BusinessMirror September 23, 2023

‘POWER LIKE NO OTHER’

39 years after the completion of the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, the notion of nuclear power use for electricity generation gains traction anew in the Philippines

By Lenie Lectura

Now, more than a year since the Philippine government declared that nuclear power would be part of the country’s energy mix, the technology is gaining ground as power firms team up with foreign experts to undertake feasibility studies. The Manila Electric Company

and Aboitiz Power Corp. are keen to explore nuclear energy development, starting with micro modular reactors (MMR) or smaller nuclear plants with less than 20 megawatts (MW) of capacity.

Meralco chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said MMR would benefit off-grid areas because these are

ideal for energizing island provinces and hyperscale data centers.

There are two interesting benefits that it could bring. One is the impact of MMR to supply adequate and 24/7 power supply to hyperscale data centers that PLDT and Globe are building for this country.

Another side of it is its impact on desalination plants,” Pangilinan said.

MMR, he said, would address the water needs in coastal towns.

“We have inadequate supply of water…this will solve water issue as well by adopting this nuclear solution.”

His group has tapped US-based Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. (USNC) to conduct a feasibility study that will commence middle of next year. USNC specializes in MMR.

The prefeasibility study will take three months, while the [full]

feasibility study will take another six months.... Hopefully by the middle of next year, we’ll have the feasibility [study results] and we will share it with everybody, including the government,” Pangilinan said during the Giga Summit on Sustainable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and the Future Grid 2023 hosted by Meralco Power Academy.

To support the country’s changing energy needs, Aboitiz Power president and CEO Emmanuel Rubio said “no technology should be excluded from consideration,” including nuclear.

“In this context, we are actively exploring small modular reactors [SMR] for quick rapid deployment and flexibility when they become commercially viable and can be deployed in the country,” said Rubio, adding that once the

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technology becomes available, “It’s going to be [an] economically feasible solution that’s not emitting carbon dioxide.”

SMRs have a power capacity of up to 300 MW per unit, or about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors.

A boitiz Power is also tapping Ultra Safe to bring the technology into the country. “We’re still in early discussions. We’re about to sign an NDA [non-disclosure agreement] with Ultra Safe just to continue the discussion,” said Rubio.

Moreover, it is also in discussions with Rolls-Royce and US-based NuScale Power Corp. “I think these are two entities that are ahead in terms of SMR development. From what we are told the earliest com-

mercial operations of SMR will be in 2028,” Rubio had said.

‘RE all the way’

BUT nuclear power isn’t everybody’s cup of tea.

W hile Meralco and Aboitiz Power are looking forward to the results of the feasibility studies and discussions, ACEN Corp. would rather focus on renewable energy (RE). The power arm of conglomerate Ayala Corp. is targeting to achieve a 100-percent RE portfolio by 2025. “ We’re just monitoring developments on nuclear. Not actually pursuing. We’re focusing on renewables,” said ACEN President Eric Francia in an interview.

A s part of its transition plan, ACEN aims to deliver reduction-

WHENEVER nuclear energy is mentioned, some of the words associated with it are Fukushima, Chernobyl, and the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).

Chinese Ambassador Plenipotentiary H.E. Huang Xilian led celebrations for the 74th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China at the BGC ShangriLa Hotel in Taguig City on Thursday, September 21, 2023. The event was attended by members of the diplomatic corps, Cabinet secretaries, senators, and other businessmen. Among those in attendance were officers of the ALC Media Group, led by its Chairman D. Edgard A. Cabangon (6th from right); Benjamin V. Ramos (5th from right), President of CNN Philippines and BusinessMirror ; and Atty. McNeil Rante (4th from left), Aliw Broadcasting Corporation EVP and General Manager. BERNARD TESTA

‘POWER LIKE NO OTHER’

Continued from A1

led decarbonization by 2040, with an interim target for 2030, and a Net Zero status by 2050.

A question of ‘need’

TO get the ball rolling, the Department of Energy (DOE) recently unveiled the country’s proposed new energy roadmap that now includes nuclear in the power mix.

Under the proposed Philippine Energy Plan from 2030 to 2050, nuclear energy capacity is forecasted to reach 1,200 MW by 2032, 2,400 MW by 2035, and 4,800 MW by 2050. The target nuclear capacity would include eight 150MW SMRs in operation by 2032.

“ The plan also supports the inclusion of nuclear energy, which, if harnessed safely and responsibly, can significantly contribute to diversifying the energy mix,” said DOE Undersecretary Giovanni Bacordo. The numbers are still preliminary and are subject for review pending the final approval of the Philippine Energy Plan.

The DOE has since been pushing for the development of SMR in island provinces that have limited grid access. Given their size and relative transportability and ability to provide non-intermittent power supply with low carbon and predictable supply cost, SMR could go a long way in developing island provinces.

Provinces such as Palawan, Cagayan and Sulu could be the possible sites, added the DOE.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., in his recent visit to the US, said the country has a “shortfall in power supply,” which could be addressed with the support of NuScale’s SMR.

“ We need everything. We just have to have everything and this new technology is something,” the President had said.

Revive BNPP?

NUCLEAR power is currently not included in the Philippine energy mix even if the country had early on built a nuclear power plant.

The 620MW BNPP is the country’s first and only attempt at nuclear-power development. It was supposed to be the first of two nuclear plants to be built in the northern province of Bataan. It was also the first nuclear power plant in Southeast Asia, and was identified as a solution to the 1973 oil crisis that had adversely affected the global economy, including the Philippines. The project, however, was mothballed in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.

According to DOE Energy Policy and Planning Bureau Director Michael Sinocruz, the government has not yet dismissed the possibility of reviving the nuclear plant.

“ We are not yet abandoning the possible rehabilitation of the BNPP, but we need to do a feasibility study whether we can rehab the BNPP at a reasonable cost, whether rehabilitation of BNPP is cost-effective to us,” said Sinocruz.

We need to commission. So, there are several proposals that we received for the conduct of the feasibility study for the BNPP.”

State-owned power generation firm Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) had undertaken the first pre-feasibility study on the rehabilitation of BNPP in partnership with the

National Power Corp. It has even offered to rehabilitate BNPP for around $1 billion to as much as $2 billion.

They [South Korea] have an offer for us to revive the plant; they say they can operate our plant within five years. That is the fastest way to have nuclear power in the country even if it is 620 megawatts,” said Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) Director Carlo Arcilla, adding that South Korea has the exact model of BNPP that has been operating for 40 years now.

Every pro has its con VARIOUS groups have opposed nuclear power, citing its dangers and difficulty of disposing of its radioactive waste.

According to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), SMR technology is “too expensive, too risky and too uncertain.”

David Schlissel, IEEFA director of resource planning analysis, said, “NuScale has insisted its costs are firm and that the project will be economical. But based on the track record so far and past trends in nuclear power development, this is highly unlikely.”

Greenpeace campaigner Khevin Yu said nuclear energy companies are “practically making the Philippines the ‘guinea pig’ for untested risky technologies to promote their business.”

He also pointed out that the SMRs are still untested and unproven, and that there is currently no way to safely store nuclear waste. “Even if they actually succeed in putting up nuclear plants, it will take a long time before we are able to use it. Furthermore, we will be stuck with maintaining a ticking time bomb, which will endanger the lives of nearby communities should an accident occur,” Yu added.

People for Power (P4P) Coalition, represented by Gerry Arances, expressed its disappointment at the casual disregard for the risks of nuclear power “to a country like the Philippines, vulnerable as it is to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the threat of climate change.”

The vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy, meanwhile, said that it would take years before the country is able to put up a nuclear power plant because stringent measures must be implemented.

“ The modular plants will come in by 2026 or 2028. These are small so these are easy to deploy in one to two years. Within his term, modular can happen, but not those over 1,000 megawatts because those would take 10 years,” said Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.

He said there is a need to convene experts, lawmakers and government officials to craft laws related to the utilization of nuclear power. “I think the first step is to have an Executive-Legislative coordination meeting to determine the necessary laws we need to craft. This is very technical and Congress and Senate cannot do it alone. We need the technical experts to write it and we also need international lawyers to participate,” Gatchalian explained.

Nuclear addresses all challenges

TO allay fears on safety, local and foreign experts are betting big on nuclear.

House Special Committee on Nuclear Energy chairperson Rep. Mark Cojuangco said nuclear power is the safest energy source of all. “It’s time we be serious about nuclear as the destination technology, to lower our importation requirements and to have clean energy that is not only clean but also reliable and the cheapest combination of all of the above,” he said.

I ke Dimayuga, a senior research scientist at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, said studies have shown that the fastest way to an affordable, reliable, low-carbon energy future includes a significant share of nuclear energy because it can generate carbon-free electricity 24/7, and it is the ideal complement to wind power and solar energy in creating a carbon-free energy future.

“It is important to include nuclear energy as part of the green energy mix, particularly in light of SMR technology and hybrid energy systems,” he said.

Roland Backhaus, Ultra Safe executive vice president for strategic engagements, who also participated in the Giga Summit, said the Philippines faces the seemingly opposing challenges of promoting national security, grid stability, and grid reliability. Renewable energy can contribute to a solution but cannot provide the Philippines with reliable, always-on, baseload energy, much less process heat for increased industrialization. Safe,

clean and reliable MMRs will provide carbon-free energy while improving quality of life,” he said.

Invest in local talents

AS one of the country’s major players in the energy industry, Meralco has been proactively preparing for the introduction of nuclear technologies in the Philippines.

Pangilinan announced that the company would invest in local talents and support aspiring Filipino nuclear engineers to help accelerate the development of the country’s technical and regulatory talent pipeline through education and training in the highly specialized field of nuclear engineering.

“Meralco will send some of our engineers to a two-year graduate program targeting local talents who are graduates and practicing mechanical, electrical, material Engineering, and related areas in universities in the US, in Canada, Korea, Japan, France,” Pangilinan said.

Meralco has launched a program called Filipino Scholars and Interns on Nuclear Engineering, or FISSION, to address identified gaps that could impede the government’s transformative initiatives, such as the absence of expert safety regulators and technical professionals capable of operating nuclear technologies, specifically the SMR and MMR.

Good start

EVEN though the country has taken a national position on nuclear, DOE Secretary Raphael Lotilla said there is a need to have a regulatory and policy framework in place first.

We’ve always taken the position that we should not ban technologies, but we should set standards. The Philippines has been the earliest supporter of the peaceful uses of nuclear power,” he said, adding that the regional sharing of best experiences and practices as well as challenges and expectations among both developed and developing countries is a welcome conversation.

Despite nuclear’s rosy promises of a green future, there is still much to do. But forging partnerships with relevant government agencies, the academe, and private sector partners to collectively shape a sustainable energy future is a good start, Lotilla said. “Hopefully, this is the start of exploring and considering seriously new options for this country.”

‘We need everything. We just have to have everything and this new [nuclear MMR] technology is something.’

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

THE Bataan Nuclear Power Plant on the Bataan Peninsula, 100 km west of Manila. GOOGLE EARTH

• Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

DESPITE a marginal improvement in confidence, Filipino consumers expect higher inflation and job losses in the last two quarters of the year and the next 12 months, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Based on the results of the BSP’s Consumer Expectations Survey (CES), consumer sentiment for the third quarter of 2023 improved marginally as the overall confidence index (CI) turned slightly less negative at 9.6 percent from 10.5 percent in the second quarter of 2023.

However, consumers expect inflation to average 6.6 percent in the next 12 months. This is significantly higher than the 2 to 4 percent inflation target of the central bank.

Households also expect that the inflation may increase at a faster pace for all reference periods as the number of respondents who expect higher inflation for said periods increased compared with the Q2 2023 survey results.

“Furthermore, they anticipate that the unemployment rate may rise for the current quarter, remain steady for the next quarter, and decline for the next 12 months,” BSP said.

The central bank also said consumers expected higher interest rates and a weaker peso in the third and fourth quarters of 2023 as well as in the next 12 months.

Meanwhile, BSP data showed that the percentage of households with loans and savings increased in the third quarter of 2023.

The data showed 26.6 percent of consumers availed of a loan in the last 12 months. This is higher than the 24.8 percent recorded in the second quarter of 2023.

BSP also said the percentage of households with savings rose to 32.8 percent from 30.2 percent in

the second quarter of 2023.

“Consumers are less hesitant about buying big-ticket items in the third quarter of 2023. The consumer sentiment on buying big-ticket items for the third quarter of 2023 was less pessimistic as the CI turned less negative at 62.7 percent from 67.7 percent in the second quarter of 2023,” BSP said.

The central bank said the improvement in consumer confidence reflected the decrease in the percentage of pessimists, which outweighed the decrease in the percentage of optimists.

Consumers attributed their less pessimistic sentiment for the third quarter of 2023 to more available jobs and permanent employment; higher income from wages/salaries, remittances, and other sources; and additional working family members.

For the fourth quarter of 2023, the consumer sentiment improved as the CI increased to 7.8 percent from 4.6 percent a quarter ago.

However, the consumer sentiment for the next 12 months was less optimistic as the CI declined to 18.9 percent from 20.5 percent in the second quarter of 2023.

In the third quarter of 2023, consumer outlook is mixed across the three component indicators and across income groups. The sentiment in the third quarter of 2023 is mixed across the three component indicators of consumer confidence.

The BSP said consumers were less pessimistic for the country’s economic condition and more pessimistic for the family’s financial situation.

The data also showed that consumer’s confidence was steady for family income; and across income groups, i.e., less pessimistic among the low-income group, more pessimistic among the middle-income group, and less optimistic among the high-income group.

Cai U. Ordinario

PBBM cites PHL’s gains in ‘clean’ manufacturing

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

on Friday said his administration has already started to make gains in its goal of transforming the country into a leader in environment-friendly manufacturing.

T he Chief Executive made the remark following the inauguration of Unilever’s New Beauty, Well-Being, and Personal Care (BWPC) factory in General Trias, Cavite.

The P4.7-billion state-of-the-art plant was among the business commitments Marcos secured during his trip to Brussels, Belgium last December.

The facility, which generated 5,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities, is projected to produce nearly 90,000 tons of various personal care products annually for domestic and overseas demand.

The President said among the innovations in the factory was a packaging method, which requires 5 percent less plastic to produce.

“ Considering the volumes that we are

BSP chief hints at possible rate hikes until next year

By Cai U. Ordinario

THE relentless onslaught of supply shocks would likely keep the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) hawkish until next year as conditions may merit more than one rate hike.

In an interview on Bloomberg TV, BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. said the central bank is considering a rate hike in November as mounting inflationary pressures are bound to increase in the coming months.

Remolona said while Thursday’s vote to maintain policy rates was unanimous, the vote was “pretty close between hiking and not hiking.”

“We’re not convinced it [November hike] would be the last one. It won’t be the last hike in the cycle. We’re not convinced of that. As far as cuts go, output numbers have to be pretty bad and inflation numbers to be pretty low for us to consider [a] rate cut next year,” Remolona said. “We’re still, we’re still in a hawkish stance.”

He said the Monetary Board’s primary consideration was the increase in fares and electricity rates as these could add 0.5 percent to the inflation forecast of the BSP, especially in 2024.

Remolona said that while supply shocks tend to be temporary, this is not the case in the Philippines

PCG activates Pasig River vessel monitoring system inside Palace

talking about, that is an enormous—that is a big number,” Marcos said.

According to a 2021 World Bank report, the country produces 2.7 million tons of plastics annually.

Marcos said he expects more factories with similar eco-friendly features to that of Unilever’s will start to operate in the country in the coming years.

“ We have many more initiatives and even more projects in the pipeline aimed at cementing the Philippines’s position as a leader in smart and sustainability-driven manufacturing in Southeast Asia and in the world,” Marcos said.

He added the government is continuing to seek more similar investments as part of the administration’s socioeconomic priorities.

“I have faith that we can actualize the goals of boosting employment; adopting research, development and innovation; and shaping a blue and a green economy,” Marcos said.

PetroStar inks 20-MW power supply agreement with SEPH

PETROSOLAR Corporation (PSC), a subsidiary of Yuchengco-led PetroGreen Energy Corporation (PGEC), signed a 20-megawatts (MW) Power Supply Agreement (PSA) with Shell Energy Philippines Inc. (SEPH).

Under the PSA, PSC will supply SEPH with clean power from its 20 MW Tarlac-2 Solar Power Plant (TSPP-2) in Central Technopark, Tarlac City.

“We are pleased with this agreement with Shell Energy which builds upon mutual commitment to clean energy from an earlier power supply contract signed in 2022 between our two companies,” said PGEC President Francisco G. Delfin Jr.

SEPH P resident Bernd Krukenberg said the collaboration demonstrates Shell’s commitment to providing sustainable energy solutions to its customers in the Philippines.

“We are excited to strengthen our partnership

with PetroSolar Corporation, a company that is well established and dedicated to its renewable energy vision,” Krukenberg commented.

PGEC, the renewable energy holding firm of publicly listed PetroEnergy Resources Corporation (PERC), is expanding its solar power portfolio with new projects in Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, and Central Visayas which will see commercial operations by 2024 to 2025.

PGEC is 25 percent owned by Kyuden International Corporation, the overseas investment outfit of Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc. and 75 percent by PERC.

SEPH is a r etail electricity supplier under the Shell companies in the Philippines offering competitive and environmentfriendly energy solutions to industrial and commercial customers in the Philippines. Lenie Lectura

right now as petitions for transport fare hikes may be granted. This includes adjustments in commuter rail, jeepney, and taxi fares.

Further, the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to allow power firms to pass on increases in their cost to consumers, which would likely lead to higher electricity costs.

“The supply shocks seem to dissipate fairly quickly. But the problem is there tend to be new supply shocks. And so it’s not the lags from supply shocks on inflation seem to be relatively short, except that they seem to be relentless. They keep coming. And so that’s what keeps our inflation rates high,” Remolona said.

The BSP chief added that given these risks, the decision of the United States Federal Reserve as well as efforts to protect the Philippine peso are “small things” for the BSP right now.

Nonetheless, the BSP was aware of the possible impact this may have on the economy. Remolona said the impact of the rise in key policy rates has not been felt completely in the economy.

“We think the effects of tightening will continue for about three

quarters so (this will be) up to the first half of next year. We’ll see the rates; the previous hikes, weighing on the economic activity in the Philippines. The lags are long,” Remolona said.

Economists’ views

IN a statement, the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) said it is “necessary” for the BSP to “at least, stay on hold” in terms of key policy rates. BPI also said they also cannot rule out another rate hike, especially because of El Niño and the US Federal Reserve, which could raise rates in November.

“If the FOMC [Federal Open Market Committee] hikes again in November, and both September and October PHL inflation prints continue to exceed 4 percent, BSP might be compelled to hike one more time before 2024,” BPI said.

“While core inflation items were starting to decelerate, second-round effects could make them sticky again in the next quarter or so. Rising transport costs could, for example, lead to a rebound in housing rentals and restaurant service costs,” it added.

In the same statement, BPI said that based on the country’s historical

experience, it takes “many months” before rice inflation goes back to 4 percent whenever there is a shortage of supply.

BPI noted that in 2008, 2014, and 2018, rice inflation returned to 4 percent after 21 months, 18 months, and 9 months respectively. Based on data, BPI also said global rice prices are at a 12-year high. This could lead to retail prices staying elevated in the coming months.

Meanwhile, ANZ Research said they are maintaining their 2023 and 2024 year-end policy rate forecast at 6.25 percent. However, the think tank said they would continue to monitor the El Niño and global commodity price developments.

In doing so, ANZ Research intends to evaluate domestic inflation risks, US Federal Reserve policy moves, and the path of monetary policy, by implication.

Oxford Economics said given the extension of the BSP’s “prudent pause,” it expects the central bank to remain cautious given supply-chain disruptions and the related rise in prices. However, it is expected that the BSP will start cutting rates in the first quarter of next year.

THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) activated on a vessel traffic monitoring system (VTMS) in the Pasig River to keep of track maritime traffic as well as provide additional security for Malacañang Palace grounds and its environs.

In a Facebook post September 21, the PCG said VTMS Pasig will be operated at the Presidential Security Group (PSG) compound, and its blessing and inauguration took place on Wednesday.

PCG commandant, Admiral Artemio Abu, and PSG commander Brig. Gen. Ramon Zagala were present during the ceremonies, along with other ranking officials of the maritime law enforcement body.

“The newly inaugurated VTMS Pasig’s core mission is to enhance vessel traffic management through real-time monitoring and 24/7 surveillance, efficient routing, and critical coordination within the Pasig River, as well as provide additional security for the Malacañang premises,” PCG said.

PCG Maritime Safety Services Command (MSSC) head Vice Admiral Joseph Coyme, who spearheaded the initiative, said he presented the VTMS Pasig project to Zagala some five months ago “as an integral security component of Malacañang.”

And despite challenges, the PCG official said the project was successfully completed.

“He, then, extended his gratitude to different PCG units for their contribution to the successful completion of the VTMS project.

CG (Coast Guard) Vice Admiral Coyme also emphasized that VTMS Pasig is a testament to the MSSC’s steadfast commitment to strengthen its maritime safety enforcement campaign,” the PCG noted.

The facility will be manned by VTMS operators from the MSSC’s Navigational Safety Services Unit.

“The inauguration of this VTMS is a significant step forward for the Philippine Coast Guard that reflects our commitment to the highest standards of safety, security and efficiency,” Abu pointed out.

VTMS Pasig relies on technologies, including CCTV cameras and advanced sensors strategically placed along the Pasig riverbank, offering operators a comprehensive view of the maritime situation of watercraft transiting the Pasig River. Rex Anthony Naval

Inflation, job losses dampen consumer confidence in coming months–survey

PHL, 74 other countries sign High Seas treaty

SEVENTY- FIVE countries, including the Philippines, signed in New York City the High Seas Treaty, the first ever treaty to protect the oceans.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo signed the High Seas Treaty, also called Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), on behalf of the Philippine government on September 20.

Other countries including the United States, China, United Kingdom, the European Union as well as Asean countries Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam also signed on the first two days since the treaty was opened for signing in the margins of the United Nations High Level Week

The agreement provides for the common governance of about half of the Earth’s surface and 95 percent of the ocean’s volume, the largest habitat on the blue planet.

It t ook almost two decades for the United Nations to agree to the text of the High Seas Treaty. On June 19, the UN adopted by consensus the text of the treaty, under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).

The high seas are defined as areas in the ocean beyond the exclusive economic zones of coastlines of coastal states.

Marine r esources and biodiversity in the high seas provide ecological, economic,

social, cultural, scientific and food security benefits to mankind. However, only about 1 percent is protected, while the rest face mounting threats such as pollution, overexploitation, climate change and biodiversity loss.

“Honored to sign today (September 20) the historic Agreement under #1982 UNCLOS on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areras beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement. Proud to take this step to protect the world’s oceans for present & future generations,” Manalo said in his X post.

The legally binding treaty needs at least 60 ratifications, approval, acceptance or accession from these country signatories before it comes into force. On the part of the Philippines, a two-thirds vote of the Senate members is needed for the BBNJ Agreement to be ratified.

T he Philippines is the second largest archipelagic state in the world and considered one of the eight mega-biodiverse in the world. The health of the oceans has a direct impact on the ecosystems, livelihood as well as the economy of the Philippines.

Once the treaty is implemented, it is hoped that the biodiversity of at least 30 percent of the planet can be protected by 2030. Malou Talosig-Bartolome

PHL firms were less optimistic about economy in Q3–BSP poll

FILIPINO firms became less optimistic about the economy in the third quarter of 2023, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Based on the results of the BSP’s Business Expectations Survey (BES), the overall confidence index (CI) declined to 35.8 percent from 40.8 percent in the second quarter of 2023.

However, BSP said business sentiment for the last quarter of 2023 and the next 12 months was more upbeat as the overall CIs increased from the previous quarter’s survey results.

“The firms’ less optimistic sentiment in the current quarter was attributed to: [a] decline in sales and demand for goods and services, mainly due to weather-related disruptions and other seasonal

factors, [b] higher prices of raw materials and production costs, [c] elevated inflation and interest rates and [d] peso depreciation,” BSP said.

“However, the business sentiment for the fourth quarter of 2023 and the next 12 months was more upbeat as the overall CIs increased from the previous quarter’s survey results,” it added.

In the third quarter, BSP data showed that the confidence index of the industry, services, and wholesale and retail trade sectors declined, while that of the construction sector increased.

The data also showed that importers, exporters, dual-activity, and domestic-oriented firms were less optimistic in the current quarter.

BSP also said the average capacity

utilization in the industry and construction sectors for the third quarter of 2023 decreased slightly to 70.5 percent from 71 percent in the second quarter of 2023.

“Firms expected their financial condition and access to credit to be less tight for the third quarter of 2023 as their corresponding indices became less negative,” BSP said.

Optimistic for second half

MEANWHILE , businesses were more optimistic for the second semester of the year and in the next 12 months.

While they expect inflation to increase in the last two quarters of the year, it is expected to slow in the next 12 months.

BSP said businesses expect that the inflation rate may average 5.9 percent for the third quarter and fourth quarter of 2023 and at 5.7 percent for the next 12 months.

“Although businesses expect that inflation may remain above the upper end of the National

Government’s 2-4 percent inflation target range for 2023-2024, inflation expectations among businesses may further ease in the next 12 months as the number of respondents who expected lower inflation outnumbered those who said otherwise,” BSP explained.

The BSP noted that the third quarter BES was conducted during the period 5 July-15 August 2023. There were 1,549 firms surveyed nationwide, consisting of 583 companies in the NCR and 966 firms in AONCR, covering all 16 regions nationwide. Samples were drawn from the Top 7,000 Corporations ranked based on total assets in 2016-2017 from the Bureau van Dijk (BvD) database.

The nationwide survey response rate for this quarter was higher at 64.9 percent (from 59.4 percent in the second quarter 2023). The response rate was higher for both the NCR at 63.8 percent (from 57.8 percent) and AONCR at 65.5 percent (from 60.4 percent). Cai U. Ordinario

Volcanic ash, smoke emissions, fog engulfs Calabarzon, NCR–Solidum

By Jonathan L. Mayuga & Lenie Lectura

VOLCANIC ash from Taal, exhaust vehicle smoke and fog combined with thermal inversion triggered a slight decline in air quality in certain parts of Calabarzon and the National Capital Region (NCR) on

Thursday and Friday.

Classes affected by smog–or smoke and fog in Metro Manila, and vog or volcanic ash plus smoke and fog in areas surrounding the restive Taal Volcano, were suspended due to poor ambient air quality.

See “Smog,” A11

Our

Time

Lawmakers inch closer to enacting an expanded Centenarians Act

McDonald’s to employ more PWDs and elderly in Manila

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

Lawmakers inched closer to amending the Centenarians act last week after the senate approved on second reading senate Bill 2028. a similar bill was earlier approved on third and final reading by the House of representatives.

Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development Chairperson Sen. Imee Marcos introduced amendments to SB 2028 during the plenary session on Tuesday. The measure aims to expand the coverage of Republic Act 10868, or the Centenarians Act of 2016, to include Filipinos who reach the ages of 80 and 90 among the recipients of cash gifts from the government.

living here or abroad; and P25,000 to Filipinos who reach the age of 80 and 85 (octogenarians), and 90 and 95 (nonagenarians). All of them will also receive a letter from the President of the Philippines.

QUICK-SERVICE restaurant giant McDonald’s Philippines strengthened its commitment to being an equal opportunity employer by officially returning its Alternative Workforce program, signing an agreement with Manila City Mayor Honey Lacuna to resume hiring of eligible senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) from the city of Manila this year. The company’s program initially began in 2019 but had been temporarily halted due to the pandemic.

“In addition to offering consistent employment opportunities to our regular full-time workers and working students, we remain steadfast in our commitment to have a diverse and inclusive workplace. We proudly extend these opportunities to out-of-school youth, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities [PWDs] through our community hiring programs, including Workforce Immersion, Alternative Workforce, and SPES. Through these initiatives such as the recent partnership we did along with the city of Manila, we are not only opening our doors but also empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds to access world-class training and skill development, affirming our belief in their potential and their right to a chance for a better life,” said Margot B. Torres, McDonald’s Philippines Managing Director. Qualified applicants will undergo a training program approved by the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) of Manila, and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Hired senior

citizens and PWDs will be assigned to perform tasks complementing those of existing crew members, which include being an order presenter, drink drawer, table manager, and overall guest relations.

Under the agreement, senior citizens will be assigned work for not more than four hours per day for five days a week, with shifts set at 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Meanwhile, PWDs will perform work in shifts also applied to regular crew members, but not to exceed eight hours a day.

Since the company began employing senior citizens and PWDs in 2019, McDonald’s Philippines has hired a total of 62 senior citizens and PWDs who have been employed in different stores nationwide.

Resuming the program after the pandemic, McDonald’s Philippines shared that they have committed to grow this program and employ 500 PWD and senior citizen hires across key pilot cities this 2023: Pasig, Pasay, Antipolo, Caloocan, Makati, Quezon City, Marikina, and Mandaluyong. These 500 hires will be deployed to 250 stores nationwide, giving each store a maximum of two hires per store (either a senior citizen or PWD).

Since opening its first ever McDonald’s store in Morayta in 1981, McDonald’s Philippines has practiced a directhiring policy for all employees. Today, McDonald’s is proudly operating 39 stores in Manila, with each establishment employing an average of 80-100 residents from the local community.

Low-income senior citizens face rising wildfire risk in US

By Mojtaba Sadegh & John Abatzoglou

AS wildfires burn across the West-

ern US, the people in harm’s way are increasingly those least able to protect their homes from fire risks, evacuate safely or recover after a fire.

In a new study, we and a team of fellow wildfire scientists examined who lived within the perimeters of wildfires over the past two decades in Washington, Oregon and California—home to about 90 percent of Americans in the US West exposed to wildfires over that period.

Overall, nearly half a million people in California, Oregon and Washington were exposed to wildfires at some point during the past 22 years. Alarmingly, about half the people exposed to wildfires in Washington and Oregon were considered socially vulnerable.

While the number of people exposed to fire rose overall, the number of socially vulnerable people exposed more than tripled between the first and second decades.

How social vulnerability affects fire risk

A variety of factors shape social vulnerability, including wealth, race, age, disability and fluency in the local language. These factors can make it harder to take steps to protect homes from wild-

fire damage, evacuate safely and recover after a disaster. For example, low-income residents often can’t afford adequate insurance coverage that could help them rebuild their homes after a fire. And residents who don’t speak English may not hear about evacuation orders or know how to get assistance after a disaster.

Older adults face rising fire exposure

We found that older adults in particular were disproportionately exposed to wildfires in all three states.

Physical difficulties and cognitive decline can hamper older adults’ ability to keep their properties clear of flammable materials, such as dry shrubs and grasses, and can slow their ability to evacuate in an emergency. The fire that destroyed the town of Paradise, California, in 2018 was a tragic example. Of the 85 victims, 68 were 65 years of age or older.

Poverty was another important factor in the exposure of people with high vulnerability to wildfires in Oregon and Washington. The reasons that socially vulnerable people were increasingly exposed to wildfires varied by state.

In California, the rise was in large part due to socially vulnerable people moving into wildfire-affected areas, possibly in search of more affordable housing, among other factors. The Conversation/AP

In May, the House of Representatives, with 257 votes, approved on third and final reading a bill increasing the cash gift for Filipino centenarians who reach 101 years old from P100,000 to P1 million in a bid to honor and support them.

House Bill No. 7535 grants P1 million to Filipinos who reach 101 years old or centenarians, whether

“With this legislation, the House of Representatives would like to honor our countrymen for their years of service to the country and for their discipline in ensuring that they live a long, healthy and fruitful life,” Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez was quoted as saying by the Press and Public Affairs Bureau of the House of Representatives.

Some of the principal authors are Reps. Rodolfo Ordanes, Jude Acidre, Sonny Lagon, Daphne Lagon, Brian Yamsuan, PM Vargas, Toby Tiang-

co, Salvador Pleyto, Roy Loyola, LRay Villafuerte, Loreto Amante, Jam Baronda, Eric Yap, Edvic Yap, Paolo Duterte, Migs Nograles, Lani Mercado-Revilla, Gus Tambunting, and others.

“Of course, we also want our octogenarians and nonagenarians to enjoy this benefit while they still can without having to wait until 101 years old so we also provided a cash gift for them,” he added, by way of explaining the consensus to provide those who reach 80 and 85; and 90 and 95, prorated cash benefits as well.

House Bill 7535 mandates the National Commission of Senior Citi-

zens to implement the measure once passed into law.

It also seeks to amend Republic Act No. 10868 or the Centenarians Act of 2016, which entitles all Filipinos who reach 100 years old and above with a cash gift of P100,000. According to an earlier BusinessMirror report citing data from a UK-based care home marketplace, two in every 100,000 Filipinos are centenarians as of 2020, majority of them women.

Rep. Erwin Tulfo, when he was still Social Welfare and Development Secretary, reported there are 662 Filipino centenarians in the country.

When ‘No’ needs to be a powerful complete sentence

By Nick Tayag

We say yes in little increments by accepting small gifts and turning a blind eye until we get ourselves entangled in the web of corruption and find it impossible or dangerous to say no. Remember the fable of the frog that is placed in a pot filled with pleasantly tepid water, which gradually gets hotter and hotter, yet the frog remains in the water until it boils to death.

As a young employee, I used to be a “fawner.” When there was a meeting and the boss would say something I disagreed with, I would feebly voice out my contrary view in a delicate manner, but the moment he would raise his voice to show he was displeased or irritated, I would slink back to being meek and quiet. I wanted things to be easy. I now feel guilty of joining my fellow creatives to enjoy good times by a production manager even though we knew it was all paid by suppliers currying favor from him. Why I couldn’t say no to the tempting invitations was more due to “pakikisama” to maintain our strong camaraderie.

a people need to say a direct “no” to a lot of sorry messes that we have tolerated and allowed to happen. One mess is the excessive display and abuse of power and authority. Although we pay taxes every time we buy anything, do we see these taxes work to our benefit? All that ordinary Juans like you and me are allowed to know is that a huge portion of it is tucked away by our elected political leaders under the blanket cover of “confidential funds.” We are not allowed to question, much less voice an objection. Basta! Period. The other mess is our weak willed-leaders’ inability to give a resounding “no” to those who claim what is truly ours and are destroying our natural sea resources with impunity. When will we ever assert our collective power to say no as a complete sentence (with an exclamation point)?

‘PARLIAMENTARY courtesy” is the phrase of the day. We now hear it so often that it has become a joke. When I get a free second serving of coffee in our favorite restaurant, I now wink at my friends and say “parliamentary courtesy, just for me.”

However, another friend with a more acerbic tongue likes to tell it as it is: “Parliamentary courtesy? B.S. That’s simply fawning.”

Fawning has long been a Filipino art. In native parlance we call it “sipsip” or “nagpapalakas.”

To fawn over is to “please and appease” someone important, giving him a lot of attention that might be insincere, in order to get a positive reaction. Example is a yes man who is quick to respond to your smallest needs or to compliment you because he needs a promotion, or a waiter who attends to you overzealously hoping to get a big tip.

Fawning can also mean squashing your own wants and needs just to avoid rocking the boat so as to maintain equanimity in your family or your group. Sometimes the fawning

behavior becomes so ingrained that those doing it become incorrigible people pleasers. They are persons who can’t say “no.”

Fawning has long been a Filipino art. Being fawners by nature, we have a problem saying “no.” We avoid saying no to avoid displeasing or disappointing, or worse, arousing the anger of the other person. As one lawmaker said, to explain the reason for the hasty approval of a VIP’s confidential funds, “so as not to shame.”

Rather than incur displeasure or dismay, we would rather give in to the perceived wishes, needs, and demands of intimates, friends, elder relatives, and specially our superiors.

It’s more pleasant that way.

I believe it is rooted in three of our best native values, which, if I remember my Psychology 101 correctly, are SIR (Smooth Interpersonal Relations), “Pakikisama,” and “Hiya” but manifested in the worst of ways. We can’t say no to our “ barkada” (gang or group) or co-workers for the sake of “pakikisama,” “ hiya” and SIR even if their behavior goes beyond bounds.

When Filipinos want to say “No” we usually couch it in various nonoffending words such as “titingnan ko,” “ bahala na,” “susubukan ko” or “ hahabol na lang ako.” This is said with a kind of dangling meaning in the understanding that something would be a little difficult to do (understood to mean it would be impossible).

That’s why in a popular song of yesteryears, I can understand the feeling of the exasperated suitor who pleads: “Sagot ka naman huwag lang ewan.” But this doesn’t have to be like this forever.

Sometime ago, there was a picture of a sign on the desk of a bank official that became a meme: “In this office, the word NO is a complete sentence.”

Many motivational writers and speakers are now riding on this statement to inspire people who languish in fawn hell.

It also made me sit up and ask: can we Filipinos ever learn to say “No” as a complete sentence? A direct “No” as in “Hindi.” “Huwag.” Period. End of sentence.

Right now more than ever, we as

We must realize that being timid and afraid to say “no” will have lasting consequences. As Frédéric Bastiat warns: “When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.” “No” is a sword we need to wield to remove unworthy local and national political leaders who are skilled in the practice of fawning.

“No” can be our shield to protect us from the blows of the strong and violent.

Let’s make our leaders fear our collective power to say “no.” In the next elections, let us harness our power to say “no” through our allimportant vote.

For by saying “no” we are in effect saying “yes” to good governance and progressive politics.

Decades ago I read a book entitled “The Japan That Can Say No,” which argued that Japan should wean itself from its reliance on the United States and stand up as an equal. My wish is that soon we would see a Philippines that finally summons up the collective courage to say No. Period.

In “no” is our salvation as a nation.

Sen. Imee Marcos introduced amendments to SB 2028 during the plenary session on Tuesday.

ManIla City Mayor Honey lacuna (center) is joined by McDonald’s Philippines Managing Director, Margot Torres, on her right. With them are (left to right) McDonald’s Philippines assistant Vice President for Corporate Relations & Impact, adi Hernandez, McDonald’s Philippines Vice President for Human Capital Group, Ben Marasigan, assistant Regional Director for Department of labor and employment nCR at ty. Olivia Obrero-Samson, Manila City Vice Mayor Yul Servo, Secretary to the Mayor, at ty. Marlon lacson, Head of Public employment Service Office (PeSO) of Manila, Mr. Fernan Bermejo, during the MOa signing for the alternative Workforce partnership between McDonald’s Philippines and the city of Manila on September 7, 2023.

Solon pushes for increased enrollments in Bangsamoro

By Butch Fernandez

This was the call made by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian to the Bangsamoro Au -

country.

In a Senate hearing on the preparedness of basic education schools, Gatchalian pointed to the decreased participation

rates in BARMM, which are also lower than nationwide averages.

For instance, in School Year (SY) 20202021, BARMM’s Kindergarten participa -

tion rate was at 53 percent—lower than the 66-percent country average.

Similarly, in elementary education, the region’s participation rate was at 69 percent, as opposed to 89 percent nationwide.

Participation rates in junior and senior-high school further plummeted to 37 percent and 13 percent, by order of mention.

In contrast, the nationwide participation rates for junior and senior-high school in SY 2020-2021 were higher at 81 percent and 49 percent, respectively.

The senator also pointed to the average low cohort-survival rate in BARMM. For every 100 learners in the region who enter Grade 1, only 17 graduate from Grade 12. For the same number of pupils nationwide who enter Grade 1, 51 finish senior-high school.

“I believe that the first order of busi -

ness in BARMM is to promote schooling, and the second…is to retain learners in school,” said Gatchalian, who is the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.

In the solon’s discussions with BARMM governors, it became apparent to him that many children in the region drop out of school to help out in their families’ farms. He illustrated that “[they’re] forced to work at an early age because of poverty. But, of course, in the long run, the situation may not be conducive to their long-term well-being.”

Gatchalian has previously pushed for an enhanced back-to-school program to increase enrollment in the region. He also sought to strengthen the implementation of alternative learning system, or ALS, to enhance skills and abilities of the current working population, as well as out-ofschool children and youth.

37-year-old security guard finishes college as scholar

WHEN Jennibeth Dayao was assigned to the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in 2013, she was focused on doing an excellent job to support her son in Pampanga.

The single mother was first stationed at the information lobbies in the Taft Campus. She then became a roving guard and part of the mail-delivery personnel.

In her first week, she learned from former housekeepers and security guards about the “Blessed Arnould Study Assistance Program (BASAP)”—a grant for working students who wish to pursue Business Management or Marketing Management degrees.

“They were all BASAP graduates, and are now employed as full-time Benildean associates,” she said. “It was so inspiring, I was encouraged to apply.”

However, Dayao—who had to put her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree journey at the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology on hold due to financial difficulties—as the second of six siblings, was sending her younger brother to college back then.

“Our parents were farmers,” she imparted. In Filipino, Dayao shared that all of them wanted to finish schooling, but the state of their finances failed to make it happen, that is why she and her siblings were left to help each other.

Just when Dayao thought she could forget her desire to go back to school, her son started asking questions about his homework. She confessed that it was difficult for her to assist at first, but soon realized that she must learn more if she wanted to properly tutor her young kid.

The security guard insisted that she

EDUCATORS SPEAK

still wanted to be a direct employee in Benilde, and to be able to do so, she needed a degree.

Dayao, who was then assigned at the Angelo King International Center as a CCTV operator, decided it was about time to pursue her own goals. In September of the same year she was assigned in “Benilde,” she applied for the scholarship.

“Nerve-wracking” as it was, she passed the entrance examination. Two months later, she got her acceptance letter.

However, by the end of November, her father passed on due to a heart attack. For Dayao, it seemed that it was the only thing her parent was waiting for, as he provided her courage to study again. Thus, she made it her personal mission to her dearly departed by enrolling in Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a major in Marketing Management.

Cracking the code of mathematics

By Herman M. Lagon

MATHS can present challenges for many students, but it can become more manageable and enjoyable with the right approach.

As a math and physics professor, I understand students’ struggles and the importance of finding ways to cope with and lo ve math. Here are some insights into why math can be complex, and how students can overcome these difficulties.

One reason it can be complex is that math tends to involve multi-step problems that require focused attention. During lessons, students may lose focus, miss crucial s teps, and later need help with concepts. Developing techniques to maintain focus and ensuring a thorough understanding of each step can mitigate these barriers. Math is a sequential subject, building upon previous concepts. Students

Mike Policarpio

w ho grasp a previous lesson may need additional support when encountering new c oncepts. It is vital to establish a strong foundation before progressing, and students can benefit from identifying and addressing any gaps in their understanding.

W hile students may know ways to perform math operations, developing a deeper comprehension of underlying concepts is essential. Visual aids and personalized approaches can boost understanding. Recognizing that students learn i n different ways, individualized support can cater to their unique learning styles.

Practice and patience are fundamental to learning math. Many students m ay need to increase their practice time, or need help with independently applying concepts. It is essential to acknowledge that learning math takes time and effort. Identifying areas for improvement and dedicating sufficient time to practice can

Learning anew

DAYAO admitted that it was like going back to Grade 1. She felt the hardships of not being able to study for so long, then going back all of a sudden. She dug deep inside of her for lessons to “sink-in.”

Her batch consisted of working students aged 18 to 36, all of whom fondly called her “Miss Jhen” or “Ate Jhen.” With their patience and help, as well as positive support from professors, she was able to embrace being a learner again.

Being a security guard by day and a scholar at night was not easy. She held onto the power of time management. Her hectic schedule was as follows: Wake up at 4 a.m. to prepare her food for the entire day. Commence her 15-minute walk to the campus for the briefing. By 6, she enters the CCTV Room for her 12-hour shift. She would have her meals at the station.

When the opportunity allowed, she went over some notes, all while still being on top of her tasks. With permission from superiors and assistance from a reliever, she would leave earlier to rush to the Taft Campus in time for the 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. lectures. She would then stay up until midnight to accomplish assignments.

Still, Dayao never took her post for granted, as being a CCTV operator had numerous obligations. She made sure to do it well to avoid any untoward incidents.

Motivation, willpower, passion WHEN the pandemic hit, her 12-hour duty was cut to 8, and classes shifted online. With more free time, she decided to open a fried chicken stand outside her dorm. That time, her wake-up came at 3 a.m. to receive fresh deliver -

yield significant progress.

Students often question real-life applications of math, which can create a d isconnection. Bridging this gap by helping students connect math and real-life s ituations enhances their understanding. Visualizing concepts can be particularly beneficial for certain students.

It is key to dispel the belief that some persons are inherently bad at math. Math skills require practice and patience, and everyone has the potential to s ucceed. One’s mindset and anxiety about math significantly affect their mathematical abilities. Encouraging self-belief and fo stering a positive attitude can make a real difference.

For children who find math challenging, it is essential not to shame o r embarrass them. Each child has their strengths and challenges. As a parent, you can support your child by understanding why they find math difficult, and addressing those specific challenges.

C ommon reasons for math difficulties include attention difficulties, lack of understanding, learning difficulties, impatience, limited opportunities for practice

ies from the supplier. She then attended her 5:30 a.m. shift that would last until 2 p.m.

Afterwards, she rushed home to cut, marinate, and fry the chicken and open the stall, then logged-in for the night classes. Believe it or not, she resumed selling once the sessions were adjourned.

The small business helped her survive until Benilde bounced back to normal operations. She found it difficult, but overcame the challenges. Almost ready to give up, she convinced herself to carry on.

After three years of hard work, Dayao finally earned her own diploma. That’s exactly a decade since she walked into the gates of Benilde as a security guard.

T he graduate expressed her utmost thanks to all who encouraged her in her journey: from her fellow security guards and housekeepers, to superiors and mentors. She believed that motivation, willpower and passion guided her. For those who wish to follow suit, she advised to not just dream, but take action.

“Never stop growing and learning,” she noted in Filipino. “Whatever your age and status in life, do not give up. Believe in God, and live the determination in your heart. Just keep trying until you achieve your goals.”

Dayao was just promoted to CCTV supervisor effective September 1, and will hold office at the Taft Campus where she was first posted. She vowed to do her usual best in her new role, while waiting for the next direct full-time position to open under the college’s Benilde Center for Emergency Management, Safety, and Security.

o utside of school, discomfort with analytical subjects, and math anxiety. Identifying u nderlying reasons can guide your support and interventions.

Communicating with your child’s teacher and collaborating to develop strategies can be highly beneficial.

Knowing your childs’ preferred learning style and adapting their learning accordingly can make a huge difference. Making m ath enjoyable through engaging platforms and activities can enhance their motivation. Math should not be a source of anxiety or frustration. Students can develop s kills and confidence to succeed in the subject with proper support and mindset. Addressing certain challenges and finding ways to make the subject more accessible and enjoyable, we can aid students c ope with, and even develop a love for it.

Dr. Lagon, or "Doc H," fondly describes himself as a "student of and for life" who, like many o thers, aspires to a life-giving and "why"-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views herewith do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with.

PROMOTING student mobility and the pursuit of academic excellence, the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines and EU member-states’ embassies are organizing this year’s European Higher Education Fair (EHEF) 2023.

The fair will be held onsite on September 30 and October 1 at the Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong City, with its online edition to be streamed on October 2 at ehefphilippines.com and through the EHEF’s Facebook page: @ ehefphilippines

The biggest and longest-running education fair in the country, EHEF will offer a unique chance for Filipino students, professionals, academe, researchers, and university officials to engage with EU’s top higher-education institutions (HEIs).

Recognizing that education knows no geographical boundaries, this year’s theme “Pathways to Excellence” shows the EU’s commitment in offering Filipino students an immersive platform to explore diverse fields of study, and unlock unparalleled opportunities on a global scale.

In his welcome message to prospective participants, Ambassador Luc Véron said “the EHEF reflects [our pledge] to provide a diverse array of opportunities, resources, and insights for Filipino students interested in pursuing their higher education in the EU.”

Véron furthered that “our theme ‘Pathways to Excellence’ acknowledges the need for higher education to adapt to the demands of globalization and internationalization, [as well as] the quality and variety of the EU’s offer.”

EHEF 2023 will feature 85 HEIs and diplomatic missions participating onground and online from Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Finland, and Sweden.

“Language corners” will be available to those who are interested in learning a new language. On-site seminars will be hosted by the EU member-states’ embassies and cultural institutes. Engaging sessions will provide in-depth information on higher education systems, “student life” in the EU, research grants, and scholarship opportunities like “Erasmus+,” “Horizon Europe,” “Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions,” and “Jean Monnet,” which are open for students and educators alike.

This year’s Philippine regional hubs include the University of the Cordilleras and Wesleyan University for Luzon, as well as Xavier University-Cagayan de Oro for Mindanao. University-partners are Ateneo de Manila University (European Studies Programme), De La Salle University-Manila, Holy Cross of Davao College, Lyceum Philippines University-Cavite, Mabalacat City College, University of Santo TomasManila, and Visayas State University.

This yearly fair is jointly organized with the Commission on Higher Education, with support from professional organizations and media partners.

Registration and entrance to the fair are free of charge. Interested participants may visit ehefphilippines com for more information, or @ EHEFPhilippines on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X. Online sessions on October 2 will be streamed and uploaded through EHEF Phils.’ FB page.

‘BRING the kids to school, and retain them.”

tonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to address enrollment woes in its jurisdiction, following the opening of public schools in the

EU bEckons stUdEnts, acadEmicians, rEsEarchErs to this yEar’s ‘most Exciting’ highEr EdUcation fair

DEPUTY ambassador Dr. Ana Isabel Sanchez Ruiz of the European Union Delegation

SEN. Gatchalian

DAYAO

&Entertainment

Tourism Editor: Edwin P. Sallan

BRIGHT RETURNS FOR LOCAL HOTEL CHAIN Gains achieved from early adoption of solar, other eco measures

Story & photos by Mila M. Lumactao

Where do “revenge tourism” and responsible recreation meet?

Surely, making up for lost time with loved ones – or catching up on delayed bucket lists “achieved!” – ranks high on the priorities of “revenge tourism,” which took off asymmetrically across the globe in 2022, closely following the lowering of COVID-19 restrictions within countries and regions.

But there’s another priority that ranks higher than ever: responsible tourism, on the side of the traveler as well as the destination.

Early adopter in a sunrise industry

RO ughly five years before the pandemic that pent up the world’s penchant for travel—especially the kind that honors both built and natural heritage, and explicitly benefits (rather than exploits) communities—a Philippine-based couple already turned their intersecting interests in tourism, real estate, the environment, and grassroots development into a bona fide business venture.

Solidly anchored on ecotourism, the first Eco hot el—Cabins, in Tagaytay—was established in 2015 by the entrepreneurial tandem of Alessandra Atienza and Don Ramon Bagatsing.

Early on, the Cabins by Eco h o tel business and design blueprints bore the imprint of green service, along with solar energy use, biophilic design, a strong framework for the local community’s participation and development, and the “the 6 Rs”: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, renew, redesign.

Right from the start, Eco h o tel was founded on sustainable business, then a relatively new concept for the general public. (Consider, for instance, that it was only in 2019 that the Philippines’ Securities and Exchange Commission officially launched its sustainability

WHERE COAL IS COOL

reporting guidelines for publicly listed corporations.)

To solar systems, and beyond FA ST forward to 2023, and the metrics that matter for Eco hotels include expansion: from the original one-Eco hotel business, to today’s chain of five branches (under the Eco hotel brand), three commercial centers (under the Pops District banner), several dormitels.ph (under the Eco hotel Management), four restaurants (under the Bahay group of Restaurants, serving Farm to Table food), and future residential development sites in nature destinations (the Ecology Park Community).

More crucially, a very significant set of metrics has been accomplished, as Eco h o tel has been able to track and reap returns on its thoughtfully and intentionally established systems, particularly for green energy management.

“The biophilic design (of Cabins when we started, and now, of all properties in the Eco ho tel portfolio) is also eco-friendly. There’s a close synergy: we design the accommodations, amenities, and surroundings from recycled and upcycled commercial and residential waste and excess to simultaneously support human comfort while encouraging environmentally responsible behavior,” explains Alessandra, Eco h o tel President and CEO.

“For instance, all our properties maximize the use of solar power, along with energy-efficient lighting fixtures, and energy-efficient appliances. h o wever, the rooms themselves are designed in such a way as to maximize available daytime light, and allow effective cross-ventilation… we’ve had guests who’ve described it

as ‘ parang naka- aircon kahit hindi ’,” recalls Alessandra.

“We’re encouraging a change in mindset as well—leisurely, comfortable living that actually involves less energy consumption.”

Solar power systems are installed in all Eco hot el branches, and all these systems are “on-grid” as power supply is consistently available in most branches.

“This has resulted in our low electricity consumption since the beginning, considering the branches are on commercial rate,” shares Alessandra.

“For example, from 2018 to 2020, our average monthly electric bills were at P23,000-plus for Villas by Eco hot el Mataas Na Kahoy in Batangas. Villas has nine bedrooms within a 1.6 hectare area. For Cabins Tagaytay, with its

The Mining Town of Sawahlunto

Story

photos by Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero

Th E i sland of Sumatra pos -

sesses extreme natural wonders, including some of the best tropical rainforests there are to find. There are also several volcanoes that can be hiked, the most famous of which are Krakatoa—which I managed to climb a few days before it erupted in December 2018—and the supervolcano Toba that fostered a captivating cultural landscape right at the center of its massive crater lake. Indeed, Sumatra is a powerhouse destination. ye t, it is also home to an invaluable source of power that once fueled the industrial needs of a global superpower.

Tucked deep within the Bukit Barisan mountains is Sawahlunto. It may not ring a bell to many, but it is a city that is well worth a visit. The two-hour drive from either Padang or Padang Panjjang is not short of wonderful sceneries including those offered by Kerinci Seblat National Park, the island’s largest nature reserve.

The detection of coal in Sawahlunto is attributed to the Dutch colonial authorities’ efforts to explore and exploit the natural resources of Indonesia (formerly the Dutch East Indies) for economic gain. The attempts by geologists and prospectors in the mid-19th century led to the discovery of significant coal deposits in the region. The coal obtained was found to be of superior quality and the valley, suitable for large-scale mining. But what exactly is coal? Coal is a com -

bustible black or brownish sedimentary rock that is mainly composed of carbon, along with other elements and organic compounds. It is a fossil fuel formed from the remains of plants that lived and died millions of years ago that went through a process known as coalification.

The seemingly endless supply of coal from the site contributed to the industrialization and modernization of the Dutch East Indies and the Netherlands. It powered machineries, railway networks, and ships that played crucial roles in transportation and trade operations during the colonial era. They invested heavily in developing it as a mining town equipped with some of the most advanced technologies of the time, demonstrating a most complete knowledge and technology transfer from Europe to the East.

While deep-bore coal mining in Sawahlunto is no longer as commercially significant as it was during the peak of the industry, declining in the latter part of the 20th century due to the depletion of coal reserves and changing economic conditions, the city was able to preserve its mining attributes in excellent conditions.

Because of this, the Ombilin Coaling Mining h e ritage of Sawahlunto was inscribed as a u N ESCO World h e ritage Site in 2019. Today, the city boasts several museums and restored old structures where one can gain a deeper understanding of the heritage of this once prolific mining town.

h av ing been received by the site managers of Sawahlunto as a visiting cultural worker, I was able to see all the

components that make up the world heritage site and was even accompanied by the people who worked hard to get the city in the prestigious list. The city boasts colonial period buildings including the company town administrative building, a church, social hall, hotel, hospital, mining school, railway stations, coal storage facilities, and several residences including the extensive laborers’ quarter. h e re are some other sites that are of interest to sightseers:

Mbah Soero Mine Pit Site Museum . The museum was built on the site of a ventilation shaft of an underground mine. Through guidedonly tours, it allows visitors to go 35 meters deep to get a glimpse into dark and damp world of coal extraction. During my visit, the management had just successfully drained the water that filled up l e vel 2 and I was allowed access to that restricted section 75 meters below the ground. The site manager shared that I was the first outsider to see it and that it will still take years before the general public can safely explore that depth.

Goedang Ransoem Museum.

Not far from the mine pit site is another museum housed in the former kitchen and mess hall compound that was built in 1918. The museum showcases the meals provided to the mines’ laborers and the implements used in preparing them. In each meal, the kitchen used to produce enough quantity to feed as much as 6,000 individuals. Outside, beside the coal-fired steam generator, piles of

16 bedrooms and 600 square meters of floor area, the monthly average was a little over P21,100. Even at Containers Tagaytay, where we have 30 bedrooms spread across 1000 square meters of floor area, we were only averaging over P42,300 a month.”

Not just hotel chains, but beneficial chain reactions

“ThOSE numbers don’t just matter to us as business Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), they’re telling us that green design translates to gains for everyone,” enthuses Alessandra. Eco hotel makes it a point to source cast members from the community where each property is located; moreover, the company consciously invests in continuing professional development and encourages growth along

clear career paths.

“Just as important, we train them not only to serve but educate others on the value of our environment and sustainable practices, even as they’re working hard to reach their individual KPIs. So essentially, they are not just hotel employees, they also evolve into Eco Warriors who practice what they preach, cast members who embody in them the principles of ecotourism and sustainability, while helping spur community development in the larger context.”

Ten years after the company was set up, and eight years after the opening of the first branch at Cabins, Eco h o tel continues to expand. ho wever, Alessandra notes that the green service and community development principles remain embedded in the

corporate DNA, and are carefully replicated or adapted to the unique settings and challenges of each site.

“The long term for us is not just about business longevity, but about the lifelong sustainability journey of the company. We’ve covered a fair amount of ground already in terms of addressing key green tourism concerns such as energy use, solid waste management and pollution, water and species conservation, and so on. But we realize that this is a continually evolving commitment.”

In the meantime, Eco ho tels keeps all its door wide opens to local and international tourists—yes, even revenge tourists, who can indulge in their revenge while contributing positively to communities and the environment.

grave markers of the Orang Rangtai (meaning, chained men; slaves forced to work in the mines), distinguished by the engraved numbers corresponding to the identity of each slave, have been retrieved over the years. There is also an audio-visual room inside the museum where a short documentary on Sawahlunto’s history is shown, as well as a souvenir shop that sells coal-carved products.

Museum Kereta Api Sawahlunto. Twice a month, the city’s train station –the start of a more than 100-kilometer railway network— operates its last fully functioning steam locomotive. It travels all the way down to Muara Kalaban train station, passing through

the 827-meter-long Kalam tunnel. The charming train museum acts a repository of instruments relating to trains and the transport of coal.

The impressive and largely unscathed colonial period railway network winds around Bukit Barisan and terminates at Emmahaven Port where another Dutch-built coal storage and sorting facility still stands. Entrance to the facility in the port of Padang, however, is regulated and is only possible if permission is gained from the Bukit Asam Company.

Salak Power Plant and Ranith Water Pumping Station. The former power plant is in a state of disrepair but there are plans by the management

to make it into an electrical museum in the future. While both facilities are located far away from the city center, it nevertheless rewards anyone, especially those who are interested in the history of energy production, with remarkably intact and topnotch industrial plantations.

Coal is definitely Cool! At the end of a satisfying three-day stay in the mining town, a greater sense of appreciation to industrial heritage is born. Charming, cool-climate, and touristfriendly Sawahlunto offers a journey into history where guests can see one of the greatest achievements during the Dutch colonial period in Southeast Asia. It rightly deserves a spot in any travel itinerary to Sumatra.

&

75 meters deep into the mine shaft, part of the Mbah Soero Mine Pit Site Museum.

G O EdAN G Ransoem Museum, house in the former kitchen and mess hall. MuSEuM Kereta Api Sawahlunto housed in the former train station.

A MON uMENT dedicated to the miners, located in the company town square.

R Efu R b ISHEd old wood and typhoon-fallen trees are given new life.

ECO Hotel properties (like Cabins in Tagaytay) incorporate endemic plants.

CO NTAINERS by Eco Hotel repurposes old shipping container boxes as hotel rooms.

C Ab INS by Eco Hotel uses a combination of sustainable, repurposed, and recycled wood.

C Ab INS, early in the local sustainable tourism space, has hotel rooms designed to resemble the size of a ship’s cabin: but with a stunning view, and upcycled furnishings like wine bottle lamps.

New record company features music re�lective of Filipino spirit

GCASH BAGS ‘HR ASIA BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ASIA 2023’ AWARD

ON September 8, Merriam-Webster posed this question on its Instagram account: What is the most overused word in your industry?

At the time, my answer was “curate,” a word that reminds me of museums and archeology but one which lifestyle brands use to describe everything from a collection of clothing to ingredients used in a dish.

But if there was a second most overused word, it would most probably be “viral.” Everyone in the lifestyle and entertainment industry wants their artist, product, or service to go viral, even if you, as a journalist, know that it won’t.

In music, we have seen the shift in the trend of music platforms from physical to digital as music lovers gain easier access to artists. On the other hand, artists now have more opportunities and channels to get their music heard as digital platforms strengthen the connective power of music more than ever. Artists are able to reach a wider audience and have the opportunity to go viral.

Artists have gone viral thanks to TikTok. Olivia Rodrigo’s “Driver’s Licence” went viral in 2021 and this led to huge anticipation for her upcoming album. TikTok helped her become even more famous. Jack Harlow went viral because of “What’s Poppin?” and thanks to TikTok, he became a household name. Another artist whose song became big on TikTok was Doja Cat with “Say So.” Our very own SB19 has gone viral several times on TikTok in the past couple of years but “Gento” has really outdone its predecessors and even K-pop idols have done the “Gento” challenge on TikTok.

Recognizing this, Viral Records aims to gather Filipino artists who live and breathe music, are willing to collaborate and put in the hard work, and have a story and message to tell through their songs. These are the three qualities that Viral Records believes that can make an artist go viral.

“Of course, we won’t just stop there. We call ourselves Viral Records because we want to change the notion of what viral is. Once our artist goes viral, it has to be continuous. Basically, they’ll be viral all the time,” said Cons of Viral Records.

Viral Records doesn’t just want to churn out songs that will go viral. The recording company has multiple creatives that work hand in hand to provide holistic training for its artists.

“On top of helping our artists create their music and sound, we will also train them in personal branding, stage presence, navigating through social media, and so much more,” said Patsy of Viral Records.

The goal of Viral Records is for its artists to mirror the Filipino spirit. These artists tell stories from their childhood. They talk about their personal experiences and they take inspiration from people around them. Their sound is a universal one that Filipino audiences will recognize and resonate with.

Viral Records introduces a number of impressive artists. They include a four-member, student-led band Top Notch, and a five-member, province-hailing band Noodlez to experimental producer and songwriter Jefn, and jazzy, soulful singer and songwriter Chandler.

“We’re so excited to play our music live and hear the audience cheer. We can’t wait to meet our fellow artists and learn from industry experts. It’s definitely a dream come true, and our journey is finally starting,” shared Top Notch.

Top Notch’s song “Pagbigyan” was recently

released along with its mini EP, which is now streaming on Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Google Play Music. The song talks about unrequited love and how the person wants to try to reach out to the other person despite the uncertainties. That person, it seems, believes in trying at the risk of getting hurt than not putting their feelings out there. The songs in the mini EP also include “Halaga” and “Fallin In Love Again.”

Watch out for the exclusive grand launch of Viral Records this coming October. Follow Viral Records on Facebook and Instagram for more updates.

KIM BUM HOLDS MANILA FAN MEETING

IF you watched Boys Over Flowers, you probably swooned over Kim Bum. Viu Scream Dates, 2023 Between U and Me is your chance to get up close and personal with the charming actor who is also known for his captivating roles in K-dramas ,like Ghost Doctor and Tale of the Nine-Tailed. The Manila fan meeting will be held at the New Frontier Theater on September 22. The Cebu Fan Meeting will be at the NUSTAR Convention Center the next day, September 23. Tickets for both fan meetings are available now and can be purchased through www.ticketnet.com.ph and www.smtickets.com.

Apple’s new iPhones get faster chips, better cameras and new charging port

BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE The Associated Press

CUPERTINO, California—Apple on Tuesday unveiled its next generation of iPhones—a lineup that will boast better cameras, faster processors, a new charging system and a price hike for the fanciest model. The showcase at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, comes as the company tries to reverse a mild slump that has seen its sales drop from last year in three consecutive quarters. The malaise is a key reason Apple’s stock price has dipped by about 10 percent since mid-July, dropping the company’s market value below the $3 trillion threshold it reached for the first time earlier this summer.

Investors apparently weren’t impressed with what Apple rolled out Tuesday. The company’s shares fell nearly 2 percent Tuesday, a steeper decline than the major market indexes.

As has been case with Apple and other smartphone makers, the four types of iPhone 15 models aren’t making any major leaps in technology. But Apple added enough new bells and whistles to the top-ofthe line model—the iPhone 15 Pro Max—to boost its starting price by $100, or 9 percent, from last year’s version to $1,200. As part of the higher base price, the cheapest iPhone 15 Pro Max will provide 256 gigabytes of storage, up from 128 gigabytes for the

least expensive version of the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Apple is holding the line on prices for rest of the lineup, with the basic iPhone 15 selling for $800, the iPhone 15 Plus for $900 and the iPhone 15 Pro for $1,000. Although maintaining those prices are bound to squeeze Apple’s profit margins and put further pressure on the company’s stock price, Investing.com analyst Thomas Monteiro believes it’s a prudent move with still-high inflation and spiking interest rates pinching household budgets. “The reality was that Apple found itself in a challenging position leading up to this event,” Monteiro said.

And the price hike for the iPhone 15 Pro Max could help Apple boost sales if consumers continue to gravitate toward the company’s premium models.

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives expects the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max to account for about 75 percent of the device’s total sales in the upcoming year. All the new models will be available in stores September 22, with preorders beginning this Friday.

One of the biggest changes that Apple announced is a new way to charge the iPhone 15 models and future generations. The company is switching to the USB-C standard that is already widely used on many devices, including its Mac computers and many of its iPads. Apple is being forced to phase out the Lightning port cables it rolled out in 2012 because of a mandate that European regulators plan to impose in 2024.

Although consumers often don’t like change, the transition to USB-C ports may not be that inconvenient. That’s because the standard is already widely used on a range of computers, smartphones and other devices people already own. The shift to USB-C may even be a popular move since that standard typically charges devices more quickly and also offers faster data transfer speeds.

The basic iPhone 15 models have been redesigned to include a shape-shifting cutout on the display screen that Apple calls its “Dynamic Island” for app notifications—a look that was introduced with last year’s Pro and Pro Max devices. The basic models are also getting a faster chip used in last year’s Pro and Pro Max models, while the next generation of the premium iPhone 15s will run on an even more advanced processor that will enable the devices to accommodate the same kind of video games that typically require a console.

The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max also will be equipped with what Apple maintains is the equivalent of seven camera lenses. They will include periscopestyle telephoto lens that will improve the quality of photos taken from far distances. The telephoto lens boasts a 5x optical zoom, which lags the 10x optical zoom on Samsung’s premium Galaxy S22 Ultra, but represents an upgrade from the 3x optical zoom on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.

THE country’s no. 1 finance super app GCash was recently hailed as one of the best employers, this time by the prestigious HR Asia Best Companies to Work for in Asia 2023. GCash chief people officer Robert Gonzales, along with president and CEO Martha Sazon, received the recognition during the awards night held at the Manila Marriott Hotel in Pasay.

The awards program is organized by HR Asia, the most authoritative publication for senior HR professionals with over 200,000 monthly average unique visitors and 300,000 monthly average page views, having readership segments that include HR officers, HR managers, senior management, ‘C’ level executives, and consultants across the Asian countries. It is among the publications of Business Media International (BMI), which is one of Asia’s leading business-to-business publishers.

The awards are given annually in Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the UAE, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Citations given to companies based on HR Asia’s Total Engagement Assessment Model (TEAM) survey, which is one of the largest employee engagement surveys across Asia.

“We are truly honored to receive yet another recognition for our continued commitment to employee well-being. Here at GCash, our goal is financial inclusion in every possible way. Aside from our customers, we also aim to bring the benefits of financial inclusion to our valued employees,” said Gonzales.

Just a few months ago, GCash also received the Great Place to Work Certification and was included in the top companies to work for by LinkedIn. With their most recent recognition by HR Asia, GCash cements its commitment to prioritizing employee well-being and action through people-oriented programs and initiatives that can build the success of any business organization. However, the company’s dedication to creating an exceptional workplace goes beyond individual rewards and revolves around the trust employees have in their leaders.

To learn more, visit www.gcash.com.

Zenbook...

CONTINUED FROM A9

with Intel Iris Xe graphics, 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM, and a 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD (though a 1TB storage would have made it even better). It runs on Windows 11 Home operating system, and comes pre-installed with Microsoft Office Home and Student edition and the standard ASUS apps and utilities.

While the ZenBook 14 Flip OLED isn’t primarily a gaming laptop, it can still provide you with an enjoyable gaming experience as long as the game doesn’t require an advanced graphics card.

Finally, it ships with a substantial 75-watt-hour battery which translates to satisfactory battery life, ensuring you remain productive throughout the day. It can survive an entire workday of photo editing, web browsing, watching videos and document creation, but you will definitely need to bring your charger if you plan to work nonstop. The bundled 65W travel charger proves efficient and compact, and can completely charge the battery in just over an hour and a half.

FINAL WORD:

While it may have quite a steep price tag, the ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED is an excellent choice for creative professionals especially those who find themselves frequently juggling between their tablet and laptop. It is a versatile device that offers the best laptop OLED display, reliable performance, good battery life and can even transform into several modes depending on your need. Underneath that very elegant and lightweight exterior is device that has passed strict military standards guaranteeing that it would take years before you need another upgrade. ■

NBI raids Chineseoperated firm CCO Media in BGC for IP violations involving online scam

THE National Bureau of Investigation Intellectual Property Rights Division (NBI-IPRD) raided last August 17, 2023 the office of a Chinese-operated company in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig for the unauthorized use of the trade name and trademarks of a US-headquartered outdoor advertising company, Clear Channel Outdoor, to perpetuate an online investment scam.

The authorities swooped down on the premises of CCO Media Philippines located on the 21st floor of High Street South Corporate Plaza Tower 2 at the corner of 26th St. and 11th Avenue in Bonifacio Global City.

CCO Media Phils. was found to have been engaging in the widespread promotion, sale, or offering of an elaborate revenue-sharing investment scheme while representing themselves to be affiliated with and clothing their products to be coming from Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc., Clear Channel Outdoor and/or Clear Channel IP, LLC (collectively, Clear Channel USA), an American-based company and a market leader in the out-of-home advertising industry.

The raid was conducted by virtue on the search warrants issued by the Manila Regional Trial Court based on three offenses: Violations of Section 177.1 in relation to Sections 216 and 217 (Copyright Infringement), Section 168 in relation to Section 170 (Unfair Competition) and Section 169.1 in relation to Section 170 (False Designation of Origin; False Description or Representation) of Republic Act No. 8293, the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.

During the raid, the NBI confiscated signages, promotional materials (banners and brochures), sundry items, merchandise (umbrellas, notebooks, and shirts), LED television, desktop and tablet computers, mobile phone, and other paraphernalia that bear or contain Clear Channel USA’s logos, trademarks and copyrighted materials, including an almost exact replica of Clear Channel USA’s 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report save for the last page which CCO Media Phils. doctored to indicate their contact details (in lieu of Clear Channel USA’s).

Through concerned Filipino consumers, Clear Channel USA discovered that its name and trademarks are being used by CCO Media Phils. without its authority. The local company also claimed to be the local branch or office of Clear Channel USA, and has misappropriated the “Clear Channel Outdoor” name, using the corporate and business names “Clear Channel Outdoor Asia Corp.,” “CCO Media,” and “CCO Media Philippines.”

The US-based firm discovered that CCO Media Phils. was able to register with the Securities Exchange of Commission (SEC) under the business name “Clear Channel Outdoor Asia Corp.”

In CCO Media Phils.’ SEC Certificate of Registration issued on June 7, 2023, it is indicated that it “does not authorize investment solicitation and investment taking without a secondary license from [the SEC].”

It also utilized the messaging app Telegram to recruit new members, and to entice existing members to invest additional funds facilitated by “investment advisors”.

With this, the American company is determined to take action against CCO Media Phils. on the basis of violations of the Intellectual Property Code, the Securities Regulations Code, and the Revised Penal Code. The items seized during the raid will be presented in court as evidence.

Zenbook 14 Flip OLED: A laptop that �lips the script

and ultra-light aluminum chassis. Weighing only 1.5 kg (around 3.3 lbs.) and measuring just 15.9 mm (0.6 inches) thick, meaning it can easily slip into your backpack so you don’t need to bring a chunky laptop bag with you.

It also has an impressive build quality that’s been designed to withstand the rigors of daily use—or abuse. For example, the 360-degree hinge that allows you to switch between various modes seamlessly has been tested with over 20,000 open/close cycles, ensuring longevity. The hinge not only facilitates versatile usage but also enhances the device’s overall durability.

AFTER being an exclusive MacBook user for more than 7 years, I decided to switch back to Windows because of the ASUS Zenbook OLED. I’ve been using it for the past year and have gotten so used to its fantastic display and touchscreen, I often find myself tapping on the screens whenever I use a different laptop.

So, I guess the logical upgrade was the ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP3404), which is an even more versatile laptop since you can use it like four different devices depending on its position. It also features my favorite OLED display on a laptop, a fast processor, long battery life, and a sleek but militarygrade build making it perfect for working out of office—which for content creators like me is all the time.

It does have a pretty steep price tag that starts at P79,000, but is it an upgrade worth considering?

The Zenbook 14 Flip offers four versatile modes: Laptop, Tablet, Stand, and Tent mode. Each mode serves a distinct purpose, enhancing your productivity and entertainment. The traditional laptop mode is ideal for typing and productivity tasks. The full-size Ergosense keyboard and responsive touchpad make it perfect for content creation, document editing, and multitasking.

In Tablet mode, you can harness the power of the touchscreen and stylus for drawing, note-taking and browsing. It becomes a creative canvas at your fingertips, enabling you to unleash your artistic potential and interact with content in a more intuitive way.

When you switch to Stand mode, you transform your device into an entertainment hub. It’s perfect for watching movies, giving presentations, or enjoying hands-free video calls. Lastly, Tent mode strikes a balance between entertainment and interaction. It’s great for light gaming or video calls, offering a stable and engaging platform for various activities.

Premium aesthetics, military standard: The ZenBook 14 Flip OLED is as premium and elegant as it gets, with a smooth metal finish on the lid and a matte black chassis. The new lid design features the new ASUS monogram design which I personally think is subtle but more elegant. Ponder Blue is also a refreshing color option amid a sea of black and gray laptops.

The Zenbook 14 Flip OLED maintains an ultra-thin

ASUS says it’s engineered with extraordinary toughness and is the world’s most strictly tested laptop—undergoing 12 rigorous test methods and 26 disciplinary test procedures—exceeding industry standards. It ensures that the laptop can withstand light drops, shocks, and extreme temperatures, meeting US military-grade MIL-STD-810H standards. This reliability and durability of Zenbook inherently results in longevity and thus sustainability, so you can work, travel, or relax with the confidence that your ASUS laptop is ready for the real world—today, and far into the future.

While I haven’t done any experiments to verify this claim, knowing that it survived such rigorous testing gives me peace of mind that it can easily withstand my occasional clumsiness—or the ire of my angry partner.

OLED excellence: The heart of the Zenbook 14 Flip OLED lies in its exceptional display. The 14-inch OLED touchscreen supports 2880 x 1800 resolution, a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 0.2 ms response time, up to 550-nits peak brightness, and 0.0005 nits of deep black brightness. This sets a new standard for visual excellence providing creators with brighter and more detailed viewing experience. It also has an ultrawide color gamut of 100% DCI-P3 and HDR content support. The display is certified VESA DisplayHDR 500 True Black and is Pantone Validated, assuring accurate color and high dynamic contrast reproduction. In addition, the OLED panel emits 70 percent less harmful blue light than LCD panels and is certified by TÜV Rhineland to ensure the device adheres to high safety and quality standards.

For protection, the touchscreen features Corning Gorilla Glass, enhanced scratch resistance, reduced scratch visibility, and better retained strength once a scratch occurs. The thin-bezel design and 16:10 aspect ratio maximizes screen space while keeping the laptop compact. It’s perfect for immersive content consumption and multitasking. Whether you’re a content creator, multimedia enthusiast, or productivity-focused user, this OLED display will change the way you look at a laptop screen. It also delivers great audio thanks to its Harman Kardoncertified Dolby Atmos sound system with two built-in speakers. It doesn’t stop at delivering a stunning display

as it is also equipped with remarkable features that enhance your overall user experience. One of these features is the ASUS Pen 2.0, an active stylus with an impressive capability to detect 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, a stylus that offers a remarkably precise and responsive drawing experience. Its rapid sampling rate of 266Hz ensures that your strokes appear instantly on the screen with minimal latency—less than 36 milliseconds, to be precise.

Charging is done via a hidden USB-C port and a full charge (30 minutes) gives you an astounding 140 hours of usage time. The stylus also supports oneclick launch via Bluetooth. With a simple click, you can swiftly capture a screenshot or navigate to the next page of your presentation, streamlining your workflow.

For connectivity, the Zenbook 14 Flip OLED has an adequate selection of I/O ports including a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port on the left side, while on the right side are two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, and an audio combo jack. However, it’s worth noting that while these ports offer some versatility, the charger occupies one of the USB-C ports when plugged in, leaving you with a single available USB-C port. If you are someone who connects a lot of peripherals, you might want to get a USB hub for extra ports.

Its full-size ErgoSense keyboard and the dishshaped indentation subtly guides fingers onto the keys and the long key travel provides better feedback providing a springy and comfortable typing feel. My only complaint with my former Zenbook is that the some of the letters on the keyboard have already chipped or faded, so hopefully this has an improved coating that will make it last longer.

For those who often have to work with numbers, you’ll appreciate NumberPad 2.0, an LED-illuminated numeric keypad integrated in the touchpad. A singletouch sensor at the top right of the touchpad turns NumberPad on and off, and a tap on the icon at the top left lets you choose one of two brightness levels. You can also swipe from the top left icon in any direction on the optional NumberPad 2.0 to activate the Calculator app on the main display.

Reliable performance and battery: At the core of the ASUS ZenBook 14 Flip OLED is the formidable Intel Core i7-1360P 13th generation processor. This processor delivers a compelling blend of power and efficiency and can easily handle multitasking with aplomb. My normal work day involves a lot of browser tabs for research and multiple windows for gathering notes and writing. I also do some spreadsheets and edit photos for my social media feed for Reels and TikTok. For the past month that I’ve been using this laptop, I never noticed any lag or slowdown. If content creation is your forte, it has enough computing muscle for photo and light video editing.

In addition to the powerful processor, it also comes

Emerging-market stocks set to erase 2023 gains

billion selloff in China driven by its economic slowdown and debt woes. That’s a setback for money managers who had bet at the start of the year the country’s growth would drive equity outperformance over developed nations.

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index closed 1.5 percent lower at 956.25 points on Thursday amid a broad selloff in global assets. The Federal Reserve’s hawkish messaging on Wednesday—reinforced by strong labor market data this morning—raised the stakes for developing nations. Rate decisions from Taiwan to Turkey and South

Africa showed many poorer nations can’t afford to start easing anytime soon.

The year is proving to be a roller-coaster for emerging-market equity investors as post-Covid recovery expectations give way to slowing growth and stubborn inflation concerns. At the core of the underperformance is a $600

“With the Fed signaling higher for longer, possibly even hiking again, and China’s economic challenges persisting, emergingmarket equities are hit with a dual shock at the moment,” said Brendan McKenna, a strategist at Wells Fargo in New York. “These dynamics are placing a lot of downward pressure on equities around the world, but in particular EM equities.”

The latest losses are taking emerging-market stocks toward a sixth successive year of under -

West needs dialogue with China over AI rules, UK’s Hunt says

UNITED KINGDOM Chan -

cellor of the Exchequer

Jeremy Hunt said the West must engage in talks with China over how best to regulate the growth of artificial intelligence (AI), after Britain invited the country to its global AI summit later this year.

“They won’t come to all the discussions, but you need to have a

dialogue with countries like China, they’re not going away,” Hunt said in a Bloomberg interview on Thursday. “We have to be realistic and we have to have those discussions with our eyes open.”

The UK is preparing to host the first global summit on AI in November, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak trying to position Britain as a leader

in global efforts to regulate the technology. This week, his government confirmed it had invited China to the conference, despite opposition from some of Sunak’s own backbenchers.

London is already the base of various unicorns in the field of generative AI, such as Stability AI, an open-source developer, and Synthesia, a creator of text-

China seeks to facilitate capital flows to woo foreign investors

CHINA repeated rules to ensure free cross-border money transfers for foreign businesses in its two most important cities amid efforts to win back companies as overseas investment slumps and the economy slows.

In Shanghai’s pilot free-trade zone and Lingang area, officials should make sure foreign investors can freely transfer their investment-related funds in or out of China without delay if the money is “real and compliant,” authorities in the financial hub said in a set of rules that took effect on Sept. 1.

Many of the measures are similar to those previously announced by the central government, including in a June notice published by the State Council, China’s Cabinet, aiming to implement “high international standards” in the administration of free trade zones. The Shanghai statement indicates that local authorities are now focused on

carrying out those objectives.

Expatriates of foreign companies based in those areas, including staff from Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan, can freely move their wages and other legal incomes out of the country according to the law. The currency type, amount or frequency of the remittances won’t be restricted by an organization or individuals, according to the Shanghai notice.  Beijing has proposed a similar regulatory push for the whole city, according to draft rules published Wednesday that are now awaiting public feedback.

The Chinese capital city is also exploring exempting overseas firms from foreign-exchange registration for their reinvestments. The local government said the proposed rules are aimed at facilitating and encouraging foreign business investments.

The repeated emphasis on rules governing non-Chinese companies’ money flows comes as President Xi Jinping’s government is

ramping up measures to reverse the nation’s foreign investment slump. The State Council issued a 24-point plan in August to court overseas firms with pledges to offer them better tax treatment and make it easier for their workers to obtain visas.

Western firms in China are now the gloomiest they’ve been about the future in decades, largely due to geopolitical risks, according to a recent survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. Persistent tensions with the West, coupled with China’s economic slowdown, have sparked a $188 billion exodus from Chinese stocks and bonds from a December 2021 peak through the end of June this year, diminishing the market’s clout in global portfolios.

“Faced with the general trend of foreign investors diversifying away from China, Beijing has every reason to slow down this pace as best as it can, especially given the current challenging

performance relative to US equities. Analysts’ earnings estimates for companies in the MSCI gauge have fallen 2 percent this year, while valuations aren’t cheap: The index trades at 11.8 times the projected earnings of its companies, only slightly below the five-year average of 12.3 times.

Chinese stocks fell both on mainland and Hong Kong exchanges Thursday amid signs foreigners are still pulling money from the country. Both the MSCI China and CSI 300 indexes closed at the lowest level since November. The ongoing stimulus program in the country is weighing on the yuan, while worries that the measures won’t be enough to arrest the economic slide are battering stocks.

to-video tools. It’s also home to Alphabet Inc.’s DeepMind, and Britain hopes it can become a technology superpower in this area. However, there’s some skepticism as to whether the UK can compete with the likes of the US, China and the European Union. “Investors want to see that governments have figured all this stuff out,” Hunt said of the regulation around AI, adding that appropriate “guardrails” should be put in place to keep the technology safe. “Then when they do, they’re going to start to put in really huge sums of money,” he said. Bloomberg News

economic situations,” said Neo Wang, Evercore ISI’s New Yorkbased managing director for China research. “These look like coordinated moves addressing an important topic that was omitted” from the 24-point August guidance, he added.

China is facing its biggest capital flight in years, creating concern for authorities as it worsens pressure on the beleaguered yuan.

The currency has been hammered from all fronts as money leaves its financial markets, global companies look for China alternatives and a revival in overseas travel hits services trade. All of this is captured in the latest official data, which shows an outflow of $49 billion in the capital account last month, the largest since December 2015.

The exodus, spurred by sputtering growth in the world’s second-largest economy and a widening interest-rate gap with the US, helped push the yuan to a 16-year low. The risk is that accelerated money outflows weigh more on the currency, sapping the market’s appeal and in turn resulting in further capital flight that can destabilize financial markets.  Bloomberg News

“Market sentiment is awful,” said Greg Lesko, a managing director at Deltec Asset Management LLC in New York. “In a normal world, China would be the place to buy given they are the ones trying to stimulate,” but that isn’t happening.

While stock investors are looking for buying opportunities arising from monetary-policy easing, they are also nervous about countries that have less ability to cut rates because of high inflation. They see Asia, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa as more vulnerable than Latin America, which boasts some of the world’s highest inflation-adjusted policy rates.

Hungarian stocks posted the world’s biggest losses Thursday

after the nation’s central-bank governor hinted at more interestrate cuts—in a country where consumer-price growth still hovers above 16 percent. Similarly, assets in Poland witnessed a meltdown early this month after a biggerthan-forecast rate reduction. Emerging equity markets aren’t without a ray of hope, though. Analysts have raised earnings forecasts for the MSCI index’s companies for seven successive days on growing optimism China’s economic slide may be bottoming out. That might make them attractive to investors once Fed rate bets ease and emerging markets are able to pursue rate cuts.

“I think it’s an opportunity to add, though timing may be put off a bit,” Lesko said. Bloomberg News

Biden assures Zelenskiy he’s firm in getting more war aid

PRESIDENT Joe Biden vowed continued support for Ukraine as he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House amid concern that the country’s slow counteroffensive and opposition among conservative Republicans could threaten additional military assistance.

“I’m counting on the good judgment of the United States Congress. There’s no alternative,” Biden said when asked if he was confident lawmakers would back more assistance for Kyiv.

The success of Zelenskiy’s trip hinges on whether a smallbut-crucial bloc of the US House’s Republican majority approves more aid after existing appropriations run dry at the end of the month. A series of preliminary votes on funding packages failed this week, heightening fears of a broader government shutdown—and a pause in Ukraine assistance.

“The people of Ukraine have shown enormous bravery, enormous bravery, that has inspired the world,” Biden said Thursday at the White House. “Together with our partners and our allies, the American people are determined to see to it that we do all we can to ensure the world stands with you.”

Biden said he was authorizing $325 million in additional security aid and that next week the first Abrams tanks would be delivered to Ukraine.

Zelenskiy thanked Biden for the assistance, calling it “a very powerful package.”

“It has exactly what our soldiers need now,” he said.

Before the meeting, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said he remained confident that after settling “all the other elements going into these negotiations that have nothing to do with Ukraine, that there will be strong bipartisan support to continue funding Ukraine.”

The White House also announced a package of military assistance that includes air defense capabilities, ammunition for HIMARS systems and other weaponry.

“These capabilities will help Ukraine harden its defenses ahead of what is likely to be a tough winter, filled with renewed Russian attacks on Ukrainian critical infrastructure, to try to deprive innocent people of necessities

like heat and electricity,” Sullivan said.

On Capitol Hill earlier Thursday, Zelenskiy asked for new weapons systems from the US, including F-16 fighter jets and longer-range ATACMS missiles, House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul said after a meeting with the Ukrainian leader.

“A war of attrition is not going to win this,” said McCaul, who is among the Republicans who support ongoing aid. “We need a plan for victory, and we need to do it soon.”

Continued backing from the US and its allies is vital for Zelenskiy as his forces struggle to advance against Russian troops still occupying about 17 percent of his territory, fueling doubts about his ability to oust them completely.

Cracks have begun to emerge in the support for Kyiv, with Poland, a key ally, this week threatening to suspend arms deliveries in a dispute over grain shipments. At the same time, Zelenskiy’s efforts to win over major countries of the developing world at the United Nations General Assembly this week have yielded few visible results.

In Washington, the reception for Zelenskiy was cooler than during his last visit in December, when he spoke to a joint session of Congress. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who has clamored for accountability of Ukraine aid that the US has already committed, told reporters that he rejected Zelenskiy’s request for a similar speech this time because lawmakers didn’t have time in a “busy week.”

After the meeting Thursday, McCarthy said Zelenskiy “answered a lot my questions.”

Reiterating his support for Ukraine in the war, McCarthy said he’s “more than willing to look at” the requested aid package but he wants Biden to address the US border with Mexico before funding Ukraine. Freezing new aid has become a ransom demand in the broader clash over government spending and a conservative Republicans’ efforts to challenge the embattled speaker.

Far-right representatives have said the funding antagonizes Russian President Vladimir Putin, could be better spent domestically, or should instead be devoted to bolstering Taiwan’s defenses. Bloomberg News

EMERGING-MARKET stocks gave up their gains for the year as stubborn inflation and bets on a prolonged period of high interest rates undermine growth prospects in the developing world.

From 15 to just 7 days: PBBM eyeing to cut validation time for rice imports

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. revealed the government might slash by half the prescribed validation period for suspected smuggled rice shipments.

The Chief Executive said the current 15 days given to importers of such shipments to present the necessary supporting documents is too long.

“We are now trying to reduce the 15 days to seven day because if you are a legal importer, you should already have the document so that when you are required to present it, you [can] do so immediately,” Marcos said in Filipino during the distribution of smuggled rice in General Trias, Cavite on Friday.

Over 1,200 sacks of rice were distributed to 1,200 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries at the General Trias Sports Park.

Marcos, who is also the concurrent Agriculture Secretary, also distributed P1,577,000 worth of various assistance from the Department of Agriculture to at least 217 farmers and other beneficiaries from Cavite.

Last Tuesday, Marcos also led the

6 groups interested in ₧170.6-B

distribution of 1,500 sacks of premium quality rice to 4Ps beneficiaries in Zamboanga City.

The distributed sacks of rice were part of the 42,180 sacks confiscated by the Bureau of Customs-Port of Zamboanga and were later donated to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Marcos blamed the recent spike in rice prices to hoarding by some rice traders.

“They will smuggle rice then they will hoard it to make its price rise, then they will sell it for a large profit,” the President said in Filipino.

To address the issue, Marcos issued Executive Order No. 39, which imposed a price cap P41 per kilogram (kg) price cap for regular milled rice (RMR) and P45 per kg for well-milled rice (WMR) nationwide.

Naia PPP deal, says DOTr chief

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

AT least six groups are interested in the P170.6-billion Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Public-Private Partnership (PPP) deal and, with more organizations and companies joining the pre-bid conference on Friday, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is expecting more participants in the auction.

Group, Makati Development Corp., Marsh Philippines, Mitsubishi Group, Pulse Consulting, EY Consulting, Samsung C&T Group, Turner and Townsend, Aeon, Cavitex, Bouygues Group, China First Highway Engineering, First Balfour, and Macquarie Capital, among others, participated in the pre-bid conference.

payment of P30 billion to the government as premium and another P2 billion in annuity payments.

It is also required to remit a certain percentage of the revenues to the government. This will be the main bid parameter for the auction—the higher the proposed share of the government in the Naia’s revenues are, the better.

aims to award the contract as early as January 27.

However, he noted that the government “welcomes” suggestions of extension and is willing to “assist” bidders to help them meet the deadline.

“We are open to suggestions and recommendations from the bidders. We want to know what their concerns are and how we can help them meet the deadline of December 27. We are happy to listen to their suggestions and recommendations,” he said.

Bayani

Samuel P. Medenilla

He also certified as urgent the passage of Senate Bill (SB) No. 2432, which will define the crimes of agricultural economic sabotage and create the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Council.

Former Marikina mayor and legislator

F. Fernando passes away at 77

FORMER Marikina Representative and mayor Bayani “BF” Fernando died on Friday. He was 77. Fernando, who is also a former chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), was reportedly fixing something on the roof and fell and was immediately rushed to a hospital in Quezon City.

The city government of Marikina is also mourning the death of Fernando who was the mayor of Marikina from 1992 to 2001. Fernando also served as Marikina First District representative from 2016 to 2022.

In a statement, the MMDA said they are deeply saddened and shocked about the sudden demise of Fernando who served the Authority from June 5, 2002 until November 25, 2009.

A mechanical engineer by profession, Fernando used scientific and practical approaches in his quest to solve the problems of Metro Manila.

A man of few words, Fernando is known to be a workaholic and a disciplinarian among MMDA employees.

Under his helm, he put the MMDA in the spotlight. He was the person behind the rapid bus lanes and the “Metro Gwapo” campaign transforming the region into a livable metropolis.

While chairman of the MMDA was also appointed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways in 2003.

“Thank you very much for your contributions. Rest now, Sir, for you already got the job done,” the MMDA said.

“Lived up to his name Bayani”

, Philippine Red Cross

MEANWHILE

Smog. . .

Continued from A4

Department of Science and Technology

(DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum, a volcanologist, said the natural phenomenon called thermal inversion aggravated air pollution brought about by smoke from motor vehicles in Metro Manila and the volcanic ash with smog over Taal since Wednesday.

Thermal inversion is a natural phenomenon that involves a change in the normal tendency of the air to cool down with altitude. During this event at night, the earth’s surface cools quickly, transmitting cold air to the atmosphere closest to the ground.

Worst, rain and lack of air, keeps dirty air at ground level, Solidum said in an interview televised over PTV.

He said while rain may wash down smog, rain over Taal might not be of any help since such precipitation will bring down sulfuric gas that may pose health risks to the people, as well as plants and animals.

He warned that if thermal inversion will continue, dirty air will continue to affect the people, and threaten to cause damage to farming as sulfuric gas brought about by

Chairman and CEO Richard Gordon said that he and his wife Kate are extremely saddened by the sudden passing of Fernando.

“BF lived up to his name Bayani. A worthy people‘s leader, with ambition and vision for our country! He was a hard worker and expected that ethic from his co-workers. He led by a code of discipline as he believed that values are the sure pathways to human development,” Gordon said of his vice presidential running mate in 2010 presidential elections.

“We respected each other as TRANSFORMERS and not transactional leaders. We ran together with the hope of getting a 12-year partnership offering continuous strong, firm, and fair leadership towards uplifting our people through change commitment and continuity. We were proud that each of us gave an example or measure of what our people can be proud, dignified not through handouts or doleouts but through a hold on, fight on, self reliant people,” Gordon recalled.

Gordon said that they ran together because they offered choice, a track record of good governance and not empty, meaningless popularity.

“He and I knew it was almost quixotic. We refused to fear, be mediocre, or to suffer in silence or be complicit. There are not enough words for our dreams!” We mourn but will not be forlorn,” Gordon added.

“Kate and I grieve with his wife Marides and their daughter Tala and her husband and child. We won’t just look back but we must all find the strength to continue to strive and not to yield!

Fare thee well Bayani,” Gordon said.

Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

the volcanic activity may adversely affect crops and livestock.

“Sulfur can cause dizziness. Since it is acidic, it can cause skin irritation and itchiness,” he said.

The country’s top science and technology official said it is advisable to drink a lot of water, wear a face mask at all times, and better stay inside the confines of your homes to avoid health problems caused by vog and smog.

In Metro Manila, problems like skin disease may take its toll on children. Dirty air, such as those emitted by motor vehicles may trigger skin allergies.

“If you don’t have anything important to do, might as well stay inside your homes,” he advised.

According to Solidum, smog in the NCR will be observed in the morning because of the thermal inversion effect.

In rural areas, he advised farmers to postpone planting their seedlings while smog and vog persist to avoid loss. “D on’t plant yet if you have no greenhouse to protect your seedlings,” he said.

In Talisay, Batangas, residents observed that while it is raining, the temperature is hot. Maalinsangan because there’s no wind.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said six groups have so far bought bid documents for the auction: GMR Airports International, San Miguel Holdings Corp., Manila International Airport Consortium, Spark 888 Management, Asian Airport Consortium and Cengiz Insaat Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S.

Representatives from other groups such as Hyundai Engineering, Itochu

“We are very happy with the turnout,” Bautista said. “We are expecting them to participate in the bidding and we’re hoping that some other interested parties will also join the bidding process.”

The winning concessionaire shall sign a Rehabilitate-Operate-ExpandTransfer (ROET) deal with the DOTr and the Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa).

Under the initial terms of reference for the deal, the winning consortium shall provide an upfront

The concession was initially set for 15 years with an option to extend by 10 years as long as the concessionaire is “not in flagrant violation of the concession agreement.”

Certain key performance indicators, according to the Transportation Undersecretary Timothy Batan, shall determine whether the concessionaire is entitled to have its contract extended.

Bidders have until December 27 to submit their bids.

Bautista said the government

The Naia PPP seeks to rehabilitate and expand the current three-terminal gateway in Manila. Once completed, its capacity shall be expanded from 35 million passengers per annum (MPPA) to 62 MPPA.

The concessionaire shall also rehabilitate and upgrade the passenger terminals, commercial assets, surface access facilities, and modernize the communications, navigation, and surveillance systems of the airport.

It is also required to provide a connection at the Naia Terminal 3 to the Metro Manila Subway, deploy buses for boarding transfers, and improve the baggage handling systems.

Philippines, Canadian frigates complete ‘bilateral sail’ in WPS

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday announced that guided missile frigate, BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) and the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Ottawa (FFH-341) have completed a “bilateral sail” operation in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Thursday, September 21.

“The joint sail is part of the Philippine

Navy’s regular engagements with its partners in the Philippines’ maritime zones. Bravo Zulu to all the personnel of both ships and those who planned this activity,” AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Enrico Gil Ileto said in a statement. The activity started around 7:23 a.m. Thursday when the two ships met and

established radio communications with one another at the vicinity of Malampaya Natural Gas Platform.

The two ships also performed maneuvers for “Officer of the Watch” (OOWs) that lasted until 10 a.m. that day.

Last September 4, BRP Jose Rizal joined up with US Navy destroyer, USS

Ralph Johnson (DDG-114), for a division tactics mission.

Both events signify the shared commitment of the Philippines, United States, and Canada in promoting a rules-based international order in the West Philippine Sea and a free and open Indo-Pacific Region. Rex Anthony Naval

DOT to tap new markets for leisure divers; industry earns ₧37B in 2022

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo Special to the BusinessMirror

THE Philippines is exploring new markets to encourage more divers to visit the country and boost the dive industry’s contributions to the economy.

In remarks at the opening of the first Philippine Tourism Dive Dialogue in Cebu on September 14 and 15, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said, “The focus of the Department of Tourism [DOT] is to target various markets, whether that be families, solo travelers, luxe travelers, barkadas [groups of friends], and the like. And we have very specific programs that are targeted to various dive niche markets.”

She added, “We have dive enthusiasts from all over the world and many jurisdictions, including North Asia, as well as Europe [who recognize] diving as a very strong product for the Philippines. We fully intend to capitalize on that and open up to new markets, especially in Europe in the Middle East by making sure that we can collaborate

with the Department of Transportation to mount more flights from these jurisdictions.”

The dive industry contributed some P37 billion in visitor receipts in 2022, accounting for about 17.5 percent of the P209-billion total inbound tourism spend that year. The DOT failed to provide comparative periods for the dive receipts earned by the country, but a previous interview with agency officials estimated about 5 percent of total foreign visitors arrivals dive as a primary activity or as an optional tour. The agency also estimated that every diver spends anywhere from $1,500 to $2,000 during his or her stay in the country.

Higher budget for dive agency

UNDER the National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028, diving is identified as a major tourism product, for which the Philippines is well known. The country just won Asia’s Leading Dive Destination, its fifth straight recognition, at the World Travel Awards 2023. DOT’s efforts to strengthen and support the country’s dive sector have been comple -

mented by the allocation of a budget for the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving (PCSSD), now considered a separate unit under the agency. Under the National Expenditure Program for 2024, the PCSSD was allocated a P14.2-million budget, some 49 percent higher than the P9.53 million approved under the General Appropriations Act this year.

Although the Dive Dialogue was held in her home province of Cebu in Central Visayas, Frasco said the event also highlighted other key and emerging dive destinations in the country.

“It’s not only Central Visayas that is being featured [at this event]. We have also invited our stakeholders from all over the Philippines in the effort to expand the dive tourism portfolio of the Philippines,” she said.

Major dive spots in the Philippines include the Tubbataha Reef Natural Park, Palawan; Balicasag Island, Bohol; Dauin, Dumaguete; the Verde Island Passage, known as the “center of marine biodiversity”; Coron, Palawan; Malapascua, Cebu; and Anilao, Batangas.

Pope Francis accepts resignation of San Pablo Bishop Famadico

POPE Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Buenaventura Famadico from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of San Pablo for health reasons, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) News reported on Thursday.

T he water absorbs hot temperature. But outside Taal is normal,” Solidum said.

Meanwhile, Taal, which is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, continues to show restiveness. It has been under Alert Level I for months and over the past few days, it continues to emit sulfuric gas.

Solidum said local government units (LGUs) should advise their constituents to be ready for evacuation in case the alert level in Taal rises.

Meanwhile, the official reiterated that Taal Volcano Island is a permanent danger zone. “E ven steam with sulfur is dangerous to your health. T he volcano island should be off-limits. There should be no residence in that area,” he said.

In Quezon City, public health officials released an advisory telling its constituents to wear facemasks when going out.

T he vog or smog is also affecting certain areas in Cavite, which is near Taal, which has continued to emit sulfuric gas for the past several months.

Because of the vog and smog that engulfs some parts of the Calabarzon Region, including Metro Manila, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) through the Environmental Management

The decision was based on Famadico’s recent hospitalization for “a serious heart ailment,” according to CBCP.

“ We pray for the healing and recovery of Bishop Ben, who endured ten years of pastoral service to the faithful of San Pablo,” said CBCP

Bureau (EMB) reported that real-time air quality measurements indicate heightened alert primarily attributed to emissions from heavy vehicular traffic, especially during the rush hour.

Air quality varies in time and places and can change anytime depending on pollution sources and meteorological features,” the DENR-EMB advisory said.

“From initial assessment, hazy skies in Metro Manila on 21st-22nd of September may be attributed to ground level and suspended Particulate Matter [PM] concentration,” the report added.

However, real-time air quality monitoring stations do not reflect the same alarming levels, it was observed.

T he worst air quality was monitored in Parañaque City—but that was recorded in the month of July. Meanwhile, the latest air quality in Caloocan, Makati, Parañaque, San Juan, and Taguig with air quality index of 52, 57, 62, 64, and 70, respectively is “fair” as it is slightly below the 24-hour guideline value of 150 ug/Ncm, even though smog is observed at ground level in certain areas.

As for Phivolcs, volcanic smog has lingered over the region since Wednesday night. This prompted Phivolcs to issue a Taal Volcano

Accessible treatment for diver’s sickness

TO strengthen the local dive industry, the DOT, through its infrastructure arm, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, has been providing hyperbaric chambers in key dive spots across the country. The hyperbaric chambers can be found in Mabini in Batangas, Panglao Island in Bohol, Mandaue in Cebu, and Puerto Princesa in Palawan.

More hyperbaric chambers will be turned over to Dumaguete in Negros Oriental, Boracay Island in Aklan, Puerto Galera in Mindoro Oriental, and Daanbantayan in Cebu. Hyberbaric chambers are used to treat decompression sickness of scuba divers.

At the two-day dialogue, panel discussions were held on Marine Environmental Protection and Conservation; Dive Niche Products: Free Diving, Scuba Diving, Black Water Diving, and Underwater Photography; Philippine Dive: Domestic/International Marketing Campaign; Safety, Standards, and Accreditation of Tourism-related Enterprises for Scuba Diving; and Investment Opportunities in the Dive Industry.

Secretary General Msgr. Bernardo Pantin. The 67-year-old priest has served as the Bishop of San Pablo since 2013.

Mean while, the Pope has appointed Bishop Mylo Huber Vergara of Pasig as the apostolic administrator sede vacante of the

Advisory at exactly 5:30 p.m. on September 21, reporting the continuous upswelling at the Taal Main Crater Lake, generating plumes that rose 2,400 meters high before drifting to the west-southwest area.

In addition, Phivolcs said 4,569 tons/day of volcanic sulfur dioxide or SO2 gas emissions from the Taal Main Crater were also observed.

Satellite monitors have also detected a large cloud of SO2 stretching west over Taal Lake.

“Vog has been affecting the Taal Region since the first week of September as an average of 3,402 tons/daySO2 has been degassed from the Taal Volcano for the month,” the Taal Volcano Advisory said.

In Metro Manila, ambient air quality monitoring was reported to be heavily polluted in certain areas by smog.

Air quality monitoring stations in different parts of Metro Manila, however, provide varying degrees of air pollution levels—from Good to Accutely Unhealthy— because of the vog and smog.

W hile vog occurs only during the sulfur emission as part of volcanic activities, smog, which is a combination of smoke and fog may be attributed to air pollution caused by smoke emitted by motor vehicles.

diocese in Laguna province. Vergara is the current CBCP vice president. He will oversee the diocese until a new bishop of San Pablo gets appointed.

“ We also pray for Bishop Vergara who will pastorally govern the said diocese until a new bishop is appointed by the Holy Father,” Pantin said. Patrick V. Miguel

‘Red alert’ hoisted THE National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said Friday it was on heightened alert to ensure the grid’s reliability following the volcanic smog detected at Taal Volcano in Batangas.

T he grid operator said it continues to monitor the effects of the volcanic activity to transmission facilities. Contingency measures are in place, ready for activation, it said. These measures include activation of Overall Command Center and South Luzon Regional Command Center. Also, all available quick response teams are on standby for deployment.

As of this writing, there are no affected transmission lines.

“Transmission services in affected areas remain normal as there are no reported related line outages. As soon as the situation is deemed safe, line crews will be mobilized to inspect and conduct cleaning of critical line equipment as necessary,” NGCP said.

NGCP, which holds the sole and exclusive concession and franchise for operating the Philippines’ transmission network, will provide updates for significant transmissionrelated developments.

Male spikers savor Asiad experience

HANGZHOU—The men’s national volleyball team may not be leaving an indelible mark in the 19th Asian Games but are more than satisfied that its players were able to score one victory on top of their return to the quadrennial games after more than four decades.

B ryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo expressed their fulfillment of being part of the team that played in the Asian Games for the first time after 49 years.

They hoped for a continuous program for the men’s team, adding that goals are achievable with constant training and overseas exposure.

Hopefully, the program continues, it mustn’t end,” said Bagunas, the 25-year-old spiker out of National University. “And we hope that we get to see more action overseas.”

E spejo said: “We’re super thankful of the opportunity and chance to represent the Philippines here in the Asian Games. I hope this goes on and on.”

The stint was the first for the men’s volleyball team since the 1974 Tehran Games.

T he Filipinos—send here through the Philippine National Volleyball Federation, made the

Spiker Progella has back injury

HANGZHOU—Kylem

Progella couldn’t bear the pain of a back injury and had to withdraw from their scheduled women’s volleyball game against Thailand on Thursday in the 19th Asian Games.

P rogella and Grydelle Matibag thus handed the walkover victory to Taravadee Naraphornrapat and Kongphopsarutawadee of Thailand at the Ningbo Banbianshan Beach Volley Center in Ningbo.

Progella suffered the injury in their match against Kin Teng Tam and Ken Lai Lei of Macau on Thursday. She hurt her back so we decided not to play anymore,” team manager Mayi Prochina said. “We asked her the level of pain from a scale of 1 to 10 and she said 7. So we decided to just warm-up for compliance and withdraw from the match.”

The Progella-Matibag tandem wrapped up its pool play campaign with a 2-2 win-loss card to still progress to the knockout stage. The important match are the quarterfinals. She needs to recover so her condition will improve,” said Prochina, a member of the team that clinched gold in indoor volleyball at of the Singapore Southeast Asian Games in 1993. We have yet to know our opponent in the quarterfinals. We still have a drawing of lots,” she said.

most out of it by finishing with a 1-2 record in their group.

They posted a 25-23, 25-16, 25-12 win over Afghanistan that kept them in the running for a playoffs berth, but they lost to Japan in their final game, 25-19, 25-14, 25-23, at the Deqing Sports Centre Gymnasium to formally bow out of contention.

The Philippine team lost its opening game against Indonesia, 2522, 25-23, 25-20. Still Bagunas was proud of the way the team competed.

The team flies home on Saturday.

Jun Lomibao

HANGZHOU ROLLS OUT 19TH ASIAN GAMES

that’s expected to be lavish and hightech with the host city—the third in China in the last 33 years—promising a visual spectacle showcasing its historic and cultural attraction.

World No. 2 and Asia’s No. 1 pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena and skateboarder Margielyn Didal, gold medalist in the last Asian Games in Indonesia, will carry the country’s colors ahead of a 90-athlete Team Philippines that will march during the traditional parade of athletes in

By Jun Lomibao

HANGZHOU—The 19th edition of the Asian Games postponed from last year as an offshoot of the pandemic kick off on Saturday with an opening ceremony

HANGZHOU—Joanie

Delgaco placed second in the semifinals on Friday to progress into the final of women’s single sculls of rowing to be in position of the Philippines’ first medal in

Shooters aim to end 65-year medal drought

HANGZHOU—Olympians

Jayson Valdez and Paul Bryan Rosario lead a national shooting team pressed hard to end an Asian Games gold medal drought that has lasted more than two generations.

Valdez and Rosario will have veterans Amparo Teresa Acuna, Hagen Topacio, Joaquin Miguel Ancheta, Franchette Shayne Quiroz and rookie Enrique Enriquez as teammates in ending that drought that’s lasted 65 years.

The last time the Philippines struck gold in shooting was in 1958 in Tokyo when Martin Gison ruled the men’s air rifle open and Adolfo Feliciano topped the men’s small bore rifle 3 positions. “ This is the crème dela crème of Philippine shooting. Expect some nice performance from these two,’’ said Philippine National Shooting Association secretary general Iryne Garcia, referring to Valdez and Rosario. “We also have rookie Enrique who is currently doing well and pistol shooter Franchette.”

We’re expecting to give it a little push,’’ added Garcia, who arrived Friday with the team at the Athletes Village. R osario, who saw action in the

2012 London Olympics, is entered in the men’s skeet while Valdez, a 2020 Tokyo Olympian, will try his hand in the men’s 10m air rifle, 50m rifle 3 positions and air rifle mixed team.

A lso joining the team are 2008

Beijing Olympian Eric Ang (men’s trap and trap team), Carlos Carag (men’s trap and trap team) and Elvie Baldivino (women’s 10m air pistol and 25m pistol). Topacio will also compete in the men’s trap, Enriquez in the men’s skeet along with Ancheta and Quiroz has been lined up in the women’s 10m air pistol.

referring to the four gold medals won in Jakarta and Palembang four years ago.

Tolentino has been counting potential sources of golds starting with Obiena, whose Asian record of 6.0 meters he cleared twice this year in Europe, looked unreachable by his closest Asian rivals.

Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, the Olympic and world champion, is a hopeful to retain her weightlifting title but she has to work doubly hard—and even cram. She’s competing at 59 kgs and not

Golfers Association card, Chanelle Avaricio was tapped as a last minute replacement but was denied by Hangzhou organizers.

Tolentino said he’s hopeful there are more possible sources of golds.

Mininum of four golds, that’s OK,” said Tolentino, who will also join the parade in the opening ceremony at the Hangzhou Olympic Centre Stadium.

The Philippines fielded 272 athletes in 31 sports in Indonesia, but sent more this time with 395 athletes vying in 40 sports programmed by the capital of Zhejiang province.

An Asian Games record 12,417 athletes from 45 countries will vie for 481 gold medals in 40 sports all the way to the closing ceremony on October 8.

Tolentino said that if the female athletes lorded over the 2018 campaign, the men are expected to deliver this time.

“ The men has a chance to bounce back this time. We have EJ [Obiena], Eumir Marcial in boxing, and in golf we have strong gets [Clyde Mondilla] and those in esports,” said Tolentino, also

the president of the cycling federation and mayor of Tagaytay City. The Filipino contingent in the opening ceremony will wear Barong Tagalog designed by world-class Filipino designer Rodolfo “Puey” Quinones.

Hangzhou organizers, meanwhile, vowed for a spectacular opening ceremony show, rain or shine. They said that the ceremony will go on as scheduled adding breathtaking projections will depict the city’s past and present on the floor and background screens apart from showcasing a number of historical and cultural attractions.

Hangzhou has been battered by intermittent rains for the past week.

A lso worth waiting is the glassfree 3D animations of athletic action and the unique way of lighting of the cauldron by a virtual torchbearer. The ceremony from the welcome show, traditional parade of delegations, protocols and the main artistic performance will last for about 115 minutes.

DELGACO IN MEDALS RACE OF ROWING

the 19th Asian Games at the Fuyang Water Sports Center.

A gold medalist in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games back home, Delgaco stormed into the lead before Shiho Yonekawa of Japan zoomed past her halfway the 2,000-meter race to rule the race in eight minutes and 6.32 seconds.

Delgaco maintained her speed and crossed in 8:18.30, joining Yonekawa in the medal race along with thirdplacer Wing Wun Leung of Hong Kong (8:20.35).

We’re so proud of her, especially PRA [Philippine Rowing Association] president Patrick Gregorio and the coaching staff because her hard work paid off,” PRA secretary-general Magnum Membrere said. “Let’s hope and pray she gets a medal.”

The job’s not finished. She’ll relax for the opening ceremony but she will remain focused for the final,” Membrere added.

Syria, China to forge strategic deal as Asian Games diplomacy kicks off

BEIJING—China and Syria will announce the formation of a strategic partnership, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said Friday at the start of a meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad in southern China.

T he meeting at a Chinese state guesthouse kicked off a series of diplomatic meetings ahead of Saturday night’s opening of the Asian Games sports

competition in the city of Hangzhou.

“

In the face of the unstable and uncertain international situation, China is willing to work with Syria to firmly support each other...and jointly safeguard international fairness and justice,” Xi said in a video clip posted online by state broadcaster CCTV.

A ssad’s visit parallels in some ways that of Russian

Tokyo Olympian Cris Nievarez was fourth in his semifinal in men’s single sculls to miss the final. Nievarez’s time of 7:25.65 was only three seconds slower than India’s Balraj Panwar (7:22.22) in the semifinals where only the top three finishers from each heat advance to the finals.

C hina’s Liang Zhang finished ahead of the pack in 7:12.77 before Kazakhstan’s Vladislav Yakovlev checked in at second (7:19.27).

B esides Yonekawa and Wing, Delgaco will be with Uzbekistan’s Anna Prakaten, China’s Liu Ruiqi and Taipei’s Huang Yi Ting in the medal race set on Monday.

P rakaten arrived the fastest in the other women’s semis heat in 7:47.88 followed by Liu (7:55.69) and Huang (8:14.36).

Delgaco will be up against rivals from China, Uzbekistan, Hong Kong, Taipei and Japan in Monday’s final.

Jun Lomibao

President Vladimir Putin last year for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Both leaders are virtual pariahs in the West but welcomed by China as it tries to expand its global influence and promote an alternative to the US-led international order.

The Syrian leader will attend the Asian Games opening ceremony along with the king of Cambodia, the crown prince of Kuwait and the prime ministers of Nepal, TimorLeste and South Korea, China’s Foreign Ministry has said. The competition, taking place in the city of Hangzhou, will have more participants than the Olympics. AP

MARCK ESPEJO penetrates the Japanese defense. PHOTO BY NONIE REYES (CANON EOS R6)

JOANIE DELGACO is in a position to capture the country’s first gold medal.

TOKYO Olympian Jason Valdez (left) arrives at the Athletes Village in Hangzhou with (from left) shooting association secretary-general Iryne Garcia, Enrique Enriquez and London Olympian Paul Bryan Rosario.

PHOTO BY NONIE REYES (CANON EOS R6)

FILIPINO athletes and officials will be clad in Rodolfo “Puey” Quinones-designed Barong Tagalog.

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Basic Qualification: Can contribute information, ideas, and research to help develop marketing strategies. Can help to detail, design, and implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered.

and develops various marketing strategies for products and services implements marketing plans and works to meet sales quotas.

Basic Qualification: Can contribute information, ideas, and research to help develop marketing strategies. Can help to detail, design, and implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered.