Q1 2017 THE IMMIGRANT NEWSPAPER by THE IMMIGRANT NEWSPAPER

Twin cities p.6

Jan-Mar

2017

The AEP and 9(g) explained p.3

Two-wheeled therapy p.8

A taste of the Med p.8

Vol. 6 No.18 Q1 2017 Philippine Edition ISSN No.

Labor empowered Labor writer Loreto Terrenal discusses why the Philippines has one of the biggest and brightest labor forces in the world – and its unemployment rates are falling – yet many Filipinos remain poor Turn to page 2

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF SAN SIMON, PAMPANGA

www.theimmigrant.com.ph

Labor empowered

in human capital development, including health and education systems, and match skills and training” (Number 7). From page 1 These priorities, Duterte’s economic team says, are “all aimed at achieving sustained economic growth and addressing mpowerment, at its most basic definition, is poverty – a perennial problem in the country.” Following the authority or power given to someone to do that train of thought, the former Davao mayor should then something. Labor empowerment, thus, would work toward building a true agro-industrial machine for the mean giving that authority to laborers. Businesses country, since one out of every four working Filipinos is an would elaborate on that to say empowerment is agricultural worker in the countryside. based on the idea that giving employees skills, resources, Workers in Mindanao would stand to benefit from more authority, opportunity, and motivation, and holding them agricultural jobs, as the PSA also notes responsible and accountable for the outcomes “...if Filipino Duterte’s home region has the highest of their actions, will contribute to their competence and satisfaction. laborers get into incidence of poverty by the country’s major island groups at 41.3 percent. Expanding this view to the national the workforce Visayas is next at 34.2 percent, and Luzon perspective, Filipino laborers are no doubt sooner, they are excluding Metro Manila at 23.5 percent. competent. According to the Technical Then, to fulfill Number 7 in the Education Skills and Development Authority, guaranteed a job 10-point agenda, the government should which cited the Philippines’ profile in the beyond six months begin to mold the educational system annual Global Competitiveness Index, the at their workplace, so more Filipino youth can enter the country’s strength “is on the quality of human resources.” It placed first in terms of and would receive workforce early, perhaps by working in or plantations toward degrees in availability of skilled labor, in the top five for a salary that truly farms agricultural science, food technology, or competent managers, and top four in terms of benefits their biotechnology (three courses offered at skills in finance, the agency said. the state-run University of the Philippines, But are Filipino workers satisfied, much families.” by the way). It’s worth noting that 1 in 10 less empowered? Judging by the rising number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) every year from Filipino workers were employed in family-owned farms or businesses where they did not receive actual salaries. 2010 (1.47 million laborers deployed) to 2015 (1.84 million, The Financial Times (FT), in an article in 2015 written per the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration), by Felipe Salvosa, noted that the country’s labor force they probably aren’t. OFWs are not considered part of the PH participation rate remained low compared with its Southeast labor force in official government statistics, by the way. Locally, labor groups still complain of low minimum wages Asian neighbours, because Filipinos “spent some time in college before entering the labor market…others in the and the scourge of “endo” or five-month contractualization, region go to work earlier.” When you compare the PH labor while our best white-collar workers continue to seek greener pastures abroad, as even the top multinational companies here force participation rate (63.4 percent) with that of Vietnam (78 percent), Thailand (72 percent), and Indonesia (68 can’t pay them the same salaries they would get overseas. percent), it means the government must find a way to get How, then, do we empower Filipino workers – how do even college undergraduates into the workforce, as they we give them better jobs at home and how do we turn them work toward their degrees. into the engine that drives our country’s progress forward? Looking at current Philippine labor statistics and our existing labor policies can give us valuable clues to solving this ageThe ‘endo’ enigma old dilemma. That same FT article quotes the economist Benjamin Diokno, whom Duterte would later name as his Budget Secretary, saying the relatively large number of unpaid Labor by the numbers family-farm workers (about 4 million Filipinos) “bloats the The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reports that ranks of the employed and makes unemployment appear less preliminary full-year 2016 results of the Annual Labor and serious than it is.” Employment Status show the country has an annual labor But unemployment is serious, and Filipinos often attribute force participation rate of 63.4 percent, out of the 68.1 million it to “endo” – Filipino shorthand for “end of contract,” after Filipinos 15 years and older. That means the country has a the practice of local companies to skirt the provision of the labor force of about 43.2 million, which are either employed local Labor Code on regularizing workers after a six-month or unemployed persons. probation period. Duterte’s supporters voted him into the Palace The country’s annual employment rate, the PSA adds, is at 94.5 percent,with the unemployment rate at 5.5 percent, and the so he could fulfill his campaign promise of ending this practice, but as with all political vows, it’s easier said than done. underemployment rate at 18.3 percent. Among the 40.8 million Dr. Gerardo P. Sicat, another eminent economist, wrote in employed Filipinos in 2016, more than half (55.6 percent) were a blog for the Foundation of Economic Freedom (of which he in the services sector, 26.9 percent worked in agriculture, and is one of the founders) that “endo” is a three-sided problem 17.5 percent were employed by the industry sector. involving “the enterprise that uses the labor, the labor service Going by occupation groups, workers in the so-called supplier who hires and supplies the labor, and the laborers “elementary occupations” – agriculture or farming, fishery, who are hired.” mining, construction, manufacturing, and transport – make Ironically, Sicat notes that the country’s higher labor up 28.1 percent of the total employed Filipinos in 2016. standards and growing labor costs, as determined by Managers were next at 17 percent, followed by service and the minimum wage and benefits prescribed by law, sales workers (14.8 percent), and skilled agricultural, forestry, have only encouraged firms to adopt contractualization and fishery workers (12.4 percent). – outsourcing labor services to third parties instead of We could delve into more detail about these findings, hiring workers directly. but what do these numbers mean? While the country’s Turn to page 10 unemployment rate has fallen steadily every quarter since January 2014, to a low of 4.7 Millions of Filipinos – those considered by official statistics to be of working age, 15 years and older – join percent, unemployment itself the workforce each year, but the government hasn’t created enough jobs to match the incoming laborers. persists as our population grows beyond 100 million. Jobs haven’t been created fast enough to match more Filipinos entering the workforce, and we can certainly agree that you can’t empower employees if you can’t hire them in the first place.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT

Fitting the agenda

Where does labor empowerment fit in the Duterte administration’s agenda? In the new President’s 10-Point Socioeconomic Agenda, he specifically wants to “promote rural and value chain development toward increasing agricultural and rural enterprise productivity and rural tourism” (Number 5 on his list) and “invest

news bytes JICA, Landbank sign 4.9-billion yen ODA loan

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has signed a loan agreement with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) for an official development assistance (ODA) loan of up to 4.928 billion yen (about Php2.16 billion) for the project “Harnessing Agribusiness Opportunities through Robust and Vibrant Entrepreneurship Supportive of Peaceful Transformation” (HARVEST). This project will provide the funds required by agricultural enterprises, cooperatives, and other such organizations for capital investment and operations in and around the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). By improving access to financing and stimulating economic activities, this project will create employment and promote a higher standard of living, thereby contributing to the consolidation of peace in the region, JICA said. The loan funds will be provided to agricultural enterprises, cooperatives, and other such organizations through the LBP and its financial intermediaries. In parallel with this project, JICA will provide human resource training and technical assistance to the LBP as the executing agency for this project, as well as to agricultural cooperatives and other related institutions.

Canadian Infrastructure Mission with PPP

Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center Executive Director Ferdinand A. Pecson (left) discusses the PPP Philippine Program and how Canadian companies can participate in PPP projects during the recent Canadian Infrastructure Mission to the Philippines at Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati City. Participants of the event included Canadian suppliers with technologies and solutions for the infrastructure sector.

Biz groups call for full implementation of Sin Tax Law

The Philippine Business Group and Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines, a coalition of local and foreign business groups, support the Department of Finance’s position to fully implement the Sin Tax Reform Act or Republic Act 10351 passed in 2012, it said in a statement posted on the Makati Business Club website. “This includes Section 11 of the said Act, which mandates the Congressional Oversight Committee to review the impact of the tax rates beginning the third quarter of calendar year 2016,” the statement added. The business groups said RA 10351 was meant to enhance the government’s health goals and strengthen its tax administration efforts. But they noted there was “an aggressive push in Congress” to amend Section 145 (C) of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended by the Sin Tax Act, “for the purposes of preventing the scheduled shift to a unitary tax for cigarettes packed by machine in January 2017. This would eventually increase the price of cigarettes and thus affect local tobacco farmers.

Atty. Jose ‘Pepe’ Villanueva III Publisher Ernesto P. Maceda Jr. • Henry S. Schumacher • Katrina Legarda Editorial Board Owen Orseno Editor-at-Large

Sonny Ramirez Art Director

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Mabel Fulo Editorial Coordinator ALL CONTENTS COPYRIGHT 2016, RESERVED for The IMMIGRANT. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in whole or in part, without the express written permission of IMMIGRA PUBLISHING, the publisher of The IMMIGRANT.

The IMMIGRANT P.O. Box 4230 Makati City, Philippines For feedback and comments, please email us at theimmigrantnewspaper@gmail.com or visit our website at www.theimmigrant.com.ph The IMMIGRANT is in ISSUU. Get your e-copy at http://www.issuu.com/theimmigrantnewspaper

A potter works on a vase at his shop in San Simon, Pampanga, about 50 kilometers north of Manila. One in every four Filipinos like him are working in “elementary occupations” related to agriculture, fishery, mining, construction, manufacturing, and transport – manual laborers that the government needs to empower to improve their lives. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF SAN SIMON, PAMPANGA

The Immigrant faqs

The AEP and 9(g) explained

These two permits are what foreigners need to work in the Philippines. Atty. Amanda Carpo explains what it takes to get them.

The 9(g) explained

First, what is a 9(g)? This refers to a category of non-immigrants who are entering the Philippines for pre-arranged employment. It is a visa granted to foreign nationals allowing them to live and work in the Philippines. There are several categories of nonimmigrant visas and non-immigrant working visas, but the 9(g) is the most common since it refers to employees for a regular commercial business. An AEP, on the other hand, is a document issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) through the DOLE Regional Director, authorizing a foreign national to work in the Philippines. All foreign nationals not otherwise exempted by law who intend to engage in gainful employment in the Philippines are required to obtain these documents. There are therefore two agencies you must deal with to live and work in the Philippines: the DOLE and Immigration. Ordinarily, you will apply for your AEP and 9(g) with these agencies simultaneously. The AEP and the 9(g) are applied with the Immigration office and the DOLE Regional Office with jurisdiction over their place of work or the employer’s office.

accompanied by your spouse and unmarried minor children, you will also need: • Marriage certificate and birth certificates of unmarried minor children, if dependents are included in the application • True copies of the passports of the spouse and unmarried minor children For the AEP, requirements are: • Application Form from the DOLE, duly accomplished and must be notarized • Contract of Employment/Appointment • Notarized Board Secretary’s Certificate on the election of the foreign national • Certified photocopy of passport with visa • Photocopy of updated Mayor’s Permit • Photocopy of Mayor’s Permit (if Mayor’s permit is not applicable submit copy of SEC Registration) • Pictures 2 pcs 1x1 and 2 pcs 2x2 • Other documents (e.g. cover/endorsement letter)

Illustration by Sonny Ramirez

he drama and trauma of obtaining, for nonFilipinos, a working permit (a.k.a. the Alien Employment Permit) and a 9(g) visa is an experience most foreigners recount with mixed emotions – shock, anger, outrage, frustration, dismay, and even hopelessness. Yes, you’re right, I left out joy. The process is timeconsuming and difficult. Often, you must give up the thought of getting on with your life or your business. My brother-in-law, a United States citizen who visited the Philippines three years ago, decided to extend his tourist visa (a relatively easier process) while here. In his recount, he found himself trapped in the labyrinth of the Bureau of Immigration surrounded in a quicksand of fees. According to him, he felt even the Coke machine in the building cheated him. It ate the last precious change in his pocket – with no Coke to show for it. Imagine if he decided to work here. But all is not lost. As with any difficult predicament, it is a matter of being prepared and aware. Government agencies are also making an honest effort to be more transparent with their fees and procedures.

Some basics:

1. Have your paperwork ready. For the 9(g) you need: • Letter request from the petitioner-employer • General application form duly accomplished and notarized (Immigration Form No. RBR 98-01) • 2x2 picture to be attached to the application form • Articles on Incorporation, By-Laws, SEC Certificate of Registration of petitioner • AEP from the DOLE (you may file simultaneously) • Income Tax Return of petitioner-employer and proof of payment; audited financial statements • Contract or agreement entered for the applicant’s service, stating term of service and exact compensation and other benefits to be received • Bio-data or resume of applicant • Affidavit of support and guarantee executed by the petitioner in favor of the applicant/s • Certification by the Human Resource Director/ Personnel Officer as to the number of foreign nationals employed by the petitioner • True copy of the applicant’s passport showing admission status and updated stay • Other supporting documents which will aid in the evaluation of the application. If you will be

2. You do not need a “fixer.” Never trust a

“fixer.” There is no assurance they can get the job done faster or get the job done at all. This process may take longer and be costlier than the legitimate route. Hire a professional. Approach a lawyer or an agency accredited by the Bureau of Immigration if you need help.

3.Your stay must be updated. Until you receive your employment visa your stay must be updated. If you entered the country as a tourist and without a visa, your stay is valid for 21 days. You need an extension thereafter and must pay and apply for this with the Bureau of Immigration. 4. Be ready to pay the fees. Getting a visa

and an AEP allows you to live and work in the Philippines validly and without threats from a disgruntled employee, the jilted member of a bizarre love triangle, or deportation from the government. More importantly, it allows you to go in and out of the Philippines without getting held up at the airport immigration. Convenience, however, comes at a cost. Be prepared to pay about Php30,000 (around US$600) in government fees for your AEP and 9(g). These fees cover not only the visa and the AEP, but the transactions and steps along the way that must be accomplished while the visa is being processed, such as obtaining a special/provisional work permit, filing Turn to page 10

Luxurious beds From page 7

PHOTO COURTESY HOME ARENA UK

and are favored by people who suffer from back pain on prefer sleeping on their backs. • Waterbed – Most modern waterbeds aren’t your granddad’s “fun” mattresses in R-rated movies. So-called “soft-sided” beds have water chambers inside a foam frame, and “hard-sided” ones have H20 framed by wood. • Airbed – Nope, not the mattresses you blow up for the odd guest on some weekend. The real high-end ones use air chambers covered in padding and velour, and can be adjusted to different firmness levels. Some can even do one side soft, one side firm, so you and your bedmate don’t have to fight over it.

A baby enjoys a memory foam mattress.

Ultimately, the choice of mattress is yours – or yours and your spouse/partner/significant other’s. The most luxurious bed, in our opinion, is the one that makes you feel like you’re in heaven, even if you go through hell to pay for it.

Two-wheeled...

From page 8

Panigale (a quarter in Bologna, Italy), this Ducati was, when it was released in 2011, the world’s most powerful production twin-cylinder engine motorcycle. It was also a pioneer in electronically adjustable suspension, the better to rein in the unbelievable muscle of this Italian stallion.

Price: $24,000

Harley-Davidson CVO Softail Convertible – We all know about the venerable

MTT Turbine Superbike – Produced

on demand for the discerning bike buyer, it takes its name from the Rolls Royce-Allison gas turbine engine that drives the rear wheel via a two-speed gearbox and chain and sprocket. When you remember that Rolls Royce engines were used to power the first airplanes, then you can imagine yourself soaring on this crotch rocket with 420 horsepower. Price: $175,000

Macchia Nera Concept UA –

H-D, but CVO? It stands for Custom Vehicle Operations, which is another way of saying this bike is a Swiss knife of riding options. You can configure this baby for allday touring, two-up cruising, or soloing by adding or removing key components without using tools. In short, it’s the Harley for all your riding needs. Price: $29,699

Hearing the word “concept” on any product implies rarity, but its makers only ask you to remember a few words with this bike: power and light weight. Also, in Italian Macchia Nera means “black spot” and it’s probably the only thing you’ll recall of this impeccable machine built with Stefano Poggipolini’s “titanium artistry” and experience in Formula 1, MotoGP, and aerospace technology. Price: $202,900

MV Agusta F4CC – When a sports bike is

Ecosse Titanium Series RR – Ecosse

singlehandedly responsible for resurrecting a brand, it must be good. But this F4, designed by Ducati alumnus Massimo Tamburini, was designed and developed with a single goal in mind: to be the best. Why the CC then? It’s the initials of the brand’s managing director, Claudio Castiglioni, and stands out with its valves, crank and piston rods made of titanium. Apart from that rare metal, only 100 such bikes exist in the world, hence the sixfigure price tag. Price: $120,000

Moto Works makes “the world’s most extraordinary vehicles” by its own admission (or grandstanding) but it’s hard to argue that when faced with the RR – touted as a “kinetic sculpture” as much as a way of getting around. Its all-titanium trellis-style chassis, a first of its kind, is purposely unpainted, just brushed by hand, to show the metal’s original luster. We doubt if no one looks your way while zooming past in this beautiful creation. Price: $275,000

A realistic option, not just a dream

e often hear people complaining about the clogged streets, air pollution, and other negative aspects of the big city-syndrome. Definitely, Metro Manila, and more and more other major cities in the Philippines, face serious challenges. And no doubt, action is needed at many levels – political, economic, and social. Over the next 20 years, the world will see another seven cities with more than 10 million people each year. This urbanization leads to increased demand for energy-consuming services such as housing and transportation. As a result, a growing number of large cities face significant energy, environmental, and climate-related challenges now and in the future. The good news, however, is that it is possible to turn things around with the help of new technologies and smarter ways of organizing things. The Philippines is not the only country facing the challenge of the big city syndrome. By 2050, more than six billion people will be living in urban areas and the problems experienced here are known from all rapidly growing cities around the world. Therefore, many initiatives have been launched around the globe, initiatives to learn from. Over the last decade, the smart cities concept has emerged to represent the opportunities and challenges enabled by digital technology in an urban context. Technologies such as sensors, smartphones, robots, augmented reality, cloud computing, and data analytics, are being used to make cities more smooth-running, more productive, and more democratic. These benefits are growing in importance as more people move into cities globally and as urban lifestyle expectations rise. Denmark has set ambitious goals to optimize sustainable urban development, energy consumption, and economic activity. The two largest

cities in Denmark, Copenhagen and Aarhus, have set ambitious goals to become CO2 -neutral by 2025 and 2030, respectively. Many other Danish cities have set out similar plans for sustainable developments. We call these “Smart Cities.” One of the great challenges is to combine sustainable urban development with competitiveness. To stay competitive, cities need to become more energyefficient, consumer-focused, and technology-driven. They need to become smart.

THE DIPLOMAT

H.E. Jan Top Christensen Ambassador of the Royal Kingdom of Denmark to the Philippines

Whether developing new cities from scratch or rebuilding existing cities, the challenge is to ensure that the city becomes more livable, economically successful, and environmentally responsible. The following six dimensions can be used to measure how “smart” a city is: • Smart economy (high productivity, entrepreneurship, and ability to transform) • Smart mobility (strong ICT infrastructure and sustainable transport systems) • Smart environment (sustainable resource management, pollution prevention, environmental protection) • Smart people (diversity, creativity and participation in public life) • Smart living (cultural facilities, housing quality, health and safety issues) • Smart governance (political strategies and perspectives, transparency and community participation in decision making) In Denmark, smart city projects carried out in different cities are already showing benefits. For example, in the Capital Region of Denmark, employment in companies that operate in the smart cities market has risen by 60 percent between 2003 and 2013. Denmark is ready to share its experiences and engage with the Philippines, also when it comes to further developing the smart city concept.

The problem with contractualization

hat’s the problem with contractualization? Two things: Unscrupulous, greedy businessmen, and foolish government policies translated into laws. The solutions are easy, but instead of implementing them, two confusing – I’d say even unworkable – solutions are being proposed. The first, which the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) suggested as a “win-win solution,” still allows companies or principals to outsource workers on a contractual basis from labor contractors. But labor contractors must hire these workers as their regular employees, providing them the mandatory benefits such as leave credits, 13th month pay, retirement pay, social security, and health plans. It doesn’t admit the reality that some jobs really are just temporary, and won’t be repeated. So, a labor contractor won’t want, or would be able, to make them permanent. It only adds to the confusion and raises labor costs. The second, which the Department of Labor (DOLE) is leaning toward adopting, is to just strictly follow the provisions of the Labor Code on contractualization and to eradicate “endo” or the “5-5-5” scheme. The Labor Code allows contracting and subcontracting, but defines such as time-bound or seasonal projects outsourced by a principal to a contractor, and where the contractual employees perform tasks assigned by the principal to the contractor, and the contractor has control over the employees. Contracting as a nature of business typically occurs in the construction industry. “Labor only” contracting, where the contractor simply recruits workers to perform a job, work, or service for a principal, is prohibited by law. “Endo” or the “5-5-5” scheme involves the termination of contractual workers after five months, to circumvent the law that requires companies to regularize employees who have completed the six-month probationary period. Several bills have also been filed in Congress to regulate the hiring of contractual workers. They cover different ways of addressing the issue, such as express prohibitions of labor-only contracting (already banned under the Labor Code); a cap on the number of contractual employees; transition support and safety nets for workers in contractual work; and classifying all employees as regular employees. These solutions don’t solve the basic problems; they just skirt them and leave the situation still confused and, frankly, unworkable in practice. There are two causes of the problem, hence two problems to be recognized and corrected. One is security of tenure. Two is the six-month probationary period. On the latter, the solution is simple and uncontroversial. Pay all benefits from Day 1, not after six months. Where cash is not involved, such as pension and leaves, a pro rata amount should be set aside and be transferred

FROM THE DESK

Peter Wallace

as the employee changes jobs. Other contributions like Social Security System payments, Philhealth, and others should just be paid. The added cost to the company’s goods or services is minimal. The idea of a government-mandated probationary period is completely unnecessary if there’s no security of tenure. Companies can have their own probationary period as they test the competence and suitability of an employee – but still pay or accrue all benefits. Security of tenure makes no sense in any way, except that it sounds good. “It protects the worker,” labor advocates say, but it doesn’t – it protects mediocrity. It deters the creation of jobs. It prevents businessmen from operating their business in an efficient, cost-effective manner – to the benefit of the customer. There are two kinds of jobs: permanent and temporary. A permanent job is one that is needed over a long period. Someone hired for that job is expected to do that job competently. If he or she doesn’t, they get warned. If they ignore the warnings and are still not good enough at the job, they should be fired. Then, business owners hire someone else. There is no loss of job, just a change of person. The person who gets the job works hard to keep it. Productivity goes up; quality improves. The business becomes more competitive, and sales grow. More workers are needed, so more jobs are created. More people benefit. Meanwhile, the fired employee works harder the next time he gets a job, so he won’t lose it. Everyone wins. A recent study by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) covering nearly 30 years of data from almost 100 countries showed that labor markets that are more flexible – especially those with less restrictive hiring and firing regulations and which entail less cost of hiring – have lower unemployment rates. Many other factors, of course, also impact employment, such as rapid economic growth and success in promoting investment. These too depend in part on policies that allow flexibility in labor regulation. This was the case of South Korea, which introduced flexible labor policies and became one of the most affluent economies in the world. Despite the Brexit debacle, Britain’s less-rigid labor market was part of the reason why the United Kingdom was more economically successful than most other major economies in the Euro area. Where a job is temporary, it is often seasonal. For instance, a restaurant hires workers to cater a wedding, and a resort does so to handle guests during the busy Christmas season. Consultants (like us) doing a specific project are one-off and easy to identify; just look at a company’s plantilla. If hiring and firing is flexible and all benefits are done from Day 1, there’s no need for any government intervention at all. Keep in mind that no one fires indiscriminately, not even unscrupulous managers. Turn to page 10

Smarter working places Lars Wittig, country manager of Regus Philippines, explains how a great work environment leads to better productivity.

Lars Wittig photo courtesy of Regus Philippines

T As Country Manager for the Philippines, Lars Wittig oversees strategic growth and operations across the Philippines. In this role, he leads several teams dealing with sales, marketing, finance, development, human resources, customer service and training. Since he joined Regus Philippines as Country Manager in 2012, the business has grown from four business centers in Metro Manila to 25 locations throughout the National Capital Region, Cebu, Davao, and Clark. Lars moved to the Philippines first time over 20 years ago, where he worked as Director within Marketing for the Coca-Cola Co. He also held managerial roles in Marketing for Dole Packaged Foods and EAC Philip Morris distribution. In 2014, Lars was awarded Asia CEO Expatriate Executive of the year, and Best Performer and CEO of the Year for Regus AsiaPacific in 2013. With his energetic leadership, Regus Philippines was awarded Best Employer Brand in 2015 and 2016. Lars is often cited in leading global and local media, including Bloomberg Philippines, ANC, FOX5, Forbes Magazine, and Business World, in addition to being a regular speaker in various fora across the Philippines.

he days of the grey cubicle are over. In fact, these days, even the office ping pong table is starting to look like a dated innovation. We all know how much our surroundings can affect us – our mood, our productivity, and our motivation. These days, promising young graduates want more than just fat salaries and fast progression. Being one of the youngest workforces in the world, Filipino workers also enjoy the opportunity to surround themselves with like-minded people in a shared workspace, being equipped with the latest technologies to enable them to work from anywhere, anytime, and in an office location that escapes the daily traffic grind in Metro Manila. Today, corporate leaders in the Philippines are faced with an unprecedented challenge – they still need to deliver against objectives, but they can no longer manage by simply issuing orders. Instead, they must persuade and inspire a workforce whose expectations

and behavior are radically different from earlier generations. They must create a culture at work that encourages creativity, empowers employees, and allows mistakes. In short, they must treat their organization as a dynamic ecosystem. Digital technology allows employees to work from anywhere and for the millennials permanently attached to smartphones and tablets, the old lines between home and work are blurred. Millennials want to set their own hours and work wherever it is comfortable to do so – and home or a neighborhood café seems a perfectly reasonable choice. Working from home certainly sounds attractive, but there are definite drawbacks. In the Philippines, a recent Regus survey revealed that 55 percent of Filipino employees work from locations other than their company’s main office for more than half of the week, but home workers are afraid of getting lonely, stale, and overweight from all-day snacking.

They also long for a chance to mix with their peers in a professional environment, and to thrive and be productive. And this is where the working environment carefully designed for today’s flexible workers comes into its own. The smarter workplace needs to be welcoming and even inspiring. Good coffee and broadband are essentials, but there also needs to be up-to-the-minute technology, a choice of spaces for meetings, as well as informal areas for relaxation and perhaps even games, leading to creative insights. There must be facilities for remote virtual meetings, using web conferencing or a telepresence suite. While older generations of managers might scoff at what they see in today’s working environment, today’s successful enterprise recognizes that the smarter working place unleashes the creative spirit needed to conceive and deliver the products of tomorrow.

Disclaimer: The ideas expressed above are the sole opinion of the writer and should not be constituted as legal opinion or advice. -The Immigrant

cityfocus

Twin cities

Standing on separate islands, Bacolod and Iloilo have a bond that spans centuries. Cedie Espina explains their relationship.

Iloilo City Photos courtesy of Iloilo Provincial Tourism Office

Festivals

Both cities have colorful festivals with extensive street dancing and skilled performers, but they started with entirely different purposes. Bacolod has the MassKara Festival every third week in October, which started in 1980 to underscore its stature as “The City of Smiles” and to commemorate the Bacolodnon and Negrenses’ resilience in the face of tragedy and tough economic times. Earlier that year, the ship MV Don Juan collided with the tanker Tacloban City and sank, costing the lives of 700 Negros natives, including members of prominent families in Bacolod. The city was also suffering from low prices of sugar – the pillar of the local economy (see more later on this article) – in the global market, so a group of locals decided a “festival of smiles” would cheer the city up. Artists made hand-painted masks like those found in big carnivals around the world, and Bacolod has been celebrating MassKara ever since. Iloilo, meanwhile, has the Dinagyang Festival, held on the fourth Sunday of January. It’s a religious and cultural festival held to honor the Santo Niño (Holy Child or the Child Jesus) and to memorialize the arrival of Malay settlers on Panay, which was then occupied by the Atis, who, as tradition have sold their island for a golden “salakot” or wide-brimmed hat, along with a string of pearls. The Dinagyang follows similar Santo Niño-themed celebrations in Cebu (called the Sinulog) and the Ati-Atihan (in Kalibo, Aklan) on the calendar, and formally began in 1967 with the local Catholic parish of San Jose. A replica of

Viaje Negrense ruins

San Sebastian church

the Santo Niño de Cebu arrived the following year, and ten years later, with then-President Ferdinand Marcos ordering the various regions in the country to set up their own festivals, Iloilo institutionalized the Dinagyang as its own.

Bacolod City Hall

Food

Ilonggo cuisine naturally abounds in Western Visayas to which both cities belong, but Bacolod is more famous for its chicken inasal (essentially, barbecued chicken) while Iloilo is the home of batchoy, the savory noodle dish that originated in the city’s La Paz district. True Hiligaynon tastes, however, are hooked on “KBL” – short for “kadyos” (a bean that turns to a deep purple when cooked), “baboy” (pork, usually pig’s feet), and “langka” (green jackfruit). These and other ingredients are cooked in a soup soured by libas (a vegetable leaf) or batwan (a local fruit), but the end-product is a knockout, and undoubtedly popular on both sides of the Guimaras Strait. Chefs from beyond the two cities have also tried their renditions of pansit molo (named after a town near Iloilo), which some would say is essentially batchoy except for the pork innards swapped out for wonton dumplings, and binakol, chicken stewed in coconut juice with ginger and lemongrass. But to me, nothing beats the home-cooked versions, which you can partake of at any honest restaurant in both cities. Children would be pleased to know that the cities have common delicacies – namely the butterscotch, bañadas, broas, barquillos, and other baked goodies from the El

Batchoy

Plaza Libertad

San Joaquin Cemetery

Jaro Cathedral

Ideal Bakery (which is in Silay City, 15 kilometers north of Bacolod) or Biscocho House in Iloilo.

Farming

Bacolod and Iloilo are cities built on farming, specifically sugar in the former and rice in the latter. The gentry who own the vast tracts of farmland surrounding the cities built houses and owned property in both areas, often shuffling to and from either to oversee them. Nowadays they do it by either catching a ferry, which just takes 45 minutes one way, or riding the inter-island bus that hitches a ride on the “ro-ro” (roll on, roll off) ships from Bacolod to Dumangas port on Panay, then travels south to Iloilo for about four hours. The two products alone (sugar and rice) ensure a symbiosis of these cities, but commerce between them has expanded as businessmen see Bacolod and Iloilo as part of the so-called “third wave” cities outside of Manila, Cebu, and Davao, where growth opportunities for their companies are plentiful. A visitor can see it in the township projects sprouting in both cities, with the same brands and developers competing for the residents’ attention and precious pesos. Perhaps the last and most important “F” that Bacolod and Iloilo have in common is faith. Both are deeply Catholic cities – their centuries-old churches are proof – but beyond the religious links, their residents have repeatedly displayed the resolve to rebound from tough times. Many say Iloilo, once considered second only to Manila in terms of wealth and influence, is regaining the grandeur it lost after World War II, which decimated the city, through its new real estate developments. Bacolod, after enduring the sugar crisis four decades ago, is now noted as a center for excellence for both information technology and business process outsourcing. So even if some people prefer to frame them as rivals, with one person even creating a “Bacolod vs. Iloilo” Facebook page, I choose to think of Bacolod and Iloilo as having a filial bond, working together to peer past the horizon to a promising future.

Museo Iloilo

Dinagyang festival

Bacolod City Photos courtesy of City Government of Bacolod

s the crow flies, Bacolod City, where I live, is just 45 kilometers away from Iloilo City. Facing east, Ilonggos can greet the sunrise while imagining what’s happening in the premier city on my native Negros Island. Bacolodnons can do the same at sunset as they peer past the horizon and see Panay Island. In fact, Guimaras Island blocks our line of sight, but Bacolod and Iloilo share more than just the Strait of Guimaras (and the island’s delicious mangoes). As of late, they have been framed as rivals, but the bond between our cities goes far beyond the shared Hiligaynon dialect of its residents.

Masskara festival

Photos courtesy of (clockwise from top right) Crave, Simmons, PR Web, Intex, and Innomax

Luxurious beds

condoliving

Architect and interior designer Rhea Romano gives us the lowdown on the mattresses that are truly worth getting horizontal on.

hen we talk about luxury beds, we are only talking about one thing: the mattress, the actual bed you’ll be sleeping in. Sure, you can have an antique four-post bed frame from the medieval period or a gilded glass-and-steel contraption some rich sheik would approve of, but the mattress is truly where it’s at. The mattress is where you’ll spend at least six hours a day (if you’re lucky) and a total of about a third of your lifetime, not to mention that it’s the place where the magic happens (wink wink), so investing in a truly luxurious bed is not frivolity, but practicality. But first, you have to know what you’re looking for, and to know just that, here are the seven standards you should set any luxury bed against:

• Support – No rocket science here: sit on the edge

of a mattress and see how much it gives or sinks. • Comfort – Lie down on a mattress to feel how firm or soft it is. Will you break your back on it, or does it embrace you like a long-lost lover? Beds aren’t called comfort zones for nothing. • Smell – Some liken it to new-car smell, but most mattresses have that fresh un-sneezing scent when you bury your nose into them.

• Durability – This depends a lot on its base material, but of course you have to check its seams, covers, zippers, and (if there are) springs to see if anything is out of place. • Heat retention – Some mattresses are heat traps, which are good in cold climates and air-conditioned rooms, and some are like blocks of ice. Somewhere in the middle should be good. • Motion transfer – Most of us toss and turn throughout the night, but a bed with a lot of motion transfer tosses out your bedmates when you so much as twitch. • Construction and composition – Here’s where you should inspect the entire mattress and its contents, if you can get to them.

So what is the best bed to buy, you ask? It depends entirely on you, your needs and your budget – yes, even if you are gunning for the so-called luxury mattresses. Remember, this is an investment for a third of your lifetime, so you need to be careful. You have the Internet at the palm of your hands now via your smartphone, so browse away and learn about the mattresses that intrigue you. Then, if you have any medical conditions like a sore back or a recent operation, consult your doctor on what level of bed support you need. Some Memory foam

Waterbed

Airbed

Latex bed

beds are also expressly hypoallergenic and antimicrobial, if you’re the type that blows up on the smallest speck of dust (or a dust mite) on the covers. Some bed companies allow you to “sample” their beds for up to two weeks (not sure if that applies here in the Philippines though), and others offer “sleep trials” of up to four months before you hand over your dough to them. But you never really trust a bed until you break it in, so get all the data you need before you sign on the dotted line, and be sure to ask for warranties or money-back guarantees. Here now are the types of luxury beds you’ll most likely encounter at your local bed emporium or furniture shop:

• Innerspring beds – The most common type

of mattress provides good balance and support, but they lose their luxury luster over time with springs or coils sticking out of their fabric covers. • Memory foam – A big hit when they first emerged in the ‘90s, foam beds are often laced with gel to keep them cool. They literally adjust to the contours of your body, which helps reduce pain and keeps your spine properly aligned. • Latex – A bit more firm and supportive than memory foam beds, latex mattresses are usually made of latex rubber,

Turn to page 3

goodcompany

A taste of the Med

Huma Mediterranean Cuisine’s grand opening spices up S Maison Mall at the Mall of Asia Complex, Maurice Arcache reports. For starters, Moutabal (grilled eggplant, sesame seeds paste, tahini, lemon and olive oil), Batata Harra (potatoes, red peppers, coriander, chili, and garlic fried in olive oil), WarahInab (rice mixed with vegetables, rolled, wrapped in vine leaves boiled in water, salt, spices, lemon and olive oil), Moussakkah (fried eggplant with chickpeas), Sawdet Dajaj (fried chicken liver with pomegranate or lemon sauce in garlic olive oil), and Musakhan Chicken (a mixture of minced chicken meat, in tomato sauce, and béchamel sauce) were served. The main courses were Ouzi Dajaj (baked chicken, basmati rice, pine nuts, and Mediterranean spices) and Fish Trabulsiye (grilled fish with Mediterranean spices). Among the guests who attended the grand opening were Mariane Vicente, whose roots are from Bais, Negros Oriental, and who now resides in Spain; veteran actress Chanda Romero, with husband Jose Mari Alejandrino; Ormoc-based Manuel and Julie Torres, parents of Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez; former actor Lito Gruet; Romulo Café owners Enjo and Sandee Romulo-Squillantini; interior designer Tessa Alindogan; Metro Home editor-in-chief Anton Barretto; former model-turnedentrepreneur Judith Zapanta Berenguer-Testa; ABSCBN’s Philip Cu-Unjieng; international jewelry designer Stephen Lloyd; Angelito Banayo, managing director and resident representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office; Cebuano businessman Mike Diño; and restaurateur Chito Clavano. Among others who celebrated the night away were travel partners of Huma Island Resort and Spa like Erhan Balaban of Turkish Airways; Irene Ang, Ang’s Tour; Eric Boroy, Baron Travel; Engr. Fouzi Ali Bondagjy, Galactica Travels Inc.; Gene Hari-Ong Gan, Everyday Travel; Vivien Aragon, Constellation Travels Inc.; and Steve Tajanlangit, 7107 Islands Mgmt. Inc. Other branches of Huma Mediterranean Cuisine are opening at SM Malls in Dasmariñas, Cavite, SM Manila, BF Parañaque, and Cebu.

motoring Suzuki Hayabusa

Kawasaki Ninja 1000

Ducati Superbike 1199 Panigale S

Ecosse Titanium Series RR

Macchia Nera Concept UA

MV Agusta F4CC

BMW K 1300 S

Harley-Davidson CVO Softail Convertible

Former actor/model Lito Gruet, Chanda Romero with Manuel & Julie Torres, parents of Cong. Lucy Torres-Gomez

(L-R) DOT Venus Tan, Huma Island Resort & Spa Director of Sales and Marketing Claire del Rosario-Bernabe and Eric Boroy, general manager (Inbound Tours) of Baron Travel

Louisa El Chaer , Chanda Romero, Chef Elias El Chaer and Mayi Alejandrino

Stella Romero Gruet, Joyce Pablo and Mariane Vicente

(l-r 1st row) Joseph Assad, Honorary Consul of Lebanon to the Philippines,YMV & Associates Rosary Ysmael, Huma Island Resort & Spa Director of Sales and Marketing Claire del RosarioBernabe, DOT-CAR regional Director Marie Venus Tan; (Back) Huma Island Resort & Spa Director of Operations Ulrich Hoeffgen

Gil Garcia orients us on the finer points of the finest motorcycles on earth ou do not need a therapist if you own a motorcycle, any kind of motorcycle!” exclaims comedian Dan Aykroyd. That’s true because you can hop on your two-wheeler, hit the open road and just forget about your everyday burdens, as you feel the wind whipping through your body and you hug the curves of the road like a long-lost lover. Some of us, however, aren’t content with riding the typical four-stroke bikes or – gasp – the abominations we call electric scooters that are getting more common and are much cheaper than our favored brands. Whether it’s a sport bike or a cruiser, we prefer our rides to be sleek, speedy, and superlative. We want jaws to drop and ears turned in attention as we purr past, or roar away from, the bystander. So if you don’t have your own pair of wheels yet, here are ten suggestions to get you rolling and leaving your cares behind. Be warned: most of these bikes are pricier than your usual car, so getting these babies between your legs requires a stout checkbook. But trust me, once you ride these rollers – listed from “cheapest” to “crazyexpensive” – it’ll all be worth it. (All prices quoted are in US dollars for the base models.)

Kawasaki Ninja 1000 – MTT Turbine Superbike

Leading the ribbon cutting ceremony was Louisa El Chaer joined by Chef Elias El Chaer, and guests of honor Joseph Assad, honorary consul of Lebanon to the Philippines, DOT-CAR Regional Director Marie Venus Tan

Two-wheeled therapy

“Y Honda Gold Wing Airbag

Master of ceremonies Rafa Dinglasan with Alala and the Snake Charmerz (L-R) Lala IlaoDinglasan, Kat Fonacier-Garcia, Joam Medina, Aksana Kalinich

Touted as “the sport bike for the real world,” this Ninja goes as fast as a thrown shuriken and slices and dices with the best of them with its combined power and handling. It debuted in 2011 with the same 1,043cc liquidcooled, electronic fuelinjected, 16-valve four-

stroke inline-four engine and aluminum twin-tube backbone frame of its sibling, the Z1000 Streetfighter. Price: $11,199

Suzuki Hayabusa – Also known as the GSX1300R and introduced in 1999, the Hayabusa is the world’s fastest production motorbike, with a top speed of 312 kilometers per hour. It goes so fast that European makers had to plead with their Japanese counterparts to limit the top speeds of their creations to 300 kph, thus keeping this Suzuki’s record beyond reach. Price: $13,999 BMW K 1300 S – The Germans who made this Motorrad call it their “unique interpretation of the speedbike theme… it represents a union of fascinating and innovative high-performance engineering combined with excellent allaround and everyday suitability, not to mention excellent safety.” First made in 2008, all we care about are the dashes of red on its grey-black chassis – they’re the only color you’ll notice when this “Interceptor” dashes past you. Price:

$15,555

Honda Gold Wing Airbag – “Why, in my day the airbag rode in the back,” said one motoring writer when this bike debuted with this feature in 2012. But the first two-wheeler with an airbag was also praised as the world’s best touring motorcycle, with “the best engine and chassis package the touring world has ever seen.” Honda’s long pedigree of making this model – since 1974 – also gives it added sheen. Price: $23,890

Ducati Superbike 1199 Panigale S – Named after its home manufacturing town of Borgo Turn to page 3

Photos courtesy of (in alphabetical order) BMW, Ducati, Ecosse, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, Macchia Nera, MTT, MV, and Suzuki

hlan Wa Sahlan! The grand opening of Huma Mediterranean Cuisine recently spiced up the posh S Maison Mall at the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City. Following the successful opening of its first restaurant, Al Fairuz Lebanese Cuisine in SM City Clark, earlier this year, Huma Island Resort and Spa Palawan pulled out all the stops to make sure their guests have a grand authentic Mediterranean experience. With a vision of simple, fresh, and natural dishes, doctor-businessman Dr. Hamad Al Tuwaijri and his wife Louisa El Chaer decided to open a series of Lebanese and Mediterranean restaurants around the Philippines. Over a hundred guests from various sectors of society graced the much-awaited event and were welcomed with Lebanese cocktails like wine and a special Huma drink, paired with delectable appetizers such as Falafel, Hummus, Fatayer, Sabanek, and Mussakan Chicken. This was amid a welldesigned façade including Shisha pipes and custom-made glass lanterns highlighting the colorful interiors, reflecting the rich culture of the countries around the Mediterranean Sea. The festivities were opened with a lively number from lovely belly dancers led by certified belly dance instructor Lala Ilao-Dinglasan and her dancers Joam Medina, Kat Fonacier-Garcia, and Aksana Kalinich. The welcome remarks by the inspiring force and heart of Huma Mediterranean Cuisine, Madame Louisa El Chaer, followed. Master of ceremonies was former basketball coach-turned-businessman Rafa Dinglasan, who is of Lebanese descent as well. Leading the ceremonial ribbon cutting to officially open the restaurant was Louisa El Chaerof Nouda, representing Mediterranean Cuisine Inc., joined by her brother, Executive Chef Elias El Chaer, Honorary Consul of Lebanon to the Philippines Joseph Assad, and Department of TourismCordillera Autonomous Region Director Marie Venus Tan. Guests were treated to a versatile Mediterranean spread, believed by the Ancient Egypt civilization to be the “Food of the Gods,” complete with belly dancing entertainment.

(L-R) Mariane Vicente, Elias El Chaer, Production Head and Executive Chef, Nouda Mediterranean Cuisine Inc., Louisa El Chaer, owner, Nouda Mediterranean Cuisine Inc.

sports

Football by the book

One of the country’s leading economists writes about ‘the beautiful game,’ Noah James reports.

Photos courtesy of UA&P

ne of the Philippines’ leading economists, Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas, is an avid fan of soccer football, and now has a book to prove his love for “the beautiful game.” Villegas recently launched his “first venture in sports book writing” about the sport he fell in love with while teaching in Spain – an inevitability considering he lived in a house overlooking the storied Camp Nou, home of European powerhouse FC Barcelona. The economist collaborated with several local scribes to produce “Philippine Football: Its Past, Its Future,” which also dovetails with Villegas’ goal to drum up support for the launch of the professional Philippine Football League next month. “I came up with the book so that readers could have a clearer picture of the strengths and weaknesses of how football developed in the Philippines, with the goal of promoting the sport in the country,” said Villegas, who chaired the Philippine Football Federation’s (PFF) Task Force that laid the groundwork for the coming local soccer pro league. Of course, for the Harvard alumnus there’s an economic angle to promoting football in a country still obsessed with basketball and with a growing appetite for women’s volleyball and mixed martial arts. “I also wanted to show that, through a combination of a large, young population, the efforts of the Azkals, more affordable transportation, and the growth of

Labor empowered From page 2

“Contractualization helped to reduce the cost of labor because temporary workers are not entitled to all the privileges associated with the benefits accorded to regular employees. But this has unsettled the skill growth and steady employment of the Filipino worker,” the economist adds. So what’s the solution? Sicat suggests it is essential for the government “to tilt the outcome toward employment creation. Some correction of policies would be needed to neutralize the impact of ending ‘endo’… Measures that appear to be modest in terms of labor policy will allow us the greatest flexibility in achieving more development and improve the welfare of labor.” Filipino laborers would also be more empowered if, as Sicat proposes, the minimum wage should be geared toward a “reasonable wage” instead of a “living wage” that would allow family incomes to rise, “since more members of the family could get employment, rather than only one (or even none at all).” A thousand other things would need to happen before his ideas, which undoubtedly have been heard by the country’s leaders before, come to fruition. But in summary, if Filipino laborers get into the workforce sooner, they are guaranteed a job beyond six months at their workplace, and would receive a salary that truly benefits their families. They would be empowered, capable, and satisfied – all at the same time.

Dr. Bernardo Villegas speaks at a futsal camp at the University of Asia and the Pacific to help promote his book (cover image below).

firms that could capitalize on sports promotion, a national football league can become a sustainable enterprise,” Villegas said. Published by the University of Asia and the Pacific’s Center for Research and Communication (CRC), of which Villegas is currently Director for Research, “Philippine Football” is now available for Php650 at Fully Booked outlets nationwide. It can also be ordered from the CRC though Rio Quiza, Administrative Assistant for Publications, at rioangela.quiza@ uap.asia. It took over three years from planning to printing to produce the 232-page book, said editor Alberto Ramirez, one of seven people who collaborated with Villegas. They received support from the PFF and PRU Life UK.

The AEP and 9(g)... From page 3

for extensions while your application is pending, and fees for your alien certificate of registration.

5. Don’t forget to renew. If you are living and

working in the Philippines longer than a year, you must renew your visa and your AEP before they expire. A 9(g) is valid for one year and renewable for up to 10 years, as is the AEP. Apply before the deadline, especially in the case of the AEP, as the fines for late filing can be quite hefty. If you are late to renew your 9(g), you will essentially have to file anew and go through the visa procurement process and costs all over again. Government websites peg the visa application process at one month and the AEP application at 24 hours upon complete submission of documents. I will bite my tongue here at how long it might really take. Many times, delay arises from incomplete documents or incomplete information. The main reason for the delay is the backlog at Immigration. Rather than waste your time, your best bet is to approach a professional to do the job for you. If you find the right one, you are halfway there.

Atty. Amanda Carpo of Kittelson and Carpo Consulting is a graduate of the University of the Philippines (B.A. Political Science) and Ateneo de Manila University School of Law (Juris Doctor), a practicing corporate tax lawyer, and a former senior tax consultant for PriceWaterhouseCoopers Manila. Disclaimer: The FAQs above are the sole opinion of the writer and should not constitute as legal opinion or advice. –The IMMIGRANT

“The process of writing the book was a big challenge,” said Ramirez, noting the scarcity of material about Philippine football even with Google and modern technology available. “Quite simply, writing the book was not a simple, much less easy, job.” But “Philippine Football” is more than worth the time of the true-blue footy fan, said PFF President Mariano “Nonong” Araneta Jr. “I would recommend the book to football players, officials, stakeholders, and anyone who loves football, especially children and the youth, who will be the next generation of futsal and football players,” he said. Indeed, football is one of Villegas’ passions apart from economics and the academe, dating to his time as a goalkeeper for his De La Salle high school teams, and the book is his tribute to the sport. “Besides encouraging the growth of football, I also wish to encourage Filipino children (through the book) to have a passion for the ‘beautiful game,’ so that hopefully we would get to the World Cup before the 21st century is over,” Villegas said.

The problem with... From page 4

It’s not easy to find and train new employees, and it adds to business cost. There may be some unreasonable terminations just because someone doesn’t like someone, but come on, how often is that going to be? Not enough to have controls that impact on all other occasions negatively. As I said in my June 2 column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer: “There’s a now well-recognized trend worldwide of people not wanting to have a lifetime job, of a loyalty to one company for years or even decades. It is revolutionizing the work place. Even now, call centers have high turnover rates. Is this to be stopped? “What is wrong are the bastards who hire for what really are permanent jobs for only five months, then fire the employee – and hire another. Proof alone of the need for permanency in the job. “Why do they do it? They do it to avoid employee regularization, which entails paying the full package of employment benefits including social security (SSS), healthcare (PhilHealth), and housing (Pag-IBIG) benefits, vacation and sick leaves, overtime pay, 13th month pay, etc. And to avoid security of tenure, the inability to fire someone even if they’re doing a lousy job.” With full labor flexibility and all benefits paid from the beginning, the problems of contractualization disappear. Cancel security of tenure and pay all benefits from Day 1. That’s the real solution.