leader’s advantage in the largely ceremonial arrival to Madrid.

He kept his 17-second lead over Vingegaard over the 20th and penultimate stage, which is the final day of competitive riding for the overall contenders.

The last American man to win one of cycling’s three-week races, which in addition to the Vuelta and Tour includes the Giro d’Italia, was 2013 Vuelta winner Chris Horner.

When asked how he felt about the support he had from the local fans, Kuss said with a laugh: “With each stage I felt more Spanish, but I am from the US.”

Wout Poels beat Remco Evenepoel to claim Saturday’s

Absent Holt picked No. 1 by Terrafirma

TERRAFIRMA made Filipino-American Stephen Holt as the No. 1 pick in absentia in the Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft on Sunday at the Market! Market! in Taguig City.3The Dyip coach John Cardel tabbed the 31-year-old 6-foot-4 Holt for the vast experience he gained in tour of duties in the US with the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association Summer League, as well as in Europe, New Zealand and Australia.

Holt, however, wasn’t around to wear his Dyip jacket and savor the honor as the No. 1 pick. He’s in Portland attending to the birth of his child.

Blackwater picked second in the first round and head coach Jeffrey Cariaso chose 6-foot-6 Christian David, with Rain or Shine got three big men—6-foot-7 Luis Villegas and Keith Datu Jr. and 6-foot-6 Henry Galinato—choices head coach Yeng Guiao said is part of the Elasto Painters’ buildup with quality big men who’ll join Leonard Santillan, Anton Asistio, Rey Nambatac, Beau Belga and Gabe Norwood.

NorthPort, meanwhile, made University of the Philippines center/forward Zav Lucero as the fifth pick followed by Phoenix Super LPG’s choice at No. 6 of Filipino-New Zealander 6-foot-4 shooter Kenneth Tuffin and NLEX’s 6-foot-2 Richard Rodger.

Meralco selected 6-foot-7 Brandon Bates as the seventh pick overall, while Converge made De La Salle University guard Deschon Winston No 8 and 6-footer guard from Ateneo BJ Andrade at No. 9.

Filipino-foreigners dominated the first round with NorthPort getting Cade Flores at 11th and Terrafirma closing out the round with Taylor Miller.

Terrafirma selected 6-foot-8 center and former national player Kemark Cariño to start of second round, Converge got guard Ryan Santos at No. 2, Galinato went to Rain or Shine at third and Ateneo’s Raffy Verano was acquired by Phoenix at fourth.

Former University of the Philippines guard Ricci Rivero was chosen by Phoenix at fifth, followed by NLEX’s at sixth with Enok Valdez, John Luis Delos Santos by Converge at seventh, Blackwater at eighth and San Beda’s James Kwukuteye at eight also in the second round.

Completing the second round were JM Nermal at ninth by NLEX, Louie Sangalang at 10th by Terrafirma, Ralph Cu by Ginebra at 11th and Adrian Nocum by Rain or Shine at 12th Josef Ramos

208-kilometer (129-mile) ride from Manzanares El Real to Guadarrama in hilly country which included 10 category-three climbs outside the capital. It was the race’s longest stage and took riders past the El Escorial monastery.

Jumbo-Visma lived up to the billing as being the team to beat at the race that started last month in Barcelona.

Not only is the Dutch team set to monopolize the podium in Madrid with Kuss, Vingegaard and Roglic on target to finish

1-2-3, Jumbo-Visma is also on the cusp of sweeping all three Grand Tours this year after Roglic won the Giro d’Italia in May and Vingegaard repeated as the Tour champion in July.

The nearest challenger to the trio was Spaniard Juan Ayuso, the UAE Team Emirates leader, who was more than two minutes behind Roglic in third overall.

Kuss, a 29-year-old from Durango, Colorado, started cycling as a way to train all year for his passion of cross-country skiing. But he eventually changed the skis for wheels and has for several seasons featured as one of the top support riders for Jumbo-Visma.

He now lives in Andorra with his wife in the Pyrenees Mountains nestled between Spain and France.

Kuss took the lead on the eighth stage and did not relinquish it, holding his own on massive climbs up the Col du Tourmalet in France and the Alto de l’Angliru in northern Spain. And he clung to his dwindling advantage when Vingegaard and Roglic took their shot at overtaking him with stage wins this week.

The two stars did, however, finally change strategy and rode for Kuss over the 18th stage which was the last demanding mountain ride of the race. Vingegaard said after that stage that it was “sure nice to be able to pay Sepp back. He has done so much for me and Primoz.” AP

EJ PLAYS INSPIRED IN EUGENE

PSC sends off athletes bound for Hangzhou

FILIPINO athletes competing in the 19th Asian Games and Fourth Asian Par Games will be feted in a fitting send off at noon Monday at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Reception Hall in Pasay City.

“Our athletes are the heart and soul of the country’s campaign in Hangzhou, both in the Asian Games and Asian Para Games,” Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Bachmann said. “With the all-out support from our national government through the PSC, I’m positive that our athletes will deliver.”

The PSC organized the sendoff ceremony for the close to 400 athletes competing in the Asian Games that kick off with the opening ceremony this Saturday and the Asian Para Games set from October 22 to 28 also in Hangzhou.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino is expected to grace the event along with PSC commissioners Olivia “Bong” Coo, Fritz Gaston, Edward Hayco and Walter Torres. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin was also invited to the sendoff to relay President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s message to the delegation.

The sendoff starts at 11 a.m. Also expected are officials from the POC, Philippine Paralympic Committee and national sports associations.

The PSC also announced on Sunday that all athletes will receive allowances from the government sports agency regardless of whether they are competing in Hangzhou as Class A or B competitions.

There are two groups of athletes competing in Hangzhou based on a POC policy—gold and silver medalists in the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games last May are entitled to full support from the PSC, while those who bagged bronze or didn’t medal will pay their way to the Asian Games.

SMH at Halep’s suspension

SIMONA HALEP has been banned from tennis for four years for using the substance called Roxadustat in particular.

Besides testing positive for Roxadustat, an independent tribunal found her guilty of irregularities in her athlete biological passport, the electronic record of biological markers and doping test results.

Halep was flagged during a doping test at the 2022 US Open; just a little over a year ago. She has denied using it and has said that she ingested Roxadustat unknowingly.

Looking back at some of the high profile doping cases, when Andre Agassi turned up positive for methamphetamine use in 1997, he blamed it on a spiked drink.

French tennis player Richard Gasquet laughably attributed his turning up positive for cocaine use to being exposed when he kissed a female at a nightclub.

Martina Hingis tested positive for the drug Benzoylecgonine that has traces to cocaine. Hingis denied using cocaine, and a resulting private drug test showed a negative result. A private drug test. Hmm. Then she retired (before making a return later).

And prior to Halep, Maria Sharapova failed a test for meldonium. She claimed that she used the prescription drug for over 10 years and that meldonium was only placed on the banned substances list in 2016.   When people are caught for these infractions, they always say that they do not know anything about it. Maybe they are telling the truth. Maybe not. Ignorance is bliss...but at the end of it all, ignorance is outright costly.

Damn, it’s costly.

Like us ordinary folk, if we are prescribed something to take for whatever condition we have, we do not take the time to figure out what the substances are. We just take them.

However, for professional athletes, they should be more circumspect knowing about doping in sports. Granted that some of their conditions were there as youngsters...but still.

And sometimes, ignorance is the best defense. Not knowing means you aren’t lying.  Now, the onus is on their managers and agents or even families to be on top of that.

I think what sports federations and athletes should do is introduce that biological passport early in their careers to prevent misuse and cheating.

Yes, people constantly look for that minute competitive edge; I get that, but really...I would draw the line at cheating.

ERNEST JOHN “EJ” OBIENA is back in Eugene, Oregon, for Monday’s final of the Wanda Diamond League where he’ll be up against a star-studded field of only seven of the world’s elite pole vaulters led by Swede wonder Armand Duplantis.

He’s inspired to compete in the very same Hayward Field where he clinched a breakthrough bronze medal not only for himself and the Philippines, but for the whole of Asia at last year’s world championships.

“It’s good to be back in Eugene where I won my first medal at the world championships,” Obiena said. “Eugene has a special place in my heart so it would be interesting, but I don’t think the stake is higher or anything, but it’s competition.”

The 27-year-old Obiena’s 5.94 meters at the worlds that gave him bronze last year stood as Asia’s best at that time. But he made 6.0 meters last July in Norway to break his own mark.

Obiena brings with him an extraordinary streak at 5.92m which he did thrice ahead of the Diamond League final where he’ll also square off with Americans Sam Kendricks, Tokyo

TOLENTINO OPENS ROTC GAMES LUZON IN CAVITE; DUSKY LASS FROM ALBAY WINS

THE Province of Cavite has rolled out the red carpet for the Luzon leg of the Philippine Reserved Officers Training Course Games which Senator Francis “Tol” Tolentino opened on Saturday night in Indang with the coronation of Bicol pride Angel Brahms Malavega Bernarldez as Ms. ROTC Games for Luzon.

Tolentino, brainchild of the innovative nature of ROTC Games, said cadet athletes from various units in the different colleges and universities in Regions 1, 2, 3, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Region 5 are converging in Indang and Cavite for the weeklong competitions.

“The Luzon leg will be the biggest among the regional tournaments this year because the cadet-athletes will come from different tertiary institutions all over six regions across Luzon,” Tolentino said.  The Cavite State University in Indang and

The National Capital Region leg of is set October 8 to 14 and the National Championships from October 22 to 27. Two previus legs were held in Iloilo and Zamboanga City for

Competitions are in athletics, basketball, kickboxing, boxing, arnis, volleyball and e-sports.

Bernarldez, meanwhile, made her native Rapu-Rapu in Albay and her school Bicol University Elementary Education

where she’s a freshman proud by winning the Miss ROTC Luzon crown.

“I humbly believe that my dark skin complexion was my advantage because I want to bring it to a bigger platform as my own advocacy against bullying and discrimination because of our skin color,” Bernarldez told the judges and the crowd during the pageant.

“Indeed, we can do so much more as one and do so much more,” added the Bernaldez, an only child whose father is a security guard and mom a former overseas Filipino worker now a full-time homemaker.

“I really did not expect to win because others seemed better in their walk and the way they talk,” she said. “The way they moved was exceptional. Now I also feel pressured since the competition is not yet finished with the national finals coming up. I need to be better in the way I talk and walk.”

Olympics silver medalist Christopher Nilsen and KC Lightfoot, Australian Kurtis Marschall and Belgian Ben Broeders.

“I’m up for the challenge, and I don’t go to any competition to become second or third. want to win,” said Obiena, who arrived in Eugene Thursday. “I’m just happy that a certain guy name Mondo [Obiena] exists so it’s very difficult, but I am up to the challenge. My team agreed to battle it out.”

“I’m happy that I am here...the Diamond League is Diamond League with six other guys jumping. It’s the best very competitive field and looking forward to it,” added Obiena, who flies to Hangzhou to target his first Asian Games gold medal later this month,. Jim Lafferty, Obiena’s personal adviser, said Obiena carries the country on his shouleders for being the first Filipino to compete in the prestigious Diamond League.

“Being invited to compete in a Diamond League is a huge honor,” Lafferty said. “It’s an elite competition primarily reserved for the top 10 in their respective events. EJ is the first, and only, Filipino to ever compete in there.”

Obiena competed in 23 tournaments so far this season and had podium finishes in 20 of them.

Honestly, I am disappointed in Halep. I am a fan of hers just to be very clear. I watch her matches as much as I can and root for this Romanian tennis player. And to think the ban takes effect on the eve of her 32nd birthday.

If her purported appeal is unsuccessful, this pretty much ends her career. Because she will be 36 by then; way past her prime.

It’s terrible. Simona is a former two-time Women’s Tennis Association Most Popular Player of the Year. She is the most popular Romanian star since gymnast Nadia Comaneci. How Romanians or even sports fans view her now… I don’t know. Personally, I do feel bad.

And to add more to the shame, the International Tennis Integrity Agency has asked for the disqualification of Halep’s results from March 8 to October 7, 2022.

I remember when Sharapova was suspended—all of a sudden you had people calling her a cheat. That has to hurt. And it does taint what she or any other tennis player has won.

And all that hard work, time, money, effort, and the literal blood, sweat, and tears, was for nothing.

What a terrible and colossal waste.

WWorld Tour Cebu Masters set this Saturday and Sunday at the SM Seaside City Cebu.

The country’s top 3x3 player Mac Tallo, Marcus Hammonds, Marquez Letcher-Ellis,and Cebu-based Tosh Sesay are manning the fort for the host with local standouts Paul Desiderio and Dennis Santos sitting out the tournament injured.

Trained and coached by Chico Lanete, the Manila Chooks! team is seeded 11th in the tournament that feature 14 squads led by top seed Ub Huishan of Serbia, The Netherlands’ Amsterdam HiPRO

Basketball Association player Jimmer Fredette. Also in the field are Mongolia’s Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy and Sansar MMC Energy and Futian of China. Tallo is convinced the new-look Manila Chooks! is not a pushover.

“We needed to adjust because of the injuries of Paul and Dennis,” Tallo said. “They tried to play but their injuries are unbearable.”

The champion will take home $40,000 and the runner-up $30,000. Fans can watch the games live on Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas Facebook page and the YouTube channel of FIBA 3x3.

SEPP KUSS is on the verge of victory at the Spanish Vuelta—he’ll be the first American man to win a Grand Tour in a decade. AP

SENATOR Francis Tolentino (left) poses with Army cadet Angel Brahms Malavega Bernarldez (center) and Commission on Higher Education Chairman Prospero de Vera.

IT was at Hayward Field in Eugene where Ernest John “EJ” Obiena clinched a breakthrough bronze medal at the 2022 world championships.

MANILA Chooks! (from left) Tosh Sesay, Marcus Hammonds, head trainer Chico Lanete, Mac Tallo and Marquez Letcher-Ellis.