BusinessMirror September 21, 2023

THE recent spike in infl ation prompted the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to revise its growth forecast for the Philippines this year.

In its latest Asian Development Outlook (ADO) report, ADB said the Philippine GDP growth is expected to average 5.7 percent, three percentage points lower than its estimate in April.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed infl ation averaged 5.3 percent in August on the back of higher rice and vegetable prices. (Full story here: https:// businessmirror.com.ph/2023/09/06/ august-inflation-swells-to-5-3-onprice-spikes/)

“Domestic demand and public investment are expected to contin-

ue to support growth. As in ADO April 2023, infl ationary pressures are projected to moderate next year and the current account deficit to narrow,” ADB’s report stated.

However, the Manila-based multilateral bank retained its April growth forecast for the country’s GDP growth at 6.2 percent in 2024.

ADB also retained its infl ation forecast at 6.2 percent in 2023 and 4 percent in 2024.

ADB said the downside risks to its outlook for the Philippine economy may come from global headwinds such as geopolitical tensions and a sharper-than-expected slowdown in major advanced economies. Other risks, ADB said, include possible severe weather distur-

bances including the El Niño dry weather phenomenon, and pressures from higher global commodity prices.

ADB also said second-round effects from higher transport fares and minimum wage hikes could keep infl ation high.

“ e Philippines’ growth story remains strong despite an expected moderation in 2023. Public investment and private spending fueled by the low unemployment rate, sustained increase in remittances from Filipinos overseas, and buoyant services including tourism will support growth,” said ADB Philippines Country Director Pavit Ramachandran. “ e government’s large infrastructure projects should stimulate consump-

tion, boost jobs, and spur more investment.”

ADB noted that the government met its target spending on infrastructure of 5.3 percent of GDP in the fi rst half of the year and is expected to maintain this level of investment with several big-ticket projects underway. e bank is helping fi nance some of these major, transformative projects such as the MalolosClark Railway Project, South Commuter Railway Project, Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project, and Integrated Flood Resilience and Adaptation Project—Phase 1 approved last week.

AUGUST BOP WIDENS TO $57M ON DEBT PAYMENTS

THE country continued to post a Balance of Payments (BOP) deficit for the fifth consecutive month in August 2023, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

e country’s overall BOP deficit reached $57 million in August, wider than the $53 million posted in July, but narrower than the $572 million recorded in the same month last year.

“ e BOP deficit in August 2023 reflected net outflows arising mainly from the National Government’s [NG] payments of its foreign currency debt obligations,” BSP said.

However, BSP said that the wider deficit in August did not prevent the country from posting a BOP surplus in the January to August period this year.

Based on the data, the country’s cumulative BOP position was at a surplus of $2.1 billion in the eight-month period. is was a reversal from the $5.5-billion deficit recorded in the same period a year ago. “ is development reflected mainly the improvement in the balance of trade and the sustained net inflows from personal remittances, trade in services, and foreign borrowings by the NG,” BSP said.

Last week, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the country’s trade deficit for January to July 2023 reached $32.2 billion. Based on the preliminary International Merchandise Trade Statistics data, this was a narrower trade deficit than the $35.8-billion deficit posted in the same period last year.

Meanwhile, with the latest BOP data, the country’s gross international reserves (GIR) level decreased to $99.6 billion as of endAugust 2023 from $100 billion as of end-July 2023.

e latest GIR level represents a more-than-adequate external

THE Europeans are coming! is was the assurance made by Romania’s Ambassador to the Philippines Raduta Dana Matache on Wednesday at a European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) luncheon where tourism prospects in the Philippines were discussed.

“We hope in a few months there will be a free trade agreement [FTA] between the Philippines and the European Union [EU]. is will be an engine for business coming here. Business also attracts tourists. So I believe that there will be a lot more European tourists in the Philippines,” she said at the event’s open forum.

Talks have resumed between the Philippines and the EU for an FTA, which started in 2015 under

the administration of President Aquino, but ground to a halt under the term of President Duterte. e EU is the Philippines’s fourth largest trade partner, with bilateral trade having reached US$19 billion in 2022.

DOT Undersecretary for Finance Shereen Yu-Pamintuan, a key speaker at the ECCP meeting, said the agency recognizes the importance of Europe as a major

B A E. S J @andreasanjuan

THE IT-BPM industry is on track to reach 1.7 million full-time employees (FTEs) by the end of 2023, despite the industry having “more demanding” job requirements for job seekers and graduates, IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) President Jack Madrid said on Wednesday.

“We started with 2023 with 1.57 million and I would say that we are on track to touch 1.7 million by the end of 2023,” Madrid said in a televised interview on Wednesday.

Based on the IT-BPM Roadmap 2028, the industry is eyeing to provide jobs to 2.5 million full-time employees by the end

of 2028. By 2023, the IT-BPM industry expects to reach 1.7 FTEs and US$35.9 billion in revenue.

With the industry’s goal of attaining the said employment target for the year, however, Madrid explained the issue on demand-supply talent gap that the IT-BPM currently faces.

“ e reason for the gap is that there really is a very big demand curve, that’s one. Second, the supply of employable talents in this increasingly competitive job market is not quite enough. And the second reason that I want to cite is that while we have almost 800,000 college graduates, there is a skills gap that has resulted in a job skills mismatch,” the IBPAP head explained.

Undersecretary for Finance and Administration Shereen Gail Yu-Pamintuan (center) invites ambassadors and business executives from Europe to send more tourists to the Philippines at a luncheon meeting of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines. Guest panelists are Samuel David, IATA Country Manager for the Philippines (right) and Cenelyn Manguilimotan-Dalnay, COO Parklane Hotels and Resorts (on screen). Benito Bengzon Jr., Executive Director of the Philippine Hotel Owners Association (left) hosts and moderates the event.

ADB...

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Strong growth in services output of 7.2 percent in the first half of 2023 was on top of an 8.8-percent expansion a year earlier, with the sector contributing 80 percent of GDP growth in the period.

The country recorded 3.6 millionforeign visitor arrivals from January to August, surpassing 2.7 million visitors in all of 2022, government data show.

Higher tourism-related receipts, sustained remittances, and strong service exports, particularly from business process outsourcing, will help lift the current account and offset weak merchandise exports, the report said.

Meanwhile, ADB said the region’s developing economies are forecast to grow 4.7 percent this year, a slight downward revision from a previous projection of 4.8 percent. The growth forecast for next year is maintained at 4.8 percent.

ADB said among developing Asia’s subregions, Southeast Asia’s growth outlook is cut to 4.6 percent this year from an earlier projection of 4.7 percent, due to weaker export demand.

Inflation in developing Asia and the Pacific is expected to average 3.6 percent this year, down from an earlier projection of 4.2 percent. This is largely due to low inflation in China, along with steadying food and energy prices. The inflation forecast for next year is 3.5 percent. Cai U. Ordinario

France affirms support for AFP’s ongoing modernization program

By Rex Anthony Naval

The reaffirmation took place following the introductory call of French Ambassador-designate to the Philippines, Marie FontanelLassalle, on DND Secretary Gil -

berto C. Teodoro Jr. on September 14.

“Emphasizing France’s role as a partner in the Indo-Pacific region, Ambassador-designate Fontanel re-

iterated France’s offer to support the AFPMP, including the Naval Group’s readiness to assist in building a Philippine submarine force,” DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said in a statement released on Wednesday.

Fontanel also said she looks forward to the continued improvement of the two countries’ relations following the recent opening of the French Embassy’s defense mission.

“Other matters raised during the call were the Philippines’ recent joint sails with the United States, and the possible reciprocal visits between the defense ministers of the Philippines and France,” the DND spokesperson added.

Teodoro also underscored the importance of enhancing defense ties with other countries around the globe and how it strengthens complementary relationships such as on trade, investment, and commerce.

“He [DND chief] further suggested that France converge with other like-minded states in upholding freedom of navigation and addressing maritime challenges,” Andolong noted.

This as Teodoro welcomed the “shared commitment of the Philippines and France” to the rulesbased international order and adherence to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

MORE EUROPEAN TOURISTS SEEN WITH EU-PHL FREE TRADE PACT

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source market for tourists. “We are focusing on developing all of the products that are the top of mind of the Europeans. We noticed that they don’t come here just for sun and beach; many Europeans come here to learn about sustainable development goals, to learn about our communities live the authentic way

of experiencing the Philipines,” she added.

Thai-PHL island destinations

DATA from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed 415,348 visitors from Europe from January to September 18 this year, just 29 percent less than the 583,338 who arrived from January to September 30, 2019.

For his part, Thailand Ambassdor to the Philippines Tull Traisorat cited the need for flight connections to encourage their own tourists in Phuket or Koh Samui to go on to other key destinations in the Philippines like Boracay, Cebu, Bohol, and Palawan. “I’ve been promoting the two-way tourism between Thailand and the Philippines according to the ’two countries-one destination’ [program].... So those divers who come to Phuket [can] continue to Cebu or Palawan, or those who come to Cebu, will continue to Phuket.... But the key is direct flights,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) projects that recovery of international flight connectivity and passenger traffic to the Philippines will likely be in 2026. IATA country manager Samuel David noted that while cargo ticket sales have doubled, “We’re not quite there. As of June 2023, when you compare our passenger data of travelers to the Philippines to 2019, we’re still at 75 percent international passenger traffic.”

‘Headwinds’ to flight recovery

HE added, in terms of international air connectivity, the Philippines was just 19-percent short of the prepandemic levels. “If we can

bridge that gap, then you will have more access to locations like Cebu, Zamboanga, and other areas outside of Metro Manila,” he said.

But David also warned of “headwinds that may affect the full recovery of international traffic and flight connectivity to the Philippines due to global developments such as economic uncertaintities, geopolitical situations [e.g. Ukraine-Russia and other hot spots] that forced the closure of airspace,” rising fuel prices, shortage of manpower, among others. Just recently, local carriers have had to deal with global supply chain issues leading to shortage in aircraft spare parts, forcing them to frequently cancel or delay their flights.

For her part, lawyer Cenelyn Manguilimotan-Dalnay, chief operating officer of Parklane Hotels and Resorts, echoed the sentiment of the airline sector, that in terms of recovery, “We’re getting there, but we’re not really totally there.”

But she expressed optimism that hotel industry will return to prepandemic profitability “around late next year, and hopefully early 2025.” She attributed her optimistic projection to the developments in her own property, which has been performing well ahead of its targets in this year’s budget.

DOJ forming task force for ‘Socorro cult’ investigation

THE Department of justice (DOJ) is set to form a task force to handle the investigation into the illegal activities of the so-called “Socorro cult” in order to protect the welfare of its minor victims.

In an interview, DOJ spokesman Jose Dominic Clavano IV said the task force’s technical working group will be composed of representatives from the DOJ and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“We don't want the children to relive the trauma over and over so we're forming a task force, TWG [technical working group], composed of DOJ and DSWD in order to provide a conducive environment where children can freely testify and offer evidence,” Clavano said.

The cult leader, identified as Jey Rence Quilario, alias “Senior Agila,” according to Clavano, had managed to lure children in Sitio Kapihan, Barangay Sering, Socorro, Surigao del Norte to gather at a nearby farm by introducing himself as their divine leader and scaring them that a catastrophe is about to happen that would end the world.

“Senior Agila is the divine leader of the cult. He’s the one preaching to the children of idealisms and different ideologies that he expects the children to believe to make them vulnerable to abuses,” Clavano explained. He said sexual exploitation of children, who are also being trained to become the cult’s military agents, happened in the said farm.

“The way they act, they are like a syndicate and we can surmise that this issue is really a symptom of a deeper problem, over and beyond legal remedies we are about to embark on, or the case we have to file,” Clavano said.

“What is needed is a whole-of-government approach. It’s the lack of education and the poverty they have been experiencing in the area.

On top of these, Madrid emphasized that the job requirements of the industry are becoming “more demanding” as the industry is also becoming more diverse.

Madrid said what used to be a “one-dimensional” customer service voice-based phone call has now matured and diversified into a “more diverse set of industry verticals.”

According to the IBPAP head, the industry spans all kinds of financial services including Insurance. Moreover, he divulged, “We are now the second health care provider in the world, being the second largest supplier of US-certified nurses.”

“So even within healthcare, there is health finance, there is care management, there is remote patient monitoring, there is pharmacovigilance, there are many many services even within healthcare alone. Not to mention the creative industry such as game development and animation,” said Madrid.

With this development within the industry, Madrid debunked the myth that the IT-BPM industry is about “simply answering repetitive phone calls,” adding that it has “matured well beyond that.”

However, Madrid pointed out that this means the skills required of the job seekers and university graduates will also be “more complex” on top of the basics such as comprehension, communication, and critical thinking.

To address the talent gap, the IBPAP head cited the industry’s initiatives which include working with its partners in the government.

“Our primary job is to communicate the need and the types of skills” required in the years ahead.

“And so, I think we have done that quite effectively. Second is to really initiate partnerships with government partners such as Commission on Higher Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, of course the DepEd, and the DICT who all have ways and means as well as some scholarship funds that are urgently needed to address the talent supply gap and also to update and modernize curriculum for future job seekers to meet this more complex job requirements,” Madrid said.

Although this will not stop us from filing the cases, we just hope that the root cause will be addressed,” Clavano added.

Clavano admitted that the training of children to become the cult’s army is very alarming as there is a possibility that they might be used to commit other violent crimes, including terrorism.

“It is a big red flag for us and this is precisely what we have to stop in order to maintain the peace and order in Surigao del Norte,” Clavano stressed.

The DOJ on Tuesday disclosed that 13 members of “Socorro cult,” including Quilario, have been charged before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Surigao del Norte for their alleged involvement in the sexual exploitation of children in the province.

Among the complainants were Municipal Mayor of Socorro, Surigao del Norte Riza Rafonselle Timcang, Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer Chien Cen Dizon, and the NBI-Caraga regional Office represented by agent Ace Ramoso.

They are accused of qualified trafficking under Section 4, in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, kidnapping and serious illegal detention under Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), violating of RA 11596 also known as an Act Prohibiting the Practice of Child Marriage and Imposing Penalties Thereof, violating of RA 7610 also known as Special Protection of Children Against Abuse Exploitation and Discrimination.

The complaint was filed last June 1 and has not prospered during a series of motions to inhibit the prosecutors handling the complaint.

Clavano said they are now mulling over the transfer of the cases to the DOJ for disposition. Joel R. San Juan

AUGUST BOP WIDENS TO $57M ON DEBT PAYMENTS

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liquidity buffer equivalent to 7.4 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income. This is more than twice the recommended threemonth import cover. This data ensures the availability of foreign exchange to meet BOP financing needs, such as for payment of imports and debt service, in extreme conditions when there are no export earnings or foreign loans.

Moreover, it is also about 5.7 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 3.9 times on residual maturity.

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

FRANCE has renewed its commitment to help in the ongoing Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program (AFPMP), the Department of National Defense (DND) announced Wednesday.

Offshore patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz deployed to Visayas waters

THE Philippine Fleet (PF) announced Tuesday it has deployed offshore patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) to the operational area of Naval Forces Central (NFC) this September 18.

Lt. Giovanni Badidles, PF spokesperson, said the Offshore Combat Force (OCF) under Commodore Edward Ike De Sagon ordered the deployment of the ship and its crew to NFC’s operational area, which covers the maritime areas of the Visayas Region.

“This deployment came after the completion of the dry docking and other related repairs [DDORR] of PS-16, which the OCF commander described in his remarks ‘as the culmination of one phase and the beginning of another—the responsibility to preserve the integrity of our territories and protect the country’s maritime interests,’” he added.

Badidles said the deployment also fulfills the PF’s mission of deploying capable assets and trained personnel to various areas of operations to maintain naval presence and maritime security.

“It also represents the Navy’s resolve to uphold territorial integrity, safe and secure seas, and regional stability,” he added.

The BRP Ramon Alcaraz, the ex-US Coast Guard (USCG) cutter USS Dallas, is a high endurance cutter commissioned in 1967 at the Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans.

She was the sixth ship or boat to bear the name of Alexander J. Dallas, the Secretary of the Treasury under President James Madison (1814–1816).

The ship is one of 12 Hamilton-class cutters built for the USCG.

It weighs 3,250 tons, has a length of 378 feet, beam of 43 feet, and draft of 15 feet. Its propulsion systems consist of two diesel engines and two gas turbine engines, giving it a top speed of 29 knots.

The ship has a cruising range of 14,000 miles and has a sea and loiter time of 45 days.

It has a complement of 167 officers and men and is armed with a 76mm Oto Melara main gun cannon, a Mark 38 “Bushmaster” auto cannon, and numerous .50 caliber machine guns. Rex Anthony Naval

Go backs passage of proposed DMW, OWWA budgets for ‘24

SENATOR Christopher Lawrence “Bong”

Go expressed his unequivocal support for the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and its proposed 2024 budget during a budget hearing on Monday, September 18.

Also included in the hearing is the proposed budget for the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

“I want to put on the record my full support for the proposed budget of the Department of Migrant Workers and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration,” Go declared.

He further stated,“Akopoaylubospusong sumusuportasamganakahandapangplano atprogramangdepartamentongitoparasa atingmgakapwaPilipinonanagtratrabaho sa labas ng ating bansa.”

Go highlighted the important role played by Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), and referred to them as modern-day heroes. “Maituturing natin ang OFWs na modern day heroes. Kasama ang iba pang Filipinos abroad, mahigit 10 milyon po yan,” he said.

He also acknowledged the support of his fellow senators, stating, “Masayapoako noongnakaraangkongresotalagaisinulong natin na magkaroon talaga ng sariling ahensya po para sa ating OFWs, sa tulong ngatingmgakasamahan,sapangungunang atingmajority leader Senator Joel Villanueva. Of course, Senator (Ronald) Bato dela Rosa at, ngayon, full support po sa atin si Senator JV Ejercito.”

Meanwhile, Go raised significant concerns about the underutilization of the Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFWs na Nangangailangan (AKSYON) Fund, a financial resource designated for the immediate care

House leaders urge BOC to file charges against rice smugglers

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz  @joveemarie

HOUSE leaders on Wednesday pressed the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to file charges against rice smugglers, including those behind the illegal entry of the food staple through ports in Mindanao, even as they strongly backed the distribution of confiscated rice to the poor.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and Bicol Saro Party-List Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan backed the decision of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to distribute confiscated smuggled rice to beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Zamboanga Peninsula.

The President led the distribution last Tuesday.

and assistance of OFWs in need.

“I note that P1.2 billion budget for the Agarang Kalinga atSakloloparasamgaOFWs naNangangailanganor AKSYON Fund has not been fully utilized as of August 31. Only 20 percent has been utilized.”

In addition to the issue of fund utilization, Go also drew attention to the human resources aspect of the department.

“I also echo the c oncern last hearing that 60 percent of the positions in the department are still unfilled. Sana po magawan ito ng paraan ng DMW para ma-maximize natin ang pagbibigay ng serbisyo sa ating mga OFWs,” urged Go.

Go also took the opportunity to discuss the state and condition of the OFW Hospital, a facility aimed at providing comprehensive health-care services to OFWs who return to the Philippines.

“Natalakayrinangestadoatkalagayanng OFW Hospital, at gusto ko ring maipahayag angakingsentimentopatungkolsausaping ito. Ang OFW Hospital ay naglalayong mapangalagaan ang kalusugang medikal, pisikal, at mental ng ating mga OFWs na bumalik dito sa ating bansa,” he said.

Further elaborating on the OFW Hospital, Go expressed concern about the budget allocated for its operations. He noted, “I want to also mention, Mr. Chair, the decrease in the proposed budget for the operation of the OFW Hospital. Only P13 million is allocated for its operations in the 2024 budget.”

Additionally, Go advocated for the passage of a legislation that would prioritize funding for the OFW Hospital by institutionalizing it.

“I congratulate the Bureau of Customs and other concerned agencies for a job well done, but they should not stop at confiscating rice and other products smuggled into the country. These offices should file charges against the smugglers immediately,” the Speaker said.

Romualdez said unless the culprits are jailed or punished, they would continue doing their illegal activities, even if some of their smuggled products end up being seized.

“Furthermore, this initiative solidifies our collective stance against the activities of hoarders, smugglers, and those who unscrupulously manipulate the prices of rice and other essential commodities,” he said.

According to Port of Zamboanga District Collector Arthur Sevilla, the rice distributed by the President to the poor was part of the illegal shipment in May this year.

He said 42,180 bags valued at P44 million were seized, stressing the confiscation, donation, and distribution of the staple was properly documented.

The government has outsmarted smugglers and taught them an expensive lesson with the president’s recent move to distribute smuggled rice stocks to poor families in Zamboanga, according to Yamsuan.

Yamsuan said this President’s action sends a strong message to smugglers and hoarders that they have

nothing to gain from their unfair trade practices, while at the same time extending assistance to poor households that have suffered the most from these illegal acts.

As the concurrent Agriculture Secretary, Marcos’ decisive move also aims to protect small Filipino farmers from unfair competition, as smuggled rice that flood the market usually pulls down the prices of their produce, Yamsuan added.

“The President has given smugglers and hoarders a bitter, expensive lesson where it would hurt them the most—their pockets. Their seized rice stocks mean their investments can never be recovered,” said Yamsuan, whose party list organization represents the people of Bicol, including the region’s more than 700,000 small farmers and fisherfolk.

“By his single, strong-minded act, the President has helped farmers and poor families and punished those who have made life difficult for them,” Yamsuan added.

Meanwhile, Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. on Wednesday welcomed

the National Bureau of Investigation’s move in filing of criminal charges for profiteering against six individuals in connection with the hoarding and price manipulation of onions, saying it only shows the government’s strong resolve in putting an end to agricultural cartels in the country.

Barzaga is a senior member of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food, which has been investigating the price manipulation of onions and other agricultural products.

The leadership of the lower chamber had called for a congressional probe in December last year when prices of onions surged to over P700 per kilo, and as a result, the panel chaired by Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga was able to unmask key cartel personalities and allied firms.

The House of Representatives has been cooperating with the Department of Justice and the NBI in going after the onion cartel, which is behind the hoarding and price manipulation of agricultural products, especially onions.

DENR exec vows push for responsible, globally competitive mining industry

AN official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the agency is committed to establishing a responsible and globally competitive mining industry, which is faced with yet another mining tax regime in the offing.

Interviewed at the sideline of the 2023 Mining Philippines International Conference and Exhibition in Mandaluyong City on Tuesday, DENR Undersecretary for Integrated Science Carlos Primo David said starting next year, the DENR will push for a more efficient and transparent system in the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), which regulates mining, as an integral part of the administration’s mining governance efforts.

The event came a day after the House appropriations committee approved the new fiscal regime for the mining sector, a measure that will generate an additional P37.5 billion in revenues for the government in the first full year of its implementation. The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) had earlier said the current mining tax regime is already high and an additional increase in mining tax will hobble industry growth.

David, who represented DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, delivered the

keynote speech during event at the EDSA Shangri-La in Mandaluyong City on Tuesday.

According to David, to help the industry, the DENR will introduce positive changes in both mining regulation and governance “for the expressed purpose of establishing a more professional, responsible and globally competitive mining industry.”

Organized by the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines COMP, the event, which came following a four-year hiatus, is expected to reignite discussions on the future of mining in the Philippines. With the theme “Seeing Green: Shaping a Sustainable Minerals Development Industry,” the event brought together a diverse assembly of participants, including government officials, private sector representatives, academics, indigenous communities, and mining host communities, with the hope of charting the future of mining in the Philippines.

According to David, several initiatives started by the DENR aim to improve both the regulation and governance of mining.

A lic ensed geologist and expert in environmental science, David said the DENR pilot-tested a new process called Negotiated Sustainability and Resilience Agreement or NSRA and will work towards

its implementation next year.

“It’s an add-on to the ECC [Environmental Clearance Certificate] process,” he said.

It w ould include a dialogue between the DENR and the mining company to identify and negotiate shared goals such as reduced environmental impacts, renewable energy adoption, and community resilience for the overall improvement of their quality of life.

“It will take only 90 minutes to complete,” he said, assuring mining companies that it will not be a burden or an additional regulation for miners.

N evertheless, the official said the NSRA goes beyond compliance.

“It is a partnership based on agreed values, principles, and specific milestones,” he said.

“To date, two mines have undergone the process—a new gold mine up in Kalinga and one of the largest copper mines in the Visayas,” he said.

“When in full swing, the agreed goals will be the hallmark of the evolution of a green mine,” David added. Meanwhile, the official said that the DENR is now also reviewing the Social Development Management Program (SDMP) to link it to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to build with the assurance that it responds to

CA confirmation hearing on Herbosa, 13 military officers set on Sept. 26

THE bicameral Commission on Appointments (CA) will deliberate on Teodoro “Teddy” Herbosa’s designation as Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH) on September 26, or three days before Congress closes session.

CA Assistant Minority Leader and Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said the CA’s committee on health, chaired by

Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, will hold its confirmation hearing on Herbosa’s ad in terim appointment on the last Tuesday of September.

The CA has also scheduled a caucus and a plenary session on September 26, according to Pimentel.

“Right now, the only presidential appointees awaiting confirmation are

Secretary Herbosa and 13 newly promoted senior military officers,” Pimentel said.

Congress will close session on September 29 and adjourn from September 30 to November 5, before resuming session on November 6.

The Constitution empowers the 25-member CA to scrutinize the competence, suitability, and integrity of key presidential

appointees, including Cabinet members, and to approve or disapprove these.

Under existing CA rules, an ad interim appointment ceases to be valid upon disapproval by the commission or, if not confirmed, until the next adjournment of Congress.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. appointed Herbosa as DOH head on June 6.

Herbosa, 64, was DOH undersecretary from 2010 to 2015.

He graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine and took his post-graduate studies at Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine.

Herbosa is the only Cabinet member still awaiting the CA’s nod.

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

PHL to receive more defense equipment from allies in coming days–DND chief

DEPARTMENT of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” C. Teodoro Jr. on Tuesday said the Philippines would be receiving more military equipment from its allies in the coming days.

He made this statement during the acceptance, turnover and blessing ceremonies of the Cessna C-208B  “Grand Caravan” intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft in Clark Air Base, Mabalacat, Pampanga.

Teodoro said, “There will be more exchanges like the transfer of the C-208 aircraft with other like-minded nations in the coming days.”

He did not provide any details on what kind of equipment and from

what country it will be coming from.

“The platform you see here is an ISR platform which will contribute, no doubt, to our command and control, and our ability to protect whatever mission area is critical to us,” the defense chief stressed.

Known for its rugged utility and flexibility capable of operating up to 912 nautical miles and stay airborne for five hours and 30 minutes, the C208B will be operated by the 300th Air Intelligence and Security Wing headed by Brig. Gen. Edgar C Torres.

The 208B has a cruising speed of around 170 knots and is capable of transporting eight to nine persons, including the pilot.

Teodoro also emphasized the importance of upholding the country’s territorial integrity and sovereign rights.

And while the new C-208B donated to the Philippine Air Force (PAF) will help contribute to peace in the country, the DND chief noted that “peace is only one of our national security goals” of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“Another national security goal, which is of paramount importance now, is the ability to secure the territorial integrity of our country, to secure our sovereign rights and our jurisdiction,” Teodoro said, adding that the country is upholding a rules-

based international order and international law.

“National peace cannot be sustained if we cannot secure our sovereign rights in areas which rightfully belong to the Filipino people,” he added.

Teodoro also encouraged the members of the PAF to “think of the big picture,” as the scope of operations has increased and the security of the archipelagic baselines should be of importance.

“Because of the fact that we have international law and order, which includes freedom of navigation and an international airspace as justification for what we are doing, we

hear a chorus of nations supporting us because we are in the right,” he added. The C-208 aircraft will be utilized in support of internal security operations, territorial defense, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response specifically in the conduct of rapid damage assessment and needs analysis during times of calamities and disasters.

The C-208B will also be significant in counterterrorism and law enforcement efforts.

With its arrival, the PAF now has three C-20Bs in its inventory, adding to the two delivered by the US in 2017. Rex Anthony Naval

host community and host ecosystems needs, and to ensure that any local vulnerability is transformed into capacity.

“We shall soon be calling on industry partners to review the new program before we put it into a DAO [Department Administrative Order],” he said.

David also stated that DENR is investing in the digitization of all mining-related information and the processing of applications and permits. “We have substantially completed migrating all data onto a single platform, with the exception of data from one last division in the MGB [Mines and Geosciences Board]. Digitization should address making our procedures more efficient, leading to shorter and more transparent processing permits and applications,” he pointed out.

To boost the process, he said the agency has engaged the expertise of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited-Philippines, a British multinational professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand.

“The PWC will be supporting our department-wide process as we ensure that the bureaus and their people and technologies are fit for purpose,” he ended.

Jonathan L. Mayuga

Bishops lead mass to commemorate 51st anniversary

declaration of ML

CALOOCAN Bishop Emeritus Deogracias

Yñigues and Novaliches

Bishop Emeritus Antonio Tobias will lead a mass at the Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace in EDSA today, September 21, at 12:15 p.m. to commemorate the 51st anniversary of martial law.

“We remember in our prayers the victims of martial law. We also pray that this darkest period in our history may never be repeated!,” a mass in invitation stated.

The mass will be a collective prayer in hopes of the martial law will not happen again in the country, according to a Radio Veritas report.

Martial law lasted for 14 years, ending through the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. Some of the leaders of the military-backed uprising were priests and nuns.  Patrick V. Miguel

THE Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) called for support to help secure the future of water resources in the Philippines, especially in far-flung areas that lack water supply and services.

In a sideline interview during the forum dubbed “Every Drop Counts: A High-Level Dialogue for a Water-Secure Country” that was held on Monday in Parañaque City, LWUA Chairman Ronnie L. Ong told reporters that there are still some 11 million families without access to clean water.

This, according to Ong, reflects that water security in the Philippines remains a far-fetched vision despite a survey by the Social Weather Stations in December 2022, which showed that 67 percent or 17 million Filipino households had already access to running or piped water.

O ng attributed the problem to the limited availability of this very basic necessity to the worsening water leakage problem nationwide due to old pipes and meters, poor water collection, and illegal connection, among others. In fact, he cited that around 448 million metric tons of water is being lost annually.

The so-called systems loss or non-revenue water (NRW) is as high as 70 percent in different provinces across the country. In LWUA’s case, 20 out of the 532 water districts under its auspices have leakages at above 40 percent. Such figures translate to a 30-percent average of NRW in the Philippines, or more than half of the global mean of 20 percent.

“I know the numbers are higher. I’m looking at around 40 percent to 50 percent,” Ong said in mixed Filipino and English. “That’s one of the main concerns that we need to address.

So we’re asking for help from the Congress if

they could fund and assist our water districts in fixing the leakages.”

For him, proper funding in the resolve of bringing down the country’s NRW to the global level could trickle down to the remedy of other related issues.

“If we can at least solve the water loss, it can also have an impact in the delivery of water in every household. It will become efficient. Also, the price of water will go down,” he noted.

“That’s one of the things that we’re trying to do in the short-term.”

Barely four months after he was appointed as chairman of the Board of Trustees of LWUA last May 24, the former legislator currently works on streamlining the operations of the government’s arm in promoting and overseeing the development of water supply systems in provincial cities and municipalities.

“For now, we’re doing the housekeeping. We mitigate bureaucracy, as much as possible zeroing on the red tape. Fast implementation of projects is very important,” Ong said. ”Like I told to myself, ‘it’s not business as usual because we really have an emergency for water.’ So work must not slow down.”

Mindful of today’s digital era, the LWUA chairman underscored the importance of modern technologies and innovative solutions that can revolutionize water management and security.

He pointed out the significance of adopting digitalization in improving water delivery and services, while noting that there are digital systems that still work even without an internet that water districts could tap to bring the much needed water even in isolated areas.

Roderick L. Abad

DOE bares significant growth in PHL’s electric vehicle industry for last 8 yrs

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

THE Department of Energy (DOE)

on Wednesday revealed that the country’s electric vehicle (EV) industry is experiencing significant growth over the past eight years.

“The DOE, as the lead agency under EVIDA

[Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act], will marshal its efforts to ensure the successful

implementation of EV initiatives,” DOE-Energy Utilization Management Bureau Director Patrick Aquino said.

“We are committed to driving the growth of the EV industry in the Philippines and providing a cleaner, more sustainable transportation alternative for our citizens,” he added.

Based on DOE data, the cumulative number of EV registration as of end-2022 stood at 9,666. In the previous years, the

number of registered EVs stood at 8,594 in 2021; 7,364 in 2021; 6,900 in 2019; 6,194 in 2018; 2,304 in 2017; 899 in 2016; 346 in 2015; and 145 in 2014.

W ith an increasing number of EVs available in the market and a surge in individual interest, Aquino believes that the value proposition of EVs is becoming increasingly evident, especially in light of rising oil prices and growing concerns about air pollution.

DENR outlines new direction in exploration of energy transition minerals for RE market

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is looking at a more focused government-led exploration of critical metals needed for renewable energy (RE) transition with the endgoal of encouraging the private sector to invest and boost mining prospects in the Philippines.

DENR Undersecretary for Environment and Integrated Science Carlos Primo David issued this statement during a news briefing at the sidelines of the ongoing Mining Philippines 2023 International Conference and Exhibition organized by the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) at the Edsa Shangri-La in Mandaluyong City on Tuesday.

With the theme “Seeing Green: Shaping a Sustainable Minerals Development Industry,” the event brought together a diverse assembly of

participants, including government officials, private sector representatives, academics, indigenous communities, and mining host communities to chart a new path for the future of mining in the Philippines.

Representing DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, David expressed DENR’s support to the mining industry in terms of governance and regulation, citing the potential of the country’s minerals development sector to be an important player in the global RE transition market.

“The government has a budget of P60 million for minerals exploration. But it’s like a ‘shotgun exploration.’ What we want to do is to focus it on certain areas,” he explained. David pointed out such a budget, which is for the whole country, is divided into 16 for equal

distribution for every region, including Metro Manila. Such a budget, he added, is not enough and the DENR now finds it imperative to focus the exploration activities for critical minerals, for instance, because of the increasing global demand for electric vehicle batteries.

“We wanted to focus that small budget and revive exploration by government. Hopefully, when we do the initial exploration, there is enough information for the private sector to get interested and continue the exploration,” he said.

David said the objective of would-be government-led exploration is to be able to identify minerals and declare more mineralized areas.

“We wanted to help the industry with this critical step. Before you develop, mining starts with exploration. It should be governmentinitiated,” he stressed. Among the targeted critical mineral deposits are nickel and chromium, David said.

Under EVIDA, accredited Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS) providers with registered EVCS, whose charging fees comply with unbundling requirements, are now permitted to collect charging fees. The DOE has also issued guidelines for this initiative, which include a six-month transition period set to expire on December 6, 2023.

Aquino reiterated the DOE’s commitment to supporting the EV industry by issuing an advisory next month to remind all stakeholders of the importance of accreditation, registration, and proper notification of unbundling fees. This effort aims to ensure the smooth and efficient transition to a more sustainable transportation landscape in the Philippines.

He said the government, through the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), will also follow up on previously explored areas that were eventually left or discontinued.

He said there’s one potentially gold-rich area that is not known to be a gold district that such government-led exploration discovered before. We want to revive those,” he said.

To do this, David said, a Department Administrative Order or Memorandum Circular will be needed “all for the purpose of being able to declare an area a mineral area, through government-led exploration, for any mining development in any mineral area goes additional royalty for government, and jobs, too,” said David, a licensed geologist and an expert in environmental science.

For gold, he said, it would require a little more extensive exploration. David said the plan is to drill one or two holes and see if there’s enough deposit in the area. For the nickel deposit, which is at the surface, exploration will cover a bigger area, he said.

David said potential nickel deposits that can be explored by the government are those in the areas of Zambales, Isabela, and Antique. Jonathan L. Mayuga

THE Philippines may be underutilizing its plant resources, including rare trees that have medicinal values, underscoring the need for protection and conservation amid climate change threats.

At the recently held Asean Conference on Medicinal Forest Trees in Pampanga, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) said the country has yet to maximize the economic benefits of medicinal plants despite their huge potential for health and wellness.

The event gathered some 117 participants from the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan who took part in the three-day conference.

A ccording to ERDB Director Maria Lourdes G. Ferrer, forest species studies reveal

interconnected relationships between nature and human health used by indigenous people worldwide for disease treatment.

Ferrer added there is a need to gather and preserve indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants and medicinal forest trees given their benefits and potential for economic activity. As we embark on this intellectual journey, let us remember that our discoveries have the potential to touch lives, alleviate suffering, and shape the course of healthcare and medicinal forest tree species conservation,” said Ferrer. For his part, ERDB Assistant Director Conrado B. Marquez said habitat protection through active management of forests, and governance with the appropriate funding allocation are vital for medicinal forest trees to adapt and become resilient to climate change.

Jonathan L. Mayuga

LWUA seeks lawmakers’ help to address systems loss, ensure water supply security

Pinoys may be underutilizing valuable medicinal plant resources–experts

Rep. Villafuerte hits DOE’s ‘dilly-dallying’ on strategic petroleum reserve program

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

@joveemarie

DOE following another round of fuel rate adjustments last Tuesday, September 19—the 11th time in 11 weeks—amid fears that the price hikes would continue till endDecember and that global oil prices could surpass $100 per barrel for the rest of the year.

Following a recent consultative meeting with House Speaker Martin G. Romualdez and top executives of oil companies, Villafuerte said DOE officials have said the weekly gasoline and diesel price hikes for almost three months now are likely to continue till the year’s last quarter because of the combination of rising global demand and supply and export cuts by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia.

Oil companies this week raised pump prices big time by P2.50 for diesel and P2.00 for gasoline, as the international benchmark Brent crude rose significantly to $93 a barrel from the previous week’s $89 rate, triggering speculation that the rate could hit $100 in the coming months.

its supplies to the world market by 1 million barrels until December, while Russia similarly eyes its production cutback of 300,000 barrels until the end of 2023.

He said sky-high fuel rates and rising food prices, which are partly a result of the higher transport costs of producers and traders, are mainly responsible for the sticky elevated inflation, which is expected to remain high for the rest of the year—and have already prompted financial analysts, such as those from ANZ Research, Nomura Global Markets Research, and Moody’s Analytics to downgrade their growth forecasts for the Philippines for the full year of 2023.

the department did during the previous government, the proposed fuel reserve meant to enhance the security of fuel supply would be up and running possibly before the yearend or sometime next year,” said Villafuerte.

But it seems this SPRP is still moving at an apparent turtle’s pace—if it is moving at all—at the DOE, given that we have heard nothing about the progress of this plan ever since it was formally put in motion exactly two years ago this month,” he added.

Th is proposed facility shall be run by the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC), which was created in 1973 to guarantee the adequate supply of oil and oil products and, later, to explore and develop our country’s energy sources.

N ational Unity Party (NUP) president and Camarines Sur LRay Villafuerte said the DOE should act on the SPRP with a much greater sense of urgency, “more so at this

time when the latest global oil price shock has raised the retail costs of diesel and gasoline for the 10th time in the same number of weeks.”

The lawmaker took a jab at the

V illafuerte said the oil price spirals are likely to continue for the rest of the year at the very least, citing a Reuters report that Saudi Arabia plans to continue cutting

Our energy officials are not helping President Marcos deliver on his ‘walang iwanan’ commitment to improve the lives of all Filipinos by seemingly sitting on their hands on this SPRP, whose purpose is to help cushion, especially for the poor and low-income families, the debilitating impact of spiraling day-to-day transport and food expenses,” he said.

If the DOE, under the watch of Secretary [Raphael] Popo [Lotilla], had only acted on this SPRP with a greater sense of urgency than

V illafuerte wondered aloud why DOE has yet to set this SPRP in motion when two major reasons for the country’s stubbornly elevated inflation are the rising food and transport costs, which, in turn, are partly triggered by the undue spikes in fuel prices in the global market.

The lawmaker chided Lotilla and DOE after getting hold just recently of a copy of Department Circular No. 2021-09-0028, issued by former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi on September 16, 2021, establishing the government-run Philippine Crude Oil and/or Finished Petroleum Products and Biofuel Reserve to, in this Department order’s words, “enhance security of fuel supply.”

Why some Filipino women still shun modern contraceptive use

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

MYTHS and misconceptions as well as shame and stigma are still among the reasons some women do not use modern contraceptives, according to the Commission on Population and Development (CPD).

Th is has led to not just the rising pregnancies among 10 to 14 year olds, but also repeat pregnancies among 10 to 19 year olds. Repeat pregnancies account for 17 percent of births among 10 to 19 year olds. This, CPD said, was due in part to their lack of information and access to contraception.

C iting data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), CPD said there were 26,099 live births in 2020 and 23,226 in 2021 among 10 to 19 year olds. At 17 percent, a total of 4,437 births were repeat pregnancies in 2020 and 3,948 in 2021 of adolescents aged 10 to 19 years old.

“ Many of these women are still not

choosing modern contraception due to numerous access barriers. These range from lack of awareness and affordability to limitations based on age or marital status, while shame, stigma, fear, poverty, gender inequality and many other factors undermine women and girls’ ability to exercise choice and to seek and obtain contraceptives. Persisting myths and misperceptions about modern contraception are also barriers to using contraceptives,” CPD said in a statement.

CPD Executive Director Lisa Grace S.

Bersales said the most recent National Demographic and Health Survey in 2022, where most Filipino married women 15 to 49 years old are using modern contraceptive methods at 41.8 percent, with the pill as the most preferred at 19.8 percent.

T he agency said this highlights the urgency to continue addressing the reproductive rights and empowerment of young people to make informed choices and decisions.

T his is also being emphasized by this year’s World Contraception Day (WCD) theme “Your Life Your Choice,” which is endorsed by over a dozen international organizations with a common interest in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people worldwide.

B ersales said collaborations with allied partners such as Bayer Philippines, the FORUM and other similarminded groups are crucial in enabling Filipinos to enjoy their rights to family planning and contraception.

“CPD recognizes and upholds the inherent rights of every Filipino to make informed decisions regarding family planning and contraception. This year’s WCD themes of ‘Your Life, Your Choice’ and locally: ‘Usap Tayo sa Family Planning,’ capture the essence of exercising those rights, which aim to ultimately benefit Filipino women and young girls into enjoying their full potential and capacities as contributors to the country’s human capital development.”

Complementing the upcoming World Contraception Day, Bayer also launched Bayer For Her: Conversations of Care in the Philippines last August 30, opening an initial series of free pop-up consultation clinics over the next two months at selected partner drug stores to encourage more women seek out expert advice on reproductive health.

T hese pop-up clinics aim to help create safe spaces for women to speak up and normalize conversations about their reproductive health concerns, address common misconceptions and the barriers why they do not consult with their doctors, and get the support they need.

B ayer For Her was originally launched in Thailand and has since grown into a movement spanning across the region, covering Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.

T he program is also a call to action for women in Asia to share #ConversationsofCare about their

own health issues, ranging from contraception to endometriosis and menstrual pain or heavy menstrual bleeding, and talk to a healthcare professional about them.

T he social stigma women face at home and in the workplace often result in a lot of stress and shame.

‘Bayer For Her’ advocates for women to find their best avenues to reach out to healthcare professionals, friends and family and not suffer in silence.

“We’ve had a lot of progress over the years in increasing access to modern contraception,” says Angel-Michael Evangelista, Managing Director and Country Division Head of Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Philippines, “but we still need to continue providing young people with access to accurate, expert information on reproductive health and contraception. This is why we are partnering with the CPD and The FORUM to enable more young people to make their own informed decisions and choices.”

TUCP proposes measures to stem ‘pandemic of human trafficking’

HOUSE Deputy Speaker and labor leader Democrito C. Mendoza on Wednesday suggested the country should launch programs and “whole-of-society” response against rising cases of illegal recruitment and human trafficking to save Filipinos lives.

T he “pandemic of human trafficking” has threatened thousands of Filipinos who “just want to provide a decent life for their families,” said Mendoza.

For the first two months of 2023, the Bureau of Immigration recorded at least 6,000 victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment in the country. In June,

De Jesus pointed out that this is not the “only case” where the country’s coral reefs in the West Philippine Sea were destroyed.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla earlier said the Department of Justice (DOJ) will recommend to Malacañang the filing of cases against China for the destruction of coral reefs and harvesting of corals in the West Philippine Sea. (Related story:  https:// businessmirror.com.ph/2023/09/19/doj-to-recommend-filing-of-case-vs-china-over-destruction-of-maritime-environment-in-wps/ )

In 2019, the BusinessMirror reported that China’s increasing demand for food will deplete marine resources in the West Philippine Sea and wreak havoc on the country’s fish supply in the near future. (Related story:  https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/07/04/china-fast-outstrippingphl-fish-catch-in-eez-maritime-experts-warn/ )

The loss is not just on account of China’s rapid devouring of Philippine fish. Its massive reclamation and artificial island building has destroyed vital coral reefs that provide habitat to marine resources. According to estimates by marine experts, the

over 2,700 victims were rescued in Las Piñas, following other rescues from other towns.

According to Mendoza, most fall victims to illegal recruiters and human traffickers due to poverty, lack of decent and secured jobs, soaring prices and unlivable wages.

A “one recruiter-to-one deployer correspondence” must be observed to end trafficking, according to a TUCP statement. This means a one-on-one correspondence between the foreign recruiter and the deployer in the Philippines.

Philippines is losing at least $647.5 million (P33.67 billion) annually from the marine resources—within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ)—that were destroyed by China.  Senate push MEANWHILE , senators are stepping up a clamor for China to pay for environmental damages it caused in the West Philippine Sea.

Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros led the push after the Philippine Coast Guard recently confirmed that the destruction of coral reefs in Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal was most likely caused by Chinese maritime militia vessels. The senator then filed Proposed Senate Resolution No. 804, condemning the massive coral harvesting and urging the appropriate Senate Committee to conduct an inquiry into the matter.

“ We should seek payment for damages caused by China in the WPS. Aabot ng bilyon-bilyon ang makukuha natin kung mao-obligang magbayad ang Tsina. Ninanakawan na nga nila ng hanapbuhay ang ating mga mangingisda, winawasak pa

In today’s situation, there can be as many as six recruitment agencies to one Philippine deployer.  Hypothetically, if “one recruitment agency is suspended, the Philippine deployer can still deploy to the other five.”

Moreover, the country should impose additional manpower and funding for smaller airports and seaports of border patrol task forces, TUCP said.

I n addition, TUCP urged that an education campaign would help end human trafficking. This will raise the awareness of Filipinos on issues and help them detect red flags on job offers.

nila ang ating likas-yaman. Kung mabayaran ng Tsina ang lahat ng utang niya sa Pilipinas, siguradong makakatulong ito sa kinakaharap nating krisis sa ekonomiya. [We can get billions of compensation if China is obliged to pay up. They have not just deprived our people of livelihood; they have stolen our natural riches. If China is made to pay up all it owes the Philippines, that can help us deal with the economic crisis],” Hontiveros said.

In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, the senator filed PSR No. 369, calling on the Executive to exert legal and diplomatic efforts so that China would foot the bill for our Covid-19 response. This call came after Dr. Deo Onda, a scientist from the University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute, estimated that the Philippines was losing around P33.1 billion annually from the damaged reef ecosystems in Panatag Shoal and Spratlys Islands due to China’s reclamation activities in the area.

Onda then explained that the amount was determined using a baseline value of $353,429 or P18 million per hectare per year for coral reefs based on a study conducted by Elsevier, a Dutch company

Victims of human trafficking should be provided a “national reintegration program,” TUCP added as the last part of the key measures.

According to TUCP, government agencies should be on the “frontlines” and provide victims a skills database to match them with a new decent job.

Amid the pandemic of human trafficking that already threatened thousands of Filipino victims who just want to provide a decent life for their families, the Philippines should lead in this global fight,” said Mendoza. Patrick

V. Miguel

Continued from A16

specializing in scientific, technical, and medical information and analytics.

“This will not be the first time for us to seek reparations. Japan paid our country for her destruction of Manila during World War II, and in more recent history, the United States of America also paid the Philippines P87 million, after the USS Guardian damaged Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea. May karapatan tayong maningil [We have the right to demand payment],” Hontiveros explained.

The resolution also states that the government cannot tolerate the continuing harms to the environment, economy, and security brought about by China’s incursions, and must explore available recources to hold China accountable, including a claim for damages to be filed with the Permanent of Court Arbitration. Our 2016 Arbitral Award clearly invalidated China’s sweeping and expansive claims in the WPS. This is a case we won because of our dogged commitment to abide by international law and uphold the truth. It is only right that we pursue all options to make China pay,” Hontiveros concluded. With a report by Butch Fernandez

He said that this 2021 DOE circular on the SPRP has not progressed as quickly as it should have, given the currently relentless global oil price spirals, and that energy officials have yet to lobby the 19th Congress at this point to pass a bill setting up such a fuel reserve facility—which was one of the assigned tasks to the DOE under DC No. 2021-09-0028.

And if the SPRP is not the answer, then our DOE officials must keep the public abreast of whatever proposals they have in mind, if not working on already, to somehow ease the impact of global oil market volatility on the consumers of an oil importer like the Philippines,” Villafuerte said.

Comelec exempts PUV fuel subsidy program from poll spending ban

By Patrick V. Miguel

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) approved a poll ban exemption on the government’s fuel subsidy distribution program to public utility vehicle operators and drivers ahead of the October Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).

The petition was filed by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), requesting exemption from the spending ban from September 15 to October 30.

By virtue of the authority granted upon me under COMELEC Resolution No. 10944, promulgated on 09 August 2023, the recommendation of the Law Department is hereby approved,” Comelec chairman George Garcia stated in a memorandum.

T he poll body issued Resolution 10944, prohibiting the “releasing, disbursing, or spending of public funds for social welfare projects” from September 15 until the day of the BSKE.

G arcia told reporters in a Viber message that their commitment is to approve petitions as soon as possible.

A day of delay may mean life and death to the families of our poor public utility drivers. Hindi tayo dapat makadagdag sa kanilang paghihirap [We shouldn’t add up to their struggles],” said Garcia.

WITH apparently no instant relief in sight for consumers from the nonstop rocketing of fuel pump prices until the yearend at the least, a senior lawmaker on Wednesday upbraided the Department of Energy (DOE) for “moving at an apparent turtle’s pace” on a twoyear-old DOE circular establishing a Strategic Petroleum Reserve Program (SPRP) to ease the impact of global oil shocks on the public.

*Date Generated: Sep 20, 2023

In the ad material of Notice of Filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on September 20, 2023, the salary range of CHERNENKO, ALEKSANDR under the company ADVANCED FINANCE SOLUTIONS, INC., should have been read as Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 and not as published.

Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE National Capital Region located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication.

Please inform DOLE National Capital Region if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

Atty. Sarah Buena S. Mirasol Regional Director

Russia ‘weaponized’ food, energy and children, Zelenskyy tells UN

By Jennifer Peltz & Derek Gatopoulos The Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Russia is “weaponizing” everything from food and energy to abducted children in its war against Ukraine—and he warned world leaders that the same could happen to them.

“When hatred is weaponized against one nation, it never stops there,” he said at the UN General Assembly’s annual top-level meeting. “The goal of the present war against Ukraine is to turn our land, our people, our lives, our resources into weapons against you—against the international rules-based order.”

The war in Ukraine has deepened major global supply disruptions caused by the pandemic, driving a huge spike in food and energy prices, jolting the global economy and increasing hardship in many developing countries.

Decades-old energy supply channels to Europe from Russia, a major oil and gas producer, were halted or severely disrupted by the war due to sanctions, trade disputes, pipeline shutoffs and a major push by Western countries to find alternative sources. Both Russia and Ukraine also are major grain exporters, and Russia withdrew this past summer from a deal that allowed shipments of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.

Zelenskyy pointed to the food and fuel crunches, and he highlighted what Ukraine says were kidnappings of at least tens of thousands of children taken from Ukraine after Moscow’s invasion: “What will happen to them?”

“Those children in Russia are taught to hate Ukraine, and all ties with their

By Aamer Madhani & Seung Min Kim

The Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS—President Joe Biden made his case before the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that the world must remain united in defending Ukraine against Russian aggression, warning that no nation can be secure if “we allow Ukraine to be carved up” as he tries to rally support for Kyiv’s effort to repel a nearly 19-month-old Russian invasion that has no end in sight.

The US president called on world leaders to not let support for Ukraine diminish, arguing that Russia is counting on countries to grow tired of prolonged conflict in Kyiv which will “allow it to brutalize Ukraine without consequence.” Russia alone is standing in the way of a resolution, Biden argued, saying that Moscow’s price for peace was “Ukraine’s capitulation, Ukraine’s territory and Ukraine’s children.”

“I ask you this: If we abandon the core principles of the United States to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they are protected?” Biden said in his address. “If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?

He continued: “I’d respectfully suggest the answer is no.”

The president’s forceful rhetoric on Ukraine appeared aimed not just for a global audience but for Washington, where an increasingly isolationist strain of the Republican Party is jeopardizing the prospects of the US successfully replenishing the steady flow of aid that has gone to Kyiv since the war began in February 2022.

The Biden administration has asked Congress to greenlight an additional $24 billion in security and humanitarian aid to

Oil nearing $100 a barrel red flag for central banks’ inflation fight

By Craig Stirling & Alice Gledhill

families are broken. And this is clearly a genocide,” Zelenskyy said in remarks that ran 15 minutes—the meeting’s often-disregarded time limit.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant in March for Russian President Vladimir Putin and another official, accusing them of abducting children from Ukraine.

Russian officials have denied any forced transfers of children, saying some Ukrainian youngsters are in foster care.

Russia gets its chance to address the General Assembly on Saturday.

Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky sat in Russia’s seat during Zelenskyy’s address.

“Did he speak?” Polyansky said with a wry smile when an Associated Press reporter asked about his reaction to the address. “I didn’t notice he was speaking. I was on my phone.”

Zelenskyy took to the world stage at a sensitive point in his country’s campaign to maintain international support for its fight. Nearly 19 months after Moscow launched a fullscale invasion, Ukrainian forces are three months into a counteroffensive that has not gone as fast or as well as initially hoped.

Ukraine and its allies cast the country’s cause as a battle for the rule of

Ukraine, but Republicans who control the House have all but ignored that request as lawmakers scramble to ensure government funding remains flowing beyond the end of September. Animated by the views of former President Donald Trump, a vocal faction of House Republicans remain steadfastly opposed to more Ukraine aid, even as other GOP lawmakers, primarily in the Senate, continue to advocate support for Kyiv to dissuade Russia from spreading its attacks beyond Ukraine’s borders.

“We have to stand up to this naked aggression today and deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow,” Biden said in his UN address. “That’s why the United States— together with our allies and partners around the world—will continue to stand with the brave people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity and their freedom.”

Other senior members of the Biden administration were making their case on Tuesday, as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pushed allied defense leaders in remarks at Ramstein Air Base in Germany to “dig deep” and provide more air defense systems for Ukraine to help the country wage its counteroffensive.

Indeed, the broader message is intended to resonate beyond Moscow and even Capitol Hill. Washington remains on guard against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, where competing territorial claims have caused tension in the region. Beijing also wants to reunite the mainland with the selfgoverning island of Taiwan, a goal that raises the prospect of another war.

During his address, Biden described the partnerships that the US government was fostering around the globe—from Africa to the Indo-Pacific—that he said were creating economic, security and other advancements,

international law, for the sovereignty of every country with a powerful and potentially expansionist neighbor, and for the stability of global food and energy supplies.

“We must stand up to this naked aggression today and deter other wouldbe aggressors tomorrow,” US President Joe Biden told the assembly Tuesday in his own speech. As he pledged support to Ukraine, there was a round of applause, including from Zelenskyy.

Russia insists its war is justified, claiming that it is defending Russian speakers in Ukraine from a hostile government and protecting Russian interests against NATO encroachment, and more.

The war has raged longer and losses have been greater than Russia hoped, and the fighting has spurred widespread international condemnation against Moscow.

But the Kremlin also has influential friends that haven’t joined the chorus of censure: China and India, for instance, have staked out neutral positions. So have many Middle Eastern and African nations. Many Latin American and Caribbean countries prefer to focus world attention on other global issues, including climate change and conflict in Africa.

Moscow is keen to display its global influence and its relationship with China and insists that it cannot be internationally isolated by the US and its European allies.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is concerned that backing from its allies may be ebbing. They have supplied billions of dollars’ worth of arms but fear that their stockpiles are shrinking and that defense contractors are struggling to boost production lines.

Hours before Zelenskyy spoke at the UN, allied defense leaders convened at a US military base in Germany to discuss next steps. Some nations pledged further money and weapons. But a key sticking point is whether to

even as he stressed that those relationships were not about “containing any country”—a clear reference to Beijing.

“When it comes to China, let me be clear and consistent,” Biden said. “We seek to responsibly manage competition between our countries so it does not tip into conflict. I’ve said we are for de-risking—not decoupling— with China.”

Biden emphasized that Beijing and Washington need to cooperate on climate, and referenced recent natural disasters— devastating heat waves, droughts and floods around the globe—as part of a “snapshot” that tells the “urgent story of what awaits us if we fail to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and begin to climate-proof the world.”

Despite his own emphasis on climate as a priority, Biden does not plan to attend a special summit on climate that UN Secretary-General António Guterres will host on Wednesday, where countries are encouraged to bring new ideas and proposals on how to further cut emissions and combat climate change. Officials played down Biden’s absence at the climate summit, and said John Kerry, the US climate envoy, will attend in Biden’s place.

In his 30-minute address, Biden also repeatedly emphasized the value of institutions such as the United Nations and international coalitions that have helped the world confront significant challenges such as poverty and disease, as well as echoing his defense of democracy, a common theme of his presidency.

“We will not retreat from the values that make us strong,” Biden said. “We will defend democracy—our best tool to meet the challenges that we face around the world. And we’re working to show how democracy can deliver in ways that matter to people’s lives.”

supply longer-range missiles that Kyiv insists it needs.

The US Congress is weighing Biden’s request to provide as much as $24 billion more in military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, amid a growing partisan divide over spending on the conflict. Zelenskyy is scheduled to spend time Thursday on Capitol Hill and to meet with Biden at the White House.

After landing Monday in New York, Zelenskyy suggested that the UN needs to answer for allowing his country’s invader a seat at the tables of power.

If there is still “a place for Russian terrorists” in the United Nations, “it’s a question to all the members of the United Nations,” Zelenskyy said after visiting wounded Ukrainian service members at Staten Island University Hospital.

Russia is a permanent, veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council, which is entrusted with maintaining international peace and security.

Zelenskyy took the United Nations to task even before the war. In one memorable example, he lamented at the General Assembly in 2021 that the UN was “a retired superhero who’s long forgotten how great they once were.”

A former comedian and actor who took office in 2019, Zelenskyy later became a wartime leader, wearing military fatigues, rallying citizens at home and appearing virtually and in person before numerous international bodies.

At the Staten Island hospital, he awarded medals to military members who had lost limbs. With help from a New Jersey-based charity called Kind Deeds, 18 troops have been fitted for prostheses and are undergoing outpatient physical therapy, hospital leaders said.

“We all will be waiting for you back home,” Zelenskyy told those he met. “We absolutely need every one of you.”

Gatopoulos reported from Athens. Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer contributed from the United Nations.

2024 US electorate—that he’s reestablished US leadership on the world stage that he says was diminished under Trump.

There were some notable absences as Biden addressed the General Assembly: British Prime Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin—the leaders of the other permanent members of the UN Security Council—are all skipping the gathering. US officials downplayed that fact and instead emphasized the importance that Biden attaches to showing up at the annual diplomatic forum.

For Biden, the more important audience for Tuesday’s speech could be closer to home as he looks to make the case to voters that he’s skillfully handled a complicated foreign policy agenda and that the experience that comes with age has proved to be an asset. It’s an argument that the 80-year-old Biden is likely to continue to make to counter skepticism—even in his own Democratic Party—among voters who are concerned about his age.

After the speech, Biden sat down with Guterres, and later Tuesday met with leaders from the so-called C5 group of Central Asian nations, which include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Saying the cooperation among the nations is at “new heights,” Biden outlined several areas of collaboration including on critical minerals and disability rights.

Xi has stepped up his own courting of those countries. During his own summit in May with the Central Asian leaders, Xi promised to build more railway and other trade links with the region and proposed jointly developing oil and gas sources.

“We are stronger, and I genuinely believe the world is safer, when we stand together, our five nations,” Biden said following the closed-door meeting with the leaders.

Biden is scheduled to host talks Thursday at the White House with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Kim reported from Washington.

JUST as global monetary policy switches toward high-altitude cruise control, another bout of turbulence is bearing down on the world economy with surging oil prices. The approach of crude toward $100 a barrel is presenting central bankers with a reminder that the era of volatility heralded by the pandemic and war in Ukraine isn’t going away.

It showcases how the “higher-for-longer” stance that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled for interest rates at Jackson Hole last month is being framed more than ever by the “age of shifts and breaks” that his euro-zone colleague, Christine Lagarde, described at the same event.

Whether the crude spike is just a temporary blip or more enduring is a question confronting central bankers meeting this week from London to Washington—not least as oil can act both as a spur to consumer prices and a brake on economic growth. That trade-off will test the emerging consensus among officials that inflation risks are contained enough for them to pause tightening for now.

“The latest spike in oil prices is massively unhelpful,” Dario Perkins, an economist at GlobalData TS Lombard, said in a report. “That said, it is important to keep these recent inflationary developments in context. We are not yet in danger of undoing 12 months of solid disinflationary progress—not even close.”

Brent crude has reached a 10-month high around $95 a barrel as export curbs by Saudi Arabia and Russia combined with an improving outlook for the US and China to drive prices higher.

For central bankers, such commodity spikes can be an immediate red flag. International Monetary Fund staff, in a new paper looking at over 100 inflation shocks since the 1970s, found that only in about 60 percent of cases did consumer-price growth durably slow within five years.

If that increase ultimately means oil averaging $100 per barrel through the fourth quarter, that could inflict a peak impact of up to 0.9 percentage point on US inflation, according to Bloomberg Economics calculations. In the euro area and UK, it’s closer to 0.4 percentage point.

“

Oil’s run is going to play a factor for all central banks” as inflationary effects start to move in the “wrong” direction, said Brad Bechtel, global head of foreign exchange at Jefferies LLC in New York.

Faster inflation would be a big blow for the bond market, which is already betting the Fed will have to hold rates elevated for longer to get price growth back to target.

Two-year Treasury yields are up more than 30 basis points since the start of the month, and are trading near a 16-year high seen in July. Yields across the German curve have edged up about 25 basis points this month alone, leaving the 10-year tenor close to the highest level since 2011.

Such concerns hang over a pivotal week for global monetary policy, with the Fed preparing to pause tightening on Wednesday, albeit with a possible hint at more action.

O n Thursday, the Bank of England, Norges Bank, Sweden’s Riksbank and the Swiss National Bank may follow suit with what could turn out to be either a final or penultimate increase in borrowing costs, and a pledge to hold them high.

T he Bank of Japan on Friday isn’t expected to take any major steps, but the communications groundwork appears to be under way for the eventual scrapping of the last negative policy rate among major economies.

Last w eek, the European Central Bank signaled a pause after a close-run decision to raise rates again—a move that its former chief economist, Peter Praet, immediately linked to rising crude.

“Consumers, households are extremely sensitive to oil prices and food prices, so I think it was right for the ECB to send a signal,” he told Bloomberg Television after the announcement.

Infla tion expectations in Europe are pushing higher. The market is betting consumer prices will rise around 2.4 percent on average over the next three years, well above the ECB’s target, and up from less than 2 percent just two months ago.

Australia’s central bank sees “upside risks” to global inflation in the months ahead from food and oil prices, minutes of its Sept. 5 board meeting showed Tuesday. Higher fuel prices are expected to boost domestic headline inflation in the current quarter.

The Reserve Bank of Australia still expects broader prices to moderate, though inflation is unlikely to return to within its 2-3 percent target band before late-2025. Economists worry the RBA will have to upgrade its economic forecasts, which are currently based on a Brent crude price of $80 per barrel, much lower than around $95 now.

Growth risks

THE risks go both ways. Highlighting that dual danger, the Bank of Spain on Tuesday warned that inflation will be faster than it had anticipated this year and next because of costlier crude, while economic expansion will be weaker too.

Those worries dragged the euro to a six-month low last week, with markets betting the European economy can’t withstand higher rates. Traders are already pricing more than two quarter-point cuts next year and looking past guidance from the ECB that borrowing costs will remain elevated for longer.

Last year, the continent was thrust into a crisis after it was cut off from Russian gas and saw the euro plunge through parity with the dollar. The jury is still out on how well it can cope this year if prices drift ever higher.

Growth prospects also worry OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. She told reporters on Tuesday that the impact will be “a squeezing on household budgets and on demand”— and that Europe will suffer more than the US because of its dependence on energy imports.

Taxes in Europe mean that there’s less sensitivity to cost changes there than in the US. Last year, the pump cost of gasoline in Germany and the UK was roughly double that of the US.

F ed officials may fret more about the impact on growth than inflation. According to Anna Wong, chief US economist at Bloomberg Economics, the central bank’s own model suggests policymakers are slightly more likely to react to higher commodity prices with a rate cut than a hike.

“It r eally impacts, if you will, the growth side of the Goldilocks equation rather than the inflation side of things over the long term,” Maya A Bhandari, head of multi asset at BNP Paribas Asset Management UK, told Bloomberg Television.

In the US, the rise in oil prices comes at a time when consumer balance sheets are already showing signs of strain. Interest payments are eating up a higher share of disposable incomes and excess savings built during the pandemic are close to exhaustion.

Higher energy costs will probably help restrain consumer spending, giving the central bank less reason to continue tightening. Fed officials will be on high alert for any signs that inflation expectations are drifting higher, but so far, that hasn’t happened.

For now, Bloomberg Economics doesn’t yet reckon policymakers will be forced to react one way or the other.

“S tandard models imply policymakers would probably look through this sort of shock,” Ana Andrade and Jamie Rush wrote in a report. “Our base case is that the shock is not yet big enough to change the outlook for interest rates.”

To guide their response, central banks have the bitter memory of the 1970s—a time when protracted oil shocks driven by supply constraints left advanced economies with both enduring inflation and a fallout on growth.

Giv en that backdrop, just as some policymakers have argued that the key question for rates now isn’t how high they rise but how long they stay there, the same test applies to how any prospective crude spike plays out.

Central banks can’t do anything about these short-term supply-driven shocks, but they can do something to keep expectations in line,” Charles Seville, an economist at Fitch Ratings in London, said in an interview. “This is the big difference with the 1970s—we now have central banks that have more of a track record in bringing inflation to target.” With assistance from Zoe Schneeweiss, Rich Miller, Matthew Boesler, Swati Pandey, James Hirai, Jana Randow, Reed Landberg, Alix Steel, Guy Johnson, William Horobin and Kriti Gupta/Bloomberg

Biden exhorts world leaders at UN to stand up to Russia, and not to let Ukraine ‘be carved up’

Panel okays bill amending agri smuggling law

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

The

House Committee on Agriculture and Food chairman Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga said the unnumbered substitute bill, which will be known as the Anti-Agrifishery Commodities and Tobacco Economic Sabotage Act of 2023, would amend Republic Act (RA) 10845, or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, to include the smuggling of agri-fishery commodities and tobacco products as economic sabotage.

According to Enverga, the measure would expand the prohibited acts to include hoarding, profiteering, and cartelizing and provide for stiffer penalties.

He said the proposal would cre-

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

Manila and local producers should address “supply side issues” and “capacity constraints” to enable exporters of durian and calamansi juice to increase their market share in China, according to Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) officials.

Trade Undersecretary for the Industry Development Group (IDG) Ceferino S. Rodolfo also said 15 Philippine exhibitors who joined the recent China-Asean Expo (CAEXPO) in Nanning initially generated $8.68 million in sales or some P495 million.

The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, the export promotions arm of DTI, said fresh and processed (soft candies) durian products, banana chips, and calamansi juice, were the top sellers at the consumer fair.

Rodolfo said, however, that while almost all of the products offered by Philippine participants

ate a task force under the Department of Justice and a council for the effective implementation of this measure.

Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing, chairperson of the technical working group, said the measure is a priority of the administration, which President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. mentioned in his 2023 State of the Nation Address.

The bill refers to economic sabotage as any act or activities that undermine, weaken, or render into disrepute the economic system or viability of the country or tend to bring about such effects, particularly for this proposal.

during the fair were sold out, the participants face a number of constraints that prevent them from meeting the requirements of their buyers.

“The challenges really are on the supply side. There is a market and what is very interesting here is that the price points for this expo are much higher than the [levels seen] in the Philippines,” he told reporters during a virtual media briefing last Tuesday night.

Rodolfo noted that the Philippine durian debuted at the expo and was warmly received by the Chinese who have tasted the fruit. The Chinese, he said, described the taste of the Philippine durian as “really sweet and creamy.”

The Philippines started exporting durian to China in April, three months after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed an agreement for protocol with Beijing during his state visit in China last January.

Froilan Pamintuan, Trade and Industry Commercial Officer in Guangzhou, said that

The measure added that the crime of large-scale agri-fishery commodities or tobacco smuggling as economic sabotage involves agri-fishery commodities in their raw state or which have undergone the simple processes of preparation or preservation for the market, such as freezing, drying, salting, broiling, roasting, smoking, or stripping, with a minimum aggregate fair market

when durian entered the China market, it gained a lot of potential buyers.

“Unfortunately, medyo limited parin ‘yung capacity natin to serve some of the requirements.

In fact, here in the southern part of China, we encountered some potential buyers who were seeking for possible services of durian pero hindi na sila ma-serve ng Philippine suppliers because of capacity constraints.”

“That’s why it’s really a supply issue. But there is a tremendous potential for durian,” Rodolfo added.

The DTI noted that the favorite Philippine fruits of the Chinese are bananas and durian.

Officials said imported bananas from the Philippines accounts for 90 percent of the market share in China.

With the Philippines’s neighbors in Asia currently dominating the durian market in China, Rodolfo underscored the need for the Philippines to work on its supply-side issues so it can corner a bigger market share for its.

value of P1 million, or involving tobacco with a minimum of excise tax and VAT payable in the amount of P1 million.

It said agri-fishery commodities refer, but are not limited, to rice, sugar, corn, pork, poultry, beef, lamb, garlic, onion, carrots, cruciferous vegetables, coconut, coconut oil, palm oil, palm olein, wheat, fish, and shellfish.

The bill provides a penalty of

Calamansi juice is another product that was a hit among Chinese buyers. Rodolfo said a Filipino exhibitor who sold the said product at the expo told him that a buyer placed an order for 32 container vans of calamansi juice. The seller, however, could not commit to delivering the orders due to supply side issues.

“For example, we need to ensure that the calamansi is available all year round and that farmers should have their own processing facilities which will allow them to process calamansi,” he said.

Pamintuan, for his part, said the Philippines is targeting to ship more frozen durian products to China.

“Right now the protocol that has been signed which provides market access for durian from the Philippines to China only involves fresh durian. The frozen products are not yet included. Maybe that’s one intervention that we can probably get [implement] with the help of our colleagues from the Department of Agriculture.”

Big emissions bills are coming for ships sailing in Europe

SHIPS carrying everything from consumer goods to food and fuel in and out of the European Union will soon face hefty emissions bills.

The maritime industry will join the bloc’s Emissions Trading System in January, meaning big ships will start paying for carbon emissions. Some major freight firms—such as MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA and A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S—could see costs run into hundreds of millions of dollars, according to BloombergNEF.

Vessels carry more than 80 percent of world trade and are a big source of emissions, pumping about 1 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere in 2018. The incoming system is the world’s first large-scale carbon charge for international shipping, and part of the bloc’s green push to tackle climate change. Yet though sizable, the fees are unlikely to be high enough to force an immediate shift to cleaner marine fuels.

“The EU ETS will increase the freight rates,” said Tore Longva, decarbonization director at ship classification society DNV. But vessel supply and demand is likely to have a bigger impact on shipping rates, he said.

For a single container ship sailing between Europe and Asia, the emissions cost could total about €810,000 ($864,500) next year, assuming a carbon market price of €90 a ton, according to DNV. Firms will have to cover a greater share of emissions in the following two years, meaning costs should go even higher.

An example of how it will work:

n A vessel carrying 5,000 standard-sized containers between the EU and Asia over a year generates about 40,000 tons of CO2. But because the journeys stretch outside Europe, only half the emissions need to be covered.

n That means incurring a cost for 20,000 tons of CO2, plus an extra 2,500 tons while the ship is in European ports.

n In the first year, 40 percent of the qualifying emissions are chargeable, so that ship would face costs for 9,000 tons of CO2.

n Assuming a carbon price of €90 a ton, that’s €810,000.

n That would rise to €1.4 million in 2025 when 70 percent of emissions must be covered and €2 million in 2026 when all emissions are chargeable (assuming a €90 carbon price).

n The regulation covers ships of 5,000 gross tonnage and above and applies to vessels going into— and out of—EU and European Economic Area ports.

It could take a while for the program to really cut emissions, though. At a carbon price of about €90, it would still be cheaper to use polluting oil-based fuels and pay for the emissions rather than use more expensive marine biofuels, Longva said.

And while the additional costs are notable, shippers have seen big swings in fuel prices in recent years that far outstripped the looming carbon charges.

life imprisonment and a fine of six times the fair market value of agri-fishery commodities or tobacco subject to large-scale smuggling, hoarding, profiteering, cartelizing, and other acts of market abuse, and the aggregate amount of the taxes, duties, and other charges avoided plus interest at the prevailing legal rate shall be imposed on entities who commit any of the acts numerated under this proposal.

Also, the measure added that the penalty of imprisonment of not less than 30 years but not more than 40 years and a fine six times the fair market value of agri-fishery commodities or tobacco subject to large-scale smuggling, hoarding, profiteering, cartelizing, and other acts of market abuse and the aggregate amount the taxes, duties, and other charges avoided plus the interest at the prevailing legal rate shall be imposed on entities who knowingly sell, lend, lease, assign, consent, or allow the unauthorized use of their import permits for purposes of large-scale smuggling, hoarding, profiteering, cartelizing, or the other acts of market abuse.

Meanwhile, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez assured this bill would be approved

by the lower chamber before its break on September 27.

In the Senate, Agriculture panel chair Senator Cynthia A. Villar was kept busy on Wednesday replying to colleagues’ interpellations on her bill categorizing farm smuggling and hoarding as an act of economic sabotage, after she noted that nota single violator has been jailed since the passage of an earlier law.

Sen. Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, fielded questions from Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros during the interpellation period on Senate Bill (SB) 2432, also known as the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act last Wednesday. Among the questions asked by Hontiveros was the inclusion of tobacco in the list of agricultural products covered by SB 2432, considering that it is not related to food security and not even an agricultural commodity.

Villar noted that tobacco is defined by the World Health Organization and classified under the customs code as an agricultural product. She added that aside from undermining the country’s campaign against smoking, tobacco smuggling reduces government revenue.

Halfway into the implementation of the 2030 a g enda for Sustainable Development, a lot of the progress made towards its food and agriculturerelated targets has stagnated or reversed, according to a new report by the f o od and a g riculture Organization of the United Nations ( fa O ).

The report, titled Tracking progress on food and agriculture-related SDG indicators 2023, was published last f r iday, days before world leaders gathered in New yo rk to attend the UN’s SDG Summit to review the state of the a g enda’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“at the SDG summit, there will be enormous expectations for concrete commitments to be made for reversing the SDGs’ current predicament with tangible actions and results. To do so, leaders around the world need data that can guide their decisions and help them make priorities,” José Rosero Moncayo, Director of fa O ’s Statistics Division, said at the report’s launch.

The main conclusions of the report are that while the world was already off track from meeting the SDGs even prior to 2020, the past few years have seen multiple shocks that have further stalled or even reversed progress across several targets. These include the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the impact of armed conflicts around the world, high inflation, along with the escalating effects of the climate crisis.

has increased significantly, from 25.3 percent of the global population in 2019 to 29.6 percent in 2022.

n SDG indicators focused on malnutrition present a mixed picture. a l though stunting has declined, from 26.3 percent in 2012 to 22.3 percent in 2022, the rate of reduction is not nearly close enough to meet the global target. In 2022, 6.8 percent of children under 5 years of age were affected by wasting, while the prevalence of overweight children, measured at 5.6 percent, has stagnated in the past decade.

n In 2021, the share of countries facing moderately to abnormally high food prices was 21.5 percent, down from the record high of 48 percent in 2020. However, this figure is still above the 2015–2019 average (15.2 percent), reflecting continued increases in food prices, mainly supported by elevated production and transport costs on account of costlier fertilizers and energy.

n a g ricultural losses directly attributed to natural disasters, which are increasing both in frequency and intensity, amounted to $19.3 billion in 2021, based on data from 22 countries. The percentage of food lost after harvesting on farms and at transport, storage, wholesale and processing levels is estimated at 13.2 percent globally in 2021, compared to 13 percent in 2016.

For example a carbon price of €90 would equal a charge of less than €300 for every ton burned of oil-based fuel. Yet the cost of very low-sulfur fuel oil in Rotterdam— a common propellant—jumped by about $850 a ton in less than two years through early 2022.

Stricter rules

S T ILL the emissions system will encourage shippers to be more fuel efficient. And as the number of all owances available to buy to cover emissions falls, that should push up carbon prices and make the system more effective. Emissions of methane and nitrous oxide from shipping will also be included in years to come.

The EU also has a separate regulation coming into force in 2025 called the FuelEU Maritime, which should also drive shippers toward cleaner fuels. It sets maximum limits on the annual greenhouse gas intensity of the energy used by vessels, with the targets getting tougher as time passes.

The food and agriculture-related SDG indicators, of which fa O is among the UN agencies’ main custodian, are in a particularly critical state. The proportion of the world population facing chronic hunger in 2022 was about 9.2 percent, compared to 7.9 percent in 2015. The latest fa O estimates put the global hunger figure for 2022 between 691 million and 783 million people.

“Investment in agriculture has stalled, there is no progress in conserving animal genetic resources, and forest area across the globe continues to shrink.”

fa O said the few positive trends are in the area of conservation of plant genetic resources, water use efficiency, and the adoption of instruments to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

The report focuses on selected indicators across eight of the SDG Goals that were adopted at a UN Summit in New yo rk in 2015 (1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 12, 14 and 15).

Among the highlights of the report are:

n The prevalence of undernourishment in the world is still far above pre-Covid-19pandemic levels. Similarly, food insecurity

n In one-third of the assessed countries, fewer than 50 percent of women and men involved in agricultural production have ownership and/or secure tenure rights over the agricultural land. a m ong landowners, the share of men having ownership is at least twice that of women in almost half of the countries.

“The vision of a world with zero hunger and malnutrition and sustainable agriculture is still within reach, and the distance to be covered is not insurmountable,” fa O said.

“However, to achieve the food and agriculture-related SDG targets, urgent coordinated actions and policy solutions are imperative to address entrenched inequalities, transform agri-food systems, invest in sustainable agricultural practices, and bolster resilience against shocks.”

The UN agency said improving data capabilities plays a key role in ensuring progress. Despite extensive efforts towards building stronger data and statistical systems for SDG monitoring, significant data gaps still exist.

“There is the need to speed up investments in data generation, in particular in less developed countries, to be able to guide transformative change.”

‘Supply woes prevent PHL from hiking fruit exports to China’

‘Multiple shocks keep pushing world further away from SDGs’

house Committee on Agriculture and Food on Wednesday approved an unnumbered substitute bill declaring large-scale agri-fishery commodities and tobacco smuggling, profiteering, cartelizing, and other acts of market abuse as economic sabotage.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC), Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) conducted joint anti-smuggling operations in Manila and Malabon over the weekend. Authorities inspected several warehouses and storage facilities and found imported agricultural products, including onions, garlic and mung beans. BUSINeSSMIRROR f le pHOTO

CIMB Bank cites tripling revenues via new clients

THE surge in loans and onboarding of over 600,000 new customers has allowed CIMB Bank Philippines Inc. to triple its revenues in the first semester of 2023.

CIMB Bank, the digital-only commercial bank, raised its revenues by 240 percent between January and June 2023 compared to last year. This was due to the 150-percent growth in its loan portfolio and gaining 660,000 new customers during the period.

“This sustained growth puts CIMB in a stronger position to support our customers by helping them achieve their life purpose and goals,” CEO Vijay Manoharan said.

“We would like to thank them for their unwavering support, and rest assured that we have more exciting products and services in the pipeline, as well as new areas and segments to serve in the near horizon,” he added.

CIMB data showed its loan customers have breached 2.56 million, showing a 40-percent growth

of loan customers from year-ago figures. Its customer base grew to 7.13 million as of June 2023 from 6.47 million in 2022 while its deposit customer count grew to 6.02 million from 5.7 million in 2022.

CIMB noted that its virtual cards also reinforced its embedded banking business model in providing accessible financial solutions to Filipinos.

These solutions, the bank said, are aligned with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in strengthening customer preference for digital payments. The bank currently has close to 500,000 Visa virtual and physical card customers.

CIMB also saw an increase in debit card transactions and usage after the launch of its virtual debit card, the bank‘s statement read. Users of the card can transact online through their savings accounts.

CIMB is the country’s 32ndlargest bank by total assets at P29.626 billion, according to a list by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Cai U. Ordinario

Court convicts ex-rural bank execs for violating NCB law

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE Regional Trial Court of Isabela has convicted the former director/president and other officers of the closed Rural Bank of Reina Mercedes (Isabela) Inc. (RB Reina Mercedes) for violating the New Central Bank Act.

In a statement, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said the criminal cases that were filed accused the former director/president, general manager, manager/cashier, compliance officer and cashier participated in questionable loans granted by the bank to its directors, officers, stockholders and their related in-

terests (Dosri).

BSP said this violates the Manual of Regulations for Banks (MORB) and Republic Act 8791 (The General Banking Law of 2000 in relation to RA 7653 or The New Central Bank Act).

“Based on the complaint filed by the BSP, the court found all the accused guilty beyond reasonable

SSS runs after employers with ₧1.2M in delinquencies

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

STATE-run Social Security Sys-

tem (SSS) issued last Wednesday notices of violation to four erring employers in Santa Mesa, Manila, for incurring a total of P1.2 million in delinquencies. The issuance of the notices was under the agency’s “Run After Contribution Evaders,” or “Race,” that seeks to ensure that employers are

complying with their obligations under the Social Security Act of 2018, according to the SSS.

“The erring employers incurred a total of P1.2 million delinquencies consisting of P1 million unpaid contributions and more than P207,000 penalties, which affects the social security coverage of 20 employees,” a statement from the SSS read.

The SSS said two of the erring employers are in the construction industry while one is in the retail sec-

tor and the other being in real estate business. All of them were found to be not remitting the monthly contributions of their employees, SSS added.

“Among the four delinquent employers, a construction company incurred the highest contribution delinquency of more than P497,000, broken down into over P356,000 unpaid workers’ contributions and over P141,000 penalties,” it said.

“Based on SSS records, the establishment failed to remit the social

security contributions of its six employees from July 2019 to December 2022,” added the government financial institution.

Last month, the SSS issued notices of violation to eight employers in the Makati Central Business District with a P6.64-million total estimated delinquencies. (Related story: https://businessmirror. com.ph/2023/08/11/sss-issuesnov-vs-8-delinquent-employersin-makati-city-cbd/)

‘Cash still king’ prompts app operator’s adjustment

DELIVERY Hero Philippines Inc. (formerly Foodpanda Philippines Inc.) announced it would accept payment in cash three years after a lockdown made digital payment ubiquitous.

“Cash is still king” when it comes to preferred payment method for online shopping, a statement issued last Wednesday by Delivery Hero PHL read.

According to the operator of the Foodpanda online food delivery platform, its customer base is now split between cashless and cash-ondelivery (COD) payments.

Prior to the pandemic, CEO Daniel Marogy said the preference was “heavily skewed” towards COD at an 80/20 ratio. However, Marogy added

that “there’s been a significant and rapid shift in consumer payment behavior in [a] relatively short time.”

To back this claim, Delivery Hero cited actual results from a survey done by its Berlin-based parent company.

According to the survey on Filipinos’ payment method preferences, 51 percent of consumers prefer paying with cash while the other half prefers various digital payment methods. The latter set has 27 percent using a mobile wallet app, 17 percent using a debit or credit card and the remaining 4 percent using other digital payment methods.

According to Delivery Hero PHL, the “underlying” reasons for those who continue to use COD “is their

PDIC generates more than ₧171.9M from assets sales

THE Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) announced last Wednesday it has generated P171.9 million in total sales from 124 corporate and closed bank assets sold as of the first semester of the year as part of its asset-disposal initiatives.

Total sales from the conduct of public biddings and negotiated sales exceeded the properties’ aggregate minimum disposal price of P156.2 million by 10.1 percent or P15.7 million, a statement from PDIC read. The number of properties sold was also 33.3 percent more than the 93 properties sold during the same period in 2022, the governmentowned or -controlled corporation (GOCC) added.

“Asset sales comprised 102 residential lots, 15 agricultural lots, six commercial lots and one mixed residential/agricultural lot. Of the total, 109 were owned by closed banks while 15 were acquired assets of the PDIC,” the GOCC’s statement read. The PDIC listed these properties as located in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, North

Luzon, South Luzon, Bicol Region, Davao Region, Southern Visayas and Northeastern Mindanao. As the designated receiver of banks ordered closed by the Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the PDIC manages and liquidates the remaining assets of closed banks. Proceeds from asset disposals are added to the pool of funds from which the PDIC pays the claims of creditors and uninsured depositors of closed banks based on legal priority. On the other hand, sale proceeds from the disposal of corporate assets are added to the Deposit Insurance Fund, the funding source for payments of deposit insurance.

In response to the asset disposal challenges of the pandemic, the PDIC shifted to e-bidding of corporate and closed bank assets through its web portal (https://assetsforsale.pdic.gov. ph/) for interested buyers. Through a one-time registration in the ebidding portal, buyers can access and bid for real and other properties from the extensive asset inventory of the PDIC and closed banks.

habit, the ability to control spending and a sense of security.”

In contrast, the firm said those who opt for online payment methods “primarily” cite convenience as the top reason for using this payment method.

With the shift in the consumer payment behavior, Delivery Hero PHL noted that the future of the payment landscape “envisions cash and digital payments seamlessly complementing each other.”

Marogy said the firm’s goal is “not to replace traditional methods with digital alternatives, but rather to give customers the option to freely select their preferred mode of payment.”

“Cash and digital payments will coexist for some time to come. The

economy is still predominantly cash so that will reflect in our customers’ payment choices on the platform. By offering both options for our app users, we provide flexibility to cater to diverse customer needs,” he added.

As digital payment now battles with COD in terms of preferred payment method, Marogy cited the firm is committed to ensure that “secure and convenient” payment avenues remain.

“Our core mission is to make every transaction secure and simple, whether a customer chooses cash or digital payments for their food and grocery needs,” he said.

Delivery Hero PHL currently operates in 150 cities and municipalities across the country. Andrea San Juan

doubt of violations of the provisions of the law pertaining to loans granted to Dosri and participation in fraudulent transactions,” read the statement by the central bank last Wednesday.

Accordingly, the court sentenced the rural bank’s president, the manager/cashier and the cashier to imprisonment of four years to six years, while the general manager received a prison sentence of three years.

The compliance of BSP-supervised institutions with laws and regulations promotes the soundness of the financial system as well as the welfare of depositors and the general public.

In January, the BSP Regional Trial Court of Burauen, Leyte (RTCBurauen) convicted a former officer of the now-closed Rural Bank of Burauen (Leyte) Inc. for the same violation.

Section 36 of the MORB provides

that whenever a bank or quasi-bank, or whenever any person or entity willfully violates the New Central Bank Act and other pertinent banking laws being enforced or implemented by the BSP or any order, instruction, rule or regulation issued by the Monetary Board, other person or persons would be fined P50,000 to no more than P200,000. The person or persons responsible may also face imprisonment of not less than two years but not more than 10 years or both at the discretion of the court.

“Whenever a bank or quasi-bank persists in carrying on its business in an unlawful or unsafe manner, the Board may, without prejudice to the penalties provided in the preceding paragraph of this section and the administrative sanctions provided in Section 37 of this Act, take action under Section 30 of this Act,” the law also stated.

AIA Philippines Life and General Insurance Co. Inc.

(AIA PHL) expects higher spending for insurance, particularly health-related products, believing that Filipinos realized the value of protecting their lives and assets post-pandemic.

According to CEO Kelvin Ang, AIA PHL believes the Covid-19 pandemic raised awareness on insurance products.

“The total coverage has almost doubled since before the pandemic and in particular we see the health insurance side outgrow the total sum insured,” Ang said in a news briefing last Wednesday. “They are now more interested in health insurance.”

The AIA PHL executive added the firm sees the life insurance industry continuing to grow post-pandemic.

“We are bullish for health insurance as strong demand for such continues.”

According to Ang, AIA PHL paid P8 billion in claims last year while its subsidiary Medicard Philippines Inc. paid P4 billion in claims.

“People are now seeing why insurance, particularly health insurance, is important,” he said.

Ang pointed out the country’s insurance penetration rate remains below two percent of gross domestic product, which indicates “a huge opportunity” for sellers of insurance products.

“The insurance market is very underpenetrated. It will continue to be a good year for us. People realize the importance of insurance so they increase their sum insured and even introduce insurance to other family members,” he said.

Ang keeps his optimism amid rising inflation across the world and slower world economic growth.

AIA Group Ltd. Chief Investment Officer Mark Konyn, who flew in

from the firm’s Hong Kong headquarters, said the world is currently facing high volatility prices of goods and services against a backdrop of prolonged geopolitical tensions and uncertainties.

Despite this situation, Konyn said there are still opportunities that Filipino investors must capitalize in order to improve their financial status.

The CIO outlined the following as the positive economic prospects: managed inflation print, growing young Filipino workforce, and the country being a net winner of the global transition to renewable energy to its natural endowments.

Konyn emphasized that the need for “professional” investors or managers are necessary more than ever in order for individuals to make the correct investments during this unpredictable global economic period.

Because of this, the AIA disclosed that it is launching a new fund that would allow Filipino investors to penetrate both local and global markets and grow their money while earning additional income through dividends.

AIA explained that its forthcoming Global Dynamic Income-Paying Fund allows customers “to earn dividend payouts with a potential increasing percentage when available.”

“They can stay invested while receiving potential dividend pay-outs, ensuring that long-term savings growth opportunity is sustained.

This is primarily because dividend pay-out will not be treated as a withdrawal from the policy’s account value,” the firm said.

AIA posted a net worth of P71.709 billion at the end of first quarter, topping the local life insurance industry, based on Insurance Commission (IC) data. AIA Philippines is the local unit of AIA Group Ltd. Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

‘Health insurance growing more vs total sum insured’

WHO: We can win fight against a silent killer

MOst people with hypertension don’t feel any symptom, that’s why they are not aware of their condition. In its firstever report released tuesday on the devastating global impact of high blood pressure and ways to stop it, the World Health Organization (WHO) said the number of people living with hypertension (blood pressure of 140/90 or higher or taking medication for hypertension) doubled between 1990 and 2019, from 650 million to 1.3 billion. Nearly half of them do not know their condition.

The WHO report said four out of every five people with hypertension are not adequately treated. More than three-quarters of adults with hypertension live in low- and middle-income countries. And if governments can scale up treatment, 76 million deaths could be averted between 2023 and 2050.

Hypertension affects one in three adults worldwide. This common, deadly condition leads to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney damage and many other health problems, the report said. Older age and genetics can increase the risk of having high blood pressure, but modifiable risk factors such as eating high salt diet, not being physically active and drinking too much alcohol can also increase the risk of hypertension.

“Hypertension can be controlled effectively with simple, low-cost medication regimens, and yet only about one in five people with hypertension have controlled it,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Hypertension control programs remain neglected, under-prioritized and vastly underfunded. Strengthening hypertension control must be part of every country’s journey towards universal health coverage, based on well-functioning, equitable and resilient health systems, built on a foundation of primary health care.”

Lifestyle changes like eating a healthier diet, quitting tobacco and being more active can help lower blood pressure. Some people may need medicines that can control hypertension effectively and prevent related complications. The report said prevention, early detection and effective management of hypertension are among the most cost-effective interventions in health care and should be prioritized by countries as part of their national health benefit package offered at primary care level. The economic benefits of improved hypertension treat ment programs outweigh the costs by about 18 to one.

“Most heart attacks and strokes in the world today can be prevented with affordable, safe, accessible medicines and other interventions, such as sodium reduction,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries. “Treating hypertension through primary health care will save lives, while also saving billions of dollars a year.”

The report underscores the importance of implementing WHO-recommended effective hypertension care to save lives. Hypertension can easily be treated with safe, widely available, low-cost generic medications using programs such as HEARTS. WHO’s HEARTS technical package for cardiovascular disease management in primary health care and the Guideline for the pharmacological treatment of hypertension in adults provide proven and practical steps to deliver effective hypertension care in primary health care settings, the report said.

Effective community- and country-wide blood pressure management can be achieved in countries of all income levels. More than 40 low- and middle-income countries, including Bangladesh, Cuba, India and Sri Lanka, have strengthened their hypertension care with the HEARTS package, enrolling more than 17 million people into treatment programs. Countries such as Canada and South Korea delivered comprehensive national hypertension treatment programs, and both countries surpassed the 50 percent mark for blood pressure control in adults living with hypertension. Sustained, systematic national hypertension control programs can succeed—and a high level of blood pressure control translates into fewer strokes and heart attacks, and longer, healthier lives.

“Every hour, more than 1,000 people die from strokes and heart attacks. Most of these deaths are caused by high blood pressure, and most could have been prevented,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, president and CEO of WHO partner Resolve to Save Lives. “Good hypertension care is affordable, within reach, and strengthens primary health care. The challenge now is to go from ‘within reach’ to ‘reached.’ This will require commitment of governments around the world.”

The WHO report said an increase in the number of patients effectively treated for hypertension to levels observed in high-performing countries could prevent 76 million deaths, 120 million strokes, 79 million heart attacks, and 17 million cases of heart failure between now and 2050. Regularly measuring your blood pressure is the only way for you to have a clearer picture of your risk for heart disease and stroke.

A national traffic authority

Thomas M. Orbos

STREET TALK

traffIc jam, as we know, is not confined anymore to the streets of Metro Manila. Unfortunately, traffic gridlock has now become a problem of all cities and municipalities—check Baguio, cebu, tagaytay, etc.—as well as the roads in between, the tollways, and even regular roads near schools on schooldays, and churches on sundays.

Tricycles slowing the flow of traffic on provincial roads, habal-habals and helmetless motorcycle riders on opposite lanes, overloaded and dilapidated buses and jeepneys stopping anywhere are common scenes of street disorder causing traffic congestion that no vehicular movement is possible. Then you have the many road accidents, the vehicular mishaps, serious injuries and even road deaths. Who manages the traffic on our roads on a national level? Who enforces traffic laws and assures us of not just a rationalized traffic effort but more importantly, general road safety wherever you are in the country?

Clearly, there is a need for a national traffic authority that cuts across geographical boundaries with

Yes, traffic is a national concern. With the post-pandemic economy in full swing, we can expect traffic to worsen. The only way to address this is a concerted traffic management effort on a national scale. And it does not cost much to do it because the ingredients that are needed to make it happen are already there.

just traffic management responsibilities. Unfortunately, we have none for now. What we have, instead, are national government agencies and local government units with separate mandates, operating separately and often encroaching on one another’s authority to the confusion of the public. Take the case of the simple question of whether one’s driver’s license can be confiscated or not by any enforcer, or the number coding system. There is some form of coordination especially with the issuances of citations of traffic violation tickets deputized by the Land Transportation Office (LTO), which are the ones used by other government agencies such the MMDA, LGUs and even the private enforcers in the tollways and in the CBDs like Taguig and Makati.

There is also the current push towards a single ticketing system by the MMDA and the LGUs that definitely makes sense but understandably is taking time to implement.

There had been attempts in the past to have such national efforts to manage traffic. The closest one would be the last administration’s Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (IACT) that incorporated the efforts of several agencies that had the different ingredients for traffic management. This included the LTO to handle the vehicular and motorist driver regulatory aspect, the LTFRB covering public transport regulatory concerns, both under the DOTr; the Highway Patrol Group of the Philippine National Police for the anticrime and enforcement aspects, the Department of Public Works and Highways for the needed road infrastructure, the MMDA for Metro Manila, and the various public safety

and traffic enforcement of the LGUs.

The I-ACT even included a contingent of the Philippine Coast Guard, being under the DOTr, as force multipliers. From its initial run of anti-colorum, anti-smoke belching operations that extended even outside Metro Manila, the idea of having one central agency proved to be effective. Unfortunately, the I-ACT is now confined to being the ground enforcers for the Edsa bus carousel.

The I-ACT was a creation of DOTr by a mere memorandum of agreement. A convention on a national effort would need congressional intervention to give it more teeth. And this national authority should identify and strengthen common grounds while defining boundaries of national and local authorities. A good model would be the MMDA, which is responsible for Metro Manila’s overall traffic chores while coordinating the traffic efforts of the various LGUs within their boundaries.

Definitely there are gaps and areas for improvement considering the discrepancies on certain regulations such as coding days, truck bans and synchronizing traffic lights. This can nevertheless serve as the case study for a possible national traffic authority, with its experience of having more advantages than disadvantages.

In the meantime, while waiting

See “Orbos,” A15

US sees once-in-generation shot to reset rocky Thai alliance

By Philip J. Heijmans

PrIMe Minister srettha thavisin has been in office for less than a month, but the Us already sees its best opportunity in two decades to get its alliance with thailand back on track after ties were strained under the previous military-backed regime.

The democratically elected leader is in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly and is reportedly bringing his incoming military chief for security talks with the US. While Srettha is seeking an audience with President Joe Biden, he’s indicated that any rapprochement won’t come at the expense of China.

The new premier wants to forge closer ties with the West as he faces increasing pressure to reinvigorate an economy that has lagged the growth of its neighbors even before the pandemic. While in the US, he’ll also court investment from Microsoft Corp., Google and Tesla Inc.

Whether the Biden meeting will happen is unclear, as the US weighs how to engage a government propped up by the pro-military establishment that took power through a coup in 2014.

There’s also the question of how long Thailand’s ruling coalition,

comprised of former foes, can last while the pro-democracy party that won the most votes in the general election continues to face the threat of being dissolved.

Even so, Washington sees a rare chance to significantly advance the relationship across a range of areas, from investment and trade to education exchanges and energy, according to a US official familiar with the matter. That could also extend to military equipment, including upgrading Thailand’s existing aircraft, said the official.

Doing so could help restore ties with an ally that’s increasingly turning to China to boost its key industries just as the US seeks to reshape its regional alliances in the face of growing competition with Beijing.

“The 2014 coup was deeply damaging to Thailand’s international heft and it forced the military government to seek support from China, and since then, Thai foreign policy

Thailand is one of the US’s oldest partners in Asia and, along with the Philippines, is just one of two treaty allies it has in Southeast Asia. During the Vietnam War, it provided the US critical military access, and today stands as a staging ground for the region’s largest joint exercises. Washington also counts Thailand as a key regional law enforcement partner.

has been beholden to China,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. “So, with the new government there will be a qualitative change.”

Thailand is one of the US’s oldest partners in Asia and, along with the Philippines, is just one of two treaty allies it has in Southeast Asia. During the Vietnam War, it provided the US critical military access, and today stands as a staging ground for the region’s largest joint exercises. Washington also counts Thailand as a key regional law enforcement partner.

Those ties were strained by a cycle of coups and street protests

over the years as military-backed governments cracked down on pro-democracy groups. In 2014, the US condemned the coup led by former Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, curtailing financial assistance required by its appropriations law.

The need to improve the economy pushed the generals closer to China, which has emerged as Thailand’s top source of investment, according to the Thai Board of Investments. Chinese companies pledged some $1.7 billion in the first half of this year, mostly in electronics parts manufacturing.

“We have had good relationships with the US for 160 years. With China, we have many Chinese descendants, including me,” Srettha said on Monday after disclosing over the weekend that he’ll visit the mainland next month. “China is also key to stimulating our economy going forward. We need to maintain our neutral stance and not take sides.”  As a result, not everyone is convinced that the new government will be quick to warm to the US.

“I don’t see Thailand moving into the direction of the Philippines, where they have openly

See “US” A15

Poland’s Duda makes dig at Zelenskyy as their once-strong bond frays

By Annmarie Hordern & Natalia Ojewska

PolAnd President Andrzej duda criticized Ukraine for its handling of a dispute over imported grain, adding to strains between two countries whose alliance has been central to the push to repel Russia’s invasion.

“We cannot allow that Ukrainian grain is sold on the Polish market without any control,” Duda said in an interview Tuesday on Bloomberg Television with Annmarie Hordern. “We also have our own citizens, we have to care for their interest.”

“It’s a pity our Ukrainian neighbors don’t want to understand that,” he said.

The grain disagreement has grown in intensity and significance after Warsaw extended a ban on crops from its eastern neighbor in a push to placate its farmers, whose support will be crucial in parliamentary elections next month. In response to such moves, Ukraine filed a World Trade Organization complaint against Poland, Slovakia and Hungary.

Duda’s remarks were prompted in part by comments President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made earlier Tuesday on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter. He accused “some in Europe” of “turning grain into a thriller.”

“They may seem to play their own roles,” Zelenskyy wrote. “In fact they’re helping set the stage for a Moscow actor.”

Events at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday also suggested the strains were growing. Duda had said he had planned to meet Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the UN gathering in New York, only to say later that scheduling conflicts made a meeting impossible.

That stood in contrast to the unity that had defined the two leaders’ relationship before the grain dispute. They had regular phone conversations in the first months of the war. In April, Duda stood alongside Zelenskyy in Warsaw and vowed that Russia would

Orbos

continued from A14

for that possible national traffic authority, there are initiatives that can be available. Aside from revitalizing I-ACT, a good start would be providing all relevant agencies and local government traffic units with a general venue for cooperation and coordination such as a national hotline and traffic data processing system, which we don’t have right now but can easily be embarked on given that the LTO has already the system in place. Also a re-education —a sort of a national traffic academy for all enforcers nationwide on stan-

continued from A14

embraced the relationship more closely and essentially gone in the opposite direction,” said Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations.

The US needs a stronger economic policy to match its security ambitions for the region, Kurlantzick said.

Regardless, the Pentagon will explore cooperation in new domains such as space and cyberspace and in its mutual defense education programs and combined military training exercises, spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Martin Meiners, said in an e-mail.

“We’ll continue to seek opportunities to engage with our Thai allies on a range of security issues, to include the modernization of the Thai military,” he said, without commenting on any potential deal to provide equipment to bolster its fleet of aging military jets, following reports that

never drive the neighbors apart.

W hile Poland has closed its own market to grain imports from Ukraine, the country still allows for transit through its territory, which Duda said has doubled in volume this year.

“Personally, I regret there is a discussion going on in the media,” Duda said. “I’ll try to cut it off for sure because someone needs to be wiser here, and the situation isn’t easy.”

The back-and-forth signaled that what seemed to be a relatively minor disagreement has ballooned into something larger. If it gets any worse, it could have direct implications for the war given Poland’s place as a key transit point for weapons and aid flowing to Ukraine.

For Poland, the issue is a political one. The ruling Law & Justice party, seeking a third term in office in an election slated for Oct. 15, is reluctant to alienate its rural voting base, while growing discontent over the cost of supporting Ukraine has boosted the party’s opponents on the far right.

In addition to serving as a major source of military assistance to Ukraine, Poland has accepted about two million refugees from Russia’s invasion. In a further ominous sign, Poland’s government said Monday it may not extend support for the refugees next year.

In the interview, Duda said there were “many different problems,” including “people-to-people problems.”

“Of course, there is a phenomenon of a certain fatigue,” he said. “But it’s normal, it’s just human. A lot of Polish people have sacrificed a lot to help their neighbors from Ukraine.” With assistance from Kasia Klimasinska and Andrea Dudik / Bloomberg

dardized traffic regulations, rules on engagement and enforcement. That national cooperation can be the venue for standardizing traffic signalization and CCTVs, no contact apprehension and other modern traffic technologies.

Yes, traffic is a national concern. With the post-pandemic economy in full swing, we can expect traffic to worsen. The only way to address this is a concerted traffic management effort on a national scale. And it does not cost much to do it because the ingredients that are needed to make it happen are already there.

The author may be reached at thomas_orbos@ sloan.mit.edu

the US declined to sell Thailand F-35 stealth fighters.

The US could also solicit Thailand’s support over the conflict in neighboring Myanmar as nations involved in providing aid to the country seek to expand a humanitarian corridor. The US may also want to renew talks over sanctioning a state-owned oil and gas company controlled by the Myanmar junta that Thai companies have interests in.

Given the opportunity, Srettha will have to determine how far he wants to go in rebalancing ties. Thailand has already moved to resume negotiations for a free-trade agreement with the European Union, the first time since talks were frozen after the 2014 coup.

Srettha’s foreign policy team is “very eager to get Thailand back on its feet,” said Thitinan, of Chulalongkorn University. “They have to be careful in balancing the US-China competition and in doing so, I think, more nuanced.” With assistance from Suttinee Yuvejwattana and Patpicha Tanakasempipat / Bloomberg

ARTA may resolve Bohol water concern

It was reassuring to hear directly from Director General Perez himself. And we mentioned ARTA because Boholanos’ quest for a steady supply of potable water is at risk. The fact is that the water rights application filed by Bohol-based Richli Corp. has been pending with the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) for a couple of years.

BUREAUCRATIC red tape in most, if not all, government offices remains a chronic problem confronting Filipinos. A good citizen transacts business with government, pays taxes, seeks business or other kinds of permits, clearances, applies for land titles or anything for whatever official need or reasons. Anyway, who can ever escape having to transact business with local government units or national offices?

Applicants wait for days, weeks, months or longer; made to go from one desk to the other; the documents required, instead of being fully listed, are demanded in batches or on installment. It’s typical for government office personnel to freeze the processing, or dilly-dally in deciding on the application.

Well, we’ve got information how complaints filed with the Office of the Ombudsman takes time to resolve too, although some are acted with expediency. Why they are not consistent, we don’t know.

Well, the creation of Anti-Red

Tape Authority (RA 11032) in 2018 should be God’s blessing, with its mandate to ensure no red tape and promote ease of doing business with government.

Luckily, last Thursday, September 14, 2023, at the Rotary Club of Manila’s regular meeting held at Manila Polo Club in Makati City, we had an opportunity to hear from ARTA Director General Ernesto V. Perez what they are doing and the steps, the measures they are undertaking to minimize red tape that is prevalent in most government offices.

By Dr. Selva Ramachandran

SUSTAInABlE peace and “dividends of peace,” particularly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), are key for growth and development. Among the key actions that have significantly aided in setting the region’s trajectory towards peace and growth are the signing of a peace deal between the government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic liberation Front (MIlF) in 2014, the subsequent approval of the Bangsamoro organic law by the Congress in 2018, and the establishment of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) in 2019.

But while these important agreements are pivotal, the region’s full potential can only be fully realized when its key leaders, some of whom were former revolutionaries, are able to implement an inclusive vision for peace and sustainable development—one that is rooted in the pursuit of moral governance and sustainable development.

In March 2020, the School of Peace and Democracy-Bangsamoro or SPDBangsamoro was launched through the collaboration of the Bangsamoro government, UNDP Philippines and the Australian Embassy in the

Philippines. SPD-Bangsamoro was founded on the belief that one of the most important transformation for peace is that of the mind. Under this belief, the program provided MILF commanders and community leaders an opportunity to play civilian leadership roles. The SPD-Bangsamoro sought to support the Bangsamoro government and accompany the transformation from armed struggle to civilian socio-political leadership and to mainstream the transitioning combatants into socio-political inclusion and participation.

The SPD-Bangsamoro contin-

By Zahra Hirji

AS world leaders gathered at the United nations General Assembly in new York City this week, everyone seemed to agree on one thing: Climate change is among the biggest problems facing the planet. US President Joe Biden walked through a laundry list of climate calamities in his Un speech on Tuesday, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro said climate change “has shown its teeth like never before.” In passionate opening remarks, Un Secretary-General António Guterres noted that the world has just survived its hottest summer on record.

But in hours of back-to-back speeches, UN officials and world leaders also offered a preview of battles to come—over the responsibility rich countries have to reduce emissions, over the financing needed for climate adaptation and over what exactly it means to move away from fossil fuels. When many of the same leaders gather in Dubai for the UN’s COP28 climate conference in November, those disconnects are sure to be front and center.

“Record-breaking heat waves in the United States and China. Wildfires ravaging North America and southern Europe. A fifth year of drought in the Horn of Africa. Tragic, tragic flooding in Libya,” Biden said on the UN stage. “Together these snapshots tell an urgent story of

Many concerned individuals, notably Mr. Willy Ramasola, a Boholano journo and blogger, Mr. Gregorio Madanguit IV, among many others, are so worried, which led them to unite under the group Bohol Clean Water Alliance (BCWA). Now, this group is at the forefront, advocating the expeditious resolution of this life-threatening issue.

It is sad to note that due to the pendency, Madanguit IV, along with two others, filed on August 9, 2023 a complaint against several high officials of the DENR and NWRB before the Ombudsman, for alleged violation of the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act arising, in part, on the water rights application permit pending for a source located in Lourdes, Cortes, Bohol.

We don’t want to discuss the merits of the complaint due to the rule on subjudice. We opted to check the applicant’s documents, which show that all permits and fees required have been submitted or complied well. That’s aside from the fact that Richli Corp. has a good track record as utility provider for over a decade.

ued its implementation from 2022 to 2023, under the leadership of the Peace, Security and Reconciliation Office (PSRO) and the Development Academy of the Bangsamoro (DAB), with an enhanced curriculum composed of 3 phases focused on personal and community resilience, conflict resolution and mediation, leadership, and social movement building.

Recently, close to 200 top leaders of the MILF completed the SPDBangsamoro and have now been organized into 4 tracks according to their specialization. The SPDBangsamoro fully supports the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and under this stage, strongly featured the meaningful and substantive participation of women leaders. Out of those who graduated from the program, there were a total of 44 women leaders from the MILF. UNDP Philippines is honored to able to accompany former MILF combatants and community leaders in this journey through the SPD-Bangsamoro. Testimonials from those who

Lately, they even invested another P100 million in Trinidad, Bohol water supply project. With that, we wonder what reason there is in the delay of either extending or approving the water rights permit application of the said water utility entity in sourcing water from Uhan Spring in Cortes, Bohol.

Presently, Richli Corp. is the only water supplier to Tagbilaran City, Dauis, Baclayon, Cortes and Trinidad as well as the Panglao International Airport and almost all the resorts and hotels in the famous tourist area. Now, the operation of the new P9 billion Cortes Hospital is in jeopardy, scary at that, since it has no source for its water requirement.

Well, we really understand the anxiety of Boholanos. Like all Filipinos, they all deserve to have clean and steady potable water supply. So we pleaded with the ARTA official to act and call the attention of NWRB/ DENR to resolve the issue and grant the water permit applied for with urgency.

All the provincial and local officials are called upon too, to unite, support and set aside, if there be any, the politics that hinder the granting of water rights to Richli Corp. for the greater interests of Boholanos. Remember that all of you took an oath to serve the people.

For comments, tweet@billyandal or e-mail @andalbilly@yahoo.com

graduated from the program show that the experience equipped participants to value their past efforts for social justice and empowerment, and to envision themselves continuing these struggles through peaceful means. They feel empowered in a new way to continue the struggle for peace and development.

The message of SPD-Bangsamoro is clear: that lasting peace and sustainable development cannot be achieved without addressing the intangible factors that contribute to conflict and instability. Hope, resilience, empowerment and social cohesion are factors that are all interrelated, and they all play a role in creating a sense of belonging and purpose, which is essential for peace and development.

While the agreements in the past decade are pivotal, it is ultimately the personal and social transformation that will determine the strength of our joint commitment for peace.

Dr. Selva Ramachandran is the UNDP Philippines Resident Representative.

what awaits us if we fail to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and begin to climate-proof the world.”

Tuesday’s bluntest message came from Guterres, who opened the UNGA proceedings by saying that current climate action is “falling abysmally short.” Guterres specifically zeroed in on the obligation highemitting countries have to address a crisis they helped create.

“G-20 countries are responsible for 80 percent of greenhouse emissions. They must lead,” he said. “They must break their addiction to fossil fuels, stop new coal.” Guterres went on to say that “the fossil fuel age has failed” and called for a global phaseout of oil and gas.

The exact nature of a fossil fuel “phase-out” will be a major topic

of conversation in Dubai. Biden’s “reduce our dependence” phrasing on Tuesday was more muted than Guterres, and COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber has said climate diplomacy should focus on phasing out emissions from oil and gas, leaving the door open for the continued use of fossil fuels alongside technologies to capture the carbon pollution produced by burning them. This is also known as phasing out “unabated” fossil fuels; on Tuesday, US Climate Envoy John Kerry co-authored a Washington Post editorial that called for the end of new unabated coal plants.

Money is sure to be another source of tension at COP28. Multiple UNGA speakers noted that wealthy countries are not providing enough aid to help developing countries cope with climate disasters, adapt to warming that’s already locked in and decarbonize their economies. The developed world has yet to meet a commitment to provide $100 billion in annual climate finance to developing countries, and while COP27 last year concluded with a last-minute deal to create a “loss and damage” fund to aid poor countries struggling with climate impacts, little progress has been made.

“Rich countries grew based on a

model of high rates of climate damaging gas emissions,” Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday. “We, developing nations, do not want to repeat this model.”

That sentiment was echoed in a speech by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. “Centuries after the end of the slave trade, decades after the end of the colonial exploitation of African resources, the people of our continent are once again bearing the cost of the industrialization of the north and the development of the wealthy nations of the world,” he said. “This is a price that the people of Africa are no longer willing to pay.” Determining emissions accountability, boosting climate finance and agreeing on a fossil fuel phase-out is a tall order for the UN climate conference. But events on the UNGA sidelines this week offered a glimpse of the solutions world leaders will be looking for. On Tuesday, the US Treasury released new principles for financial institutions making voluntary net-zero commitments, and the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero announced that 50 US financial institutions will publish net-zero transition plans over the next year. With assistance from Laura Millan and Eric Roston / Bloomberg

‘Transformation of the mind’

COP28’s biggest conflicts are on display at the UN General Assembly

PCAFI, RISA: SUE CHINA FOR CORALS DAMAGE

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

THE Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food

Inc. (PCAFI) urged the Marcos Jr. administration to pursue the filing of an environmental case against China over the destruction of coral reefs in the West Philippine Sea.

P CAFI President Danilo V. Fausto said they are “strongly encouraging” the government to file an environmental case against the people behind the destruction of the country’s coral reefs in the West Philippine Sea.

I n doing so, Fausto pointed out, the world would be aware of what is happening to the future food sources of the Filipinos.

“Nakakaiyak. Iyong sinira ang coral reefs, below the belt na iyon [That’s so heartbreaking. Destroying the coral reefs, that’s below the belt],” PCAFI President Danilo V. Fausto said during his group’s forum on Wednesday.

Iyong political, territorial, okay yon pag-awayan politically, diplomatically. Pero iyong corals eh bahay ng mga isda, hindi na

makatao iyan,” he added. ( It is okay to dispute territories politically and diplomatically. But to destroy the corals, which house the fish, that’s inhumane.)

E arlier this week, defense officials confirmed that coral reefs in Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea were destroyed by Chinese Maritime Militia. (Related story: https:// businessmirror .com.ph/2023/09/18/ pcg-confirms-severe-reefdamage-in-2-wps-features/)

Diovanie De Jesus of Oceana said it might take decades for coral reefs in the area to recover since they were totally destroyed.

De Jesus also noted that payment for damages may not be enough to cover the rehabilitation of the area but would still be better than zero.

“At least we can ask for something. We can use these payments for other projects like establishing marine protected areas in the West Philippine Sea and protect existing reefs other than these destroyed reefs,” he said in a television interview on Wednesday.

Continued on

PBBM certifies as urgent 2024 budget bill after Ledac meet

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

WITH Congress already scheduled to take its break next week, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday certified as urgent House Bill (HB) No. 8980 or the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

I n his message addressed to leaders of both houses of Congress, the chief executive said he made the decision to ensure the continuous government operations following the end of the current fiscal year.

He also said it will help expedite the funding of various government programs.

T he President made the decision despite the commitment by Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez during Third Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) to pass the 2024 GAA by December.

Following the certification of HB 8980, Congress can approve it on second reading and third reading during the same day.

Currently, the bill is still under period of interpellation at the House of Representatives.

It will still undergo the period of amendments before being approved for second reading and third and final reading.

Congress is scheduled to close its session on September 29 and adjourn from September 30 to November 5, 2023 for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections next month.

It will resume its session on November 6, 2023.

M alacañang said the Marcos administration is on track of achieving its 20 priority legislation goals, which include the 2024 GAA, before the end of the year.

D uring the LEDAC meeting, Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri informed the chief executive that Senate already “completed” almost half of the legislative wish list of the Executive Department.

MVP: Amid risks, mining helps people, enables ‘green’ tech

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

BUSINESSMAN Manuel V. Pangilinan underscored the need for metals to enable renewable energy technologies, not to mention the economic benefits it brings in terms of jobs and revenues that translate to better social services particularly in far-flung areas.

Speaking during the second day of the 2023 Mining Philippines International Conference and Exhibition on Wednesday, Pangilinan admitted there are inherent risks of mining accidents such as the Padcal mine tailings leak in Benguet that polluted nearby water bodies.

However, he said, mining, done responsibly, can provide the muchneeded boost to the economy and enable technology that allows the world to transition from fossil fuel to the more sustainable renewable energy path.

“ With the theme “Seeing Green: Shaping a Sustainable Minerals Development Industry,” the mining event brought together a diverse assembly of participants, includ -

ing government officials, private sector representatives, academics, indigenous communities, and mining host communities.

M ining is important in the production of e-vehicles and batteries –which will require nickel, graphite, aluminum, and copper constitute their metal bodies and batteries, Pangilinan said.

Meanwhile, he said solar panel and wind farms need steel, arsenic, gallium, germanium, indium, and tellurium. Wind turbines, on the other hand, need aluminum and a number of rare earth compounds to make their generators lighter and more efficient.

I n many respects, sustainability rests on green technology -- and

by extension, reliance on mining would continue, he said.

I n the migration from fossil fuel to e-vehicles, for instance, he said charging stations would have to be built but it would be impossible to do so without metals.

“ Beyond minerals, mining means jobs and incomes for our people, especially since mines are typically located in rural areas, where poverty exists and jobs are scarce,” he said.

At a press briefing at the sideline, he then added that in the countryside and rural areas, mining brings about economic benefits, helping people escape poverty through job generation, and national and local government taxes paid by mining companies are translated to proects and better social services that benefit the people.

T he world is now entering an era of sustained resource demand as economies expand and the population explodes, he said.

The Philipines missed the economic bus during the manufacturing cycle in the 50s and 60s, and the export boom in the 70s and 80s. This time, we cannot miss this bus yet again, with our available mineral resource base,” he said.

He warned that if the Philip -

pines failed to board the bus, it would leave the country no option but to import, which means paying for someone else’s cost of mineral products, and their profits, plus the cost of protecting the environment.

“This is not only absurd, it is also sad . . . too lazy to exploit our inherent mineral wealth and an insult to us when others – the South Africans, Australians, Indonesians, and Chinese – operate and manage their mining businesses well enough,” he stressed.

Pangilinan said that if these countries can conduct their mining operations responsibly and sustainably, so can the Philippines, adding that the industry has to further level up when it comes to sustainability practices and standards. The industry, he said, should not be judged based on the performance of its worst member, but rather on how the industry as a whole practices mining responsibly. He cited the case of Philex which, on its own, stopped all operations and addressed the tailings pond leak problem, even to the point of promptly paying the P1 billion fine imposed by the government for the accident caused by unprecedented rain volume on its mining area.

Those pending will become law within the next few weeks, and hopefully the President will be able to sign it,” Zubiri told the President in Filipino during the meeting.

T he 20 bills identified as priority measures include the National Employment Action Plan, LGU Income Classification, Internet Transaction Act, BOT/PPP Act, Salt Development Industry Act, Ease of Paying Taxes, Real Property Evaluation and Assessment Reform Act, Magna Carta for Seafarers, and Anti-Agriculture Smuggling Act.

A lso included in the list are the Waste-to-Energy Bill, National Disease Prevention Management Authority, Amendments to the Banking Act or the Fund Secrecy Law, Medical Reserve Corps, Virology Institute of the Philippines, E-Governance Act, New Philippine Passport Act, the National Government Rightsizing Act, the National Scamming Act, the National Citizens Service Training Program Act, and the Military and Uniformed Personnel Pension System Act.

Z ubiri gave his assurance the Senate will pass the pending bills by December.  For his part, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said 18 of the 20 priority legislation have been passed by the House of Representatives.

Before we go on break, we will finish all of the 20 priority Ledac measures. At the end of September or three months in advance of the prescribed deadline we made an agreement with the Senate President and the President,” Romualdez said.

As for the two remaining Ledac measures, Romualdez said HB 8969, or the Military and Uniformed Personnel Pension System Act, was approved on second reading during the plenary session Tuesday and slated for approval on third and final reading next week.

He added that the House Committee on Agriculture and Food also approved on Wednesday the substitute bill consolidating all measures seeking amendments to the AntiAgricultural Smuggling Act, paving the way for its scheduled approval in plenary by next week.

DMW braces for increase in OFWS in distress

THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is bracing for the expected rise in the number of distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFW) with the reopening of more destination countries by beefing up its antiillegal recruitment drive and reintegration programs.

A t the book launch event organized by the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women and the Blas F. Ople Policy Center on Wednesday, DMW Assistant Secretary Francis Ron C. de Guzman disclosed they observed the number of distressed OFWs have started to rise this year.  There were more [cases] due to the improved monitoring [by authorities] and open borders. During the pandemic, very few [OFWs] were able to leave. Now as more country of destination reopen, the possibility of the victims increasing is there,” De Guzman said.

A s of July, DMW registered 109 OFWs in distressed situation from Myanmar, Thailand, South

Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Syria and Malaysia.

O f these, 64 are female and 45 are male.

Victim profiles

DE Guzman said most victims from Southeast Asian countries were recruited by Chinese syndicates for illegal gambling, while those from the Middle East were usually household service workers (HSW) who became victims of third-country recruitment.

T hose from South Korea were seasonal farm workers deployed by local government units (LGU) and were abused by their employers.

“ Together with the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) and the post in Korea, we have also sent a team to conduct an investigation onsite to further assist workers and to check on their conditions,” De Guzman said.

“ The DMW assisted workers in filing cases with the DOJ (Department of Justice),” he added.

DMW also registered victims of sexual exploitation and abuse in some countries.

Intensified campaign

TO prevent other OFWs from suffering similar fates, DMW together with other members of the InterAgency Council Against Trafficking has intensified its onsite information drive against illegal recruitment “backdoor corridors” like southern Palawan and Zamboanga.

D e Guzman said DMW is currently establishing more regional offices for the same purpose.

He said they also coordinated with Facebook and TikTok for their online campaign since many OFWs still fall prey to illegal recruitment online.

“ We are also working with DICT (Department of Information and Communication Technology), in particular its CICC (Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center), to enhance our drive to [fight] other forms of IR (illegal re -

cruitment) and trafficking online,” De Guzman said.

Available aid

THE DMW official said they are ready to provide assistance to distressed OFWs to help in their reintegration.

T he interventions include the repatriation cost of the OFW, a P10,000-arrival assistance from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), hotel accommodations, and a P30,000 financial aid from DMW.

D e Guzman said the victims are also given psychosocial support and counselling since many of them went through a harrowing experience such as being electrocuted or sexually assaulted.

“ We hope to do better because as I have said, it is hard [for OFWs] to return to the Philippines under a normal situation, it is much more difficult for them if they were to it [by their situation],” he said. Samuel P. Medenilla

ESTELLE OPLE-OSORIO, president of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute Inc. (OPLE Center), is seen at the center alongside Maya Linstrum-Newman from the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW), and other returning migrant workers. They gathered for the launch of a book titled, “Heroes, Victims, or Slaves? Workers! - Strengthening Migrant and Trafficked Women’s Rights to Inclusive Reintegration in Southeast Asia and Europe” at a hotel in Pasig City on September 20, 2023. GAATW is an international alliance comprising over 20 nongovernment organizations from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, dedicated to migrant rights, anti-trafficking initiatives and labor rights. NONOY LACZA

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Thursday, September 21, 2023

MPIC completes tender offer

By VG Cabuag @villygc

MPiC Chairman, President and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said he is “amazed” by the results of the tender offer.

“What are the implicit messages of that? t he times have moved on. My theory is that conglomerates are passé. t here’s a focus now on specific companies that are simpler to analyze like Meralco [Manila

Electric Co.]. (it has) one product only—power. No need to add sauce or color,” he said.

“Filipinos have a natural aversion to something big, that is why our stock exchange is too small. And because it’s too small it impinges on the issue of liquidity. investors, even foreign investors, want to go in and be able to get out whenever they want

to. t hat is the nature of the beast.” in its disclosure, the consortium led by Metro Pacific holdings inc., gt Capital holdings inc., Japan’s Mitsui and Co. Ltd. and Mig holdings inc. have tendered a total of 5.46 billion shares of MPiC equivalent to 19.04 percent of MPiC ’s total issued and outstanding listed shares. together with the shareholding of the bidders, qualifying common shares of members of the MPiC board of directors and other nonpublic shares, this is equivalent to 97.22 percent of MPiC ’s total issued and outstanding listed shares.

gt Capital and state-owned government Service insurance System (gSiS), however, held on to their shares. gSiS even raised its stake to 11.92 percent, but both were supportive of the consortium’s delisting plans.

Pangilinan said gSiS is entitled to one board seat after the delisting.

“Considering these results, when

the tendered shares are accepted and crossed, the bidders expect MPiC ’s public float to fall below 10 percent and pave the way for MPiC ’s voluntary delisting, in accordance with voluntary delisting procedures of the Philippine Stock Exchange,” the consortium said in a statement.

t he tender offer is now closed. t he cross date of the tendered shares is on September 26 and the settlement date is on September 28.

On the cross date, MPiC ’s public float is expected to fall to 2.78 percent.

Speaking on the sidelines of the mining conference, Mining Philippines i nternational Conference and Exhibition, Pangilinan said the company will now focus on listing its major operating units starting with Metro Pacific tollways Corp. by next year.

t he listing of Maynilad Water Services inc., the West zone concessionaire, may take place in 2025 or 2026.

LRC to conduct rail replacement works

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

Light Rail Manila Corp.

(LRMC) said on Wednesday it is conducting rail replacement activities for the Light Rail tr ansit (LRt ) Line 1. t he company is replacing rail in the turnback area of its Baclaran Station as part of its railway up-

grade program from September 20 to September 24.

to complete the necessary engineering works efficiently and safely, LRMC will close a section of its Baclaran reversing tracks resulting to constraints in train movements, train deployment, and usage of station platforms for loading and unloading passengers. With this, the LRt-1’s timetable

and headway will be increased from the current 4 minutes to approximately 5 minutes.

“As the LR t-1 system continues to cater to our growing ridership, LRMC commits to providing a safe and reliable transportation system,” LRMC COO Rolando J. Paulino i ii said.

“We would like to ask for the kind understanding of our com-

muters and apologize in advance for the temporary inconvenience as we conduct these rail renewal activities needed for improved LRt 1 1 experience. We also continue with the deployment of our new 4th g e neration trains to carry more passengers, with five train sets already in commercial service.”

LRMC expects its LRt-1 operations to normalize by September 25.

B1

Aboitiz power unit to maintain PSE listing

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

ABO i tiz Power Corp. on Wednesday said it does not intend to delist from the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) after it repurchased over 11 million shares as part of its buyback program.

“Even with this stock buyback program, there is no intention to delist from the PSE, but merely to reward our existing shareholders with a larger share of a brighter future,” the company said in a statement.

As of close of trading on September 19, the power firm has purchased 11,407,500 of its own shares. it said that the buyback program was initiated as an opportunity to repurchase shares, saying “the current share price range does not reflect the intrinsic value of the company and its future business prospects.”

t he power firm is aware that the purchases may reduce its public ownership level but despite its potential removal from the PSE index, AboitizPower said it “continues to believe its fundamentals remain intact and that this program will create further shareholder value.”

Based on previous disclosures, AboitizPower bought 1,557,500 shares last September 15, 950,000 shares on September 18, and 8.9 million shares last September 19.

AboitizPower’s current public ownership levels exceed the 10 percent minimum public ownership level required for it to remain listed in the PSE. Based on computation, its current market float is around

19.9 percent.

t he company is not certain if it would continue to repurchase more shares, saying this decision remains at the discretion of management.

AboitizPower is a leading energy provider that accounts for one out of every 5 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity in the Philippines. it continues its growth trajectory by developing a portfolio of 9,200 MW in the next 10 years to support the delivery of the country’s national energy plans. its net income in 2022 reached P27.5 billion, 32 percent higher than the previous year. g r owth continued in the first half of 2023, as the company’s net income after tax (Ni At ) stood at P17.8 billion, 79 percent higher than in the same period last year.

“With a pipeline of about 1,000 MW of new renewable energy capacity, we are well on our way to contribute an additional 3,700 MW of clean electricity,” said AboitizPower CEO Emmanuel Rubio.

“With our strong track record of Ni At performance, the ability to deliver both renewable and thermal power generation projects, and reliable growth from our distribution utilities, we are in a good position to create long-term shareholder value.”

t he company is a producer of renewable energy, with several hydroelectric, geothermal, and solar power generation facilities. it also has thermal power plants in its generation portfolio to support the country’s baseload and peak energy demands.

The consortium taking conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) private said it had bought more than 97 percent of the company’s total issued and outstanding shares, enough for its delisting from the Philippine Stock exchange (PSe).

Health& Fitness

Don’t ignore irregular periods; consult your doctor immediately

By Candy P. Dalizon Contributor

a lthough there is no cure for p C o s , t reatments can improve symptoms.

“ m a nagement of p C o s is multifaceted and will include a combination of lifestyle changes and medications focused on a patient’s specific concerns,” added Dr. Quinio. m a king lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, can help your body u se insulin more effectively and regulate your hormone levels better. For those who are overweight o r obese, losing weight can also help balance their hormone levels.

Conversations of Care

endometriosis, and use of pills.

During the launch which gathered medical experts and women’s h ealth advocates.

Bayer announced the opening of free pop-up consultations at selected partner drug stores to encourage more women to seek out expert advice on reproductive health.

Editor: Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

ICanServe Foundation launches breast cancer patient manual

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes Contributor

In response to the continuing threat of breast cancer, ICanServe Foundation recently launched the “You Can Do This: A Breast Cancer Patient’s Manual,” a comprehensive resource designed to support breast cancer patients, survivors, and their caregivers on their journey to wellness. Moreover, the material is available as a free download in English and Filipino.

Dr. i r ene B. Quinio, o b stetri -

cian- g y necologist from The m e dical City (T m C ), said these symptoms may be signs of a medical con dition, such as polycystic ovary syndrome ( p C o s ), a common hormonal condition that affects women of reproductive age. Women w ith p C o s might also struggle to get pregnant. a c cording to the World Health o r ganization (WH o ), p C o s affects an estimated eight to 13 percent of women of reproductive age, a nd up to 70 percent of the cases are undiagnosed. i n t he p h ilippines, an estimated one in six women of reproductive age has p C o s , w hich can lead to a

reduced quality of life due to its significant impact on women’s mental and emotional well-being. This is likely due to a combination of factors, including the physical symptoms of p C o s as well as the challenges of managing p C o s on a daily basis.

More common today p C o s is more common today than in the past due to a number of reasons.

“ r e asons may include a more sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy food choices. patients are also more aware of the condition, which may lead to more medical consultations,” said Dr. Quinio.

Dr . Quinio encourages women who may be facing challenges when it comes to their reproductive health to see their doctor.

“ r e productive health is tied to one’s overall health. There may be underlying medical conditions that may cause complications if left unaddressed and untreated such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and even endometrial c ancer,” she added.

i n a r elated development, Bayer p h ilippines i n c, recently launched “Bayer For Her: Conversations of Care” to encourage discussion and action around women’s reproductive health concerns. a m ong the most common issues are p C o s

T hese pop-up clinics aim to help create safe spaces for women to speak up and normalize conversations about their reproductive h ealth concerns, address common misconceptions and the barriers why they do not consult with t heir doctors, and get the support they need.

“With the launch of ‘Bayer For Her: Conversations of Care,’ we continue to raise awareness on women’s health. We know from listening to health care providers and patients that it’s not easy to talk about contraception, period pain and related topics in our cultural context. Bayer For Her enables t hese Conversations of Care with free pop-up clinics over the next two months at selected branches of our partners from m e rcury Drug, s o uthstar Drug, r o se p h armacy and Watsons,” said a n gel- m i chael e v angelista, m a naging Director and Country Division Head of ph armaceuticals, Bayer philippines.

Bad cholesterol levels is an emerging health risk–experts

Dyslipi D e mia , a condition

characterized by excessive bad cholesterol in the body, is emerging as a significant health risk in the p h ilippines, a nation grappling with one of the highest prevalence rates of adults with elevated bad cholesterol levels in s o utheast a s ia. Data reveals that 47.2 percent of Filipino adults exhibit borderline to high total cholesterol levels, while an equally concerning 47.5 percent show borderline to high levels of bad cholesterol. This escalating prevalence underscores the urgent need for heightened awareness and effective management of the disease.

Driven by their shared commitment to uphold the health and wellbeing of Filipinos, s a nofi p h ilippines and a m e narini p h ilippines organized a disease management awareness event titled “ l i pid Talks: Bad Cholesterol, Dapat i - control’’ which showcased health experts who shared practical disease management information and advice for patients with dyslipidemia.

Dr. m i a Fojas, an endocrinologist,

“LIPId Talks: Bad Cholesterol, dapat I-control” press conference hosted by Jing Castañeda along with dr. Mia Fojas, endocrinologist, and dr Jude Erric Cinco, cardiologist-intensivist and professor, shared practical disease management information and advice for patients with dyslipidemia.

explained that cholesterol is a naturally occurring substance in the body, and travels through the bloodstream as lipoproteins. “Two main types of lipoprotein are high-density lipoprotein [HDl] o r ‘good cholesterol’ and low-density lipoprotein [l Dl] o r ‘bad cholesterol.’ Too much of the latter in the body is concerning as it can pose serious health risks.” Dr. Jude e r ric Cinco, a cardiologistintensivist and professor, highlighted

the effects of uncontrolled levels of bad cholesterol to a person’s cardiovascular functions: “ e l evated levels of bad cholesterol can clog the arteries and result in severe complications like stroke and heart attack, both of which are among the top killers in the country.”

a n yone can increase their risk of unhealthy cholesterol levels if they have poor diet, are obese, do not exercise, smoke, or drink too much al -

cohol. a lthough dyslipidemia is more common in people over 40 years of age, even children can have it6. a dd itionally, the disease does not have any symptoms, making it difficult to diagnose.

“The only way to know if you have unhealthy levels of bad cholesterol is by getting a blood test,” Dr. Fojas said. “a n d it is important that Filipinos regularly speak with their doctor so they can better understand how to prevent and manage it.”

While eating healthy food and exercising are highly recommended in managing the disease, often dyslipidemia can’t be treated with lifestyle changes alone. a doctor may prescribe medication to control the patient’s bad cholesterol levels.

Bad cholesterol levels is an emerging health risk—experts Dr. Cinco added, “Talk to your doctor so he can help you achieve your target cholesterol level based on your risk category.

yo ur doctor is the best person to recommend an updated and personalized treatment plan that best suits your condition.”

“I didn’t know much about cancer or how to have it when I was diagnosed 24 years ago. Speaking with other survivors and searching online helped minimize the fear and empowered me,” shared Crisann Celdran, ICanServe Co-founder and Chairman of the Board. “The manual is a love letter from survivors to other survivors and their caregivers and families, and one I wish had access to back then,” added Celdran.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 27,163 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in the Philippines in 2020, making it the most common cancer in the country. Furthermore, breast cancer has a mortality rate of 10.7 percent or 9,926 deaths, making it the third most fatal cancer in the country behind only lung cancer and liver cancer.

Practical knowledge

T O h elp patients, Celdran pointed out that survivors and caregivers access essential information throughout their cancer journey and the manual offers practical knowledge and advice and shares heartfelt stories from breast cancer survivors.

“As a longtime survivor, many newlydiagnosed women or their loved ones come to me for advice. While I try my best, my answers are insufficient, or too vague, or too scattered. With this manual, I’m able to give sound advice—even for questions they haven’t asked—in a more organized manner,” said ICanServe President n i koy de Guzman. “We hope this manual sends the message that cancer is not a death sentence. Many things can be done to ease the burden of a cancer diagnosis. n o one is alone in her fight.”

A source of information and encouragement, Celdran said manual combines information gleaned from studies and established sources such as the American Cancer Society, as well as personal anecdotes. It covers a wide range of topics, from the medical (understanding treatment options, managing side effects), to the personal (how to tell your family and friends), to the practical (financing cancer treatment).

“Written by breast cancer survivors, and with input from experts in various fields, from psychiatry to palliative care, the updated Manual is written in layman’s

terms to help patients as well as their families and support groups at different stages on the journey. It’s a solid, valuable reminder that no breast cancer survivor is ever completely alone in this experience,” shared Alya Honasan, ICanServe volunteer, journalist, artist, book author, yoga instructor, and the Manual’s editor.

Empowering women

Dr . Corazon n g elangel of the n at ional Integrated Cancer Control Council and Philippine Cancer Society supports the manual, saying, “This manual empowers women to take charge of their well-being through self-education, self-assessment, and self-reliance; equipping them with insights on getting the right treatment at the right time.”

“What sets apart the ICanServe patient manual, ‘You Can Do This!’ is that it is Philippine and patient centered. To this day, there are gaps in information for the rich, the middle class, and the poor. Patients often feel side effects or symptoms that are unacknowledged and unaddressed. We want patients, carers, caregivers, and health providers to form a circle of support for patients, and to fully share in the journey, beginning with accurate information and acknowledging the unique and nuanced experience of breast cancer patients. This circle of support equals hope—the one thing you should never take away from a patient,” noted Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, Founding President, ICanServe and Vice President for Internal Affairs, Cancer Coalition Philippines.

In her speech read by Menchie Auste, Cancer Coalition Philippines Vice President of External r e lations, Health Undersecretary Maria r osario Vergeire commended the publication “as not just a publication; it is a lifeline, a source of empowerment, and a beacon of hope for countless individuals and families affected by breast cancer.”

Although a lot of Filipinas are aware of the burden of breast cancer in women, at some point some people may even perceive it as a death sentence. “Moreover, the impact of cancer within a family is profound. It doesn’t stop with the patient; instead, it ripples through all of the family members’ mental health, relationships, and livelihood,” she said.

“Worse is that most patients who suffer the worst cancer outcomes are the disadvantaged and marginalized members of our society due to poverty and lack of education,” Vergeire added.

Vergeire said the impact of social determinants of health is clearly visible in these individuals. She added the challenge becomes greater as lower income and education levels often lead to restricted access to healthcare resources, especially information on self-examination and early breast cancer screenings.

Be wary of what your doctor says and do your own research–expert

aD e rma T o logis T said that

patients should not always believe what their doctors say unless studies and research have been made on their prescribed medicines.

medical cannabis or marijuana, the legalization for its use of which is being pushed in the p h ilippines at the s e nate and House of r e presentatives, is also being used by dermatologists.

Tire D -l ooking eyes are a widely shared concern that goes beyond age and gender. e v en after a good night’s sleep, undereye shadow and a lack of volume can give the illusion of perpetual fatigue.

i n a w orld where tired-looking eyes can affect anyone, r e stylane® Bright e y es is the answer. o n e of the brand’s innovative Holistic i n dividualized Treatment (H i T ™) strategies, r e stylane® Bright e y es is the individualized treatment plan that smoothens the wrinkles and tear trough deformity around the eye area.

r e stylane® Bright e y es H i T ™ advocates the complementary use of r e stylane with l i docaine and r es tylane® Volyme ™ in the periorbital area for a brighter look.

r e stylane with l i docaine emerges

as the revolutionary answer to rejuvenate and brighten up those captivating eyes backed by extensive clinical journals. Dark shadows, under-eye hollows, and a fatigued appearance are no longer a challenge thanks to the groundbreaking filler, r e stylane with l idocaine.

m eanwhile, r e stylane® Volyme

™ i s an aesthetic innovation that addresses mid-face volume loss, offering a non-surgical solution that restores natural-looking, youthful fullness. Through state-of-the-art technology, r e stylane® V o lyme empowers individuals to regain their vitality and self-assured glow.

r e stylane® Bright e y es H i T ™ emerges as a game-changer in the field of aesthetics, designed to address the concerns of those seeking

to brighten up their eyes and achieve a more youthful, vibrant look.

“ r e stylane® Bright e yes H i T ™ represents a significant advancement in the world of aesthetic enhancements,” says Dr. Jason l i C hien- n i en m D., a renowned expert in dermatology from Taiwan, “ i t s unique formulation allows for precise and controlled volume restoration, resulting in a balanced appearance. The results are truly remarkable, and i ’m thrilled to be part of an era where such innovative solutions are accessible to individuals seeking a refreshed and rejuvenated look.”

The effectiveness of r e stylane®

Bright e y es H i T ™ is underscored by its ability to deliver results that go beyond expectations and its longevity, reducing the need for frequent

maintenance sessions.

r e stylane® Bright e yes H i T ™ exemplifies our commitment to pushing the boundaries of beauty innovation. We believe that everyone deserves to look and feel their best, with the diverse portfolio of r e stylane®, we are providing a transformative solution that empowers individuals to embrace the ageless natural look they deserve,” says Christine l e gaspi, m a rketing and C e T m a nager of g a lderma.

With its advanced formulation and expert precision, this remarkable filler targets the tear trough area, adding the perfect touch of volume where it matters most. Backed by years of research and clinical trials, making it a reliable and safe option to enhance the under-eye area.

e v en if the doctor is very good, he can sometimes be wrong,” Dr, g r ace Carole Beltran, said. a dermatologist, aesthetic surgeon and a pathology dermatologist, she was the guest in the most recent m e dia Health Forum of Bauertek Corporation.

s h e stressed that aside from the doctor’s advice and promotion of medical products, it is also important for patients to do their own study and research.

i t does not mean that if the doctor said it was okay, it is right to believe him. yo u as a patient also have to do your own research,” Beltran explained.

s h e said that taking fake medicines has many side effects and patients should take extra care.

Medical cannabis BelT r an disclosed that to date,

The plant is used for acne, tropic dermatitis and others. a l though it is still under study and in its infantile stage, it has the potential to be recommended for lupus and other ailments, according to Beltran. r i chard n i xon g o mez, general manager of Baurtek Corporation, meanwhile said that cannabis is being used as additives for dermatological purposes like cream with its CBD or cannabidiol, which is its second most prevalent active ingredient.

Both Beltran and g o mez said that cosmetics extracts from marijuana should not contain THC or tetrahydrocannabinol or the chemical that gets people “high.” CBD or Cannabidiol, on the other hand, has no intoxicating effects and can treat a wide range of symptoms.

Ladies, irregular periods should not be ignored. if your menstrual cycle is consistently irregular, or if you experience other symptoms such as acne, excessive hair growth, and weight gain, it is important to see a doctor to rule out any underlying medical conditions.

Restylane is key to a fresh look to tired, aging eyes

Preparing your child better for school (Part I)

Ready!, actress and TV host Iza Calzado-Wintle talked to fellow parents and experts about ways to develop children’s IQ and EQ to make them ready for challenges and have a smooth transition into the new school year.

DETERMINE THE RIGHT LEARNING APPROACH

parenting style is tactical—expose her and involve her. An example of how she learns math better and finds it interesting is that when we go to the grocery store, she will do simple addition, subtraction and multiplication. Also, consistency is key, so both of us have the same rules and set of values. We don’t want to confuse Annika.”

is your moringa supplement truly nourishing you and your baby?

it’s probably not surprising if we find out that most Filipino moms have at some point boosted their malunggay or moringa consumption during their breastfeeding months, especially now that it’s widely acknowledged for its nutritional power. the thing is, not all malunggay can offer the same levels of nutrition we expect. And just because a supplement is made from moringa, it doesn’t automatically mean it’s of high quality and safe and effective for both mom and baby.

IT is great to see the increased awareness of parents on our role in our child’s education and development. From recent the events of Enfagrow’s Getting Kids School-Ready, Future Ready, and Ogalala’s talk on Preparing Our Kids Better for School, it is also great that relevant brands are also trying to find more ways to equip parents on this journey.

A new school year has started. Aside from excitement, kids as well as their parents may also feel anxious about whether they are ready to face the new challenges in school. This is why a lot of preparation is needed, especially since many schools are now going back to face-to-face classes.

School readiness is often measured by the kids’ ability to read and write before school starts. However, aside from their physical and cognitive skills, parents should also give importance to the development of their child’s EQ, which involves social and emotional skills. With children now more dependent on technology, their exposure and activities outside their homes may cause fear, anxiety, and even delayed brain development. Parents get more anxious during school-opening season, plagued by the thought that they may not be doing enough to prepare their kids for school.

In an event presented by Enfagrow A+ Four NuraPro, called Getting Kids School-Ready, Future

TINA ZAmOrA, director of Nest School for Whole Child Development, stressed the importance of determining which learning approach is best for your kids.”It starts with understanding your child’s learning style and interests. montessori education centers on self-directed learning and hands-on exploration. If they thrive in structured environments and value clear guidelines, traditional learning might be suitable. On the other hand, if they’re curious, creative and enjoy exploring, progressive learning could be a better fit.”

Dr. ma. Theresa Arranz-Lim, founding member and former president of the Philippine Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, further explained how the different learning approaches help shape children’s IQ and EQ. “Adopting the growth mindset is very relevant now—applying what you’ve learned, accepting feedback, and learning from mistakes. Children are happier when they are affirmed; they feel safe and protected. Whether it’s montessori, traditional, or progressive, giving the best care to children helps them become smart and emotionally aware kids. Keep in mind that every child is unique.”

For example, child star Annika Co has showcased her wit and talents on her TV appearances. According to her parents, Adrian and Anne Co, Annika has been using the applied learning approach as part of her homeschooling since she was 6 years old. As supportive parents, they just allowed their child to do whatever activities would help her develop her talents further. Adrian and Anne related, “Our

Celebrity mom Coleen Garcia shared the same experience with her son Amari. “We spend a lot of time with him and expose him to various experiences because we want Amari to adapt to different environments and interact with people. When we were in Paris, we rode buses and trains, and when we were at home, we exposed him to everyday chores like laundry day, cooking time, etc. We are doing it slowly, using a lot of intuitive tools. That way, we can observe his learning interests.”

Educator Tina Zamora approves of Coleen and Annika’s parents’ way of enriching their kids’ learning experience. In addition, Zamora said communicating these experiences to their teacher would help make them school-ready. “It’s true what they say: it takes a village to raise a kid. The key is collaboration among teachers, parents and caregivers. We need to observe and see their strengths and weaknesses so we can give them the essential support system.”

Being a parent means wanting the absolute best for our child. It’s not only about teaching them things but also about helping them be kind and strong in this big world. Enfagrow A+ Four stands alongside parents on this journey with the belief that a strong mind and a kind heart go hand in hand in making them ready for school. Lim reminded parents of the importance of early nutrition to sustain and aid children’s overall development.

Next week, let me share more tips both on nutrition and things you can do at home in building a more school- and future-ready environment for your children. n

Filipino plant-based brand sekaya (www.sekaya.com. ph) is revealing why it’s important for new moms to be more discerning about their sources of moringa supplements to get the most out of the nutritional wonders of the humble malunggay and cope with the demands of breastfeeding.

Dr. eca lorenzo, internal medicine specialist and functional medicine practitioner, advises that moringa supplements of low quality may have harmful effects while some may not be nutritious enough to meet nursing needs.

“While malunggay has no known side effects to breastfeeding moms and their babies, the moringa tree is also very good at sucking up toxins and pollutants from the soil and environment it’s planted in, and these toxins may then be present in the leaves,” she points out.

if you’re taking a moringa supplement to enhance your milk supply, you must keep in mind that you’re taking a high concentration of malunggay in every dose. lowquality moringa products may be unsafe in terms of their toxin content. if you don’t know from where they’re being sourced—clean vs. polluted sites—then you and your baby may be at risk of getting exposed to high amounts of toxins and may not be getting the most out of the supplement.” because of this, lorenzo stresses the importance of taking a good quality moringa supplement from a reputable brand to ensure that you are getting only the good and none of the bad, especially for those who are keen to exclusively breastfeed their newborns.

“studies have shown that dried moringa leaf powder contains seven times more vitamin C than oranges, 10 times more vitamin A than carrots, 15 times more potassium than bananas, and 25 times more iron than spinach, helping moms replenish nutrients depleted during pregnancy and recover from the effects of childbirth,” she shares.

“As a galactagogue, dried moringa is effective because it offers 17 times more calcium than milk. it’s also a great source of protein, as 100 grams of fresh malunggay leaves may provide the body 6.7 grams of this macronutrient. research also suggests that moringa may help increase prolactin, a hormone that mainly stimulates lactation.”

NEW YOrK Actor and philanthropist

michael J. Fox won this year’s Elevate Prize Catalyst Award, which the Back to the Future star plans to use to further his foundation’s work to find treatments for Parkinson’s disease.

Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 29 in 1991, received the award at the Clinton Global Initiative, or CGI, conference on Tuesday in New York. The annual prize, which went to Nobel Peace Prize winner malala Yousafzai last year, includes $250,000 from the Elevate Prize Foundation and support to amplify the winner’s messaging.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who interviewed Fox onstage at CGI, credited him with research advances in understanding Parkinson’s. “I don’t think this work would have made the progress it has if michael hadn’t been so open,” she said.

Fox said that once he got support from his family after his diagnosis, he did not hesitate about going public with his diagnosis.

“There’s such shame associated with this illness,” Fox said. “It’s so ridiculous, this great need to keep it secret. The cruel thing of it is it’s going to out you eventually.”

However, he said there is no choice but to “keep trying to move the ball forward—whether it’s world peace, climate change or this disease.”

Former President Bill Clinton said he was “awestruck” by Fox. “I’ve known michael J. Fox for a long time, and he looks better every time I see him,” he said. “He is a brave, good man.”

Joseph Deitch, founder of The Elevate Prize Foundation, called Fox “a lightning rod for good,” as he presented him with the award.

“He is an icon,” Elevate Prize Foundation CEO Carolina García Jayaram told The Associated Press in

an interview. “He was able to use the power of his story to introduce to so many people what this disease was and make us care about it.”

Garcia Jayaram said Fox embodies this year’s CGI theme of “Keep Going” and was “the perfect person at the perfect time” as the more than $2 billion Fox’s foundation has raised for research since it launched in 2000 has made a major difference in the understanding of the disease.

“I just can’t think of a better person to inspire us all to face our challenges with that much stamina and honesty and vulnerability,” Garcia Jayaram said. “It’s scary to be that vulnerable and share something so personal to you and your family—especially in his case when his job was to be a public figure. He did it anyway. Nothing will stop him.”

Deborah Brooks, co-founder and CEO of the michael J. Fox Foundation, said the award comes at an important time for the nonprofit. In April, a biomarker for Parkinson’s disease was identified for the first time, a “seismic shift” that will help improve chances for creating treatments and tests that can detect the disease in living patients.

“We’re excited that this kind of recognition allows him to help us continue to keep moving at what feels somewhat like a warp pace in terms of driving progress on some of the most exciting things going on in neuroscience right now,” Brooks said.

“Patients and families want to be part of the solution they are looking for,” said Brooks, adding that the foundation created the Fox Trial Finder, which helps connect patients to potential testing programs. “Often they have no idea how that manifests, and so it’s always been a part of our message.” AP

sekaya, which has been aiming to raise the bar of natural health products in the Philippines, is preserving all these amazing health benefits to nourish nursing moms and their babies with sekaya Organic Moringa, the only 500mg eU-certified organic moringa supplement in the market. the brand sources 100 percent of its moringa from local farms under the Moringaling Philippines Foundation, which have been certified organic by the european Union (eU) after fulfilling strict conditions and passing international standards.

Made from 100 percent pure and organic Moringa oleifera leaves powder, sekaya Organic Moringa contains no yeast, dairy, egg, gluten, soy, wheat, artificial color, flavor and fragrance for every breastfeeding mom’s peace of mind. As a brand under synnovate, the natural products division of Unilab, these moringa capsules are also processed in pharma-grade facilities and have gone through several laboratory tests to ensure their purity, safety and efficacy.

MADe from 100 percent pure and organic Moringa oleifera leaves powder, sekaya Organic Moringa contains no yeast, dairy, egg, gluten, soy, wheat, artificial color, flavor, and fragrance for every breastfeeding mom’s peace of mind.

Celebrity moms Coleen Garcia, iza Calzado, child wonder Annika Co, and childdevelopment experts share tips on developing higher iQ and eQ for kids.

PhilEnergy, PHL’s most comprehensive energy trade event, set for March 2024

INFORMA Markets, together with main industry stakeholders, recently launched PhilEnergy 2024. PhilEnergy is a new stand-alone energy trade event and will take place at SMX Convention Center in Pasay City from March 20 to 22, 2024.

PhilEnergy, formerly known as RE EE Philippines, was previously colocated with the established Water Philippines trade show. Now with the strong policy emphasis towards clean energy, energy efficiency and a sustainable net-zero future in the Philippines, it is time for an independent comprehensive energy showcase.

As the renewable energy sector expands and new means to use energy more efficient are developed, the Philippine government gears up to establish secure, sustainable, and resilient energy strategies. There is also significant interest from international innovative energy players originating from Canada, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and other countries to develop and strengthen relations in energy sector in the Philippines.

PhilEnergy will highlight innovations and advancements in the energy and power sectors, connecting international suppliers to local and regional buyers in the field.

The three-day exhibition will

feature conferences and seminars from PhilEnergy’s supporting organizations, together with its strategic partner, Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance Inc. (PE2) and its industry partner Society of Philippine Electrotechnical Constructors and Suppliers Inc. (SPECS).

“PhilEnergy remains a valuable event for us because it focuses the spotlight on energy efficiency as an excitingly new and progressive industry within the broader energy market of the Philippines.” said Alexander Ablaza, President of PE2.

One of the PhilEnergy highlights is the Energy Efficiency Day 2024 Conference, PE2’s annual event to engage a whole-of-society response

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort ready to launch first and largest World of Frozen theme park in November

HONG Kong Disneyland Resort is getting ready for the opening of World of Frozen, the world’s first and largest “Frozen” themed land, on November 20, 2023. Inspired by the Walt Disney Animation Studios’ films, “Frozen” and “Frozen 2,” World of Frozen will transport guests to the cinematic and living land Arendelle. Guests will delve into this immersive travel destination, with its captivating stories, beloved characters, culture, stunning landscapes, enchanting music, and cutting-edge technology for the first time in forever by celebrating Summer Snow Day and enjoying the fun-filled attractions such as Frozen Ever After and Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs.

toward mainstreaming energy efficiency as the economy’s first fuel, which will take place during the 1st day of the show. SPECS, on the other hand will organize a Construction Forum during the 2nd day of PhilEnergy According to SPECS president, Engr. Ariel Duran, “As the world evolves in the new technology era, PhilEnergy is a good platform to help SPECS members and the electrical industry, specifically to engage or find new partners and suppliers for their business opportunities to keep pace with the rapid changes and prosper in the face of increasing competitiveness and for the growth of the country as a whole.”

A cut above the rest: Why AirAsia Philippines is making free glam and haircut sessions available to Allstars

of a company that holds self-care in high regard. This opportunity allowed us to enjoy a bit of ‘me time,’ something that we hadn’t experienced in a very long time.”

On the flip side of this heartwarming narrative, Jessa Guardacasa expressed her deep appreciation for her experience, which occurred a full year postpartum.

“I’m happy to be a part of a company that holds self-care in high regard, especially for moms like us. This opportunity allowed me to enjoy a bit of ‘me time,’ something that I hadn’t experienced in over a year.”

AirAsia Philippines, fostering a culture that values the well-being of its employees, is not only empowering its team members but also setting a remarkable example for the industry by championing the importance of self-care and grooming.

Michael Moriarty, managing director of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, said: “Today, on the 18th anniversary of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, we’re thrilled to be sharing more details on World of Frozen. World of Frozen is an integral part of the park’s latest expansion and growth, and with the launch on November 20, we look forward to welcoming even more guests from around the world. We are committed to continually delivering new and innovative offerings so that our guests can enjoy a magical experience with each and every visit to the resort. We can’t wait from them to explore the kingdom of Arendelle.”

Summer Snow Day commemorates the day that Anna saved Elsa and the kingdom with an act of true love. Guests are invited to visit this whimsical realm and rejoice in the lively festivities!

World of Frozen puts a number of iconic scenes in the “Frozen” movies to life. Some of its signature spots include the North Mountain, with its peak as the highest point in Arendelle; the Ice Palace where Elsa unleashes her icy powers freely for the first time; Arendelle Castle, home of the royal family; the Bay of Arendelle, featuring the small fishing boat that Anna fell on when she met Prince Hans; Clock Tower where Anna danced with Prince Hans; and Friendship Fountain where Elsa uses her magical powers to freeze its water into beautiful snowflake ornamentations.

Guests can also immerse themselves in the joy of the Summer Snow Day celebration by taking a Frozen Ever After journey to meet Elsa at her Ice Palace that is open to all for the first time, embarking on a wondrous adventure on Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs, enjoying a unique interactive play experience with Anna and Elsa at Playhouse in the Woods.

To prepare for the Summer Snow Day celebration, guests can immerse in the enchanting festivities with a special outfit. Wear rosemaling patterned clothes, add glittering iceinspired face paint, and style the hair like Elsa or wear a cape like Anna to show the love for the royal sisters. No visit to Arendelle would be complete without indulging in its exquisite cuisine and exploring its charming shops, which are deeply rooted in Nordic history and culture. Do not miss Golden Crocus Inn and Bayside

Wharf for a taste of local delicacies inspired by traditional Nordic dishes, grab a bite at Forest Fare or sweet treats at Northern Delights. Visit Tick Tock Toys & Collectibles and Traveling Traders for a delightful shopping experience, where guests can find the perfect souvenirs to bring home cherished memories. Complete the magical Arendelle journey by staying at one of the enchanting resort hotels and participate in themed recreation activities that will make the Arendelle experience truly unforgettable.

To promote the enchanting beauty of Arendelle, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is delighted to announce today that renowned local travel guru Dodo Cheng has been designated as the Arendelle travel ambassador for Hong Kong! With a wealth of travel experiences, Dodo will be able to share her enchanting journey in Arendelle and travel tips to the guests. Meanwhile, Olaf is appointed as the global ambassador by Anna and Elsa to extend a heartfelt invitation to all corners of the globe for the Summer Snow Day celebration in Arendelle!

Hong Kong Disneyland is also thrilled to announce the appointment of Klook as the designated booking platform for the highly anticipated launch of World of Frozen themed products in the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore. As part of this exciting collaboration, a series of unique World of Frozen experiences and products will be made available exclusively on Klook Travel.

This collaboration will enable the resort to continue enchanting fans worldwide with Disney magic. Inviting guests to embark on a journey to the kingdom of Arendelle, and become part of the beloved Frozen story, found only at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Guests who book through Klook Travel will have the exclusive opportunity to be among the first to explore World of Frozen with a special hotel package on November 4, 2023, before its official gate opens on November 20, 2023. In addition, guests can also purchase the “OneDay Ticket with Early Park Entry Pass” to enjoy a hassle-free experience. Passholders can enjoy early park entry, allowing them access to the park 1 hour before the official opening time. To learn more details, please visit https://www. klook.com/activity/39-hong-kong-disneylandresort-hong-kong/ and book your trip to this whimsical realm now.

MORE and more employees are drawn to companies that take care of their overall well-being, as they place emphasis on workplaces that support mental and emotional needs in addition to more traditional benefits.

Workplaces that foster a culture where employees feel valued are more highly prioritized in today’s evolving job landscape and often lead to more effective teams. And it comes as no surprise that when employees are happier they perform better, as much as 13 percent more productive according to a recent study by Oxford University.

As part of its World’s Best service, AirAsia Philippines continues to innovate and expand employee engagement, rolling out the royal treatment for its employees with free haircuts and glam day for its Allstars (what AirAsia calls its employees).

In the fast-paced aviation industry, Ramp and Maintenance teams play a vital role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of AirAsia Philippines’ operations. These dedicated Allstars are in charge of loading of baggage on flights, performing inspections and repairs on aircraft, and conducting traffic control on the tarmac, jobs often done behind the scenes.

“Taking care of our employees and making sure each and every Allstar feels seen and valued will always be paramount at AirAsia,” said Ricky Isla, AirAsia Philippines CEO.

“In addition to enforcing an innovative

and employee-centric culture where all Allstars, regardless of rank, enjoy the same benefits: offering free haircuts and an afternoon off for some pampering is one more meaningful way to show our gratitude for our employees’ dedication,” Isla added.

To spotlight the hardworking Ramp and Maintenance teams, AirAsia Philippines pioneers a unique initiative that aims to show its gratitude by giving employees the chance to be treated like a star with an exclusive pampering and grooming session at Redpoint, Manila, through its Corporate Sustainability and Social Responsibility (CSSR) arm.

With this initiative, Allstars such as Wilneriza Catacutan from Ground Operations found herself at the perfect time to indulge in some well-deserved pampering. She recently embraced motherhood, a role that has kept her tirelessly tending to her newborns, leaving little room for self-care.

Catacutan enthusiastically shared her sentiments, stating, “Since the day I welcomed my new baby, salon visits or even enjoying a leisurely haircut became a distant dream. I am genuinely grateful to AirAsia Philippines for this kind of event, which not only rewards its dedicated employees but also serves as a reminder of the importance of self-care and the art of looking and feeling our best.”

On the other hand, Ramp Manager LJ Centino expressed her deep appreciation for the ramp team. “I’m happy to be a part

Done in collaboration with Marqed Salon, a leading hair care and salon founded by celebrity stylist Mark Anthony Rosales, AirAsia’s free haircut and glam day is also available to other AllStars: providing free haircuts, consultations, and complimentary personalized scalp and hair health checks from professional stylists and hair treatment experts.

What’s more, the collaboration with Marqed Salon goes further, as AllStars can also get up to 50 percent off during visits to different branches for followup sessions aside from availing the free haircut day at Redpoint.

This program not only encourages good grooming with Allstars but also prevents scalp or skin conditions and aims to boost employees’ self-confidence. This initiative is part of AirAsia Philippines’ broader commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). AirAsia Philippines believes that giving back to its employees is a testament to its values and a way to strengthen the bonds within the organization and boost employee morale.

Passionate about making flying more affordable for everyone, innovating the travel industry, and enabling connectivity across Asean and beyond? Start your career in the skies today with The World’s Best Low-Cost Airline by visiting https://mycareer.airasia.com/ and staying tuned to AirAsia’s social media channels for regular updates.

PHL events and concert scene is back with a bang with newest player 2Kings Production

THE year 2023 has definitely been a breath of fresh air. Following more than two years of deafening silence, isolation and purely virtual shenanigans, the world has finally opened up. Parties, concerts and events are back in full swing. If there’s anything we’ve learned thus far, it’s that there is truly nothing quite like experiencing good vibes and human connection with your friends and loved ones (or even strangers!), a drink or two while vibing to your favorite local and international artists. This is where 2Kings Productions comes in.

Founded with a passion for world-class entertainment and creating unparalleled experiences paving the way for memories that last, 2Kings Productions is the newest player in the events and concert scene. Make no mistake that while this local production company is the new kid on the block, its founders are definitely seasoned individuals when it comes to entertainment.

One-half of this power duo is Henry Angelo

Pantollana, an entrepreneur extraordinaire with several successful businesses under his sleeve, spanning through different industries like the medical field, digital and even trading. With his penchant for good music and experiences paired with his exceptional business acumen, he definitely has a lot to bring to the table with this new venture. He also celebrated birthday along with the launch.

The other half is Moy Macasero also known as “Moymoy Palaboy,” the first ever Filipino Youtube sensation who has made a name for himself in mainstream entertainment as an actor, comedian, singer and songwriter. He was a former MTRCB Board of Director (2017 to 2022) and is currently the Vice Chairman of the Optical Media Board.

Held on September 9, 2023, at Xylo, BGC, 2Kings gave their guests a taste of what to expect in the coming months – copious food and drinks, a party like no other and big surprises that made that night one for the books.

South Korea empowers Phil. cities vs. climate challenges

A signing event formalized the launch of the “Philippine Climate Resilient Cities (PCRC)” project through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica) and the city governments of Batangas, Legazpi, Iloilo, Borongan, Cotabato and Zamboanga. The South Korean Embassy explained the primary intent as strengthening the local government units’ understanding of climate-adaptation technologies and facilitate their practical application. To achieve this, Koica will also organize local capacity-building workshops, conduct invitational training sessions

in its country, and dispatch Korean experts who will provide technical guidance to the LGUs.

Koica signed a grant arrangement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Phils. for the said project worth $1.25 million to improve the cities’ resilience by strengthening their capacities in adapting to, mitigating, and managing impacts of climate change and disasters.

For the Korean Embassy, the arrangement served as a tangible realization of the objectives outlined in the memorandum of understanding between USAID Phils.

and Koica Phils. back in April 2021.

It set the groundwork for strategic cooperation, particularly in priority sectors such as climate change, with the shared goal of propelling the host-nation’s growth and development.

Along with the arrangement framework established between

Royal Canadian Navy holds port call in PHL

THE Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) has completed a goodwill visit to the Philippines, as part of Canada’s defense engagement in the Indo-Pacific Region.

His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ottawa docked at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone until September

19. The ship’s namesake is the City of Ottawa—Canada’s capital city, where approximately 15,000 Filipinos and Filipino-Canadians reside.

“The arrival of HMCS Ottawa the first of three Canadian ships to visit this September—is a demonstration of the close and growing relationship between Canada and the Philippines, and of [our commitment to stability and security in Southeast Asia, as well as] the broader IndoPacific region,” Ambassador David Hartman said.

Navy, local outreach, and local engagements. It also held a “fun run” and an exchange of the ships’ cooks.

HMCS Ottawa continued the tradition of RCN ships visiting the Philippines, after HMCS Vancouver’s successful visit last year. The former has been deployed since August, and Subic Bay was its second port visit. Throughout the last quarter of 2023, it will conduct forward naval-presence operations, cooperative deployments, and participate in international naval exercises with partner-nations.

both agencies, Koica will provide an additional $750,000 in grant funding through the PCRC project to deliver vital technical assistance in promoting the use of climate-adaptation technologies. Comprehensive guidelines will be developed for the six designated cities based on their local circumstances.

Mexico marks 213 years of initial quest for national independence

SEPTEMBER is Mexico’s National Month, as it celebrates several historic dates.

The most important of these is the 16th of the month, when the nation commemorates its “Proclamation of Independence” that began the struggle carried out by women and men who gave their lives to finally achieve that goal in 1821.

The events began on the night of September 15, 1810 when Mexican hero Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla called the people to arms. That is why in every city and town in the nation, crowds gather for a ceremony to remember the occasion. During this rite, a leader calls on Mexicans to honor their heroes and acclaim their freedom, known as the Grito de Independencia.

This year, as in previous occasions, the local Mexican community gathered to celebrate their National Day in the company of many friends from their host-country. They share a history of more than 450 years by way

of the ties created by the AcapulcoManila Galleon route, which facilitated the exchange of people, goods, values and ideas for two-and-a-half centuries across the Pacific Ocean.

The ceremony of the “Cry of Independence,” led by Ambassador Daniel Hernández Joseph, marked the beginning of the celebrations that will last until the morning of September 16, with a wreath-laying at the monument of Costilla in Intramuros. It marked the 213th anniversary of the beginning of the Mexican people’s struggle for self-determination.

For the Embassy of Mexico, 2023 is a year of festivity for Mexicans and Filipinos, with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between their countries.

In honor of this event, both nations illuminated monuments and landmarks with the colors of each other’s flags on April 14.

The two will also hold this year their third meeting of the “Political Consultative Mechanism,” which

will further advance the strengthening of their bilateral relationship.

In 2023, the 450th year of the Acapulco-Manila route’s establishment will be recalled, as noted by several scholars, with the discovery of the tornaviaje or return voyage from the Philippines to Mexico by Andrés de Urdaneta in 1565. These events emphasize the two nations’

common heritage and brotherhood, said the embassy.

Thus, for the deputation, the commemoration of the 213th anniversary of the beginning of the struggle for national independence is the ideal time for Mexicans to come together, celebrate their country, as well as share its rich culture and ancestral traditions with its Filipino friends.

“As maritime nations, [we share a common interest in upholding a rules-based global] order, and maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Hartman added.

During its visit to Subic Bay, HMCS Ottawa had a full program, which covered professional development opportunities with the Philippine

Meanwhile, a second Canadian vessel, the MV Asterix, an auxiliary supply vessel leased to the RCN, also arrived in Subic Bay on September 16. The “Asterix” has been in and out of the region since March 2023 to provide replenishment and resupply services to RCN ships. It supports Canadian vessels with efforts in atsea oiler replenishment, aviation support, medical and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, among others.

A third Canadian ship, HMCS Vancouver, will arrive in Manila by month’s end.

THE Stratbase-Albert Del Rosario Institute (ADRi) has thrown its full support to the deepening of relations between the Philippines and Australia.

“[The commonwealth] has consistently been among the countries most trusted by Filipinos,” Stratbase-ADRi president Dindo Manhit said. “We are grateful for Australia’s unwavering support for the Philippines, particularly its recognition of the 2016 arbitral ruling and its commitment to preserving the rule of law. Its presence in the Indo-Pacific and defense of the rules-based international order [assures] that peace, stability, and prosperity will be maintained in the region.”

T he Stratbase official also pointed out that the signing of their partnership is on the right track for Philippines and Australia’s flourishing relations.

“[In] the last 77 years, our defense and economic ties have grown stronger, fortified by shared values and principles,” Manhit noted. “The visit of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

to Manila is a landmark initiative that highlights the [Philippines’s] central geopolitical value…in the Indo-Pacific region.” (Read in the BusinessMirror: “Australian PM, PBBM enter accord for strategic alliance;” September 14, 2023).

He also highlighted the importance of Philippine-Australian linkages in enhancing regional security and prosperity through cooperation and partnership.

In particular, Australia has been a dedicated partner in enhancing our military capabilities, as demonstrated by our recently concluded exercise ‘ALON,’ which strengthens our external defense and interoperability,” Manhit explained.

“Furthermore, our elevated [ties with the Oceanic nation assure] us of a reliable friend and partner in economic prosperity,” he added. “Trade activities form a significant part of our relations, as evidenced by Australia’s release of its Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, which includes cooperation with the Philippines.” Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

THE Israeli Embassy in Manila dedicated an “improv” show that featured the group “Duda” which honored overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Israel, and gave homage to the late Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) chief Susan Ople.

“Secretary Ople’s life was dedicated to advocating for OFWs. In my close collaboration with her, I had the privilege of witnessing her unwavering [sense of duty and compassionate leadership],” Ambassador Ilan Fluss shared. “Her unique blend of pragmatism and empathy made her a formidable advocate for OFWs.”

“Together, we faced numerous challenges, driven by our shared commitment to enhance the lives of these unsung heroes. Her legacy of compassion, justice, and solidarity continues to inspire us all,” Fluss added.

The ambassador also highlighted the OFWs in Israel who are hardworking, compassionate, and notable for their world-class care.

There are around 30,000 Filipinos working as caregivers and hotel

workers in the “Holy Land.” The Israeli government is working closely with its Philippine counterpart, especially with the DMW, to ensure that their rights are protected and respected. They are provided with medical insurance, pension fund, yearly leave with pay, and all of the social rights given under Israeli labor rules. The labor market in Israel is regulated by the rights of the employees.

Family and friends of Ople, DMW officials, diplomatic community members, government officials, Israel-based OFWs’ relatives, and friends of the embassy attended the improv show held on the evening of September 6.

Duda presented a show based on stories of some OFWs in Israel that the group interviewed prior to their performance in Manila. Their craft improv—short for “improvisation”—is a form of a live theater where the plot, characters, and dialogue of a story are unscripted and created spontaneously by the performers.

MANY Filipinos are probably unaware that their national government has a grand vision of eliminating poverty by 2040.

Recently, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and the National Security Council (NSC) released two interesting documents that spelled out the plans of the Marcos Jr. administration: the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 20232028, and the Philippine National Security Policy (NSP) 2023-2028.

“By 2040, the Philippines shall be a prosperous, predominantly middleclass society where no one is poor; our peoples shall live long and healthy lives, be smart and innovative, and shall live in a high-trust society where families thrive in vibrant, culturally diverse, and resilient communities,” Neda wrote about the PDP.

The NSC, on one hand, incorporated for the first time its vision for the Philippines as an archipelagic country: “A free, resilient, peaceful, and prosperous archipelagic and maritime nation, at peace with itself and its neighbors, enabled and protected by reliable defense and public safety systems.”

The policy-making body on the overall security of the country finally declared that the core of Philippine existence and consciousness lies in its being a group of islands.

“We are a maritime nation. [We stand for what we are.] This is a big shift of how we see ourselves,” Assistant Secretary Jonathan Malaya of the NSC said in a seminar by Waypoints Project to the media last September 8.

Can this new realization of national identity as a maritime nation steer the economy toward the middle-income bracket?

The blue economy

THE maritime space is bigger than the “land space” in the Philippines. But most of the country’s laws, policies and economic activities are focused on land, lamented Dr. Julio Amador who is the founder of Amador Research Services.

No wonder, despite our vast natural marine resources, the fisherfolk sector is the poorest among the poor in our nation.

Based on the 2022 survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority, the poverty incidence among fisherfolks is at 30.6 percent. Dr. Rosalie Hall, University of the Philippines-Visayas professor, said almost 2 million of these small-scale fishermen are engaged in capture fishing as livelihood. They use non-motorized boats and with that limitation, they can only fish in municipal waters, and not in the exclusive economic zone—including the Kalayaan Island Group.

The solution? Develop the country into a “blue economy.”

The terms means the country will employ the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth. The key word is “sustainable,” as simple exploitation of marine resources would also deprive the next generation of such in the future. Blue economy consists of fisheries and aquaculture on one hand, and maritime transport such as ports, containers, ships and tankers on the other.

To achieve a state of blue economy, the departments of Agriculture, Trade and Industry, Environment and Natural Resources, Science and Technology, as well as other “relevant agencies,” must “allocate the needed resources to harness the full potential of the blue economy.”

By how much? It didn’t say.

Dr. John Paolo Rivera, who is Oikonomia Advisory and Research’s president and chief economist, acknowledged that these plans are “good,” but said “there are policy challenges reminiscent of what we have experienced in the ‘green economy.’”

He thinks the public has to be, first and foremost, aware of the need to save the oceans and seas to bring food to the table: “Conservation and preservation efforts should be part of our system. Sustainability must be a part of our economy, politics, society, way of living.”

I also could not find specific plans about research and development; more so, scientific research on minerals and marine environment. R&D is the most important investment that can identify one’s most important asset, ways to harness such, and how to beat the competition.

Can PHL beat the deadline?

NEDA targets that the average family income of farm laborers and fisherfolk would improve by 20 percent to 30 percent by 2025, and the same by 2027 compared with 2015 to 2018 levels.

But what is the 2015-2018 level?

“Baseline and targets will be updated upon the release of the official 2021 data from the ‘Family Income and Expenditure Survey’ in the 1st quarter of 2023,” the footnote reads. (Now, forgive me. I can’t find data on the FIES that was supposedly released this year.)

Neda plans are not specific with timelines and target numbers. Just generalizations, and they would not even pass the S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) method of goal-setting.

Dr. Rivera said beating poverty in 12 years can still be achieved. But we should have done concrete actions “yesterday.”

“Tomorrow might be too late.

Enough of unnecessary debates in government if we want the blue economy to happen by 2040,” he concluded.

DIPLOMATIC DISPATCH Malou Talosig-Bartolome

SOUTH KOREA’S government will boost some Philippine cities’ climate resilience by enhancing their capacity to understand and use climate-adaptation technology.

OFFICIALS from the Korea International Cooperation Agency and beneficiary-LGUs will lead the implementation of the “Philippine Climate Resilient Cities” project. EMBASSY OF SOUTH KOREA

Can ‘blue economy’ help raise PHL to middle-class status?

AMBASSADOR Daniel Hernández Joseph MIKE POLICARPIO

BOYCOTT ENDS IN SPAIN

MADRID—Most of Spain’s World Cupwinning players ended their boycott of the women’s national team early Wednesday after the government intervened to help shape an agreement that was expected to lead to immediate structural changes at the country’s soccer federation.

O nly two players, who had not been immediately named, opted to leave the team’s training camp after receiving guarantees from the government that they would not be sanctioned, with the rest staying after being told that some of their demands for reform would be met.

Pl ayers had reported to camp on Tuesday after being picked by new coach Montse Tomé against their will on Monday in the latest twist in the crisis that engulfed Spanish soccer after former federation president

Luis Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the awards ceremony following Spain’s Women’s World Cup title in Australia last month.

Specific details of the changes agreed upon were not revealed following the hours-long meetings involving the government’s top sports official, players, Tomé and federation officials.

The meetings ended at nearly 5 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) on Wednesday.

Víctor Francos, Spain’s Secretary for Sports and president of the Higher Council for Sports, said the “cordial meetings” led to the creation of a committee involving players, the federation and the government.

He said the agreements should promote advances in gender policies and equal pay, as well as lead to structural changes in women’s soccer. It was not clear, though, if any firings

would take place in the federation.

A mong the demands by the players was to have interim president Pedro Rocha, who took over after Rubiales’ resignation, to also step down.

Francos said that the names of the two players who decided to leave would be later revealed by the federation.

They asked to leave the camp because they were not motivated and did not feel comfortable,” Francos said. “I hope that they will be respected just as the other players who decided to stay.”

O fficials said the players did not call for new coach Tomé to step down. Tomé was an assistant to former coach Jorge Vilda at the World Cup, replacing him after he was fired.

O n Monday, Tomé picked nearly half of the 39 players who said they would not play for the national team until their demands were met,

including 15 World Cup-winning players. Hermoso was not among them as “a way to protect her,” Tomé said. The player, who said she did not consent to the kiss by Rubiales, had accused the federation of trying to intimidate her teammates by picking them for the national team against their will.

The squad announcement had been originally planned for Friday but was postponed because no agreement had been reached with the players.

The players said they were caught by surprise by the squad announced but showed up to camp because otherwise they risked breaking a Spanish sports law that requires athletes to answer the call of national teams unless there are circumstances that impede them from playing, such as an injury.

Not responding to a call-up by a national team can expose a player to fines or even being

Blue Eagles hold off Green Spikers, near V-League finals

banned from playing for their clubs.

Those punishments would have to be requested by the federation to the government’s sports council, which would decide whether to apply them.

The government said after the meetings that it would not seek any pun the players who decided to leave.

L ast year, 15 players rebelled against Vilda asking for a more professional environment. Tomé included in her first list some of the players who rebelled.

Spain will play Nations League games against Sweden on Friday and Switzerland on September 26. AP

Perpetual Help System DALTA pulled off a shock reversal over erstwhile unbeaten Far Eastern University, 25-21, 28-26, 26-24, to likewise bolster its finals drive in the women’s semis match of the tournament organized by Sports Vision and sponsored by Bola.TV, Beyond Active Wear and Mikasa.

M ary Rhose Dapol dished out a superb all-around game of 13 points, nine excellent digs and eight excellent receptions, while Shai Omipon anchored most of the rallies in the gripping encounter and finished with 20 markers.

It was a big bounce-back victory for the Lady Altas, who dropped a 26-28, 25-17, 17-25, 13-25 setback to the Lady Tamaraws in the eliminations but imposed their will early then lived through back-toback cliffhangers to snare the win while dealing their fancied rivals an ego-deflating loss.

Playmaker Jasmine Sapin likewise showed for the Las Piñas-based squad, putting up a nine excellentset game and helping the team move a win away from advancing to the championship.

K ezia Bedonia kept the Lady Tamaraws in the match but failed to draw solid backup from the rest. She finished with 10 points while Faida Bakanke ended up with six markers.

C ollege of Saint Benilde also flexed its defensive muscle to repel University of the East, 25-22, 25-13, 25-12, for the big head-start in the first women’s semifinals duel.

Mimosa Plus adds spice to PGT, LPGT test

THE Philippine Golf Tour (PGT) and the Ladies PGT (LPGT) wrap up their 10-leg course-hopping season fittingly on a layout that favors no particular player as the Mimosa Plus Golf Course hosts the country’s premier circuit for the very first time for the ICTSI Mimosa Plus Championship on September 26 to 29 at Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

The organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. could not have picked a better venue to mark a successful first full season in postpandemic than Mimosa Plus, whose sprawling complex boasts of two championship courses, including the scenic Acacia Lakeview which will stage the upcoming two events featuring the country’s top pros and leading amateurs.

Now under the supervision of Filinvest Development Corp., Mimosa Plus, which also features the Mountain View course, can be as tough as any of the country’s top championship layouts for its sheer length but its undulating terrain, menacing bunkers and sloping greens are expected to add up to the challenge, thus making it an anybody’s race, particularly in the presence of the wind.

IT took Ateneo de Manila

University the full route but the Blue Eagles still did it, foiling De La Salle University, 25-23, 21-25, 25-22, 14-25, 15-11, to take Game

One of the V-League Men’s Collegiate Challenge semifinals on Wednesday at the Paco Arena in Manila.

The Blue Eagles kept their composure and used their defensive hustle coming off a tough fourth-set loss to frustrate the Green Spikers with Jian Salarzon and Jet Gopio delivering back-to-back kill blocks to

pound out the victory in the tensefiled two-hour long encounter of bitter school rivals.

“Coming from a bad fourth set, they came back with good composure to close out the fifth set very well,” Ateneo coach Timothy Sto. Tomas said.

S alarzon took another Best Player of the Game honors after leading Ateneo’s assault with 24 points on 20 attacks and four blocks, including a kill that put the Blue Eagles at match point.

Air Force tracksters complete golden sweep in ROTC Games in Cavite

FULLBRIGHT College athletes, led by quadruple gold medalist

Glyzzel Ann Monsanto, show off their medals at the close of the ROTC Games Luzon leg athletics competitions at the Cavite State University track oval on Wednesday.

Monsanto was again at the forefront of Fullbright’s assault, fueling the squad that included Kianah Bonbon Jean Claire Agawin and Hannah Trishia Viloria to a runaway triumph in five minutes and 31.0 seconds in the tournament organized by the Department of National Defense and Committee on Higher Education.

M onsanto likewise accomplished a golden quadruple, counting her victories in the women’s 100 and 200-meter runs and the 4x100-meter relay, for the honor as the most bemedaled athlete in the Games also supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Office of Sen. Francis Tolentino.

University of Cagayan Valley’s

John Andre Ponce also had a prolific performance in anchoring his squad to victory in the Navy men’s division of the 4x400-meter relays in 3:59.80 in the competition also backed by Tagaytay City government led by Mayor and Philippine Olympic Com-

mittee president Bambol Tolentino.

Ponce also dominated the men’s 100 and 200 meters and the squad’s runner-up finish in the men’s 4x100-meter relays.

He was the top medalist in the Navy men’s division of the Luzon qualifiers also hosted by Indang City Mayor Perfecto Fidel.

“Just what I have said before, we didn’t expect to win like this because we don’t focus that much on sports. So we are very happy to win medals here in the ROTC Games,”

Monsanto said, who saw action in the women’s long jump and triple jump of the 2018 and 2019 Palarong Pambansa held in Vigan, Ilocos Sur and Davao City, respectively.

She credited  teachercoach Socorro Dasilio, a Palaro veteran, for training them despite the limited time for the competition that resulted in their success.

mil Pacinio added 20 markers, three of them also coming at the net, as the Blue Eagles, who also beat the Green Spikers, 25-17, 2624, 25-15, in the elims, finished with 13 blocks.

La Salle actually matched that 13-block output, including six from JM Ronquillo, who went on to fire 26 points.

Noel Kampton bounced back after a dismal game and scored 17 points.

Meanwhile, University of

T he Lady Blazers used a crippling 8-0 closing run to dispatch the Lady Warriors, spiked by a three straight-hit from Zam Nolasco, including back-to-back kill blocks.

N olasco finished with six blocks to go with six attacks, while Jade Gentapa paced CSB with 15 markers on 12 attacks, two of which helped anchor their strong finishing kick.

C SB, which struggled the UE side, 23-25, 25-22, 29-27, 25-18, in the elims, held the league’s top gun, Caseiy Dongallo to nine points with Khy Cepeda and Riza Nogales dishing out six markers apiece for the Recto-based squad.

PH men’s volley squad finally wins after 49 years in Asiad

By Josef T. Ramos

THE Philippine men’s volleyball team powered by Bryan Bagunas and Steve Rotter displayed athleticism to sweep Afghanistan, 25-23, 25-16, 25-12, on Wednesday for a historic win in the Hangzhou 19th Asian Games at the Deqing Sports Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China.

B agunas, one of the veterans in the squad that won a silver in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in Manila, was an unstoppable force while Rotter contributed huge in the offense as the Philippines improved to 1-1 win-loss record in Pool F.

Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) President Ramon “Tats” Suzara congratulated the boys for establishing the country’s first victory after 49 years in the continental sporting event and hoping they sustain the momentum.

I’m happy that the men’s has improved a lot under coach Sergio [Veloso]. With the experience of our players like Bagunas, our team displayed toughness,” Suzara told BusinessMirror on Wednesday. “This win is great sign of a promising campaign for Philippine volleyball overseas.”

The last victory of the Filipinos was against the Pakistan in 1974 Asian Games in Tehran, Iran.

B agunas delivered 16 points on top of 14 kills in addition to his block and service point, while the Filipino-

American Rotter fired 13 points to help the Filipinos bounced back from a tough 22-25, 23-25, 20-25 defeat to defending Southeast Asian Games champion Indonesia on Tuesday.

The Philippines, however, is facing a gargantuan task to try to secure a spot in the Round of 16 when it takes on a formidable World No. 5 Japanese squad on Thursday night. Only the top two squads from each of the six brackets will go to the knockout phase.

L loyd Josafat contributed eight points and Jau Umandal added seven points plus 13 receptions to support the Filipinos in disposing the Afghans in just one hour and six minutes.

M arck Espejo played only in the third set and scored six points, five receptions and three digs.

The Filipinos had a hard time pulling away against Afghanistan in the first set despite taking a 24-21 cushion. Rotter suffered two errors in the offensive end, allowing the Afghans to come closer by a point but Bagunas scored two consecutive kills to take the first set.

From thereon, the Filipinos coached by Brazilian tactician Sergio Veloso controlled the last two sets, including a 16-8 lead in third set, to score the huge first win after almost five decades.

A fghanistan stayed winless in Pool F after two games to fall at the last fourth place. Gulam Rasool Haidari led Afghanistan with eight points.

T he Mimosa Plus also offers spectacular scenery other courses don’t with the view of the Zambales mountain range and Mt. Arayat never runs out of sight since both courses are set against stunning foothill mountains and luscious greens of plants and ageold Acacia trees.

W ith the pros in competitive form coming off the two-leg Mindanao swing, a furious scoring battle looms in both the P2.5 million PGT to be contested over 72 holes, and the 54-hole LPGT, which offers a total prize fund of P1 million.

The PGT produced eight different winners in nine tournaments while seven victors emerged after the nine-leg LPGT with Harmie Constantino and Daniella Uy posting two victories each at Luisita-Villamor, and Forest Hills-Del Monte, respectively.

But while Justin Quiban won’t be around to go for a follow-up to his thrilling victory over Marvin Dumandan that needed four extra holes to finish at South Pacific in Davao, Florence Bisera is all geared up for another title run after nailing her first victory last week.

Q uiban is scheduled to play in an Asian Development Tour event also slated next week in Indonesia. Also listed in the 54-hole $70,000 OB Golf Championship is Lloyd Go with Gab Manotoc on the reserved list.

C lyde Mondilla, the only two-leg winner (Forest Hills and Del Monte) this year, and Bacolod leg champion Ira Alido are also skipping next week’s event to spearhead the country’s campaign in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

B ut Dumandan is raring to settle an unfinished business after coming up short in his bid to end a long title spell at South Pacific with Iloilo leg titlist Rupert Zaragosa, Caliraya Springs champion Tony Lascuña, Villamor Philippines Masters winner Jhonnel Ababa, Reymon Jaraula, who topped the Valley leg, all eyeing to close out the season on a winning mode.

JETT GOPIO of Ateneo attempts a spike over De La Salle University’s defense.

JHASMINE SAPIN of Perpetual

SPAIN’S new women’s national team coach Montse Tome holds a jersey during her official presentation at the Spanish soccer federation headquarters in Las Rozas, Spain last Monday. AP

B8 | Thursday, sepTemBer 21, 2023 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao