BusinessMirror September 21, 2022

By Samuel P. Medenilla

SOUND economic policies backed by promising became the highlight of the investment pitch of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. before a Business Forum at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) last Monday.

In his 10-minute keynote speech in the event, Marcos urged American businesses to help in “transforming” the pandemicaffected economy by investment ing in key local sectors.

“The Philippines offers highquality labor, a large consumer market, and a wide range of fiscal

and non-fiscal incentives. At the same time, we remain committed to maintaining sound macroeco nomic fundamentals providing a clear development roadmap,” Marcos said.

Among the sectors which he

With SO2 shipment due, sugar prices to decline

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

FILIPINO consumers may

soon see retail prices of re fined sugar stabilizing in the market as shipments under the 150,000-metric ton (MT) impor tation program start to arrive as early as next month.

Sugar Regulatory Adminis tration (SRA) chief David John Thaddeus P. Alba said refined sugar imports under Sugar Or der (SO) 2 will start arriving in a month’s time.

Alba said they will soon approve the import allocation of sugar for all eligible and qualified sugar traders and importers under SO 2.

Alba added that the 150,000 MT import volume has been fully subscribed.“Inamonth’s time, it’s going to start coming in. We have received a lot of applications already and we are just trying to prorate ev erything but we have the traders already,” he said in a press confer ence in Makati on Tuesday.

Last week, the SRA board, chaired by President Ferdinand R.

Marcos Jr. as concurrent agriculture secretary, issued SO 2 that green lighted the importation of 150,000 MT of refined sugar to “ensure” do mestic supply and “manage” sugar prices. Marcos signed the document himself together with other mem bers of the SRA board.

sugar/)importation-of-150000-mt-of-com.ph/2022/09/14/pbbm-oks-story: https://businessmirror.(Related

Under SO 2, the refined sugar imports must enter the country no later than November 15, so as not to affect local sugar refining

operations.Furthermore, Alba did recog nize that Coca-Cola might require “more” premium bottlers’ grade refined sugar than what was ap proved under SO 2. However, he pointed out that the 150,000-MT refined sugar import volume was based on his torical withdrawals that ranged between 70,000 MT and 80,000 MT every month.

“We cannot really get the right figures. We can only base it on

See “SO2,” A2

2023 to create jobs, cut –sponsorspoverty

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz  @joveemarie

AS the plenary delibera tions on the P5.268-trillionproposednational budget for 2023 started, spon sors of the 2023 General Appro priations Bill on Tuesday said next year’s budget is the first step in fulfilling the visions of the Medium Term Fiscal Frame work (MTFF) to create more jobs and reduce poverty.

GOVT HEALTH SPEND MUST RISE TO CUT ‘OOP’ SHARE

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE level of health spend ing in response to Covid-19 should be maintained and used as a new base in the coming years to continue the reduction in Filipinos’ out-of-pocket ex penses for their medical needs, according to an expert from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). In a presentation at the Development Policy Research Month (DPRM) forum of the Philippine Institute of De velopment Studies (PIDS), ADB Southeast Asia Princi pal Health Specialist Eduardo

P. Banzon said government health spending saw a “dra matic increase” to 28 percent in 2020.While public spending on health has been rising since 2016, the rate of increase has never breached 20 percent. Prior to the rate of increase in 2020, the public health spending post ed the highest increase in 2018 at 18“Sopercent.partof the challenge that we have to do now is to make sure that this increase in spending that the govern ment has provided for health should not go down. And really, it should become sort of a new

base,” Banzon said.

The significant increase in health spending in 2020, Banzon said, could explain the slowdown in the increase in Household Out of Pocket (OOP) Expenditure to 3.6 percent in 2020.

Prior to 2020, based on the Current Health Expenditures (CHE) data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), OOP grew 6 percent in 2019; 6.3 percent in 2018; and 7.9 percent in 2017.

Based on the data, Banzon noted, CHE posted a 12.6-per cent increase to P895.88 billion in 2020. He noted that this was also the fastest growth

sinceGiven2014.this, the composition of the CHE in 2020 was 45.7 percent accounted for by government schemes and compulsory con tributory health care financing schemes and 44.7 percent OOP.

The remaining 9.6 percent was composed of voluntary health-care payment schemes such as health maintenance or ganization (HMO) and health insurance.“Ifthegovernment spends more money for health using tax revenues, using compul sory contributions, that might See “ADB,” A2

PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. speaks at the Business Forum at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Monday, the second of his six-day visit to the United States. He touted the Philippines’s “high-quality labor, a large consumer market, and a wide range of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives.” His administration is committed “to maintaining sound macroeconomic fundamentals providing a clear development roadmap,” Marcos said. TROI SANTOS

Laguesma faces ‘new labor landscape’ in 2nd DOLE term

THE 24-man Commission on Appointments (CA) confirmed on Tuesday the ad interim appointment of Bienvenido Laguesma as secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment during the plenary session of the bicameral body.

Laguesma’s supposed confirmation last week was deferred upon the request of Sen. Risa Hontiveros to give her time to consult with her labor partners.

Senate President and CA Chairper son Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri de scribed Laguesma as “the shot in the arm that our country needs for labor and employment to be infused back into our economy and our country.”

Budget. . . Continued from A1

The House of Representatives on Tuesday started its plenary delibera tions on the proposed P5.268-trillion national budget for 2023 as contained in House Bill (HB) 4488.

The budget—the first full-year budget of the administration of Presi dent Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.—intends to fund programs and projects that will transform the coun try’s economy towards inclusivity and sustainability. Itisanchored on the current ad ministration’s 8-Point Socio-Econom ic Agenda comprising food security,

Presiding at the body’s plenary session Tuesday, Zubiri said Lagues ma is not just qualified, but very qualified for the post. “My opinion, I believe we are very lucky to have him come out of retirement to serve once again the Filipino people in the capacity of Secretary of the Depart ment of Labor and Employment. In this time of the post-pandemic era,

improved transportation, affordable and clean energy, health care, social services, education, bureaucratic effi ciency, and sound fiscal management.  Meanwhile, Committee on Appro priations Senior Vice Chairperson Stella Luz Quimbo took the floor to defend the GAB’s general principles and“Theprovisions.pandemic has devastated our economy and left an indelible mark on the lives of the Filipinos. In 2020, our GDP contracted by 9.5 percent and the unemployment rate peaked at 17.6 percent. Inflation rate remains high at 6.3 percent last August, while 2021 poverty rate is at 18.1 percent,” Quimbo“Whilesaid.weare beginning to recover

he is the same person that we need who can help heal the labor sector…” Zubiri

Earlier,said.Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who chairs the Senate’s Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Re sources Development, gave his “ full support” to the confirmation of the ad interim appointment of Laguesma.

“As Chairman of the Senate we will be working closely and frequently with the good Secretary in advanc ing labor legislation. It is therefore a relief that we are dealing with a veteran and a true professional who is always ready to accommodate our Committee’s requests for informa tion and guidance. Just last week, we had Sec. Laguesma as one of our main resource persons in our orga nizational meeting and briefing.”

He noted that Laguesma is a return ee to DOLE, having been “appointed

as our positive GDP growth rates sug gest, with a 7.4-percent growth in the second quarter of 2022, we still face risks moving forward, especially with the Russo-Ukrainian war,” she added.

To ensure economic recovery path moving forward, Quimbo said the new administration crafted the MTFF, which seeks to grow the economy, sta bilize prices, increase revenues, as well as manage and pay the country’s debt.

At present, the country’s debt-toGDP ratio is at 62.1 percent.

“We will endeavor to reduce this to 51 percent, increase revenues to P6.589 trillion, and reduce the defi cit to only 3 percent of GDP by 2028.

as DOLE Secretary by my father, former President Joseph Estrada in 1998. It is safe to say that Sec. Benny is our go-to guy for labor concerns.”

This time around, noted Estrada, Laguesma “will be confronted with a new labor landscape, one where telecommuting and work-from-home arrangements are considered the norm; where our manpower development suffered serious setbacks due to the restrictions posed by the pandemic; and where another government agency is created to fully take care of our migrant workers.”

Laguesma’s 22 years of experience in the DOLE and a total of 28 years in government service bode well for his second stint at DOLE, said Estrada.

Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” T. Go said that there is no doubt Laguesma “will fulfill his mandate with utmost diligence and faithfulness,” having previously held the position during the Es trada administration. The senator expressed hope that Laguesma will continue to work to make the lives of Filipinos more comfortable, “ensur ing that no one will be left behind in the road towards recovery.” Butch Fernandez

NYSE. . .

actually trigger further reduction in out of pocket [health] expenditures,” Banzon said.

Financing options

BANZON noted that there are many financing op portunities that could finance the country’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) which will help reduce OOP.

These include sin tax collections from the sale and consumption of tobacco, alcoholic beverages, and sweetened beverages and the national government share in the revenues of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).

Banzon noted that the government also receives a 40-percent share from the Philippine Charity Sweep stakes Office (PCSO) which is also being used to im prove the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).Thereisa need to track these taxes and funds as well as ensure the timely release and transfers for the UHC. It is estimated that Pagcor revenue shares for health will increase to P17.78 billion while PCSO shares could reach P1.35 billion by 2026.

Apart from these, Banzon recommended that in creasing the annual appropriations of the DOH in the National Budget would help as well as local govern ment efforts in engaging the private sector through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs).

Lived experiences

INCREASING the spending for health is necessary given the hardships Filipino families face, especially in terms of “catastrophic health expenditures” which are greater than or equal to 40 percent of a house hold’s capacity to pay.

In a study, Ateneo de Manila University Devel opment Studies Program Research Associate Vincen Gregory Yu said the health financing experiences of or dinary Filipinos can be summed up in 4 “Ps”—pagtiti is, pangungutang, pagmamakaawa and PhilHealth.

Pagtitiis, which means enduring symptoms of health conditions, involves refusing to seek treatment and resorting to self-medication. Filipinos would also turn to alternative or traditional medicine.

Yu said their Focus Group Discussion (FGD) par ticipants said not seeking medical attention was the “rational” thing to do since money is often lacking. Funds that could go to health expenses are instead used to pay off debts.

For Filipinos, pangungutang or borrowing money, often becomes their first resort in addressing their medical needs. Unfortunately, Yu said, this “often leads to more catastrophes.”

The third “P” is pagmamakaawa which refers to the process of soliciting help from state and private insti tutions and individuals. This often happens as a last resort when no friend or family can lend them money.

Yu said this is a process in itself since it requires submitting documents, traveling, and assigning healthy family members to solicit from various in stitutions and individuals.

Often, pagmamakaawa means turning to patron age politics as well as employing their social capital in order to obtain the needed amount.

“Paying for health care is literally a laborious pro cess. Labor is not just physical; it is also emotional,” Yu said. “Social relationships are crucial [and that] obtaining help does not equate to sufficient help.”

PhilHealth is the last “P” in health financing. This is accessed only when Filipinos are already hospitalized.

However, Yu said, many poor Filipinos consider their poverty as a barrier in accessing PhilHealth. This indicates that not all Filipinos are aware of how PhilHealth works and that its operations are often shrouded in “varying misconceptions.”

Continued from A1

said are open for American investments are information tech nology and information technology-business process outsourc ing (IT-BPO); medical products and devices; electric vehicles and batteries; agribusiness; and telecommunications infrastructure andHeservices.noted that the infusion of investments in these sectors is expected to create new jobs and improve the quality of life of many Filipinos.

Investor-friendly policies

HE noted now is the best time to invest in the country following the recent passage of laws, which helped “liberalize” its policies for foreign Foremostinvestments. inofthese pieces of legislation is the Corpo rate Recovery Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, which lowered corporate income tax rates and rationalized fiscalMarcosincentives.saidthe government also reduced the minimum paidup capital requirements for foreign retailers and foreign startups bringing in advanced new technology as well as allowed full for eign ownership of companies providing public services.

“For investors, doing business in the Philippines is an oppor tunity to reap the benefits of a vibrant economy,” Marcos said.

Economic indicators

THE President noted that the country’s economy has already “bounced back” from the effects of the pandemic since last year after the government implemented massive stimulus programs and eased pandemic restrictions.

Local unemployment is now down to 5.2 percent from a high of 17.6 percent during the onset of the pandemic in 2020, accord ing to Meanwhile,Marcos.  manufacturing activity retained a growth thresh old of 50 for the past seven consecutive months, while trade is back to double-digit growth.

And despite the effects of the ongoing pandemic and other international crisis, the economic gains are expected to be sus tainable due to reliable sources of foreign exchange, Marcos said.

“Supported by steady inflows of overseas Filipino remittances, receipts from business process outsourcing, and foreign direct in vestment, our gross international reserves stood at US$99 billion as of end-August, equivalent to 8.3 months of import cover. This remains more than sufficient to cover the economy’s foreign ex change needs,” Marcos said.

Trading partner

THE government is forecasting growth in gross domestic product (GDP) of 6.5 percent to 8 percent from 2023 to 2028, which will give the country an upper-middle-income status.

Marcos is banking on the country’s long-time diplomatic and trading ties with the US to secure the much-needed additional investments to achieve this target.

The US is the country’s third largest trading partner and second major source of foreign direct investment applications last year.

The Business Forum in the NYSE, the world’s largest stock exchange by market capitalization, is part of the government’s efforts to attract more investors in the country.

“The private sector business leaders also are here with us precisely to show and explain to our prospective investors where the Philip pines is headed, what changes we have made so that investment will be more profitable and more attractive for foreign investors, espe cially coming from the United States,” Marcos said.

Interested investors

THE Philippine delegation led by Marcos already met last Monday with executives of US-based firms including multinational airplane manufacturer Boeing as well as NuScale Power and WasteFuel to discuss possible investments.

NuScale designs and markets small modular nuclear reactors, while WasteFuel converts agricultural waste into low-carbon fuel.

“We appreciate their keen interest in exploring investment op portunities in the country’s aviation and energy sectors. We as sure them that our administration is committed to providing the necessary mechanisms  and incentives to make the Philippines an ideal investment destination,” Marcos said.

He said he hopes the talks will eventually lead to strengthening the country’s aviation and energy sector and help in the country’s economic development.

SO2. . .

Continued from A1

actual withdrawals. And actual withdrawals historically are 70,000 metric tons to 80,000 metric tons,” Alba said.

“Coke might need more, but for the 2 months that we are not yet refining, they can work with that, they should work with that. By the time we are refining, we would like everybody to buy locally from the refineries, locally produced refined sugar,” he added.

Around 60 percent of the country’s raw sugar production goes to industrial users, including Coca-Cola, Alba said.

Alba said sugar refiners will be in full-blown operations by November, with some already starting to refine raw sugar as early as late October.

Alba said they anticipate the refined sugar retail price to hover be tween P70 per kilogram and P80 per kilogram once the entire 150,000MT import volume enters the country.

Alba issued Memorandum Circular (MC) 1 Series of 2022-2023 last week that outlined additional implementation guidelines for the 150,000-MT refined sugar import program under SO 2.

Under the MC1, the SRA will accept applications to import between September 19 and 21, with the issuance of approved allocation per im porter scheduled on September 24.

MC 1 also reiterated that the SRA will collect a P33 per 50-kilogram bag clearance fee.

SRA data showed that total raw sugar stock as of September 4 stood at 134,526.22 MT, while refined sugar inventory was at 143,665.05 MT.

SRA data also showed that 115,180.5 MT of the total refined sugar stocks were

Furthermore,imported.SRAdata showed that raw sugar output from Septem ber 1 to 4 almost doubled to 16,935 MT from 8,567 MT recorded in the same period of last year.

The Nation

House endorses measure to reset BSKE to December 2023 for Senate approval Army MindanaotoartillerydeploysgroupCentral

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

THE Army will be sending to Central Mindanao its artil lery battalion that has been equipped with howitzers from Is rael under the military’s modern izationArmyprogram.Commanding General and Department of National Defense Officer in Charge Jose Faustino Jr. will lead the send off ceremony today (Wednesday, September 21, 2022) for the 10th Field “Rolling Thunder” Battalion of the Artillery Regiment.

Army spokesman Col. Xerx es Trinidad said the battalion serves as the mother unit of the three batteries of new Autono mous Truck Mounted Howitzer System (ATMOS) 155 self-pro pelled howitzers.

The ATMOS were delivered by Elbit Systems of Israel and were procured under the Army’s ca pability upgrade program, which has also seen the arrival of other armaments and weapons systems for the BrawnerArmy.is currently focused in beefing up the firepower of the Army and in strengthening its units while, at the same time, uplifting the morale and welfare of its personnel.

Brawner has eyed to equip the Army with missile defense systems.

New OIMA chief

MEANWHILE , the Army has in stalled its new “chief diplomat” or the new commander of its Office of the International Military Affairs in a hybrid change of chief of office ceremony on Monday.

Col. Von Albert Sumergido as sumed as the new OIMA chief, suc ceeding Col. Ferdinand Rey Ga who now serves as commander of the National Capital Region Regional Community Defense Group of the Reserve Command, Army.

Sumergido was the Secretary of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines before his assumption as the third OIMA chief.He had also served as secre tary of the Army General Staff from November 2020 to October 2021 and as commanding officer of the 6th Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the Armor Division for nearly two years.

Sumergido is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1995.Onthe other hand, Ga is a member of PMA Class of 1993 and has served as the Army’s Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations.

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz  @joveemarie

THE House of Representatives on Tuesday endorsed for Sen ate approval the bill postpon ing the December 5, 2022 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) to December 4, 2023.

This after lawmakers—voting 264 affirmative, 6 negative and 3 abstentions—approved on third and final reading House Bill 4673 to allow the deferment of this year’s BSKE and move its date to the first Monday of December 2023.

Earlier, House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe said the House leadership wants the proposal to be signed into law by President Ferdi nand R. Marcos Jr. before the sched uled BSKE on December 5.

Once passed into law, incumbent

barangay and SK officials will retain their positions on a hold over capac ity “unless sooner removed or sus pended for cause.”

Dalipe said Speaker Martin Romualdez is supportive of the proposal because this would al low the Commission and Elections and local government units to better prepare for clean and or derly barangay polls and provide the government ample time to apply corrective adjustments to the honoraria of poll workers.

Albay Rep. Edcel C. Lagman op posed the postponement of BSKE scheduled on December 5, 2022 to the first Monday of December 2023.

“The reason invariably invoked by the authors of the postpone ment is that the savings of P7 bil lion to P8 billion, if the elections are postponed, can be realigned to

finance the pandemic response and the stimulus package for economic recovery,” Lagman said.

“The aforesaid reason is utter ly unconstitutional because the Comelec enjoys fiscal autonomy, which includes a prohibition that any appropriations released to the Comelec cannot be countermand ed by the Executive and utilized for other purposes. The remain ing unused funds will constitute a continuing appropriation under the sole jurisdiction of the Com elec,” he Lagmanadded.added that the reason the Comelec needs a respite after conducting the May 2022 national and local elections is not clear, to say the least, because the poll body itself has repeatedly said that it is ready to conduct the December 2022 village and youth elections.

Philippines prodded to acquire sub fleet for territorial defense

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

@brownindio

BEING an archipelagic country, the Philippines needs a potent and modern naval force to counter various threats lurking in the West Philippine Sea.  In the recent Enhancing the Partnership with the Philippines forum, RADM Bertrand Dumoulin, Deputy, Admiral in Charge of Oce anic and Strategic Force (ALFOST) of the French Navy, discussed the advantages of a submarine force in the current security environment and underscored the importance for the Philippine Navy to build its own submarine force.

“The submarine has the abil ity to operate in total stealth, the submarines manage to provide the

strength even against the strongest adversary because the adversary does not know where the subma rine is, it can be everywhere, it is undetected,” he said. “It is able to carry out many various missions to collect Stephanintelligence.”Meunier,Vice Presi dent Operational Marketing, Na val Group, pointed out that there are three pillars in developing submarine capacity for a country like the Philippines: “One is equipment: a perform ing submarine with weapons. Second one is human resources: well-trained submarine crews and also motivated crews. The aim is safety, operational efficiency and, of course, credibility. The last pillar is called the support and organiza tion: an efficient support system,

AMID the instensified crack down against cybercrime, leading fintech firm GCash, in coordination with Globe Group and the Philippine National PoliceAnti Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG), arrested an online seller of SIM cards with verified e-wallet accounts.

The Globe Security and Cyber Response Unit and the PNP-ACG conducted an entrapment operation of the illegal seller in Quezon City. The 34-year-old suspect was found allegedly selling 556 pieces of SIM cards with verified GCash accounts

THE days of fathers who refuse to support their children from their exwife, ex-partner, or girlfriend, areInnumbered.amemorandum of agreement (MOA) signed by Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Erwin T. Tulfo and Public Attorneys Office (PAO) Chief Persida Acosta on Monday, the two agencies agreed to pursue fathers who do not want to support their children with theirAccordingexes. to Tulfo, “Hindi lang po warning…kundi sasampahan na ng kaso ang mga tatay ng bata na ayaw magbigay ng sustento sa kanilang anak.”

Tulfo explained, “Kapag lumapit ang isang ina sa amin at nirereklamo

ang ama ng kanyang anak dahil ayaw magbigay ng sustento…una at pangalawa susulatan lang namin, kapag nagmatigas pa rin, ang PAO naman ang tutulong sa nasabing solo mom.”

“Tutulungan na ng PAO ang nanay ng bata na magsampa ng kaso sa korte,” the DSWD chief added.Forher part, Atty. Acosta said, “Bilang na ang araw ng mga walang kwentang mga ama na ito. Posibleng kasong kriminal pa ang kakaharapin ng taong “Mag-aanak-anakito.”

ka tapos hindi mo sustentuhan? Ano ka? Nagtanim lang ng halaman tapos hindi mo na aalagaan?” Atty. Acosta remarked.

The PAO chief stressed that there is no reason why a father should not support his son, especially if he has a job or

“No less than Comelec Chairman George Garcia relayed to legislators that a postponement of the baran gay elections to December 2023 will be a costly exercise because additional funds would be needed to the tune of P18.358 billion con stituting the P7.5 billion savings as continuing appropriation and an additional budget of P10.858 billion,” he “Electionsadded.arethe bedrock of dem ocratic governments. Democracy at the grassroots must be assured by holding regular elections for baran gay and SK officials and should not be imperiled by repeated postpone ments of grassroots elections,” Lag manEarlier,said. Chairman Garcia said the poll body would need a total of P18 billion if Congress approves the BSKE postponement to December 4, 2023.

The budget for the postponement of the elections to 2023 is far from its original budget of P8.4 billion for the December 5, 2022 elections.

Authors of the bill said their pro posals are expected to generate sav ings of approximately P8 billion for the government, which could instead be used for initiatives to keep the people safe and help the economy bounce

Garciaback. said the body has already disbursed and obligated P1 billion of the P8.4 billion budget allocated for the December 2022 elections.

However, Garcia admitted that there is no budget for the conduct of 2023 BSKE in the 2023 National Expenditure Program.

“No budget would mean that no budget for Comelec to spend for the conduct of that electoral exercise,” said Garcia.

technical availability, operational availability is also part of the cred ibility,” Meunier said.

For a submarine fleet to be a deterrent force, Loïc Beaurepaire, Corporate Country Director, Naval Group, said it must achieve auton omy in all Beaurepaireaspects.said France will pro vide the technical know-how and technology to be sure that, again, it’s going to be only Filipinos who are going to do the cleaning of the metals, the workers, technicians, and engineers for the maintenance of the submarine for all the life duration of the submarine force.

“The Submarine Support System will be the Filipino-tailored organi zation dedicated to the training, in service-support and supply chain so as to reach sovereignty,” he said.

T WO Philippine Air Force (PAF) fighter planes escort ed the presidential flight bearing the Commander-in-Chief as the aircraft left the country’s airspace on its way to the United States on Sunday.

This is the first time in years that the PAF, which is undergoing capabil ity upgrade, has provided air escort to a departing Philippine President on an official trip abroad.

Air Force spokesman Col. Maria Consuelo Castillo said two South Korean acquired FA-50 fighter jets escorted President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s flight as it left the country on September 18,Marcos2022. is currently in the United States to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Castillo said the fighter jets es

corted the presidential flight in the country’s eastern front starting over Polilio Island all the way up to 200 nautical

“Fightermiles.escorting, more than just a tradition, is an essential standard operating procedure to clear and secure our air space for the arrival and departure of the President of the Republic and other visiting heads of state,” Castillo said.

“The said procedure is similarly practiced in other countries for added security of their presidential flights,” she added.

After escorting the presidential flight, which lasted for a few minutes, the two FA-50s went on for regular maritimeCastillopatrol.saidAir Force jets would meet and escort the presidential flight as it returns and enters the country in two days. Rene Acosta

PAF’s FA-50 fighter planes send off PBBM’s flight to US illegal SIM card seller in QC entrapment operation

for P350 each. He has been report edly selling SIM cards to individuals who use them to circumvent wallet limits for online gaming.

“GCash and the wider Globe Group continue to be solid part ners of PNP-ACG and other au thorities in proactive efforts and response against cybercrime. As we make more arrests, may it serve as a stern warning to fraud sters that we are vigilant and ada mant in making sure perpetrators are put behind bars,” said Ingrid Beroña, GCash Chief Risk Officer.

The suspect is facing charges for alleged violation of the Access Devices Regulation Act of 1998 in relation to the Cybercrime Preven tion Act of PNP-ACG2012.Cyber Response Unit head Lt. Col. Jay Guillermo also warned, persons whose identity were used in scams may also face jail time.

“If we can prove that a person vol untarily sells their accounts, they can

also be liable for violating the law,” Guillermo said. “We are currently investigating where illegal sellers are getting their SIM cards with verified e-walletGCashaccounts.”isalsoready to assist in the prosecution of the arrested fraudster by helping provide evidence.

Aside from the PNP-ACG, GCash has also been in close co ordination with other authorities like the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), the National Bureau of Investigation Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD),

the Securities and Exchange Com mission (SEC), and the Cyber crime Investigation and Coordi nating Center (CICC) to strength en the campaign against various scammers and fraudsters.

On top of these partnerships, GCash protects the personal data and funds of its customers through various security measures like cy ber threat detection and analytics, vulnerability scanning, as well as incident response and forensics, a statement issued by the fintech company read.

earns money.

In this regard, Tulfo and Acosta urged the mothers to approach the DSWD and file a complaint against the father of theirTulfochildren.said,“It does not matter kung may asawa o kasama ng iba si mommy, dahil ayon sa batas, dapat lamang sustentuhan ng tatay ang kanyang anak hanggang 18 years old.”

It was learned that these negligent fathers may face charges for violation of Article 194 and 195 of the Family Code of the Philippines and Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, which carries a penalty of imprisonment from one to 20 years and a penalty of P100,000 to P300,000.

By Manuel T. Cayon Mindanao@awimailboxBureauChief

said the City Mayor’s Office was al ready in contact with the DCWD over the water disruption.

on social media with some sending messages to the Facebook account of City Mayor Sebastian Duterte.

DAVAO

CITY—The Davao City Water District (DCWD) apologized to Mayor Sebas tian “Baste” Duterte “for dragging him into the online brouhaha where irate water consumers took out their frustrations on social media during a prolonged water interruption.”

“Mangayo mi dispensa kay Mayor kung pati siya naapil sa panghitabo [We would like to apologize to our Mayor as he was dragged into the problem],” said Jovana Cresta Duhaylungsod during her guest appearance on Mon day’s Kapehan sa Dabaw.

The Philippine Information Agen cy (PIA) dispatch carrying the story said Duhaylungsod clarified that contrary to criticism that Duterte was not on top of the situation, she

“The moment when it happened, their office got in touch with us im mediately. And their emphasis on us is to make sure if you cannot re store the water supply quickly, find ways to augment water supply in areas with no water and find ways to minimize the affected areas,” Duhaylungsod said.

The problem started in the eve ning of September 15 when DCWD issued an emergency interruption advisory to those served by Line 2 of the Dumoy Water Supply System. Initial assessment done in the fol lowing morning revealed extensive electrical damage.

Line 2 of the Dumoy WSS serves 60,000 to 70,000 households. The prolonged water interruption agi tated consumers who vented their ire

Duhaylungsod said that the DCWD has been coordinating with the city government offices, particu larly the City Mayor’s Office.

“Since September 16, we have been coordinating with them, our efforts, areas for deliveries and updates of the repair on site,” Du haylungsod said.

“In all fairness to them, es pecially the City Mayor’s Office, they’re on top of the situation,” Duhaylungsod said.

She said they have found an al ternative solution to fix the electri cal problem of Line 2. Replacement parts that would be the permanent solution to the problem but she said it would take months to obtain such due to the government’s procure ment process.

“Through these combined efforts, our users can rest assured that their funds and data remain safe and secure with GCash.”

PHL ripe for more investments under PBBM–House Speaker

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz  @joveemarie

day, Romualdez assured investors that Filipino lawmakers have been exerting all efforts to ease doing business in the Philippines and bring forth a more conducive busi ness environment that would foster economic growth.

Speaker Martin G. Romualdez has rallied support from inves tors in the US for the vision and programs of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., saying that the Philippines is very ripe for more investments.

Romualdez, who is part of the President’s official delegation, made

the statement after President Mar cos delivered Monday (US time) the keynote message before the New York Stock Exchange economic fo rum attended by the Philippines and US-based business leaders.   I n line with President Marcos’s vision to recover from the public health crisis gripping the globe to

Rest assured that we, in the Phil ippine House of Representatives, remain committed to enacting laws that would help deepen cooperation with the United States, particularly in the areas of the supply chain, health and security, environment and climate change, energy security, and interconnectivity,” Romualdez said, making a solid and strong in vestment pitch to members of the US business community.

R omualdez said Congress has been working very hard with the Chief Executive to introduce reforms and attract more foreign investors into the Philippines.

With your assistance under the leadership of President Mar cos, you would help us get back on our feet and bring us closer to realizing our dream of providing a better future to our fellow Fili pinos,” Romualdez said.

Before attending the event at the New York Stock Exchange, Romual dez said President Marcos led a se ries of meetings with officials of big business firms to discuss potential investments in the Philippines.  “

We need more trading partners to realize President Marcos’s infra structure modernization program, which is the best driver of economic growth,” Romualdez said.

He said President Marcos aims to sustain government efforts to ward effectively responding to the crippling effects of the health crisis brought by the Covid-19 pandemic by focusing government spending

on improving the country’s healthcare systems, ensuring food security, increasing investments in public and digital infrastructure, and helping communities cope and prevail in these trying times.

“ We have to make different sec tors of the economy stronger and more agile by creating more jobs and catalyzing business activities all over the country while saving lives and protecting communities from the continuing threat of the global health crisis,” Romualdez said.

Thank you for giving an oppor tunity to the Marcos administration and for considering the President’s agenda and vision. We are open to broadening and strengthening the economic partnership with the Phil ippine government. Let us continue to promote mutually beneficial trade and investment relationships,” Ro mualdez said, vowing to make even

stronger the robust ties between the Philippines and the United States.President Marcos Jr. will attend the 77th United Nations (UN) Gen eral Assembly in New York City.

T he Speaker said the US is also a significant source of investments.

A fter all, Romualdez said the US is the Philippines’s major trading and economic cooperation partner andTally.heUS is also the biggest source of remittances from overseas Filipino workers and Filipino-Americans, Ro mualdez added.

Earlier, Romualdez said he has high hopes for the visit’s success, coming as it does after President Marcos’s recent successful trips to In donesia and Singapore that resulted in more than $14 billion in supply and investment pledges from Indonesian and Singaporean businessmen.

‘Statistical deep dive’: Data reveal top motivations of Pinoy workers

SEVENTY-NINE percent of Filipinos are fueled by a clear purpose or understanding of “why” they are doing a task, accord ing to Fingerprint for Success (F4S), the Australian tech company which conducted a study on the unique mo tivations of the Filipino work force.

A ccording to the F4S, the Phil ippines Culture Map provides a “statistical deep-dive” into the Filipino working culture, unveiling the key cultural and motivational differences or affinities that can enable enterprise and government to strategically position the Philip pines for global partnerships, in

novation, funding and upskilling of entrepreneurial talent.

Data was collected from 1249 persons working in the Philippines’s who completed the Fingerprint For Success workstyle assessment or In ventory of Work Attitude and Moti vation (iWAM) between December 2022 and May 2022. Majority of re spondents are aged between 25 and 34 years old.

T he study has shown that 79 percent of the Filipino respondents chose Concept as their top motivation, meaning they prioritize developing a fuller understanding by starting with a thesis or hypothesis to build

a strategy before taking action.

“Filipinos are energized by a clear purpose or understanding of ‘why’ they are doing a task,” the study noted.

B ased on a comparative analysis done in the study, the Philippines’ level of preference for develop ing a conceptual understanding of a project is shared with India (79 percent) and Malaysia (80 percent), both of which are trade partners with the Philippines.

With this, the study laid out tips on how to approach a new project. One is to provide a clear thesis or rationale for one’s project or task; another is to share why this project

is important; lastly, to use metaphors or visual flow charts to illustrate the concept for the task or project.

R anked second in the top 5 mo tivations of the Philippines working culture, the study shows that Filipi nos gain confidence from visual in puts in decision-making.

“Most Filipinos like meeting in person, video calls, presentations, graphs and other visual aids to help them feel confident in decision-mak ing,” the study noted, revealing that 77 percent of the respondents agreed that this motivates them.

Meanwhile, 77 percent of the Filipino respondents have a strong

“bias” for focusing in the here and now.  The Philippines shares a bias for the Present with Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and the United States (US).

T he study pointed out, “It means Filipinos take a realistic approach, want information that is relevant to right now and not as much of a focus on the future. Filipinos may prefer to work in smaller time frames such as three months rather than over five years.”

In terms of adjusting to change, the Filipino workers are inclined to gradually and incrementally make improvements over time. The study bared many Filipinos will likely stay

motivated in a role for 5 to 7 years before requiring or seeking change.

Filipinos need small improve ments, not constant changes to be motivated and successful. When working on a project, it will be im portant to communicate the stages before making changes and putting time aside to allow for improvements to be made,” the study noted.

On how Filipinos approach rules in the workplace, 71 percent of the respondents said they are compli ant, noting that they have a strong preference for understanding and respecting the values or customs of an organization.

THE Philippine government has assured foreign investors who intend to do business in the Philippines of huge opportunities and a vibrant economy, the Speaker of the House of Representatives said.

BI tightens watch on crime groups from Vietnam and Cambodia

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Tuesday ordered its front line personnel to be extra vigi lant in screening foreigners coming from Cambodia and Vietnam follow ing a reported rise in kidnapping and extortion activities allegedly perpe trated by criminal syndicates hailing from the said Asian countries.

Immigration Commissioner Nor man Tansingco said immigration officers should refer for secondary inspection foreign nationals, par ticularly those coming from the two countries, who have doubtful pur pose of travel to the country.

The move follows reports from local law enforcement agencies of an uptick on kidnappings and extor tion activities in Metro Manila and nearby areas involving syndicates from Cambodia and Vietnam.

These kidnapping incidents were subject of an inquiry by the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dan gerous Drugs last week.

The committee chaired by Sena tor Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa opened an inquiry due to rising reports of abduction and disappearances in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

“This is how immigration works. We look at arrival trends and look for patterns. Our partnership with other law enforcement agencies al lows us to see whether there is a need to tighten measures on certain types of travelers,” Tansingco said.

Tansingco stressed that the BI’s effort to implement the advance pas senger information system would al low the agency to better look at the trends and implement measures for border security.

‘Healthy biz climate’: DTI chief explains why PHL is best place to build a franchise

TRADE

By Andrea E. San Juan

in the way of the Philippine food sector’s growth “as demand for con venience grows.”

The growth of the sector, he said, can be owed to the liberalized retail trade landscape and to some extent, the reduction of import duties.

tunities due to the country’s strategic location and free trade agreements with other countries,” Pascual said.

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

DEPARTMENT of Health (DOH) Officer in Charge

Undersecretary Maria Ro sario Vergeire on Tuesday said that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) is set to meet in the coming weeks to discuss options on easing of border restrictions.

“During the first IATF, we have agreed that we will have our Techni cal Working Group of the IATF to al ready discuss the border restrictions in the country, whether it be foreign, whether it be national,” Vergeire said in a news briefing.

“Titingnan natin kung base sa safe ty protocols natin ay pwedeng nating ma-ease some of those restrictions [We will see if based on our safety protocols, we can already ease some of the restrictions],” Vergeire added.

Vergeire also said that the direc tive of President Ferdinand R. Mar cos Jr. is to be able to open up more sectors and ease border restrictions, hence the need to amend or rescind the Executive Order (EO) 168 which created the IATF.

Among the functions of the IATF, under the EO 168, is to prevent and/ or minimize the entry of suspected or confirmed patients with emerg ing infectious diseases (EID) into the country through rigid screening and identification of EID suspects, and the institutionalization of a surveil lance, alert, and quarantine system in all ports of entry.

“Pag-uusapan ito lahat sa [We will talk about all of these in] IATF be cause we need to be able to rescind kung saka-sakali, o amyendahan itong [if ever or amend this] EO 168 for us to relax these restrictions,” she said.

“The Philippines is the largest franchise market in the world, con tributing 7.8 percent to our country’s gross domestic product [GDP] and creating 2 million direct and indi rect jobs,” the Trade chief said in a pre-recorded video message at the Franchise Asia Philippines (FAPHL) 2022 Virtual Franchise Conference on PascualTuesday. added that with a grow ing middle class, the country is con sidered one of the largest franchise markets in the Southeast Asian re gion. This, he said, can be attributed to the Filipinos’ habits of dining out in popular establishments or own ing branded items, which “signals societal status” in one of Asia’s most

social media savvy populations.

The trade chief laid down the sec tors where would-be franchisees and those seeking to expand their busi ness could invest.

Pascual cited the Philippine Fran chise Association (PFA)’s data, which revealed that food franchises have an aggregate value of P538 billion or $10.8 billion.

He added that there are two ba sic franchise categories, but food “expectedly” takes precedence over non-food. The trade chief noted that food makes up 43 percent or almost half of the estimated 1,800 franchise brands in the Philippines.

Pascual also stressed that even the pandemic has not really gotten

Meanwhile, in Philippine manu facturing, Pascual bared that food accounts for nearly half of its total out put, growing at an average annual rate of 8 to 10 percent per annum. “This excellent growth prospect stems from the country’s resilient economy and strong consumer base,” Pascual noted.

In fact, Pascual pointed out that 90 percent of the food and beverage (F&B) processing industry’s output is consumed domestically. In turn, he said, the growing consumption contributes to the rapid expansion of the processed F&B subsector.

With this, the trade chief em phasized that the F&B processing industry can open its doors for raw material and high-value ingredi ent“Thisproducers.trend presents excellent opportunities for raw material and high-value ingredient producers. As quality and efficiency improve, such producers can exploit export oppor

On the other hand, Pascual said the non-food service and retail sub sectors each serve close to one-third of franchise brands in the country— service accounts for 29 percent of franchise brands in the Philippines and retail for 28 percent.

Non-food franchising trends, he added, cover health and beauty prod ucts, affordable indulgences, clinics, laundry services, homeschooling, and microfinance, among others.

Pascual also noted that the con tribution value of retail and service franchises amounts to P67 billion or $1.34 billion per category.

As to how the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) supports franchising, the trade chief empha sized that many franchisees are mi cro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). He added that the DTI is di recting its efforts to support MSMEs post-Covid-19 “by helping them ac cess capital, access technology, and access to marketing resources.”

Specifically, DTI has been extend ing financial assistance to MSMEs to provide them access to capital

through the Small Business Corpo ration (SB Corp.), the financing arm of DTI.“We assist them in their debt ob ligation payment, repurposing exist ing business capital and acquiring new technologies and systems. We help them adjust their business pro cesses to adapt to the new normal,” Pascual noted.

SB Corporation has several fi nancing tracks for MSMEs, namely, the RISE UP Multi-Purpose Loan, RISE UP Turismo Loan, and RISE UP Tindahan Loan have soft term loans and can be easily accessed.

Moreover, Pascual shared, SB Cor poration’s Pondo Para sa Pagbabago at Pag-Asenso (P3) program provides loans in the poorest provinces where participating microfinance institu tions (MFIs) and SB Corp. can operate.

“It is for micro-enterprise borrow ers with asset size not exceeding P3 million, and all-in interest rate and service charges do not go over 2.5 percent per month,” Pascual added.

The trade chief said the SB Corp.’s P3 program is available to market vendors, agri-businessmen and members of cooperatives, and indus try associations and co-operators.

CA declares search, seizure at house of INC leader Manalo’s sibling illegal

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

THE Court of Appeals (CA) has declared illegal the search and seizure conducted at the house of expelled Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) member Lolita Manalo Hemedez, estranged sister of the religious sect’s executive minister Eduardo Manalo, on March 4, 2017.

In a 16-page decision penned by Associate Justice Mary Charlene V. Hernandez-Azura, the CA’s Four teenth Division held that “all the seized items are inadmissible as evidence” in the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition case filed against Manalo’s siblings and several others “as they are fruits of the poisonous tree.”

“In the case at bar, it is clear that no search warrant was obtained. Worse, no search warrant was even applied for by the police officers before a judge. Hence, it cannot be said that

the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses are crucial in determin ing whether or not the search was legal. What took place was outright illegal,” the CA declared.

Thus, the CA granted the mo tions to suppress evidence filed by petitioners Felix Nathaniel “Angel” Villanueva Manalo, his nephew Vic tor Eraño “Jem” Jonathan Ledesma, Manalo Hemedez, Jojo Indek More no, Miriam Sanchez Moreno and Er rol Gerolaga Sumait.

The items allegedly seized dur ing the conduct of the search and seizure which include 74 various firearms, 46 magazines, 17,491 rounds of ammunition and 89 explosives, according to the rul ing,  “are excluded for being fruits of the poisonous tree.”

The appellate court’s decision reversed and set aside the orders dated March 1, 2019, June 28, 2019, December 27, 2019 and March 11, 2020 issued by the Regional Trial

Budget. . . continued from a2

By this time, the country is expect ed to be in the upper middle-income category.  If external shocks such as geopolitical tensions and policy rate hikes in the US were absent, the chal lenge of economic recovery would have been easier. Nonetheless, these are recognized and factored into the framework of growth,” she said.

“The 2023 budget is the first step in fulfilling the visions of the MTFF to create more jobs and re duce poverty. House Bill No. 4488 or the 2023 General Appropriations Bill amounting to P5.268 trillion fo cuses on growing vital sectors of the economy,” said Quimbo.

Being constitutionally mandated to assign the highest budgetary pri ority to education, the government is investing P852.8 billion in the educa tion sector next year, Quimbo said.

“This will fund the safe return to face-to-face classes, the construction and rehabilitation of school facilities, and the provision of educational as sistance,” she said.

Quimbo said health spending is also an important pillar of the 2023 GAB. “The total budget for the health sector is P301 billion, to be spent on medicines and vaccines, improve ment of health facilities, healthcare worker benefits, and PhilHealth in direct contributions,” she said.

Also, she said the overall alloca tion for agriculture and agrarian

reform is P184.1 billion, with Rice Program, National Corn Program and Fisheries Development Program as top “Thesepriorities. willhelp us achieve another MTFF goal: food security,” she said.

According to Quimbo, the gov ernment also plans to spend P512.2 billion or 9.7 percent of the proposed budget for social protection pro grams that include the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, the ultimate solution to poverty.

Also, Quimbo said the govern ment is setting aside P1.196 trillion or 5 percent of GDP for sustained in frastructure development that seeks to boost both physical and digital connectivity. “Whilewe may have different ideas on how to recover, as we de bate today, we must all be guided by convergent principles and goals. We need to invest in our farmers. We need to enhance human capital. We need to grow our MSMEs, which are the backbone of our economy. We need to create effective networks of physical and digital infrastructure to ensure mobility and smooth flow of goods and services,” she added.

“By creating a vibrant atmosphere for business, small businesses develop, and investments come in. With more investments, jobs are created. And with more and better jobs come prospects for growth. That is the blueprint of our economic recovery,” Quimbo said.

Court (RTC) of Quezon City which denied the motions of the petition ers to suppress evidence seeking the exclusion of the evidence obtained from the illegal search.

It can be recalled that on March 2, 2017, a search and seizure operation was conducted by police officers at the house of Felix inside the INC’s compound located at Tandang Sora Street in Quezon City pursuant to search warrant issued by the QC RTC Branch 106.

After the conduct of inquest proceedings, a case for illegal pos session of firearms and ammuni tion under Republic Act 10591 (An Act Providing for a Comprehensive Law on Firearms and ammunition and Providing Penalties for Viola tions…) was filed against Felix and his nephew and another for direct assault with frustrated murder was filedTheseagainst Ledesma.criminalcases are  now be ing tried by QC RTC Branch 216.

Two days after the search in Fe lix’s house, the Philippine National Police (PNP) received a call reporting that the guard-on-duty at the com pound discovered a hidden room containing assorted firearms, am munition and explosives inside the house of ActingLolita.onthe information, the PNP proceeded to the subject prem ises, which was adjacent to Felix’s house and seized the seized items.

After the conduct of prelimi nary investigation, the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office issued a resolution finding probable cause to charge the petitioners for viola tion of Section 1 of Republic Act 9516 (An Act Further Amending the Provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1866, as Amended, Entitled “Codifying the Laws on Illegal/Unlawful Possession, Man ufacture, Dealing In, Acquisition or Disposition of Firearms, Am munition or Explosives….).

This was consolidated with other criminal cases filed against the peti tioners in relation to the search and seizure operations conducted in Fe lix’s house and its premises.

In granting the petition, the CA held that the trial court committed grave abuse of discretion in not de claring the search and seizure con ducted on the said premises illegal and the evidence obtained as a result of the operation inadmissible.

It noted the petitioners were nei ther caught during the act of a crime nor was there an urgency shown by the police officers to warrant a war rantless search and seizure.

The CA also did not give cre dence to the argument of the Of fice of the Solicitor General (OSG) that search and seizure conducted at the said premises was legal be cause the secret room was found therein was accidentally discov ered by private individuals who called the police officers.

House Committee on Appropria tions Vice Chairperson Janette Garin said the 2023 national budget will be approved on the third and final reading on September 28.

On Tuesday, the plenary budget deliberations started with the gen eral principles and provisions of the budget and the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC).

However, Garin said the plenary debates, involving the DBCC, will not be terminated without the heads of Department of Budget and Manage ment, Department of Finance and National Economic and Develop ment

TheAuthority.economic team of the Marcos administration is with the President as part of the Philippine delegation to New York. They are expected to hold a briefing on the Philippine economy. The plenary has also requested the presence of DBCC members before terminating its plenary deliberations on the budget.

Instrumental

IN his sponsorship speech on the mea sure, Committee on Appropriations Chairman Elizaldy Co said timely approval of the General Appropria tions Bill 2023 measure will be instru mental in improving the lives of more Filipinos and at the same time ensure their prosperity and advancement.

“It is now the responsibility of the House of Representatives through

the Committee on Appropriations, where the General Appropriations Act originates, to pass a timely, re sponsive and inclusive budget for the Filipino people,” he added.

Presented by measurable mediumterm macroeconomic and fiscal objec tives, Quimbo said the General Appro priations Bill embodies the 8-point socioeconomic agenda of the admin istration, comprising: food security; improved transportation; affordable and clean energy; health care; social services; education;  bureaucratic effi ciency; and sound fiscal management.

The 8-point socioeconomic agenda is an action plan for the immediate re covery of the economy from the linger ing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Co said the near-term objective is to address rising inflation driven by internal and external factors, socio economic scarring and low income.

In specific terms, Co said the 2023 proposed national budget has three main pillars: strengthen the pur chasing power of Filipinos; reduce vulnerability and mitigate scarring from the Covid-19 pandemic, and enhance bureaucratic efficiency.

“The President’s budget message clearly underlines that the overall goal is to reinvigorate job creation and reduce poverty by steering the economy back to its high-growth path in the near term and sustain ing its high, inclusive, and resilient growth in the long term,” he said.

The proposed 2023 national budget amounting to P5.268 trillion is 22.2 percent of GDP. This is 4.9 percent higher or P244.4 billion more than the 2022 budget of P5.023 trillion.

The new general appropriations that Congress will authorize is P4.259 trillion, consisting of P3.671 trillion in programmed new appro priations and P588.2 billion in un programmed appropriations.

In financing the budget, Co said the national government expects revenue collections in 2023 to reach P3.633 trillion or 15.3 percent of GDP. This is 10 percent higher than the 2022 programmed revenue of P3.304 trillion which is equivalent to 15.2 percent of GDP.  He said the P3.633-trillion rev enue will fund about 69 percent of the P5.268 trillion programmed disbursements for 2023, obliging the national government to partly finance through borrowings about 31 percent of the expenditures.

“I request every member of this au gust body to join the members of the Committee on Appropriations in com ing up with a collective decision and rec ommendation to approve this General Appropriations Bill for FY 2023, which authorizes the appropriations of P4.259 trillion for the operation of the national government, consist of P3.671 trillion in programmed new appropriations and P588 billion in unprogrammed appropriations,” he said.

Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual is encouraging investors to set up franchises in the Philippines because of its “healthy” business climate.

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Basic PhpSalarySpokenSkillsExcellentMotivationaorOffshoreWithHaveServiceSuperiorQualification:CustomerSkills,NicetoExperienceWorkingOnlineGaming/GamingIndustryLessExperiencebutGoodAttitudeandtoLearn,CommunicationinChinese,BothandWrittenRange:30,000-Php59,999

Basic PhpSalarySpokenSkillsExcellentMotivationaorOffshoreWithHaveServiceSuperiorQualification:CustomerSkills,NicetoExperienceWorkingOnlineGaming/GamingIndustryLessExperiencebutGoodAttitudeandtoLearn,CommunicationinChinese,BothandWrittenRange:30,000-Php59,999

Basic serviceSuperiorQualification:customerskills,niceto

PhpSalarywritten.Chinese,communicationtoattitudeexperiencegaminggaming/offshoreindustryorlessbutagoodandmotivationlearn,excellentskillsinbothspokenandRange:30,000-Php59,999

121. WANG, ChineseXINGYUNCustomer Service Representative

Brief Job ManagingDescription:Incomingcalls and customer service inquires.

122. WEI, ChineseSIKUNCustomer Service Representative

Brief Job ManagingDescription:Incomingcalls and customer service inquires.

123. WEI, ChineseYUNLONGCustomer Service Representative

Brief Job ManagingDescription:Incomingcalls and customer service inquires.

124. XU, ChineseWENCustomer Service Representative

Brief Job ManagingDescription:Incomingcalls and customer service inquires.

125. YAN, ChineseCONGHUICustomer Service Representative

Brief Job ManagingDescription:Incomingcalls and customer service inquires.

126. YANG, ChineseGAOCustomer Service Representative

Brief Job ManagingDescription:Incomingcalls and customer service inquires.

127. YANG, ChineseJIANCustomer Service Representative

Brief Job ManagingDescription:Incomingcalls and customer service inquires.

128. YANG, ChineseQINGQIAOCustomer Service Representative

Brief Job ManagingDescription:Incomingcalls and customer service inquires.

129. YANG, ChineseZHUANGCustomer Service Representative

Brief Job ManagingDescription:Incomingcalls and customer service inquires.

130. YU, ChineseRUNZECustomer Service Representative

Brief Job ManagingDescription:Incomingcalls and service inquires.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Chinese

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NEW

Brief Job

137. DING, ChineseMAIKECustomer Service

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls complaints, accounts

138. FAN, ChineseMENGYUCustomer Service

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls complaints, provide and

139. HUANG, SHI Chinese Customer Service

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls

140. LEI, ChineseQINGMUCustomer Service

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls complaints,

141. LIANG, ChineseANCustomer Service

Basic similarexperiencepreferablyCollegeQualification:Graduate,1yearinthefield,Speaks and write fluently (Native PhpSalaryLanguage)Range:30,000-Php 59,999

Basic similarexperiencepreferablyCollegeQualification:Graduate,1yearinthefield,Speaks and write fluently (Native PhpSalaryLanguage)Range:30,000-Php 59,999

Basic similarexperiencepreferablyCollegeQualification:Graduate,1yearinthefield,Speaks and write fluently (Native PhpSalaryLanguage)Range:30,000-Php 59,999

Basic similarexperiencepreferablyCollegeQualification:Graduate,1yearinthefield,Speaks and write fluently (Native PhpSalaryLanguage)Range:30,000-Php 59,999

Basic similarexperiencepreferablyCollegeQualification:Graduate,1yearinthefield,Speaks fluently (Native PhpSalaryLanguage)Range:30,000-Php 59,999

Basic similarexperiencepreferablyCollegeQualification:Graduate,1yearinthefield,Speaks (Native PhpSalaryLanguage)Range:30,000-Php 59,999 ChineseXINCustomer

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls complaints,

Brief Description:

Basic similarexperiencepreferablyCollegeQualification:Graduate,1yearinthefield,Speaks (Native PhpSalaryLanguage)Range:30,000-Php 59,999

Basic similarexperiencepreferablyCollegeQualification:Graduate,1yearinthefield,Speaks PhpSalaryLanguage)Range:30,000-Php 59,999

Basic similarexperiencepreferablyCollegeQualification:Graduate,1yearinthefield,Speaks PhpSalaryLanguage)Range:30,000-Php 59,999

Basic similarexperiencepreferablyCollegeQualification:Graduate,1yearinthefield,Speaks PhpSalaryLanguage)Range:30,000-Php 59,999

Basic similarexperiencepreferablyCollegeQualification:Graduate,1yearinthefield,Speaks PhpSalaryLanguage)Range:30,000-Php 59,999

Basic similarexperiencepreferablyCollegeQualification:Graduate,1yearinthefield,Speaks PhpSalaryLanguage)Range:30,000-Php 59,999

167.

SHAICE PLATHOTTAM SCARIA Director - Project Management

Brief Job Description: Manage transition team & deliver critical programs; act as owner and champion of multiple transition engagements and programs – including coaching/mentoring of cross-geo transition resources, effectively driving performance reviews, enforcing quality standards and high rigor of risk management and driving a culture of ftr (first time right) through seamless transitions in an environment of high growth and ambiguity

PERNOD RICARD PHILIPPINES INC.

Basic Qualification: 14 - 16years’ cross functional experience in global sourcing industry with 499,999PhpSalaryimplementations.&leadingyears’organizations;leading5-7experienceintransitionsstrategicprogramRange:150,000-Php

Unit No. Unit 509 & 510, Five E-com Center, Moa Complex Bldg., Pacific Drive St., Barangay 76, Pasay City

168. MATHIEU, LOIK JEAN HERVE Brand Ambassador

Brief Job Description: Brand education & mentoring inspire and educate the in-market sales team on the brand to generate interest and a robust understanding of qualities/characteristics/heritage; execute a mentoring programme with key trade customers and in particular bartenders, bar managers, and mixologists; trade activation; working with the local sales and marketing teams, to identify and target bars, nightclubs, and restaurants for further development

POWERCHINA PHILIPPINES CORPORATION 2101 21/f

169. WU, MandarinHUIHUIProject Planner

Brief Job Description: The mandarin project planner is responsible for planning and scheduling various workloads; gathers and analyzes information to prepare status report; evaluate current

Basic

PhpSalarycustomers.localsalescompanieswithandinitiatesscotchleadingindustry;liquor,sales,knowledgecomprehensiveDegreeQualification:holderwithinmarketretailbusiness,luxuryandfmcgrepresentsinternationalwhiskybrands;localmarketingbartradeinitiativelocalmarketanditsteam,aswellasbartendersandRange:90,000-Php149,999

175. DESY SeniorLINCEIndonesian-language Customer Service Specialist

Brief Job Description: Trained assigned employees in their areas of work including customer service related methods, procedures and techniques

176. WENDHELIN MURYONO Senior Indonesian-language Customer Service Specialist

Brief Job Description: Trained assigned employees in their areas of work including customer service-related methods, procedures and techniques

177. PUNTAKRUD, RUT Thai-language Customer Support Staff

Brief Job Description: Serves as primary contact for problem resolution and information gathering regarding customer complaints and work assignment

178. TOWONG, NETHSHALYSSA Thai-language Customer Support Staff

Brief Job Description: Serves as primary contact for problem resolution and information gathering regarding customer complaints and work assignment

Basic Qualification: A Native Speaker of the Indonesian Language (Spoken and Written)

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Basic Qualification: A native speaker of the Indonesian language (spoken and written)

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Basic Qualification: A Native Speaker of the Thai Language (Spoken and Written)

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: A native speaker of the Thai language (spoken and written)

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

SAN MIGUEL AEROCITY INC. (MANILA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT) 40 San Miguel Corporation, Head Office Complex San Miguel, Wack-wack Greenhills, City Of

Mandaluyong179.PASHEN,

JOHN BIRRALEE Aviation Design Review Head

Brief Job Description: Support the dev. of a corporate strategy in the provisions of navaids, meteorological systems and atc systems for mia. Assist in stackeholder consultation to ascertain operational and sys requirements of navaids, meteorological systems and atc systems for mia.

SHSY ELECTRIC POWER CORPORATION 3/f Salcedo One Center, 170 Salcedo St., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

180. ZHANG, MandarinYONGGANGAssistantBusiness Manager

Brief Job Description: Maintaining business documents for reference purposes

Basic Qualification: At least fifteen (15) years of professional experience in field of architectural, civil or structural with ten (10) years in design constructions, project management major in building, PhpSalaryinfrastructuredevelopment,horizontalorprojects.Range:500,000andabove

Basic StrongQualification:leadershipinitiative Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

SUTHERLAND GLOBAL SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC. 12th Floor Philplans Corporate Center, Kalayaan Avenue & Triangle Drive, Fort Bonifacio, City Of

Taguig181.

JAITLY, DirectorMUKESH-Customer Experience

Brief Job Description: Design and execute the outside-in model in key strategic accounts, to generate client specific business insights to improve their client retention, issue resolution, revenue generation, etc.

182. JOSEPH, JESTIN Vice President - Service Delivery Management

Brief Job Description: Ensuring execution of analytics program; working closely with stakeholders & delivery teams.

Basic PhpSalarychinamanagementconstruction/projectfamiliarityadministration;planningunderstandingprinciples.andprocedures,ofIn-depthQualification:understandingconstructionmaterialsprojectmanagementMusthaveincostandcontractswithinmainlandandthePhilippines.Range:30,000-Php59,999 89,999

Basic Qualification: A strong background in customer research, business analytics and continuous PhpSalaryimprovement.Range:150,000-Php 499,999

Basic Qualification: Have a bachelors/master’s degree in engineering; minimum of 15 years of experience in information systems, program execution and management discipline.

Salary Range: Php

UN warns global leaders: The world is in ‘great peril’

By Edith M. Lederer The Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS—Warning that the world is in “great peril,” the head of the United Nations says leaders meeting in person for the first time in three years must tackle conflicts and climate catastrophes, increasing poverty and inequality—and address divisions among major powers that have gotten worse since Russia invaded Ukraine.

In speeches and remarks lead ing up to the start of the leaders’ meeting Tuesday, Secretary-Gen eral Antonio Guterres cited the “immense” task not only of sav ing the planet, “which is literally on fire,” but of dealing with the persisting Covid-19 pandemic. He also pointed to “a lack of access to finance for developing countries to recover—a crisis not seen in a generation” that has seen ground lost for education, health and women’sGuterresrights.will deliver his “state of the world” speech at Tuesday’s opening of the annual high-level global gathering. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said it would be “a sober, substantive and solu tions-focused report card” for a world “where geopolitical divides

are putting all of us at risk.”

“There will be no sugar-coating in his remarks, but he will outline reasons for hope,” Dujarric told reporters Monday.

The 77th General Assembly meeting of world leaders convenes under the shadow of Europe’s first major war since World War II— the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has unleashed a global food crisis and opened fis sures among major powers in a way not seen since the Cold War.

Yet nearly 150 heads of state and government are on the latest speakers’ list. That’s a sign that despite the fragmented state of the planet, the United Nations remains the key gathering place for presidents, prime ministers, monarchs and ministers to not only deliver their views but to meet privately to discuss the challenges on the global agenda—and hope fully make some progress.

At the top of that agenda for many: Russia’s February 24 inva sion of Ukraine, which not only threatens the sovereignty of its smaller neighbor but has raised fears of a nuclear catastrophe at Europe’s largest nuclear plant in the country’s now Russia-occupied southeast.Leaders in many countries are trying to prevent a wider war and restore peace in Europe. Diplo mats, though, aren’t expecting any breakthroughs this week.

The loss of important grain and fertilizer exports from Ukraine and Russia has triggered a food crisis, especially in developing countries, and inflation and a rising cost of living in many others. Those issues are high on the agenda.

At a meeting Monday to pro mote UN goals for 2030—including ending extreme poverty, ensuring quality education for all children and achieving gender equality— Guterres said the world’s many pressing perils make it “tempting to put our long-term development priorities to one side.”

But the UN chief said some things can’t wait—among them educa tion, dignified jobs, full equality for women and girls, comprehensive health care and action to tackle the climate crisis. He called for public and private finance and investment, and above all for peace.

The death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and her funeral in London on Monday, which many world leaders attended, have cre ated last-minute headaches for the high-level meeting. Diplomats and UN staff have scrambled to deal with changes in travel plans, the timing of events and the logisti cally intricate speaking schedule for world leaders.

The global gathering, known as the General Debate, was en tirely virtual in 2020 because of the pandemic, and hybrid in 2021. This year, the 193-member General Assembly returns to only in-person speeches, with a single exception—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Over objections from Russia and a few allies, the assembly voted last Friday to allow the Ukrainian leader to prerecord his speech because of reasons be yond his control—the “ongoing foreign invasion” and military hostilities that require him to carry out his “national defense and security duties.”

By tradition, Brazil has spo ken first for over seven decades because, at the early General As sembly sessions, it volunteered to start when no other country did.

The US president, representing the host country for the United Nations, is traditionally the sec ond speaker. But Joe Biden is at tending the queen’s funeral, and his speech has been pushed to Wednesday morning. Senegalese President Macky Sall is expected to take Biden’s slot.

E dith M. Lederer is chief UN corre spondent for The Associated Press and has been covering international affairs for more than half a century.

On sidelines of UN, watchdogs push for China’s abuses to be punished

By Matt Sedensky AP National Writer

NEW YORK—The United Nations will be judged by how it addresses China’s persecution of ethnic minorities, diplomats and human rights advocates charged Monday on the sidelines of the body’s General Assembly, calling for forceful action after a report raised the specter of “crimes against humanity.”

For years, rights watchdogs and journalists have exposed brutal treatment of Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in the far western region of Xinjiang, where China is accused of a ruthless campaign of torture, sexual assault and ethnic cleansing. Those accusations have been widely accepted in the West, but were given a new imprimatur with the landmark report released last month by the UN human rights office.

“Inaction is no longer possible,” Fernand de Varennes, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on minority rights said at a forum sponsored by the Atlantic Council and Human Rights Watch as world leaders descend on New York. “If we allow this to go unpunished, what kind of message is being propagated?”

Jeffrey Prescott, a deputy US ambassador to the United Nations, suggested the integrity of the institution was at stake in its response to China.

“How these atrocities are addressed goes ultimately to the credibility of that system, to the credibility of our international system itself,” he said. “It’s deeply disheartening to see a country that has been so central to the creation of the modern UN system, and enjoys its status as a permanent member of the Security Council, so profoundly violating its commitments.”TheUNreporton China’s alleged abuses was released in the final minutes of the last day in office of Michele Bachelet, now the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Its release was believed to have been long delayed. Bachelet never explained the timing.

China responded to its release with fury, calling it “a patchwork of false information” and portraying it as a fabrication cooked up by Western nations. It issued a lengthy rebuttal and vowed to stop cooperating with the UN’s human rights office, and Chinese diplomats are now lobbying others to thwart the possibility of further scrutiny of its campaign in Xinjiang.

Rob Roe, Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, called China’s reaction unsurprising and said new action was merited.“We need to deal with this question. We need to deal with the question of what further sanctions will be required. We need to deal with the question of what further steps could be taken to respond to the extent of this crisis,” he said.

The UN’s report was drawn, in part, from interviews from more than two dozen former detainees and others familiar with conditions at eight detention centers who described being beaten, prevented from praying and forced to perform sex acts on guards. It said the evidence could constitute “crimes against humanity” but made no mention of genocide, which the United States and other countries have accused China of committing.

Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the immediate predecessor to Bachelet as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said his successor deserved credit for publishing the report, but said it was a “shortcoming” not to refer to the abuses as genocide. Likewise, he criticized it for not calling for the establishment of a formal UN commission of inquiry.

“To be silent is to be an accomplice,” he said.Rayhan Asat, a Uyghur lawyer who works for the Atlantic Council and whose brother is imprisoned in Xinjiang, urged the world to insist that action be taken, not just against China, but companies who profit off its abuses.

“We should not let the Chinese government off the hook by normalizing what the state did,” she said, “because at the end of the day, this is state violence.”

Witnesses: Myanmar air attack kills 13, including 7 children

By Grant Peck The Associated Press

BANGKOK—Government helicopters have attacked a school and village in north-central Myanmar, killing at least 13 people including seven children, a school administrator and an aid worker saidCivilianMonday.casualties often occur in attacks by the military government on pro-democracy insurgents and their allies. However, the number of children killed in the air attack last Friday in Tabayin township in Sagaing region appeared to be the highest since the army seized power in February last year, ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

The army’s takeover triggered mass nonviolent protests nationwide. The military and police responded with deadly force, resulting in the spread of armed resistance in the cities and countryside. Fighting has been especially fierce in Sagaing, where the military has launched several offensives, in some cases burning villages, which displaced more than half a million people, according to a report issued by UNICEF this month.

Friday’s attack occurred in Let Yet Kone village in Tabayin, also known as Depayin, about 110 kilometers (70 miles) northwest of Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city.

School administrator Mar Mar said she was trying to get students to safe hiding places in ground-floor classrooms when two of four Mi-35 helicopters hovering north of the village began attacking, firing machine guns and heavier weapons at the school, which is in the compound of the village’s Buddhist monastery.

Mar Mar works at the school with 20 volunteers who teach 240 students from kindergarten to eighth grade. She has been hiding in the village with her three children since fleeing for safety to avoid the government crackdown after participating last year in a civil disobedience movement against the military takeover. She uses the

pseudonym Mar Mar to protect herself and relatives from the military.

She said she had not expected trouble since the aircraft had been over the village before without any incident.

“Since the students had done nothing wrong, I never thought that they would be brutally shot by machine guns,” Mar Mar told The Associated Press by phone on

Monday.Bythe time she and the students and teachers were able to take shelter in the classrooms, one teacher and a 7-year-old student had already been shot in the neck and head and Mar Mar had to use pieces of clothing to try to stanch the bleeding.

“They kept shooting into the compound from the air for an hour,” Mar Mar said.

“They didn’t stop even for one minute. All we could do at that time was chant Buddhist mantras.”

When the air attack stopped, about 80 soldiers entered the monastery compound, firing their guns at the buildings.

The soldiers then ordered everyone in the compound to come out of the buildings. Mar Mar said she saw about 30 students with wounds on their backs, thighs, faces and other parts of the bodies. Some students had lost limbs.

“The children told me that their friends were dying,” she said. “I also heard a student yelling, ‘It hurts so much. can’t take it anymore. Kill me, please.’ This voice still echoes in my ears,” Mar Mar said.

She said at least six students were killed in the school and a 13-year-old boy working at a fishery in a nearby village was also fatally shot. At least six adults were also killed in the air attack in other parts of the village, she said. The bodies of the dead children were taken away by the Moresoldiers.than 20 people, including nine wounded children and three teachers, were also taken by the soldiers, she said. Two of those captured were accused of being members of the anti-government People’s Defense Force, the armed wing of the resistance to the military.

UNITED Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at the start of the Transforming Education Summit at United Nations headquarters on Monday, September 19, 2022. AP/SETH WENIG

Helping farmers cut postharvest losses

City residents who go to the provinces for rest and relaxation have surely seen unmilled rice grains that are spread along road pavements. this practice is common during harvest season, when farmers sun dry unmilled rice before selling it to traders or to the National Food Authority. Planters resort to sun drying because of its low cost compared to mechanical drying, according to the international Rice Research institute (irri).

Irri said sun drying requires little investment and is even considered environmentally friendly as it uses the sun as heat source and therefore produces no carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, sun drying is labor-intensive and temperature control is difficult in this method, which can cause the grains to crack. A sudden downpour during the wet season would also cause farmers to lose a portion of their grains. Sun drying, according to the Philippine Rice Research Institute’s Rice Engineering and Mechanization Division, is being discouraged (See, “Food waste, postharvest losses where millions remain hungry,” in the BusinessMirror, October 18, 2018). Despite the risk of incurring losses, planters could not stay away from drying palay on road pavements, as they could not afford mechanical drying. Because of this, annual postharvest losses in palay production remain at double digits—around 16.4 percent, based on BusinessMirror estimates that used data from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development.TheSoutheast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture found significant postharvest losses not only in palay but also in mango, onion and tomato production (See, “Study bares big postharvest losses of PHL’s mango, onion, tomato,” in the BusinessMirror, March 27, 2022). According to the study, mango produced in Iloilo and traded in Manila showed the highest postharvest losses at nearly 34 percent. It also indicated that the total postharvest loss of freshly harvested onions from the farms in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija, to the final market destination in Divisoria, Manila, was 45.06 percent, and that the estimated volume of postharvest losses for red onion reached 48,891 tons valued at close to P1.96

Meetingbillion.the

food needs of the country’s population does not only mean increasing the production of staple crops and other agricultural products. It also entails huge investments in other crucial components in food production such as postharvest facilities to reduce losses, which remain significant. Reducing postharvest losses in rice alone would enable the Philippines to cut its purchases of the staple from abroad and allow local farmers to increase their incomes.

It would do well for our policymakers to allocate funds for postharvest facilities and invest in cold storage and packing facilities, facilitate the transport of agricultural goods and increase the access of planters to credit and insurance.

There is also an urgent need for the national government to strengthen extension services by partnering with local government units so that farmers would get guidance on practices that would enable them to reduce postharvest losses. Output gains would not help the Philippines if farmers would continue to dry their grains on road pavements or incur losses during the transport of their crops.

Anak Datu: Stories of Tausugs, Mindanao massacres, Voltes V and Martial law

KuwentongDennisPeyupsGorecho

‘ GustO kong maging sing-makulay ng robot ko ang mga manok mo, Pa,” says toym imao to his father.

Reminiscent of childhood memories, toym’s Voltes V and other Japanese robot installations greet the audience at tanghalang Pilipino’s “Anak Datu.”

Anak Datu follows the historic lives and struggles of Mindanao’s Tausugs based on a short story for children by National Artist for Visual Arts Abdulmari Imao in 1968 in anticipation of the birth of his first son, Abdulmari Jr. (Toym) Imao.

It is a story about the son of a village chieftain in Muslim Mindanao during pre-colonial Philippines. Before he was born, their village was raided by pirates. His mother gives birth under captivity. He grew up with the knowledge that his father was a former pirate from the land of the Tausug. When the old man dies, only then the son realizes the truth about his real father.

“Maiwawaksi mo ang pagiging mandarambong ngunit hindi ang poot ng mga nasalanta.”—Karim

The play is a collaboration of Chris Millado and Rody Vera that expands its narrative to two other timelines: the socio-political milieu of the Imao family; and the formation of the Muslim resistance in Mindanao intertwined with incidents such as the Jabidah and

Palimbang massacres.

The Jabidah massacre on March 18, 1968 was the execution of young Tausug army recruits. They were promised to be paid P50 for their training with the Philippine Army and would be issued with highpowered firearms. The recruits were dubbed “Jabidah,” named after an alluring beautiful woman based on local Moro lore.

They discovered they were recruited to be part of the top-secret Operation Merdeka—to invade and reclaim from Malaysia the disputed territory of Sabah. They will destabilize the state by sabotage that would entail the need to fight, and if necessary, kill their Muslim brothers from the other side of the shores. They were killed after they allegedly mutinied upon learning the true nature of their mission.

The Palimbang massacre was the mass murder of Muslim Moros by soldiers and paramilitary forces on September 24, 1974, in the coastal village of Malisbong in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat, Mindanao. Around 1,500

male Moros were killed inside the Tacbil Mosque, 3,000 women and children were detained—with the women being raped—and that 300 houses were razed by the government forces. The massacre occurred two years after Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in September 1972.In September 2014, 40 years after the gruesome incident, the Commission on Human Rights acknowledged the atrocities that happened in Malisbong. Survivors and families of victims were included among the claimants of the P10 billion fund set aside by the government to compensate human rights victims during martialActorlaw.Nanding Josef said in an interview that the call for peace has pre-requisites—to be truthful and defend the truth, to seek for the good of all, and the underscoring of human rights.

The play is peppered with Toym’s artworks that showed the Japanese cartoon “Voltes V”, which is inseparable from the discussion on Martial Law and the Marcos regime.

The cartoon series was about an alien race of horned humans from the planet Boazania out to conquer Earth. Boazania was under dictatorial rule from a despotic emperor, who faced an uprising from Boazanians who were discriminated against and enslaved simply because they had no horns. It was up to Voltes V to defeat the Boazanians’ giant robots, known as beast fighters, sent to destroy the planet.

In 1979, shortly before the series finale, Marcos issued a directive banning Voltes V and other similarly

themed anime series due to concerns about “excessive violence”.

The directive also led to speculations at the time that the series was also taken off the air due to its revolutionaryDepictedundertones.inmanyof Toym’s artworks are images of Voltes V’s villain characters from Planet Boazania that symbolize how the freedom of Filipinos in the past was controlled by government forces.

Almost simultaneously running with Anak Datu is  “Analog Childhood,” Toym’s third solo exhibition at Art Lounge Manila from September 4 to 22, 2022. It has over 40 tabletop sculptures and paintings that are again inspired by his childhood recollection of censorship by an authoritarian regime when his favorite Super Robot cartoons as well as video arcades, were cancelled for their alleged bad effects on the minds of theToymyouth.Imao and I are contemporaries at the UP Diliman student movement in the late ’80s and early ’90s as members of the Sandigan para sa Mag-aaral at Sambayanan (SAMASA).AnakDatu will run from September 16 to October 9 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’s brand new blackbox theater Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez.

As popularized by Voltes V: “Let’s Volt in” and support our storytellers like Toym Imao.

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

Ukraine warns of ‘nuclear terrorism’ after strike near plant

By Karl Ritter & Jon Gambrell | The Associated Press

KyiV, Ukraine—A Russian missile blasted a crater close to a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine on Monday, damaging nearby industrial equipment but not hitting its three reactors. Ukrainian authorities denounced the move as an act of “nuclear terrorism.”

The missile struck within 300 meters (328 yards) of the reactors at the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant near the city of Yuzhnoukrainsk in Mykolaiv province, leaving a hole 2 meters (6 1/2 feet) deep and 4 meters (13 feet) wide, according to Ukrainian nuclear operator Energoatom.

The reactors were operating normally and no employees were injured, it said. But the proximity of the strike renewed fears that Russia’s nearly 7-month-long war in Ukraine might produce a radiation disaster.

This nuclear power station is Ukraine’s second-largest after the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has repeatedly come under fire.

Following recent battlefield setbacks, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened last week to step up Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. Throughout the war, Russia has targeted Ukraine’s electricity generation and transmission equipment, causing blackouts and endangering the safety systems of the country’s nuclear power plants.

The industrial complex that includes the South Ukraine plant sits along the Southern Bug River about 300 kilometers (190 miles) south of the capital, Kyiv. The attack caused the temporary shutdown of a nearby hydroelectric power plant and shattered more than 100 windows at the

complex, Ukrainian authorities said. The U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency said three power lines were knocked offline but later reconnected.Ukraine’s Defense Ministry released a black-and-white video showing two large fireballs erupting one after the other in the dark, followed by incandescent showers of sparks, at 19 minutes after midnight. The ministry and Energoatom called the strike “nuclear terrorism.”

The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately comment on theRussianattack. forces have occupied the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s largest, since early after the invasion. Shelling has cut off the plant’s transmission lines, forcing operators to shut down its six reactors to avoid a radiation disaster. Russia and Ukraine have traded blame for theThestrikes.IAEA, which has stationed monitors at the Zaporizhzhia plant,

said a main transmission line was reconnected Friday, providing the electricity it needs to cool its reactors. But the mayor of Enerhodar, where the Zaporizhzhia plant is located, reported more Russian shelling Monday in the city’s industrial zone.While warning Friday of a possible ramp-up of strikes, Putin claimed his forces had so far acted with restraint but warned “if the situation develops this way, our response will be more “Justserious.”recently, the Russian armed forces have delivered a couple of impactful strikes,” he said. “Let’s consider those as warning strikes.”Thelatest Russian shelling killed at least eight civilians and wounded 22, Ukraine’s presidential office said Monday. The governor of the northeastern Kharkiv region, now largely back in Ukrainian hands, said Russian shelling killed four “Ukraine,”

After royal funeral, new UK leader Truss makes debut at UN

By Jill Lawless | The Associated Press

LONDON—Liz Truss is going from the solemnity of a royal funeral to the maelstrom of international politics, and a crucial meeting with President Joe Biden.

Britain’s prime minister flew to New York on Monday for the United Nations General Assembly, coming straight from the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, whose death and com memoration have dominated the start of the new leader’s term.

Truss won a Conservative Party leadership contest early this month and was appointed prime minister by the queen on September 6, just two days before the monarch died. The war in Ukraine will be fore most in Truss’s message when she makes her debut speech to the UN as British leader on Wednesday, urg ing more support for Kyiv and calling on nations to stop buying Russian oil and “Toogas.many lives—in Ukraine, in Europe and around the world—are being manipulated by a dependence on Russian energy,” Truss said in a statement released by her office. She accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dooming “millions of peo ple in Europe to a colder and more difficult winter” by squeezing gas supplies.Britain imports little oil and gas from Russia compared to other Eu ropean nations, but has been hit by soaring global energy prices, spur ring a cost-of-living crisis that is Truss’ most pressing domestic chal lenge.She has announced plans to ex pand North Sea oil and gas drilling and lift a ban on fracking to reduce UK dependence on imported fuel. Environmentalists accuse her of backpedaling on predecessor Boris Johnson’s firm commitment to re duce UK carbon emissions to net zero by Spokesman2050. Max Blain insisted that Truss “is committed to net zero,” but that getting there “does involve using transition fuels like oil and gas.”

The UK has been one of the big gest contributors after the US of mili tary and civilian aid to Ukraine, and Truss wants to reassure allies that she’ll maintain the staunch support shown by Johnson. She will prom ise that in 2023 Britain will “match or exceed” the 2.3 billion pounds ($2.7 billion) in military aid given to Ukraine this year.

World leaders are heading to UN headquarters in New York this week for a fully in-person general assembly after two years of virtual and hybrid summits. Many saw each other in London on Sunday and Monday at the queen’s funeral, a gathering of royalty and political power attended by Biden and other heads of state from around the world.

Truss is not an international un known—she was the UK foreign secretary for a year under Johnson, and international trade minister

Ukraine . from A14

medical workers trying to evacuate patients from a psychiatric hospital and wounded two patients.

The mayor of the Russian-occu pied eastern city of Donetsk, mean while, said Ukrainian shelling had killed 13 civilians and wounded eightPatriciathere.Lewis, the international security research director at the Cha tham House think-tank in London, said attacks at the Zaporizhzhia plant and Monday’s strike on the South Ukraine plant indicated that the Russian military was attempting to knock Ukrainian nuclear plants offline before winter.

“It’s a very, very dangerous and illegal act to be targeting a nuclear station,” Lewis told The Associ

before that. Now she is seeking to make an impression in her own right, and to smooth over feathers ruffled by the erratic Johnson. The former UK prime minister gave a memorably odd speech to the Gen eral Assembly in 2019, a riff on the perils and promise of technology that mentioned “terrifying limbless chickens” and “pink-eyed Termina tors from the future.”

Truss is a more sober figure, but she shares Johnson’s commitment to Brexit—Britain’s departure from the European Union—and the coun try’s sometimes combative attitude to the EU. That stance means she may struggle to forge warm ties withTrussBiden.and the US president are to meet Wednesday in New York, after scrapping a planned one-onone meeting in London before the queen’sBidenfuneral.hasexpressed concerns about the impact of Britain’s de parture from the EU on peace in Northern Ireland, part of the UK that shares a border with EU mem berBrexitIreland.has brought new customs checks and paperwork for North ern Ireland trade, an issue that has spiraled into a political crisis for the power-sharing government in Belfast.Inresponse, Johnson’s Conserva tive government announced plans to suspend the checks and rip up part of its Brexit treaty with the EU—a move that angered the bloc and alarmed Washington. Biden has warned that no side should do any thing to undermine the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the cornerstone of Northern Ireland’s peace process.

Truss says she wants to reach agreement with the EU, but will push ahead with rewriting the treaty if that fails, a step that could spiral into a trade war between Britain and its biggest trading partner.

“We do want to achieve a negoti ated solution and that is our focus,” said Blain, her spokesman. “But as you know, we are in parallel progress ing with the bill because the UK’s position remains that the status quo is damaging the Good Friday Agree ment, and we need to come up with a resolution.”KimDarroch, a former British ambassador to Washington, said Biden and Truss would aim for cor dial ties, because “it’s important to any American president to be seen to be having good relations with the British prime minister. That’s what the American public expects.”

“But I doubt very much—we’ll see—whether the Biden-Truss bilat eral in New York is going to lead to a breakthrough on Northern Ireland,” he told the BBC.

ated Press. “Only the generals will know the intent, but there’s clearly a pattern.”“Whatthey seem to be doing each time is to try to cut off the power to the reactor,” she said. “It’s a very clumsy way to do it, because how ac curate are these missiles?”

Power is needed to run pumps that circulate cooling water to the reactors, preventing overheating and—in a worst-case scenario— a radiation-spewing nuclear fuel meltdown.Otherrecent Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure have tar geted power plants in the north and a dam in the south. They came in response to a sweeping Ukrainian counterattack in the country’s east that reclaimed Russia-occupied territory in the Kharkiv region. AP journalist John Leicester in Le Pecq, France, contributed.

Are imported LPG cylinders safe for Filipino customers?

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza MAKE SENSE

AS Chairman of the Federation of Philippine Industries, I have been advocating for the longest time the promotion of local industries to help them grow and be able to compete locally and in the global market. These businesses need government sup port to enable them to generate more jobs and help strengthen the economy.

That’s why it pains me to hear that foreign liquefied petroleum gas cylinder manufacturing companies in China and elsewhere are allegedly getting preferential treatment from the Department of Trade and Indus try. According to my sources, some foreign companies were able to get PS license to produce LPG cylinders in a span of three months, which hap pened at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. My question is, are their LPG cylinders meticulously checked for quality standard?

I was told that there are now only two local LPG cylinder manufactur ers, and the sad part is that they are reportedly having a hard time renew ing their licenses. I was informed that they are being subjected to stringent scrutiny by the DTI-BPS, and that it takes months and sometimes more than a year before DTI grants them a license to produce. If this is true, DTI has some explaining to do. Is the

agency that is supposed to help Phil ippine businesses pro-importers?

I also hear that some companies are importing substandard LPG cyl inders at a very cheap cost. Based on our research, high-pressure steel is needed to manufacture an LPG cylin der. If imported LPG cylinders come at very cheap prices, would that not make our authorities suspect that these LPG tanks are made of low qual ity steel? Steel is a global commodity with a universal price. So, if the price difference between an imported LPG cylinder and locally manufactured LPG cylinder is so big, this should raise a lot of questions and suspicions.

My sources said there is reason to believe that imported LPG cylinders are made of subpar steel. But how come they are not rigidly examined, like what authorities do to local LPG manufacturers that are subject to stringent testing.

This reminds me of an incident

a few years back when 5,000 metric tons of steel bars were brought into the country through the Port of Subic. This particular steel bars importa tion got public attention when issues about compliance to certain Philip pine standard requirements were raised against the importer. Surpris ingly, only three samples were taken from the whole importation. And of the three samples, only one was tested. The other two were stored for safekeeping should further tests be required. The compliance monitoring and testing of imported steel bars to Philippine standards was loose. On the other hand, local steel bar manufacturers are strictly required to randomly take one sample bar for testing for every 20 metric tons of steel bars that they produce. There have been hundreds of LPGfire related incidents in the country. Here are some news headlines: From Manila Bulletin, April 17, 2022: LPG tank explosion injures 2 in Pateros —Two persons were in jured when a LPG tank exploded in a townhouse unit in Pateros on April 17. The Bureau of Fire ProtectionPateros posted that the gas explosion was reported at about 8:45 a.m. in SRI Compound, Bagong Calsada in Barangay Martirez del 96, Pateros.

From Philippine News Agency, No vember 12, 2020: 13 hurt in LPG tank blast in Olongapo City Thirteen family members here are in critical condition in a hospital after a small tank of LPG exploded inside their home on Thursday.

From The Philippine Star, Janu

ary 12, 2017: 23 hurt in Pasig LPG blast, fire —At least 23 people were injured when a leak at a LPG refill ing station triggered an explosion followed by a fire that hit several business establishments and residen tial buildings in Pasig City at dawn yesterday.FromPhilippine Daily Inquirer, June 3, 2014: Dozens injured as LPG tank explodes in Tondo —Al most 40 persons were injured after a newly-bought LPG tank exploded and led to a fire in Manila on Mon day

It’snight.about time we seriously think about the well-being of more than eight million Filipino households de pending on LPG for their daily cooking needs. My question is: How many sub standard and therefore unsafe LPG tanks are in circulation? In the last five years, at least 7.2 million LPG cyl inders have been imported. Our local manufacturers, who are using qual ity high-pressure steel and are being strictly monitored by the DTI-BPS can manufacture almost four million LPG tanks annually. But cheap imported LPG cylinders are threatening their businesses. If the importation volume keeps on increasing, we may soon see the demise of our local LPG cylinder manufacturers who create hundreds of jobs for our citizens.

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza is the chairman of the Federation of Philippine Industries and Fight Illicit Trade; a broad-based, multisectoral movement intended to protect consumers, safeguard govern ment revenues and shield legitimate industries from the ill effects of smuggling.

Biden’s vow to defend Taiwan makes US policy shift explicit

By Jennifer Jacobs, Jenny Leonard & Iain Marlow Bloomberg Opinion

Three times as president, Joe Biden has said the US would defend Taiwan if China invades the island, and each time his staff argued he wasn’t changing longstanding US policy to keep Beijing guessing about US intentions. his fourth time makes that much harder to do.

In comments to “60 Minutes” on Sunday, Biden left no doubt where he stood, saying the US would com mit military forces in the event of an “unprecedented attack” by China. Pressed if that would involve US men and women—unlike in Ukraine, where Biden has ruled out sending American forces—he said “yes.”

A spokeswoman again insisted that policy toward the island hadn’t changed. But with the US stance to ward China hardening more broadly, it was difficult to see Biden’s com ments as anything other than a refutation of decades of so-called “strategic ambiguity” in which the US declined to make its intentions clear.

The consequences of such a poli cy would be significant, raising the question yet again of whether Biden sought to chart a new strategy or was simply expressing his own beliefs. Even more jarring was that Biden went further. He said decisions about independence are up to Taiwan. His torically, US policy has been not to support Taiwanese independence.

Knowing they have US military backing, Taiwan’s leaders could move closer to independence—an explicit red line for Beijing to invade. Coun tries in the region will likely bridle, wary of the possibility of a war on their doorstep. And US allies like Ja pan or South Korea will almost cer tainly be made more uneasy knowing that US bases on their soil would be involved in any conflict—a fact that risks pulling them into a war as well.

“Such comments will do more to feed Beijing’s sense of urgency than they will bolster deterrence,” said Jessica Chen Weiss, professor of China and Asia-Pacific Studies at Cornell University.

“Not supporting Taiwan inde pendence is longstanding US policy,” Weiss said. “But this new combina tion—a pledge to send troops and the statement that decisions about independence are Taiwan’s to make —suggests an unconditional US defense commitment, one that will strengthen perceptions that the US is issuing Taiwan a blank check.”

Some White House officials ex pressed exasperation about ques tions surrounding Biden’s remarks, refusing to parse them or engage in debate about whether they reflect the change in policy that analysts, Chinese officials and lawmakers believe they do.

“The president’s remarks speak for themselves,” Kurt Campbell, the White House National Security Council’s Indo-Pacific coordinator, said at an event hosted by the Carn egie Endowment for International Peace. “I do think our policy has been consistent and it’s unchanged, and we’ll continue. Our primary goal is to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, to secure and stabilize the status quo, to make sure that there is a healthy dialogue and discussion.”

Strategic ambiguity 2.0 EITHER way, China views the White House statements and congressio nal action like Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan—the first by a US house speaker in 25 years—as a shift in the status quo that requires a stronger response from Beijing. Over the past few months, Chinese officials have accused the US of incremental “sala mi-slicing tactics” to cross Beijing’s red line over Taiwan and vowed to take action as necessary.

Taiwan has avoided any moves toward formal independence that could provoke a Chinese invasion, with President Tsai Ing-wen say ing last month the island wants to maintain the status quo in the strait. She has previously said Tai wan doesn’t need to declare indepen dence, because the island is already a de facto state.

One person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be iden tified discussing Biden’s remarks, described them as a new take on strategic ambiguity—the president reaffirmed existing US policy and said there’s no formal defense com mitment, but also said he’d go to war under certain scenarios.

Some Biden officials have said pri

Biden’s own commitment to defend Taiwan underscores the crucial strategic role the island plays for the US economically as the source of half the world’s microchips. But also strategically, it’s a foothold of democracy in the region.

vately that the president personally believes the US should defend Taiwan militarily. But they also know he’s cognizant of the history of US policy toward the self-governed island and why it’s guided the US-China rela tionship for so long.

Whatever the truth, there’s no question that US policy toward Tai wan has become far more hawkish as tensions with China have grown.

Last week, the Senate Foreign Rela tions Committee voted to approve legislation that would pledge more support for Taiwan. And a succes sion of US lawmakers have taken advantage of the attention to visit Taiwan, infuriating Beijing.

No visit was more inflammatory than that of Pelosi, who landed in Taipei in August. Afterward, Beijing staged unprecedented military exer cises in the waters around the island, and has continued to send warplanes on provocative flight paths in the TaiwanBidenStrait.isn’t the first president to publicly wrestle with US-Taiwan policy, or the first to have his aides try to clean up his remarks. Former President Donald Trump’s aides re peatedly argued that their boss didn’t know what US policy was—toward Russia, or North Korea or myriad other issues, including Taiwan. Trump violated protocol in 2016 by accepting a congratulatory call from Tsai upon his election.

While Taiwan has long been a minefield, making Biden’s remarks all the more startling is that he himself called out a previous presi dent for purportedly shifting US policy. Asked in 2001 if the US would use its military to respond to a Chinese invasion, President George W. Bush answered: “What ever it Bidentook.”wrote an opinion piece in the Washington Post calling Bush’s remark a “startling new commit ment.” Biden’s own commitment to de fend Taiwan underscores the crucial strategic role the island plays for the

US economically as the source of half the world’s microchips. But also stra tegically, it’s a foothold of democracy in the region.

Xi’s power

THERE S growing consensus among White House officials that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s views on Tai wan will only harden after the 20th Party Congress this year and that he could be more willing to forcibly unify the island with the mainland, people familiar with the internal deliberations said. While the admin istration has privately stressed that Taiwan is not part of the bilateral relationship with Beijing, officials in Washington know that China has a different opinion on the matter.

There is meanwhile growing frustration in Congress with the administration’s back-and-forth over Taiwan policy. Bob Menendez, chair of the Senate Foreign Rela tions Committee, said he doesn’t understand why the White House is pushing back on certain aspects of the Taiwan Policy Act, which would formally designate the island a “ma jor non-NATO ally,” given Biden has repeatedly said he would send US troops if China invaded.

“That’s why I think it’s crazy that they’ve pushed back on our bill,” Menendez said. “That’s why I think some of my colleagues are off base when they’re worried about the changing ambiguity. The president has said what he said.”

Republican Senator Mitt Romney, meanwhile, noted the White House walked back Biden’s comment yet again. “Ithink that’s the right posture —strategic ambiguity—and I think we’re wise not to be provocative,” he said.Some outside analysts, however, believe that a clearer and harder US stance regarding a Chinese attack on Taiwan will help deter Beijing.

“Ironically, strategic ambiguity routinely awarded Beijing’s bad be havior and legitimized the Chinese Communist Party at the expense of Taiwan’s liberal and responsible government,” said Ian Easton, senior director at the Project 2049 Institute in Virginia.“Beijingwill continue acting pro vocatively, but the odds of a radical miscalculation and nightmare sce nario have just been greatly reduced,” he said. With assistance from Laura Litvan and Steven T. Dennis.

PHL at risk of cyberattacks, DICT asks for higher budget

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

THE Philippines is vulnerable to cyberattacks and threats, the chief of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) admitted to senators on Tuesday.

D uring the committee level hearing for the budget of the Department of In formation and Communications Tech nology (DICT), CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos revealed that the cybersecurity measures that the Phil ippine government has in place are not enough to fully protect the Philippine cyberspace. Arewevulnerable to cyberattacks?”

Senator Raffy Tulfo asked Ramos.  We are—that is why we are trying to increase our capability,” Ramos replied.  T he CICC, an attached agency under the DICT, is responsible for the prosecu tion of cybercrime.

Since we assumed office, we have de veloped a team that will concentrate on [being] application experts. In the same manner the forensics group was given a new mission to concentrate on hardware exploits,” Ramos said. “These moves are needed to preempt possible intrusions in theTfuture.” hetwoteams are only “weeks old,” Ramos noted.

C omplementary to the CICC is the Cybersecurity Bureau of the DICT, a unit that is tasked to create a safe and secure digital environment in the country. Thetwo units are working separately,

as they have different mandates.

ICT Undersecretary for Special Con cerns Paul Joseph V. Mercado also told senators led by Sen. Grace Poe, who chairs the Public Services committee, that there have been “incidents” of cyber threats and attacks on the Philippines.

H e noted, however, that the gov ernment’s cybersecurity initiatives are complemented by private sector’s own cybersecurity programs.

O ver the past few years, the Philip pines reported several huge cyberattacks that compromised the data of millions of Filipinos, including the infamous Comeleak hack and WannaCry infection, among others.

Today, Filipinos are being bombarded— almost on a daily basis—with personal ized text scams, which according to telcos are coming from foreign actors.

Tulfo pleaded with other senators to provide the DICT with higher budget allocations for 2023 to ensure that the Philippine cyberspace is safe and secure.

We really should give them more bud get,” he said.

T he DICT was initially seeking P40.34 billion in national government alloca tions for 2023, but under the National Expenditure Program, it was only grant ed a total of P8.8 billion, part of which includes the automatic allotments from spectrum user fees.

‘MTFF ADOPTION MAKES RECOVERY ATTAINABLE’

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE Philippines now has a better chance of attaining a strong post-pandemic economic recovery with Congress adopting the Medium-Term Fiscal Frame work (MTFF), according to the Department of Finance (DOF) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

T he Senate and the House of Representa tives sponsored their respective resolutions backing the 2022-2028 MTFF. The Senate version, which was approved last week, was later adopted by the House as an amendment to its version.

DOF and DBM stressed that the MTFF serves as the government’s blueprint to steer the economy back to its high-growth trajec tory. The DBM added that this is the first time a fiscal strategy was approved by Congress.

“ The targets set in the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework will guide the legislative agenda of the government. The express sup port of Congress ensures the alignment of measures that will help the country sustain growth and achieve upper-middle income status,” Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Dio kno

Usaid.nder the MTFF, the government tar gets faster economic growth at 6.5 to 7.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022 and 6.5 to 8.0 percent of GDP annu ally from 2023 to 2028.

It envisions the Philippines as an uppermiddle income economy, with a poverty rate reduced to 9 percent by 2028.

M TFF strategies are aimed at reduc ing both the National Government (NG) debt-to-GDP ratio to less than 60 percent by 2025; and the NG deficit-to-GDP ratio

to 3 percent by 2028.

DBM added that Senate Concurrent Reso lution No. 3 specifically states that the leg islative agenda will be guided by the MTFF.

T he resolution supports both the nearterm and medium-term socioeconomic agenda that addresses issues in areas of food security, transport and logistics, energy, fiscal manage ment, health, education, social protection, and bureaucratic efficiency.

DBM noted, however, that the Senate ver sion also called for a review and update of the MTFF after three years or in 2025.

“ We would also like to thank Congress for recognizing the importance of a fiscal con solidation and resource mobilization plan, including measures such as rightsizing gov ernment structures and personnel,” Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said.

T he Senate resolution was sponsored by Finance Committee Chairman Sonny An gara, who pointed out that it was the first time since he led the Committee on Finance and throughout his nearly 20 years of being a legislator that a fiscal framework was laid down as a guide towards the nation’s eco nomic development.

In the House, the resolution was sponsored by Marikina Rep. Stella Luz A. Quimbo, vicechair of the Appropriations committee, who said, “It is important that Congressional ini tiatives are aligned with the economic recov ery programs of the National Government.”

P angandaman also chairs the Devel opment Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), which is composed of the DBM, the Department of Finance (DOF), the Na tional Economic and Development Author ity (NEDA) and the Office of the President (OP), with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) as a resource agency.

Show-cause orders prompt NGCP to defer AS auction

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has put off the competitive auction for ancillary services (AS) after the energy Regulatory Commission (eRC) issued show-cause orders (SCOs) to the company last week.

“With the issuance by the ERC of the order dated September 15, 2022 pertaining to the conduct of Competitive Selection Process (CSP) for ancillary services, all qualified bidders are hereby advised that the conduct of CSP for AS has been moved to a later date,” the NGCP said in an advisory posted on its website Tuesday.

Based on the latest bid bulletin, the bid submission deadline for Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao AS CSP was set on September 19, 20, and 21, respectively. The bid offers were supposed to be opened on September 20 for Luzon, 21 for Visayas, and 22 for Mindanao. The grid operator was also sup-

posed to issue a notice of award to the winning bidders on October 17 to 21.

The AS CSP from interested gridconnected merchant plants and Independent Power Producers was already put off early this year due to “several issues” raised by the prospective bidders.

Last Friday, the ERC issued SCOs for failure to comply with the directives of the Department of Energy (DOE) in the procurement of AS. It was given 15 days to explain why it should not be penalized for not complying with the policies issued by the DOE in October 2021.

The ERC cited three sections of DOE Department Circular No. 2021-10-0031 entitled, “Prescribing the Policy for the Transparent and Efficient Procurement of Ancillary Services by the System Operator”, with which the NGCP failed to comply. These are Section 4.2 requiring

NGCP to seek approval from the DOE on its Ancillary Service Agreement Procurement Plan; Sections 7.4 and 7.5 mandating NGCP to seek the approval of the DOE on the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the AS CSP; and Sections 7.1 and 7.11 requiring NGCP to complete the AS CSP within six months from the effectivity of theWhilecircular.the ERC noted that NGCP has already issued the TOR and the schedule for the conduct of AS CSP, the latter has yet to comply with the said provisions in existing policies adopted by the DOE pursuant to its mandate as a policy-making authority.Ancillary services are necessary to support the transmission of capacity and energy from resources to loads, while maintaining reliable operation of the grid in accordance with good utility practice and existing rules.

PAL still reviewing Manila-Tel Aviv route

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

PIONEERING flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is looking to build back its current routes, before launching any new ones. This developed as Israel once more proposed the establishment of flights between Manila and Tel-Aviv, in a meeting between its embassy in Manila and the Department of Tourism

This(DOT).was revealed by the DOT in its post on Facebook documenting the recent meeting between Israel Ambassador to Manila Ilan Fluss and Tourism Secretary-designate Christina Garcia Frasco.

But PAL Vice President for Corporate Communications Josen Perez de Tagle told the BusinessMirror on Tuesday, “The route is still under review. With ongoing uncertainties over the geopolitical situation, we are cautious about introducing new routes and, for now, putting our energy into building up our current routes as tourism continues to recover.”

Last year, PAL announced a Manila-Tel Aviv route, but didn’t pin down an exact launch date. The Israelis later announced twice-weekly non-stop flights between both cities, but these have yet to materialize.

Opportunity market

M A N y Filipinos have been flying to

Israel for Catholic Bible tours, while Israel is considered an opportunity market by the DOT, as arrivals in the Philippines had been growing an aver a ge of 10 percent per year. Prior to the pandemic, in 2019, the Philippines received 22,851 visitors from Israel, up 12.33 percent fromCurrently,2018. Israelis have to pay at least an average of $1,000 for a round-trip flight between Tel Aviv and Manila, with a layover in a third country.Meanwhile, the DOT added, Fluss also “expressed interest to participate in consumer activation activities in the Philippines and other projects hosted by DOT, sharing his excitement to explore the Philippines, particularly dive destinations such as those in Cebu, hiking and trekking destinations like the Mt. Ulap, and Mt. Apo, and other nature-based and adventure-based tourism products being offered in the country.”

Garcia Frasco, in turn, presented the DOT’s key objectives and strategies to return the tourism industry to fighting form, and be a key industry for the country’s economic growth. “The Tourism Secretary likewise conveyed the DOT’s commitment to meet its identified objectives, particularly in the aspect of easing travel restrictions and entry protocols to encourage and drive in more visitors.”

Film tourism pushed Th E DOT chief-designate likewise said she intends to “[introduce] tourism packages for Israelis,” and expressed hope that the latter continue to film “Survivor Israel” in the Philippines. The popular reality TV show has shot several seasons of the Israel franchise in Caramoan Island, where the French franchise has also shot seasons. Film tourism is one of the key programs of the DOT.

A bilateral agreement between the Philippines and Israel allows visa-free visits to each country. This means, Israelis only need to show their vaccination certificate upon arrival in the Philippines. From February 10 to August 28, the Philippines received 4,393 visitors from Israel, data from the DOT showed, making the latter the 26th top tourismTourismmarket. attaché to the United Kingdom Gerard O. Panga, who also oversees Israel, earlier described Israe l is as “intrepid and adventurous travelers who go for nature trips, beach holidays, trekking, diving, cultural immersion, volunteering, responsible travel, visit friends and relatives, city breaks, and ‘bleisure’ (business andGlobally,leisure).”tourists from Israel spent $2.18 billion in 2020, down by 79 percent from some $10.4 billion the year before.

FNI mine in Palawan ships nickel to China

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas & Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

Th E Ipilan Nickel Corp. (INC), a subsidiary of the country’s second-largest nickel producer, is targeting to export around 500,000 wet metric tons (WMT) of nickel ore thisGlobalyear. Ferronickel h o ldings Inc. (FNI) said INC completed its maiden shipment of nickel ore on September 20 from its mine site in Brooke’s Point, Palawan.

The FNI subsidiary exported 54,700 WMT of medium-grade nickel ore to Guandong Century Tsingshan Nickel Industry Co. Ltd. (GCTN) in China.

“After years of careful planning and regulatory compliance, this inaugural shipment is a remarkable milestone for our Group and bodes well for the country’s economic and social governance goals at this critical time,” FNI Chairman Joseph C. Sy said in a statement.“Targetfor the year is 500,000 WMT, with increased production in the coming years, as we begin year-round operations.”

FNI said the INC has an estimated mine life of at least 10 years with an annual production rate of 1.5 million WMT of medium- to high-grade nickel ores, based on the subsidiary’s mineral production sharing agreement with the government.“Weareproud of this development because it sets the tone for the optimal pursuit of our social development and environmental protection objectives. INC can now roll up the score in community engagement with various socio-civic initiatives in place from the beginning of our operations,” said Sy.

In April, FNI announced that it expects to exceed its full-year target shipment of 5.5 million WMT on the back of higher demand from China (Related story: unit-ships-nickel-to-china/).businessmirror.com.ph/2022/04/20/fni-https://

“We are upbeat that our mining operations at PGMC [Platinum Group Metals Corp.] have been running seamlessly from the get-go. Weather permitting, we might be able to exceed this year’s target of 5.5 WMT consisting of 60 percent low-grade ore and 40 percent medium-grade ore,” FNI President Dante R. Bravo said.

Th E Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will pursue the competitive auction for 780megawatts (MW) of baseload supply that it needs starting February

On2023.Tuesday afternoon, Meralco presented to the house Committee on Energy its 2022 Power Supply Procurement Plan (PSPP) that was approved by the Department of EnergyMeralco(DOE).may publish this year the bid invite for the CSP (Competitive Selection Process) for 180MW baseload and 600MW baseload needed from February 26, 2023 to February 25, 2024 and from February 26, 2026 to February 25, 2048, respectively.

Meralco utility economics head Lawrence Fernandez said the pro-

posed terms of reference have yet to be submitted to the DOE. however, the procurement plan for the said baseload supply was already approved by the agency.

“It’s in the approved list but it has not commenced yet,” he said when sought for more details.

The approved list also includes 1,600MW of baseload supply needed from December 26, 2029 to December 25, 2049 and the 300MW mid-merit supply from February 26, 2028 to February 25, 2048. The approved PSPP also included 4 renewable energy (RE)-specific CSPs with a total capacity of 1,650MW that are intended for RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standards) compliance. These are the 100MW and 200MW baseload supply, 850MW and 500MW mid-

merit supply. RPS requires power generators, distribution utilities, and suppliers to partly source their electricity from eligible RE sources.

Last month, Meralco started the CSP for the supply of 200MW baseload RE supply starting 2024. It has sought bid offers to challenge Solar Philippines Batangas Baseload Corp. (SPBBC). SPBBC offered a P4.65 per kilowatt-hour headline rate at a 100 percent plant capacity factor and a similar rate for a levelized cost of electricity for 20 years. The company proposed to source the supply and guaranteed output from its 1,800-MW solar project and 1,800 MW-hour battery storage currently underThedevelopment.deadlinefor bid submission is on October 5. Lenie Lectura

RE,UITFlaunchesManulifeforEVs

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio

THEManulife Investment Management and Trust Corp. (Manulife IM Philippines) recently launched the an equityfeeder unit investment trust fund (UITF) that allows investors access to the long-term growth potential of pro-sustainability companies from renewable energy (RE) and electric vehicles (EVs) to the technology and infrastructure that support them.

Manulife IM Philippines President and CEO Aira F. Gaspar told the BusinessMirror the UITF, called “Manulife Global Clean Energy Equity Feeder Fund,” aims to “maximize totalGasparreturn.”said the latter can be achieved “by investing in a collective investment scheme that seeks to achieve capital growth and positive environmental and social impact.” The executive added these, in turn, could be done “via investing in companies supporting the structural change towards a sustainable, lowcarbon economy, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.”Investors may access the fund for as low as P5,000 or $100, he said.

“The fund enables investors to join the transition to a world powered by clean energy, as momentum builds toward tackling climate change,” Gaspar told the BusinessMirror. “With recent global events reinforcing the importance of transitioning to clean energy, the fund provides a new opportunity for investors to diversify their portfolio and grow their wealth, while helping to achieve positive environmental impact through sustainable investing.”

According to Gaspar, Manulife IM Philippines “bolstered its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitment with the launch of its global Impact agenda, which provides a framework to channel its efforts towards tangible and measurable improvements in health, wealth, andShesustainability.”saidtherollout of the clean energy equity feeder fund is aligned with the commitment of parent firm Manulife Financial Corp. to “advance sustainable investing globally.”

Banking&Finance

BTr fully awards reissued 7-yr T-bonds

By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

THE Bureau of Treasury (BTr) announced on Tuesday that it has fully awarded reissued 7-year Treasury bonds (T-bonds).

Data showed that the BTr raised P35 billion from its sale of reissued 7-year T-bonds at the day’s auction. The T-bonds fetched an average rate of 6.588 percent, with a high

Sustainability” terminology may be interpreted or used differently by stakeholders. The term ‘sustainability’ is broadly understood to refer to information related to environmental, social, or governance (ESG) matters (be they related to reporting on investor focused sustainability information material to enterprise value and the effective functioning of global capital markets or multi-stakeholder focused sustainability reporting that captures impacts of a reporting entity on economy, environment and people) and, therefore, is consistent with the public expectations for the work of this board.”

SUSTAINABILITY has become a basic expectation of organizations and is related to stewardship and governance.Sustainable funds have been set up and are attracting capital at a rapid pace. It was reported that in the United States, such funds reached $1 billion in 2020 accounting for twice the amount in the preceding year and approximating more than 10 times than in 2018’s value.

Investors in their capital allocation consider sustainability through what may be called as ESG lens, i.e., environmental, social and governance information. The information is subjected to analyses that engagements of independent professionals and/or firms are resorted to objectively report on the entities’ ESG compliance.

during the auction.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon told reporters the full award of the day’s auction offering was on account of the rates being aligned with secondary levels.

Last week, the BTr also fully awarded 10-year T-bonds on the back of continued strong demand fromTheinvestors.10-year T-bonds fetched an average rate of 6.703 percent, with a high of 6.8 percent and a low of 6.5“Strongpercent.demand kept rates within secondary level even with hawkish

statements from Fed and commitment to bring inflation to 2 percent target,” De Leon told reporters earlier.For this month, the Treasury is set to borrow from the local debt market about P200 billion, of which P140 billion will be through T-bonds and another P60 billion fromThisT-bills.year, the government is set to borrow a total of P2.21 trillion, of which 75 percent will be sourced locally while the remaining 25 percent will come from foreign sources.

As of end-July this year, the national government’s outstanding debt has soared to a new recordhigh of P12.89 trillion, an increase of P96.09 billion or 0.8 percent during the first month of the Marcos administration from P12.79 trillion as ofTheend-June.country’s debt-to-GDP ratio slightly eased to 62.1 percent in the second quarter of the year from 63.5 percent in the first quarter. However, this remained above the economy.60-percentinternationally-recommendedthresholdforahealthy

LandBank says donated ₧1.5M in financial aid to 13 quake-hit LGUs

STATE- R UN Land Bank of the Philippines announced on Tuesday that it has donated a total of P1.5 million worth of financial aid to local government units (LGU) in Northern Luzon affected by the earthquake earlier this year. The bank said extended donations of P200,000 for affected provinces and P100,000 each for

municipalities. The donations are intended to support recovery efforts in the aftermath of the 7.0 earthquake that hit the region lastLGUsJuly.that received financial assistance include the municipalities of Bangued, Bucay, Dolores, Lagangilang, Luba, Manabo, Peñarrubia, Pilar, Tayum, and Villaviciosa

in Abra; Pasil in Kalinga; and, the Provincial Governments of Abra and Ilocos Sur.

“As the biggest development partner of the LGU sector, LandBank is fully committed to service the recovery and growth requirements of our partner LGUs,” LandBank President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo was quoted in a statement from the

India, World Bank eyeing to spur bank lending for electric vehicles

INDIA’S government and the World Bank are in talks to introduce a risk-sharing mechanism to compensate banks giving loans for electric vehicle purchases, an official said, as the country seeks to decarbonize the transport sector.

The risk instrument will help banks hedge against loan defaults and cut the cost of financing EVs, India’s G20 sherpa Amitabh Kant said at the sidelines of an industry event in New Delhi. Kant was CEO of government thinktank NITI Aayog until June this year, spearheading state policy decisions across the economy.

The switch to clean transport in the South Asian nation is slower than the US and China in part due to the sluggish adoption of battery-powered vehicles. The high cost of these vehicles and insufficient charging stations are a major barrier with BloombergNEF saying that by 2040, 53 percent of new automobile sales in India will be electric, well behind China with 77 percent.Banks in India have been reluctant to give loans for EV purchases at a time when the cost of insuring these vehicles is high and the resale market is remains small, said Kant, who was recently appointed

Some concerns on sustainability reporting

1. Data. The lack of reliable and comparable ESG data is a key challenge to create a level playing field in the ESG Technology“marketplace.”isadopted to facilitate massive volume of data processing to track and analyze them. The use of technology in sustainability reporting should take into account some basic things like the kind of data to be collected and tracked.

of 6.75 percent and a low of 6.375 percent.The amount tendered during the day hit P54.844 billion, overshooting the amount offered FrEE

India’s main negotiator when it becomes the chair for the Group of 20 countries in December.TheWorld Bank will set up a $1 billion fund with an Indian bank that will be made available to all financial institutions, according to a senior NITI Aayog official working on the project. The fund will provide first-loss guarantees to lenders in case of loan defaults, said the official who declined to be named as discussions are still private.AnIndia spokesperson for the World Bank didn’t respond to calls and an email seekingIndiacomment.hasbeen pushing to decarbonize its transport sector, which accounts for 13.5 percent of the country’s total emissions, as it looks to achieve its goal of becoming net carbon zero by 2070. The government expects investments in the Indian EV industry to more than triple to $20 billion by 2030 from $6 billion in 2021.The government is also working on a battery-swapping program to expedite adoption of electric scooters and rickshaws, which are growing faster than the fourwheeler segment. Bloomberg News

lender as Accordingsaying.to the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center, the 7.0-magnitude earthquake affected more than 21,000 residents, mostly from the Province of Abra and its adjacent towns. The NDRRMC said the estimated damage to infrastructure at P33.8 million

Apart from the financial aid, LandBank said it “continues to ensure the availability and accessibility of cash in the earthquake-hit areas.”The bank also said it put up a mobile ATM machine to the Municipality of Bangued in end-July and provided service to the community until early August 2022. Bianca Cuaresma

PDIC to sell 41 residential lots

T HE Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) announced it will accept bids for residential lots up for sale via its ebidding portal from October 20 until October 21; bids will be opened at 2:00 p.m. on October 21, 2022.

To be sold on an “as-is, where-is” basis and with a total minimum disposal price of P39.9 million are 41 closed bank-owned residential lots. These lots are located in: Metro Manila; Bataan; Batangas; Camarines Sur; Cotabato; Davao de Oro; Laguna; Leyte; Marinduque; Occidental Mindoro; Pampanga; Pangasinan; Quezon; Rizal; and, Samar. These include 24 residential lots and 17 residential lots with improvements. Property sizes range from 45 square meters (sqm) to 830 sqm with minimum disposal prices between P107,800 and P3.9 million.

For interested buyers, a one-time registration on the PDIC e-bidding portal is required before submitting bids. Once registered, they may observe the e-bidding proceedings on the website by clicking the “Assets for Sale” icon on the PDIC website’s homepage.

The complete list and description of the properties, requirements, e-bidding process, and conditions of bid are posted on the same portal. Bidders are reminded of their responsibility to determine the actual condition, status, ownership, and other circumstances of the properties they wish to acquire.

For participants bidding on behalf of another individual or an organization, a Pro-forma Special Power of Attorney and Secretary’s Certificate, respectively, can likewise be downloaded from the e-bidding portal.

Treasury 2-yr yields head for 4%

More importantly, the set and/or type of technology tools to use to collect, track and analyze the information should be determined. Data analytics software is one of those Timelinesstools. of collection, tracking, analyzing and reporting is key to useful reports in support of decision-making.

2. Standard and Enforcement. In the absence of a common standard and enforcement mechanism, it can be challenging to measure the impact of certain ESG factors.

It is even harder to track and disclose metrics, especially in the case of some of the social factors that tend to be more qualitative in nature and less well-defined. Of significance is the fact that those who provide assurance on sustainability reports come from differentInternationaldisciplines.professional bodies like the International Ethics Standards Board

for Accountants (IESBA) through a technical working group initiated looking at crafting such standard.

In developing standards, the following may be worth noting:

n Comprehensiveness (to limit exceptions)

n Coherence

n Implementability

n Clarity and conciseness

n Scalability

n ConsultationsRelevance and/or dialogues with a broad range of stakeholder groups and exposure of drafts to solicit comments and/ or views as well as close coordination with all concerned are imperatives in standards setting. Public interest is a prime consideration.Indeed, the enormity of concerns renders standard setting for sustainability daunting. Things take time to evolve and so, standard setting.

With collective efforts from concerned sectors, it may be facilitated for the sake of objectivity and reliability in reporting with a basic expectation of high quality outcome.

Conchita L. Manabat is the president of the Development Center for Finance. A past president of FINEX and past Chair of the International Association of Financial Executives Institutes, she serves as the chairman of the IAFEI Advisory Council. She is a member of the consultative advisory groups of the International Auditing & Assurance Standards Board and the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants

2-year yields are poised to crack above 4 percent for the first time since 2007, lifted by the Federal Reserve’s steepest tightening cycle in a generation.

TREASURY

The yield on the benchmark short-end note rose as much as 5 basis points to 3.99 percent on Tuesday, up more than 3 percentage points this year as it heads for the biggest annual increase since 1994.

The Fed will hike its benchmark interest rate by three-quarters of a point on Wednesday for a third consecutive meeting, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Two of the 96 analysts surveyed are predicting a full-point move.

“We are seeing clear signs that central banks are not about to ‘blink’ and are prepared to tolerate recession, if that is the price they need to pay to bring inflation under control, and this means higher short-end yields, globally,” said Andrew Ticehurst, a rates strategist at Nomura Inc. in TreasuriesSydney.have sold off almost without pause since stronger-than-expected US inflation data last week dashed speculation that cost pressures had peaked. As Fed Chair Jerome Powell has signaled his commitment to quashing inflation, two-year notes—the most sensitive to policy moves—have led declines.

European bonds retreat

LOSSES swept across European markets as well,

with traders ratcheting up bets on ECB rate hikes. Bund yields rose 9 basis points to 1.90 percent while Italian 10-year yields increased 8 basis points to 4.16 percent, the highest since 2013. UK 2-year yields added 15 basis points to 3.29 percent. Traders are betting the Bank of England will deliver two outsized increases by the end of the year.

In the US, real yields were also higher. The 10-year inflation-protected Treasury yield rose as much as four basis points to 1.18 percent on Tuesday. Investors of TIPS receive additional income to offset increases in consumer prices.

“I’m a short-term bear on Treasuries –- I think yields will head higher across the curve until the Fed stops hiking,” said Vimal Gor, Trovio Group’s chief investment officer. “Then way before they start cutting rates I think you’ll see a material rally in bonds. After years of people ignoring government bonds, they’re becoming more relevant again now.”

The spread between US two-year and 10-year notes swelled to as much as 48 basis points. The difference had reached 58 basis points on Aug. 10, the deepest inversion since the 1980s.

During that era, then Fed Chair Paul Volcker raised rates to as high as 20 percent to tame inflation. Powell evoked Volcker’s memory at last month’s Jackson Hole symposium as an example of the sort of determination that may be needed to rescue the economy from rampant price pressures. Bloomberg News

Myanmar to lower dollar reliance

MYANMAR

wants to broaden its use of Chinese and Russian currencies and lessen its dependence on the dollar, which the junta spokesman said some countries are using “to bully smaller nations.”

Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the military government, discussed “replacing the use of dollar with other currencies such as yuan, rupee and ruble as well as the barter system” in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month, Major General Zaw Min Tun, the lead spokesman for the State Administration Council, said on Tuesday.

Both countries have reached an agree-

ment to use the barter system for Myanmar’s fertilizer imports from Russia while its fuel oil purchases from the country will be paid in ruble, the spokesman said. Myanmar expects oil from Russia to arrive in the next few days.

The central banks of Myanmar and Russia are in discussions about direct payments in ruble and kyat, said Zaw Min Tun. Myanmar will also soon allow the use of Mir cards, a Russian card payment system for electronic fund transfers, and enable Bank of Russia’s messaging system to facilitate bilateral trade and investment, he said. Bloomberg News

Kevin Dancey CEO, International Federation of Accountants

THE two actresses had a big fight a few years ago and now, they’re living separate lives but they’ve never made up. So a reporter asked both actresses separately if they were ready to be civil with each other, and they spoke to him off the record. Actress No. 1 said it’s been so long since the fight took place and she has moved on. She added that she is happy with her life now and what happened is the last thing on her mind. On the other hand, Actress No. 2 told the reporter that she is not willing to let bygones be bygones. She says no to any attempts by other parties for her and Actress No. 1 to be civil with each other.

DISTURBING

RECENT social-media posts of a model-influencer have been deemed disturbing by many of her fans. Fans say the posts are too “dark” and “depressing,” which to them is so unlike the model. There is a rumor that the model’s husband and his ex, also a celebrity, have gotten back together so kibitzers are saying that this could be the reason for her dark posts. If you look at the model’s social-media posts, her husband still comments on them so they seem to be still together and the rumor about him getting back with his ex is probably untrue. But as they say, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, so there’s probably something behind those posts.

ATTRACTIVE INFLUENCER

THIS celebrity influencer is known as the ex-girlfriend of the sister of an actress. Their relationship was very open at a time when same-sex relationships among celebrities weren’t as open as they are now. But the two eventually split and moved on. The influencer’s next girlfriend was also an influencer and they seemed quite happy. During the pandemic, they even lived together. But as many relationships go, this one ended too. The influencer has found love again with a model influencer, who is the daughter of celebrities. If the celebrity influencer is known for her good looks, her new girlfriend is someone who turns heads not just because she is attractive but she also knows how to carry herself well.

HE’S NOT LIKE THAT

THE young actor is one of the most popular male stars in the Philippines. He is the other half of a very bankable loveteam. It’s said that he and the actress he is always teamed up with are a couple in real life. It is true that the actor is very sweet to his screen partner. He has never acted like this toward the other actresses who were his screen partners in the past. The actress is indeed very special. But how true is the rumor that while the actress is someone who is close to him, another woman holds his heart? If ever, this won’t be the first time that a celebrity who is part of a loveteam will fall for someone else but the actor is not like that.

FILIPINOS have long been exposed to mainstream Hollywood productions, but film is not limited to global releases and star-led blockbusters. There are many more gems from different parts of the world that widen one’s perspective, telling insightful and poignant stories that resonate with the rest of us—truly proving that films cut across borders and boundaries. Shangri-La Plaza, a strong supporter of the cinematic arts, is bringing a new film festival to the metro.

For the first time, it is hosting the Pacific Alliance Movie Nights, in partnership with the Embassies of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Singapore in the Philippines, and the Film Development Council of the Philippines, screening for free at the Red Carpet at the Shang from September 21 to 25.

This filmfest features seven films from the Pacific Alliance member states Chile, Colombia and Mexico, and from its first associate state Singapore. The Pacific Alliance is a Latin American economic bloc that mainly aims to reduce trade barriers among member states. The Philippines is one of its observer states.

The Pacific Alliance Movie Nights sets off with the

Steven

audiencewins‘Fabelmans’Spielberg’sTorontoaward

HoroscopeToday’s

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Alfonso Ribeiro, 51; Nancy Travis, 61; Bill Murray, 72; Stephen King, 75.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Expand your mind and incorporate your skills into something you enjoy doing. Take the initiative to explore the possibilities, learn all you can from experts and sign up for courses that will encourage you to broaden your skills. Use your imagination to build a future that gives you the freedom to achieve your dreams. Your numbers are 6, 11, 20, 28, 31, 36, 45.

By Jake Coyle The Associated Press

Steven Spielberg’ coming-of-age drama

toronto international Film Festival’s top prize, the people’s Choice Award, solidifying its early status as Academy Awards frontrunner. toronto’s audience award was announced on Sunday as the largest north American film festival wrapped up its 47th edition and first full-scale gathering in three years.

TIFF brought the world premieres of a number of anticipated crowd pleasers, including the Viola Davisled The Woman King, Rian Johnson’s Knives Out Mystery and billy toronto’s audience award, voted on by festival moviegoers, is a much-watched harbinger of the coming awards season. e

TIFF winner has gone on to be nominated for best picture at the Oscars—and often won it.

Kenneth branagh’s Belfast diminished hybrid toronto Festival. the year before that, Chloé Zhao’s took tiFF’s award before winning at the Academy Awards. Other past winners, include La Land and Green Book. this year, no film came into the festival more anticipated than The Fabelmans infused film about his childhood. in the movie, which Universal pictures will release november 11, Michelle Williams and paul Dano play the parents, with newcomer gabriel labelle as teenage Spielberg, Sammy Fabelman. the film scored rave reviews after its premiere.thisisthe most personal film i’ve made and the warm reception from everyone in toronto made my first visit to tiFF so intimate and personal for me and my entire Fabelman family,’” Spielberg said in a statement read by Cameron bailey, festival director. the first runner-up to the prize was Sarah polley’s Woman Talking, about the female members of a Mennonite colony gathered to discuss years of sexual abuse. the second runner-up went to Johnson’s Glass

Onion, the director’s whodunit sequel for netflix. Audience in other sections of the festival also vote for people’s Choice awards. the festival’s audience prize for documentary went to Black Ice, Hubert Davis’s film about the history of black hockey players executive produced by lebron James. the midnight section winner was Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Eric Appel’s music biopic parody cowritten with Yankovic and starring Daniel Radcliffe.

“Wow,” said Appel in a statement. “i never in a million years thought that our satire of traditional awards films would actually win an award, itself.” n

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Retreat and rethink. If you act in haste, you’ll make a mistake. Take your time and get things right the first time. You’ll become a valuable commodity if you are patient and HHHHH

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Absorb whatever information you can, then use it to your advantage. Put your time and effort where they will bring the highest return. Don’t limit what you can do because someone wants to use your skills

Listen to suggestions, but don’t concur with something that doesn’t meet your expectations. Channel your energy into perfecting what you want to do and executing your plans with finesse. Don’t get involved in anything that jeopardizes your physical well-being.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Simplify your life and relationships. Conduct your affairs to suit your needs. Discard what’s no longer valid or of use to you. Set new standards and goals, and research how best to get what you want. Personal gain is favored.

Look for answers and you’ll discover something that helps you change how you use your skills. Your personal adjustments will make a difference in how others treat you. Kindness and compassion will encourage others to

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Refuse to be a follower. Consider what others expect of you and whether it’s worth your time to continue down this path or to switch to something that makes you excited. Plan your future with someone who shares your long-term goals. HHH

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Share your feelings; the response will help you decide your next move. Set your sights on learning something new or taking your skills to the next level. A positive lifestyle change is apparent. HHHH

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Be a good listener. A sensitive approach to life, love and dealing with others will pay off. A little help will go a long way and encourage others to pitch in and help. Set a good example, and you’ll gain respect. HH

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Share information with someone traveling down a similar path. A positive change in how you do your job or take care of responsibilities will raise your profile and give you more clout when dealing with your peers. Trust your instincts. HHHHH

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Focus on presentation and money management. A domestic change that lowers your overhead and gives you the freedom to do things you enjoy is apparent and will confirm something you instinctively knew about yourself. HHH

Mexican film Arráncame la vida (Tear this Heart Out), a 2008 film directed by Roberto Sneider about a young woman who marries an old prominent politician who turns out to be ruthless and unfaithful. The film was Mexico’s official submission for the 2009 Academy Award for Best Foreign LanguageAnotherFilm.film from Mexico is Cuando los hijos regresan (The Kids are Back), a 2017 comedy by Hugo Lara about a happily retired couple who must face an unpredicted menace—their adult children are moving back home.

Colombia has two entries in the roster. The first is the 2018 Rafael Martínez Moreno film El Piedra (The Stone) about an unsuccessful boxer who gets paid to lose fights and finds himself taking care of a boy who claims to be his son.

Chiribiquete is a documentary film released in 2017 by director Carlos Arturo Ramírez. It follows the fascinating journey of Colombian archaeologist and anthropologist Carlos Castaño, who leads an expedition to the Chiribiquete mountain range to showcase what makes this paradise a true jewel of the Amazon.

Chile is also presenting two films during the five-day festival. It’s going to screen Calzones Rotos (Family Secrets), a 2018 dark comedy by Arnaldo Valsecchi. Set in rural Chile in the 1950s, it’s about a family that’s about to uncover their dying matriarch’s old secrets after she confesses to killing her husband. Mis hermanos sueñan despiertos (My Brothers Dream Awake) is a 2021 feature by Claudia Huaiquimilla, about teenage brothers Ángel and Franco who are living in a juvenile center where their dreams feel out of reach, until a rebellious young man arrives and gives them hope by offering them a possible yet risky escape.

A film from Singapore rounds out the Pacific Alliance Movie Nights lineup. Motel Acacia is a 2019 horror film directed by Bradley Liew. It centers around JC, a young halfFilipino man who’s mentored by his tyrannical father to take over their family business, a creepy motel that takes in illegal immigrants.Allfilmswill be screened in their original language with English subtitles. Entrance is free on a first-come-first-served basis. films from beyond the seas with ‘Pacific Alliance Movie Nights’

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Neglecting duties or falling behind will limit your freedom to do things you enjoy. Get your responsibilities out of the way, and you’ll get the opportunity to make a positive lifestyle change that will improve your living space and relationships with others.

HHH

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Take the initiative. Learn or travel about in preparation for something you want to instill into your everyday routine. Maintaining honesty and integrity will make your life stress-free and encourage you to distance yourself from those who don’t share your values. HHH

BIRTHDAY BABY: You are original, playful and outspoken. You are determined and hands-on.

H: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. HH: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. HHH: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. HHHH: Aim high; start new projects. HHHHH: Nothing can stop you; go for gold. SAYS NO

STEVEN SPIELBERG

Transitioning from manager to leader

WHEN everything seems overwhelming, pause and take a full deep breath. As you inhale, your heart rate speeds up. As you exhale, your heart rate slows down. This routine calms down the nervous system and makes you feel more relaxed.

Experienced health writer Paige Fowler, who regularly contributes to leading health and wellness magazines and web sites, has shared several breathing tips via WebMD. WebMD is a global health information platform managed by a team of award-winning experts and professionals in medicine, journalism, health communication and content creation.These pointers were reviewed by Nayana Ambardekar, MD, a board-certified general internist and an assistant professor of medicine at the Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Based on all this information, the Benilde Well-Being Center of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde invites the general public to maximize the powers of the breath as a tool to de-stress through this collection of health reminders.

For optimal results, comfortable clothing is recommended. Some exercises are best done while seated, while others are accomplished lying down with a pillow under the head and knees.

Here are five drills to practice at home:

1. DEEP BREATHS: Short, shallow breaths consume energy. This makes you more anxious. Take deep breaths instead. Breathe in through your nose. Fill your belly with air. Then breathe out through your nose. Take three more full deep breaths.

2. FOCUS: Whenever you breathe in, picture the air infused with peace and calmness. Feel it throughout your body. Now, imagine releasing all the stress and tension as you breathe out. Repeat this mantra: I breathe in peace and calm, I breathe out stress and tension. Continue for 10 to 20 minutes.

3. EQUAL TIME: Breathe in, count to five. Breathe out, count to five. Once you are at ease, you may increase it up to 10 counts.

4. RELAX MUSCLES: Lie comfortably on the floor. Breathe in as you tense the muscles on your feet. Count up to 10 before you release it. Proceed with your calves. Work your way up to your body. Include your legs, belly, chest, fingers, arms, shoulders, neck and face. This technique helps you relax physically and mentally.

5. MODIFIED LION’S BREATH: Sit comfortably. Imagine that you are a lion. Breathe in through your nose. Fill your belly with air. Then open your mouth as wide as you can to release it with a big “HA!”. Repeat several times.

24-HOUR FOUNDATION LETS YOU STAY FRESH THROUGH HEAT, HUMIDITY AND NON-STOP ACTIVITY

WHEN you have a lifestyle that requires you to constantly move, looking your best can be a challenge. But sometimes, a little makeup can do the trick. A good foundation is more than enough to help cover up and keep you looking fresh and ready for the rest of the day. So, if you’re trying to find a foundation that can hold up all day from just one application, look no further because global beauty brand Avon (www.avonshop.ph) makes it possible with the Avon Power Stay 24HR Liquid Foundation.Thisfoundation is formulated with Comfort Last Technology which locks pigment and gives full-day coverage with just one application so you don’t have to compromise comfort and feel when you use long-wear makeup.Findthe right shade that best fits your skin tone: Ivory Pink, Porcelain, Shell, Light Beige, or Nude.

With a transfer and smudge-proof matte finish plus a lightweight and breathable feel, putting on the Avon Power Stay 24HR Liquid Foundation lets you start fresh and stay fresh even while going through heat, humidity and nonstop activity. Don’t let the sun stop you because every application includes SPF 10 protection.

The formula is oil-free, non-greasy, dermatologisttested and non-comedogenic so you don’t have to worry about dealing with pesky blackheads after use.

IF you have just started leading people, you are expected to ensure that your team will consistently hit their targets. Your focus as a first-time manager is to ensure that your team’s output meets expectations. Managing people effectively starts with a combination of having the right skills, tools and attitude to ensure your team performs as expected. But it should not stop there.

As you manage your team, you will discover that being in that position is not enough to win over your team. They need someone who will motivate and inspire them to become the best version of themselves. Otherwise, they will not find meaning in what they do and look for it elsewhere. Before that time comes, you need to step up and become a leader more than a manager. To do that, you need to shift your focus from tools and processes, to what would benefit the entire team. You may have started out as a good manager, but if you want your team to exceed expectations and do more, you need to start transitioning from being a manager to becoming a leader.Managers

focus on processes and ensuring that their team follows these. Leaders look for better ways of doing things through people. While processes are necessary in ensuring your team performs consistently, it should not be put above your people. To be a leader, you need to elevate your motivation from what the process requires, to what your people can do.

Leaders understand that processes are only a means to an end, and that ultimately results depend on their people. So, leaders focus on what people need more than the tools or process.

Similarly, leaders look for better ways of doing things and inspire their teams to do the same.

Managers only focus on coaching their team members to ensure they follow processes. For leaders, change is an opportunity to step up and show the organization that their team can innovate and add value to the organization. Managers look at processes as law. Leaders look at processes as tools that need to be consistently updated for the benefit of the whole team.

Managers stay within their comfort zones and are careful to venture out. Leaders for opportunities for growth. Leaders take risks and when it does not work out, they take whatever lesson they can get and look for other ways. This is what is known as the growth mindset. Leaders learn as much as they can and take accountability for their team’s failures by understanding what can be avoided in the future,

The new workwear

WORKWEAR has evolved through the years, from Wall Street pinstripes to Silicon Valley casual. With many more heading to the office after two years of WFH arrangements, welcome to the new world of workwear at The SM Store. The collection is available nationwide. Like the new way of going to work, dressing up for the office is, in a sense, hybrid. Some brands call it “power casual” or “business comfort.” Heels are lower, silhouettes are more relaxed, and Silicon Valley execs are said to be wearing graphic tees under blazers. And it’s the perfect time to give your office wardrobe a reboot and refresh with three new looks from The SM Store that cross fashion boundaries: Minimalist, Preppy, and Workleisure. Minimalist looks are best for more traditional office arrangements. It combines simplicity with elegance, like SM Woman’s Prima collection worn with Parisian’s heels, pumps, bags and Raya’s set of earrings and necklaces.Formen, there are dress shirts and pants from Baleno, Smyth and Mainstreet, as well as shoes and bags from Milanos and Salvatore Mann. Preppy styles, on the other hand, highlight business comfort. Think relaxed cardigans and jackets, and slacks paired with sling bags, backpacks, duffle bags, leather shoes, loafers and watches for men. There are also casual dresses, vests and coordinates, best paired with accessories—watches, platform shoes, backless loafers, crossbody, sling and shoulder

Work-leisurebags.

outfits underscore how lines have blurred between working and living by combining corporate style with an athleisure attitude that many have embraced. Think of women wearing blazers with sports bras, as well as more denim and sneaker sightings in the workplace.

only way to succeed is to fail forward.

Managers focus on deliverables, leaders provide direction. You can see the difference by looking at their team’s output. Managers deliver goals as expected, leaders exceed expectations and even find alternative ways of doing things to reach their team’s goals. When we had a meeting with strategy leaders last week, there was one leader who taught his team that they need to recalibrate their action plans just as long as they stay true to their main objective. He saw obstacles as learning experiences and roadblocks as a sign to look for other ways.

Managers focus on individual team members. Leaders look out for the best interest of the team.

Leaders understand that while team members have individual concerns, they should not jeopardize the function and deliverables of the entire team. Leaders make the hard decision to let go of team members who drag the team down and do not pull their own weight. After doing everything they can in mentoring and coaching them, leaders understand when to let go. When I was still managing a team, I had to put someone under a performance improvement plan, and it was one of the most difficult things I had to do. But my immediate supervisor showed me how her performance was affecting the entire team. In the end, she resigned and we were able to hire somebody who did the work

Managersbetter.focuson being liked. Leaders aim to be respected because they understand that respect is a better motivator than being liked. Leaders understand

vision of what the team can accomplish. When team members respect their leader, they follow because they believe in where their leader is going. Threats and punishments can only go so far as a motivator. If you want your team to do great things, you need to earn their respect by constantly showing up and deliveringManagersconsistently.relyontheir experience and current skills. Leaders continue to grow and develop themselves. There comes a point in managing people where you focus on having oversight of what your team is doing, more than the details of their work. You will no longer focus on individual work, but on workflows, professional relationships, and client management.Agoodleader understands the social dynamics in their team, as well as the political underpinnings in their organization so they can skillfully navigate through it. Leaders do not just focus on the work they need to do, but on how their work and their team’s outputs affect others.

You might be a people manager or even an individual contributor, but that should not stop you from leading others. Before you can lead others, you should be able to lead yourself in the way you think, your attitude toward your team and your work, and how you conduct yourself with clients. Managers derive their authority from their rank and job description. Leaders have authority even without a title or position. Managers win games, but it takes a leader to win championships. ■

BRIA Homes breaks ground for new subdivision in Gen. San City

GENERAL Santos City, or more commonly known as “GenSan,” does not only tout its status as the Tuna Capital of the Philippines; it’s also one of the country’s premier fish producers.

To date, GenSan boasts of seven highly modernized tuna processing plants and the country’s largest fleets of tuna fishing vessels thanks to endless bounties from the sea.

Travelers who hanker for Gensan’s sashimi-grade yellow fin tuna and its various grilled offerings fly to the city’s spectacular annual event called Tuna Festival, which features fish-themed culinary demos and nonstop food-tripping.

Endowed with fertile volcanic soil and a year-round temperate climate, GenSan is also a prolific producer of corn, coconut, copra, asparagus, and pineapple, plus exotic fruits and cut flowers.

Far from being a bucolic town, GenSan is a highly urbanized city in the culturally rich province of South Cotabato, the gateway to the picturesque southern region of Mindanao. With its flourishing economy, improved infrastructure, and warm, friendly people, GenSan is

regarded as an idyllic site for modern residential villages that the city’s young professionals, entrepreneurs, and retirees can aspire for. GenSan-born OFW returnees can likewise see themselves settling down in their beloved city for the longQuickterm. to cast a wide net on these potential home buyers, leading housing developer BRIA Homes held its groundbreaking ceremony last September 13 of BRIA GenSan, which will soon rise in Barangay San Isidro, an area that is conveniently close to key establishments such as schools, malls, retail shops, and leisureAttendedspots. by local government officials, clients, real estate brokers, and prospective homebuyers and investors, the ceremony successfully rolled out BRIA’s pre-selling property, BRIA GenSan, after a welcome speech by the organizing committee. Still feeling heady from the recently celebrated Tuna Festival, local guests enjoyed a slew of entertainment numbers during the event.

BRIA Homes’ Division Head for Visayas and Mindanao Ivy Rissa Provido,

says that BRIA’s newly established presence in GenSan will not only meet the demand for housing in the progressive city; it also acknowledges the city’s potential for a continuous surge in economic growth.

The signs are all there: GenSan is now home to 19 state-of-the-art health facilities and the Philippines’ largest telcos, and will soon witness the opening of the prestigious University of Santo Tomas campus in Barangay Ligaya.

“Gone are the days when locals had to seek opportunities in other parts of the country,” Provido pointed out. “Today, not only are they staying and thriving, but Filipinos from all over the country are choosing to migrate to and build their homes in GenSan. And BRIA Homes will be there to roll out the welcome mat.”

Interested homebuyers can immerse themselves through BRIA’s 360 Virtual Tours in www.bria.com.ph and inquire online through our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BRIAHomesIncOfficial.

They can also reserve a house online through reservation/https://www.bria.com.ph/online-

PhilHealth fund remains strong and robust

THE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) has assured its members anew of continuing benefit coverage and reiterated that their fund remains strong to meet its obligations in the long Contraryterm.to reports that cited last year's projection of a net loss of P57 billion, PhilHealth instead ended 2021 with a net income of P32.84 billion, which is higher by P2.8 billion from the previous year. This is after the Corporation recognized a total of P140 billion in members' benefit claims expense. Its total assets also rose by 27 percent with a total of P347.48 billion in 2021.

As of June 2022, the state-run insurer

has a reserve fund of P188 billion, which is 6.7% higher than the P176.6 billion as of end of 2021. Such financial standing is a clear indication that it is financially stable and therefore is in strong position to sustain payment of benefits in the long term.

Contributions from Direct Contributors is one of the major funding streams as mandated by the Universal Health Care Law. “The increase in collection efficiency of contributions from Direct Contributors, national government subsidy for premium of Indirect members, earnings from investment incomes, contribute to fund sustainability.”

Atty. Eli Dino Santos, PhilHealth’s Officer-inCharge stressed.

Want to be a certified compliance officer? Take this certification course for success

SECTION 24 of the Revised Corporation Code that took effect on February 23, 2019 mandates that corporations vested with public interest to elect a compliance officer. This opens a career path in an organization with a rank of senior vice president based on Section 1.6 of the Code of Corporate Governance for Publicly-Listed Corporations. This role must be a separate position from the Corporate Secretary. To equip compliance officers with the necessary skills to succeed in an environment of stricter regulations, the Center for Global Best Practices (CGBP) will be hosting an 11-session online training via ZOOM titled Certification Course for Compliance Officers on the following dates:

Day 1: 1:30 - 4:45PM Monday, Oct. 10, 2022

Day 2: 1:30 - 4:45PM Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022

Day 3: 1:30 - 4:45PM Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022

Day 4: 1:30 - 4:45PM Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022

Day 5: 1:30 - 5:00PM Friday, Oct. 21, 2022

Day 6: 1:30 - 4:45PM Monday, Nov. 7, 2022

Nayong Pilipino organizes tree planting activity in Parañaque to celebrate World Environment Day

Day 7: 1:30 - 4:45PM Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022

Day 8: 1:30 - 3:45PM Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022

Day 9: 1:30 - 2:45PM Monday, Nov. 14, 2022

Day 10 1:30- 3:45PM Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022

Day 11 1:30 - 3:00PM Friday, Nov. 25, 2022

Organizations value a skilled compliance officer in a stricter regulatory environment. Build a career in this area of practice by being part of the third batch of Certified Compliance Officers (CCO®). This special program is aimed at accelerating the knowledge and skills of all compliance officers, whether they are tenured, new to the job or aspiring to become one.

This comprehensive training program will feature CGBP's finest roster of lecturers and practitioners. Those who will finish and pass this course will be conferred the title of "Certified Compliance Officer" and could use the post-nominal letters "CCO®".

Registration is open to the general public. This program is highly recommended for compliance officers, corporate secretaries of the board, lawyers, consultants, and anyone who would like to offer such service to organizations or for career advancement within their organizations. For details and a complete list of Best Practices programs visit www.cgbp.org. You may also call Manila Lines (+63 2) 8556-8968 / 69 or (+63 2) 8842-7148 / 59.

NAYONG

Pilipino Foundation (NPF), an attached agency of the Department of Tourism, (DOT) recently organized a Tree Planting Activity ahead of the World Environmental Day while waiting to get funds to develop its 9.5-hectare property in the Entertainment City,TheParanaque.parkwas envisioned to serve as a "heritage space" with pocket gardens, open spaces, a library, and a museum that houses its "rare artifacts" and collections highlighting the country's cultural heritage.

The pandemic has had a great impact on the NPF’s financial status and operations. The P2 billion fund allocated by the Tourism

Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) which was supposed to jumpstart the building of the Nayong Pilipino Cultural and Creative Hub in Paranaque City was put on hold to address the Covid-19 emergency pursuant to Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. The project is an income generating project that will generate revenues not only for the NPF but for the national government, as well. In the meantime, the foundation is looking to establish a tree-lined park on a portion of the 9.5-hectare land by organizing tree planting activities in partnership with other government agencies, the private sector, and civil society groups. In partnership

with the Rotary Club Canlubang, some 170 samplings were planted.

“Our partnership with the Rotary Club is an example of how collaboration can raise awareness about today’s most pressing environmental concerns. Only by working together can we protect the people and provide communities with healthier environments for generations to come,” said NPF Executive Director Gertie Duran-Batocabe.“Moreover, with the pandemic pushing us to be more appreciative of open spaces, there could be no more perfect time than now to build urban parks not just to promote sustainable development for our community, but also to attract tourists and enhance the tourism experience which is included in the seven-point agenda of Tourism Secretary Cristina Frasco,” she added.

Aside from establishing parks and recreation centers for tourism, the NPF is also mandated to promote, encourage, and initiate research and development projects and activities in social sciences andThehumanities.foundation had been organizing roundtable discussions under its “Umpukan sa Nayon” program, some of the most recent ones focused on linguistic diversity as the essence of Filipino culture and raising awareness of the Philippines’ complex history with the LGBTQIA+ community. Its advocacy for a greener environment and nature conservation is also continuous through its “Project Sambayanihan”.

BSP, retailers sign agreement for Coin Deposit Machine project for recirculation project

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and its partner retailers (SM Retail, Inc.; Filinvest Land, Inc.; and Robinsons Supermarket) recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to deploy 25 Coin Deposit Machines (CoDM) in select retail establishments. The BSPinitiated project aims to boost its Coin Recirculation Program, and to promote financial inclusion and digitalization.

Consumers will be able to conveniently deposit their coins through these automated machines, and credit the corresponding value to their e-wallets, or convert to vouchers redeemable at The SM

Store, SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket and Savemore outlets.

Photo from the MOA signing with BSP retail partners shows BSP Governor Felipe Medalla (third from right), Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat (second from right), Senior Assistant Governor and General Counsel Elmore Capule (far right) with SM Retail, Inc. Controllership and Financial Planning Senior Vice President Jonathan Ng (third from left), Vice President for Treasury Jeffrey Ang (second from left), and Senior Assistant Vice President for Treasury Lisa Cham (far left).

SM LAUNCHES KSK FARMER’S MARKET DAY IN THE VISAYAS. Mallgoers in the Visayas may visit the SM Foundation’s (SMFI) Kabalikat Sa Kabuhayan (KSK) Farmer’s Market Day booths in SM City Bacolod every Friday and Saturday, and in SM City Iloilo every Friday. Through this social good effort, SM KSK farmer-graduates are able to showcase and sell their safe and quality locally grown vegetables and fruits to SM Malls customers. To date, the KSK booths have been launched in more than 40 SM malls nationwide. This program is in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), City Agriculture Office, and SM Supermalls.

NAYONG Pilipino Foundatioin Executive Director Gertie

Duran-Batocabe with members of the Rotary Club Canlubang

BRIA Homes held the groundbreaking ceremony of BRIA GenSan, which will soon rise in Barangay San Isidro.

Arthaland launches first sustainable apartments

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

Developers’ confab to tackle trends, housing solutions

By Roderick L. Abad

REAL- E st A t E d evelopers, poli cymakers, suppliers, and other stakeholders of the housing sector will gather to discuss macro trends, cur rent issues and solutions in the industry at the National Developers Convention 2022, themed “Change-proofing the In dustry: Building Homes for Filipinos, to day and to morrow,” on October 5 and 6 to be held at the Grand Hyatt Manila, Bonifacio Global City, ta guig City.

Jaime C. Gonzalez, Arthaland vice chairman and President, told reporters in a recent press event that the company is com mitted to its adherence to sus tainability through the s e vina Park, an 8.1-hectare masterplanned community in Biñan, Laguna.sevina Park holds the distinc tion of being the first and only development in s ou theast Asia to achieve Platinum certification under the Leadership in Engi neering and Engineering Design (LEED) for Neighborhood De velopment and LEED for Homes categories and the very first to receive the Building for Ecologi cally Responsive Design Excel lence (BERDE) BERDE Districts 5- s t ar rating. It is also strategi cally located via the Cavite-La guna Expressway (CALAX) and in close proximity to popular schools, medical institutions and industrialFurther,estates,sevina Park is envi sioned to become a sustainable, close-knit community that low ers global carbon emissions, im proves air quality, reduces elec tricity and water bills, and pro vides an environment for happier and healthier residents.

“Following the success of s e vi na Park Villas, Una Apartments represents the next phase for de velopment. We aim to bring our brand of ablekethomeshigh-qualityexcellently-designed,andsustainabletoamuchbroadermarwiththismid-risesustaincondominiumcomprisingstudioandOne-bedroomunits.thiscommitmentincludesgivingeveryFilipinotheopportunitytoliveinagreenhome.”Gonzalezexplained.ChristopherG.Narciso,ArthalandExecutiveVice-presidentpointedoutthatUnaApartmentsraisesthebarinlivingexperiencewithitshostofsustainableandwellnessfeatures,exceptionalqualityandsuperiordesign.HestressedsevinaParkaccentuatesefficiencyasunitsareequipped

with energy efficient air-condi tioning systems, energy efficient lighting, low-flow plumbing fix tures which offer residents water and energy savings by as much as 20 percent. to pr ovide natu ral ventilation, the units have functional windows that provide natural ventilation and optimize natural daylight.

He said all units in Una have an air-tight design to prevent sound and odor transfer between walls. Moreover, good indoor air quality is assured by the Energy Recovery Ventilator with com mercial grade MERV filters and the presence of a Carbon Monox idesMonitor.imilarto other Arthaland developments, each tower of Una Apartments will have its own Potager Garden where residents

can have access to healthy and organic produce. Units are also more spacious with a high floorto-ceiling height of 2.6 meters.

Una’s floors are made with s t one Polymer Composite ( s PC) which is the latest innovative material in the flooring indus try. With s P C Flooring, floors are more durable, water and scratch resistant, and easier to clean. It is also a sustainable community made up of 60 percent green and open spaces as all units have their own balcony.

It has also partnered with global furniture leader IKEA for several home products. Units have become more spacious with higher ceiling floor-to-ceiling height of 2.6 meters.

Future residents of Una Apart ments will have exclusive access

to a full-size swimming pool, kiddie pool, children’s play area, grill area, fitness center, function hall, and a sunken garden. t h ey will also experience leisurely strolls or bike rides amidst the wonderful architecture by Lean dro V. Locsin Partners and land scapedAsidegardens.fromkeeping the envi ronment healthy, Narciso said s e vina Park will also have its own health and wellness clinic in partnership with t h e Medi cal City ( t M C). t h is will provide residents with holistic health and wellness services that are rooted from primary care from the ex pertise of the hospital’s medical practitioners right inside this sustainable community.

For first time owners, Ar thaland made sure that Una Apartments is made even more accessible through the govern ment’s Building Eligible Resil ient Dwelling for Everyone (BA LAI BERDE) program, a housing program of the National Home Mortgage Financing Corpora tion designed to increase capi tal allocations exclusively for green-certified projects. t h is means interested buyers of Una Apartments may loan up to 90 percent of the appraised value not exceeding P6 million with fixed interest rates for as low as 4 percent with loan term up to 30 Unayears.Apartments to wer 1 is scheduled for completion by the fourth quarter of 2026. It is ontrack to achieve LEED by the U s G reen Building Council, WELL (WELL Building st andard), EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies), and BERDE.

Organized by the s u bdivision and Housing Developers Association Inc. ( s H DA), in partnership with the Depart ment of Human s e ttlements and Urban Development (DH s U D), this two-day conclave aims to tackle the housing pri orities of the new administration, as well as the importance of digitalization in resolving the challenges brought about by the ensuing Covid-19 pandemic and global economic crisis.

Mindful of the current housing backlog, this is among the top agenda of governance of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as he creates plans involving private developers and financial institutions in a more partici pative and inclusive approach for faster housing production.

In fact, the chief executive mentioned in his s t ate of the Nation Address his goal to strengthen the National Land Use Act of the Philippines that will provide for a rational and holistic management and development of land resources in the“Wecountry.proudly organize the biggest event for the housing industry, which brings together housing developers, policymak ers, and other housing stakeholders. t h e event will provide an avenue for them to meet and discuss future partnerships that can help us build more affordable hous ing for Filipinos through policy reforms and dialogues,” said s H DA President May

Rodriguez.Othertop government officials who will grace the event include Housing s e cretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar and s o c ioeconomic Planning s e cretary Arsenio M. Balisacan, who will give a keynote message and facilitate the Philippine macroeconomic briefing, respectively.

t h e housing sector in the country needs aggressive efforts. t he refore, we have to involve every stakeholder that can take part in this advocacy of the new ad ministration—that is to provide shelter to millions of Filipinos,” Acuzar stressed.

Also in attendance are s e nate Com mittee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement Chairman s e n. Joseph Victor Ejercito and House Committee on Housing and Urban Development Chair man Rep. Jose Francisco B. Benitez to talk about the legislative initiatives on housing and urban development.

Change-proofing the housing sector AROUND 300 housing sector stakehold ers are expected to grace the convention to hear from speaker experts on how they can respond together to the disruptive changes in the housing sector.

ABOI t I z I nfraCapital (AIC), the infrastructure arm of the Aboitiz Group, was presented with the BERDE5- s t ars district certification for its LIMA Estate in Batangas—the very 1st industrial estate and the largest project in the country to achieve this certification.

In the awarding ceremony held last August 3, Philippine Green Building Council’s (PhilGBC) Chief Executive Officer Architect Christopher Dela Cruz formally awarded the Building for Ecologi cally Responsive Design Excel lence (BERDE) 5- s t ars to AIC.

t h e certification recognizes AIC’s LIMA Estate for going above and beyond existing building and environmental laws, regulations, and mandatory standards—rec ognized as a benchmark by the Philippine Government and vari ous national agencies, and guided by

certification was received by LIMA Land, Inc. (LLI) President and AIC Economic Estates Head Rafael Fernandez de Mesa along side other LLI and AIC’s leader shipFernandezmembers.de Mesa said that the certification of LIMA as a BERDE district demonstrates AIC’s leadership in creating smart and sustainable industrial estates in the Philippines.

“Having received this certifi cation is a validation of our com mitment to sustainable develop ment including the contribution of our projects to health and well being, community engagement, and economic opportunities,” Fernandez de Mesa said.

Philippine Green Building Coun cil, by certifying the buildings within LIMA’s Central Business District, including LIMA to wer One, the first of a seven build ing office park currently under construction, as well as our Eco nomic Estates in Cebu, West Cebu Estate in Balamban, and ME z 2 Estate in Lapu-Lapu City, where we are also expanding, elevating, and transforming,” Fernandez de Mesa added.

t h e first day of the event will have speakers delving on topics, including ur ban planning and development programs, legislative initiatives on housing and urban development, sustainable financ ing for housing, and the private sector’s success stories in residential and urban development projects.

Notable speakers will include 8990 Holding Inc. Chairman and Cofounder Mariano Martinez, Pag-IBIG Chief Execu tive Officer (CEO) Acmad Rizaldi Moti, BDO Unibank President and CEO Nestor ta n, I-Remit Inc. Chairman Bansan Choa, Damosa Land President Ricardo Lagda meo, Century Properties Group President and CEO Jose Marco Antonio, and PROFriends Cofounder Guillermo Choa.

“When nobody wanted to take a risk, they (AIC) did it. At a time when people are not sure, they complied. At a time when people would say that the requirements won’t work, AIC showed 9 out of 10 times that it would work.”

t h e BERDE 5- s t ars district

Ar. dela Cruz lauded AIC’s ini tiative to participate in BERDE’s certification process, following PhilGBC’s call for participants for the pilot program.

AIC bared plans to ensure the adherence of its estates to the requirements of an increas ingly sophisticated and discern ing market, to help establish the Philippines as a preferred investment destination in the region and create high-valueadded“Wejobs.look forward to strength ening the partnership with the

t h e LIMA Estate is currently home to commercial outlets such as t h e Outlets at Lipa, LIMA Exchange, LIMA Park Hotel, LIMA tr ansport Hub, and for completion by 2024, the LIMA to wer One, a PE z A -certified and BERDE-accredited green build ing which is the first of a planned seven-tower office park. AIC has also previously broken ground for the third phase of its Commercial Lots within the 30-hectare LIMA Central Business District (CBD), open to investors and other par ties aiming to capitalize on the anticipated economic expansion outside Metro Manila.

t h e second day of the convention will highlight regional development and local government units’ processes, innovation for housing through technology, incen tives and smart subdivisions, public utili ties in housing development, and public housing and subsidies.

t h ese will be discussed by Bacolod City Mayor and League of Cities of the Philippines Chairman Alfredo-Benitez, Meralco President and CEO Ray Espi nosa, PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp.

Vice President Romeo s a bater, National Housing Authority General Manager Jo eben ta i, and PhilGuarantee President and CEO Alberto Pascual.

In a country like the goingPhilippines,green is a quixotic task. theirwillandtheirpeoplesatisfyingbecomesagendasustainabilitytocommittedArthalandboutiquenevertheless,developerremainspursuethebecauseithighlywhensupportworthycausehopemorejointhemincrusade.

LIMA Estate also won Phil GBC’s Leadership in s u stainable Design and Performance Award —making it the Philippines’ of ficial entry to the WorldGBC Asia Pacific Leadership in Green Building Awards.

UAAP fires off with heavy sked for Season 85

OBIENA’S ROUTINE: ALL WORK, LESS REST

By Josef Ramos

A describemortalsroutineathleteWORLD-CLASShasatrainingordinarywouldreadilyasvicious.

But that’s how winners are made, especially on the world stage.

Ernest John “EJ” Obiena’s routine in his training base in Formia, Italy— where legendary pole vault coach, Ukrainian Vitaly Petrov, holds base— is basically just that.

I wake up normally at 6:30 a.m., wash my face and brush my teeth,” said Obiena, a basic for most mortals.

“Then I prepare my breakfast— yogurt, fruits and eggs.”

Obiena does his own cooking and the eggs? He fries them with no oil, some butter sometimes.

I barely use oil, the pans are nonstick anyway, no need for oil,” he said.

Unlike the rest of the guys [Brazilian Olympic champion Thiago Braz, American Chris Nilsen, to name a few], they have a team with them, they have somebody else doing the cooking for them, even the grocery,” he said.

training program.

Some four hours later, it’s lunch time at the training center mess hall. There, food is prepared by a nutritionist—no ala carte for him.

I do a Keto diet for lunch, take some two-hour break, then it’s back to training—track, gym, whatever the program says for the day,” he said.

Obiena shuns sugar almost totally.

“After 4, it’s non-track for me, maybe talking with my family here, attend to some meetings [virtual] and answer questions from media,” he said.

Obiena, referring to agents from the World Anti-Doping Agency who does random tests—unannounced—to the world’s top athletes.

THE University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 comes off the wraps on October 1 with a traditional double-header in men’s basketball featuring reigning champion University of the Philippines (UP) against De La Salle at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The other game pitting host Adamson University against University Santo Tomas (UST) will usher in the season where the UAAP finally returns to a full calendar more than two years into the pandemic.

The basketball games on October 2 will feature University of the East against National University and Ateneo against Far Eastern University.

“ Mostly, it’s no sugar, I get sugar anyway from other sources,” he said. “We use fats as our main source of energy.”With training day at the track over, Obiena packs his bags, drops by the grocery or does some errands.

M aybe an hour or so later, he’ll be at the gym, working on his speed and endurance and strength by lifting some weights. The session ends at around 8 p.m. or even a half-an-hour further.Then it’s back to his pad where, because he’s by his lonesome, he’ll be cooking his own dinner.

A fter dinner, he’s got a moment for himself.Atpast 9, I call my girlfriend, family, friends and before 10, it’s lights off,” Obiena said.

Th at’s how world-class athletes do it and for Obiena, it’s a six-day cycle that doesn’t rest on a Sunday.

Today, and for the next two weeks, Obiena won’t be doing that routine.

A mid strict protocols, the UAAP staged Season 84 last March with only a handful events, including men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, women’s 3x3, men’s and women’s chess, poomsae and beach volleyball.

The opening ceremony will be prerecorded and will be aired by Cignal TV along with the rest of the games.

A t 9:30 a.m. it’s off to the track where Petrov has already prepared his poles and drawn the day’s

There are times when his cooking is interrupted by a knock on the door. Random [dope] testing,” said

Super League gets going Saturday

He’s in town with his girlfriend, German longjumper Caroline Joyeux, for a much-needed vacation. TINKERS WITH ROSTER BEFORE CUP OPENS

Under the “better normal” as described by UAAP president Fr. Aldrin Suan of host school Adamson University and Executive Director Atty. Rebo Saguisag, the UAAP will “Rise as One” by staging 60 events in 21 sports.

Now, we are back and full of life,” Fr. Suan said during Tuesday’s online session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.

wanted the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings to be more lethal in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup that starts Wednesday—he got a slasher and a shooter.

Ginebra acquired high-flying Jamie Malonzo from NorthPort and shooting ace Von Pessumal in a trade that involved San Miguel Beer and again NorthPort, stressing that he tinkered with his roster with the next half a decade or so in mind.

“ We really believe that Jamie [Malonzo] is the guy that we can build the team around for maybe the next several years,” Cone said. “In terms of Von [Pessumal], we have a younger shooter and hope to give him the opportunity.”Thedevelopment saw the Gin Kings giving up veteran shooter Jeff Chan, another sniper Arvin Tolentino, big man Prince Caperal and Kent Salado.

M alonzo, the 2020 second overall pick, was shipped by NorthPort to

Ginebra for Tolentino, Caperal and its 2023 first-round pick.

We have to give up our young key players and our first round pick— that’s an expensive get for us,” Cone said. “Malonzo and Von will start practicing tomorrow [Wednesday].”

Pessumal, on the other hand, was traded by San Miguel Beer to NorthPort for second round picks in 2024 and 2025, then the Batang Pier sent Pessumal to the Gin Kings for Chan and Salado.

The 6-foot-7 Filipino-American Malonzo, 26, didn’t only average 17.2 points and 10.1 rebounds last conference, but was also a rim protector with 1.4 blocks and 1.9 steals.

Ginebra also has 6-foot-5 rookie Jeremiah Gray, who already recovered from a knee injury that barred him from playing in the Philippine Cup.

“ We have a promising line up, yes, and we can build on there,” Cone said. “But we have to figure it out altogether and there’s a lot of things to consider in winning

a championship, like injuries so everybody must stay healthy.”

Ginebra, with resident import Justin Brownlee—the shortest in the conference at 6-foot-5—will play its first game at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday against Converge, which parades debuting head coach Aldin Ayo.

Blackwater, meanwhile, battles guest team Hong Kong Bay Area Dragons at 3 p.m. as the Commissioner’s Cup begins Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

EXPECT nothing but thrilling battles when the country’s leading college and university teams vie for the crown in the inaugural Shakey’s Super League 2022 Collegiate Pre-season Championship set to unwrap on Saturday at the historic Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

supreme in the SSL following their unbeaten championship runs in their respective collegiate leagues.

But it will be a tough feat to achieve as 16 other squads are equally hungry for glory in the seasonopening conference organized in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education.

Th is will be the first time that a tournament will feature all eight teams from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and 10 from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

“We’re very excited about this conference as we will be able to watch the best college and university teams compete before the start of their respective collegiate seasons,” said Dr. Ian Laurel, president of SSL organizer Athletic Events and Sports Management Inc. (ACES), during the league’s press conference on Saturday at the Philippine Sports Commission Hall inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

ACES chairman and CEO Philip Ella Juico, Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures Inc. (SPAVI) president and CEO Vicente Gregorio, Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Noli Eala, coaches and team captains of participating teams were also present during the media launch.

The 18 teams are divided into four groups with Pool A composed of University of the Philippines, University of the East, Mapua, San Beda University and University of Perpetual Help.

A damson University, University of Santo Tomas, San Sebastian College, Emilio Aguinaldo College and Lyceum of the Philippines University are in Pool B while National University, Ateneo de Manila University, Jose Rizal University and Arellano University are in Pool C.

Saint Benilde is joined by De La Salle University, Far Eastern University and Letran in Pool D.

Using an all-to-play format, all players listed in a team’s roster will be fielded.

A side from basketball, which includes 3x3 and the boys’ side, also on tap are badminton, chess, table tennis, beach volley, swimming, athletics, cheer dance, judo, taekwondo, football, volleyball, fencing, softball, baseball, football, tennis and street dance.

But the protocols will still be there (like weekly testing).

Every venue will have their own requirements,” said Saguisag, adding that basketball venues like the MOA Arena and Araneta Coliseum will still impose certain restrictions.

The patron section will be opened but not full. The area behind the bench will remain restricted,” Saguisag said. “Cordoned off there is no contact with the players. The health of student athletes is still paramount.”

COLLEGE of Saint Benilde pulled away in the second half to turn back University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, 81-64, and extend its perfect run to three games in the National Collegiate Athletic Association seniors basketball tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Centre Tuesday.

The Blazers outscored the Altas, 3210, in the third period to erect a 65-42 advantage and never looked back.

“We’re happy to win and we’re thankful. We thank the Lord for our victory,” Saint Benilde coach Charles Tiu said. The

teamunbeatenonlyintheTIMCONE

tournament, the Blazers wanted to remain consistent in every game.

“My goal is to improve every game, no matter where we play.  Hopefully, we learned our mistakes from the past,” Tiu said. “It feels nice to be winning but we cannot look at the record, right? It’s such a long season right now, you know anything can happen in the next few games.”

Will Gozum had 16 points and 12 rebounds with two blocks and two assists, Miggy Corteza added 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocks and Rob Nayve scored 12 points for the Blazers.

Rey Barcuma paced Perpetual Help, now with a 1-2 won-lost record, with 14 points, Kim Aurin had 13 points and Marcus Nitura added 12 points and five rebounds.

The former Ateneo star was blocked on September 12 this year from playing in the Korean Basketball League (KBL).  The decision was made by the Fiba (International Basketball Federation) upon clarification from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

The SBP was forced to seek the Fiba verdict after discovering that Navarro is in possession of two contracts.

Navarro has a contract to play for SBP’s Gilas Pilipinas until March 23, 2022.  Yet, he signed last July another contract to play for the KBL’s Seoul Samsung Thunders.

A side from the two contracts, Navarro, 25, is also with NorthPort after he got selected in a special Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)-Gilas Draft two years ago.

In explaining the Fiba decision to thumb down Navarro’s Korean stint, the SBP, through its executive director Sonny Barrios, said:  “The SBP does not intend to unduly prevent

A ll eyes will be on UAAP champion National University and NCAA titlist College of Saint Benilde as both squads are looking to reign

This  tournament format will benefit the teams as they work on improving their level of play and chance for coaches to use different combinations of players. This will also serve as a huge opportunity for new recruits and those off the bench to showcase their skills,” Laurel said.

Umandal, PGJC-Navy Sealions foil Santa Rosa spikers’ semifinals bid

PGJC-Navy imposed its will in the middle sets then went to Jao Umandal in the third as the Sealions ended the Santa Rosa City Lions’ semifinals playoff hopes with a 25-12, 25-11, 25-22 victory in the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference at the close of the eliminations at the Paco Arena in Manila Tuesday.

Umandal drilled in the bulk of his 12-point output in the stretch where the Sealions had to dig deeper to thwart their young rivals’ lastditch attempt to extend the match the latter virtually yielded in the face of the Sealions’ commanding performance in the first two sets.

The victory thus closed out Navy’s

campaign in the single round robin qualifier with a 5-1 (win-loss card) anchored on a four-win run capped by its four-set reversal over Cignal HD last September 13.

“We’re happy with the win. We really prepared hard for this and it primed us for the semis battle,” said Navy coach Cecil Cruzad, whose wards brace for a grind against the unbeaten National U-Sta. Elena and Cignal HD in the next round, also a round robin phase.

The win also crushed the City Lions’ bid for a crack at a playoff for the last Final Four seat.

Santa Rosa wound up with a 1-5 card for joint sixth with AteneoFudgee Barr.

players from furthering their careers with other teams here or overseas.  But it is a fundamental and ethical practice for players to honor existing contracts with their mother teams.”

I n this case, Navarro’s mother team is Gilas—at least up to March 2023.

So, is there anything wrong with SBP’s position?  Is the SBP’s call to honor a live contract out of order?

Seemingly, yes to both Greg Slaughter, Japan leaguebound, and Kai Sotto, now playing in Adelaide, Australia.

Sotto wrote on Twitter: “I’m sorry but this is crazy.  THIS HAS TO STOP. You got players who’ve been working hard and dreaming to play basketball at the highest level they can reach and we got our own people stopping us from achieving our greatness. At the end of the day, one’s success is ‘everyone’s.’ So we have to help each other go up!  Not down.”

S laughter wrote:  “TOTAL BS and crab mentality at its highest.”Dothey make sense?

You be the judge.

THAT’S IT EJ Obiena, our very own world No. 3 pole vault star, is in town for a much-needed break—three years after

To give way to the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers in November, the UAAP will follow a schedule, with double-headers on Saturdays and Sundays and quadruple-headers on Wednesdays.Alleightteams will play on Wednesdays,” said Fr. Suan during the forum presented by San Miguel Corp., Milo, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Amelie Hotel Manila and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

Saguisag said the schedule in men’s basketball “may go down deep into December.”

“ We always believe our team is strong, and the players affirmed this by helping each other to achieve their goal,” Cruzad added.

Greg Dolor matched Umandal’s output while Jemmy Entig and Peter Quiel each pumped in eight points as the Sealions unloaded 43 attack points, more than doubling the City Lions’ 23-hit effort.

E J Casana produced 23 excellent sets, feeding his middles to a string of points that spiked their romp in the first two frames.

It’s a big morale boost as we head to the semis,” Umandal said. “It’s a big motivation for us to finish at 5-1. But it’s a step-by-step process, there’s no time to relax, and we have to work doubly hard in training.”

Navy also finished with five kill blocks against Santa Rosa’s two while pouncing on the City Lions’ miscues to score 24 points while yielding 17 of their own errors.

MALONZO PESSUMAL

spartan-likeroutineJohnathletes,world-classErnest“EJ”Obienaincluded,haveathat’sfarthantherestofours.

UMANDAL

LPGPhoenixIbeh,import10withNorthPort,6-foot-returningPrincemeetsSuperat5:45p.m.

Josef Ramos

THE Blazers’ Michael Mara loses the ball to the Altas’ Cedrik Abis.

EMOTIONS usually shoot up when a nervy issue crops up— such as the case of Will Navarro.

having himself practically immersed in the sport he had begun to embrace so faithfully in 2014. The true sportsman and a gentleman that he is, he has paid courtesy calls to Chairman Noli Eala of the Philippine Sports Commission and President Bambol Tolentino of the Philippine Olympic Committee.  By way of recognizing his recent global feats of having won six gold medals in eight events in Europe, Sen. Bong Go, the Senate chair of the committee on sports, spearheaded a resolution commending Obiena, 26, for his effusive efforts to consistently bring honor to flag and country.  Welcome home, EJ.  The nation salutes you.