HE decision of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to reduce the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) of banks represents a billions-worth in liquidity infusion, according to market research firm Nomura.
Based on the Nomura’s Asia Insights, Senior Economist Euben Paracuelles and Southeast Asian Economist Nabila Amani said the reduction of the RRR is equivalent to a liquidity infusion of about P310 billion to P330 billion or 1.2 percent of the country's full-year 2024 GDP.
On Friday, BSP decided to reduce the RRR for universal and commercial banks (UKBs); non-bank financial institutions with quasi-banking functions (NBQBs); digital banks; and thrift banks. It also removed the RRR for rural and cooperative banks (RCBs) starting October 25, 2024.
“This is comparable with the last RRR cut in June 2023—by a similar 250 bps—but the impact on money supply growth was relatively muted then because it was aimed at offsetting the tightening in liquidity due to the expiry of some pandemic-linked measures,” the Nomura economists said.
Earlier, the BSP said it is keen on introducing further refinements to
the securities currently in its toolkit to help deepen capital markets.
BSP Monetary Policy Sub-Sector
Assistant Governor Zeno Ronald R. Abenoja has already taken steps toward this direction.
Abenoja said these include the issuance of multiple tenors for the BSP bills such as the 28-day tenor introduced in September 2020 and the 56day tenor implemented in June 2023.
Paracuelles and Amani said instruments such as the term deposit facility (TDF) have been more actively used by the BSP to mop up excess liquidity.
"We believe the availability of these new instruments gives BSP the flexibility to manage the liquidity impact
BSP: PHL TO POST BOP SURPLUS TILL NEXT YEAR
By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario
Tis
to
posting a Balance of Payment (BOP) surplus until next year due to the growth of global demand and the domestic economy, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Based
By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie
coastal areas despite the massive information and communication drives. To help curb the problem of ocean plastic pollution and microplastics contaminating the country’s most important protein and food source, the DENR strictly enforces the Extended Producer Responsibility Act (EPR) mandating companies to recover the plastic waste they produce.
THE House of Representatives is set to approve the proposed P6.352-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2025 on its third and final reading this Wednesday, anticipating that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will certify the 2025 national budget as urgent.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez emphasized the House’s commitment to adhering to the deliberation and approval timeline, treating the national budget with urgency while main -
taining transparency.
He noted that passing the budget before Congress goes on recess would allow the Senate sufficient time for their own debates and approval process.
According to the legislative calendar, Congress will be in recess from September 28 to November 3.
“We have sufficient time to finally agree on the budget before year end. It is the most important piece of legislation Congress passes every year,” he said.
“Next year’s spending legislation will serve as our tool for sustained
Paracuelles and Amani said one could expect the BSP to cut by 25 bps at each of the o c tober and December meetings. This will be followed by a 75-bps reduction in the first three meetings in 2025 or 25 bps per meeting.
This would bring the policy rate down to 5 percent by May 2025. The economists do not see a larger reduction in policy rates of above 25 bps because some of the easing in monetary policy will already be accomplished through the RRR cuts.
“BSP tends to see RRR cuts as operational shifts and [this was] hence made separately from scheduled monetary board meetings to signal this does not represent a change in monetary policy,” Paracuelles and Amani said.
“Nonetheless, we think the RRR reduction announced this early reflects BSP’s greater confidence on the inflation outlook, which is also supporting its easing cycle,” the Nomura economists added.
o n F riday, BSP decided to reduce the reserve requirement ratios (RRRs) by 250 basis points (bps) for u K Bs and NBQBs, effectively bringing this down to 7 percent from the current 9.5 percent starting o c tober 25. Apart from u K Bs and NBQBs, the BSP will also reduce the RRR for digital banks by 200 bps; as well as thrift banks (TBs) and for rural banks and cooperative banks (RCBs) by 100 bps.
This will also bring down the ratios to 4 percent for digital banks and TBs to 1 percent. With the reduction in its RRR, RCBs will no longer have a reserve ratio by 25 o c tober 2024. The BSP stressed that the reduction of the RRR will apply to the local currency deposits and deposit substitute liabilities of banks and NBQBs. (See: https://businessmirror. com.ph/2024/09/21/bsp-cuts-banks-rrrin-bid-to-spur-growth/).
Manila seminary system honors, thanks sponsors
By Justine Xyrah Garcia
Archdiocesan
HE Manila
TSeminary System Foundation Inc. [Massfi] on Saturday expressed gratitude to the people who continuously support young boys and men aspiring to join the priesthood.
In his homily at holy mass at the San Carlos Seminary on Saturday, Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula underscored the importance of selfless service in the community—the same act that Massfi benefactors show among seminarians.
“This is what Jesus teaches us in his ministry. This is what he is teaching us now in this eucharistic celebration: total self-giving is the only way
Based on the latest forecast, the country's Gross International Reserves (GIR) could end the year at around $106 billion in 2024 and $107 billion in 2025. These estimates are both higher compared to the projections made in the second quarter at $104 billion in 2024 and $105 billion in 2025.
However, the projections indicated that the country’s current account deficit is expected to widen to $6.8 billion in 2024 and $5.5 bil -
to restore life to those deprived of life,” Advincula said.
The Cardinal added that rather than leaving people feeling empty, the act of generosity can fill them with abundance.
“In eucharistic generosity, therefore, we are not emptied but filled to the brim; and we become eu [good] charis [grace] to others, just as Jesus was and is to us,” he said.
Following the Cardinal’s mass, a benefactors’ night was held where various seminarians shared their experiences and stories of how the Massfi benefactors impacted the journeys of the seminarians.
These seminarians—aged from early teens to late 30s—spoke about the sponsors’ transformative support
lion in 2025.
These deficits are also wider compared to the current account deficit outlook made in the second quarter, at $4.7 billion in 2024 and $2 billion in 2025.
BSP said merchandise exports are expected to slow due to the semiconductor industry which “does not appear to be benefiting from the AI (artificial intelligence)-induced upturn in global electronics demand.”
"The wider current account deficit in 2024 was due to the reduction in the growth forecasts for goods and services exports," BSP said.
“Nonetheless, the current account outlook continues to be supported by robust growth
which allowed them to pursue their vocations with confidence.
The support provided by benefactors has been crucial in various ways. This includes enabling seminarians to focus on their education, fostering a sense of belonging within the community, and even encouraging those who have embraced a later calling.
For Rev. Msgr. Noly Que, Rector of the Lorenzo Mission Institute, these collective experiences highlight the significant impact that generous sponsorship has on shaping future leaders of the Church.
“Your efforts do not go unnoticed…it resonates to our seminary walls, fostering an en -
prospects for travel receipts, along with the steady inflows of overseas Filipinos (o F s) remittances,” it added.
Meanwhile, risks to the country's B o P outlook include price volatility caused by geopolitical and trade tensions, as well as extreme weather events and mobility risks posed by infectious diseases like monkeypox.
In terms of 2025, BSP said downside risks include potential market instability from escalations in geopolitical and geoeconomic risks which include the brewing conflict in the Middle East and uS -China trade tensions.
In August, BSP data showed the country posted a B o P surplus of $88 million in August 2024, or 254.39 percent
vironment of growth and faith,” Que said.
Whether big or small, the rector said that all the financial support that Massfi receives is vital for funding the education and other essential needs of seminarians.
“It reaches the lives of our seminarians and helps them grow either spiritual [or] academic pursuit… We sincerely hope that you will not get tired of this noble endeavor,” Que said.
Currently, Massfi supports four seminaries in Metro Manila: San Carlos Seminary, Lorenzo Mission Institute, Holy Apostles Senior Seminary, and Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary.
Among the benefactors inv ited by Cardinal Advincula to the appreciation night was D. Edgard A. Cabangon, chairman of the ALC Group of Companies. His late father and founder of the ALC Group, Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, had for years been an active sponsor of churchrelated programs.
higher than the $57-billion B o P deficit posted in August 2023. The figure in August was also 41.94 percent higher than the $62-million surplus posted in July 2024.
BSP said the B o P s urplus in August 2024 brought the year-to-date B o P level to a $1.6-billion surplus, lower than the $2.1-billion surplus recorded in January-August 2023.
The Central Bank also noted that based on the preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) International Merchandise Trade Statistics (IMTS), the trade deficit for January-July 2024 reached $29.9 billion, down from the $31.8-billion deficit posted in January-July 2023.
economic development. It will support the Agenda for Prosperity programs of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr.,” he said.
Romualdez also pointed out that the budget would serve as a mechanism to extend the benefits of economic progress to Filipinos through various social protection and financial aid programs, as well as funding for infrastructure projects such as roads, hospitals, schools, seaports, airports, and irrigation systems.
“We hope our people will feel the benefits of growth through the programs intended for them in the national budget,” he added.
Certify as urgent
Hou SE M ajority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe said that President Marcos is expected to certify the proposed budget as urgent.
Dalipe said the certification will enable the House of Representatives to approve the 2025 GAB on both the second and final readings on the same day.
Scheduled to be tackled this Monday up to Wednesday are the o f fice of the President, o f fice of the Vice President, Department of Agriculture, National Irrigation Administration, Department of Health, Department of Energy, and Energy Regulatory Commission.
Budgets of the Civil Service Commission, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Commission on Audit, Department of Transportation, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Congress, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Education, and several executive offices are also expected to be deliberated.
Before final approval on Wednesday, the House will hear opposition remarks and proceed with the period of amendments. Given the anticipated numerous proposals, a small committee will likely be formed to handle these recommendations.
o n e of the expected amendments is on the budget of the office of Vice President Sara Duterte for 2025, which is expected to be reduced by over half, from P2.037 billion to P733 million, due to redundant social programs and overextended offices.
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The DENR-led coastal cleanup on Saturday in 250 coastal areas is part of the International Coastal Cleanup activity meant to raise awareness about the impact of plastic pollution on marine life and the ecosystem.
The DENR said 74,075 volunteers—more than double last year’s 35,000—from 1,913 government, academic, and private sector organizations joined the one-day activity.
The simultaneous cleanup activities were held from the northernmost Pasuquin municipality in the Ilocos Region to the southernmost Gian municipality in the Socksargen Region. Volunteers of all ages gathered at beaches, riverbanks, and coastlines and collected a total of 352,479 kilograms of trash.
“This year marks a significant milestone as the Philippines affirms its commitment to coastal cleanliness and environmental conservation,” DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga said in a statement.
“With the ICC 2024 theme, ‘Clean Seas for Blue Economy’, this year’s cleanup not only aimed to address immediate pollution but also sought to inspire long-term behavioral changes among communities, encouraging everyone to reduce waste and participate in ongoing clean-up initiatives.”
The data gathered during the cleanup will be compiled to better understand the types of waste affecting the country’s waters, thus guiding future conservation, waste recovery, and resource utilization strategies. Collected trash that can be recycled will be brought to the nearest local Materials Recovery Facility ( MRF).
Earlier, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. tagged climate change and common trash disposal practices as the culprits of extensive flooding in Metro Manila, following the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) report that Typhoon Carina last month caused 13 landslides, forcing the evacuation of over 600,000 people and leaving 14 dead.
“Today, we witnessed an incredible outpouring of support and dedication from Filipinos who care deeply about our environment,” said Secretary Loyzaga.
The appropriations committee said the cuts will mainly affect financial assistance, consultant services, utilities, supplies, and rentals, but salaries will remain unchanged. The entire P947 million for financial assistance from the oV P will be transferred to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Health (D o H) for their assistance programs.
House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Zaldy Co stressed the critical role of the national budget in shaping policies and guiding the country’s trajectory, emphasizing the importance of transparency and accountability in government spending.
“No public funds can be spent illegally, which is why passing the [GAB] is crucial,” Co said. He also highlighted that the proposed budget ensures the funding of public programs and projects, guaranteeing the delivery of essential services while driving both economic and social growth.
Co called on his colleagues to prioritize the swift passage of the GAB, emphasizing its importance for the efficient implementation of government programs, especially those aimed at eradicating poverty and aiding vulnerable sectors of society.
Appropriations Senior Vice Chairperson Stella Luz Quimbo described the 2025 budget as a "book of solutions" designed to uplift the lives of Filipinos by addressing critical socioeconomic issues.
Quimbo highlighted the alignment of the budget with the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework, which focuses on sustained and inclusive growth while maintaining fiscal discipline.
The proposed 2025 budget includes P4.405 trillion in new appropriations and P2.105 trillion in automatic appropriations, focusing on key areas such as human and social development, job creation, and infrastructure improvement.
Key focus areas in the budget include human and social development, job creation, and improving the country’s infrastructure and governance.
Education, as the top priority, is allocated P977.6 billion to ensure accessible, quality education for all Filipinos. Public works and highways are set to receive P900 billion, while the health sector will be allocated P297.6 billion to improve healthcare services nationwide. Human and social development programs will receive P2.120 trillion next year.
“As we celebrate the 30th year of the International Coastal Cleanup in the Philippines, we reaffirm our commitment to safeguarding our coastal resources and promoting sustainable practices that protect our marine ecosystems.”
The International Coastal Clean-up is one of the largest volunteer efforts in the world, with over 150 participating countries and millions of volunteers each year. The Philippines started participating in the ICC around 1994 and, in 2003, the Philippine Government institutionalized the event by issuing Presidential Proclamation 470 setting ICC in the Philippines every 3rd Saturday of September.
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Lapid, for his part, added that the winning consultant is expected to: carry out a preliminary study and investigation of the site; prepare a precise and detailed masterplan design and drawings; introduce new buildings and spaces, provide landmarks and improve existing structures; integrate sustainability in its designs; ensure the reports and designs adhere to the latest best practices; and prepare detailed engineering design documents for facilities under short-term development.
Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda (Albay, 2nd District) explained earlier that the project is government’s “assertive stance towards protecting our territorial integrity, including a realignment of confidential funds towards WPS defense....Nothing says domestic territory like tourism.” (See, “Marcos administration eyes tourism development in West Philippine Sea,” in the BusinessMirror, January 4, 2024.)
Immediate projects T H ERE a re ongoing diplomatic tensions between Manila and Beijing because of the latter’s aggressive measures to assert control even in areas within the Philippines’s exclusive economic zone, which includes the WPS.
Tieza will be coordinating with the D oT, Departments of National Defense, Environment and Natural Resources, Transportation, local governments of Palawan, Kalayaan, Palawan, among others, in carrying out the study.
The government firm has identified possible medium- to long-term projects suitable for the islands like a 100-room resort specifically on PagAsa, including a retail center, dining hub, conference center, desalination facility; villas over the water in Parola; a lighthouse in Panata, among others. The winning bidder must submit detailed engineering designs for short-term development projects once the detailed masterplan is approved by the Tieza-Technical Working Group. These immediate projects are for Pag-Asa Island (ferry terminal, marina, and tourist information center); tourist stations for Lawak, Kota, and Panatag islands; and Rizal Reef as a tourist destination.
In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China
CHINA’S INFRASTRUCTURE ACHIEVEMENTS:
A Remarkable Global Wonder
CHINESE President Xi Jinping emphasized that "infrastructure is an essential pillar for economic and social development. We must balance development and security imperatives, optimise the layout, structure, function, and development models of infrastructure, and build a modern infrastructure system." China's infrastructure achievements are a modern miracle, representing one of the most remarkable chapters in the country's modernization. The infrastructure achievements reflected in numerous statistics are staggering.
n Transportation Infrastructure:
Weaving a Three-Dimensional Transport Network and Economic “Arteries”
China's vast transportation infrastructure network creates convenient connections in all directions and serving as the "arteries" of economic development. The highway network stretches 180,000 kilometers across the country, greatly promoting regional economic development and facilitating people exchanges. The Beijing-Tibet Expressway is a prime example, serving as a critical link between Beijing and Tibet and witnessing the region's rapid economic growth. The 45,000-kilometer high-speed rail network, forming a "four vertical and four horizontal" transportation pattern, connects the north and south, spanning east and west. The Beijing-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway is one of the world's longest high-speed rail lines in operation and a symbol of modern transportation miracles. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge promotes the economic integration of Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macao, while the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link has reduced the travel time between the two cities from about two hours to less than 30 minutes. Over 250 airports across China create an aerial bridge connecting the country to the world. Major ports such as Shanghai Port and Ningbo-Zhoushan Port are world-class cargo hubs, with container throughput ranking among the highest globally. Additionally, inland waterway facilities, such as the Yangtze River channel, have greatly facilitated inland water transport.
n Energy Infrastructure: Ensuring Energy Supply and Sustainable Development China's power generation capacity leads the world, with large-scale hydropower, thermal power, and nuclear power plants spread across the country, ensuring stable and sustainable energy supply. The Three Gorges Dam, the largest hydropower station in the world, majestically stands over the Yangtze River, generating over 100 billion kilowatthours of electricity annually while ef fectively controlling floods. The Bai hetan Hydropower Station, with a single-unit capacity of 1 million kilowatt-hours, ranks first in the world. Gansu Wind Farm has a total
installed capacity of 7,965 megawatts.
In 2023, the total electricity consumption across society reached 9.22 trillion kilowatt-hours, with large-scale enterprises nationwide generating 8.9 trillion kilowatt-hours, of which hydropower, nuclear power, wind power, and solar power collectively produced 3.19 trillion kilowatt-hours. As of the end of May 2024, the total number of charging infrastructure nationwide had reached 9.92 million units, a year-on-year increase of 56%. Of these, 3.05 million were public charging facilities, and 6.87 million were private charging facilities, growing by 46% and 61%, respectively. These figures indicate that China has built the world's largest charging infrastructure system, providing solid support for the widespread adoption of new energy vehicles.
n Communication Infrastructure: Boosting the Digital Economy
with 67 million kilometers of optical cable lines forming a giant network that has brought China into the digital age. This not only laid the foundation for the widespread use of the Internet but also provided strong momentum for digital transformation. China leads the world in 5G network construction. The number of 5G base stations has reached 4 million, covering vast areas from cities to rural regions, spurring the Internet of Things, remote work, and online education. At the same time, the rise of data centers provides strong technical support for cloud computing and big data analysis. Driven by new telecommunications technologies, internet applications such as e-commerce, e-government, and remote work have become widely adopted. In 2023, the annual transaction volume of mobile payments reached 76 trillion USD. The advanced information infrastructure network
5G, and contribute to high-quality economic development and continuous improvement of people's lives.
n New Infrastructure: Leading New Business Models, New Industries, and New Services
The rapid development of new infrastructure has become a key engine for China's economic transformation and upgrading. With the advent of the digital economy era, computing power is becoming a new form of productivity, injecting new momentum into the digital transformation of various industries. As of the end of June 2023, the total number of data center racks in use nationwide exceeded 7.6 million standard racks, with a total computing power of 197 EFLOPS (1.97 quintillion floating-point operations per second), ranking second globally. The total computing power has grown at an average annual rate of nearly
ing power of 19.6 EFLOPS, enough to support billions of people worldwide sending New Year greetings via mobile phones simultaneously.
China's 6G technology has entered the initial stage of key technology research and is expected to establish technical standards by 2025 and achieve commercial application around 2030. Satellite Internet, officially incorporated into new infrastructure in 2020, has achieved significant breakthroughs in less than four years. Individual satellites have evolved into networked constellations, and the duration of satellite video calls has increased from 3 minutes to over 30 minutes. In 2023, China successfully launched multiple satellite Internet technology test satellites, marking that China has mastered key satellite Internet technologies, laying the foundation for future global satellite Internet coverage. n Global Impact: The Shared Benefits of the Belt and Road Initiative China's infrastructure development has had a profound impact globally. The Belt and Road Initiative is the bridge and bond for China's infrastructure to go global. The successful implementation of landmark projects such as the China-Laos Railway, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, and the China-Thailand Railway has made Chinese infrastructure a vital force in supporting global economic recovery. These projects have not only improved the infrastructure of countries along the BRI but also promoted regional connectivity, bringing tangible benefits to the Belt and Road countries.
The internationalization of China's infrastructure is not only an essential achievement in the country's modernization but also a powerful testament to China's rise on the global stage. Whether it is the transportation network that spans the entire country, the power
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge
The Three Gorges Dam
China Telecom central cloud computing and big data center
Motor chain units of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway
Communication tower workers are setting up 5G base stations
A4
Monday, September 23, 2024
‘Confront allegations, do not use VP as cover’
By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie & Butch Fernandez @butchfBM
ISMISSING claims of a “de -
Dmolition job,” a vice chair -
man of the House Quad Committee on Sunday urged Sen. Ronald dela Rosa to confront the allegations regarding his role in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal war on drugs, rather than hiding behind Vice President Sara Duterte’s skirt.
Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, vice chairman of the House Quad Committee and a member of Philippine Military Class of 1970, dismissed the claim of dela Rosa, a member of PMA Class of 1981, that the testimony of former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog before the committee was part of a “demolition job” targeting the Vice President and her allies ahead of the 2028 elections.
“There is no demolition job here—
only legitimate questions that need clear answers. Senator dela Rosa should be man enough to face the facts and take responsibility, instead of hiding behind VP Sara’s skirt,” said Acop. The hearings, according to Acop, are intended to reveal the truth behind extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration’s drug war, along with its connections to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) and the drug trade.
He emphasized that Mabilog’s testimony is central to the investigation’s aim of crafting laws to address these issues—not to engage in political attacks.
“Former Mayor Mabilog’s testimony is crucial. Our goal is to craft laws that will put an end to these crimes— not to play political games,” he added.
Mabilog testified that he was forced to falsely accuse former senators Franklin Drilon and Mar Roxas of being drug lords at the height of Duterte’s controversial anti-drug campaign.
He also revealed that he and his family received threats after the former President falsely branded him a protector of the drug trade.
But dela Rosa, who led Duterte’s bloody drug war as former Philippine National Police chief, dismissed the House investigation as a “fishing expedition.”
Uncovering crime networks
MANILA Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., chairman of the Committee on Human Rights, also dismissed dela Rosa’s claims, stressing that the investigation is focused on uncovering hidden criminal networks and holding those responsible accountable.
“Senator dela Rosa’s claims of ‘demolition job’ and ‘fishing expedition’ are far from the truth. Our committee is committed to addressing systemic problems, and this investigation is about holding those responsible accountable—not playing politics,” Abante said.
He continued, “as legislators, it is
our duty to seek justice for the victims of illegal drug operations and expose the syndicates behind them. If we fail to do so, more Filipinos will continue to suffer.”
Abante challenges dela Rosa to accept the invitation to speak before the Quad Comm in order to air his sid on the testimony given by Mayor Mabilog.
“Our doors are always open to those who wish to provide the Quad Comm with information that will help us accomplish our task,” said Abante.
Both lawmakers reiterated that the work of the joint panel is rooted in addressing the connections between illegal drugs, Pogos, and the abuse of power that has plagued the country for years.
They pointed out that the testimony of dozens of witnesses, including Mabilog, showed the wider complexity of these networks beyond local politics and confirmed their commitment to a fair and unbiased invetigation.
AGROUP of former chiefs of the defunct Constabulary and the National Police on Sunday condemned what it called the “irresponsible statements by a Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. who testified in a Senate hearing that a former National Police chief assisted in the escape of Alice Guo from the Philppines.
The Council of Chiefs at the same time dared Pagcor vice president Raul Villanueva, a Philippine Military Academy graduate who retired as a brigadier general, to name the retired National Police chief who allegedly assisted Guo in leaving the country.
In a statement, the Council of Chiefs
headed by retired Gen. Renato de Villa as chairman and retired Director General Edgar Aglipay as president, described the statement of retired Villanueva, Pagcor’ vice president for security, “irresponsible as his allegation was based on unvalidated information and rumors.”
Villanueva made the statements in the course of his testimony at the continuation of the Senate hearings on the irregularites and criminal activities allegedly committed in Philippine Overseas Gaming Operations (Pogo) hubs.
The retired National Police chief’s statement also said: “This is a sweeping accusation
which maligns and brings dishonor to all of us, former Chiefs, who have dedicated the best years of our lives in the service of the Filipino nation.”
Villanueva alleged in the Senate hearing on September 17 that in addition to helping Guo flee the country, the former National Police chief also received a monthly payola from Pogo operators.
The present National Police chief, Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil on the other hand said that Villanueva’s statement “affected the integrity of the entire police organization.”
The Council of Chiefs statement added:
“As a retired brigadier general himself, schooled in the Philippine Military Academy’s tradition of producing an ‘Officer and a Gentleman’, it is incumbent upon himself, in the interest of transparency, fairness and justice, to identity this rogue former National Police chief to clear the names of those not involved.”
The Council of Chiefs demanded an apology if Villanueva could not substantiate his claim.
“If the information turns out false after validating the report, we hereby demand a public apology, no less, from the same officer [Villanueva],” the statement read.
Taguig has authority over buildings, structures in Embo villages–DOJ
Fing the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts, has been investigating the links between illegal Pogos, the illegal-drug trade, land grabbing by Chinese nationals, and extra-judicial killings.
Reelection
DELA ROSA, one of the reelectionists in the Senate who has been officially named as part of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan Senate ticket for 2025, on Friday night announced that he will seek reelection because he wanted “to continuously serve the Filipino people despite political persecution.”
The Mindanaoan lawmaker made the remark as he accepted the nomination of PDP-Laban.
“Even before the recent developments, I have already decided to run for reelection,” dela Rosa said in his acceptance speech.
“Especially in these times when we are continually being assaulted
by the Quad-Committee of the House of Representatives, I will not allow that. I will not allow them to attack me forever. We will fight,” he added, partly in Filipino.
Dela Rosa, along with his patron, former President Rodrigo Duterte, are being called to account for the thousands of deaths in the Duterteera drugs wars, where dela Rosa was chief implementer as the National Police chief.
Together with his partymates and fellow senatorial candidates, dela Rosa, who serves as the party’s Vice President for Mindanao, said they will show that the brand of service of PDP-Laban is to prioritize the service to Filipinos.
“Just in case tayo’y mag -survive, 2025, z Sen. Bong Go, Philip Salvador at kung sino pang sasama sa aming partido, ‘pag matawid natin ang 2025, ipakita natin na tayo’y tumakbo, naging politiko para magserbsiyo at gumawa ng maayos. Hindi para manira ng kapwa,” dela Rosa
House will not take VP Sara’s refusal to take oath as precedent
THE chairman of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability on Sunday assured the public that Vice President Sara Duterte’s refusal to take an oath during a recent congressional inquiry will not set a precedent for future hearings.
In a statement, Manila Rep. Joel Chua, chairman of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, said that rule of the House of Representatives require all witnesses and resource persons to testify under oath to ensure transparency and truthfulness in their testimonies.
He reiterated that this practice is mandated by the Rules of Procedure Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation.
refused to take the oath to tell the truth at the start of a House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability hearing on the alleged misuse by her office of millions in funds for socio-economic programs.
Chua explained that the committee allowed Duterte to speak without taking the oath out of respect for her office. However, he clarified that this was a special courtesy and will not apply to others in future hearings.
By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573
OLLOWING the principle that “the accessory follows the principal,” the Department of Justice (DOJ) held that the Taguig City government should have the authority and jurisdiction over buildings and structures within the so-called Embo (enlisted men’s barrio) barangays.
The DOJ made known its position in a three-page response to the letter of Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa seeking its legal opinion on whether or not the Supreme Court’s 2023 final decision also gives ownership rights of the buildings and structures located in Embo barangays to Taguig City.
Herbosa was referring to the December 1, 2021 decision, and April 3, 2023 resolution of the Court which permanently barred the Makati City government from exercising jurisdiction over the 729-hectare Fort Bonifacio Military Reservation, including the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) and the Embo barangays (Pembo, Comembo, Cembo, South Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo and Pitogo). Herbosa’s request for legal opinion stemmed from the conflicting claims of Makati City and Taguig City on the execution of the said SC decision.
He noted that the Makati City government is insisting that the health centers located in the disputed areas are owned by it as it is separate and distinct from the land on which these are built.
On the other hand, Taguig City maintains that the SC decision gives them jurisdiction over the land as well as the structures on which these are situated.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, however, begged off from rendering a legal opinion in the issue presented by the DOH, noting that a writ of execution has yet to be issued implementing the SC decision.
“Thus, any opinion that this Department may render thereon which woukd be tantamount to a review of the ruling of the courts,” Remulla said.
“Further, the issuance of any opinion could be construed as an unwarranted intrusion into the exercise of judicial powers and functions pertaining to a separate and coordinate branch of government and could subject this Department to criticism for violation of the independence of the judiciary,” he added.
However, Remulla pointed to relevant provisions of the SC decision to guide the DOH on the issue.
The said portions state: “Moreover, the instant petition involves a boundary issue between two local government units.
That alone, to the mind of the Court, suffices to sidestep procedural rules. Boundaries determine the geographic scope and limits of a local government unit’s jurisdiction, and a local government unit can only exercise its powers within the confines of its borders.”
In the same decision, Remulla said the SC pointed to its decision in the case of Mariano, Jr., v. Commission on Elections, where it declared: “The importance of drawing with precise strokes the territorial boundaries of a local unit of government cannot be overemphasized. The boundaries must be clear for they define the limits of territorial jurisdiction of a local government unit. It can legitimately exercise powers of government only within the limits of the territorial jurisdiction…”
Based on these Court’s pronouncements in the controversial ruling, Remulla explained that the determination of a local government unit’s boundary shows the geographical areas which it may exercise powers and functions vested in it by the Local Government Code (LGC) and other relevant laws.
Remulla added that among the powers that a local government exercises is the provision of basic services and facilities, as provided in Section 17 of the LGC.
“Such basic services and facilities, include, but are not limited to health and social welfare services which these facilities are built within its territorial jurisdiction,” the DOJ declared.
“Clearly, for a local government to effectively exercise said power it must also own the lands upon which these facilities are built within its territorial jurisdiction,” it added.
However, the DOJ said it could not make a categorical determination as to whether the health centers in Makati City are subject to any reimbursement or rental from Taguig City until the source of funds used for its construction is determined.
Habagat, 4 cyclones toll: 25 dead, 8 missing
THE number of fatalities caused by the enhanced southwest monsoon and the tropical cyclones that caused widespread floods and landslides continues to increase, with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reporting 25 dead, 13 injured, and eight still missing as of Sunday.
In its Situation Report on the Combined Effects of the Southwest Monsoon and Tropical Cyclones Ferdie, Gener, Helen, and Igme, the NDRRMC said 387,751 or 1,449,293 persons were affected in 1,963 barangays in 233 cities and towns across 46 provinces in 13 regions nationwide.
The report, which was issued at 8:00 a.m. Sunday, said the number of displaced persons also grew to 63,264. These, the report said, were individuals compelled to move to 193 evacuation centers in different parts of the country.
A total of 166 areas in Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Western Mindanao, Southern Mindanao, Central Mindanao, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao were affected by floods over the past 11 days.
The inclement weather also caused an estimated damage to houses and other private property at P4 million. Meanwhile, the estimated Cost of Damaged Infrastructure is P22.57 million.
The NDRRMC also said that due to flooding, 11,170 farmers were affected. A total of 11,696 hectares of crops were damaged, with the estimated damage to agriculture reaching P600 million. Jonathan L Mayuga
“All witnesses and resource persons are required to take an oath to ensure they are telling the truth,” Chua said, emphasizing the importance of this procedure.
The oath is usually given to all those invited as resource persons and witnesses in congressional hearings.
It simply states: “Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth [in this inquiry]? So help you, God.”
Breaking the rules and traditions, Duterte during the last Wednesday hearing
“This incident does not mean that it will set a precedent for future committee hearings. That will not happen,” he said, stressing that all other witnesses will still be required to take an oath as per House rules. The hearing focused on investigating the alleged misuse of confidential and socioeconomic funds by the Office of the Vice President.
Chua noted that refusing to take an oath could be grounds for contempt, but the committee showed leniency due to respect for the Vice President’s position. Chua reiterated that future witnesses will be required to take the oath to ensure the integrity of their testimonies, as mandated by House rules.
Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz
Findings of experts on ‘polvoron’ video further vindicate Marcos–Chavez
FINDINGS from experts on digital media and artificial intelligence (AI) have further debunked the authenticity of a video that circulated last July showing a man purportedly “sniffing” an illegal drug.
AI experts from the Deepfakes Analysis Unit (DAU), which is part of the India-based Misinformation Combat Alliance, said that the video, which widely trended when it was released a day before President Marcos delivered his third State of the Nation Address, was extensively manipulated to make it appear as if the man in the video was Marcos.
The results by DAU was verified by Vera Files, an independent social media unit and one of the country’s leading fact checkers. Presidential Communications (PCO) Acting Secretary Cesar Chavez said that the findings vindicated Marcos from malicious quarters that have been trying to shade the President and cast aspersions on his character.
In an extensive report by the Vera Files Fact Check, published on September 16 and written by writers Celine Isabelle Samson and Bryan Daniele Manalang, Vera Files said that it sent copies of the video to India-based misninformation advocate.
It added that the DAU found traces of extensive digital manipulation on what is has become known as the “polvoron video.” Using a tool called SensityAI, DAU found
the “polvoron video” to be suspicious and showed signs of a manipulation called “face swap,” the report said. Using another tool called HIVE, the international misinformation advocates “found multiple points of manipulation in the video’s run-time and where the “no-deepfake and the deepfake manipulation overlapped,” the report added.
On July 23, the National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) both debunked the authenticity of the video. Both authorities said that the facial images from the man in the video did not dovetail and matched with the President’s facial features.
Results from their video spectral analysis revealed that the tragal notch and the antitragus (parts of the ear) of the man on the video and those of the President were different.
Chavez warned the public to be wary of malicious videos and social media posts being plied by malicious quarters. “In today’s world of trolls, bots, and deepfake manipulation, it has become easy to throw mud at others,” he explained. However, Chavez said that the government will remain vigilant against fake news. The administration has also called on law enforcement agencies to ramp up their drive against misinformation and harmful digital and online posts.
www.businessmirror.com.ph
SoKor to help make New Clark City an alternative natl government hub
By Andrea San Juan @andreasanjuan
THE Bases Conversion and Develop -
ment Authority (BCDA) has entered into an agreement with South Korea’s National Agency for Administrative City Construction (NAACC) to assist in transforming New Clark City into the alternative national government hub.
In a statement issued over the weekend, BCDA said the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by NAACC to promote knowledge sharing and explore collaboration opportunities in the fields of urban
Tplanning, smart cities development, green energy, and smart administrative systems for the development of the 9,450-hectare New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.
The MOU was signed recently by NAACC Administrator Hyeong Ryeol Kim and BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua M. Bingcang in Seoul, South Korea.
Bingcang said the South Korean government agency will help the Philippine state-run company to link with experts who can help BCDA transform New Clark City as the Philippines’ alternative national hub.
“Through this MOU, we wish to replicate the successes and apply the lessons
learned by [South] Korea in relocating administrative agencies and national research and development [R&D] institutes in its administrative capital, Sejong City,” said Bingcang.
The BCDA statement said South Korea and the Philippines—through NAACC and BCDA, respectively—have both set up satellite government administrative centers outside the capital to help ease traffic congestion and overpopulation in their respective metropolitan areas.
Kim said, “We hope that Korea’s experience in building the Administrative City will be helpful in transforming your
former military base into a dynamic and vibrant new city.”
The BCDA explained that Korea’s NAACC has been building the Administrative City in Sejong since 2007, as part of their government’s plan to “alleviate” the concentration of functions in the Seoul metropolitan area and promote “balanced” regional development.
“To date, Sejong serves as home to 40 central administrative agencies and 15 national research and development institutes, making it the administrative capital of Korea,” BCDA said.
The National Government Administrative Center (NGAC) in New Clark City aims
to host facilities for the Philippine government, such as offices of various government agencies, government housing units, and sports facilities.
“The first phase of NGAC includes an integrated government operations center, a government housing facility (The Residences), the Athletics Stadium, the Aquatics Center, the Athletes’ Village, and the River Park,” BCDA noted. BCDA said it has engaged with several government agencies to set up offices and key infrastructure in NGAC and parts of New Clark City, including the Philippine Space Agency for its headquarters, Bangko
Sentral for its coin production and minting facility, the National Academy of Sports, and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for its Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines.
The MOU signing happened on the sidelines of the Global Infrastructure Cooperation Conference (GICC) 2024, one of Korea’s largest international conferences for the promotion of cooepration in infrastructure, BCDA said. It also noted that Bingcang pitched investment opportunities in the fields of renewable energy, clean transportation, and smart cities development, among others.
‘on track’ to hit ₧200-B invest pledges in ’24 despite ₧61.7B 8-mo data
HE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) said it is on track to hit the P200-billion investment pledges target for 2024 as it banks on the country’s “declining” inflation rate, “consistent” growth forecast, and the outbound investment missions to Japan, Taiwan and Singapore. “N otwithstanding these headwinds and wait and see attitude of investors, I am quite optimistic that we will still meet the set target given the recent pledges from China as well as projects already in the pipeline but yet to be presented to the Board,” Peza Director General Tereso O. Panga said over the weekend.
He remained optimistic despite investment approvals reaching P61.70 billion in the January to August 2024 period,
or equivalent to just 31 percent of the P200-billion investment approval target for this year.
Looking at the numbers, Panga said, “I would see it as half full rather than half empty. The situation is quite similar to last year where the bulk of investments in Peza were generated in the last 3 months of 2023.”
H e cited reasons such as the global slowdown of foreign investments due to geopolitical events during the past months.
T he Peza chief said these were announced by United Nations’ Trade and Development in their World Investment Report release in June, stating that, “While the prospects for FDI remain challenging in 2024, modest growth for the full year appears possible.”
P anga said the slowdown is likewise exhibited in Vietnam, one of the Philippines’s neighbors and competitors in FDI acquisition.
Despite these headwinds, he is also drawing optimism from projections made by Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (Amro) on the Philippines.
“This belief is further bolstered by the recent Amro pronouncement just last September 10, 2024: “ The Philippine economy is expected to grow by 6.1 percent in 2024 and 6.3 percent in 2025, driven by higher government spending as well as an upturn in external demand, and strengthening domestic demand.”
T he Asean outlook for 2024, he said, “remains positive and so with the Philip -
pine economy with our declining inflation rate and consistent GDP growth forecast which makes the country one of the best performing economies in the region.”
“Under the banner of ASEAN, w e are looking at creating a stronger value and supply chain among our locators in the respective countries. This will further strengthen the trade environment between ASEAN, making it a more vibrant FTA bloc and attractive region for foreign investments and exports,” said Panga.
Gr eenlighting CREATE MORE, which seeks to lower taxes on domestic and foreign companies to 20 percent from 25 percent, will “open the floodgates of investments as it puts in parity our benefit packages with that of our competitors like Vietnam,
Indonesia, and Thailand.”
Mean while, Panga said there are still several outbound trips to be made in Taiwan, Jap that an and currently Singapore, that “will generate more foreign direct investments that will make us meet our targets.”
In a separ ate statement at the weekend, PEZA said Panga flew to Singapore for the 4th Philippines-Singapore Business and Investment Summit (PSBIS).
O n the sidelines of the PSBIS, Panga met with officials of Hi-P Singapore and ST Engineering as Peza eyes Singaporean investments.
Hi-P currently operates manufacturing facilities in the First Philippine Industrial Park (FPIP)-Special Economic Zone in Santo Tomas, Batangas.
A ccording to PEZA, Hi-P provided Panga with plans for its Philippine operations and the “bright prospects” of re-expansion coinciding with the growth of its primary customer Dyson, which is also operating as a PEZA registered business enterprise (RBE) in FPIP.
Peza also met with ST Engineering, one of the largest Singaporean multinational technology and engineering group in the aerospace, smart city, defense, and public security sectors.
P anga also met with Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore and Biopolis, a “landmark” hub for biomedical sciences research in Singapore. Andrea E. San Juan
Editor: Angel R. Calso
Israel and Hezbollah exchange heavy rocket fire, escalating tensions towards all-out war
By Natalie Melzer, Abby Sewell & Bassem Mroue The Associated Press
AHARIYA, Israel—Lebanon’s Hezbollah launched over 100 rockets early Sunday across a wider and deeper area of northern Israel, with
some landing near the city of Haifa, as the sides appeared to be spiraling toward all-out war following months of escalating tensions.
The rocket barrage overnight set off air raid sirens across northern Israel, sending thousands of people scrambling into shelters. The Israeli military said rockets had been fired “toward civilian areas,” pointing to a possible escalation after previous barrages had mainly been aimed at military targets.
Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said it treated four people for shrapnel wounds, including a 76-yearold man who was moderately wounded in Kiryat Bialik, a community near Haifa where buildings were damaged and cars set on fire. It was not immediately clear if the damage was caused by a rocket or an Israeli interceptor.
The barrage came after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday killed at least 37 people, including one of Hezbollah’s top leaders as well as women and children. Hezbollah was already reeling from a sophisticated attack that caused thousands of personal devices to explode just days earlier.
The Israeli military said it carried out a wave of strikes across southern Lebanon over the past 24 hours, hitting some 400 militant sites, including rocket launchers. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesman, said those strikes had thwarted an even larger attack. “Hundreds of thousands of civilians have come under fire across a lot of northern Israel. They spent the night and now the morning in bomb shelters,” he said. “Today we saw fire that was deeper into Israel than before.”
In a separate development, Israeli forces raided the West Bank bureau of Al-Jazeera, which it had banned earlier this year, accusing it of serving
as a mouthpiece for militant groups, allegations denied by the pan-Arab broadcaster.
Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire since the outbreak of the war in Gaza nearly a year ago, when the militant group began firing rockets in solidarity with the Palestinians and its fellow Iran-backed ally Hamas. The low-level fighting has killed dozens of people in Israel, hundreds in Lebanon, and displaced tens of thousands on both sides of the frontier.
Neither side is believed to be seeking a war. But in recent weeks, Israel has shifted its focus from Gaza to Lebanon and vowed to bring back calm to the border so that its citizens can return to their homes. Hezbollah has said it will only halt its attacks if there is a ceasefire in Gaza, which appears increasingly elusive as long-running talks led by the United States, Egypt and Qatar have repeatedly bogged down.
The war in Gaza began with Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into Israel, in which Pal -
estinian militants killed some 1,200 people and took around 250 hostage. They are still holding around 100 captives, a third of whom are believed to be dead. Gaza’s Health Ministry says over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed. It does not say how many were fighters but says women and children make up over half of the dead.
Israeli media reported that rockets fired from Lebanon early Sunday were intercepted in the areas of Haifa and Nazareth, which are further south than most of the rocket fire to date. Israel canceled school across the north, deepening the sense of crisis.
Hezbollah said it had launched dozens of Fadi 1 and Fadi 2 missiles—a new type of weapon the group had not used before—at the Ramat David airbase, southeast of Haifa, “in response to the repeated Israeli attacks that targeted various Lebanese regions and led to the fall of many civilian martyrs.”
Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel for a wave of explosions that hit pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah members on Tuesday and Wednesday, killing at least 37 people—including two children—and wounding around 3,000. The attacks were widely blamed on Israel, which has not confirmed or denied responsibility.
On Friday, an Israeli airstrike took down an eight-story building in a densely populated neighborhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs as Hezbollah members were meeting in the basement, according to Israel. Among those killed was Ibrahim Akil, a top Hezbollah official who commanded the group’s Special Forces unit, known as the Radwan Force.
Lebanon’s health minister, Firass Abiad, told reporters Saturday that at least seven women and three children were killed in Friday’s airstrike on the building. He said another 68 people were injured, including 15 who were hospitalized. It was the deadliest strike on Beirut since the bruising month-long war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah, and the casualty count could grow, with 23 people still missing, a government official said.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the attack broke up the group’s chain of command while taking out Akil, who he said was responsible for Israeli deaths. Akil had been on the US most wanted list for years, with a $7 million reward, over his alleged role in the 1983 bombing of the US Embassy in Beirut and the taking of American and German hostages in Lebanon during the civil war in the 1980s. Sewell and Mroue reported from Beirut.
In July, the group released a video with what it said was footage it had filmed of the base with surveillance drones.
Israeli strike on a school kills at least 22 people, Gaza Health Ministry says
DBy Wafaa Shurafa The Associated Press
eir A l- BA l A h , Gaza Strip—An i s raeli strike on a school in northern Gaza on Saturday killed at least 22 people, according to the Gaza h ealth Ministry, while the i s raeli army said it targeted a h a mas command center in what used to be a school.
Another 30 were wounded in the strike on the school in the Zeitoun area of Gaza c ty, the ministry said in a statement. Most of the casualties were women and children, it said.
i t wasn’t immediately clear which hospital the dead and injured were taken to.
Video taken by t h e Associated Press showed dozens of people including children digging through the rubble of the building— its ceilings caved in, walls knocked out and a mess of wires and metal rods visible. o u tside, others gathered around shrouded bodies. Some covered their faces as they wept for relatives killed in the strike.
“A missile, a missile from the plane hit us, and another missile,” said Ferial Deloul, who
is displaced. “We saw the whole world covered with smoke and stones and we saw people and children cut up....What should we do? What is our fault for this to happen to us?”
t h e i sr aeli army said earlier Saturday that it struck h am as’ “command and control center, which was embedded inside a compound that previously served” as a school. i t s aid steps were taken to limit harming civilians, including using precise munitions and aerial surveillance.
Also on Saturday, the Gaza h e alth Ministry said five of its workers were killed and five others wounded by i sr aeli fire that struck the ministry’s warehouses in the southern Musbah area.
Contesting narratives over the use of schools and hospitals
Since the outbreak of the sr ael- hamas war, the i sr aeli army has struck several schools, packed with tens of thousands of Palestinians driven from their homes by i sr aeli offensives and evacuation orders. t h e conflict has left 90% of Palestinians in Gaza displaced, according to figures from the United n at ions.
t h e military has continually accused h am as of operating from within civilian infrastructure in Gaza, including schools, U n f acilities and hospitals. t h e contesting narratives over the use of schools and hospitals go to the heart of the nearly yearlong conflict.
e a rlier this month, an i sr aeli strike hit a school in the n u seirat refugee camp, killing 14, according to Palestinian medical officials. t h e isr aeli military said it was targeting hamas militants planning attacks from inside the school.
i n July, i sr aeli airstrikes hit a girls’ school in Deir al-Balah, killing at least 30 people sheltering inside. i sr ael’s military said it targeted a h am as command center used to direct attacks against its troops and store “large quantities of weapons.”
t h e war began when h am as-led fighters killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in an o c tober 7 attack on southern isr ael. t h ey abducted another 250 people and are still holding around 100 hostages. isr ael’s campaign in Gaza has killed at least 41,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza h e alth Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between fighters and civilians.
e s calating tensions in the region t e n S i on
Israel raids and shuts down Al Jazeera’s bureau in Ramallah in the West Bank
By Jon Gambrell The Associated Press
World leaders gather in New York to confront urgent calls for global cooperation at ‘Summit of the Future’
By Edith M. Lederer | The Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS—Facing a swirl of conflicts and crises across a fragmented world, leaders attending this week’s annual UN gathering are being challenged: Work together— not only on front-burner issues but on modernizing the international institutions born after World War II so they can tackle the threats and problems of the future.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued the challenge a year ago after sounding a global alarm about the survival of humanity and the planet: Come to a “Summit of the Future” and make a new commitment to multilateralism—the foundation of the United Nations and many other global bodies—and start fixing the aging global architecture to meet the rapidly changing world.
The UN chief told reporters last week that the summit “was born out of a cold, hard fact: international challenges are moving faster than our ability to solve them.” He pointed to “out-of-control geopolitical divisions” and “runaway” conflicts, climate change, inequalities, debt and new technologies like artificial intelligence, which have no guardrails.
The two-day summit starts Sunday, two days before the highlevel meeting of world leaders begins at the sprawling UN compound in New York City.
Whether it takes even a first step toward the future remains to be seen. There was no final agreement Saturday on its main outcome document—a lengthy pact that requires support from all 193 UN member nations to be adopted. Diplomats said Russia and a few others still had objections to the final text.
“Leaders must ask themselves whether this will be yet another meeting where they simply talk about greater cooperation and consensus, or whether they will show the imagination and conviction to actually forge it,” said Agnès Callamard, the secretary-general of Amnesty International. “If they miss this opportunity, I shudder to think of the consequences. Our collective future is at stake.”
This is the UN’s biggest week of the year T HE s ummit is the prelude to this year’s high-level meeting, held every September. More than 130 presidents, prime ministers and monarchs are slated to speak along with dozens of ministers, and the issues at the summit are expected to dominate their speeches and private meetings, especially the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan and the growing possibility of a wider Mideast war.
“There is going to be a rather obvious gap between the Summit of the Future, with its focus on expanding international cooperation, and the reality that the UN is failing in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan,” said Richard Gowan, UN director for the International Crisis Group. “Those three wars will be top topics of attention for most of the week.”
See “World,” A10
Biden warns of China’s military assertiveness at Quad summit
By Zeke Miller & Aamer Madhani | The Associated Press
CLAYMONT, Del.—President Joe Biden told Indo-Pacific allies on Saturday that he believes China’s increasing military assertiveness is an effort to test the region at a turbulent moment for Beijing.
Biden’s comments were caught by a hot mic after he and fellow leaders of the so-called Quad delivered opening remarks before the press at a summit he’s hosting near his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. He said his administration sees Beijing’s actions as a “change in tactic, not a change in strategy.”
China is struggling to pull up its economy that was pummeled by the coronavirus pandemic and has seen an extended slowdown in industrial activity and real estate prices as Beijing faces pressure to ramp up spending to stimulate demand.
“China continues to behave aggressively, testing us all across the region, and it’s true in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, South China, South Asia and the Taiwan Straits,” Biden told Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. He added, “At least from our perspective, we believe (Chinese President) Xi Jinping is looking to focus on domestic economic challenges and minimize the turbulence in China’s diplomatic relationships, and he’s also looking to buy himself some diplomatic space, in my view, to aggressively pursue China’s interest.”
Starting with a trade war that dates back to 2018, China and the United States have grown at odds over a range of issues, from global security, such as China’s claims over the South China Sea, to industrial policy on electric vehicle and solar panel manufacturing.
The administration has repeatedly spoken out about concerns about Chinese aggression toward Taiwan and more recently on the frequent clashes between Chinese and Philippine vessels in disputed areas of the South China Sea.
At the summit, the leaders agreed to expand the partnership among the Quad nations’ coast guards to improve interoperability and capabilities, with Indian, Japanese and Australian personnel sailing on US ships in the region. But US officials would not say if those transits would include the contested South China Sea. China also has longtime territorial disputes involving other claimants including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. US officials worry about China’s long-stated goals of unifying Taiwan with China’s mainland and the possibility of war over Taiwan. The self-ruled island democracy is claimed by Beijing as part of its territory.
See “Biden,” A10
Zelenskyy hopes for quick US action as more arms depots are hit in Russia
By Tony Hicks & Joanna Kozlowska | The Associated Press
KYIV, Ukraine—A major Ukrainian drone attack set multiple Russian arms depots ablaze, destroying what Ukraine’s General Staff said were thousands of tons of weaponry, including missiles from North Korea.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, appealed for quick action from the United s t ates to send more weapons before his visit to the White House next week with a multi-point “victory plan.”
Ukraine launched more than 100 drones at Russia and the occupied Crimean Peninsula overnight, Russian news reports and the Defense Ministry said s a turday.
The strikes set an arms depot on fire just kilometers (miles) away from one struck by Ukrainian drones earlier this week, in an attack that wounded 13 people and also caused a huge blaze. Arms and ammunition depots were also hit on s a turday in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region.
The “victory plan” that Zelenskyy will present to U s President Joe Biden will include long-range strike capabilities and other weapons long sought by Kyiv, and will serve as the basis for any future negotiation with Russia, Zelenskyy told reporters. Zelenskyy reveals scant details
Z E l E N s K y y has regularly alluded to the plan’s preparation, but hasn’t publicly
Israel...
Continued from A7
The Palestinian Authority administers parts of the West Bank. Its forces were driven from Gaza when Hamas seized power in 2007, and it has no power there.
Israeli Communication Minister Shlomo Karhi later described the raid as affecting “the mouthpiece of Hamas and Hezbollah,” the Shiite militia in Lebanon that Israel was targeting with strikes Sunday after cross-border fire from the militants. “We will continue to fight the enemy channels and ensure the safety of our heroic fighters,” Karhi wrote on the social platform X. He did not address what authority Israel cited to order the bureau closed.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said it was “deeply concerned” by the Israeli raid.
“Journalists must be protected and allowed to work freely,” it said.
The network has reported on the Israeli-Hamas war nonstop since the militants’ initial cross-border attack on Oct. 7 and has maintained 24-hour coverage in the Gaza Strip amid Israel’s grinding ground offensive that has killed and wounded members of its staff. It remains unclear whether the Israeli military would target Al Jazeera’s operation in Gaza as well.
While including on-the-ground reporting of the war’s casualties, Al Jazeera’s Arabic arm often publishes verbatim video statements from Hamas and other regional militant groups.
That has led to Israeli claims by officials up to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the network has “harmed Israel’s security and incited against soldiers.” Those claims have been vehemently denied by Al Jazeera, whose main funder, Qatar, has been key in negotiations between Israel and Hamas to reach a cease-fire to end the war. An order closing Al Jazeera in Israel has been repeatedly renewed in the time since, but it hadn’t as of yet ordered the Ramallah offices closed.
The Israeli government has taken action against individual reporters over the decades since its founding in 1948, but broadly allows for a rambunctious media scene that includes foreign bureaus from around the world, even from Arab nations. It also blocked the foreign broadcasts of the Hezbollah-affiliated, Beirut-based Al Mayadeen news channel at the start of the war.
Criticism of Al Jazeera is not new. The US government singled out the broadcaster during America’s occupation of Iraq after its 2003 invasion toppled dictator Saddam
outlined its contents, saying only that it contains terms acceptable for Ukraine to negotiate with Russia.
“This will be the start and foundation for talking in any format with Russia. In any format, with any of its representatives, because there will be a plan and something to show,” Zelenskyy said in a briefing Friday.
Zelenskyy said he will present the plan to Biden and Kamala Harris, the U s vice president and presidential candidate. Zelenskyy said that he also plans to meet with Harris’ opponent in the November election, former President Donald Trump.
He said U s reluctance so far to allow Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike deep inside Russia stems from fears of escalation from Moscow, a major global nuclear power. Ukraine has had to use its own capabilities to conduct strikes inside Russian territory.
“I think that Biden is really getting information from his entourage today that there may be an escalation. But, and this is important, not everyone around him thinks so. And this is already an achievement that not all
Mideast governments.
Most notably in 2013, e g yptian authorities raided a luxury hotel used by Al Jazeera as an operating base after the military takeover that followed mass protests against President Mohammed Morsi. Three Al Jazeera staff members received 10-year prison sentences, but were released in 2015 following widespread international criticism.
The Israel-Hamas war began when Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians,
of his entourage thinks so,” Zelenskyy said. But the longer Western partners wait to allow the use of long-range missiles, the more tactically obsolete their value will become, Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy’s remarks came shortly before he is set to kick off a busy week in in the United s t ates shoring up support for Ukraine in the war. He is expected to address the UN General Assembly annual gathering in New yo rk and travel to Washington for talks on Thursday with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Ukraine’s Western backers have routinely been criticized for only helping the country to survive the invasion, rather than win, out of concern for the chaos that it might cause in Russia should Putin fall. The plan could be an attempt to change that calculus.
Beyond making demands of Biden, Ukraine is likely to seek detailed commitments from European allies as well. Zelenskyy said Thurs -
in an Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. They abducted another 250 people and are still holding around 100 hostages. Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed at least 41,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between fighters and civilians.
The closure of Al Jazeera’s Ramallah office also comes as tensions continue to rise over a possible expansion of the war to Lebanon, where electronic devices exploded last week in a likely sabotage cam -
New center-right government in France announced 2 months after divisive polls
day without elaborating that its success will rely on quick decisions by “a number of actors” between October and December.
Trump has said he would end the war immediately if he wins, and many in Ukraine and Europe fear that it won’t be on favorable terms for Kyiv.
r us sian depots set on fire
Als O o n s a turday, Ukraine’s General s t aff said that “at least 2,000 tons” of weaponry, including missiles supplied by North Korea, were destroyed in a nighttime drone strike that targeted depots in Russia’s south and northwest.
Russian authorities on s a turday temporarily closed a 100-kilometer (62-mile) stretch of a highway and evacuated passengers from a rail station after a blaze caused a series of explosions near the town of Toropets, in Russia’s Tver region, about 380 kilometers (240 miles) northwest of Moscow and 500 kilometers (300 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
Posts on local Telegram channels said a missile depot was struck near Toropets. Unverified images circulating on Telegram on s a turday showed a large ball of flame rising into the night sky and dozens of smoke trails from detonations.
Ukrainian drones earlier this week hit a separate military depot, in the town itself, that was described by the UK defense ministry as “one of Russia’s largest strategic ammunition depots directly supporting its operation in Ukraine.”
In its latest intelligence update, the ministry said that strike, reported on Wednesday, likely caused “enormous losses of ordnance.”
The update, posted on X, referenced reports ofNorth Korean missiles being stored at Toropets, but didn’t independently confirm it. Joanna Kozlowska reported from London. Lorne Cook contributed to this report from Brussels.
paign by Israel targeting the Shiite militia Hezbollah.
The explosions Tuesday and Wednesday killed at least 37 people—including two children—and wounded around 3,000 others. Associated Press writer Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, contributed to this report.
By Thomas Adamson The Associated Press
French presidential palace unveiled a long-awaited new government
dominated by conservatives and centrists. It came more than two months after elections that produced a hung parliament and deepened political divisions as France grapples with growing financial and diplomatic challenges.
A
President
Macron approved, and it was announced at the presidential palace.
Marine Le Pen ‘s far-right anti-immigration party National Rally has no seats in Barnier’s government, but has enough votes in parliament to bring it down. The party won an indirect victory with the appointment of staunch conservative Bruno Retailleau as new interior minister, whose remit includes critical domestic issues like national security, immigration, and law enforcement.
The makeup and direction of France’s government is important because the country is a leading voice in e U p olicy, among the biggest world’s economies and a nuclear-armed, veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council.
The 39-member Cabinet includes primarily ministers from Macron’s centrist alliance and the conservative Republicans.
Jean-Noël Barrot is the new foreign minister, a centrist politician known for his work in digital transformation and e u ropean affairs. He brings extensive experience in navigating complex international issues notably within the e U Associated Press writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.
The leaders in a joint declaration issued following their talks expressed “serious concern about the militarization...and coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea.”
Biden last month dispatched his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, to Beijing for three days of talks with Chinese officials. Sullivan during that visit also met with Xi.
Both governments are eager to keep relations on an even keel ahead of a change in the US presidency in January. And both sides have said they remain committed to managing the relationship, following up on a meeting between Xi and Biden in San Francisco last November.
The concerns about China were raised as Biden showed off a slice of his Delaware hometown to the leaders of Australia, Japan and India as he hosted what is likely the last gathering of the Indo-Pacific partnership that has grown in prominence under his White House tenure.
The president, who has admitted to an uneven track record as a scholar, also seemed tickled to get to host a gathering with three world leaders at the school he attended more than 60 years ago. He welcomed each of the leaders individually for one-on-one talks at his nearby home before they gathered at the school for talks and a formal dinner.
“I don’t think the headmaster of this school thought I’d be presiding over a meeting like this,” Biden joked to fellow leaders.
Albanese, Modi and Kishida came for the summit before their appearances at the UN General Assembly in New York next week.
“This place could not be better suited for my final visit as prime minister,” said Kishida, who like Biden, is set to soon leave office.
Earlier, the president warmly greeted Kishida when he arrived at the residence on Saturday morning and gave the prime minister a tour of the property before they settled into talks.
White House officials said holding the talks at the president’s house, which sits near a pond in a wooded area several miles west of downtown, was intended to give the meetings a more relaxed feel.
Sullivan described the vibe of Biden’s one-on-one meeting with Albanese, who stopped by the house on Friday, as “two guys—one at the other guy’s home—
When Biden began his presidency he looked to elevate the Quad, which until then had only met at the foreign minister level, to a leader-level partnership as he tried to pivot US foreign policy away from conflicts in the Middle East and toward threats and opportunities in the Indo-Pacific. This weekend’s summit is the fourth in-person and sixth overall gathering of the leaders since 2021. “It will survive way beyond November,” Biden told the leaders.
talking in broad strokes about where they see the state of the world.” He said Biden and Albanese also swapped stories about their political careers.
The Australian leader remarked that the visit had given him “insight into what in my view makes you such an extraordinary world leader.”
Modi also stopped by the house on Saturday to meet with Biden before the leaders gathered for their joint talks.
“There cannot be a better place than President Biden’s hometown of Wilmington to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Quad,” Modi said.
Biden and Modi discussed Modi’s recent visits to Russia and Ukraine as well as economic and security concerns about China. Modi is the most prominent leader from a nation that maintains a neutral position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Biden and Kishida, who are both stepping away from office amid sliding public support, count the tightening of security and economic ties among the US, Japan and South Korea as one of their most significant accomplishments.
The improved relations between Japan and South Korea, two nations with a deep and complicated history that have struggled to stay on speaking terms, have come amid worrying developments in the Pacific, including strides made by North Korea in its nuclear program and concerns about China.
Biden during their face-to-face meeting commended Kishida for demonstrating “courage and conviction in strengthening
ties” with South Korea, according to the White House. They also discussed China, Russia’s war against Ukraine and emerging technology issues.
The US and Japan are dealing with a rare moment of tension in the relationship. Biden, as well as presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, have opposed a $15 billion bid by Japan’s Nippon Steel to take over American-owned US Steel.
Biden administration officials indicated this week that a US government committee’s formal assessment of the proposed deal has yet to be submitted to the White House and may not come until after the Nov. 5 election.
The summit declaration also condemned North Korea’s continued ballistic missile testing and expressed “deep concern about countries that are deepening military cooperation with North Korea.”
The leaders were expected to discuss the issue in more depth over dinner.
The US has publicized intelligence findings that show North Korea and Iran have provided Russia with ballistic missiles and other weaponry for its war in Ukraine and that Moscow is in turn tightening its relationship with Pyongyang and Tehran.
The leaders announced their four countries are committing $150 million for HPV vaccines, screening and therapeutics in the Indo-Pacific. Relatively few women in the region get screened for the virus that causes nearly all cervical cancers. Madhani reported from Washington.
World...
One notable moment at Tuesday’s opening assembly meeting: US President Joe Biden’s likely final major appearance on the world stage, a platform he has tread upon and reveled in for decades.
At the upcoming meetings, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters this week: “The most vulnerable around the world are counting on us to make progress, to make change, to bring about a sense of hope for them.”
To meet the many global challenges, she said, the US focus at the UN meetings will be on ending “the scourge of war.”
Roughly 2 billion people live in conflictaffected areas, she said.
Last September, the war in Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, took center stage at the UN global gathering. But as the first anniversary of Hamas’ deadly attack in southern Israel approaches on October 7, the spotlight is certain to be on the war in Gaza and escalating violence across the Israeli-Lebanon border, which is now threatening to spread to the wider Middle East.
Iran supports both Hamas in Gaza and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants. Its new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, will address world leaders on Tuesday afternoon.
They’re trying to counter ‘a world of grim statistics’ S L OVENIA , w hich holds the council’s rotating presidency this month, chose the topic “Leadership for Peace” for its high-level meeting Wednesday, challenging its 15 member nations to address why the UN body charged with maintaining international peace and security is failing—and how it can do better.
“The event follows our observation that we live in a world of grim statistics, with the highest number of ongoing conflicts, with record high casualties among civilians, among humanitarians, among medical workers, among journalist,” Slovenian U.N. Ambassador Samuel Zbogar told reporters. He cited a record-high 100 million people driven from their homes by conflict.
“The world is becoming less stable, less peaceful, and with erosion of the respect for the rules, it is sliding into the state of disorder,” Zbogar said. “We have not seen this high need to rebuild trust to secure the future ever before.” Edith M. Lederer, chief U.N. correspondent for The Associated Press, has covered foreign affairs for more than 50 years.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to speak Thursday morning and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday afternoon. Zelenskyy will get the spotlight twice. He will speak Tuesday at a high-level meeting of the UN Security Council—called by the United States, France, Japan, Malta, South Korea and Britain—and will address the General Assembly on Wednesday morning.
Editor: Jennifer A. Ng
‘Impact of EUDR on PHL agri exports minimal’
By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan
THE European Union’s (EU) implementation of a ban on imported agricultural goods linked to forest degradation would have “minimal impact” on Philippine exports, according to the international trade arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
“Our internal consultations have shown that the potential impact on our exports is minimal,”
DTI-Bureau of International Trade Relations (BITR) Director Sherylyn D. Aquia told the BusinessMirror in a Viber message.
Sykimte said these products accounted for more than 70 percent of total Philippine exports to the EU, amounting to $8.37 billion.
She also noted that the EUDR may provide opportunities for the country’s coconut oil exports to get a larger share of the EU market since the country’s palm oil competitors will be affected by the regulation.
Based on the data processed by DTI-EMB and obtained by this paper, coconut oil ranked third among the Philippines’s export products to EU, amounting to $547.15 million in 2023.
government can prepare Philippine exporters. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2024/09/18/eudegraded-forest-ban-favors-phlcoconut-oil-exports/)
A recent Bloomberg report noted that the European Cocoa Association said in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that the absence of clarity of key elements in the EUDR has made compliance efforts “highly uncertain.”
The trade group, which represents top traders, including Barry Callebaut and Cargill Inc., called for an extension of the transition period for at least six months from its December 30 kickoff.
Nonetheless, Aquia said the government is continuing to engage stakeholders on “how future changes or expansion of regulation could adversely affect our exports.”
The 27-member bloc European Union is set to implement this in December.
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is a measure that would require entities to demonstrate that their products are not linked to forest degradation, covers coffee, cocoa, soy, palm oil, wood, rubber and cattle.
Soggy Asia coffee crop means world’s caffeine fix to stay pricey
ANY hopes that a flood of coffee exports from Asia’s major growers would take the heat out of a blistering rally that’s pushed robusta prices to the highest since the 1970s are fading fast.
Vietnam produces around a third of the worldwide supply of the variety that’s mostly used for instant drinks and espresso blends, but a drought followed by weeks of heavy rain has hit the nation’s coffee belt hard just before harvesting that starts in October.
The climatic extremes, and a shrinkage in the amount of land devoted to coffee growing, will cut the country’s harvest by about 10 percent to 15 percent this season, said Trinh Duc Minh, chairman of the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association in the biggest coffee-growing province of Dak Lak.
“The drought has caused the trees to produce less beans, and the beans are also smaller,” he said. “The rains will hinder farmers from picking the beans and drying their coffee, while also causing transport difficulties.”
More than 95 percent of Vietnam’s coffee output next season will be robusta, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
The growing popularity of instant and grab-and-go coffee drinks and weather-hit supply has spurred a more than doubling of robusta prices over the past year. It’s now almost as expensive as the premium arabica variety, which has also rallied sharply. Volcafe Ltd., a major coffee trader, is forecasting a hefty global robusta deficit in the 2024/25 season that starts in October,
the fourth annual shortfall in a row.
In Indonesia—which supplies around a 10th of the world’s robusta—it’s rising domestic demand rather than problems with the weather that look set to limit relief to global markets.
Output may reach 10 million 60-kilogram bags this year, which would be 14 percent higher than 2023, said Moelyono Soesilo, the head of downstream coffee at the Association of Indonesian Coffee Exporters and Industries. However, exports are likely to remain steady at about 250,000 tons due to a surge in local consumption, he said.
The amount of acreage in Vietnam used to grow coffee has been declining due to farmers switching to alternative crops like durian and avocados over the last few years.
Reduced groundwater and shade also pose long-term challenges as many Vietnamese farmers rely on wells for irrigation and forest cover helps slow evaporation, according to a USDA report.
The USDA in June forecast just a 1 percent drop in Vietnamese robusta production in 2024/25 to 27.85 million 60-kilogram bags. However, that’s about 9 percent lower than the 2021/22 season, illustrating the longerterm decline in output that’s coinciding with surging global demand.
Robusta is likely to keep gaining market share because it’s more tolerant to heat and disease than arabica—although both beans still face significant climate risks. That all adds up to bad news for the world’s coffee drinkers, who look set to face elevated prices for some time yet. Bloomberg News
“We understand that the regulation reflects the preferences and demand of the EU consumers, as well as the EU’s advocacy on combating climate change,” she said.
Being a developing country, she
noted that the Philippines “would need resources to comply and implement these policies.”
DTI-Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) Bianca Pearl R. Sykimte told the BusinessMirror recently that the top Philippine exports to the EU in 2023 were electronics, semiconductors, coconut oil and tuna.
The value of Philippine coconut oil exports jumped by 56.8 percent year-on-year to $1.11 billion in January to July, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed.
This commodity posted the second-fastest growth rate among the Philippines’s goods exports.
Nonetheless, Sykimte said the DTI has been closely following developments on the EUDR so the
The report also noted that the letter came barely a week after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pushed back against the regulation, adding to objections voiced by some nations, including Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia, which argue it will have a negative impact across global commodities markets.
BPI: Local traders import 3.013 MMT of rice
IBy Ada Pelonia @adapelonia
MPORTED rice that arrived in the Philippines breached 3 million metric tons (MMT) as of September 12, according to data from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).
Data from the BPI showed that 3.013 MMT of imported rice reached Philippine ports. However, the volume is less than half of what was covered by the sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs) issued by the attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The BPI approved and issued 7,021 SPSICs for the purchase of 7.14 MMT of imported rice.
Of the volume that arrived in the Philippines, over 2.36 MMT came from Vietnam, which maintained its status as the country’s top source of imports. Thailand was the second-largest supplier as it accounted for 394,445.74 metric tons (MT).
BPI data also showed that the Philippines imported rice from other countries like Pakistan (157,044.48 MT), Myanmar (68,007 MT), and India (21,974.54 MT).
BLY Agri Venture Trading led the 154 rice importers with a total volume of 200,946.99 MT.
Orison Free Enterprise Inc.
trailed behind with 173,295.45 MT followed by Macman Rice and Corn Trading with 135,958.30 MT.
Data from the attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA) also showed that it approved and issued 7,021 sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs) which covered the importation of 7.14 MMT of rice.
Rice importers are required to secure an SPSIC from the BPI before bringing in foreign rice stocks.
An SPSIC would certify that an inbound shipment is safe for human and animal consumption and would not bring in any pests that could be detrimental to the local agriculture sector.
The country’s actual purchases of imported rice stood at 3.61 MMT in 2023, based on BPI data.
Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa said the Philippines has enough rice.
“In terms sa supply, we have no problem. Imports are already at 3 MMT as of early September,”
De Mesa said in a radio interview over the weekend.
“We will have a national inventory equivalent to 60 days of consumption after December.”
The DA recently said it expects a significant drop in rice prices by January as the full impact of the reduction in rice tariffs takes hold.
(See: https://businessmirror.
Bill supporting young fishers and farmers hurdles House
TBy Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie
HE House of Representatives has passed on third and final reading a bill establishing the Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Program.
With 185 affirmative votes, no negative votes, and no abstentions, lawmakers recently approved House Bill 10840, which aims to promote and tap into the potential of young farming entrepreneurs to foster growth and development, particularly in rural areas.
The bill will now be transmitted to the Senate for its own deliberations.
According to the bill, the program will support and empower young farmers and fishermen, encouraging them to become active partners in food security, agricultural development, and modernization.
The bill encourages young people to pursue careers or engage in agriculturerelated activities, participate in policy formulation, and help implement programs in the agricultural sector.
It provides support for youth-led agribusiness and agri-entrepreneurship initiatives, positioning the youth as agents of development.
The bill defines young farmers and fishermen as those between 15 and 35 years old who are engaged in farming and fisheries and registered under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture. The measure said young farmers and fisherfolk seeking employment for the first time will be exempt from government fees and charges related to licenses, IDs, clearances, and other employment documents, whether for local or overseas employment.
For his part, House Committee on Agriculture Rep. Wilfrido Mark M. Enverga said the bill aims to empower and encourage the youth to pursue careers in agriculture, ensuring that they become active partners in the country’s agricultural development and modernization.
He said this proposal follows President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s emphasis on the vital role of a robust agricultural sector, noting that a strong economy is built on a stable food
supply. The urgency of this need has been further underscored by global crises such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, which have exposed vulnerabilities in food security.
In the Philippines, Enverga said agriculture is the primary source of income for most rural families. However, rapid urbanization has led to a significant portion of the rural population, particularly the youth, abandoning agricultural activities in favor of more lucrative professions in urban areas. This trend poses a serious threat to the future of Philippine agriculture.
“Currently, the average age of Filipino farmers is 58 years old. With the youth sector comprising 44 million individuals aged 15 to 40, there is an urgent need to engage this demographic in agriculture. The challenge is not just about sustaining the agricultural sector but also about ensuring national food security by 2030.”
Also, Enverga said youth unemployment in the Philippines remains a significant issue, with the overall youth unemployment rate at 7.2 percent, and a staggering 14.1 percent
among those aged 15 to 24. “This lack of opportunities for the youth is not just an obstacle to development; it also threatens social justice and national security.”
The Young Farmers Challenge Program aims to motivate young Filipinos to pursue careers in agriculture, give them a voice in policy debates, and provide institutional support for agribusiness and entrepreneurial initiatives. By addressing challenges like limited access to education, land, credit, and green jobs, the bill hopes to create meaningful opportunities for the youth in rural areas.
“This legislative measure seeks to address the myriad challenges faced by young people in rural areas, such as limited access to knowledge, education, land, affordable credit, and green jobs.” By institutionalizing the Young Farmers Challenge Program, Enverga said the bill aims to create opportunities for the youth to contribute meaningfully to the agricultural sector, ensuring the sustainability and growth of the industry for future generations.
“Since demand for food usually spikes in December, we anticipate seeing a more substantial drop in rice prices by January,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.
Executive Order 62 signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which reduced the tariff on rice to 15 percent from 35 percent, took effect in July.
Economic managers estimated that the tariff reduction could cut rice prices by around P5 to P7 per kilo.
COCOA fruit on a tree at the Somos Cacao farm in Ragonvalia, Norte de Santader department, Colombia, on Friday, March 22, 2024. FERLEY OSPINA/BLOOMBERG
The plight of Filipino workers: Struggling under poverty wages
The recent revelations from the Occupational Wage Survey and the Philippine Statistics Authority paint a grim picture of the economic reality facing Filipino workers. With an average monthly income significantly lower than that of their counterparts in advanced countries like the United States, many Filipino professionals find themselves earning 70 percent to 90 percent less despite having similar responsibilities and tasks.
The statistics on national poverty incidence among Filipino families further highlight the severity of the situation, with 10.9 percent of families unable to meet their basic needs due to insufficient income. This raises a crucial question: Why do so many Filipino workers continue to endure poverty wages?
Assistant Professor Benjamin Velasco from the University of the Philippines School of Labor and Industrial Relations explained how the Wage Rationalization Act, rather than easing the challenges of Filipino workers, seems to sustain their difficulties. According to him, the Act’s 10-point criteria not only fail to support workers but also drive them further into poverty. By prioritizing the capacity of employers to pay over the ability of workers to afford their necessities, the current criteria set by the law seem to prioritize the maintenance of “poverty wages.” (Read the BusinessMirror story: “10-point wage hike criteria leads to poverty wages,” September 18, 2024).
The response from the Department of Labor and Employment, emphasizing the adherence to “objective” standards in approving minimum wage increases, raises concerns about the disconnect between policy-making and the lived realities of Filipino workers. The delegation of authority to regional wage boards, as mandated by Republic Act 6727, seems to have led to a situation where the intended criteria for wage adjustments are not being fully implemented.
The recent minimum wage increases in Region IV-A and Region VII, while a step in the right direction, have been criticized as inadequate in addressing the rising cost of living. The call from Rep. Arlene Brosas for more substantial wage adjustments, in line with international standards set by the International Labor Organization (ILO), underscores the urgency of the situation.
The suggestion to abolish the regional wage boards, which have been in place since 1989, reflects a growing frustration with a system that appears to be failing Filipino workers. While the intention behind the establishment of these boards was to ensure fair minimum wage rates, the reality on the ground tells a different story.
The time has come for a radical rethinking of the country’s wagesetting mechanisms. The Wage Rationalization Act must be reformed to consider the needs of workers and their families, not just the interests of employers. Regional wage boards should be abolished in favor of a more transparent and worker-centric approach to establishing minimum wages that provide a true living wage.
Only by putting the wellbeing of Filipino workers first can we hope to address the scourge of poverty wages and ensure that all families can meet their basic needs. The Philippine government has a moral and economic imperative to take bold action on this critical issue. The futures of millions of Filipinos depend on it.
BusinessMirror
T. Anthony C. Cabangon
Lourdes
PICS 2024: Navigating copyright and technology
TRISING
SUN
he 2nd Philippine International Copyright Summit (PICS), the country’s premier gathering on copyright and the creative industries, will take place from October 21 to 25, 2024 at Novotel Manila Araneta. The event is expected to attract hundreds of artists, legal professionals, technology experts, academics, industry leaders, and policymakers from various creative fields.
PICS 2024 will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions, an exhibit, and interactive sessions with renowned experts in intellectual property, with a particular focus on copyright.
This year’s event, led by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines—Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights (IPOPHL-BCRR), is themed “Unlocking the Future: Tech Trends and Challenges in Copyright.” The summit aims to ignite discussions on the intersections
between copyright law and emerging digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI). Participants will have the opportunity to learn from both international and local experts, engage in discussions, and network with other creative professionals.
Quezon City, known as the “City of Stars,” is co-hosting this year’s PICS alongside IPOPHL-BCRR. Mayor Joy Belmonte expressed her gratitude, stating, “We are truly grateful to be chosen as the host for
this year’s PICS. We recognize the immense potential of the creative industry, and we are committed to providing a platform for artists to showcase their talents, gain knowledge, and build networks to further develop their skills.”
IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba added, “By supporting the 2nd PICS, Quezon City is not only solidifying its place in the entertainment industry but also in the broader creative landscape, supporting artists and advocating for the protection of their rights in an ever-evolving world.”
Barba also emphasized the city’s commitment to championing artists’ rights and fostering intellectual property creation, making it an ideal partner for one of the country’s largest events focused on copyright and the creative industries.
Known as the “City of Stars,” Quezon City is home to 130 registered production companies and screen enterprises, six national broadcast networks, and nearly 100 cinemas, earning its reputation as the Philippines’ capital for culture, entertainment, and media.
Since 2012, the city government has hosted the annual Quezon City International Film Festival (QCinema), the country’s only local government-led film festival, which has screened nearly 1,000 local and international films.
The city is also working closely with Quezon City-based filmmakers, artists, and creatives to address their concerns and needs through the newly established Quezon City Film Development Commission. Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights (BCRR) Director Emerson G. Cuyo highlighted Quezon City’s proven track record in organizing and supporting large-scale events, noting that the city was the “best choice” to host PICS.
“Quezon City’s extensive experience in event management will help us ensure a smooth, safe, and successful event, allowing participants to learn, exchange ideas, and expand their networks,” Cuyo added.
The public is encouraged to stay updated through IPOPHL’s and BCRR’s social media pages for announcements and further details.
UN Charter changes needed to ensure peace
FLITO GAGNI
OrMer Chief Justice reynato Puno has issued a clarion call for changes to the United Nations Charter, advocating for amendments that would make war a relic of the past. he argues that the “need to change world order to eliminate the use of threat, violence, and resort to war in inter-state relations” necessitates a revision of the UN Charter.
CJ Puno presented a scholarly treatise on why war continues to this day and why peace had eluded mankind from the Roman Republic to the 1648 Peace of Westphalia until the 19th century. And later with the League of Nations after the First World War and then that of the establishment of the UN after the Second World War.
In a speech before the Manila Rotary Club at the Manila Polo Club, Puno said that the present UN, specifically provisions in its Articles, does not work because it is founded on power imbalance and is based on narrow interests. What is needed, he said, are platforms built on values of cooperation, not competition, and transparency and accountability, not secrecy.
“Warfare has never ended; conflict continued every year since the end of World War II,” Puno said, adding that the “20th century has been most brutal” with the first half of
the century resulting in more deaths than in previous wars.
He cited geopolitical concerns that affect the world. There is the Russia-Ukraine war, now going into its third year, the Israel-Hamas conflict and the Philippines-China maritime dispute as flashpoints that could have been avoided if nationstates sought peace. The elusive peace has resulted in “volatility, uncertainty and complexity in the global arena,” CJ Puno said.
The UN Charter changes that CJ Puno proposed are those that are anchored on peace. For him there is a need to ensure that the UN embraces peace and allows all nation-states, and not the victors of war, to have a voice in crafting a new charter, as this will assure peace.
“Peace,” he eloquently said, is a “predicate of progress.” Indeed, when countries are not consumed by the need to have armaments to win
“Peace,” he eloquently said, is a “predicate of progress.” Indeed, when countries are not consumed by the need to have armaments to win wars with their neighbors, economic growth is assured. Instead of diverting money and government budgets for them to be war victors, they can strive to pursue initiatives to reduce the poverty level in their country, broaden their economic base and spread goodwill to their citizens.
wars with their neighbors, economic growth is assured. Instead of diverting money and government budgets for them to be war victors, they can strive to pursue initiatives to reduce the poverty level in their country, broaden their economic base and spread goodwill to their citizens.
Puno’s scholarly approach on the need for peace brings to mind President John F. Kennedy’s take on the matter in a speech at the American University during the Cold War. In that speech, he outlined what many years later on resulted in the détente between the US and the Soviet Union.
Kennedy said: “I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and build a better life for their children—not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women—not merely peace
in our time but peace for all time.” It is also worthwhile to make diplomacy work whenever there are disputes that involve countries. This is the reason why countries have their own envoys to assure that differences can be ironed out together without resorting to the use of weapons such as economic sanctions. For CJ Puno, there has been a “weaponization of everything.”
Sadly, there have been disputes that resulted into wars due to the non-embrace of dialogue among countries. This is a sad fact that CJ Puno stresses can be traced to the defects in the UN Charter. “International peace is just chimera,” he stressed.
The sad realities that now affect the global world order can be attributed to the neglect of diplomatic solutions for resolving conflicts. Ambassador Rey Catapang emphasizes how this crucial issue has been overshadowed by the intense focus on escalating global tensions. It is a somber truth that despite countries deploying diplomats to resolve their differences, conflicts persist and escalate into wars. These conflicts result in the devastation of properties and the tragic loss of lives. War not only disrupts the daily lives of citizens but also contributes to economic stagnation. Peace should be pursued at all costs. This brings to mind a quotation from a philosopher that resonates with me: Peace should be pursued not in the absence of war, but through a love for peace.
Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II
Forthcoming evolution of the CPA licensure examination
TThe point of an oath
Joel L. Tan-Torres
DEBIT CREDIT
he Professional regulatory Board of Accountancy (BOA) tasked six Technical Working Groups (TWG) to formulate the syllabi for the Certified Public Accountants Licensure examination enhancement Project in December 2023. In May 2024, the TWGs presented the proposed CPALe syllabi in a public consultations held at the Philippine International Convention Center. I participated in the consultation.
I recall the policy changes that the BOA effected in the CPALE examinations in BOA Resolution 114 Series of 2016 (https://www.prc.gov. ph/uploaded/documents/PRB_CPA_ Reso2016-114_e.pdf ). In 2016, I, as chairman of the BOA, made landmark changes to the syllabi and format of the CPALE. The last revision of the CPALE occurred way back in 1975.
The main changes in the CPALE syllabi then included 1) Reduction in the number of subjects from seven to six; 2) Consolidating auditing theory and practice into one subject; 3) Merging accounting theory and practice and distributing the pertinent topics in Theory of Accounts, Practical Accounting I, Practical Accounting II to two new subjects of Financial Accounting and Reporting, and Advanced Financial Accounting and Reporting; 4) Segregating Business Law and Taxation into two new subjects of Taxation and Regulatory Framework for Business Transactions; and 5) Renaming Management Services to Management Accounting Services. I note that the BOA recently issued Resolution No. 30 Series of 2022 that provided cosmetic changes to the 2016 syllabi and the Table of Specifications. ( https://www.prc. gov.ph/sites/default/files/acc_202230%20published.pdf ).
The subjects in the enhanced syllabi proposed by the TWGs were patterned after the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Evolution Examination of the United States of America. The subjects in the proposed CPALE syllabi of the Philippines are Financial accounting and reporting (FAR), Business analysis and reporting (BAR), Auditing, Taxation, Regulatory framework for business transactions, and Information system and control (ISC).
I discuss the highlights of the proposals and my comments on the integral elements that should be included in the enhancement or evolution initiative.
The TWG did not present any major changes for the Auditing subject. The framework still reflects the changes made in 2016 of integrating the Theory and Practice elements of Auditing in one subject.
The TWG recommended the integration of the two financial accounting subjects in the existing CPALE syllabi, namely the FAR and the Advanced Financial Accounting and Reporting, into one subject only, which is FAR. This subject covers the candidate’s knowledge of the concepts and principles of basic, intermediate and advanced financial accounting and reporting, and the practical application of these concepts and principles. This integration will result in the expansion of the topic coverage of this subject and hence, more learning and preparation time for the FAR.
The Management Advisory Services in the existing CPALE syllabi has been transformed into BAR. The recommendations of the TWG subject consisted of providing for the concepts, techniques, and methods applicable to advisory services, financial analysis and reporting, financial operations, management and emerging reporting frame-
works, such as integrated reporting and sustainability reporting. The inclusion of the two new reporting frameworks will require the inclusion of the teaching of these topics in the accounting schools. The BAR of the AICPA Evolution Examination provides the following content areas: Business Analysis, Technical Accounting and Reporting, State and Local Governments. The BAR of the AICPA Evolution Examination emphasizes financial analysis, risk management and planning skills, with an additional focus on data and technology used in decision-making. Many topics previously included on the FAR exam have been shifted to the BAR. These include: government accounting, lessor accounting, derivatives and hedge accounting, employee benefits plans, business combinations, and advanced consolidated financial statements. These are appropriate considerations for the Philippine version of the BAR.
The TWGs proposed the retention of the two stand-alone subjects of Taxation and Regulatory Fremework of Business Transactions. I agree with the continuation of the change made by the BOA in 2016. The business and professional communities have long been inundated with growing role of government regulatory compliance, and hence, the need for these competence areas. However, in Taxation, the TWG departed from the AICPA Evolution Examination and did not recommend the inclusion of the tax planning component of the Tax Compliance and Planning section. Having been in tax practice and planning for over four decades, I strongly recommend that the element of tax planning be incorporated into the CPALE. Tax planning, in addition to tax compliance, should be an integral part of the competency skill set of a Certified Public Accountant.
The TWG was right in recommending for the inclusion ISC as a new subject in the syllabi. This subject covers concepts, frameworks, principles, standards, criteria and regulations relating to the following areas: and information systems and data management and analytics, information technology (IT) objectives and controls, auditing IT as part of audit of financial statements and service organization controls. Though this ISC may appear to be totally new in the CPALE, the needs of the times, industry, and profession mandates this inclusion.
The BOA is now assessing the recommendations of the TWGs. We all anticipate that this evolution of the CPALE will proceed with haste and in the right direction.
To be continued
Joel L. Tan-Torres was a former Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. He has also held the various positions of Dean of the University of the Philippines Virata School of Business, Chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy, Tax partner of Reyes Tacandong & Co. and the SyCip Gorres and Velayo & Co., and director of various corporate boards. He is a Certified Public Accountant who garnered No. 1 in the CPA Board Examination of May 1979. He is now back to his tax and consultancy practice and can be contacted at joeltantorress@yahoo.com and his firm JL2T Consulting.
Siegfred Bueno Mison, Esq.
THE PATRIOT
There should be little or no issue when a person is asked to take an oath, especially for public officers. After all, those who serve in government are expected to be honest and transparent, at the very least. Part of their job expectations is to be accountable to the people, according to the Constitution. And since accountability begins with transparency, a public officer ought to be an “open book” in all public hearings.
An oath is a solemn attestation of the inviolability of one’s statement.
As such, witnesses in court are required to take an oath or affirmation in all circumstances, having in mind that truth is an ingredient of justice. In some jurisdictions, whoever refuses to take an oath is guilty of a misdemeanor. But in the Philippines, there appears no corresponding penal penalty for those who refuse to do so. This has taken an illustrative scenario just last week at the first hearing of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability. Congress had no option but to allow Vice President Sara Duterte to appear in a congressional hearing as a resource person with a defiant refusal to take the oath, citing the parliamentary rules as legal basis. Insisting on the distinction between a witness and a resource person, VP Sara also claimed that since the hearing was practically a “well-funded and coordinated political attack” against her supposed plans to run for president, she made it clear to the lawmakers that she will not play their game. For most observers, myself included, VP Sara, by understanding the processes of these hearings,
should not have dodged the oathtaking completely. After explaining her role as a resource person in relation to the rules of Congress, she should have nonetheless taken the oath. If she has nothing to hide in terms of how the confidential funds were used, then she could have taken the oath considering that the same is the most basic act of accountability for public servants. Instead of being seen as the bully, she could have been perceived as the victim of the bullies in Congress!
When VP Sara was invited to testify, she certainly knew that she will be required to take an oath in that congressional hearing. The administration of the oath is more than just a technical formality. It serves to hold over the head of the witness his/her own sacred assurance that he/she would speak only the truth. Refusing to be so administered with such an oath immediately casts a cloud of doubt both on the intent of the witness (even a resource person) and his/ her ability to declare the truth. In the case of VP Sara, she altogether refused the process, not just the oath-taking.
As to congressional rules and reg-
ulations governing inquiries in aid of legislation, I read those instructions for the Senate version, which include citing in contempt any witness who refuses to be sworn or to testify (Section 18, Resolution No. 5). More likely, the lower house has the same penalty. Be that as it may, we can also attempt to understand where VP Sara is coming from with her refusal. Here, we find a classic situation where the power of Congress to legislate is frustrated by one’s refusal to submit to the demands for information. VP Sara’s refusal to take an oath, either as a witness or resource person, is tantamount to one’s refusal to cooperate in making laws, “in aid of legislation.” A few years ago, Romulo Neri, former Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), after appearing before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and testifying for 11 hours, eventually refused to return for another schedule to testify further, citing Executive Privilege as a ground therefor. The Supreme Court has since ruled (in the March 25, 2008 case of Neri vs Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, et al.) that the “power of Congress to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation is broad. This broad power is premised on the proposition that a legislative body cannot legislate wisely or effectively in the absence of information respecting the conditions that the legislation is intended to affect or change. Inevitably, adjunct thereto is the compulsory process to enforce it. But, the power, broad as it is, has limitations, principal of which that it must be done in accordance with the duly published rules of procedure and that the rights of the persons appearing in or affected by such inquiries are respected. I can only speculate that VP Sara could
There’s no such thing as ‘tuition fee’
By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
ON my first week as a rookie correspondent covering the Quezon City beat for the Philippine Daily Globe, I wanted to impress my editors. I have a philosophy degree and I’m going to use some big words!
Ten minutes after submitting my copy, a grouchy-looking editor seated at the far-left end of the long desk called me. It was Danilo Luis Mariano, the managing editor. They called him “Dan.” We the young reporters called him “Sir.”
“Cagurangan!” he shouted. His voice was engulfed by the rhythmic clicketyclack of the typewriters.
“Yes, sir?”
He was holding my copy, looking annoyed. “Ano ’tong ‘mollification’? (What the hell is ‘mollification’?”) he asked.
I was about to give him a definition of the word, when he cut me off. “Alam ko ang meaning nyan, pero anong ginagawa ng ‘mollification’ sa city hall story mo? (“I know what it means, but what is this word doing in your city hall story?”)
The other editors burst out laughing. I fell flat on my face.
“News ang sinusulat natin, hindi nobela (We write news, not novels),” he said.
My first lesson in newswriting: Don’t use pretentious words. Nobody cares if you’re a philosophy major.
The newsroom was intimidating and humbling, but vibrant and felt powerful. It was filled with cigarette smoke—back
in the day indoor smoking was normal like in old movies—that fused with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee amid the adrenaline rush to beat the deadline and editors arguing among themselves, humiliating reporters or calling the copy boy.
It was 1989. I couldn’t believe I was in a newsroom with badass journalists who survived martial law. I was in awe. I abandoned my juvenile fresh-fromcollege arrogance and prepared myself to learn from these legendary editors.
The following week, Dan called me again.
“Cagurangan!” I approached the desk, terrified.
“When you order pizza, do you say ‘pizza pie’?” he asked.
“No, sir,” I replied, unsure what pizza had to do with my story.
Then he gave me a nugget of information that I would always remember: “It’s the same with tuition fee. There’s no such thing as pizza pie and there’s no such thing as ‘tuition fee.’ It’s redundant. Just ‘tuition’ or ‘matriculation fee.’”
Ahhhh.
We wrote our stories on actual paper,
with the typewriter. I was humbled by Dan’s red marks on my copy, and, oh lord, it was bloody. Dan was a meticulous editor, peeved by shortcuts and mediocrity. Being called to his desk was as terrifying as being summoned to the principal’s office. He challenged reporters to think how best to write a story. We had learned a great deal from him.
When the Philippine Daily Globe shut down, the old staff resurrected with TODAY. Dan joined another publication. He later became the managing editor at ABS-CBN digital edition, while writing a column for TODAY at the same time.
After covering the beat for years, I later joined the ranks of editors. On certain days, I would close the opinion section when the editor was on his day off. Dan would call to check if I received his column. By this time, he called me by my first name, which made me feel I had earned my place. I was no longer the
be invoking such latter right when she declined to have her oath administered. I am not aware, however, whether there’s a recognized claim of executive privilege in this case. Oaths are frequently made while holding the Bible. They all include some form of formal declaration or promise to fulfill a pledge, often calling on God, as witness to truth, commitment, sincerity of one’s statement, indicating divine judgment. In the spiritual realm, the Bible tells us, “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’” (Matthew 5:33). The apostle James repeats a command in James 5:12: “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.” The use of the phrase “above all” suggests that we should be especially cautious on this issue. Clearly, the Bible sets a higher standard for all of us. Swearing oaths is never a trivial matter. After all, oaths usually end with a phrase, “So, help me God.” Hence, the vow is not only imbued with public interest but with a Holy plea for the presence of God in the conduct of their affairs. May the presence of our Almighty God be the focal point of any oath administered in Congress or elsewhere.
A former infantry and intelligence officer in the Army, Siegfred Mison showcased his servant leadership philosophy in organizations such as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Malcolm Law Offices, Infogix Inc., University of the East, Bureau of Immigration, and Philippine Airlines. He is a graduate of West Point in New York, Ateneo Law School, and University of Southern California. A corporate lawyer by profession, he is an inspirational teacher and a Spirit-filled writer with a mission. For questions and comments, please e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com.
terrified rookie in ponytail. I still called him “sir,” but I had managed to banter with him as a grown-up and discovered that he wasn’t the grumpy person I had initially perceived him to be. He had a sense of humor, which made it easy for me to confess that I used to call him a “terror editor.”
When he called about his column, he would tell me to “feel free to edit.” I felt unworthy of touching his copy, but I felt honored that he trusted me. There are people in our life who have contributed to our professional growth and, for me, Dan was definitely one of them. Sadly, I never got the chance to buy him pizza pie to thank him. Now as an editor myself, I pass on young reporters what I had learned from my nerve-wracking years of being called to the “principal’s office.”
Years later, I became an editor for a local paper in Guam. When editing a reporter’s copy, I spotted the term “tuition fee.” I couldn’t help but a pull a Dan Mariano.
“When you order pizza, do you say ‘pizza pie’?” I asked the reporter.
“Uhm, no,” the reporter replied.
“It’s the same with tuition fee. There’s no such thing as pizza pie and there’s no such thing as ‘tuition fee.’ It’s redundant. Just ‘tuition’ or ‘matriculation fee.’” I was saddened to hear about Dan’s sudden death. His passing was a big loss to Philippine journalism. But his legacy lives on. Rest in peace, sir.
Elon Musk capitulates, complies with legal orders in Brazil
By Daniel Carvalho
ELON MUSk backed down and decided to comply with court orders in Brazil, an attempt to end a monthslong clash that culminated in million-dollar fines and the banning of his social network X in Latin America’s largest economy.
X appointed a legal representative in the country on Friday, seeking to obey a deadline imposed by the Supreme Court and end the ban on the social-media platform in the country that began Aug. 30, according to a judicial filing.
The company formerly known as Twitter also informed the court that it
followed previous orders and blocked accounts allegedly responsible for disseminating hate speech and fake news, two people familiar with the matter who can’t publicly discuss a case under seal said Saturday. The company had until now resisted abiding by orders from the court.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes gave X five days to provide further information on its legal representation, according to a new order filed on Saturday. It also granted the court’s secretary 48 hours to verify if earlier orders were respected. The court will then be able to make a decision on whether to reinstate X in Brazil after a review.
“Clarifications and information in response to Moraes’ order” were presented to the court, the law firm hired by X said in a statement late Friday in Brazil. X is now represented by Rachel de Oliveira Villa Nova Conceição in Brazil, according to a court document first reported by CNN Brasil. Although X informed the Supreme Court on Wednesday that it had appointed two attorneys in the country, Moraes gave the company 24 hours to prove lawyers were hired on its
Mariano
Resort villas in the WPS?
Tieza bids out project study
TBy Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo @akosistellaBM
Special to
the
BusinessMirror
HE Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza) is bidding out a P100-million project for a detailed engineering study of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and neighboring islands.
Tieza Chief Operating Office Mark T. Lapid confirmed to the BusinessMirror that the public bid for the WPS masterplan was “already posted” on the agency’s site, and will cover the Kalayaan Group of Islands, many of them near Palawan. These include: Pag-Asa Island (Thitu Island), which spans about 37.2 hectares; Kota Island (Loaita Island), 6.45 has.; Panata Island (Lankiam Cay), 0.44 has.; Parola Island (Northeast Cay), 12.7 has.; the Rizal Reef, an underwater reef west of Balabac; Lawak Island, 7.93 has.; Likas Island, 18.6 has., and Patag Island (Flat Island), 0.57 has.
The winning bidder has 180 calendar days to complete the project after it is awarded. Deadline for the “face-to-face submission” of eligibility documents is October 1, 2024 at 9:30 am. The bids will be opened on the same day at 10 am. The project review will take another 60 days, so the winning bidder will likely be carrying out the project by the start of the
new year, 2025. Tieza is the infrastructure arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT); it also creates and oversees tourism enterprise zones, which afford private sector locators tax incentives to set up hotels, resorts, and other tourist establishments. The government firm derives its operational funds from travel taxes paid by outbound travelers, but in the case of the WPS masterplan, the funds were specifically allocated by Congress and added to Tieza’s budget.
‘Protecting our territorial integrity’
U N DER the terms of reference of the bid for the “Consulting Services for the Masterplan of Detailed Engineering Study of West Philippine Sea and Neighboring Islands” published on September 20 on its website, Tieza said: “The Kalayaan Group of Islands presents a strategic opportunity to showcase the natural beauty and biodiversity of the [WPS]. Kalayaan, with its pristine islands and clear waters, offers a range of activities that can attract both domestic and international tourists seeking unique experiences in a relatively untouched environment. The region’s coral reefs are ideal for snorkeling and diving, providing glimpses of marine life.”
See “Resort,” A2
THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said attempts to revive the contract with AllCard Incorporated (ACI) would only delay the implementation of the National ID.
In a statement, BSP said the termination of the National ID contract will give the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) the freedom to explore other options to expedite the production and delivery of national ID cards.
BSP reiterated that its decision to terminate the contract with AllCard was justified due to the companies’ failure to meet its deliverables.
“This decision was made to protect the interests of the government, represented by the PSA, the primary implementing agency of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) project,” BSP said.
“Attempts to revive the contract with a supplier that has already failed to deliver will only further delay PSA’s plans to address backlogs,” it added.
BSP said it undertook the printing of the cards to assist the PSA with its mandate under Republic Act No. 11055 or the Philippine Identification System Act.
The BSP also said it properly conducted a public bidding process for a lease and supply contract, which AllCard won and accepted.
Furthermore, BSP said it complied with the Agency-to-Agency Procurement Guidelines under the RA 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA).
BSP also reiterated that AllCard's role was only limited to providing equipment, raw materials and technical support.
“In strict compliance with these guidelines, BSP and PSA conducted the printing and personalization of the cards, and did not subcontract any operations related to the printing of the national IDs to AllCard,” BSP said. BSP said other issues being raised only distract from the basic facts. AllCard has initiated arbitration proceedings, in which BSP is actively participating.
This arbitration, BSP said, is the appropriate forum to resolve the issues, and the proceedings at the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center are confidential in accordance with its rules.
As of 19 September 2024, PSA said a total of 90.017 million Filipinos have been registered in the National ID. This represented 97.8 percent of the 92 million target registrations this year.
“This milestone gives the PSA an impetus to continue fulfilling its mandate to register every Filipino in the National ID system,” said National Statistician and Civil Registrar General Claire Dennis S. Mapa.
“As we reach the last mile of registration, we will continue our pursuit to make National ID registration easy and accessible for all and make the National ID the top-of-mind valid proof of identity for Filipinos," he added.
As part of the intensified efforts to register children ages 1 to 4 years, the PSA launched the Rehistro Bulilit campaign. The campaign utilized mascots, colorful banners and tokens, and playing of children’s videos to help children feel at ease while registering to the National ID system. Cai U. Ordinario
SEMINARIANS’ SPONSORS Manila Archbishop Jose F. Cardinal Advincula, D.D. led simple rites organized by the Manila Archdiocesan Seminary System Foundation Inc. (Massfi) to honor benefactors who have made possible the continued education of young boys and men aspiring to join the priesthood. He is flanked in photo by ALC Group chairman D. Edgard A. Cabangon (left), one of the benefactors, and Rev. Fr. Jojo Buenafe, Spiritual Director of Formation at San Carlos Seminary and also with TV Maria. Story in A2, Manila seminary system honors, thanks sponsors.
Editor: Jennifer A. Ng
By Lenie Lectura @llectura
Belgrove Power Corp. (BPC), a subsidiary of Fort Pilar energy Inc., is pursuing the rehabilitation of Malaya Thermal Power Plant (MTPP) Unit 2 and the construction of the proposed 60 megawatt (MW) gas turbine power plant (gTPP) inside the MTPP complex.
The 600 megawatt (MW) MTPP was acquired from the government in 2021. It is old and dilapidated but was designated as a must-run unit (MRU) by the Department of Energy. As an MRU, MTPP is obligated to run and provide the needed power supply in the Luzon grid.
“Given the current state of the plant, MTPP is not yet fully operational. BPC intends to fully operate the Unit 2 while Unit 1 is in the process of decommissioning,” it said in a filing with the Envi-
ronmental Management Bureau.
Once operational, Unit 2 (350MW) intends to provide ancillary services to the Luzon grid. However, the operation of the MTPP Unit 2 does not yet have environmental compliance certificate (ECC) as it started its operation before 1982.
BPC is currently securing the necessary permits and clearances prior to project construction.
The company has secured an ECC for the 60MW GTPP. The project cost is estimated at P3.8 billion. Apart from the ECC, BPC said it will submit an environmental management plan to address potential environmental impacts of the 60MW GTPP.
The 60MW GTPP is also meant to provide dispatchable reserve (DR) service to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
“The construction of the GTPP is still ongoing and is expected to be
LBy VG Cabuag @villygc
UNA Securities Inc., an online stockbroker that started operations in March 2022, is reducing its commission fees in its bid to expand its market reach and achieve profitability.
The company said it will begin to offer broker’s commission rate of 0.12 percent to all of its clients, account holders and users, “the lowest and industry best commission that is made available to investors thus far.”
This allows clients to pay the stockbroker at a reduced commission depending on their executed gross traded value—commission starts at P5 for orders of up to P2,500 and then drops to 0.2 percent for orders up to P100,000, with the 0.12 percent commission availed for orders over P1 million.
“These rates are a significant discount to the current industry minimum rate of 0.25 percent of trades, with Luna’s 0.12 percent marking a more than 50-percent cut in rates that can be had by any investor or trader today,” the broker said.
Michael John Gatmaytan, Luna Securities chairman, said the stockbroker’s “dynamic” commission rate pricing program will attract more high net worth investors. “Luna runs on the latest technology available, with a cloud-based, full digital user interface, plus an end-toend system designed in-house by our fintech team. This allows us to be very efficient and able to offer best in class product, service, and best in rates, all at the same time.” Francis Diaz, Luna Securities president, said its offering made investing affordable.
“If Luna made stocks accessible and advanced before, it is also affordable now. With our commission revolution, we can, in our own way, help stocks compete with other emerging classes of financial assets.
Luna began with a better user experience and the lowest minimum maintaining balance of just P500. Now we offer a compelling fee structure. With lower fees come the potential for higher investor returns and the incentive to trade. Luna understands there is more work to be done, but we’re here for it, and we are ready,” he said.
Broker commission rates have been set at a minimum rate of 0.25 percent and P20 since 1973, and remained fixed until the Securities and Exchange Commission removed the minimum commission in April this year, in a bid to boost capital market activity as well as
finished within the year. The target commercial operation of the MTPP complex is April 2025,” BPC said in its filing.
BPC said the rehabilitation of 350MW MTPP Unit2 and the 60MW GTTP are intended for peaking and ancillary services for the Luzon grid and power quality improvement for distribution utilities to help ease the frequency and voltage problems.
In general, ancillary services are essential to sustaining the transmission capacity and maintaining the power quality, reliability, and security of the grid. Sudden fluctuations in the frequency and voltage of the transmission system are typically brought about by intermittent operations of the renewable energy plants, unplanned outages of conventional power plants, as well as the daily operational cycle of large power consumers.
FPIP begins construction on mixed-use hub
By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan
ECONOMIC zone operator
First Philippine Industrial Park (FPIP) broke ground on a three-story mixed-use hub within its 600-hectare space in Sto. Tomas, Batangas which will house retail establishments, restaurants, and government offices.
“FPIP Plaza is a 15,000-square meter space that will house various retail establishments, restaurants, service centers, corporate offices, and government offices upon its completion,” FPIP said in a statement over the weekend.
According to FPIP, the commercial hub is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2026.
FPIP, an ecozone operator registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), said the commercial hub is aimed at creating a “more convenient and elevated experience” for FPIP locator employees, visitors, and the local community.
to encourage public participation in stock markets by allowing the investing public to engage the services of broker of their choice based on cost preference.
Established in October 2021, Luna Securities is one of the newest member-brokers of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). It started live trading operations last March 2022, using its proprietary, cloudbased, end-to-end stock brokerage platform.
The platform consists of a PSEcertified, fully functional, mobilebased, front-end app, and fully connected to an automated accounting and back-office system, allowing for a high level of speed, efficiency, security and reliability from customer experience all the way to back-office operation and accounting.
Luna launched its mobile trading app in April 2023.
aliw Broadcasting sweeps top honors at prestigious award ceremonies
ALIW Broadcasting Corporation has once again cemented its status as a media powerhouse by securing multiple awards at two highly prestigious events— the Philippines Finest Business and Outstanding Achievers Awards and the Sovereign Seal of Business Triumph and Remarkable Achievers. At the 2nd Philippines Finest Business and Outstanding Achievers Awards ceremony held on September 8, 2024 in Quezon City, Aliw Channel 23 and DWIZ 882 were hailed as Most Trusted TV Network and Trusted AM Station, respectively, with Home Radio 97.9 named as Best FM Station.
Recognizing their outstanding contributions to the media industry, DWIZ veteran anchor Dennis Antenor Jr. was honored with the Excellent Radio Host of the Year Award, while Home Radio 97.9 station manager Braggy Braganza received the Trusted FM Radio Personality Award.
Earlier on August 28 at the Sovereign Seal of Business Triumph and Remarkable Achievers ceremony held at Dusit Thani Manila, Aliw Channel 23 was given the Most Outstanding Television Network of 2024 award, as DWIZ 882 and Home Radio 97.9 were celebrated as Most Outstanding AM and FM Radio Stations. During the same event, Antenor
would continue to inspire Aliw Broadcasting Corporation in pursuing excellence and delivering timely and relevant news that the public needs. Meanwhile, Braganza expressed gratitude to the loyal listeners of Home Radio 97.9 for their unwav-
ering support, especially as the FM station approaches its 30th year of providing top-notch music, news, and entertainment to Filipinos nationwide.
Aliw Broadcasting Corporation is part of the ALC Group of Companies founded by the late Amb. Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, and is currently chaired by D. Edgard A. Cabangon.
Located at FPIP’s Gate 1, the FPIP Plaza is expected to provide more
STOCK-MARKET OUTLOOK
employment opportunities on top of the over 70,000 workers employed at the economic zone.
Apart from creating jobs, FPIP
Chief Commercial Officer Jose Valentin Pantangco said the commercial hub will “strengthen industry and modernize the two cities of Sto. Tomas and Tanauan, and make Batangas as the prime industrial corridor of the Philippines.”
“FPIP Plaza is a testament to our desire to create something that is for the community, employees, and locators of FPIP, and even more importantly, the whole of Sto. Tomas and Tanauan, and barangays nearby will have an opportunity to gather and connect with each other,” Pantangco said at the groundbreaking ceremony of the commercial center last September 10.
FPIP is a PEZA-registered ecozone operator that houses over 150 locators including Collins Aerospace, Philippine Manufacturing Co. of Murata Inc., and Dyson. It operator has partnered with construction firm First Balfour and architectural firm Aidea to develop FPIP Plaza.
Govt to set aside ₧8.8B for DOST grant scheme
THE national government will allocate P8.8 billion to the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Grants-In-Aid (GIA) Program in 2025 to support the scientific and technological capabilities in the country.
A statement issued by the DBM last Sunday stated that the funding will continue the implementation of various science and technology (S&T) and innovation programs; a tack the DBM expects would spur economic growth and development.
“By providing grants or funding to projects and proposals aligned with the DOST’s priorities and thrusts, the program intends to foster innovation and drive sustainable development,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said in his Budget Message. Apart from leveraging on S&T for economic growth, the program will also contribute to productivity improvement and quality of life of Filipinos by generating and promoting appropriate technologies, the statement read.
The program is also expected to enhance the involvement of diverse S&T sectors, particularly in the areas of research and development (R&D), promotion, technology transfer and utilization, human resource development, advocacy, information dissemination, advocacy and linkages.
The GIA program supports S&T activities listed under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) and offers funding for the implementation of projects/programs listed in the cur-
rent DOST priorities and thrusts.
“We shall continue providing necessary support to crucial programs such as GIA to help empower our innovators, researchers and learners to make a difference in society through science and technology undertakings,” Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pagandaman was quoted in the statement as saying.
The Harmonized National Research and Development Agenda 2022 to 2028 (HNRDA) serves as a comprehensive framework for all science, technology and innovation endeavors and a guide for the prioritization of research programs and projects to be funded.
The agenda was prepared in consultation with government and private research and development institutions, the academe, industry and other concerned agencies.
The need to accelerate the use of science, technology, and innovation as tools for achieving economic and social transformation was highlighted by the president in his Budget Message.
To attain the administration’s goal of placing the Philippines as a regional hub for smart and sustainable manufacturing, innovation, creativity and sustainability, DOST will be allotted P28.8 billion under the proposed Fiscal Year 2025 National Budget.
The DOST’s 2025 budget is higher by 7.06 percent from the current year’s allocation of P26.9 billion based on the 2024 GAA. Reine Juvierre Alberto
Pagcor inaugurates civic center in Dasmariñas City
DASMARIÑAS City, Cavite–The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) announced it inaugurated last Wednesday its 41st completed Socio-Civic Center three years after its groundbreaking in October 2021.
A statement from Pagcor stated that the three-story modern structure was built with a P50million grant from Pagcor and is the only socio-civic facility with complement funding from the city government, bringing the total project cost to P110 million.
“It is also the only socio-civic facility that is equipped with an elevator to help elderly and physically challenged visitors to reach its higher floors with ease,” the statement continued.
According to Pagcor, VicePresident for Corporate Social Responsibility Group Ramon Stephen R. Villaflor and Dasmariñas City Mayor Jennifer A. Barzaga led the unveiling of the state-of-the-art structure in Sitio Buwisan, Barangay Langkaan II.
“When we held the groundbreaking ceremony for this socio-civic center a few years ago, we did not expect that it
‘No RFID, No Entry’ tollway rule in full effect by Jan ’25
By Reine Juvierre Alberto
THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced that the implementation of “No RFID, No Entry” rule in tollways will take full effect in January 2025 to streamline toll collection processes in the country.
In a statement issued last Sunday, the Presidential Communication Office said the DOTr has further delayed the enforcement of penalties for violations of Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) 2024-001 (Revised
Guidelines for All Vehicles on Toll Expressways) until next year.
“Penalties may take effect starting January next year,” Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista was quoted in the statement as saying.
The rule aims to enforce cashless toll collection by compelling motorists to install Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and park their money as “load” when using TRB-controlled tollways.
The JMC was signed by the DOTr, the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) this year.
Information gathered from recent public consultations, such as data on violators, will be analyzed to guide potential amendments to the JMC, it added.
According to the statement, the approach complies with the instruction of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the April 2024 Traffic Summit to provide innovative solutions to traffic congestion at major thoroughfares.
“We will implement the program, excluding the penalties,” Bautista added.
Further, the DOTr has also postponed its plan to penalize motorists violating loading regulations on expressways in Metro Manila and nearby areas.
The plan to penalize motorists was initially scheduled to be implemented on August 31, 2024, but was now moved to October 1 this year. Bautista said the DOTr is ensuring its toll and traffic strategies are aligned with the President’s goal of providing solutions to the persistent traffic issues.
“The DOTr has the tools to address congestion on major roads but is taking time for a thorough review to ensure these solutions meet motorists’ needs,” Bautista said.
BOC blames consignees for rice shipment delays
THE delays in rice shipments at Manila ports, which could lead to price increases due to supply constraints, are being blamed by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on consignees not paying their duties and taxes.
“The BOC clarifies that the situation is not related to port congestion but stems from pending actions required by consignees for the release of these shipments,” read a statement the Bureau issued over the weekend.
At the Port of Manila, the BOC said 237 out of 258 rice containers have been cleared for release after duties and taxes were paid. The remaining 21 containers had their Goods Declarations lodged on September 20, 2024, and are still being
Sen.
Iwould turn out to be a structure of excellence like the one we just inaugurated,” Villaflor said.
“This only proves that Pagcor and the city of Dasmariñas have developed a strong partnership to come out with a great project such as this.”
The building boasts of common toilets on all floors, a multi-purpose open area, dining halls, kitchen, first-aid room, storage and breastfeeding rooms, among others. The building can also accommodate up to 150 modular tents when utilized as an evacuation facility.
Barzaga, meanwhile, expressed her gratitude to Pagcor for providing substantial funding for the construction of the building, which will not only serve as an evacuation facility but also as venue for various community activities.
““This building will be utilized as a hub for community engagement, social activities and other events that promote progress and development,” Barzaga said.
To date, Pagcor has completed and inaugurated a total of 41 socio-civic centers
completion.
processed for clearing.
Meanwhile, 492 out of 630 rice containers at the Manila Internat ional Container Port have been cleared for release, while 138 containers remain in the yard pending payment of duties and taxes.
The BOC also affirmed that none of the rice shipments have exceeded the 30-day period allowed in Section 1129(d) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
Importers must claim their shipments within 30 days from the payment of duties and taxes; otherwise, the shipments will be declared abandoned, based on the law. If any shipments are still unclaimed after this time, the BOC will initiate abandonment procedures.
“The BOC is continuously monitoring the situation and assures the public that the necessary processes are being followed,” the statement continued.
Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio urged importers to act promptly to avoid further disruptions. Otherwise, if rice shipments remain unclaimed, the BOC will enforce abandonment proceedings, as mandated by law.
“The BOC remains committed to ensuring that the release of rice shipments follows the legal procedures without unnecessary delays,” Rubio was quoted in the statement as saying.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. earlier said port congestion is holding up rice shipments causing delays and slow unloading. (See: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2024/09/17/port-congestionholding-up-rice-shipments-dachief/)
According to Tiu Laurel, the Philippines typically consumes 320,000 metric tons (MT) of imported rice monthly. In the first half of 2024, average rice shipments reached 400,000 MT and registered a surplus of 80,000 MT. The Agriculture chief expects rice prices to go down in October because excess stocks bought at higher tariffs will be used up. However, since the volume of imported rice entering the market this September remains scarce partly due to port congestion, rice prices may not drop immediately. Reine Juvierre Alberto
Go amplifies support for cooperative sector
N his address at the National Confederation of Cooperatives, or Coop-Natcco, (Formerly known as National Association of Training Centers for Cooperatives) 8th National Congress and 26th anniversary, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go expressed his deep appreciation and support for the collaborative efforts of cooperatives to the nation’s welfare, development, and economic growth.
A key highlight during the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Senator Go and Coop-Natcco to promote and support each other’s advocacies, policy reforms and programs aimed at strengthening cooperatives nationwide.
Speaking before members of the cooperative sector as one of their Guests of Honor during the gathering, Go emphasized the vital role cooperatives play in uplifting the livelihoods of Filipinos and ensuring economic inclusivity in communities. He also acknowledged the organization’s role in amplifying the voices of cooperatives in Congress and advancing their interests.
Ang inyong dedikasyon at serbisyo sa sektor ng kooperatiba ay tunay na inspirasyon para sa ating lahat,” Go said, highlighting the efforts of CoopNatcco in providing both training and services to its members.
Go, who is a member of the Senate Committee on Cooperatives, reaffirmed his commitment to supporting legislative measures aimed at promoting the growth and sustainability of the cooperative sector.
“Ako ay patuloy na susuporta sa mga programa at panukalang batas na makakatulong sa pag-unlad ng sektor ng kooperatiba. Ako ay naniniwala na ang kooperatiba ay isang mahalagang haligi ng ating ekonomiya upang mabawasan ang kahirapan sa ating bansa,” he stated.
The senator stressed the importance of cooperatives in fostering equal opportunities for development among Filipinos.
As part of his efforts to bolster the sector, Go mentioned his partnerships with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) to ensure implementation for cooperative support programs such as the “Malasakit sa Kooperatiba” initiative that he continues to support. These, he said, are not only focused on providing financial assistance but also on expanding opportunities for cooperative members to contribute to the welfare and development of their respective communities.
“Layunin nating palakasin pa ang inyong kakayahan upang mas marami kayong matulungan at mas mapalawak pa ang inyong mga serbisyo,” Go noted. Go has consistently provided support to chosen cooperatives in various regions. Just the previous day, September 20, Go personally extended his support to 23 select cooperatives from Region 7 through the CDA’s “Malasakit sa Kooperatiba Program” that aimed at bolstering
the cooperative sector. Through this program that Go advocated for, each qualified cooperative is provided financial support.
The financial grant is a direct result of Senator Go’s push for funding allocation in the 2024 national budget for the CDA’s Human Capital Development Program. This program provides not only monetary aid but also capacity-building initiatives to help cooperatives in the region sustain and expand their operations.
The senator also underscored key legislative accomplishments benefiting cooperatives, including the passage of Republic Act 11535, which Go co-sponsored. This law mandates the appointment of a Cooperative Development Officer in every municipality, city, and province. Go stated that this law is a significant step toward ensuring the continued growth of the cooperative sector at the grassroots level.
Additionally, Go is a co-author and co-sponsor of Republic Act No. 11502, which declares October as National Cooperative Month. He has consistently promoted cooperative
development on a national scale. The law aims to raise awareness about the crucial role cooperatives play in nation-building and to celebrate their contributions each year. In addition to these legislative efforts, Go revealed that his office has filed Senate Bill No. 2117 to strengthen the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC). The bill seeks to expand coverage to include all agricultural commodities, as well as non-crop agricultural assets such as livestock, aquaculture, fishery, agroforestry, and forest plantations. Go also noted the Senate’s ongoing deliberations on the Revised Cooperative Code, which aims to further enhance the framework for cooperatives across the country. In closing, Go expressed his gratitude to Coop-Natcco for its tireless service to the cooperative sector and reiterated his commitment to supporting its advocacy.
“Patuloy po akong sumasaludo sa inyong mga lider at miyembro, at asahan ninyong patuloy kong susuportahan ang inyong mga adbokasiya,” he declared. Go urged continued collaboration to ensure sustained progress as he acknowledged key leaders such as Coop-Natcco Partylist Representative Felimon Emon Espares, former Coop-Natcco Representative and now Tangub City Mayor Ben Canama, Alexander Raquepo-Party President, Renato Dela Cruz-Luzon Vice President, Ebonito Alivio-Visayas Vice President, Romeo Manzano Jr.Mindanao Vice President, and various regional representatives. He also provided tokens and raffle items to the attendees.
“Sama-sama tayong magtutulun-
nationwide while 32 other structures are nearing
This september 18, 2024, photo shows Vice-President for Corporate social Responsibility Group Ramon stephen R. Villaflor (third from left) shaking hands with Dasmariñas City Mayor Jennifer A. Barzaga following the ceremonial unveiling of the socio-civic center’s marker.
senAToR "BonG Go FIlE PhoTo
Migration is more complex than politics show
By Graham Lee Brewer & Terry Tang
Associated Press
For decades politicians in both parties have bemoaned a US immigration system that virtually all call broken. Attempts at comprehensive reform have failed and popular emotion and partisan rancor have it a new high over the last two years as cities and towns struggled to accommodate migrants.
With emotions high, Republicanled states have bussed new arrivals to Democratic-led cities. The presidential election now has shifted the spotlight to a city whose latest residents are legally in the country.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance have jumped on disproven rumors that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio are eating household pets.
The bottom line: Immigrants are coming and staying in this country through a mix of methods and programs that are not easily captured or acknowledged in political rhetoric, but fearmongering over immigration is nearly as old as the country itself.
Many ways to come to the United States
T H e roughly 15,000 Haitians residing in Springfield are in the US legally. Most of them are under Temporary Protected Status, which allows them to stay and work. Trump and Vance have failed to make that distinction, which many critics see as part of Trump’s long history of targeting Black people. Last weekend at a rally in Las Vegas, the Republican presidential nominee said the city has “been taken over by illegal migrants.”
Trump would not be able to legally deport Haitians who have protected status.
vices, like getting a license. Traffic accidents involving death or injury also have increased in town, as have pressures on the housing stock.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has deep ties to Haiti, having traveled there with his wife more than 20 times in support of a tuition-free school named after their late daughter. DeWine, who was born in Springfield and is a lifelong resident of the area, said Haitians who have landed in the city are hard workers, and have helped close labor shortages in factories and warehouses.
But he said that a sudden influx of Haitians in a city of 58,000 has also stretched the city’s resources. Some of those frustrations spilled out at a Springfield c i ty c o mmission meeting last week.
time residents.
“I feel like there should be a novacancy sign right now,” one man said. DeWine, at a news conference this week, said that, “ ye s, we have challenges.”
“But we’re going to meet those challenges,” he said. “We may not meet them overnight, but we’re going to work at those challenges and those problems.”
e a rlier this month, DeWine announced the city would get $2.5 million over the next two years for healthcare demands.
Long history of fears over immigration
The benefits of immigration
H I STORI ca L Ly, i mmigrants or people with temporary protected status come to the US to work and often take jobs that a m ericans reject, filling a need in the workforce as older generations retire and fewer babies are born.
a n d many a m erican cities’ cultural, economic and religious identities were shaped by migrants.
“Most a m ericans are fundamentally immigrants, and so it’s always just kind of crazy when this gets called into question, and there’s some idea that immigration is not a strength,” said Republican Oklahoma c ity Mayor David Holt.
One in five Oklahoma c i ty resi -
dents are Latino, Holt said, and the restaurants and small businesses they operate have become an integral part of the city of about 700,000 people.
In the 1970s and 1980’s, thousands of Vietnamese immigrants flocked to the city and today their community a few miles west of the state capitol is known for its bustling markets and many restaurants.
“Their culture and their food are now very much a part of what makes
His supporters such as Vivek Ramaswamy have falsely stated that the federal government transported Haitians to Springfield’s front doorstep. In reality, migrants with legal status or granted asylum have to foot the bill for their own transportation. The Haitian population there grew largely as migrants who went where they could find family, housing and work.
Oklahoma c i ty unique,” Holt said.
a f ter the evacuation of a f ghanistan in 2021, Holt welcomed more than 2,000 a f ghan refugees to the city. One of them, Feroz Bashari, swore Holt in for his second term as mayor.
Bashari had been the spokesperson for the a f ghan government before the US withdrew. He fled with his family when the government was toppled.
“a friend of mine who came before me told me it’s a nice place for living, raising your children,” Bashari said.
“It’s a conservative place, they believe in God, they’re very religious. They have almost the same religious culture we have.”
Immigrants can revitalize little populated neighborhoods and decaying streets by setting up businesses and paying taxes. Miami’s Little Havana, San Francisco’s c h inatown or c h icago’s Polish Triangle are fixtures touted to visitors. But migrants also change the fabric and the culture of a city, as well as the country, in ways that longer-term residents find hard.
The complications of immigration a c en SUS s urvey conducted between July 2022 and July 2023 found that Ohio’s foreign-born population included 5,442 people from Haiti. In comparison, Florida and n e w yo rk had populations of over 370,000 and 119,000 Haitian-born residents, respectively.
Springfield officials have placed the figure today at between 15,000 and 20,000, and they say the size of the influx combined with the language barrier has created delays in receiving health care, accessing social services and using everyday government ser -
a school-bus driver said he and other bus drivers are forced to take evasive maneuvers every day “avoiding people who can’t drive.” a man spoke of a friend who was kicked out of his home by a landlord who then tripled the rent. Other residents complained about overcrowded schools and an increase in homelessness among long -
T R UMP h as alleged that migrants have caused skyrocketing crime rates in cities like Springfield and a u rora, c olorado, although authorities in both cities have debunked that. Many studies show that crime is lower among immigrants compared to native-born residents.
n e arly 200 years before Trump and Vance perpetuated unfounded fears that Haitians in Springfield, Ohio abduct and eat dogs and cats, c h inese laborers in c a lifornia faced similar demonization. Many c h inese men emigrated from the West in the 1850s — first to dig for gold and then build the transcontinental railroad. Propaganda at the time fostered fears that the c h inese were a “yellow peril” who smoked opium and ate strange foods. This sentiment led to c o ngress to pass the c h inese e x clusion a c t of 1882. It was the first law restricting immigration based on ethnicity. In 1924, the US established a comprehensive immigration law with a quota system based on nation of origin. It heavily favored immigrants from northern and western e u rope. The intention was to limit immigrants from a s ia as well as Jews and others fleeing
The
Filipinxt: Filipino fashion excellence in New York
FOR its sophomore staging during New York Fashion Week, Filipinxt presented the Spring/ Summer 2025 collections of six talented Filipino designers—Bessie Besana, Wilson Limon of NiñoFranco, Gabby Garcia of Tagpi and Llamanzares Barongs, Adrienne Charuel of Maison Metisse, Chynna Mamawal, and Andrea Tetangco. Filipnxt, the New York-based organization which is dedicated to promoting Filipino talent, culture, identity and representation, had for its inaugural showcase Besana, Veejay Floresca, Wilson Limon, and Michael Leyva in May this year.
On September 7 at the Annex 417 in Manhattan, with Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach and Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel in attendance along with drag queen Diva Soria, Filipinxt once again proved the brilliance of Filipino designers who are on track to elevating Filipino fashion on the global stage.
After their inspiring experience showing at one of the world’s fashion capitals, the designers express their gratitude and glee at being part of a premium fashion platform:
CHYNNA MAMAWAL
WITH Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel as her muse, and Filipino-American actor, model, and professional 3x3 basketball player Cole Micek, as one of her models, Chynna made asplash on the runway.
“I am an international fashion designer based in Manila. So we’re really known for custom-made gowns and suits, and red-carpet looks. We’ve dressed up international Hollywood stars such as Yvonne Chapman. She’s Avatar Kyoshi from The Last Airbender I already dressed up Lizzo.
“So my goal is to become an even more known international brand from the Philippines. I’m very excited to be part of Filipinxt because it’s literally from Manila to Manhattan. So it’s good that Filipinos have this kind of platform to showcase their clothes.
“Filipinxt is bold, daring, big.”
ADRIENNE CHARUEL OF MAISON METISSE
ADrIeNNe CHARUeL is the founder and creative director of Maison Matisse, a brand which focuses on sustainable advocacy.
“We focus on natural textiles and a lot of traditions like hand-weaving, natural dyeing, and sacred embroidery. So it’s really artisanal. We really focus on preserving our heritage, but also translating it into contemporary pieces.
“Filipinxt is beyond fashion. It’s about Philippine pride. You know, it’s being proud of your heritage. And what I do is really trying to make fashion from
FOR the fragrance-obsessed, there is nothing like opening a box with a bottle of perfume or cologne they have not tried before. That first spritz, that first sniff could make or break that scent as far as the fraghead (a person who samples fragrances and values the work and creativity of perfumemakers) is concerned. There are fragrances that take a little warming up to. There are those that people love or hate immediately.
You could say that Gaultier Divine Le Parfum by Jean Paul Gaultier is a fragrance that needs some warming up to for some people. For many, it is a scent that they fall in love with immediately. Jean Paul Gaultier is known for his classic woman’s bust perfume bottles but this time, Gaultier Divine’s metallic gold bottle is reminiscent of Madonna’s legendary Blonde Ambition cone bras and corsets. The body shape is also exaggerated with wider hips and a smaller waist compared to previous bottles.
Gaultier Divine Le Parfum, created by Quentin Bisch, is a floral gourmand marine scent, with notes of white flowers, lily, creamy whipped meringue, and salty sea breeze.
a status symbol to a value symbol. So that’s why it’s beyond fashion for me. They put together designers. They’re helping them showcase and, again, giving an opportunity. So it’s beyond fashion for me. It’s about community and sharing our heritage as a people. I think that’s great.”
ANDREA TETANGCO
ANDreA TeTANGCO is a Filipino designer with a contemporary clothing line focused on bridal gowns and eveningwear. It is her first time to show in New York but she had a show in Vancouver a few years ago. So this is her second international fashion show.
“I’m actually very excited to showcase my craft in New York, of course, and to showcase Filipino talent.
Some people have said that it smells like sunscreen while others have compared it to a summer breeze. Gaultier Divine is sweeter with pink berry, bergamot, and Calypsone so it’s sweet and oceanic at the same time. I had to Google what Calypsone is and learned it is a molecule created by Givaudan, a Swiss multinational manufacturer of flavors, fragrances and active cosmetic ingredients. Calypsone smells ozonic, like sea breeze with fruity watermelon nuances. The middle notes of lily, jasmine, and ylang-ylang somehow make the fragrance more mellow, and then you smell the base notes of meringue, patchouli, and musk.
Gaultier Divine lives up to its name. It is a divine and complex fragrance with a longevity of up to eight hours.
Disclaimer: This is not the claim of the brand but mine as I tested it for three days. The sillage (meaning the trail of scent it leaves behind) of Gaultier Divine is above average.
The dry down, for me, is slightly beachy and sweet, so it’s perfect for warmer weather like ours. It’s also a bit powdery, thanks to the meringue.
Gaultier Divine Le Parfum is available at major department stores online and Rustan’s Beauty Source online.
A SKINCARE LINE FOR PEOPLE WITH SENSITIVE SKIN
AveenO recently launched its facial skincare line called Calm + Restore in the Philippines as part of the brand’s commitment to create products for people with sensitive skin.
As a person with sensitive skin, actress Sofia Andres said she loves the Oat Gel Moisturizer and the Triple Oat Serum for her dry and sensitive skin.
“Aveeno is a brand that our family uses. My daughter uses Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Fragrance-Free Lotion. I’ve used the lotion even before I became an endorser,” said the actress.
I felt so much support, especially with the Filipino crowd. I think this whole Filipinxt, and since Filipinos are handling it, I love the hospitality and everything is just really warm.
“Filipinxt is innovative, creative, and the future of fashion. It is the next platform for Filipino designers who will showcase globally.”
WILSON LIMON OF NIÑOFRANCO
WILSON LIMON is the creative director of
Limon was still very much excited for this season because during this time, he got to do a pop-up.
“We’re bringing clothes that are made by our partner communities because during the first season, we just did a fashion show. But this time, we’re doing a capsule collection. It’s a four-piece collection wherein I made different versions of the barong Tagalog mixed with contemporary stitching. And then we brought some of our pieces from the Philippines.
“Filipinxt is exciting. It’s progressive. And evolving.”
GABBY GARCIA OF TAGPI AND LLAMANZARES
BARONGS
GABBY GARCIA the creative director of Tagpi , which started as a passion project, and Llamanzars Barongs:
“I wanted to help local artisans affected during the pandemic. Tagpi in Filipino means to patch together. I want to be able to patch together different artisanal communities to be able to tell the stories of the Filipino one stitch at a time.
“As Filipinxt evolves and grows, I expect to really show more of contemporary designers. I want to be able to see designers who have a different take on what is Filipino wear, because there are a lot of emerging designers and brands out there that we can truly be proud of. And I feel like that’s something that I can look forward to for the next Filipnxt.
“Filipinxt is exciting, fulfilling and still hopeful. It is the next social movement.”
BESSIE BESANA
BeSSIe BeSANA, who is based in New York, is the brains and producer of Filipinxt.
“When we were conceptualizing about Filipinxt last year at the same time, I knew we were going to get at this level or at this point. But to actually see it in fruition, it means a lot to me and to my business partner, rob, because it was an idea and now we’re making it a reality.
“For us, that is very important and we’re very grateful for the people who have worked with us, who are working with us and who are going to be working with us, and we’re very, very happy about that. Filipinxt really revolves around the idea of bringing the Filipino talent to New York, and New York being a fashion capital in the world, I think this is the best platform for all of the designers that are talented from the Philippines to be able to showcase what the Filipino talent could really deliver.
“We are really pushing forward where we are supporting our designers. We want them to have the best experience. We want them to create more markets outside the Philippines and we want them to touch base with other buyers, with other stores around the world, not only within the Philippine community. Filipinxt is the next big thing. Filipinxt is the future. Filipinxt is the future of Philippine fashion. Filipinxt is bold. Filipinxt is fearless. Filipinxt is Filipino excellence. Filipinxt is now. We have to
Makati City, guests had the opportunity to try these products firsthand with relaxing face massages using the product. Most of them said they felt the products’ calming effect and deep hydration.
FILIPINO DESIGN EXCELLENCE IN NEW YORK Creations by Bessie Besana, Chynna Mamawal, Wilson Limon of niñoFranco, Tagpi, Andrea Tentangco, Adrienne Charuel of Maison Metisse, and Llamanzares Barongs.
CREIT clinches first Golden Arrow from Institute of Corporate Directors
CITICORE Energy REIT Corporation (CREIT) received its very first Golden Arrow Award, conferred by the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) last September 19, 2024 at the Manila Mariott Hotel.
The award recognizes top performing Publicly Listed Companies in the Philippines, based on the 2022 ASEAN Corporate Governance Studies (ACGS) and Corporate Governance Scorecard (CGS) Assessment Results, both of which measure the performance of companies in facilitating the rights and equitable treatment of shareholders, stakeholder relationship, transparency and accountability through timely disclosures, and the ability of the board of directors to strategically guide the company, monitor management, and ensure their accountability to shareholders.
Oliver Tan, President and CEO of CREIT, thanked ICD for recognizing CREIT for its commitment to corporate governance. “Our first Golden Arrow for our Citicore Energy REIT reflects our continuous commitment to ensuring transparency in investments and empowerment to our shareholders, while operating with the highest standards of corporate governance,” he said.
The company’s Corporate Governance initiatives enhance the company’s value proposition as a sustainable investment platform with a current portfolio of 7.1 million square meters of total leasable space, solely leased out to solar power plant developers and operators with a gross installed solar generation capacity of 145MW.
CREIT’s shareholder commitment also extends to the continually increasing shareholder value through its resilient portfolio, focus on value accretive asset acquisition and the consistent payout of dividends above the minimum requirement of 90% of distributable income.
According to the ICD website, a company conferred a Golden Arrow has “exhibited observable conformance with the Philippine Code of Corporate Governance and internationally recommended corporate governance practices as espoused by the ACGS and CGS.”
CREIT’s Golden Arrow Award is the most recent recognition awarded to the company. CREIT is the first in Southeast Asia to receive the Dark Green rating
from Shades of Green by S&P Global (formerly part of CICERO) – its highest rating – affirming the environmental soundness of CREIT’s green assets, long-term support for low-carbon power sources, and climate resiliency.
CREIT’s corporate governance backbone is its Green Financing Framework, which was recognized by global think-tank Sustainalytics for its credibility, impact, and alignment with core components sustainability financing, paving the way for a Philippine Rating Services Corporation PRSAa+ rating for its maiden ASEAN Green Bond listing in February 2023.
More recently, CREIT was recognized by Finance Asia Awards as 2024’s Best Managed Company, Best Small-Cap Company, Most Committed to ESG, and Most Committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Tan further mentioned that sound corporate governance is key to meeting high shareholder standards. “Success for our shareholders is a direct result of our values, practices and commitment of the people in our organization from top to bottom,” said Tan.
Aion Philippines unveils flagship Makati dealership; ushers in smart, green electric mobility
looking for an energy-efficient option for long-distance travel, the AION ES is a sleek sedan that delivers both style and efficiency. Looking ahead, AION Philippines plans to introduce additional models based on local demand, ensuring that every Filipino driver has the opportunity to experience the future of mobility.
Anton Ibarle, general manager of AION Philippines shared, “Our goal is not merely to introduce vehicles to the Philippines, but to provide a smarter and more sustainable lifestyle. AION’s cutting-edge technology and eco-conscious solutions are perfectly suited to the evolving preferences of Filipino consumers who prioritize luxury, intelligence, and sustainability.” Ibarle further added, “We warmly invite everyone to visit our new flagship dealership in Makati to experience the future of mobility firsthand. Explore the 2025 AION Y PLUS SUV and the AION ES sedan, the most affordable
Victoria Sports Cinema Redefines Entertainment with Grand Unveiling Event
VICTORIA Sports Cinema, in partnership with REM’s Entertainment, unveiled its innovative venue with a spectacular red-carpet event on the 8th floor of Victoria Sports Tower last September 8, 2024. This grand launch at the cinema’s cutting-edge facility attracted a glittering array of film industry icons, including renowned filmmakers, producers, and media personalities. The program commenced with a traditional blessing and a ceremonial red ribbon cutting, marking the official debut of the cinema’s state-of-the-art facility. An electrifying performance from Douglas Nierras’ Power Dance captivated the audience and set a vibrant tone for the
For inquiries on Regular Screening, Block
Helectric passenger car sedan in the market today.”
Ding Zhiwei, Regional Sales Director of GAC Aion Southeast Asia shared in his speech, “AION is a world-class intelligent electric vehicle company created by the GAC Group, a Fortune 500 company, and a key driver of the group’s transformation towards electrification, intelligence, connectivity, and shared mobility. It ranks among the top three global new energy vehicle manufacturers. In 2023, we achieved a total sales volume of 480,000 vehicles, reflecting a 77 percent year-over-year growth, and set a new world record by surpassing one million cumulative production and sales units in just four years and eight months.
“GAC AION is committed to technological innovation and is the first automaker globally to achieve full-stack self-research in EV and ICV technologies. We have pioneered several ‘firsts, leading, and exclusive’ core technologies, including a world-leading dedicated electric platform, a bulletproof magazine battery that does not catch fire, the high-power-density Quark electric drive, and the Star Spirit architecture that supports L4 autonomous driving. Additionally, we have built a self-researched supply chain for batteries, electric drives, and energy, making us one of the few automakers in the world with a complete industry chain.
A major attraction of the event was the car delivery ceremony where ten new AION customers received the keys to their electric vehicles in an exciting handover moment.
Adding to the excitement, AION Philippines also recognized its three confirmed dealer partners with an official Award Ceremony. These key partners— AION Bacolod, AION Cagayan de Oro, and AION Davao — are poised to play a pivotal role in expanding AION’s presence across the country. These ceremonies signify the growing momentum behind AION’s entry into the Philippine market, with a strong focus on building a robust network of dealerships and satisfying the high demand for premium electric vehicles.
PR lessons fRom a maveRick
THE first walked into our office with a determined look, head held h igh, and promptly went about briskly calling each one of us into his office for an individual “getting-to-know-you” talk a s our new Office Head. He cut quite a figure with a booming voice and imposing presence. For colleagues and friends in PR, media, academe, government, corporate, and associations y ou may have met, heard or heard in various media interviews, press conferences and corporate events, Elpi O. Cuna, APR, IABC Fellow. He was our head in Corporate Communication, a mentor, a nd a friend.
Looking back, he unwittingly and not in a linear way at all, t aught me a lot. I thank him for entrusting me to head our Publications and Communications t eam, then Advertising and Special Events, and later to let me r epresent our office on his behalf during crucial budget presentations and performance evaluation results reporting to our C EO. I knew the information by heart since we worked on these together, but it was still a heartwarming moment for me that he t rusted me enough with these important presentations. And because of that trust, it moved me t o give my very best and not to let him, our team, and the company down.
It was also he who endorsed my induction into communication and public relations professional associations and supported me as a board member and made sure there were opportunities and time to speak and advocate about the association programs, and attend conferences here and abroad. T hough he never really said so nor preached about it, these were his ways of ensuring professional development. It encouraged me to make sure that I would bring the learning back to our corporate programs and apply new ideas and ways.
The space and trust H E g ave me start-up programs which I enjoyed doing as it gave me the space and trust to organize and create. He just somehow k new what to ask me to handle that motivated me. Among them was the Gawad Haydee Yorac, awarded to an individual who was a role model for leadership and integrity, a joint program of Meralco and my Alma Mater, the University of the Philippines.
BB d O significantly boosted its strategy team with four leading industry talents as it reimagines strategy for a new era. The appointments of Experience Strategy d i rector Jon (JT) Turton, Senior Strategy d i rector Vanessa ( n ess) Quincey, Head of Product Maya Mausli, and Head of Strategy Brooke Thompson add deep special -
We worked on numerous programs and projects. Among them, collaborating on a chapter titled “Current Realities in Crisis Communication,” that was published i n the fourth edition of The IABC Handbook of Organizational Communication: A guide to internal communication, public relations, marketing and leadership, i n a book published and released internationally in 2006 by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).
Trailblazer
T H E n , there were the professional associations we were both part o f, where he blazed a trail for us, regionally and internationally. I remember nominating him for the very prestigious IABC Fellow Award, secretly though as I didn’t want to disappoint him knowing the tight selection process and the very stringent stages of vetting that nominees from different countries had to go through. H appily, he made it! He was the only Asian among only four IABC Fellows who received the distinction in the IABC World Conference in n e w York.
He led the way for us as a Filipino communication leader, as l ater, I too, became an IABC Fellow and served in regional and i nternational leadership posts.
To-date, Filipino communicators continue to be in regional and international posts.
I r emember sitting in the audience at the n a tional Public Relations Congress held then at the M anila Hotel, and applauding as he went onstage, in the first batch, to receive the Accredited in PR distinction, again, only one of a select few to achieve it. He also became President, again blazing a trail that I would also take on later on, both as an APR and as President.
He wrestled a lot with crisis, challenged yes, but unfazed. He was not one to back off from a good fight, figuratively that is.
He would stand up many times through the years, for the company and the team. But would also c all us out in the team, if needed. He would not mince words for anyone, regardless of rank, prominence, or station in life, something that endeared him to the d owntrodden, and raised flags for those who had other intentions and motivations.
Night and day
H IS s tyle and mine were as different as night and day. He
ist expertise across a wide strategy spectrum.
JT’s extensive experience in CX, customer-centric design, and business transformation includes five years leading digital transformation for Bunnings, JB Hi-Fi, and Country Road Group at AKQA and another five driving ecosystem design and voice-of-the-customer initiatives at MYER.
lo athed what he deemed longwinding discussions and excessive nitty-gritty details, details h owever very much needed by my team and me especially for editing and running publications, p roducing videos, and managing events. And so we would have truly frank discussions to thresh this out, him with his style, and I with mine. To his credit, he allowed me to speak my mind, even i f at times it was very different from what he thought, and did not take candidness against me. After some time, you could say we developed a kind of bread and butter synergy, each with his/ her own way, but agreeing, even to disagree, for a common cause. I would take care of the details, and he made sure that my team would have the needed resources and full support to get things done. His word and name became a kind of password to achievement and getting things done in t ime and with excellence. We had each other’s backs.
He loved music and his support for the employee chorale t hat I managed as a corporate employee activity and goodwill program, was unwavering. From the initial resistance we both had in different ways of dealing with deadlines, we eventually reached an understanding of just how timetables could be done. He became a supportive part of our publication deadlines, speaking up for us in case of issues on its content or timing. He would often be the one to source out the main story for our corporate publication and give me leads to follow up to close the publication and go to press on time.
Teamwork with a heart And get things done we did, together. We won our company’s v ery first international Gold Quill Award for outstanding issue management, the award of w hich we both received in 2004 in Los Angeles in the World Conference of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). We continued to a ttend conferences both here and
n ess, who operates at the intersection of brand and social strategy to move clients seamlessly into cultural conversations, joins Clems following a decade in new York working at top shops TBWA\Chiat\ d a y, GREY, and VaynerMedia. Maya, who has held roles with Samsung Australia, McCann Worldgroup, AKQA and PwC, will develop products and services across
abroad. And continued to lead our teams to win awards for our company. There were many more programs we worked on, and he continued to be a father figure not on ly to me but also to my family. He was among my very first v isitors when I gave birth to my children. He and his family were there when my d a d passed. He was there for us when anyone in the family got seriously ill. He became a dear family friend. We would keep in touch via calls and would amuse me with his cryptic way of answering my chatty text messages with just a “K” or “OK.”
Lessons to remember L O OKI n G b ack, here are what I will remember:
1. “This will pass.”—Resilience and Grit. When faced with a crisis, he would assure us that it was a temporary occurrence, solutions are possible, not to give up, and that time will heal all things. Astute and proactive, he had the ability to bounce back, issue after issue, crisis after crisis.
2. “Okay, goodbye.”—Conciseness. This would be what he would say to end what he deemed were long-winded and too detailed conversations or unhelpful griping that led one nowhere e xcept to despair.
3. “My mother raised my sister and me.” “I credit my wife fo r raising our children.”—Respect. These were tributes to his Mom and wife that he would say with fondness. For all his macho bravado and stance, he was a g entleman.
My daughter, who was around Grade One then, was my barometer of someone with a good and k ind heart. He would be the first person (other than me) whom she would look for if she would drop by our office, and she would from time to time, ask me how he was. For all his “brusko” ways, he was the epitome of manners at social gatherings, knowing when to host, knowing when to yield,
connections and content strategy, analytics, customer insight and enterprise AI to help keep Clems’ clients ahead of the pack. Brooke, previously Strategy d ir ector with whiteGREY and Mindshare, will leverage her deep experience in connections and marketing strategy to guide iconic brands in the Clems portfolio and oversee the department.
letting the guest take center stage. And if the other person made a faux paus, he was there to quickly resolve the awkward moment.
4. “Tapos na ‘yan.”— f o rgiveness. One key to his bouncing back after negative moments or news would be to say these words to one who was still wringing his hands over the incident or issue. It was his way of saying just how important moving on and giving second chances gave us peace of mind.
5. “ k i lala ko ‘yan.”— fr iendships. He had a wide and deep network of friends from all walks of life. He struck up conversations and friendships quickly, e ven on our conference trips abroad, making friends with Filipinos and foreigners alike.
6. a u thenticity— He was down-to-earth, game to try out hole-in-the-wall eateries. MaR aMING saL aMaT pO! H E w as many things to many groups and people, concerned and caring, taking action to help, in direct contrast to how imposing he may have sounded or lo oked. Talk about a study of contrasts, as those who knew him a nd the teams that worked with him, will remember and continue to relate with smiles and fondness his many unique maverick m oments.
We went through thick and thin, achievements and challenges, leaving behind memories t hat will live on: “Footprints, that perhaps another…Seeing, shall take heart again.” (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, A Psalm of Life) Sadly, he passed away on April 3, 2024. Colleagues and friends gathered for a simple program of remembrance. I will miss his ways, consistently maverick, but real, frank, and so from the heart.
I have written much already, and I can almost hear him say, “Okay, goodbye.” Thank you very much, Mr. Cuna. Thank you very much, Tatay Elpi. We will carry on.
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of IPRA Philippines, the local chapter of the U nited Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association, t he world’s premier association for senior communications professionals around the world. Ritzi Villarico-Ronquillo, APR, IABC Fellow is a C onsultant, Coach and Speaker on Business Communication and Strategic Public Relations with 43 years o f experience in leading internal and external communication and PR in corporate, communities, academe and associations.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.
Clemenger BB d O Chief Strategy and Experience Officer Simon Wassef said, “Clems has a long history of reframing businesses, behaviors, and culture. n o w, we are reframing strategy for a new era in culture, marketing, experience and technology with these world class talents. A company with Clems’ ambition needs strategists of this calibre.”
phILIppINe deLeGaTes aT The 2013 IaBC feLLOW RITes IN NeW yORk with elpi O. Cuna, Jr. (in plaid tie) where he was awarded as a fellow of the International association of Business Communicators. from left: Jika dalupan, apR; dave devilles, Ritzi Villarico-Ronquillo,
Rains shutter vacation, but EJ still feeling great
B8
Monday, SepteMBer 23, 2024
mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph
Editor: Jun Lomibao
By Josef Ramos
VACATION’S over for Ernest John “EJ” Obiena and despite missing out of town trips because of the incessant rain, the two-time Olympian still felt great and thanked fans and enthusiasts in his meet-and-greet activities that jumpstarted his goal to promote pole vaulting in the country.
“I’m very thankful to all those who supported the start of my pole vault initiatives,” Obiena told BusinessMirror before boarding a flight to Paris with his triple-jumper German girlfriend Carolyn Joyeux on Sunday.
Even though we didn’t go to some places around the country because of continuous rains, I am thankful to see the overwhelming support,” said the world championships silver medalist, who also had with him his renowned coach Vitaly Petrov and legendary pole vaulter Serge Bubka.
Petrov and Bubka, both Ukranians, assisted the 28-year-old Obiena during his pole vault clinics at the PhilSports Complex in Pasig City.
O biena intends to establish three pole vault centers in the country as he endeavors to begin his search for the “next EJ.”
To build a next generation of world class pole vaulters, all we need is talent, dedication and facilities,” he said. “We have talent and we have dedication, but we just lack enough facilities.”
A nd the good news is stakeholders got Obiena’s back.
“ We raised enough for not one, not two but three new facilities,” he said. Obiena arrived last September 1 and
THE Philippines’ women’s team escaped with a 2.5-1.5 victory over Iceland in the penultimate 10th round on Saturday to stay on course toward a better finish in the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad at the Bok Sports Hall in Budapest. Woman Grandmaster (WGM)
Janelle Mae Frayna and rookie revelation Ruelle Canino delivered the victories—Frayna using the Alekhine Defense in defeating Woman FIDE Master (WFM) Hallgerdur Thorsteindottir in 56 moves on board two and Canino beating Gudrun Fanney Briem’s King’s Indian in 31 moves on board four. Woman International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda survived Idunn Helgadottir with a marathon 71-move draw of a Sicilian on board three as the Philippines snared the 36th spot with 12.0 points for a vantage point at improving from the 39th place finish in Chennai two years ago. W FM Shania Mae Mendoza fell to WGM Lenka Ptacnikova in 66 moves of a Four Knights Game on board one but is expected to recover when the team clashes with Brazil in the final round.
C anino, only 16, benefited most in the tournament by raking in 88.4 rating points after scoring 5.0 points on four wins, two at the expense of WGMs, and two draws against one defeat.
The men’s team, meanwhile, lost to Georgia, 2.5-1.5, to be at No. 39 with 12.0 points entering the 12th and
first in his agenda was sealing a deal with Milo for his six-meter initiative program for kids. He also met with Department of Education officials on having pole vault as part of the public school curriculum. Volleyball star Alyssa Valdez, Southeast Asian Games karate champion Jamie Lim and women’s football ace Hali
operations of SMC teams San Miguel Beer, Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia. F loro’s grandson, Bones Floro, will hand Chua his trophy during the
Highlands Ladies Cup in Tagaytay eyes positive community impact
THE Highlands Ladies Cup set October 5 at the Midlands and Lucky 9 courses of the Tagaytay Midlands Golf Club will not only showcase talents of the sport but also to create a positive impact in the community. The 18-hole tournament will bring together top golfers for an exciting day of competition and will serve as a platform to support charitable causes with part of the event’s proceeds going to Boys & Girls Town in Silang, Cavite. The foundation focuses on providing entrepreneurial education to school-age children, equipping them with skills to tackle future challenges. This year’s edition reflects the tourna-
I hate planned super teams
ment’s core values, blending the spirit of competition with a deep commitment to social responsibility through major sponsors W Group Inc. and Willy Ocier/Jim Weaver (Diamond sponsors), as well as Rexona, which is providing P190,000 worth of products, and Agrikultura.
The Platinum sponsors are Powerball Gaming and Entertainment Corp., Parola Maritime Agency Corp., Security Bank and East West Bank and the Platinum-inkind sponsors are Baron Travel Corp. and Peerless Products Manufacturing Corp. (Champion, Calla and Hana).
event presented by Cignal. B arangay Ginebra governor Chua got involved with the Gilas Pilipinas program for the Hangzhou where the country ended a 61-year gold medal drought in the Asian Games. gold medal in basketball after 61 years. He gave up that role at Gilas because of his workload at SMC and designated his Barangay Ginebra deputy Richard del Rosario to work with national coach
and Joyeux will have a short stop in Paris for some modeling activity before the Asian champion returns to his base in Formia, Italy, to test his back and resume training.
H e finished fourth in the Paris Olympics behind Swede sensation Armand Duplantis, who set world and Olympic
Evangelista eyes individual award In long course swim series first leg
ASome will be against it, however, if they had that opportunity, they’d pull the trigger too.
G one are the days when the Boston Celtics would fleece teams of their players and draft picks because management was smart, prescient and bold.
For the most part of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) first 50 years, teams were built mostly from draft picks plus aided and abetted by some trades. I remember when the Philadelphia 76ers were able to get a disgruntled Moses Malone from the Houston Rockets, that same season, they were champions.
He was that missing piece, and a lot more stable than the Sixers’ former center Daryl Dawkins.
B ack then, it was bringing in that proper center. That thinking was different until Michael Jordan.
A couple years later, Boston nabbed Bill Walton. It didn’t seem like much because it was thought that his career was over after multiple leg injuries. But during that 1985-86 season, Big Red dialed back his old ferocious self and helped Boston to their 16th championship.
The Lakers fought back next year when they claimed Portland center Mychal Thompson. They too won.
Me? I didn’t like it when LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in Miami where they won two championships in four title appearances. I felt that was different.
ISHEL EVANGELISTA zeroed in on the Most Outstanding Swimmer (MOS) award in his category after winning two more gold medals with University of Santo Tomas (UST) teammate Patricia Santor continued to shine in the Philippine Aquatics Inc.’s “Go Full Speedo’ Swim Series Long Course Swimming Meet Leg 1 on Sunday at the Teofilo Yldefonso pool inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
E vangelista, 14, and swimming out of Betta Caloocan Swim Team and UST where he’s in Grade 10, topped the boys’ 14 years old 200-meter individual medley in two minutes and 18.45 seconds and the 50-meter breaststroke in 33.38 seconds to hike his gold medal haul to four. Nino Pugay of Elizabeth Seton clocked 2:29.05 and Joaquin De Castro of Ilustre East was timed 2:29.48 to finish
2-3 in the individual medley behind Evangelista, Aariz Obrero (35.40) of Flying Lampasot and Tylo Ross Alcudia (36.31) of Valle Verde completed the
L et’s make this clear—I am a fan of LeBron James. During his rookie year with Cleveland, I got his jersey, bought every single publication I could get my hands on in the Tri-State area that had “The Chosen One” on the cover.
I root for him and think were it not for the presence and achievements of Jordan, he would already be the GOAT.
But I do not like his assembling these all-star teams.
Sure some franchises have all the luck. In the 90s, the most desirable team to play for was the Phoenix Suns. But the western squads always had that allure of sunnier climates. In the case of the Lakers, there too were the beaches and Hollywood.
We saw how James put together a squad that brought in Anthony Davis. Aren’t the Lakers lucky that they have always had these marquee centers—George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, Pau Gasol and then Davis. Every one of them are Hall of Famers.
I a lso felt that the Warriors did things the right way— building through the draft, trading for others and getting the right coach. And they won a lot.
Th at could have been the Oklahoma City Thunder except they were too impatient. What a team they had with Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook. They also had Serge Ibaka, Thabo Sefolosha, Kendrick Perkins, Derek Fisher and Nick Collison. But clearly, they needed more than one ball. W hat a waste.
A nd to see Durant join the Warriors left me shaking my
podium in the breastroke. Evangelista won the 100m freestyle and 50m backstroke last Saturday. The 16-year-old Santor of Ilustre East Swim, meanwhile, claimed her third gold medal in the girls’ 200m IM in 2:31.22 with Nichole Rivera 2:45.770) of Golden Sea Eagles and teammate Ruth Denise Sula (2:49,95) finishing with the silver and bronze medals.
A U ST Senior High student, Santor also won the 200m breaststroke and 100m freestyle. L as Pinas City’s Nicola Queen Diamante of RSS Dolphins, Makoto Nakamura of S’Ace Seahawks and North Cotabato’s Jie Angela Mikaela Talosig of Midsayap Pirates claimed their second gold medals in their respective age groups.
D iamante, a Grade 9 student at Augustinian Abbey who previously won the girls 13 years old 100m freestyle, added the 50m backstroke (32.76) to her collection, while Talosig, 18, took the 200m medley (2:33.32) after winning the 100m freestyle.
head. Nothing wrong, right? I know. I just do not like these joining teams to circumvent the process of winning a NBA championship.
Truthfully? I loved it since 2016 when the non-big market teams won titles—Cleveland in 2016, Toronto in 2019, Milwaukee in 2021 and Denver in 2023. Their triumphs made me go back to the NBA. No, I do not look back to the 1980s or some other decade. But I sure wish teams were built differently. Yes, times have changed, and I understand that change is the only thing that is constant. But if players choosing teammates just like those old playground rules is becoming the norm, then I don’t like it. Now, that is for me… buying a championship. D uring the just-concluded Paris Olympics, there was a lot of speculation
