BusinessMirror September 22, 2023

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

THE Philippines went down six notches in the Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) World Talent Ranking WTR) from 54th in 2022.

The country ranked 60th out of 64 countries in 2023. Its score was 35.81 out of 100.

Meanwhile, the Philippines is still one of the worst performers in Asia and the Pacific as it ranked second to the last in the region, or 13th out of the 14 countries.

“This year’s rankings also show that as economies become more service-oriented [a transformation process that has also reached China

and India], the physical presence of employees in the country of their employers is no longer needed,”

Arturo Bris, Director of the World Competitiveness Center (WCC) said.

Bris pointed to the emergence of a new type of employee who has been educated in one country, lives in another, and works for a company located in a third country.

S uch a phenomenon, Bris noted, has “implications” for fiscal rules and education systems.

The rankings were based on the scores and rankings of countries in 31 criteria that are measured and organized into three factors.

These factors include the Investment and Development factor, which considers the investment and

development of home-grown talent.

Another is the Appeal factor, which is the extent to which a country taps into the overseas talent pool.

T he last factor is Readiness, which assesses the quality of the available skills and competencies in the talent pool.

The ranking of the Philippines was the lowest in the Investment and Development factor at 62nd, followed by Appeal at 55th and Readiness, 51st overall.

Under Investment and Development, the country ranked poorly i n terms of the total public expenditure on education per student at $ 367 per student. This placed the country 63rd in this criteria.

high in employee training

T HE c riteria where the country ranked the highest under Investment and Development was employee training which is a high p riority in companies. This placed the country 37th overall in this criteria.

For Appeal, the country ranked the poorest in terms of quality of life, which is high.The country ranked 54th out of 64 countries in this criteria.

IMD’s data showed that among the criteria where the country did well was collection of personal income taxes, where it placed 17th o verall.

This was according to BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr., who announced on Thursday that the Monetary Board decided to maintain its key policy rates for the fourth consecutive month this year.

BSP’s Target Reverse Repurchase (RRP) Rate was maintained at 6.25 percent. Accordingly, the interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities were retained at 5.75 percent and 6.75 percent, respectively.

“I would say, rate cuts this year, 2023, are off the table. But rate hikes are not off the table,” Remolona said in a briefing on Thursday.

“I expect rates to be at the level at the end of this year. If we raise later in the year, we have a meeting in November, so if we raise in November, I expect rates to stay at that level for the early part of next year,” he also said.

When asked whether the BSP is considering to hike rates in November, Remolona said “Well, honestly, yes.”

The Monetary Board decided to maintain key policy rates for now,

NEARLY all 10-year-old Filipinos cannot read and understand ageappropriate reading materials, according to the World Bank.

Based on the latest World Bank report titled Fixing the Foundation: Teachers and Basic Education in East Asia and the Pacific, learning poverty in the Philippines is at 91 percent.

The World Bank said this is almost three times the actual estimate made by the government which is pegged at 37 percent.

“Surveys of government officials around the world suggest they are not always aware of the

magnitude of their countries’ foundational learning deficits,” the World Bank report stated.

“In five of the five countries surveyed in the region—Indonesia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Vietnam— policy makers’ estimates of 10-year-olds’ literacy levels exceeded measured levels by substantial margins,” the report added.

Apart from the Philippines, the World Bank said learning poverty is above 50 percent in 13 other countries, including Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

In upper-middle-income Malaysia, learning poverty is above 40 percent. In contrast, learning poverty is 3 to 4 percent in Japan, Singapore, and the Republic of Korea.

The World Bank said the failure to equip students with foundational skills jeopardizes their ability to acquire more advanced skills that will help them succeed in the labor market and escape poverty.

Since learning is cumulative, the World Bank said, many of these children will never be able to develop the more advanced

THE Philippines is a “key target” for international businesses seeking to enter new Southeast Asian markets, according to the HSBC Global Connections survey.

The survey noted that 19 percent of those with existing operations in the country said they planned to prioritize expanding their operations in the country over the next two years while 21 percent of those without a current Philippine presence reported plans to enter the market over the next two years.

The research commissioned by HSBC Commercial Banking showed that international businesses from nine major economies are “increasingly optimistic” about their growth prospects in Southeast Asia.

“These findings confirm what we have been seeing from our own customers: that businesses around the world are increasingly

FILIPINO consumers waiting for interest rates to decline are in for a disappointment as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) intends to raise interest rates anew in its next meeting and maintain this rate until the end of the first semester of next year.

Fr EE WO r l D Foreign a ffairs Secretary Enrique Manalo joins j a panese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as they gather for discussions on the Fissile Material c u t-off tr eaty (FM c t ) d uring an event hosted by j a pan, the Philippines and a u stralia, non-nuclear weapons defense partners, on September 19, 2023, in n e w York. Kishida pledged to lead the struggling global nuclear disarmament effort, proposing discussions between nuclear weapons states and non-nuclear weapons states to revive the 1993 FM c t, w ith the support of g l obal South nations. j a pan also plans to allocate ¥3 billion ($20 million) to establish j a pan c hairs at overseas research institutions and think tanks, aiming to foster discussions bridging the gap between deterrence and disarmament. AP PHOTO/CRAIG RUTTLE

Neda: Other businesses can fill lost revenue from POGO exit

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

“Yeah, we have been moving around in many countries, cities, attracting an investment to the country; marketing our country as a good place to do business,” Balisacan said during a press briefing in Malacañang on Thursday.

He noted the Marcos administration is trying to attract investments, which will not only boost the economy, but also contribute to social development.

BSP…

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but raised its inflation outlook for this year and next year. Only the inflation expectation for 2025 was kept at 3.4 percent.

ate for the gradual phaseout of POGO as more crimes are linked to the sector. Based on its data from 2017 to Sept. 30, 2022, the Philippine National Police was able to register 99 Pogo-related criminal activities, which includes kidnap-for-ransom, cybercrimes, human trafficking and serious illegal detention.

a cut next year will depend on really bad news especially when it comes to output. But I don’t foresee any news that’s not bad for next year. The world economy is slowing down, but it is a small downside risk,” he explained.

Neda Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan disclosed he is confident the Marcos administration can secure new investments to replace the lost revenues from the proposed phase -

out of POGOs. The Department of Finance (DOF) reported tax collections from 32 registered POGOs last year reached P8.88 billion.

confident about scaling up in Southeast Asia, especially the Philippines,” said Sandeep Uppal, President and CEO of HSBC Philippines.

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“I think that what we want to encourage are very legitimate, you know, that’s legitimate investments, good investments in the sense good quality investments... that will produce goods and services and not ones that promote negative externalities to society such as those alleged crimes or… and related issues,” Balisacan said.

Neda made the pronouncement amid the ongoing call in the Sen -

Australia, Hong Kong, and [Gulf Cooperation Council] GCC countries (United Arab Emirates, KSA, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, or Kuwait).

NEDA recognized the high “social cost” of POGOs and is now backing the move by lawmakers to abolish the sector.

“Our position at NEDA which we have submitted some time ago...[is] the social costs [of POGOs] are quite high, and we don’t think that the benefits in terms of the revenues generated and the additional…and the impact on the economy are worth the cost,” Balisacan said.

Average inflation is now seen to reach 5.8 percent in 2023 from 5.6 percent previously, while the forecast for 2024 likewise rose to 3.5 percent from 3.3 percent.

BSP said the upward adjustments in the 2023 and 2024 projections reflect the spillovers from weather disturbances, rising global crude oil prices, and the recent depreciation of the peso.

“A rate hike is on the table in November. How big it will be will depend on the data. How bad the data is with respect to inflation,” Remolona said.

“For now, we see a kind of balance between demand and supply. We’re close to the right level for interest rates. Whether there will be

91%…

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These 9 markets are China, India, UK, France, Germany, USA,

According to the report with the title, “Global Connections: Connecting the Philippines and the world”

which HSBC released, the Philippines’s “young, English-speaking workforce and a growing consumer sector” makes it appealing to international businesses on both the supply and demand side.

Competitive wage prices and the opportunity to develop and test new products and solutions ranked equally as the key drivers for business expansion, with 28 percent of firms with operations in the Philippines selecting each attribute, the report noted.

Meanwhile, labor costs in the Philippines are particularly attractive to companies based in India and the GCC, with 36 percent of respondents in each country selecting this.

Chinese and US companies, the report said, are especially interested in the ability to test new products, as highlighted by 33 percent of each group.

In contrast, macroeconomic challenges and the impact of cultural differences are tied as the top challenges reported by multinational firms conducting business in the Philippines, with 31 percent of decision makers respectively identifying each of these as a “particular problem” faced by their business.

The report also noted that 26 percent of international businesses operating in the Philippines recognize the growing digital economy as particularly attractive.

Meanwhile, under sustainability considerations, the report said the top sustainability concerns for businesses operating in the Philippines remain unchanged from the 2022 survey, with 40 percent selecting tackling climate change and improving human rights as the most important issues to address.

The study also showed that international businesses in the Philippines are worried about the impact of policy settings on their sustainability ambitions.

The report noted, “27 percent cite a lack of subsidies or government support as a challenge, while 28 percent say new regulations on carbon reduction could impact their business.” Andrea E. San Juan

In August, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said successive typhoons have caused commodity prices to surge in August with vegetables like tomatoes and the country’s staple, rice, leading the charge to increase inflation to 5.3 percent. The poorest Filipinos experienced an even higher rate of inflation at 5.6 percent as food inflation for the bottom 30-percent income households at the national level moved at a faster pace of 7.7 percent in August 2023 from 6.1 percent in July 2023 and 7.1 percent in August 2022. However, the BSP as well as the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) remain confident that the country’s inflation rate will slow to 2 to 4 percent by the last quarter of 2023.

tion requires reforms and resources, a s well as collaboration between all concerned: the ministries of education and finance, teachers and parents," he added.

skills needed for innovative manufacturing and sophisticated services, the productivity-boosting e conomic activities that could lift countries from middle-income to high-income status.

“The East Asia and Pacific region remains one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic regions in the world,” said World Bank East Asia and Pacific Vice-President Manuela V. Ferro.

Sustaining this dynamism and allowing today’s children to enjoy better jobs and living standards as productive adults requires that children have access to high-quality teaching that builds foundational skills for lifelong learning," she added.

The World Bank said multiple factors influence learning, including family income, health, and access to school materials, once a c hild enters school, teachers have the largest impact.

However, data from several countries in the region indicate that t eachers often have limited knowledge of their subject.

I n Lao PDR, only 8 percent of 4th grade teachers scored 80 percent or higher on an assessment of 4th grade math.

In Indonesia, similarly, only 8 percent of 4th-grade teachers scored 80 percent or higher on an evaluation of their Indonesian language s kills.

Data suggest that teacher absenteeism is also a problem in several c ountries in the region. While the extent of absenteeism varies across countries, when teachers are absent, students do not learn.

The report, therefore, focuses on teachers and how support for teachers and teaching quality can be strengthened.

"Tackling the problem of learning poverty would brighten the f utures of generations of children and the economic prospects of the region," said World Bank East Asia and Pacific Chief Economist Aaditya Mattoo.

Fixing the educational founda -

IMD…

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Under Readiness, the country ranked the lowest in student mobility and education assessment—ranking 57th overall in both criteria.

The country ranked the best in terms of skilled labor—3rd out of 64 countries; and labor force growth, which placed the country 9th overall in this criteria.

“Adapting education systems to the needs of eco -

T he World Bank said since most existing teachers will likely still be teaching in 2030, the report recommends a focus on strengthening t eachers’ capabilities. While data suggest that a significant percentage of the region’s teachers are trained each year, new surveys in Cambodia, Fiji, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, and Vietnam indicate training programs do not employ practices linked to improved student learning.

For example, among the countries surveyed, there was a focus on s ubject content in only 14 percent of programs, compared to 81 percent of programs associated with improvements in student learning globally.

To be effective, training should bolster subject knowledge, offer opportunities to practice newfound k nowledge among peers, include follow-up coaching and mentoring, and provide career incentives linked to promotion or salary. Teachers must also be rewarded for sustaining the quality of their teaching over t he course of their careers.

Educational technology (EdTech) also has the potential to transform teaching and learning for students. Research shows that access t o pre-recorded lectures by highly rated teachers has improved student scores and has also improved t he performance of other teachers. However, EdTech works best w hen complemented with teachers trained in its use.

Support and political commitment from policymakers to raise l earning outcomes will be crucial to ensuring that change takes place, the report says. New survey data from seven countries showed that policymakers underestimated the extent of learning poverty in their countries.

Introducing successful measures to raise teaching quality and improve student learning, including e ffective training and EdTech, will require more effective spending of existing resources as well as the allocation of additional resources.

Cai U. Ordinario

nomic systems remains one of the big challenges of talent competitiveness,” Bris noted.

He said many “winners” in their ranking–such as Singapore, Switzerland, Germany, and Denmark–are also countries that emphasize professional training and apprenticeships over general academic subjects. Moving forward, Bris said “The future will tell us how to balance the benefits of digital transformation with the developmental needs of human talent.”

THE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) on Thursday said the country can survive even without the revenues from the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).

FIGHTING DIGITAL ILLITERACY

SENATE President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda gestures during a hearing on the state of digital illiteracy among Filipino children, which the lawmaker said, may be solved through collaboration of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) with a private company like the Google Philippines. During Thursday’s budget hearing of the Finance Subcommittee G, Legarda, who presided over the committee, said to combat digital illiteracy, TESDA should consider the courses offered by the Google Philippine, such as Data analytics, IT support, UX design, and project management in Information Technology (IT) that could be rolled out nationwide. BIBO NUEVA ESPAÑA/SENATE PRIB

92-M ballots printed for Oct. polls, NPO chief Acosta says

ATOTAL of 92,054,974 ballots were printed for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on October 30, according to the National Printing Office (NPO).

T he NPO released the certification of completion of the printing of BSKE manual ballots on Thursday, giving the official count of printed ballots and other accountable forms to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

PBBM certifies as urgent bill vs agri economic sabotage

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has certified as urgent a bill imposing stiffer penalties against “agricultural economic sabotage,” Malacañang said on Thursday.

especially now that the country is beset by rising prices and shortages in agricultural products partly due to nefarious acts of smuggling, hoarding, profiteering, and cartel,” the letter read.

to all officers who participated in the decision that led to the commission of the crime, with a penalty of perpetual absolute disqualification to engage in any business involving importation, transportation, storage and warehousing, and domestic trade of agricultural and fishery products,” a Palace statement read.

“ This is to certify that the [NPO] has already concluded the printing of the official manual ballots and other forms in connection to the October 30, 2023 [BSKE] in accordance with the technical specification, requirements, quantities, and timeliness of the [Comelec],” a certificate signed by NPO Director IV Renato Acosta stated.

A t otal of 68,197,135 were specified for the barangay polls’ ballots, while the total in SK ballots is 23,857,839. Patrick V. Miguel

Bishop: Never again to ML

NOVALICHES Bishop Emeritus Teodoro

Bacani Jr. urged Filipinos on Thursday to be more vigilant in order to stop the “dark events,” which led to the declaration of martial law on September 21, 1972.

“Vigilance is the price of freedom, let us be vocal versus abuses,” said Bacani.

H e noted it is “alarming” that many lawmakers in Congress are supportive of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

“Let us watch the House of Representatives. Many of them are behaving like tuta [lapdog] once again. That is a good preparation for dictatorship,” said Bacani in a Radio Veritas broadcast.

T he bishop also noted the “violence” Filipinos experienced during the martial law years.

Mar tial law ended in February of 1986 through the military-backed EDSA People Power Revolution. Patrick V. Miguel

This after the Chief Executive sent a letter to Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri last Wednesday certifying as urgent the approval of Senate Bill No. (SBN) 2432, which will repeal Republic Act No. 10845, or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016.

“The need to facilitate the passage of this important piece of legislation is imperative,

The bill is now pending in the period of interpellations in the Senate, while its counterpart measure in the House of Representatives is being finalized by a technical working group.

SB 2432 mandates the creation of the Anti-agricultural Economic Sabotage Council.

It also defined the crime of agric ultural economic sabotage, which will include smuggling, hoarding, profiteering, and cartel of

agricultural and fishery products.

T hose engaged in the said illegal acts will face stiff penalties including life imprisonment and a fine thrice the value of the agricultural and fishery products.

Any government officer or employee, who will be found to be involved in such crimes will face additional penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office, exercising the right to vote, from participating in any public election, and forfeiture of employment monetary and financial benefits.”

“When the offender is a juridical person, criminal liability shall be attached

DND lauds House passage of MUP Act on 2nd reading

DEPARTMENT of National Defense (DND) on Thursday expressed it thanks to the House of Representatives for hearing its concerns after lawmakers approved on second reading the proposed Military and Uniformed Personnel (MUP)

Pension System Act on September 20.

“The DND would like to thank House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, Majority Leader Manuel Jose M. Dalipe, Ad Hoc Committee on Military and Uniformed Personnel Pension System chairperson, Congressman Joey Salceda for showing their care for our soldiers and taking steps in ensuring their welfare after they leave the military service,” DND said in a statement.

The DND added this development will allow military personnel to focus on their mission in securing the country’s territorial integrity and sovereign rights, while at the same time, ensuring the gains against

terrorism and internal security are preserved.

“This is not an easy task. Our soldiers, who continue to be mentored by retirees and veterans, need to exert extra efforts to accomplish an evolving mission. We are once again grateful to the House of Representatives for listening to the concerns of the defense sector,” it added.

Salceda earlier thanked the MUP agencies for their steadfast support during the plenary deliberations and for agreeing with the Committee and the economic managers on the need to move forward for fiscal improvements to the system.

“There is no longer any debate between the MUP agencies and the economic managers that we need this reform. There is also no debate that the military and uniformed personnel deserve some degree of retirement protection from the state they protect. This consensus bill hurdled the

House because it is fiscally, politically, and morally acceptable,” he stressed.

With this development, Salceda said the work of the Ad Hoc Committee officially ends.

“The ball is now in the Senate’s court, and my counterpart, Senator Jinggoy [Estrada]has also insisted on the need for a reform. That is a welcome shift in direction compared to the past Congress,” he added.

“We have also accommodated the request of the Secretary of National Defense [Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr.] and he is now more or less satisfied. I trust that the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] will be true to its word in contributing assets to the AFP Pension Trust Fund. I especially look forward to having the assets of the RSBS [Retirement and Separation Benefits System] infused right away,” he added.

The key provisions, including the

“Government authorities also have the right to confiscate the agricultural and fishery products which are subject of the prohibited acts and the properties used in the commission of the crime of agricultural economic sabotage such as, but not limited to, vehicles, vessels, aircraft, storage areas, warehouses, boxes, cases, trunks, and other containers of whatever character used as receptacle of agricultural and fishery products,” the statement added. SBN 2432 is among the expanded Common Legislative Agenda discussed during the T hird Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council meeting last Wednesday.

amendments accepted on the floor, are:

1. Full indexation, with a provision for adjustment during adverse fiscal conditions

2. A guaranteed salary increase of 3 percent per annum over 10 years, which is already a sacrifice willingly made by the MUPs given the historical salary rate increase of 12 percent

3. The creation of two trust funds, one for the AFP, which will infuse at least P44 billion in assets to the fund, and another for uniformed services

4. Uniform retirement benefits for total permanent disability

5. Provisions for assistance for indigent military retirees

6. A mandatory contribution of 9 percent of salaries for new entrants, with a larger government counterpart of 12 percent, and retirement of new entrants at rank last held.

For active and retired personnel, the structure of the pension system was preserved in full. Rex Anthony Naval

DBM okays release of ₧12.259 billion for calamity victims, informal settlers

Group seeks inclusion of envi education under DepEd’s ‘Matatag’

ENVIRONMENTAL group BAN Toxics called for an improved basic education that considers the environment in enhancing basic education program under “Matatag.”

Citing information from the Department of Education Order No. 13, s. 2023, the MATATAG agenda has four critical components: MAke the curriculum relevant to produce competent and job-ready, active, and responsible citizens; TAke steps to accelerate delivery of basic education facilities and services; TAke good care of learners by promoting learner wellbeing, inclusive education, and a positive learning environment; and Give support to teachers to teach better.

“As DepEd sees the need to revise the basic education curriculum recognizing structural challenges burdening our education system, real and meaningful reforms in the education system need to be holistic. DepEd must take into account our planet’s critical investments if we are to build a stronger nation,” said Rey San Juan, executive director of BAN Toxics.

As MATATAG seeks to revise the K to 12 curriculum, we call on DepEd to incorporate environmental education to produce responsible young people who learn and act for our planet,” he added.

A study by UNESCO reveals that education is not giving students sufficient knowledge to adapt, act, and respond to climate change and environmental crises.

“ The country faces serious environmental challenges disproportionately impacting the poor and vulnerable. Let us educate and build the ability of our young ones and future generations to become environmentally resilient, better able to cope with the impact, and meet their own needs.”

BAN Toxics has been ramping up its campaign Toxics-Free and Waste-Free School Program (TFSP) to raise awareness of toxic pollution in schools. The TFSP aims to promote safe and environment-friendly alternatives and engages schools and communities on proper sound chemicals and waste management. Jonathan L. Mayuga

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the release of a Notice of Cash Allocation (NCA) amounting to P12.259 billion for housing assistance for calamity victims and the payment of resettlement of informal settler families in Western Visayas.

In a statement released on Thursday, DBM Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said the bulk of this amount or P12.059 billion will be allocated for the National Housing Authority (NHA) housing assistance for calamity victims (HAPCV).

The remaining amount worth P200 million will be for the construction of four units of 5-story, low-rise residential buildings in Region VI (Western Visayas) to resettle informal settler families (ISFs).

“Housing remains a priority for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as he strongly believes in the necessity of providing decent homes for Filipinos, particularly those adversely affected by calamities,” the budget chief said.

The request for payments, chargeable to previous years’ released allotments, was

DOT bids out ₧700-M projects Under ‘Love the PHL’ campaign

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Another project bidded out was P75million Consulting Services for Video Production Agency (DOT-SBAC-REI NO. 2023-028) in which the winning bidder will produce TV commercials and audiovideo presentations centered on the rebranding campaign. Many of these bids were supposed to have been submitted this month, but no winners have yet been announced.

The DOT has had to rebid several components of its Philippine branding project after canceling the contract of DDB, which had produced the LTP launch video that contained foreign scenes.

No impact on arrivals

MEANWHILE , Tourism Congress of the Philippines president Roberto Zozobrado said the recent scandal involving an airport screening officer caught on video trying to swallow a wad of dollar bills she

supported with a documented list of Special Allotment Release Orders (SAROs) with their respective amounts, status of fund utilization, and finance accountability reports—all of which the DBM confirmed to be in order.

The NHA is the sole national agency mandated to produce housing for low-income families. Under the administrative supervision of the Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD), the NHA functions as a production and financing arm in housing.

Earlier, the DHSUD requested for an additional budget of P15.9 billion to finance its various programs in 2024, including the recent executive orders (EO) for the inventory of idle lands and Pasig River Rehabilitation issued this year.

DHSUD officials and its key shelter agencies led by Housing Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar presented its case before members of the House of Representatives in its budget hearing with lawmakers.

The additional budget will be on top of the P5.405 billion that was appropriated by the DBM for the agency and its key shelter agencies for next year.

Based on the initial estimate of the

had allegedly filched from the bag of a Chinese traveler, will not affect tourist arrivals in the country. “It irritates me because we in the tourism industry are doing the best that we can to promote the country and here they always want to give it a black eye,” he said on Teleradyo Serbisyo.

“But as far as its effect on the tourism industry, I don’t think there’s going to be any because the attractiveness of the destination and the reason for visiting far outweigh the fears that this petty thievery instills on potential tourists,” he added. The DOT has targeted 4.8 million international tourists this year.

For his part, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said he was frustrated and dismayed at the latest incident of alleged baggage theft by a transport security officer at the Manila international airport.

He ordered the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) to immediately file the necessary charges against said screener and her identified collaborators.

T he OTS had recommended to Bautista taking legal and administrative actions against the security screener caught on CCTV apparently swallowing the stolen $300 to hide the evidence.

DTI: ₧7.9-B budget not enough for mandates

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“But to show how serious I was even

Go pushes bill on equal educational opportunity

SENATOR Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Wednesday co-sponsored Senate Bill No. 2441, or the “Free College Entrance Examinations Act,” which aims to further democratize access to quality education in the country.

Rodrigo Duterte that enacted Republic Act No. 10931, the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, a landmark policy exempting eligible college students from paying tuition and other fees.

DHSUD, the additional budget was P16.203 billion. However, during the hearing, National Housing Authority (NHA) General Manager Joeben Tai corrected the requested amount of his agency.

For the DHSUD, the additional requested amount is P975.7 million; for the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC), P6.919 billion; and for the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC), P3.33 billion.

Additional budget, the DHSUD said, would also cover EO 34 signed by the President last July 17, allowing the use of idle government lands for the administration’s housing program, and also provide a significant boost in efforts to address the country’s housing backlog.

A budget of P50 million is being requested to finance the efforts mandated by the EO. While the land to be used is all government land, therefore at no cost to DHSUD, the survey and other administrative costs that would allow them to follow the EO would be needed.

Further, adjustments in the budget will include EO 35 signed by the President last July 25, creating the Inter-Agency Council for the Pasig River Urban Development (IAC-PRUD) and designating the DHSUD as the head.

before we talked about it in the House of Representatives, I’ve already organized a six-person task force to promote the development of the halal industry in the Philippines led by Aleem. So that’s a commitment,” the Trade chief said.

For the Creative Industries, Pascual said they asked for P1 billion. “Because we wanted a P500-million fund to support enterprises that will go into Creative Industries.”

“Not really give away money as either investments or loans to enterprises. We need this to be able to support those who will venture into the creative industries, particularly those in game development, animation, software development,” he said.

The other laws and programs included in DTI’s wishlist to consider the augmentation of its budget are the implementation of the Safeguard Measures Act, the implementation of the E-commerce Act 2000.

Pascual said the implementation of the Vape law is also among the agency’s priorities which requires funding, saying, “we’re being asked to be very vigilant but we can only go to a certain extent.”

“For our hirit wishlist, additional for shared service facilities, because want the shared service facilities to be our way of introducing modern technology in the operation of our MSMEs because that’s the only way you can do it—introduce it through the equipment that will be made available to them,” the Trade chief stressed.

Andrea E. San Juan

The bill, under Committee Report No. 122, mandates that private higher education institutions must waive entrance examination fees for certain qualified students.

Drawing upon the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Go emphasized the government’s mandate to protect the educational rights of its citizens. He cited the Constitution’s declaration that “the State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and to take appropriate steps to make education accessible to all.”

This principle, Go added, has been bolstered over the past six years under the administration of former president

“Through this law, we saw how a single scholarship can be an instrument of change, altering not just one life but the destiny of an entire family,” Go said. But despite these strides, Go pointed out the continuing problem of escalating costs that limit opportunities for underprivileged students.

Under SBN 2441, Filipino students graduating in the top 10 percent of their high school class would be eligible for free entrance exams in private higher education institutions. However, this would only be applicable if the student’s family income falls below the poverty threshold set by the National Economic and Development Authority.

Co: Certifying ’24 budget bill hastens fulfillment of 3 PBBM legacy projects

BY certifying the 2024 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) as urgent, House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Elizaldy Co said the government is now close to bringing the three legacy projects of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the public.

Co said next year’s national budget is anchored on the President’s rallying call titled “Agenda for Prosperity: Securing a FutureProof and Sustainable Economy,” whose key priorities include programs for health, housing, and food sufficiency.

Co also explained that the 2024 GAB includes P4.020 trillion in programmed general appropriations, P281.9 billion in unprogrammed appropriations, and automatic appropriations of P1.748 trillion for support of government initiatives already sanctioned by existing laws, eliminating the need for regular legislative action.

Compared to the current year’s P5.268 trillion in appropriations, the projected budget for the next year is 9.5 percent higher.

Co added that the fiscal year 2024 GAB will place special emphasis on three legacies: legacy specialty hospitals, legacy housing for the poor, and legacy food self-sufficiency.

“The President wants to take care of the health of every Filipino. Because of this, Congress will fund legacy specialty hospitals such as heart and kidney centers and even cancer. Aside from free treatment, our countrymen no longer have to travel far to Manila to get the right and high-quality treatment,” he said.

Under the DOH’s budget, DOH hospitals in Metro Manila as well as DOH regional hospitals and other facilities will be allotted P17.6 billion and P49.8 billion, respectively. The Philippine General Hospital, specifically, will receive a total of P5.7 billion.

“Housing is also included in the President’s Flagship Program. Through the 2024 budget

and in the following years, we will continue to fund the Legacy Housing program, more or less a million housing units, until we reach the target of six million low-cost housing units for our poorest countrymen,” he said.

Co said the President also wants to end food shortage the country is currently facing.

“Because of this, Congress will allocate a larger budget for irrigation and agriculture. Our goal is to be self-sufficient or to be a net exporter of rice in the coming years. The key to this is irrigation, fertilizer, seeds, and the right technology for planting,” he added.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez announced on Thursday that the House would pass the P5.768 trillion national budget for 2024 on third and final reading next week before Congress goes on break.

“We appreciate President Marcos’ leadership and his prioritization of the national budget. His decision to certify this crucial legislation as urgent reflects his unwavering commitment to the welfare and progress of our nation,” the House leader said.

The Speaker assured the public that the House is committed to a transparent and thorough budget process that adheres to the highest standards of fiscal responsibility.

“ We will continue to uphold the principles of accountability, inclusivity, and efficiency throughout the budget deliberations,” the Speaker affirmed. The certification will enable the House of Representatives to pass the budget bill on second and third readings on the same day. Upon its approval, the House will forward the appropriations bill to the Senate. Congress will be in recess from September 30 to November 5.

The expectation is that the President will sign the 2024 national budget in December, marking a crucial step in fiscal planning and execution for the upcoming year.

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

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

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

4

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effective staffing, training, and directing the finance

Cavite

61 MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

SAM CHE YI Malaysian Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

SAM JIA YING Malaysian Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description:

Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

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

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

62 MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese and Burmese language Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

77 MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

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102 MOA CLOUDZONE CORP.

Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Food security concern: NIA urges House to restore P91-B capital outlay allotment

THE National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has appealed to the House of Representatives to restore P91 billion in capital outlay (CO) allotment slashed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in the 2024 national expenditure program, saying the substantial reduction will stall projects intended to significantly increase rice production and ensure food security.

Under the proposed national expenditure plan, the DBM set a budget of P41.2 billion for NIA, whose original proposal during the

government’s budget call was a ceiling of P132.4 billion.

I n a letter to House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Appropriations Committee Chair Elizaldy Co, NIA acting Administrator Engr. Eduardo Guillen said his recommended annual allocation of P200 billion for irrigation aims to shorten full coverage to 10 years from 80 years to quickly address problems in food security, agricultural productivity, and job creation.

Only 66 percent of agricultural land in the Philippines is covered by irrigation, which constantly needs maintenance to function efficiently.

Guillen said the budget proposal also includes immediate measures to cope with an impending El Niño that could severely impact farm production due to water and irrigation shortages.

“ We firmly believe that our original budget ceiling request aligns with these factors and would allow us to fulfill our mission better and serve the interest of the Filipino people,” Guillen said in his letter.

T he NIA has noted a significant increase in the yield of irrigated farms. In Nueva Ecija, where the Pantabangan dam supplies water to thousands of hectares of rice

lands, farmers can crop 2.5 times a year with an average yield of 7 tons per hectare. The national average rice production is around 4 tons per hectare.

I n areas without irrigation, where farmers rely on rainfall, they could only plant and harvest rice once a year.

“ This is not ideal, considering the urgent need to address food security and uplift the livelihoods of our farmers. To expedite the progress and substantially contribute to accelerated and inclusive economic growth, I strongly recommend a dramatic increase in funding for irrigation

infrastructure,” Guillen added.

With insufficient domestic production, the Philippines has relied on importation to fill the gap in rice supply, making the country susceptible to adverse events from major rice exporters, unscrupulous rice traders, and smugglers.

A decision by India, the world’s biggest rice exporter, to suspend exports of non-basmati rice varieties has pushed rice prices significantly higher. This forced President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to impose a price ceiling on regular and well-milled rice to tame inflation and buy time to go after rice smugglers and hoarders.

R ice has a heavy weight in the consumer price basket used to determine inflation, which is closely watched by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to set interest rates. The BSP has raised interest rates aggressively since May last year to slow inflation and has tripled its overnight rates to 6.25 percent from 2.00 percent to do so. Higher interest rates make funding for businesses more expensive, and credit cards, home mortgages, and car loans are more expensive to pay, hurting the economy and stalling job creation.

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

The World

Largest Russian attack pounds Ukraine cities from east to west, starting fires and killing 2

By Illia Novikov The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine—Russian missiles pounded cities across Ukraine early Thursday morning, according to Ukrainian authorities, starting fires, killing at least two people and trapping others under rubble.

The early morning missile attack was Russia’s largest in over a month, and came a day after reports of sabotage at a Russian military airfield in Chkalovsk near Moscow. It also coincided with the United Nations General Assembly summit in New York, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a speech and presented a Ukrainian “peace formula,” and came on the International Day of Peace.

The same day, Poland said it would stop transferring its own weapons to Ukraine as it works to

modernize its own military.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the decision was not related to a temporary ban on Ukrainian grain imports, nor would it affect weapons transfers through Poland.

A dispute about whether Ukrainian grain should be allowed to enter the domestic markets of Poland and other European Union countries has pushed the tight relationship between Kyiv and Warsaw to its lowest point since Russia invaded Ukraine last year.

“We are no longer transferring any weapons to Ukraine because now we will arm ourselves with the most modern weapons,” he said in an interview on the private TV broadcaster Polsat News late Wednesday.

Morawiecki stressed that Poland would defend its economic interests but added that the dispute over grain imports would not hurt Ukraine’s security.

He said a Nato and US hub in the Polish city of Rzeszow used for transporting weapons into Ukraine would not be affected.

“We are not going to risk the security of Ukraine,” he said. Poland has transferred large amounts of its older weapons to Ukraine and has been upgrading its own inventory with new equipment purchased from

South Korea and other countries.

In the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, near the front lines, two people were killed Thursday and at least five injured after a strike hit a residential building, said regional Governor Oleksand Prokudin.

Seven people were injured in Kyiv, including a 9-year-old girl, reported Mayor Vitali Klitschko,

and some residential and commercial buildings were damaged.

The Ukrainian Air Force said it had intercepted 36 of 43 cruise missiles launched deep into Ukraine. Closer to the front lines, Kherson was struck with S-300 missiles and Kharkiv was likely targeted with other, shorterranged, weapons.

At least six strikes hit the Slobidskyi district of Kharkiv, damaging civilian infrastructure, said regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov. The city’s mayor added that two people had been sent to hospitals.

At least 10 people were injured and at least one person was rescued from under rubble in Cherkasy, in central Ukraine, according to Ihor Klymenko, minister of internal affairs of Ukraine. Up to 23 people may still be buried under rubble in Cherkasy after the morning strike, said Cherkasy regional

Governor Ihor Taburets. Rescue services were working to clear the debris.

An industrial zone was hit in the western region of Lviv, damaging buildings and starting a fire, but no information on casualties was immediately available, Klymenko added.

Regional Governor Vitaliy Koval reported strikes in the city of Rivne in the northwest region of the same name, without immediately providing details.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said 22 drones were taken down overnight by air defense systems, 19 above Russian-annexed Crimea and three others in the Kursk, Belgorod and Oryol regions near Ukraine. The defense ministry did not say whether there were any casualties.

The Associated Press journalist Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, Poland contributed to this report.

IN this photo provided by the Kyiv City Hall Press Service, a fire following a Russian rocket attack is seen in Kyiv, Ukraine on Thursday, September 21, 2023. KYIV CITY HALL PRESS SERVICE VIA AP

McCarthy struggles to pass a temporary spending bill to avoid a shutdown as others look at options

By Stephen Groves & Lisa Mascaro

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—With no clear strategy, no sure support and not much time left, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy nevertheless vowed Wednesday he would not give up trying to persuade his colleagues to pass a temporary funding bill to prevent a federal government shutdown.

But lawmakers watching and waiting for the beleaguered leader to deliver are looking at other options.

The Republican speaker met behind closed doors with his GOP colleagues for another day of grueling negotiations — arguing publicly that he still had time to win over hardline conservatives but privately running out of options to keep the government funded before money runs out before the end of the month.

“It’s not September 30—the game is not over,” McCarthy told reporters as he arrived at the Capitol. But after a more than two hour evening meeting he had only inched closer to a resolution.

“We’re very close there,” McCarthy said. “I feel like I just got a little more movement to go there.”

Even if McCarthy is able to accomplish the seemingly impossible and unite his all-but-ungovernable House Republican majority around a conservative spending plan, the victory would be short-lived. The hard-right bill, with steep 8% cuts to

many services, would be rejected by the Senate, where Democrats are in control but even Republicans reject the House GOP’s severe reductions.

Across the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., opened the chamber trying to push ahead with its own bipartisan spending bills to kick start the process, but even that ran into trouble from Republicans.

A Senate test vote on a popular bipartisan package of defense and military appropriations bills was turned back after opposition from GOP senators, as some are joining House Republicans in fighting for steeper reductions.

“It’s yet another reminder that in both houses, a small group of hardright Republicans are dead set to grind the gears of government to a halt,” Schumer said.

McCarthy has suffered a series of setbacks this week to his plan to advance Republicans’ spending plans, testing his grip on power amid calls for his ouster.

In defiance of the speaker, a group of five GOP lawmakers from the rightwing House Freedom Caucus joined with Democrats to prevent consideration Tuesday of a usually popular defense bill. The bill would provide pay raises for the troops and other measures, but Republicans want a broader discussion on spending cuts in non-defense-related budgets.

McCarthy set up a do-over vote for Thursday as he tries for a third time to advance the defense bill after winning

over two of the hard-right Republicans who were holding out for a commitment from the speaker on spending cuts elsewhere.

The House floor is essentially at a standstill, with no business related to the looming government shutdown being conducted, as McCarthy tries to regroup. He has warned lawmakers that they will stay in session this weekend to finish the job.

The speaker had hoped to rally Republicans around a stopgap bill, called a continuing resolution, or CR, that would fund the government for the next month as talks continue. The temporary bill would accomplish some of the conservatives’ goals—by slashing many government services 8%, while sparing defense and veterans accounts.

The package McCarthy is trying to push through the House also proposes

a long list of conservative policies for immigration and border security that are widely embraced by Republicans.

But the conservative holdouts also want McCarthy to commit to keeping the funding cuts in place longer, for the full year, as budget talks continue with the Senate.

During the lengthy dinnertime meeting in the Capitol basement, McCarthy offered to meet the conservative holdouts partway, vowing he would fight for a lower overall spending level in the subsequent bills.

But that still wasn’t enough for some. One key conservative, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, stood up and warned the room that at least seven Republicans would oppose the continuing resolution, according to those familiar with the private meeting. That’s enough to deny passage.

Among others still opposed to the stopgap measure, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said afterward she too would vote against it.

Commanding only a slim House majority, McCarthy needs almost every Republican on board to pass any conservative bills over the objections of Democrats.

“It’s a tough job and keeping all of these members appeased is next to impossible,” said Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark.

About McCarthy, he said, “He’s doing the best he can, but we have to give him a hand to play.”

As the Republican lawmakers were fighting among themselves for another day in the Capitol, others reached across the aisle to Democrats to try come up with a bipartisan solution.

Two centrist groups, the New Democratic Coalition and the Republican Governance Group, are having their own conversations on how to solve this impasse, according to a person familiar with the talks who insisted on anonymity to discuss them. Their groups together make up 145 members.

Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., who chairs the New Democratic Coalition, said on Tuesday she was hoping that a coalition of “roughly an equal number” of Republicans and Democrats would emerge to support a continuing resolution.

“These are the people that are making public statements that a shutdown is not good for the country,” she said.

And members of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus of Republi -

cans and Democrats are also in talks to develop a framework that would fund the government for several months, into 2024, while budget talks continue, according to a person familiar with the private negotiations and granted anonymity to discuss them.

Also at stake is President Joe Biden’s request to provide an additional $24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine in its war with Russia that some lawmakers want to add to the must-pass bills needed to fund the US government. Meanwhile in the Senate, a robust bipartisan group of senators was had been trying to show strength as they prepare to negotiate with the House on government funding. But the Senate’s effort to advance the bill fell short again Wednesday as Republicans dug in for a fight.

It’s not the only Senate fight as senators are reeling from Schumer’s decision to do away with the chamber’s stuffy dress code, in a nod to Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who has preferred wearing casual clothes while working to recover from a stroke and depression.

Fetterman on Wednesday upped the ante: “If those jagoffs in the House stop trying to shut our government down, and fully support Ukraine, then I will save democracy by wearing a suit on the Senate floor next week,” he said in a statement.

T he Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Mary Clare Jalonick and Farnoush Amiri contributed reporting.

Under pressure over border, Biden administration to protect hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans

By Rebecca Santana & Elliot Spagat

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—The Biden administration said Wednesday that it was granting temporary legal status to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who are already in the country—quickly making them eligible to work—as it grapples with growing numbers of people fleeing the South American country and elsewhere to arrive at the US border with Mexico.

The move—along with promises to accelerate work permits for many migrants—may appease Democratic leaders who have pressured the White House to do more to aid asylum seekers, while also providing grist for Republicans who say the president has been too lax on immigration.

The Homeland Security Department plans to grant Temporary Protected Status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who arrived in the country as of July 31, 2023, making it easier for them to get authorization to work in the US. That’s been a key demand of Democratic mayors and governors who are struggling to care for an increased number of migrants in their care.

That’s in addition to about 242,700 Venezuelans who already qualified for temporary status before Wednesday’s announcement.

The protections for Venezuelans are significant because they account for such a large number of the migrants who have been arriving in the country in recent years.

Venezuela plunged into a political, economic and humanitarian crisis over the last decade, pushing at least 7.3 million people to migrate and making food and other necessities unaffordable for those who remain. The vast majority who fled settled in neighboring countries in Latin America, but many began coming to the United States in the last three years through the notoriously

dangerous Darien Gap, a stretch of jungle in Panama.

Venezuelans who arrive in the US after July 31 of this year will not be eligible for the protection. Those who are now eligible have to apply to get it.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas granted the expansion and an 18-month extension for those who already have temporary status due to “Venezuela’s increased instability and lack of safety due to the enduring humanitarian, security, political, and environmental conditions,” the department said in a statement.

The administration said it would accelerate work authorizations for people who have arrived in the country since January through a mobile app for appointments at land crossings with Mexico, called CBP One, or through parole granted to Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans who have financial sponsors and arrive at an airport. It will aim to give them work permits within 30 days, compared with about 90 days currently.

The promise of accelerated work permits does not apply to people who cross the border illegally and seek asylum, who, by law, must wait for six months to receive work permits.

Mayors and governors have been clamoring for President Joe Biden to figure out a way to get newly arrived migrants to be able to work legally, so they can support themselves.

Democratic officials in New York, Massachusetts, Chicago and elsewhere have complained about the strain that newly arrived migrants are putting on their resources, especially in New York, where the government is required to provide housing for anyone who needs it. The city is currently paying to house about 60,000 newly arrived migrants.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement late Wednesday that she was “grateful the federal government See “Biden,” A17

SPEAKER of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-California, briefs reporters following a closed-door Republican Conference meeting on how to agree on a path to funding the government, at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, September 19, 2023. AP/J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE

Biden.

Continued from A16

has acted so speedily to grant one of our top priorities: Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelan asylum seekers and migrants who have already arrived in this country.”

The city’s mayor, Eric Adams, has been especially critical of the Biden administration. But Adams on Wednesday praised the decision to grant protections to Venezuelans and thanked the administration for listening to the city’s concerns. The number of migrants trying to cross the southern border is rising. That poses a severe challenge for the administration, which has struggled to show it is in control of the border in the face of Republican criticism.

The city of Eagle Pass, which borders Mexico along the Rio Grande in southern Texas, announced a state of emergency Wednesday due to a “severe undocumented immigrant surge.”

According to Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber, about 2,700 migrants crossed into Eagle Pass on Tuesday and about 3,000 Wednesday.

The administration also said Wednesday it was also using Defense

The World

Department forces to support Homeland Security staff on the border. Homeland Security already uses about 2,500 National Guard troops to help Customs and Border Protection. In the news release, Homeland Security said up to 800 new active-duty troops would also be detailed to the border; they would be used for things like logistics to free up Customs officials for more front-line responsibilities.

Homeland Security said it was also taking other steps to deal with immigration, such as scaling up a process started in May to quickly remove families who are found to have no basis to stay in the country. The agency said it has also beefed up holding capacity along the southern border. And it said it has increased the number of people expelled from the country. Since May 12, the agency said it has removed 253,000 people to a little over 150 countries around the world. That compares with 180,000 removed during the same period in 2019—before the pandemic drastically alerted the government’s ability to expel migrants.

Spagat reported from San Diego. Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas contributed to this report.

Institutional investors call for policy unleashing $275 trillion for net zero

By Alastair Marsh

AN influential group of institutional investors has called on governments to remove policy barriers to help unleash an estimated $275 trillion in new clean-energy investments over the next three decades. The Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance, whose members oversee $11 trillion of assets and include Allianz SE, Axa SA and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, said governments need to tee up clearer and stronger policies to move the global economy from fossil fuel dependency to a lowcarbon future. In a report published Thursday, the NZAOA said that while its members have committed to support the transition and reach net zero financed emissions, government support will be essential if the required economic transformation to deliver net zero emissions is to occur.

“This is an opportunity of a generation and we want to be part of that, and there’s just some small levers which

governments need to pull or assist with,” said Olga Hancock, co-leader of the group’s work on public policy and head of responsible investment for the Church Commissioners for England. “We want governments to hear the message that we—as capital allocators at the pinnacle of the food chain—want that to happen,” she said in an interview.

In some quarters, that’s becoming harder to achieve. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement Wednesday that he would roll back some greenenergy policies threatens to jeopardize the UK’s pledge to achieve net zero by 2050.

In Germany, the governing coalition has watered down policies on home heating in the face of protests, while Dutch politics has been rocked by opposition to plans to scale back emissions from farming.

Even Sweden, an early adopter of green finance, is off track on meeting its long-term net zero target.

There also are concerns some finance firms that rushed to commit

to net zero a few years ago are failing to live up those pledges. That’s come amid an energy crisis that’s made fossil fuel investments more attractive, as well as attacks by US Republicans on sustainable finance strategies.

The NZAOA, nonetheless, wants governments to do a lot more—reduce financial support for fossil fuels; increase subsidies and tax breaks for clean energy; pass green-friendly regulation; and introduce new carbon pricing tools.

A successful transition in line with limiting global warming to 1.5°C could result in “climate investment opportunities” totaling as much as $275 trillion by 2050, according to NZAOA. By contrast, a failed transition could reduce global GDP by up to $6 trillion per year by 2050, the report said, citing data from McKinsey Global Institute.

“Advantageous policy environments are a key enabler of uptake,” Günther Thallinger, chair of the NZAOA, said in a statement. An

example he pointed to is the level of global subsidies and incentives for electrical vehicles, which doubled from 2021 to 2022 to about $30 billion. “We’re seeing similar trajectories for renewable energy and heat pumps,” he said.

The NZAOA, which was convened by the United Nations and also counts Aviva Plc and Swiss Re AG among its members, is a sub-group of the broader Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, which gathers banks, asset managers and insurers committing to phase out financed emissions. The alliance said its members weren’t waiting for stronger government policies to be enacted before they cut emissions.

“I don’t think any of the asset owner alliance membership wants to be seen as sitting on our hands and saying, look, we’ll do something when governments do something,” Matt Holmes, co-leader of the NZAOA’s public policy work with Hancock and group head of political and government affairs at Zurich Insurance Group AG, said in an interview. “Where we have technologies that have come down in cost, and are available at scale, that provides the opportunities for us to do exactly what we’re committed to doing in terms of our ESG targets.”

Bloomberg News

No Labels push in divided Arizona fuels Democratic anxiety about a Biden spoiler

By Jonathan J. Cooper

The Associated Press

PHOENIX—More than 15,000 people

in Arizona have registered to join a new political party floating a possible bipartisan “unity ticket” against Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

While that’s less than the population of each of the state’s 40 largest cities, it’s still a number big enough to tip the presidential election in a critical swing state. And that is alarming people trying to stop Trump from winning the White House again.

The very existence of the No Labels group is fanning Democratic anxiety about Trump’s chances against an incumbent president facing questions about his age and record. While it hasn’t committed to running candidates for president and vice president, No Labels has already secured ballot access in Arizona and 10 other states. Its organizers say they are on track to reach 20 states by the end of this year and all 50 states by Election Day.

“If they have someone on the ballot who is designed to bring the country together, that clearly draws votes away from Joe Biden and does not draw votes away from Donald Trump,” said Rodd McLeod, a Democratic strategist in Arizona.

That’s raising the stakes for Biden allies who are mounting a furious pressure campaign against No Labels and politicians taking meetings with the group.

In Arizona, which Biden won by about 10,000 votes, the state Democratic Party sued Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, also a Democrat, to try to prevent No Labels from being on the ballot. The party lost in court and then dropped its lawsuit. Now Democrats are pushing Fontes to force No Labels to disclose its donors, having insinuated that the group is being supported by conservatives attempting to thwart Biden. No Labels has so far refused to name how it is funding its work, saying it follows federal law and wants to protect the privacy of its donors.

Fontes has not commented publicly but is expected to announce a decision in the coming weeks after telling No Labels he may take action against the group for failing to register under the state’s campaign finance law. His decision is likely to be challenged in court.

Some of the anti-No Labels efforts here are quixotic. A perennial candidate from outside Phoenix signed up as a No Labels candidate and declared himself chairman of No Labels’ Pinal County chapter, in part so he could run for state office and try to force the party to follow the state’s campaign finance reporting laws.

“It’s kind of like a performance art piece,” said Richard Grayson, who promptly after switching to No Labels endorsed Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Biden’s narrow 2020 victory came with the help of anti-Trump Republicans, right-leaning independents and voters who disliked both candidates but saw Biden as a better option than Trump. He’ll need their support to win a rematch.

In Arizona, Biden was endorsed by former Republican Sen. Jeff Flake and Cindy McCain,

the widow of Sen. John McCain—a lifelong Republican who publicly clashed with Trump.

If even a small number of those voters were to back a No Labels candidate next year, Biden could fall short.

No third-party candidate has ever won the presidency or even come close. In the modern era, the strongest performer was Ross Perot in 1992, but he didn’t earn a single electoral vote. He did, however, earn a reputation as a spoiler to then-President George H.W. Bush.

Democrats blame Green Party nominee Jill Stein for spoiling Hillary Clinton ‘s would-be victory in 2016, when Stein got more votes in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin than Trump’s margin of victory. In 2020, a shift of just 45,000 votes in Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin would have been enough to tilt the election from Biden to Trump.

“We need to convince the political world that being involved with this is a bad idea,” said Matt Bennett, executive vice president of the center-left group Third Way. “If you’re a potential candidate of theirs, you’re going to be Jill Stein 2.0.”

But supporters of No Labels insist that the political climate is far different heading into 2024, with wide swaths of voters in both parties exhausted by years of turmoil and chaos in Washington.

“These are unprecedented times,” said Benjamin Chavis, a former head of the NAACP who is now working with No Labels. “Never before has such a large number of Americans expressed their concerns and expressed their views and their aspirations for more choices.”

At least 13,500 people have registered with No Labels in Arizona’s two largest counties, which include Phoenix and Tucson, with roughly 1,900 registered in the state’s other counties, according to the most recent figures available.

About half of registrants in August were formerly independent and another quarter were newly registered, according to Sam Almy, a Democratic data analyst based in Phoenix. The rest came mostly from the two major parties: 14 percent were previously Democrats and 11 percent had been Republicans.

While only about a quarter of the newly registered No Labels members came from the major parties, they’re much likelier to vote.

About 63 percent of the former Democrats and 65 percent of the former Republicans voted in 2020, while only 45 percent of the former independents cast a ballot.

No Labels party members skew younger. More than half are younger than 35, according to Almy, and just 5 percent are older than 65. Twelve percent of them live in the 4th Congressional District, which includes Arizona State University.

If No Labels runs candidates, anybody can vote for them whether they’ve joined the party or not.

No Labels leaders say they’ll decide after the Super Tuesday primaries in March whether to run a candidate, who would be nominated at a convention in Dallas in April.

The group has not said how the candidate would be chosen but hopes to

publish a plan next month. No Labels has ties to moderates from both parties. Among them: Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, former independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, former Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah and Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland. The group also could pick a business leader

or retired military officer.

Ryan Clancy, chief strategist for No Labels, said their decision will not be influenced by head-to-head polling of the chosen candidate against Trump and Biden. Such a poll would be meaningless because a large swath of voters won’t know anything about the No Labels candidate before a

campaign is run, he said. No Labels leaders vehemently deny that they’ll be a spoiler for Trump and say they’ll only proceed if their candidate has a path to victory. But it’s unclear how certain that path will have to be.

“This is something we’re still working through,” Clancy said.

Lifeline needed amid sky-high

fuel prices

OiL prices are on track to hit $100 a barrel in September after Brent crude topped $95 a barrel on Tuesday, according to market players. Production curbs by Saudi Arabia and Russia, which were intended to support oil prices, auspiciously combined with an improving outlook for the US and China to drive prices higher.

The International Energy Agency warned last week that the current export curbs by the two Opec+ leaders would create a “significant supply shortfall,” which poses a considerable threat to ongoing price volatility.

In light of increasing oil supply constraints, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth predicted oil prices to hit $100 a barrel. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. also raised its forecast for crude oil back to triple digits as demand booms and Opec+ supply curbs tighten the market.

Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel on Tuesday prodded the Marcos administration to suspend the excise tax on imported oil and bio-ethanol as immediate measures to bring down the prices of fuel in the country. “The suspension of the excise tax could offer a temporary respite and serve as an effective lifeboat for Filipinos struggling to cope with the sky-high fuel prices,” the senator said.

The Finance Department cautioned against suspending taxes on oil products, saying it would do more harm than good as it would hike the national government’s budget deficit and debt-to-GDP ratio while derailing the country’s fiscal recovery. (Read the BusinessMirror report: “Finance Department warns against suspending oil taxes, citing economic risks,” September 20, 2023).

“The proposals will adversely affect our economic and fiscal recovery, our international credit ratings, and our overall debt management strategy, while benefiting primarily the rich and without providing lasting inflation relief,” Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said.

Pimentel held out hope that the government understands the gravity of the situation and the urgency of intervention to alleviate the situation of countless Filipinos struggling with skyrocketing fuel prices. “Every week, our fellow Filipinos face the challenge of ever-increasing fuel prices,” the senator said, stressing that “they need a lifeline now.”

The think tank Infrawatch also sought more decisive government action as people continue to be whipped by the impact of rising fuel costs, negating hopes of easing inflation.

Diokno, however, pointed out that the government will lose about P72.6 billion in revenues in the fourth quarter alone if the VAT and excise taxes on petroleum products are lifted.

The DOF’s calculations showed that the state’s full-year revenue loss from the suspension of the VAT and excise taxes on oil products could reach P280.5 billion (P168.2 billion in excise taxes and P112.3 billion in VAT) or about 1.1 percent of GDP.

The Finance chief argued that the proposals being floated would only “benefit the top 10 percent of households that consume around 49 percent of total fuel consumption.” He noted that the bottom half of households consume only around 10 percent. “It would be best to just provide targeted subsidies to the poor who are affected by the high fuel prices such as jeepney operators, farmers, and fisher folks,” Diokno said.

But Pimentel drew attention to the direct impact on people if the situation is allowed to continue without government intervention: “If the sky-high prices of fuel products are not promptly addressed, the country can expect inflation rates to soar, further impacting the economic well-being of every Filipino.”

Policy think tank Infrawatch PH called for government action following a significant oil price hike on Wednesday. “Today’s oil price hike is a severe blow to Filipino households already stretched thin,” said Infrawatch PH Convenor Terry Ridon. “The government must act before the situation spirals out of control.”

The think tank noted that Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez’s dialogue with oil executives on Monday is unprecedented, as no House speaker has ever confronted oil price hikes with the same level of urgent intervention.

Ridon also supported Romualdez’s suggestion to open the Oil Deregulation Law (Republic Act 8479) for congressional review. “This 25-year-old law has long outlived its usefulness. Enacted in 1998, the law has led to frequent and unregulated price adjustments, affecting everything from public transportation to the cost of basic commodities. This law has given oil companies free rein over pricing, and the public pays the price,” Ridon said.

There’s a silver lining for every crisis. If the current surge in oil prices will push our government officials to craft policies and strategies that will produce a positive result for the Filipino people, then the crisis managed to awaken their zeal for the public good. The ball is firmly in the court of our policymakers, and the nation is watching how the play unfolds.

BusinessMirror

The heart and soul of education

sonny M. angara

Better Days

ALmOST all of us are aware of the myriad of problems our education system is facing. Filipino students rank among the lowest in the world when it comes to reading comprehension, math and science. There is no question that we are faced with a learning crisis that if left unchecked could result in dire consequences for our learners, our workforce and the economy as a whole.

T his is the primary reason for the decision of Congress to pass Republic Act 11899, which paved the way for the creation of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2). As one of six commissioners of EDCOM 2, I have been active in the work of the body to conduct a comprehensive review and assessment of the country’s education system, with the end in view of coming up with key reforms that will help address the inherent problems and make it more competitive globally. Over the next three years, we in EDCOM 2 will strive to develop key policies and strategies, including legislation—building on the gains made during the first EDCOM and addressing the requirements of the current times.

My father led the first EDCOM

in 1990 that paved the way for the “trifocalization” of the education system, with the Department of Education having oversight over basic education; the Commission on Higher Education for higher education; and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for technical and vocational education and training.

One of the key areas of focus of the EDCOM 2 is on our educators, the people at the heart of the education sector. A huge burden is being carried by our teachers to ensure that our children are getting the proper education that they require to become productive members of society. Over the years, we have filed several measures aimed at improving the plight of our teachers and equipping them with the tools necessary

to properly do their jobs. In the current 19th Congress, we filed at least six bills for the benefit of our teachers. Among them is the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act, which seeks to raise the annual teaching supplies allowance to P7,500 in its first year of implementation and then to P10,000 in the succeeding school years. The Senate approved the bill on May 22, 2023 and we are awaiting the action of the House of Representatives.

To provide many of our teachers with some relief on their transport costs, especially those who have to travel long distances to reach their schools, we filed SBN 1169 or the Teachers Home in School Act. This measure seeks to provide public school teachers with living facilities within the schools they or at the nearest location to the schools where they teach. This will not only result in savings for many teachers but also in improvements in their overall performances since they would be able to spend more time with their teaching duties instead of commuting.

We are also pushing for the lowering of the optional retirement age for teachers from 60 to 55 years old. Given the amount of work put in by our teachers and the physical, emotional and mental toll their jobs have on them, providing them with this option to retire early will allow them to enjoy life while they are still well and able.

We celebrate National Teachers’ Month on September 5 to October 5 every year by virtue of Proclamation No. 242 series of 2011. This was done to generate widespread awareness and support for World Teachers’ Day on October 5 every year as declared by UNESCO. We also celebrate Education Week during the second week of September of each year based on Proclamation No. 409, series of 1953. On September 8 of each year, the country also celebrates National Literacy Day as contained in Proclamation No. 1886, series of 1979. The objectives of these presidential issuances remain relevant to this day as the promotion of education and literacy continue to be among the top priorities of our government. Rest assured we will continue to push for legislation that promote and protect the welfare of our teachers. Taking care of our teachers and equipping them with the tools necessary to better perform their duties will result in more rewarding experiences for them and more importantly, improved performances for our students.

Senator Sonny Angara has been in public service for 19 years—9 years as Representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and 10 as Senator. He has authored, co-authored, and sponsored more than 330 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.

E-mail: sensonnyangara@yahoo.com| Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @sonnyangara

Biden uses executive power to create a New Deal-style American Climate Corps

By Matthew Daly | The Associated Press

thwarted by Congress, President Joe Biden

WASHiNGTON—After being

will

use his executive authority to create a New Deal-style American Climate Corps that will serve as a major green jobs training program.

In an announcement Wednesday, the White House said the program will employ more than 20,000 young adults who will build trails, plant trees, help install solar panels and do other work to boost conservation and help prevent catastrophic wildfires.

The climate corps had been proposed in early versions of the sweeping climate law approved last year but was jettisoned amid strong opposition from Republicans and concerns about cost.

Democrats and environmental advocacy groups never gave up on the plan and pushed Biden in recent weeks to issue an executive order authorizing what the White House now calls the American Climate Corps.

“After years of demonstrating and fighting for a Climate Corps, we turned a generational rallying cry into a real jobs program that will

put a new generation to work stopping the climate crisis,’’ said Varshini Prakash, executive director of the Sunrise Movement, an environmental group that has led the push for a climate corps. With the new corps “and the historic climate investments won by our broader movement, the path towards a Green New Deal is beginning to become visible,’’ Prakash said, referring to a comprehensive jobs-and-climate plan supported by many activists and some Democrats but ridiculed by Republicans as a socialist nightmare that would raise taxes and hamper the economy.

Prakash, a frequent Biden critic, participated in a White House call on Tuesday promoting the new job corps, which comes as Biden tries to strengthen his appeal to young voters in the 2024 presidential campaign.

The Sunrise Movement and other climate activists, including many young adults, were outraged this spring after Biden approved the huge Willow oil-drilling project in Alaska. Opponents say the project and others approved by Biden put his climate legacy at risk and are a breach of his 2020 campaign promise to stop new oil drilling on federal lands.

Those concerns were put aside, for now, as environmental activists hailed the new jobs program, which is modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps, created in the 1930s by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat, as part of the New Deal.

“Young people nationwide are excited to see the launch of the American Climate Corps, enhancing career pathways in clean energy, conservation and climate resilience,’’ said Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, president of NextGen America, an organization that promotes education, registration and mobilization for voters age 18 to 35.

“Young people are fighting for climate justice every day in their community, and now they have even more opportunity to continue this fight in their careers,’’ Ramirez said.

More than 50 Democratic lawmakers, including Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, had also encouraged Biden to create a climate corps, saying in a letter on Monday that “the climate crisis demands a whole-of-government response at an unprecedented scale.’’

The lawmakers cited deadly heat waves in the Southwest and across the nation, as well as dangerous floods in New England and devastating wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui, among recent examples of climate-related disasters.

Democrats called the creation of the climate corps “historic” and a key step toward fulfilling the vision of the Green New Deal.

“Today President Biden listened to the [environmental] movement, and he delivered with an American Climate Corps,’’ a beaming Markey said at a celebratory news conference outside the Capitol.

“We are starting to turn the green dream into a green reality,’’ added Ocasio-Cortez, who co-sponsored the Green New Deal legislation with See “Biden,” A19

Dennis Gorecho

Seafarers’ cases decided by Supreme Court Justice Leonen Pinoy Marino Rights

SeafaReRS on board ships are human souls within human bodies.

Thus declared my UP Law professor and Supreme Court Senior associate Justice Marvic Leonen in the case of Castillon vs Magsaysay Mitsui OSK (GR 234711. March 2, 2020) involving a seafarer who died due to colon cancer as he stressed that social justice is very much a part of every decision in labor cases.

“Our seafarers gamble their lives to work for a shipping company that will direct their ships to where they can efficiently gain profits for their owners and shareholders. They are aware that on board are human souls within human bodies who have to live for weeks or months under the conditions they provide. While at sea, the seafarers do not have any option except to live in their quarters, eat the diet provided to them, and exist within the hours that are fully controlled by the officers of the vessel under the command of the owners,” Leonen said.

Leonen added that the cap on the amount that can be recovered by a seafarer for a work-related illness caused or aggravated by the working conditions of the employers is already a major and gargantuan compromise.

“The true cost of hiring a human being will not be internalized. On many occasions, this Court stood as a mute witness to the paltry amounts received—even for permanent and total disabilities—compared with the illness Filipino seafarers have to suffer or the deaths that their families have to endure. Fairness and social justice demand that we give them all that are due—as a Filipino seafarer who sacrificed and as a human being,” Leonen stressed.

In Toquero v. Crossworld Marine Services (June 26, 2019, GR 213482), Leonen said that the law imposes liabilities on employers so that they are burdened with the costs of harm should they fail to take precautions.

Between the ship owner/manager and the worker, the former is in a better position to ensure the discipline of its workers.

In economics, this is called internalization, which attributes the consequences and costs of an activity to the party who causes them. The law intervenes to achieve allocative efficiency between the employer and the seafarer. Allocative efficiency refers to the satisfaction of consumers in a market, which produces the goods that consumers are willing to pay. The occupational hazards are reflected and accounted for in the seafarer’s contract and the POEA regulations.

In Rodelas v. MST Marine Services (GR 244423. November 4, 2020), Leonen said that seafarers do not lose their right to consent to the prescribed medical procedure of the company-designated physician.

The Court recognize the right of a person to decide on what can and cannot be done to his or her body, and to arrive at an informed consent on a potentially dangerous medical procedure.

While it is the employer’s respon-

continued from A18

Markey four years ago.

“You all are changing the world,’’ she told young activists. The White House declined to say how much the program will cost or how it will be paid for, but Markey and other Democrats said money from the climate law and the 2021 infrastructure law would serve as a “down payment” for thousands of jobs.

Republicans have largely dis-

sibility to shoulder medical treatments of its employees injured in relation to their work, they cannot compel their employees to undergo invasive medical treatments.

In Toliongco v. Anglo Eastern Crew Mgt. (GR 231748 July 8, 2020), Leonen underscored that sexual harassment is not an issue of gender but an issue of power.

Injuries do not refer to only the physical kind but can come in many forms—physical, emotional, or psychological.

“It is high-time that we recognize sexual harassment on board vessels as a risk faced by our seafarers. We also cannot disregard the possibility that the seafarer felt shame over what had happened. Victims of sexual abuse usually take time before reporting to the proper authorities. Perhaps, more so if they are male as society has made it hard for male victims of sexual harassment to come out and report.”

In Inter-Orient Maritime Ent. Inc.

v. Creer (GR 181921, September 17, 2014), Leonen downplayed the argument that the relaxation of rules will reduce the competitiveness of Filipino seafarers.

“I do not believe so. The competitiveness of our seafarers is attributed to their skills, creativity, and resiliency. Competitiveness has very little to do with the mandatory three-day post-employment medical examination period.”

In Monana v. MEC Global Ship Mgt. (GR 196122 November 12, 2014), Leonen noted that seafarers who suffer from occupational hazards are not necessarily constrained to contractual breach as cause of action in claiming compensation.

“Our laws allow seafarers, in a proper case, to seek damages based on tortious violations by their employers by invoking Civil Code provisions, and even special laws such as environmental regulations requiring employers to ensure the reduction of risks to occupational hazards.”

The Philippines is considered as the major supplier of maritime labor globally as it is estimated that there is one Filipino seafarer for every four to five complements on board a vessel at any time.

In 2022, Filipino seafarers deployed reached 489,852 with the corresponding dollar remittances amounting to $6,715,880,000.

The 28th National Seafarers Day is set on September 25, 2023 with the theme “Marinong Filipino: Patuloy sa Pangangalaga ng Karagatan.”

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

missed the climate corps as a dogooder proposal that would waste money and could even take jobs away from other workers displaced by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We don’t need another FDR program, and the idea that this is going to help land management is a false idea as well,” Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, said in 2021.

Rep. Joe Neguse, a Colorado Democrat, said the program should pay “a living wage” while offering health care coverage and other benefits.

Tito Genova Valiente

annoTaTions

The debate in the house of Representatives continues. We are not there but we see them online. Our representatives. We have voted them in and in the game of politics in democracy, half or more than half of the population in each town, in each city, in each province may not be properly represented because he or she has not agreed that that person should stand for him or her. In a case where we, presently viewing the exchange of words, are fated to have our favorite/beloved politician standing at the tribunal, our life is sealed to witness our destiny crumble or shine—is our representative good or dumb? Or, does he or she care about us at all?

Elections are double-bladed instruments: they are acts by which we surrender our luck to these persons who are supposed to be educated (astute, skillful, strategic, enlightened) enough to fight for us; elections, however, are also circuses we cannot do without because life is a raving fiesta. And so whether we are there in the august halls of the House of Representatives or in the House of the Senate, life is meant to go on for them and, unfortunately, for us.

We are therefore the missing Filipinos, represented but not thought of. We are the represented, foolish enough to support those who can murder our dreams.

Is there joy in these thoughts?

Perhaps, joy is not the word. I could be happy that finally, while watching the exchange of interpretations between these personas of law and justice, I was realizing at best how glib politicians could be, how naturally and systematically insincere they mostly are. And, we, dumb enough to continue looking up to them, addressing them as honorable when honor is the last element in their soul, hope against hope, dream against dreams most impossible.

The debates cannot be stopped.

And we can desist from watching or, because we are captive by these new technologies, we can follow them and think how we can best work our way into the lives of these lawmak-

the politicians’ eyes as well? What do we thirst to find in their hearts?

There are scenarios that occur even as we speak of dire poverty unimaginable. For every interminable debate we view online, there are these rare gems of old men and women walking several kilometers each day to sell vegetables for less than a hundred pesos. And for each of these cases, the new social media has shaped men and women who are able to use these scenes to create vlogs that are monetized. And so what happens is that a man usually trails after these old people, stops them, milks the meeting for what it is worth—a dramatic tableau of pity and self-promotion. The vlogger offers a hundred and the aging vendor, with wooden chair on his back, or a bouquet of kangkong in her basket, begins to tear up. The vlogger does not stop there. He offers more and we bawl our eyes out. Not out of guilt but pure pity.

distant school. He has reached only Grade 3, and can barely read and write. He has pinned his hopes on the tiny chests of his children just happy to be freed from farm work. No dramatic reenactment necessary here: we know the reality. Not everyone finishes the elementary grade. Where there is a need for home mentoring, what can this father offer his children?

Each year, the number of classrooms is never resolved. In urban areas, there are shifts in students attending classes. This means some students have to wake up early in the morning to attend the first shift and some need to go home late to fulfill the schedule. In rural areas, there is no shifting because there are no classrooms. The confidential funds, which are at the center of the heated debate at present, become an interesting topic when placed against photos of classrooms with no shutters or doors, or those exposed to the elements.

But we do not see these. Our world as academics is the same as that of the politicians. We theorize about rhizomes and decolonization; the politicos are worse: they talk of notions they do not even understand. But we deal with intellections, with ideas that have nothing to do with people with no lands, no homes and no futures.

ers. For they, irony and sarcasm, are makers of laws. And we are the followers of laws. What is it then that we want inserted into the political world? What are these scenes we desire to see in

By Rob Gillies | The Associated Press

TORONTO—When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood up in Parliament and said India may have been involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen, the muted international response offered a lesson in modern geopolitics.

India, it seems, may be too powerful to alienate.

None of Canada’s most important allies—not the US, Britain, Australia or New Zealand, all knitted tightly together in the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing alliance—echoed Trudeau’s allegations.

They’ve declared their concern. They’ve urged full investigations. But none have stepped up to condemn India for its alleged involvement in the June slaying on Canadian soil of a Sikh separatist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Why?

Mainly there’s China, and the priority among the allies to bolster ties with India as a counterweight to Beijing’s rising power and assertiveness.

But it’s more than that. Modern India has a fast-growing economy that many analysts believe will overtake Japan and Germany to become the world’s third largest by 2030. It has become a major power in world affairs, with more than 1.4 billion people and one of the world’s largest militaries.

All that makes it hard for Canada’s main allies—which are also some of India’s main partners—to loudly speak out.

“I think Australia, US and UK did about what was expected,” said Janice Stein, a political scientist at the Munk School of Global Affairs in Toronto.

Sushant Singh, a senior fellow at the New Delhi-based Center for Policy Research, agreed: “As long as the West needs India to counter China, it is likely to look away.”

On Monday, Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the killing outside Vancouver by masked gunmen of 45-year-old Nijjar, who had been wanted by India for years. Canada also expelled an Indian diplomat.

A day later—and after India ramped up the confrontation by itself expelling a top Canadian diplomat— Trudeau toned down the rhetoric, telling reporters that Canada was “not looking to provoke or escalate.”

“PM tempers criticism as allies decline to condemn India over slain Sikh leader,” read the front-page headline Wednesday in Canada’s The Globe and Mail newspaper. The government’s allegations are particularly awkward now for the U.K., which is seeking a free trade deal with India.

“These are serious allegations. It is right that the Canadian authorities should be looking into them,” said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman, Max Blain. But he made clear that the killing would not come up in the trade talks, saying “these are negotiations about a trade deal and we are not looking to conflate with other issues.”

Trudeau discussed the slaying with Sunak and US President Joe Biden in recent weeks, according to Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly. If the allies’ responses were muted, Joly’s office and the White House denied news reports that Canada, in the days before Trudeau made his allegations, had lobbied the US and other major allies to condemn

Everything stops at pity. Action, which speaks louder than tears, seldom happens.

Or think of this father, unshod. A farmer, he wakes up early and walks with his little son and daughter to a

Meditate on our other leaders. They are like the gods of the primitives: they live up there among the clouds. We propitiate them because we have been convinced of their might and divinity. Look, a film about the Chilean dictator Pinochet has made him into a vampire, a corruption that will never be materially corrupted while we subsist on memories of nationalism and search for identities. He lives on because people have hearts he can feast on and blood to suck, as we live on—the unsaid, the unnamed, the absent factor in a nation’s life.

E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

Meditating on the missing Filipino Canada gets muted allied support after alleging India may have been involved in killing of Canadian

the killing. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said any report that the US had rebuffed Canada were “just flatly false.”

“We were deeply concerned by these allegations Prime Minister Trudeau laid forward and remain in regular contact with our Canadian partners,” Kirby said. “They’re investigating and that should proceed unimpeded.”

He added, however, that the US relationship with India “remains vitally important, not only for the South Asia region but of course for the Indo Pacific.”

Still, the Biden administration seems to be offering more moral support than anything substantive. It might want to let things play out as a bilateral issue between Ottawa and New Delhi. “It’s embarrassing” to Washington, said Robert Bothwell, a historian and professor at the University of Toronto. But “the US has larger interests.”

If Trudeau’s accusations are correct, he said, it also shows that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is not “restrained by an innate sense of rule of law or a commitment to democracy.”

“This is the same kind of thing that Putin does,” he said, referring to enemies of Russian President Vladimir Putin who have been killed in Russia and abroad, including in the UK.

Nijjar, who was born in India and had worked for years as a plumber in Canada, was killed in the parking lot of a Sikh temple in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver. He was wanted by Indian authorities, who had long said he had links to separatist terrorists seeking the creation of an independent Sikh nation inside India. While Nijjar advocated for a Sikh homeland, he repeatedly denied allegations he had any ties to terrorism.

Canada has yet to provide any evidence of India’s involvement in the killing. But a US official said Tuesday that Trudeau’s willingness to speak out was taken by the White House as an indication of the Canadian leader’s certainty about what had been found. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly, spoke on condition of anonymity.

Canada is one of the few countries in the world that unabashedly speaks out in defense of human rights and the international rule of law. It also has few qualms about taking on major powers.

In 2018, for example, China-Canada relations nosedived after China detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor. Those arrests came shortly after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei and the daughter of the company’s founder. Canada made the arrest at the behest of US authorities who accused Meng of fraud.

Relations have not rebounded even after a prisoner swap that saw China release the Canadians in exchange for Meng in 2021.

Also in 2018, the Saudi government expelled Canada’s ambassador to the kingdom and withdrew its own ambassador after Canada’s foreign ministry tweeted support for an arrested Saudi activist. It took five years for Canada and Saudi Arabia to finally restore full diplomatic relations in May.

Trudeau also clashed with former US President Donald Trump, who vowed to make Canada pay after Trudeau said he wouldn’t be pushed around in trade talks with the US. Trump responded by insulting Trudeau, saying he was “meek and mild,” words that shocked Canadians.

September 22, 2023

Meralco won’t mine nickel but will invest in EV charging hubs

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

THEManuel V. Pangilinan-led Manila Electric Company (Meralco) will not engage in nickel mining but will support the mining industry and its endeavors to go for green or energy transition metals.

P angilinan said as a power company, Meralco will not invest in nickel mining but may be looking at investing in EV assembly or manufacturing in partnership with EV companies.

“No. Meralco is a power company and we like to keep it as such,” Pangilinan told reporters when asked about plans to invest in nickel mining.  Philex Mining Corporation, another MVP-led company, is diversifying from copper-gold, adding nickel mining operations in Zambales to join the bandwagon for energy transition mentals extraction.

Nevertheless, Pangilinan said as far as Meralco is concerned, the power company is prospecting the nickel industry to develop in the country “because the future for Electric Vehicles (EV) is bright.”

“A number of major car manufacturers said that they will no longer [do] fossil fuel vehicles starting

2027 so we want to be in that position,” says Pangilinan.

Meralco, he said, will also not invest in mining through Philex but stressed that even for a power distribution company, it is a duty to participate in the migration of this country from fossil fuel to e-vehicles “and it can do that in a number of ways.”

He said Meralco is in the best position to lay out the charging stations due to its reach through its well-established network in most major parts of the country.

Pangilinan also noted that Meralco itself sells a significant amount of power.  However, he would rather see Meralco as a participant to move toward that migration, “maybe more quickly than anticipated either by partnering with manufacturers of 4-wheelers, 6-wheelers and 2-wheelers even” or with the manufacture, through assembly, if not financing of those vehicles precisely to incentivize

people to switch from fossil to electric.

“ It’s not an easy task. I think the reaction of most of the fleet operators is quite positive. The hurdle at the moment is the capital cost of acquiring a vehicle which is more expensive than fossil fuel but given the high prices of fossil fuel as we know, the operating cost dynamics of a fossil fuel vehicle and EV is now in favor of EV because it costs less to operate an evehicle than it is fossil fuel; we have to think of a creative way to enable safely for operators and individuals to purchase e-vehicle,” he explained.

I think the mission of Meralco and this country is to be able to attract investors so that we can at least assemble or manufacture the bodies of these vehicles,” he said.

Pangilinan, who was in China in last week, said one Chinese telco has partnered with a Chinese automotive company and that auto company builds companies but the software is provided by this Chinese tech company.

“

But if we can replicate that here, I think we are capable of building bodies. And charging stations, definitely,” he said.

H e said for now, there’s no concrete proposal coming from Meralco, but vowed to support the

Meralco Board for anything that has to do with EVs. Pangilinan said the transition from fossil fuel to EV will be the barometer as to when Meralco will start putting up the charging stations for EVs.

“ You have to push for the adoption first and then dun ka magtatayo ng charging stations,” he said, declaring with certainty that the first to embrace the EVs in the Philipines will be the richer or moneyed individuals.

Hence, he said gated villages will be the first target for installation of charging stations should the need arises. However, he said that Meralco’s target is the mass market, which is Meralco’s forte.

A ccording to Pangilinan, Meralco key officials will be in Hongkong today, Friday, to talk about the opportunities and future plans of the company.

A s for Meralco’s potential partner in the EV assembly, he said the company would be looking for foreign partnership, adding that a local partner will be out of the question as most EV parts and assembly are imported.  He said Meralco has no particular firm in mind right now but the search is ongoing.  “We are talking to almost everybody,” he added.

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

THE Department of Tourism (DOT) has bidded out some P700 million in projects for the marketing and promotion of the Philippines, under its new tourism slogan, “Love the Philippines” (LTP).

I n an open forum at the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) meeting on Wednesday, Tourism Undersecretary for Finance and Administration Shereen Gail Yu-Pamintuan said, “I’d like to confirm that we’re keeping the ‘Love the Philippines’ slogan—we have launched it already....We have posted several branding and marketing initiatives up for procurement — so I think it’s around P700 million worth of local and international PR (public relations) as well as other market -

DTI: P7.9-B

BUDGET NOT ENOUGH FOR MANDATES

WITH P7.91 billion earmarked for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) under the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP), Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual said the agency will request for an increase in its budget to be able to carry out its priority programs and implement laws such as the Vape law, E-commerce Act, among others.

I’m happy that there are many voices of support for increasing the budget of DTI given the wide range of activities that we’re undertaking for the benefit of the country,” Pascual told reporters on the sidelines of the Make It Happen in the Philippines Reception on Thursday in Makati City.

However, while the budget set for the agency under the 2024 NEP is 9 percent higher than the P6.58 billion in 2023, Pascual said he submitted a wish list of the agency’s priority programs in hopes of getting an increase in DTI’s budget.

“ Well the wish list starts with the mandates that have been assigned to us to implement certain laws which should not have been fully funded,” the Trade chief said.

Pascual listed the laws and programs which will be implemented by DTI that would require additional funding.

T hese are: the Internet Transactions Act which he said will be passed soon; the Export Development Plan; the threeyear action agenda for Food Logistics; the development of micro,small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) under the Philippine Development Plan (PDP).  F or the development of MSMEs, while it is funded, Pascual said there are other items that still need funding such as the shared service facilities.

In the NEP, there’s P500 million. I asked for P800 million so I hope we’ll get closer to what I asked for in our request for budget,” the Trade chief stressed.

Meanwhile, in the Halal industry he said, “That’s mandated by law but we’re getting the funding of ours since the law was passed from our general resources and we cannot allocate much.”

He pointed out that there were “voices” asking the DTI to be serious about the Halal sector. However, Pascual stressed that there are limitations if the agency will not have enough funding.

ing initiatives.”

A ccording to the DOT website, among the major projects bidded out were the P30-million Consulting Services for the Strategy, Research, and Overall Direction of the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Plan for “Love the Philippines” Part 1 (DOT-SBAC- REI No. 2023-018), which appears to be a component of an earlier P250million project in which advertising agencies DDB Philippines Inc. and IPG Mediabrands Philippines Inc. had been shortlisted.  (See, “DOT bid out P550-million projects for rebranding campaign,” in the BusinessMirror , July 5, 2023.)

Under the P30-million project, the winning agency has to “conduct in-depth market research that will guide DOT to strategize and realign its branding and marketing efforts for the ‘Love the Philippines’ campaign,” scan online news media

and social media “to understand the public’s opinion or sentiment about the initial LTP campaign launch,” and submit a five-year IMC  plan, providing strategy on the campaign.

TVCs, photos, branding collaterals ALSO bidded out were P60-million Consulting Services for the Production of Creative Assets Part I (DOT-SBAC-REI NO. 2023-027), where the winning bidder is expected to produce “professional photos documenting the four themes of love in the LTP campaign: Biodiversity of Love, Award-winning Destinations & Natural Beauty of Love, Archipelago of Festive Love, [and] Gastronomical Love,” tourism maps, and LTP branding collaterals like brochures/flyers, calendars, corporate jackets, banners, vehicle wraps, etc.

Continued on

Companies

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Friday, September 22, 2023

Dito borrows $3.9B to pay debts, bankroll expansion

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

Dito telecommunity Corp. has signed a $3.9-billion long-term project finance facility to bankroll its network expansion and refinance some of its debts, parent company Dito CME Holdings Corp. said on Thursday.

In a regulatory filing, dito cMe said dito’s 15-year project finance facility will be “one of the largest long-term debt arranged and syndicated by a group of multinational banks for a Philippine corporation.”

t he proceeds will be used to extinguish short-term bridge loan facilities totaling $1.3 billion with the balance to pay contractors and fund the continuing network rollout of dito tel. t his will further improve

the quality of access and user experience as well as accelerating the take up of its FWa 5G and mobile postpaid product offerings,” the filing read. dito is beefing up its network to support both its mobile and fixed wireless services which dito claims to have gained traction. a s of aug ust, dito’s average daily activations increased by 15 percent since the government required end users to register their SIMs.

a s ide from consumers and households, d i to is gunning to penetrate the enterprise segment, targeting to increase its revenue contribution to 18 percent in the next three years.

dito has committed to spending P257 billion over a 5-year period from 2020 to build its initial network and provide users with at least 55 Mbps of speed. Part of that commitment is to also cover 84 percent of the population.

“

t h is project finance facility represents strategic trust and confidence in the vision of the company to be a major enabler of digital services in the Philippines,” dito cMe President er nesto r a lberto.

d ito recently passed its fourth technical audit, having satisfied the government with its speed and coverage commitments, recording an average broadband speed of 74.97 Mbps and 639.32 Mbps for all 4G and 5G sites, respectively, which covers 80.65 percent of the population.

For its fourth year, dito committed to provide a minimum average broadband speed of 55 Mbps that covers 80.01 percent of the population of the Philippines.

dito cMe said last august that local and foreign investors have signified their interest to invest in the company.

“ t he market has been very lackluster in the last three years but at least it is coming along and things are getting better and there is a lot of interest from the investment community, particularly in this unique space of having a digital active country with a young population,” a lberto told reporters.

dito is a consortium of davaobased businessman d e nnis Uy’s Udenna corp. and c hinese government-owned china telecommunications corp.

he noted that d ito will continue to spend, as “a rule of thumb,” at least $1 billion per year, as it is playing catchup against the incumbents.

Alsons to build power plant in Bohol

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

Alcantara-led a l sons

Power Group will put up a 95.5megawatt (MW) baseload back-up power plant project in Bohol.

Ubay Power corp. (UPc) will be the corporate vehicle that will operate the stand-by modular diesel plants, with an initial capacity of 57.7 MW expected to be delivered by 2024, and the remaining capacity by year 2026.

PMM Works Inc. and Ferowelds construction Inc. were tapped as engineering, procurement and con-

struction contractors for the project.

t he power facility will serve as a backup source of electricity in the province if and when it gets isolated from the Visayas grid during calamities or natural disasters.

“When natural calamities like typhoons and earthquakes hit, Bohol gets isolated from the grid,” said Ubay Municipal Mayor constantino reyes, adding that Bohol’s energy supply has been normally precarious, relying heavily on l eyte’s submarine interconnection.

In October 2013, a magnitude

7.2 earthquake hit Bohol. Barely a month after that, category 5, super typhoon, Yolanda made landfall in

FI l I PI n O S saw “impressive improvements” in Internet speeds since the start of the new administration, however, it was not enough to make any impact when compared to other Southeast a sian markets, a new report from Opensignal showed.

the Visayas. a s a result, the transmission towers of the national Grid corporation of the Philippines (nGcP) were toppled, cutting off Bohol from the Visayas grid.

In december 2021, super typhoon Odette made landfall in Siargao and passed Bohol on its way to the West Philippine Sea.

a lsons said the project is not only “a game-changing solution” to the long-standing energy challenges faced by the province but it will also subsequently enhance investments and eventually increase local employment opportunities in Ubay and neighboring localities.

t he Ubay power facility’s gener-

B1

Fernando Zobel de Ayala returns to board of BPI

By VG Cabuag @villygc

FernandO ZOBel de aYa la has rejoined the board of the family-controlled Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) after taking a medical leave more than a year ago.

Zobel was elected as a director of the board of the first bank in the Philippines and southeast a sia, on Wednesday, replacing romeo l Bernardo, who had resigned effective September 12.

Bernardo was appointed to the Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Zobel was also appointed as a member of the executive committee and personnel and compensation committee.

With his election to BPI’s board, which is subject to the confirmation of the Monetary Board, Zobel will no longer be a member of the bank’s advisory council.

Zobel, who previously served as BPI’s vice chairman from april 2013 to September 2022, was first elected

to BPI’s board in October 1994.

“I am glad to welcome Fernando back to the board of BPI. Fernando has played a crucial role in the Bank’s history and transformation throughout his almost three-decade tenure as non-executive director of BPI’s Board,” his brother Jaime aug usto Zobel de ayala, the chairman of BPI, said. In mid-august last year, Fernando had taken a medical leave and relinquishing his duties to some senior members of conglomerate ayala corp.

IS l a Mactan- c o rdova c o rp. (IMcc ), a unit of publicly-listed Vivant c orp., said it will complete its P2-billion utility-scale seawater desalination project in c ordova, Mactan in c ebu by the end of the year.

t he desalination plant, which can generate 20 million liters a day of potable water in the first phase, will be operated and managed by IMcc a subsidiary of Vivant hydrocore holdings Inc.

IMcc has been awarded a 25-year contract to supply desalinated water to the Metropolitan cebu Water district.

Jess a nthony Garcia, IMcc president and ceO, said the 20 million liters a day is equivalent to the average daily consumption of 20,000 Filipino households.

he said the generation capacity of the plant, which is expected to begin commercial operations early next year, can be expanded to 50 million liters a day.

t he project, which is 70 percent complete, will begin installing key components for the seawater reverse osmosis technology, he said. VG Cabuag

a c cording to Opensignal, the Philippines (21.6 Mbps) has gone from third place to fourth in its ranking for download speeds in the a sean with Singapore (70.6 Mbps) taking the lead, followed by new frontrunner Malaysia (32.2 Mbps), and Vietnam (24.9 Mbps).

“

d e spite our Filipino users observing an increase of 5.9Mbps (37.7 percent) in their average overall download speeds, the Philippines has gone from third place to fourth, as it has been overtaken by Malaysia—which has achieved an impressive burst of speed. Malaysia’s d o wnload Speed e x perience score rose by 17.7Mbps [122.6 percent], putting it in second place and behind Singapore. c a mbodian users saw the second largest percentage increase in their average download speeds [46.1 percent], followed by Singapore (41 percent) and Indonesia [40.6 percent],” the report read.

Opensignal noted that both Vietnam and ca mbodia have yet to officially launch 5G commercial services.

of the Philippines as both Globe and Smart

have been providing their users with mobile 5G services for years and new entrant dito has a live service in some regions,” Opensignal said. however, the Philippines still placed last in terms of upload speed at 5 Mbps.

Meanwhile, the Philippines is no longer last-placed in the region for availability—the proportion of time that our users spend with a 3G or better connection.

It now ranked third to the last after improving its availability score by a few percentage points to 95.3 percent. t hailand (99.3 percent) and Singapore (99.2 percent) almost tied on the first place, followed by Malaysia and Indonesia.

“Good mobile connectivity is of increasing importance to the Marcos administration as the government has recently launched the eGov Ph Super a p p, which is digitizing and streamlining national and local government services,” Opensignal said.

It added that the streamlined process of permitting for telecommunications infrastructure has helped

ated capacity is governed by a Power Purchase a g reement (PSa) between First Gen’s e nergy d e velopment corp. (edc) and One Bohol Power distribution Utilities (1BP). according to the PSa , edc s Unified l eyte Geothermal Power Plant will be responsible for supplying Bohol with a baseload power supply while the Ubay modular diesel facility operated by UPc will serve as an in-island backup power source.

1BP is comprised of the Bohol l ight company Inc. operating in tagbilaran c ity, Bohol electric cooperative 1 serving 26 municipalities, and Bohol electric cooperative 2 providing electricity to 21 towns.

in pushing for better availability of telco services in the country.

‘Better gaming experience’

OPenSIGnal added that the Filipinos “observed the largest improvement in their experience when playing multiplayer mobile games over cellular connections across the markets analyzed.”

t he Philippines’s score has risen by 13.6 points or an equivalent of 28.8 percent, well ahead of Indonesia, ca mbodia and t hailand which saw increases of 11.6 points or 18.4 percent, 7.3 points or 16.3 percent and 7.8 points or 12 percent, respectively.

despite the improvements, Opensignal believes that there is still a lot of room for growth in the Philippine telecom market—at least in terms of user experience.

a s digitization and mobile experience go hand-in-hand—the Philippines needs to be competitive with other countries in the region on mobile connectivity. however, in our previous analyses, we’ve highlighted that much of the Philippines’s forward momentum has been driven by the country’s operators’ high capital expenditure—which they have started to rein in. t he Marcos ad ministration will therefore need to incentivize operators to continue investing significantly in their networks if the President’s digitization goals are to become a reality,” Opensignal said. Lorenz S. Marasigan

MPIC, AboitizPower to exit PSE index

The Philippine Stock e xchange Inc. (PSe) will remove conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments c o rp. (MPI c ) and a boitiz Power corp. from the benchmark index—the PS e i —as both firms fell below the minimum public float requirement of 20 percent.

t he two firms will be replaced by enrique r a zon Jr.’s Bloombery resorts corp. and tuna canner century Pacific Food Inc. Bloomberry’s public float is at 33.94 percent, while that of century Pacific is at 34.44 percent.

PSe President and ceO r a mon S. Monzon said in his memorandum that all changes are effective on September 26.

“ t he index constituent update is based on the requirements for inclusion in the PSe Index Series under the exchange’s policy on index management,” the memorandum read.

In order to qualify for PSei and sector indices inclusion, a listed firm must be among the top companies in terms of liquidity and market capitalization and it should also have a

free float level of at least 20 percent of its outstanding shares. relevant financial criteria as well as eligibility for early inclusion are also taken into account by the PSe in the index review.

MPIc is in the middle of a delisting process as its public float is now at 2.78 percent after the consortium acquired 19.04 percent of the company’s outstanding capital. aboitizPower’s public float, meanwhile, fell to 19.98 percent, due to its ongoing share buyback program as well as acquisitions by its directors and officers from the market. On t hursday, it’s public ownership is back at 20.05 percent. aboitizPower will also be removed from the PSe dividend Index and will be replace by robinsons retail holdings Inc. t he aboitiz unit is set to exit the Industrials sub-index without a replacement.

PSe said MPIc will be removed from the holding Firms index without a replacement while Bloomberry will be replaced by ddMP reit Inc. in the PSe Mid cap Index. VG Cabuag

PT&T unveils ChatGPT-based solution

Ph I l I PPI n e te legraph and te lephone c o rp. (P t & t ) s aid on t h ursday it will soon offer Microsoft 365 c o pilot, a c h atGP t- based solution that is built through a collaboration between Microsoft and c r ayon Philippines.

James Velasquez, the president of P t & t said the company’s introduction of Microsoft 365 c o pilot is part of its license and connectivity offerings.

t h e future of business is here.

We are thrilled to introduce Microsoft 365 c o pilot as an integral part of our Microsoft 365 l i cense and c o nnectivity offerings, providing our customers with an avenue to explore the future of work, supported by a reliable internet solution,” he said.

a c cording to Microsoft’s website, Microsoft 365 c o pilot “combines the power of large language models ( l l M s) with your data

in the Microsoft Graph and the Microsoft 365 apps to turn your words into the most powerful productivity tool on the planet.”

t h e solution is integrated into the Microsoft app—Word, e x cel, PowerPoint, Outlook, te ams, and more—allowing users to “jumpstart” their reports, increase productivity, create chatbots, and build presentations, among others using a I a c cording to Velasquez, a I w ill be “shaping the future of technology.”

“We firmly advocate the transformative potential of technology to foster societal progress.”

P t & t unveiled the new solution during an event on Wednesday called “ r e inventing Productivity: t h e Future of Work with a I .” Microsoft 365 co pilot is expected to take place in the first quarter of 2024. Lorenz S. Marasigan

‘PHL Internet still a laggard in Southeast Asia’ IMCC to complete desalination plant in Dec

Miners vow to support new mining tax regime

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

@jonlmayuga

AS the House of Representa-

tives appropriations committee passed on second reading a proposed mining tax measure, the mining industry players under the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) vowed to work with lawmakers to help put in place a mining taxation they claim will make the country’s mineral development sector globally competitive and attractive to local and foreign investors.

COMP Chairman Michael T. Toledo welcomed the House version of the bill and said the industry would work with the Senate when it starts hearing on the proposed mining tax version.

“In a nutshell, we do welcome the House passage of the bill. We were working closely with the House leadership and hoping it would also pass in the Senate,” he told reporters at the sideline of the “2023 Mining Philippines International Conference and Exhibition” last Wednesday.

House Bill (HB) 8937 proposes a royalty-calculated tax against margins realized by mining companies. It also pushes for a windfall profits tax.

Toledo described the House version as “fair” and “progressive” as “it is not based on revenue, but on profit.”

As it is still a bill, he said COMP will work with the Senate to convince lawmakers of a taxation scheme that would make the Philippine mining industry competitive.

Toledo said the industry, in general, supports tax based on windfall profits based on margins. He added miners are confident that lawmakers will heed the industry’s appeal.

Equitable sharing

PHILEX Mining Corp. Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan also cited that a new mining fiscal regime is a welcome development and assures government of “an appropriate share” of the benefits derived from the business.

In his speech during the conference, Pangilinan highlighted the need for equitable sharing from mining revenues, wherein the National Government and local government units (LGUs), will share revenues from mining taxes more “equitably.”

“The national government must [ensure] the timely remittance of taxes due LGUs. After all, mining is locationspecific and I sympathize with LGUs’ desire to realize the fruits of the resources situated in their communities,” he said.

Pangilinan recalled there was a proposal in Congress for excise tax shares be directly remitted to the LGU hosting the mining operations. Unfortunately, the proposal was not properly discussed, he added.

‘False choice’

PA NGILINAN said tax issues confronting the mining industry may be a handful. Nonetheless, Philex remains optimistic, he added, because the Marcos administration “has been clear, predictable and transparent with respect to mining.”

“We applaud the president’s desire to expand the industry, spread the benefits of mining into the countryside, and incent the processing of ores into higher value-added export products,” says Pangilinan said.

He noted that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and his economic managers “have unequivocally identified mining–done sustainably and responsibly” as important to progress. Pangilinan also noted that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) “is making decisions based on empirical data and consultation with all stakeholders.”

“Such fair and practical governance has always been part of our wish-list as an industry, we keep an eye on challenges—and we do acknowledge with thanks and wish fulfilled.”

The Philex Mining executive emphasized that “mining is not the enemy.

Poverty is.”

“The most damaging myth with which our industry must contend with is the idea that we must choose between sustainability and mining,” Pangilinan said. “This is a false dichotomy—It is a false choice.”

Zero-tariff for construction items OK’d

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

nand R. Marcos Jr. made the endorsement during its meeting last Thursday.

The measure, Balisacan said, is part of the administration’s “aggressive advance in infrastructure development in order to enable social and economic transformation and support the attainment of our development goals in the medium term.”

Also part of the said initiative was the Board’s confirmation of the proposed executive order (EO) that will enable the expeditious processing of licenses, clearances, permits, certifications and authorizations for the government’s infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs).

be applicable to both pending and new applications within the NEDA Board approved list of IFPs as well as any additions to the updated IFP list,” he added.

Balisacan said the draft EO is now being finalized and will soon be issued. He added the Neda and the Anti-Red Tape Authority (Arta) will establish a reporting framework for the implementation of the EO.

The Neda chief added that the Board also decided to reconstitute its Committee on Infrastructure to include the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Information and Communication Technology.

“This aims to delineate the roles of the national government [and] the LGUs particularly in resourceful areas or for resources may be needed to carry out the devolved functions and shared between the national government and LGUs,” Balisacan said. In another matter, the Neda chief said the proposal of the government economic managers to reduce the tariff for rice from 35 percent to zero percent has yet to reach the level of the President.

The government’s chief socio-economic planner said the Neda Board will “have a meeting soon on that where we will present the options.”

“With the reduction in tariffs, we anticipate a decrease in production cost and an improvement in the industry’s competitiveness as we ramp up our infrastructure drive,”

Neda Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said in a news briefing at Malacañan Palace.

According to Balisacan, the Neda Board chaired by President Ferdi-

“The primary goal of this proposed EO is to minimize, if not, eliminate delays in the implementation of IFPs,” Balisacan said.

“The simplified requirements will

The NEDA Board also confirmed the proposed national governmentlocal government unit (LGU) cosharing schemes for financing infrastructure projects.

The proposed measure aims to help stabilize the price of rice, however, it was heavily opposed by some lawmakers and groups since it can negatively affect the income of farmers.

KYM (Know Your Members)

SINCE I came from a banking background, I am familiar with the acronym KYC or “Know Your Customer.” It is a universal regulatory and due diligence process that financial institutions, such as banks, credit unions, insurance and other financial service providers, follow to identify and vet their customers. The primary goal of the KYC policy is to prevent money laundering, terrorist financing, fraud and other financial crimes. It requires banks to establish a comprehensive understanding of their customers’ identity, financial activities and risk profiles.

In the domain of associations, the KYC principle can be adapted as KYM for “Know Your Member.” Both concepts share similar principles but differ in their application and context. While both focuses on understanding and gathering information about individuals, they serve distinct purposes based on the nature of the business or organization they apply to.

ingfully. Gone are the days when associations could rely solely on annual conferences and newsletters to engage their members. In today’s digital age, meaningful engagement demands a multi-faceted approach. Online platforms, social media and personalized communications play a vital role in establishing and maintaining connections with members. Associations need to invest in interactive websites, discussion forums and virtual events that facilitate dialogue, knowledge-sharing and networking among members.

MEETING THE CHIEF This undated photo courtesy of the Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines shows (from left): BMAP Director for Programs Judith C. Songlingco (Philippine Business Bank Inc.); Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Managing Director

Customs seizes vessel with fuel worth P5.8M

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

AMID rising pump prices, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) announced that officials at the Port of Zamboanga seized last September 9 a vessel loaded with alleged smuggled fuel products worth P5.8 million at a town in Zamboanga City, about 1,329 kilometers south of the capital.

The statement from the BOC read that the vessel, marked as M/L Zshahuny II, was seized while unloading fuel at Barangay Cawit, Zamboanga City. The BOC said the crew failed to present documents to prove the lawful importation of the fuel.

The BOC statement added that

By VG Cabuag @villygc

CONGLOMERATE Aboitiz Eq-

uity Ventures (AEV) Inc. has listed last Thursday its P17.45 billion fixed-rate retail bonds at the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. (PDEX).

The debt papers consist of a base offer in the principal amount of P11 billion and an oversubscription option in the principal amount of up to P6.45 billion.

The listing paves the way for the secondary market trading of AEV’s Series-C bonds, with a fixed interest rate of 6.3402 percent per annum maturing in 2025, Series-D bonds with a fixed interest rate of 6.4762 percent maturing in 2028 and Series-E bonds with a fixed interest rate of 6.8032 percent matur-

its operation was based on an intelligence report. It said the vessel departed from Taganak Island, TawiTawi, and arrived at Zamboanga City. Where the vessel got the fuel was not explained in the BOC statement. According to the BOC, the vessel, which has an estimated value of P3 million, carried 89,600 liters of diesel fuel.

The captain and crew of M/L Zshahuny II and other facilitators of the fuel smuggling have been “profiled for the filing of appropriate charges,” the BOC statement read.

The vessel and its cargo are now under the custody of the BOC for the conduct of seizure and forfeiture proceedings for violating Sections 1113

ing in 2033.

These bonds form part of the second and final tranche of retail bonds from AEV’s P30 billion pesodenominated fixed-rate retail bonds shelf registration program in 2022.

AEV last month said it will acquire the rights to bottle Coca-Cola products in the Philippines for $1.8 billion.

The company said AEV and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC (CCEP) entered into a non-binding letter of intent with The Coca-Cola Co., setting out the terms on which AEV and CCEP propose to acquire its 100-percent ownership in CocaCola Beverages Philippines Inc., the local bottling unit of the Atlanta, Georgia-headquartered beveragemaker. The $1.8 billion will be on a debt-

(f), (g) and (l) (1) of the CMTA, the agency added.

“This is in relation to Sections 107 (Value-added Tax on Importation of Goods), 148 (Excise Tax on Manufactured Oils and Other Fuels) and 148-A (Mandatory Marking of All Petroleum Products) of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC), as amended.” District Collector Arthur G. Sevilla Jr. was quoted in the statement as saying the agency “will continue to be relentless in preventing and apprehending smuggling activities in the region.”

The BOC said the operation involved personnel from several law enforcement agencies including the Philippine Coast Guard.

free, cash-free basis, consistent with TCCC’s intent to divest its bottling operations, AEV said.

“If completed, the proposed acquisition would build on AEV’s portfolio diversification strategy to enter the branded consumer goods space and on CCEP’s successful expansion into the Asia-Pacific region via its acquisition of Coca-Cola Amatil in 2021,” the company said.

“AEV would be well positioned to support CCBP’s growth ambition given the synergies that can be generated from AEV’s other businesses,” it said.

AEV’s proposed acquisition of CCBP, with CCEP, offers a great opportunity to co-acquire an established, well-run business with attractive profitability and growth prospects, the company said.

In KYC, banks collect personal information, identification documents and financial data from customers to ensure that they comply with regulatory requirements and to protect themselves and their customers from potential risks.

In KYM, it is to understand the needs, preferences and aspirations of association members to provide personalized value and enhance their membership experience. Associations collect information about their members’ professional interests, industry affiliations, career goals and other relevant data to tailor their services, events and resources to suit individual member requirements.

Here are some KYM elements:

1. Understanding the diversity of members. Associations are diverse ecosystems, comprising of individuals, professionals, businesses and organizations from various backgrounds and industries. To effectively serve their members, associations need to recognize and embrace this diversity. This involves understanding the unique challenges, interests and goals of different segments within the membership base.

Conducting surveys, focus groups and one-on-one conversations can provide valuable insights into members’ preferences, expectations and pain points. By having this knowledge, associations can tailor their offerings, programs and services to cater to the specific needs of each member segment.

2. Engaging members mean-

3. Customizing value propositions. Associations must go beyond onesize-fits-all approaches to deliver real value to their members. A personalized value proposition that aligns with each member’s interests and goals is crucial for retention and satisfaction.

Providing diverse benefits, such as educational resources, industry insights, certifications and career development opportunities, allows members to leverage the association’s resources to their advantage. Offering different membership tiers with tier-specific benefits can accommodate members’ varying needs and budgets.

4. Building a community of support. Beyond professional development and resources, associations provide an invaluable sense of community and support for their members. Encouraging collaboration, mentorship and peer-to-peer support can create a strong sense of belonging. Virtual and in-person networking events, online discussion groups and mentorship programs facilitate meaningful connections among members. Associations that embrace the KYM ethos are better equipped to adapt to the ever-changing demands of their communities.

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

SSS-Las Piñas to issue

NOVs to errant firms

THE Social Security System (SSS) announced its Las Piñas branch will issue notices of violation (NOVs) to seven delinquent employers located in the city’s Almanza and Talon Tres towns.

A statement issued by the SSS read that the erring employers incurred a total of P3.81 million in delinquencies covering the SSS coverage of 69 employees. The delinquencies comprised P2.47 million unpaid contributions and employers incurred penalties worth P1.34 million, it added.

Of the seven delinquent employers, a construction company incurred

the highest contribution delinquency of P1.36 million. This comprises P555,000 worth of unpaid worker contributions and over P804,000 penalties.

The SSS said the unpaid contributions of the construction company covered those of six employees between September 1998 and December 2022. The pension fund manager said the issuance of the NOVs is part of a campaign by the SSS to ensure that employers comply with their obligations under Republic Act 11199 (Social Security Act of 2018).

THE National Economic Development Board (Neda) Board approved the reduction to zero the tariff for gypsum and anhydrite, which are used for cement and plaster board production. Currently, the tariff for both construction materials is 3 percent.

lists ₧17.45B retail bonds at PDEX

Octavio Peralta

Ryan, Ryan ‘kulayan’

LIKE many Filipinos growing up in the late 1980s to early 1990s, I looked forward to every Thursday when I could sit in front of the TV and listen to an hour of just simply beautiful music, many of them original Filipino tunes, sung by our country’s finest and celebrated singers of the day like Basil Valdez, Dulce, The Company, Louie Reyes, Kuh Ledesma, to name a few.

The show was Ryan, Ryan Musikahan featured prolific composer Ryan Cayabyab tickling the ivories, while his guests crooned their iconic tunes, his compositions, and a few American standards. The show opened with two wide shots of Cayabyab’s fingers tippling the piano keys as he played a jazzed up version of his Metropop-winning hit “Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika.”

So I can’t really picture Mr. C, as his friends and fans call him, with anything but a piano. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised when I found out from a friend that Cayabyab is now a painter as well. Apparently, he picked up a paintbrush as a hobby while the Covid-19 pandemic raged, and artists and musicians lost their gigs.

Prior to that fateful day in March 2020 when the entire country shut itself away from the entire world, Cayabyab was usually swamped with so many activities—performing, conducting orchestras, composing or arranging music, as well as teaching.

“But when the pandemic happened, I suddenly found myself inactive for the first time in a long time. There was a lull, and I had to fill it somehow,” he explains. The pandemic was a time for reflection for many, and it allowed Cayabyab to turn to his past to fill the empty, idle hours. Unknown to many, the composer also grew up around visual artists, so even at an early age he was already exposed to the craft. Paints and canvases were things commonly found inside their home (even as it also doubled as boarding house for music majors).

Relatives who stayed with his family painted all the time, so it should probably come as no surprise that he would become fascinated with the visual arts as well. In fact, Cayabyab even placed third at the YMCA National Painting Contest in 1968, when he was 14. Despite the near-win, he didn’t think of painting as a serious career, deciding instead to enroll initially as a business administration major, then because of a scholarship as a music major at the UP College of Music (Cayabyab’s mother, Celerina Venson Pujante, was an opera singer and faculty member at the college of music). He thrived in and around music, with many of his compositions becoming great Filipino standards (or “classics” as the Millennials will probably describe them). All his hard work paid off. He was named National Artist for Music in 2018, then a year after was the lone Filipino recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards.

Cayabyab surprised himself when he started tinkering with paints and brushes again, more than 50 years after his third place win at that national painting prize. “Out of curiosity, I bought a tube of cheap black acrylic paint. I know what oil paint is and what watercolor is, but I had never encountered acrylic. When a friend mentioned that an acrylic painting can sometimes look like an oil painting, and it can also sometimes be treated as watercolor,

HOROSCOPE

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS

DAY: Tom Felton, 36; Bonnie Hunt, 62; Andrea Bocelli, 65; Joan Jett, 65.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: If you keep records, say what you mean and stick to the truth, and everything you want will follow. Watch for signals that give you the go-ahead to make swift changes that will guide you toward stability and away from confusion and people who love chaos. Make decisions that reflect what you want. This moment in time is a turning point in your life that needs addressing; don’t put off the inevitable. Your numbers are 3, 11, 17, 23, 34, 37, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t wait for someone to take over. If you put more energy into your dreams, you’ll get good results. A social event will lead to temptation. Monitor your intake and choose your words wisely, and you’ll outmaneuver anyone who tries to get in your way.

★★

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Let your intellect guide you. Gather information conducive to sound decisions that will encourage you to surround yourself with people who are there to help instead of taking advantage of you. Network and mix business with pleasure to gain access to valuable information. ★★★★★

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t let anyone cloud your vision or give you the runaround. Be prepared to take care of health and personal matters yourself. Concentrate on health and exercise. Don’t let down your guard or give in to temptation. ★★★

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Be honest with yourself. Establish what you want so you can make your way to your objective. Anger or trying to fit too much into a short time frame will leave you spinning your wheels but going nowhere fast. Focus and you’ll make progress. ★★★

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Follow your heart and pursue what’s essential. Control situations by taking charge and giving your all. Personal gain and growth will help tame your ego and offer insight into what’s possible. Don’t share personal matters. Someone will reveal private information you share if you are too accommodating.

this got me triggered. I was so excited working with my first black on white paper acrylic. Immediately after, I bought red, yellow and blue. Para akong bata na nagkaroon ng bagong laruan,” he laughs.

“When I posted my first acrylic works on paper, maraming nagkagusto. But they are my friends, so gets ko naman na supportive sila,” he adds. “But when I started posting my canvas paintings, nagbago ang ihip ng hangin. My friends wanted to buy them. I was surprised, but happy. Ayun na, I began to paint and paint and paint and paint. Since walang work as a musician, I spent more time painting and enjoying the process.”

Since that first experiment” more than three years ago, Cayabyab has produced quite an impressive body of work that his friends kept encouraging him to mount an exhibit. They were willing to buy his works, they said. Some of them even asked if they could commission a painting.

The interest in his paintings tickled him, but he had to park the idea of an art exhibit as the word started to reopen in 2021. Cayabyab’s days started becoming jampacked again as people were gradually allowed to gather in large groups, and a stream of musicals, concerts, plays and other live performances began in earnest and packing many venues.

Although his time for his painting hobby got tighter, he didn’t abandon it. The LandBank of the Philippines, in celebration of its 60th anniversary, recently commissioned him to produce a 10 x 17-feet acrylic-on-canvas painting which now hangs at the bank’s main office lobby. “We initially discussed about me writing a song for their anniversary, but in a talk during the bank’s planning conference, I casually mentioned redicovering my love for the visual arts. So they commissioned me to do a painting on top of the

anniversary song,” Cayabyab chuckles.

Amid the flurry of musical activities he again finds himself, Cayabyab will finally be mounting his first art exhibit on October 21 at the Powerplant Mall.  “There’s no profound reason why I want to put up an exhibit. I just want to show a collection of art pieces that reflect my current state of expression— after re-discovering color and texture in the visual arts,” he says. Curated by artist Nell Belgado, the exhibit will showcase Mr. Piano Man’s fun and spontaneous art pieces—a true reflection of his personality.

Cayabyab describes his music-making and painting styles to be largely the same: unplanned and spontaneous. There is no blueprint or roadmap in his head of what he wants to compose or paint. There’s a seed of an idea, of course, but nothing is fully formed and just awaiting execution. This general picture, however, continually evolves as the process of creation progresses.

The more unplanned and spontaneous the creation, the more satisfied I am with the final product. And it is the same when I start to work on a song—I don’t stop until I have completed the entire song in one sitting—with mental notes to revisit the work after a day or two to make minor adjustments.

The important thing is the structure and the general feel have been laid down. With bigger works that may take more days or weeks, I work like a machine that knows where to continue exactly where I left off,”

Cayabyab says of his process.

While music will continue to be the center of his life, Cayabyab is happy to have rediscovered his love for the visual arts, and will continue painting whenever he can. His works color our lives not just through music, but through his paintings as well. ■

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Be creative regarding investments, contracts and money management. A conversation will offer information that gives insight into something new and exciting. Be careful not to overextend yourself. Keep your overhead and expectations reasonable. ★★

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Reach out to someone you trust and share ideas, information and skills to benefit one another. Get involved in a cause or event that lifts you and energizes you mentally, physically and emotionally. ★★★★

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Incorporate change into your daily routine and relationships with others. Spice things up; find a way to stimulate your mind and get back into the swing of things. Your long game is to achieve stability and add dimension to your life. ★★★

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Establish what’s true and what isn’t, and question how you want to proceed. Finding accurate information will be difficult, and persistence will be necessary if you want to consider every angle before you make your next move. ★★★

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t share financial, medical or legal matters. Initiate changes at home that will save you money and ease stress. Refuse to let someone close to you talk you into something. A realistic approach to contracts and investments is necessary. ★★★

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Distance yourself from people who are poor influences. Have faith in yourself and spend time on personal growth, physical improvements and getting your life in order. Commit yourself to finishing what you start, and end what’s not working for you. ★★★

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Size up your situation, establish what you want and turn your thoughts into a reality. Take charge and initiate change with strength and courage; the outcome will be refreshing and help you gain respect. ★★★★

BIRTHDAY BABY:

You are curious, meticulous and protective. You are responsive and emotional.

‘disorderly order’ BY DYLAN SCHIFF

TODAY’S

NATIONAL Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab is happy that live concerts and musical events are now packing venues with the Covid-19 pandemic now over.

YouTube suspends Russell Brand from making money off the streaming site after sex assault claims

LONDON—YouTube said on Tuesday that Russell Brand will no longer make money from the video streaming site after several women made allegations of sexual assault against the comedianturned-influencer.

The BBC removed some of Brand’s material from its streaming archive, joining a growing list of organizations distancing themselves from the performer, who denies sexual assault and has not been charged with any criminal offenses.

YouTube said monetization of Brand’s account, which has 6.6 million subscribers, has been suspended “following serious allegations against the creator.”

“This decision applies to all channels that may be owned or operated by Russell Brand,” the Google-owned video service said.

The suspension means Brand won’t be able to earn money from the ads that run within and alongside YouTube videos, which have titles including “What REALLY Started the Hawaii Fires?” and “Covid Tsar Admits Lockdowns Were NEVER About Science.”

Other channels associated with Brand’s main YouTube page include Awakening With Russell, which has 426,000 subscribers, Football Is Nice, which has some 20,000 subscribers, and Stay Free With Russell Brand, which has 22,200 subscribers.

Brand still has a presence on Rumble, a video site popular with some conservatives and farright groups, where his channel has 1.4 million followers. He also has 11.2 million followers on X, formerly known as Twitter, and 3.8 million on Instagram.

Brand, 48, denies allegations of sexual assault made by four women in a Channel 4 television documentary and The Times and Sunday Times newspapers. The accusers, who have not been named, include one who said she was sexually assaulted during a relationship with him when she was 16. Another woman says Brand raped her in Los Angeles in 2012.

The four allegations date from between 2006 and 2013. London’s Metropolitan Police Force said that since those claims were made public, it has received a report of a separate sexual assault dating from 2003.

Known for his unbridled and risqué standup routines, Brand was a major UK star in the early 2000s. He hosted shows on radio and television, wrote memoirs charting his battles with drugs and alcohol, appeared in several Hollywood movies and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry between 2010 and 2012.

In recent years Brand has largely disappeared from mainstream media but has built up a large following online with videos mixing wellness and conspiracy theories. His YouTube channel has featured COVID-19 conspiracy theories, vaccine misinformation and interviews with controversial broadcasters, including Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan. AP

Show BusinessMirror

‘El Conde’: Of vampires and undying dictators

DICTATORS never die; they just lie there entombed where admirers and sycophants can forever kiss their likeness behind glass cases.

Why does a nation, for all the thievery and murder that a dictator commits with impunity, seem enslaved by the memory of the said persona?

These were the same questions asked before and there were answers given—regular, humdrum, political scientific discourses. Until this film El Conde arrived from Chile. In the dark imaginary of its director, Pablo Larrain, dictators are vampires— dreadful, elegant, suave. They live in castles or palaces or state residences, untouched, despicable but not vulnerable. And they, like the remembrance of the splendor that their reign brought to a suffering country, live forever. Like true love.

What about dictators? They are cruel but cultured, gentlemanly and yet grotesquely corrupt in ways of wealth-acquisition. They thrive in vulnerable populations and work well with the poor. Their administration, while declared as having caused poverty and hunger, proffers at the same time memories of florid civilization, of nationalism and invention of identities.

Very much like a vampire.

But to say that El Conde is an exercise in parallelism is to negate the very same contradictions that forswear any attempt to compare a creature of horror with a being of terror.

Rendered in black and white, the color grading allowing a de-facto gothic atmosphere all over the landscape, El Conde follows a real dictator, Augusto Pinochet.

Who was Pinochet? He was a dictator who ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, making that reign the longest in the history of his country. He started his rule as the leader of a military junta, the same junta which placed him as the president of the republic. Through a machination, he was able to influence the formation of a constitution that was approved through a referendum. The same constitution confirmed him as a de jure (with the legalistic appearance) president of Chile. Sounds familiar?

His dictatorship was characterized by the purging of the leftist politicians, the torture and murder of those who refused to recognize his government. Most of all, he was linked to the phenomenon of the Desaparecidos or the Disappeared Ones. Over the violation of human rights, Pinochet would be accused of embezzling state funds with an estimated hoard amounting to several millions of dollars, an amount that, in the film, was considered small compared to what other dictators, like Marcos, have seized for

themselves. Yes, Marcos’s name was mentioned in the film in the same breath as Fulgencio Batista’s, the military dictator of Cuba in the 1950s.

It is, however, unfair to the creative sense of this film to stay with the political realities. In El Conde, Pinochet is a vampire. He is an old man who wants to die. He does not want to live listening to how he is being disparaged by critics. Besides, he is already 250 years old. His wife, Lucia has chosen his butler as a lover. And their children are all coming home because they have been hearing about a being who slaughters humans and takes away their hearts.

When the children arrive in the palace, their question is: “Is it our father who has been eating the hearts of men and women in this place?”

So long as he eats the heart of the people in Santiago, he will live on. The supply of hearts continues unabated. Kept refrigerated, these frozen hearts are imperfect but nevertheless, any human heart can make a dictator live on and on.

Who is keeping him alive? What maintains the life of a politically evil being? Not since Wallerstein’s theory of world-system in which some countries benefit and some are exploited and Gunder Frank’s dependency paradigm (go on, smirk!), has there been such an original positionality about how dictators are really products of other nations’ desires. In the case of the real Pinochet, there was the US propping up his dictatorship. Doesn’t this sound familiar again? And in the case of the vampire Pinochet, there is Margaret Thatcher—yes, the Iron Lady—as Pinochet’s vampire mommy!

What a terrific metaphor. And yet, the power of

GMA Public Affairs, YouTube Philippines partner to find ‘Philippines’ Number 1’

GMA Public Affairs and YouTube

Philippines partner anew to bring the special online series Philippines’ Number 1, which features the country’s “best” as creatively explored by celebrity content creators and set to be exclusively available on the GMA Public Affairs YouTube channel beginning September 22.

The Philippines is a haven of superlatives and No. 1s. It is home to the most perfect cone-shaped volcano, the tallest bamboo statue, and the longest underground river, among others. But where exactly can we find the best of the best in the Philippines? Following the success of Pinoy Christmas in our Hearts, YouTube Philippines ties up again with GMA Public Affairs for Philippines’ Number 1 Palawan Island is indisputably one of the most stunning tourist destinations not only in the Philippines but in the world.

Rufa Mae Quinto, actress and comedian, sets foot in the municipality of El Nido. During her visit, she stumbles upon a “secret place” that locals claim is one of the places where you can experience the ultimate island vacation. Intrigued by this

Celebrity chef JR Royol traverses the streets of Tuguegarao to find the oldest pancit batil patung recipe in town.

tries the traditional way of

cooking noodles called “kinabayu.”

Chef JR also joins the Batil Patung Eating Contest, wherein he needs to finish a huge bowl of batil patung in just three minutes. Meanwhile, famous vlogger Agassi Ching boldly takes on the Ultimate Pancit Batil Patung Mukbang Challenge and indulges in the delicious local cuisine.

Filipinos have yet to identify a national dish, but it will probably be adobo if there’s a frontrunner dish.

For the locals of Silay City in Negros Occidental, almost everything can be adobo—chicken, pork, shellfish, vegetables, rabbit, duck, etc. They even hold a festival wherein different versions of Pinoy adobo are served.

Famous chef vloggers RV Manabat and Abi Marquez go to Silay City for a one-on-one adobo cooking showdown. But to spice up things, Chef RV and Abi are not given any ingredients. The two chefs need to harvest their ingredients. What will be the taste of the “adobo of their labor”?

Catch the country’s most renowned creators on Philippines’ Number 1 exclusively available on www.youtube. com/gmapublicaffairs beginning September 22.

the film El Conde is not in the allegorical but more in the metaphysical/mythical conceit of our emotions supplying the engine that makes the system of a one-man rule succeed. He consumes our hearts and he sucks our blood. Even the nubile girl who provides accounting services but is really a nun in disguise is helpless against the vampire’s fangs. Politics is sexual, an aberration too perverse and delicious to ignore.

Jaime Vadell as Pinochet, I swear, appears so much to be the real thing that I needed to look at the photograph of the real director to marvel at the similarity. The most iconic image of Pinochet when he was alive was the military uniform that he regularly wore. There is an old essay written in 2009 by Frances Romero that talks about how Pinochet was fond of donning a cape, which “lent the aging despot the appearance of a dapper Dracula.” In El Conde, a scene displays that cape in a glass cabinet. The dictator puts it on and flies as a vampire across the sky. As with any horror film, the end shows the nun, having been bitten by the vampire, fly and flip above the horizon, a promise that evil lives on.

The film also stars Gloria Münchmeyer as Lucia. Stella Gonet is Margaret (Thatcher).

El Conde is directed by Larrain from his screenplay written with Guillermo Calderon. The screenplay, which reinvented the electric blender, won the best Screenplay Award at the 80th Venice Film Festival.

Pablo Larraín and his brother Juan de Dios coproduced Sebastián Lelio’s A Fantastic Woman, which was the first Chilean film to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

El Conde streams on Netflix. n

‘BECKHAM’ DOCUMENTARY LAUNCHES ON NETFLIX IN OCTOBER

A fouR-PART documentary series, Beckham tells the inside story of a global football star and cultural icon. David Beckham is one of the most known names on the planet, yet few people know who he really is. from his humble working-class beginnings in east London, his drive and determination to win, and the battle to find balance between ambition, love and family, David’s story is one of immense ups and downs. The series takes you on that rollercoaster and builds a surprising, personal and definitive story of one of the most recognizable and scrutinized athletes of all time.

In Beckham, Academy Award-winner fisher Stevens (Palmer, And We Go Green, The Cove) along with Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning producer John Battsek (One Day in September, Searching for Sugar Man, Winter on Fire) are granted unprecedented access to David, his wife Victoria, his family, his friends and his teammates. The result is an intimate portrait of a man as well as a chronicle of late-modern sports and celebrity culture.

Netflix is one of the world’s leading entertainment services with over 238 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films, and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Beckham begins airing on Netflix this october.

He even

ACTRESS and comedian Rufa Mae Quinto leads the cast of the country’s top chefs in this new online series.

PHLPost launches PSA 10th year anniversary commemorative stamps

analysis system that uses volunteers to collect data from households in rural and urban areas. The data collected through CBMS is used to track progress in various development indicators, such as poverty, education, and health.

The PSA is responsible for the implementation of Civil Registration System (CRS) for registering births, deaths, marriages, and other vital events. The CRS data is used to track population trends and to issue birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates.

The PSA is also the implementing agency in-charge of the PhilID which is being issued as identification cards of all Filipinos. The PhilID card is used to verify identity and to access government services.

PHLPOST Postmaster General Luis D. Carlos and Undersecretary Claire Dennis S. Mapa, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) National Statistician and Civil-Registrar General (PSA) unveiled the commemorative stamps to celebrate the decade of genuine public service with the theme:”PSA @ 10 Providing Quality Services through Digital Transformation”

The PSA was created by virtue of Republic Act (RA) No. 10625 otherwise known as the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013 dated September 12, 2013 and with mandates that are enhanced and expanded by the establishment of the Philippine Identification System pursuant to RA 11315 or the Community-Based Monitoring System Act (CBMS).

The CBMS is a data collection and

The PSA commemorative stamp features the agency’s 10th anniversary logo and the imposing façade of the PSA main building to celebrate its achievements over the past decade. It also emphasizes the agency’s enhanced cooperation and partnerships with other government agencies and local government units.

PHLPost has printed 40,000 copies of the stamps to be sold at P16 each. In house graphic artist Ms. Eunice Beatrix Dabu layout the stamps. The PSA 10th Anniversary Commemorative Stamps will be available soon at SM City Manila Postal Counter.

FWD launches inaugural ‘FWD Innovation Fest’ to drive insurance industry transformation, present new products

FWD Life Insurance (FWD Philippines) recently launched its inaugural FWD Innovation Fest at Xylo at the Palace in Uptown, Taguig on August 22, 2023.

The FWD Innovation Fest showcased FWD’s latest roster of innovative products, services, and initiatives designed to revolutionize the insurance industry while contributing to nation-building by creating a positive impact for Filipinos through financial inclusivity.

During his opening speech, FWD Philippines President and CEO Antonio Manuel “Jumbing” De Rosas, highlighted that the event marks the company’s upcoming 10th anniversary in the industry since its operations began in 2014.

“We see innovation as a tool in changing the way people feel about insurance. That is why we continue pushing the boundaries in developing products, services, and initiatives that champion customers’ evolving needs so more Filipinos can have financial protection,” shares De Rosas.

FWD Philippines Chief Information and Transformation Officer JC Principe added, “Innovation is in our DNA at FWD, and it fuels our unrelenting drive to set the benchmark as the insurer of the next generation. We continue to harness technology, data analytics, and consumer insight to offer inclusive and first-in-the-market products and services.”

During the event, Principe unveiled two services powered by the FWD AI engine to help customers plan their finances and long-term goals more effectively and be better equipped to decide the best insurance they should purchase based on their lifestyles and needs.

“FWD AI Protection Score” will be available soon to current policyholders, suggesting relevant products to enhance their financial health coverage for added security, followed by an actual onboarding with a Financial Advisor. “People Like You” is available for everyone through FWD’s AI Chatbot Fi, a first-in-the-market tool that allows customers to discover their protection gaps and benchmark their existing coverage against people with similar profiles.

According to Insurance

Get a head start with your holiday plans with Pre-holiday deals at Richmonde Hotel Ortigas

AS September marks the beginning of the Christmas season in the Philippines, Richmonde Hotel Ortigas welcomes the –Ber months a with a “PreHoliday Sale” where those who want to get a head start on their holiday plans can get big savings on room stays and special buffets.

Early birds can get an amazing P1,000 discount on their Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve room bookings, with Superior Room rates dropping from P5,000nett to P4,000nett for December 24, and from P5,500nett to P4,500nett for December 31 stays. Rates for other room types are also available with the same P1,000 discount. These affordable deals are inclusive of special holiday breakfast buffet good for two persons and 15 percent discount on a la carte food and beverage orders from the Richmonde Café and room service, as well as access to the Health Club facilities such as the gym, indoor heated swimming pool, and steam and sauna room.

Get in the holiday spirit and reserve your seats now for Richmonde Cafe’s Noche Buena and Media Noche feasts and enjoy up to P300 off the regular rates. Secure a table for you and your family to savor a delicious Christmas Eve Dinner Buffet for only P1,380 nett per person. Saying goodbye to 2023 and welcoming 2024 is also more affordable with a discount deal of P1,680 nett per person for the New Year’s Eve Dinner Buffet, and P1,080 nett for the New Year’s Eve Countdown Party. A New Year’s bundle package is also available for only P2,580

THERE’S no time like now to book your staycationcelebration at Richmonde Hotel Ortigas this coming Christmas and New Year’s Eve! Get PhP 1,000 off on room rates when you reserve and pre-pay during the Pre-Holiday Sale happening until September 30, 2023 only. nett per person, inclusive of the dinner buffet and countdown party. A minimum of four adults per reservation is required to avail of the discounted dinner buffet and countdown party rates. Limited seats are available for sale during the promotion period.

The Pre-Holiday Sale happens from September 1 to 30, 2023 or until allocated slots last. It is available only via direct bookings. To make a reservation, please call (632) 8638 7777 or email stay@richmondeortigas.com.

You may also reach Room Reservations at mobile/Viber number 0917 859 7914 and Richmonde Café at 0917 534 4352. Prepayment is required to confirm reservation. Per DTI Permit No. FTEB – 147211 / 174576 Series of 2023.

Commissioner Reynaldo Regalado, insurance penetration in the Philippines remains very low at 1.75 percent, one of the lowest rates in Southeast Asia. FWD aims to close the protection gap by providing products that are easy to understand, buy, and claim. It is also important to help consumers to celebrate living by giving them apt coverage based on their lifestyles and needs.

To help with this goal, FWD

Philippines also announced that everyone can now have better access to insurance through the fully enhanced FWD Online Shop. Gifting insurance policies to family and loved ones is now possible, SMEs and corporate business clients can also purchase premiums for their employees in bulk, and exclusive rewards are given to customers with direct online purchases.

Furthermore, FWD announced the sponsorship of the upcoming 12th season of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) as the official insurer. FWD’s The One for Gamers insurance policy was also announced and will be available on FWD’s Online Shop. An exclusive offer during MPL Season 12, The One for Gamers is an insurance plan that can be customized to include critical illness and accidental death benefits and uniquely comes with Mobile Legends ingame rewards.

FWD is also changing the way people feel about insurance with its latest 2-in-1 supercharged app, Omne. The easy-touse app provides a suite of activities and content – including music, mini-games, sketching, health, wellbeing, and a vast array of engaging features – that are personalized to an individual’s preferences and interests, while also providing

intuitive policy management.

FWD Philippines also showcased its newest online game show, Pinoy Money Master, which brings together pop culture and financial literacy. Featuring personalities representing different generations, it seeks to educate and update viewers on financial skills worth having to succeed in today’s interconnected world. The first episode is available to stream with more to come this September on FWD Philippines’ Facebook page.

To drive recruitment for its evergrowing network of financial advisors, FWD Philippines highlighted its enticing corporate framework and the exciting benefits it can offer.

FWD brandished its flexible career opportunities and employment benefits for aspiring bancassurance and agency financial advisors at the event. FWD employees are empowered to help promote and take into action FWD’s mission to enhance Filipinos’ financial literacy.

It is also revealed that FWD’s annual SpringboardX Student Challenge will commence on August 28. Since 2021, FWD SpringboardX Student Challenge challenges students across 10 markets in Asia to come up with innovative and impactful solutions for real-life business challenges. The program is completely free and open to students from all academic backgrounds.

“FWD is 10 years young, and we take great pride in our journey thus far. We are excited to share our latest first-inthe-market initiatives that redefine the possibilities of what an insurance company can achieve. Our goal is to empower more Filipinos to celebrate living,” concluded De Rosas.

285 riders from 35 countries take part in Rimba Raid 2023

AS a leading supporter of adventure and enduro riders, leave it to FJ MOTO ENDURO to spontaneously organize a welcome reception for the riders who journeyed to Taman, Negara in Malaysia, to participate in the fabled but notorious Rimba Raid (2023).

Select members of the media, staunch supporters, and sponsors of the trailblazing contingent of Filipino riders attended the event held at Imprint Customs in Antipolo City.

The affair was held to express admiration for their striking performance as single riders and compatriots who took part in the 196-kilometer ride of pure jungle offroad. They were part of the 285 riders from 35 countries who took part in the event that took place form August 31 to September 2, 2023.

The riders/raiders composed of Arvin Bacas 6th Place, Rimba Raid Malaysia, Ian Ordonez Champion Rimba Raid Philippines Qualifiers,

and Finisher in Rimba Raid Malaysia, Des Buncio Top 5 Rimba Raid Philippines Qualifiers, Marvin Martinez Top 3 Philippines Qualifiers, Michael Dacuno Champion Philippine Qualifiers, entered a room full of supporters and friends but most especially a gathering of people who share their passion.

It was more of catching up and “kumustahan” of friends all excited to hear the details of their humble but remarkable experience.

Coach Mel Aquino took the microphone as host and stressed the degree of challenges the riders had to contend with at the Raid.

Ultimately, the accolades were not directed to a particular rider but to everyone who contributed to bringing our flag to the crossroads of Pinoy riding history. Walang kulay walang politika, Mabuhay ang natatanging galing ng Philippine Raiders!

MERALCO LEADS THE CHARGE TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FUTURE. Meralco Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ronnie L. Aperocho (third from left) shared his insights about a sustainable energy future at the 6th Annual Energy Forum hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc. (AmCham Philippines) on September 14, 2023. Seen in the photo as well is Meralco Senior Vice President and Chief Government and External Relations Officer Arnel Paciano D. Casanova (second from right) together with officials of AmCham Philippines.

Asian Games: Larger than Olympics with array of sports

THE Asian Games are an attention grabber.

For starters, they involve more participants than the Summer Olympics. Organizers say more than 12,000 will be entered when the opening ceremony takes place Saturday in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. This is more than the 10,500 expected for next year’s Paris Olympics.

The giant numbers are partly due to the staggering array of events with many regional specialties, sports, and games you won’t find in the Olympics. And there’s also cricket, which appears headed to the Olympics as soon as 2028 in Los Angeles, and certainly for 2032 in Brisbane, Australia.

FIGHT’S NOT OVER FOR GILAS–BAMBOL

By Jun Lomibao

HANGZHOU—The fight continues relentlessly for the inclusion of four basketball players in the men’s 5x5 team as the fight for honors in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou ceremoniously got going in Thursday.

“ We will push it a thousand times, we’ll push it every time they deny it,” Tolentino said after the flag-raising ceremony for the country at the Asian Games Village (Athletes Village) on Thursday afternoon.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas sought the POC on the inclusion of Calvin Abueva, Terrence Romeo, Mo Tautuaa and Jason Perkins on the 5x5 team but was denied several times during the pre-delegation registration meeting, or DRM, two weeks ago and the supposedly final DRM here in Hangzhou last Sunday. The inclusion of the four players has yet to be formally and officially denied by the Hagoc but Tolentino said he’s not giving up.

We’ll push it every minute and they deny it,” he stressed.

Gilas Pilipinas is due here Sunday and will play Bahrain as its first assignment in Group C action on Tuesday.

The POC also tried to include three athletes in fencing and one each in gymnastics and golf as late replacements but were denied with finality by the Hagoc.

They were fencers Alexa Lareabal, Hae Abella and Lee Ergina, golfer Chanelle Avaricio and gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar.

Tolentino led the flag-raising ceremony that formally welcomed the Philippine delegation in Hangzhou, the third city in China to host the Asian Games after Beijing in 1990 and Hangzhou in 2010.

This is the start of the warm hosting and showcasing of the Hangzhou Asian Games,” said Tolentino, who was accompanied by Philippine chess legend Grandmaster Eugene Torre and iceskating head and deputy chef de mission Nikki Cheng, representing chef de mission Rep. Richard

Gomez who’s due here Friday, and kickboxing head Atty. Wharton Chan.

We are praying for fair sports and we strongly hope to separate all other issues from the Games,” he said. “Geopolitics has no place in sport. Sports united people.”

E xtremely handicapped by Hagoc’s refusal to add athletes is women’s golf where Chanelle Avaricio wasn’t allowed to replace Princess Superal, who was on the original list submitted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines but chose to play in a Ladies Professional Golf Association Q-School instead.

Th at left Luis Kaye Go to defend the women’s individual and team titles she won with now Japanese citizen Yuka Saso and pro Bianca Pagdanganan in Jakarta four years ago.

Go will play alongside young sensation Rianne Malixi in the threeto-play, two-to-count in Asian Games women’s golf that is now open to professional players.

Th is marks the first time that the Philippines will play shorthanded in Asian Games golf, according to NGAP

secretary-general Bones Floro.

But Floro said golf’s unpredictability gives every team a chance, including the Go-Malixi tandem, here.

Skateboarded Margielyn Didal, also a gold winner in Indonesia, arrived in the village Thursday beaming despite coming off an ankle surgery almost a year ago.

“ I was forced to stop 11 months ago because of my injury. As of now, I’m focused on my recovery to regain my confidence and get comfy with my board,’’ said Didal, the 24-year-old pride of Cebu and a veteran of the Tokyo Olympics.

D idal will march alongside world No. 2 pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena during the traditional parade of athletes during the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 19th edition on Saturday at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium.

A lso due here is Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo who will defend her weightlifting gold medal not at 55 kgs where she won in Tokyo, but at 59 kgs.

Always jolly Didal defends Asiad crown in street of skateboarding

HANGZHOU—Margielyn

Didal was in high spirits when she set foot on the Athletes Village on Thursday obviously unbothered by a fractured ankle that needed surgery a year ago.

O r is it her jolly personality that’s taking over whatever negative is in her mind as she defends the women’s street gold medal she won five years ago in Palembang. “ I was forced to stop 11 months ago because of my injury. As of now, I’m focused on my recovery to regain my confidence and get comfy with my board,’’ said Didal, one of four Filipinas responsible for the

four gold medals won at the Jakarta 18th Asian Games.

D idal will march alongside world

No. 2 pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena during the traditional parade of athletes during the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 19th edition on Saturday at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium.

We trained in Thailand before coming here,” said the 24-year-old Didal, who fractured her left ankle she during the Red Bull Stake Levels tourney last year in Brazil.

My goal is to make it to the finals. From there, I’ll try to get to the podium,’’ added Didal, who’s

Filipino fencers depleted but unfazed

HANGZHOU—Filipino fencers are as high in spirits as the other Filipino athletes in the 19th Asian Games despite a roster denied of medal potentials.

National team head coach Ramil Ederiano said they are keeping their hopes high even without Southeast Asian Games standouts Samantha Catantan and Maxine Esteban.

C atantan, one of Penn State University’s top fencers, suffered a knee injury and had to forego the gold medal match of women’s foil at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia last May. She has yet to fully recover.

E steban, on the other hand, is now a naturalized athlete for Ivory Coast.

C ompeting here are SEA Games silver medalist Noelito Jose (men’s epee), Ivy Dinoy (women’s epee), Samuel Tranquilan (men’s foil), Jylyn Nicanor (women’s sabre), Miggy Bautista (men’s foil) and

Juliana Gomez (women’s epee), daughter of Asian Games ched de mission Richard Gomez. Their training and participation were bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission.

Fencing starts Sunday with a total of 12 gold medals at stake at the Hangzhou Dianzi University Gymnasium.

They have been beating Asian champions,” Ederiano said. “They have a good chance of making it to the medal round of individual events.”

Ederiano said fencers from South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and host China are the team to beat.

South Korea is currently a powerhouse as well as Hong Kong. Korea has former Olympic medalists and Japan currently has world champions with them,” he said.

South Korea dominated in Jakarta with six gold, three silver and six bronze medals. Jun Lomibao

accompanied here by her manager, globe-trotting skate filmer Anthony Claravall. A lso competing with Didal in skateboarding are male athletes

Renzo Mark Feliciano, John Flory Panuganilog and Jericho Jojit Francisco.

D idal and Tokyo Olympics weightlifting gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo are defending their gold medals, but two of the fourwomen team that swept women’s golf in Jakarta are no longer around— double gold winner Yuka Saso is now a Japanese citizen while Bianca Pagdanganan’s skipping Hangzhou because of her pro commitments. hat leaves Lois Kaye Go as the remnant of that champion team, who, herself, would be hardpressed alongside young sensation Rianne Malixi.

Hagoc organizers denied Chanelle Avaricio as a replacement for Princess Superal, who opted for a Ladies Professional Golf Association Q-School. Jun Lomibao

MARGIELYN DIDAL arrives at the Athletes Village with her manager Anthony Claravall. POC-PSC MEDIA POOL

A nd there’s squash, which has tried several times for Olympic recognition.

The regional fare includes dragon boat racing, sepaktakraw— sometimes called “kick volleyball”— wushu, a Chinese martial art, and kabaddi, a popular contact sport on the Indian subcontinent.

T here is also the non-Olympic martial art of ju-jitsu, and kurash, a form of wrestling popular in central Asia.

To this, add a long list of what organizers call “mind sports” from bridge to chess to xiangqi (Chinese chess) to esports.

O f course, there are the old standbys seen in every Olympics like track and field, swimming, or volleyball—and the usual grandiose opening and closing ceremonies.

Nine sports will offer qualification spots for the Olympics—archery, artistic swimming, boxing, breaking, hockey, modern pentathlon, sailing, tennis and water polo.

However, most of the 481 events offer a chance for smaller delegations to win medals, which is often impossible at the Olympics.

C hina won almost 300 overall medals at the last Asian Games in Indonesia in 2018. At the bottom of the table, Syria and Nepal won a lone medal each. Bhutan and Bangladesh were among nine delegations that didn’t win any.

C hina will dominate the medal table as it has for the last 40 years, followed by Japan and South Korea—Asia’s other powers. The vast region stretches from Lebanon on the Mediterranean, through central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, to North Korea with organizers saying 45 nations or territories are entered.

O rganizers have said 191 participants from North Korea will be on hand. North Korea closed it border early in 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic and skipped the Tokyo Olympics, which were delayed a year until 2021. The Asian Games were also pushed back a year from 2022 because of the pandemic.

A ccording to South Korea’s Unification Ministry, the last time North Korean athletes appeared in an international sports competition was January 2020, when North Korea competed in the Asian Football Confederation’s under-23 soccer championship.

I f you like political intrigue, there may be plenty of it.

T he self-governing island of Taiwan  will be on hand in China, which claims the democracy as a breakaway province that it has vowed to reclaim it. Known as the Republic of China, the island is officially listed as Chinese Taipei in the Olympics and Asian Games and marches under a white flag adorned with the Olympics rings. Its red, blue and white flag is in not allowed.

Taiwan, with only 23.5 million, is a relative sports power in the region and finished seventh in the overall medal standings in Indonesia. AP

Filipinas bring World Cup act to China

HANGZHOU—The national women’s football team opens its 19th Asian Games campaign against Hongkong on Friday hoping to nail a win that could virtually send the World Cup veterans Filipinas to the knockout stage.

“ There are only 16 teams [countries] participating,” Philippine Football Federation president Atty.

Edwin Gastanes told BusinessMirror on Thursday. “After that, it’s the knockout stage among eight teams.” Gastanes oozed with confidence on the medal hopes of the Filipinas, who’re fueled by the minimum incentive they got from FIFA for playing in the World Cup—each of them got $30,000 in bonus from football’s world governing body.

“ You need only at last one team and a draw to advance to the next round,” Gastanes added.

Fifteen of the Filipinas—they play Hongkong at 4 p.m. Friday Wenzhou Sports Centre Stadium—who are competing here are veterans of the World Cup.

Co-captain Hali Long, Sarina Bolden and Sara Eggesvik are on the team, making Gastanes, a top candidate to replace Mariano “Nonong” Araneta as the next PFF president, even more confident that the Philippines could hurdle Myanmar and even powerhouse South Korea in Group E. They are fully motivated,” he said.

The Filipinas are coming off a 4-1 win over the Hong Kong side last April. They are currently ranked No. 44 in the FIFA rankings, enough to strike fear in the hearts of their rivals. Jun Lomibao

WHERE GAMES STORIES ARE MADE

The Main Media Center of the 19th Asian Games buzzes with activity three days ahead of this Saturday’s opening ceremony of the 45-nation multi-sport competition among close to 12,500 athletes battling for 481 gold medals—bigger than the Olympics. The 50,000-square-meter MMC, including the International Broadcast Center, will cater to more that 10,000 media representatives from across the continent. The venue has a medical station, bookstore and a post office and cultural exhibition area.

PEOPLE walk past by a signboard of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. AP

POC president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (seventh from left) lead Team Philippines in the flag-raising ceremony on Thursday afternoon at the Asian Games Village. POC-PSC MEDIA POOL

TOYOTA MOTOR PHILIPPINES DEBUTS NEW HILUX GR-S

After BMW, it’s Ferrari next for RSA

RAMON S. ANG is a man of few words. His favorite word is “Sir.” I know. He calls me

“Sir” all the time. He called me “Sir” again during the recent launch of two Ferrari muscles at his Velocita Motors showroom along Edsa near Ortigas Ave. in Mandaluyong City.

“Sir halika, magpalitrato tayo,” he tells me.

Taking cues from the Dakarwinning GR Hilux, the New Hilux GR-S now comes with a tougher design through a wide-tread body, matte black GR-S overfenders, 17inch alloy GR design wheels with All-Terrain Tires, and the GR Aero sports bar.

The new Hilux GR-S is also wider by 120 mm and taller by 65 mm.

A ll in all, the exterior of the New Hilux GR-S features a more rugged look than its predecessor, giving a better impression of its improved generational characteristics of quality, durability, and reliability.

Under the hood, the New Hilux GR-S is powered by a 2.8L Diesel, 4-Cylinder, 16-Valve DOHC Variable Nozzle Turbo engine with a n air-cooled intercooler. It now features an improved maximum

output of 224PS and a maximum torque of 550Nm. Additionally, the New Hilux GR-S includes GR front and rear disc brakes with GR brake calipers, and monotube shock absorbers, enhancing overall driving experience on or off the roads.

I nside, the New Hilux GR-S is clad in GR-S suede and leather seats. A GR-S emblem embellishes the leather steering wheel, while the leather door trims with technical mesh and red seatbelts add t o the overall sporty appearance of the interior. New amenities such as the 9-inch Display Audio with wireless Apple CarPlay

a nd Android Auto and a Wireless Charger add spirit to every adventure in the New Hilux GR-S, w hile functions such as Smart Entry and Push Start System offer

Color SRP

Emotional Red

Super White II / Attitude Black Mica (2-tone)

P2,186,000

Attitude Black MicaP2,166,000

convenience in each ride. Now with a Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), the New Hilux GR-S is as safe as it is exhilarating to drive. It is also equipped with Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) and other safety fe atures such as a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM), Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC), and Downhill Assist Control (DAC).

R etail sales for the New Hilux GR-S started on September 13.

To know more about the New Hilux GR-S, visit toyota.com.ph/ hilux or contact any Toyota dealership nationwide.

F ollow Toyota Motor Philippines on Facebook and Instagram, ToyotaMotorPH on Twitter, and Toyota PH Viber to get the latest updates on Toyota products, services, dealer operations, announcements, and events.

125 years in motion

GOODYEAR presents breakthrough tire technologies in Malaysia in celebration of 125th anniversary.

Goodyear held a regional event themed Goodyear:125 Years in Motion on Tuesday unveiling four premium product lines for the Asia Pacific region. The company also highlighted its 125 years of rich history in technology exploration and reinforced its commitment toward a sustainable Better Future.

Nearly 300 customer representatives and 100 media members attended the immersive event featuring Nathaniel Madarang, President, Goodyear Asia Pacific; Pietro Saletta, Vice President, Consumer Tires, Goodyear Asia Pacific; and Greg Hanna, Vice President, Product Development and Quality, Goodyear Asia Pacific.

Throughout Goodyear’s 125 years, the company has consistently innovated multi-brand product portfolios to deliver confident mobility for drivers around the world.

“Asia Pacific has emerged as one of the world’s largest automotive markets and holds incredible potential,” said Nathaniel Madarang, President, Goodyear Asia Pacific. “Goodyear’s innovative spirit and drive for excellence puts us at the epicenter of the mobility revolution and we are working closely with customers and innovators to transform the transportation industry.”

Four new products for your better ride

THE four new products are: Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 for Luxury Sports, Wrangler DuraTrac RT for Premium 4x4 Off-Road, ElectricDrive, and Assurance MaxGuard for Mid Passenger. Powered

by Goodyear’s advanced technologies, these new products not only provide the ultimate driving experience to customers but also further enhance Goodyear’s product offerings in Asia Pacific.

For the Philippine Market, the Assurance Maxguard will be available starting this month—September in all Goodyear Autocare stores nationwide, while Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 and Wrangler DuraTrac RT will be available in January 2024. ElectricDrive on the other hand, is going to be available on a per-requirement basis starting January 2024.

Customers and media were invited to a track event to experience the extraordinary performance of these four new products.

Innovation excellence for our better future

AT the event, Goodyear highlighted its commitment to a Better Future with interactive displays enabling guests to be fully immersed in Goodyear’s superior solutions and services for future mobility. Goodyear is committed to advanced energy efficiency, safety, tire longevity, comfort, convenience, and digital-based solutions. At the event, Goodyear displayed its 90 percent sustainable-material demonstration tire, highlighting its aspirational goal to develop a 100 percent sustainable-material and maintenance-free tire by 2030.

The world’s leading car manufacturers trust in Goodyear tires that carry their brand. Looking forward to the next 125 years, Goodyear reaffirms its dedication to provide our customers and communities with a long-term vision to enable mobility well into the future.

I oblige . Who am I to decline the invite of the country’s third richest person, whose humility is as massive as his wealth anchored on his San Miguel Corp. empire?

“

This is Sir Al, the veteran journalist,” he informs my colleagues.

Veteran? Means, I’m an old chap already.

RSA to everyone, Ang remains energetic both in mind and in heart despite his sixty-ish knees. My idol since the seventies, I find him a man of substance.

“Every living thing, every object, every idea, is big,” he told me once. “Believe in what you do. There is wisdom, knowledge, behind every option you take.”

Alr eady the lead man in the BMW brand in his historic foray into the vehicle business just a while back, he stunned the industry once more by buying the country’s franchise for the iconic Ferrari.

RSA personally a ttended the recent launch of the white FUV (Ferrari Utility Vehicle) named Purosangue (P46 million) and the Ferrari 296 GTS sports car (P26M).

Too pricey you say?

T hink again because combined advanced orders for both have already breached the hundred-barrier mark, with Purosangue hitting the 86-plus count. Each order to be delivered within two years.

T he Ferrari Purosangue is the first ever four-door, four-seater, V12-engined car in the company’s history—a culmination of 75 years of leading-edge research.

F errari said the Purosangue is “a peerless encapsulation of the Prancing Horse’s iconic DNA.”

T he red 296 GTS Ferrari’s new mid-rear-engined berlinetta spider is equipped with an 830 cv Ferrari V6 hybrid powertrain, guaranteeing “pure emotion not just when pushing the car to its limits, but also in day-to-day driving.”

C ar buffs can visit the Ferrari showroom at 169 EDSA, Brgy. Wack Wack, Greenhills East, Mandaluyong City, which is open from Monday to Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

H ere is RSA’s well-applauded speech:

“ Good evening ladies and gentlemen.

Tonight marks a significant milestone as San Miguel Corporation, through Velocita Motors, takes on the honor of being the official distributor of Ferrari in the Philippines.

“F errari has always been one of the most iconic and recognized premiere brands in the world. To be entrusted with this brand is a great privilege. Thank you Mr. Dieter Knechtel for the confidence you have placed in us.

Allow me to also extend my gratitude to our predecessors who paved the way for Ferrari in the Philippines.

“S an Miguel has always been more than just a company. We are an institution that holds the trust of millions of people.

“Similarly, Ferrari, with its legacy of speed, passion, and unmatched performance, has been more than just a luxury car-maker.

“It r epresents the best of Italian engineering and craftsmanship. It is a symbol of aspiration and of many dreams realized.

This is a partnership that combines our strengths, not just in delivering the best products and services to valued customers, but in creating a positive impact on society, and the many lives that we touch.

“

That said, we promise to deliver not just extraordinary cars, but also an unparalleled experience that celebrates the rich heritage and craftsmanship of Ferrari.

“Rest assur ed that Velocita Motors will live by the values of the brand and keep the legacy of the great Enzo Ferrari alive.

“ Thank you everyone for joining us.”

S o there. Short but sweet.

PEE STOP The Volvo China Open will be held in Shenzhen’s Hidden Grace Golf Club on November 2-5, with US$1.5 million at stake. I once covered this event when it was held in Shanghai in 2005, with Toyota Motor Philippine Chairman Alfred V. Ty joining hundreds of fans to watch Tiger Woods play. Memories...The new Hilux GR-S is now available at all 74-plus Toyota dealerships nationwide. The best-selling pickup is a 2.8L diesel, 4-cylinder, 16-valve DOHC with a variable nozzle turbo engine.

TOYOTA Motor Philippines (TMP) has further beefed up the lineup of the country’s number one pickup with its introduction of the new Hilux GR Sport (GR-S).