BusinessMirror July 31, 2023

‘Taming inflation key to boosting FDI prospects’

THE government remains focused on containing inflation as high interest rates are dampening the country’s investment prospects, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan also said the country will continue to feel the impact of high interest rates up until the end of the year.

I nterest rates have risen significantly

since last year due to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) decision to raise policy rates on account of high inflation. The BSP has increased interest rates by 425 basis points (bps) before taking two prudent pauses in May and June this year. Interest rates implemented last year and early part of this year are going to [be felt] until the end of the year because there are usually long time lags, 6 months to 1 year. High interest rates are not good for investments, that’s pretty clear,” Balisacan told reporters on the sidelines of the recent banking reception for the BSP’s

30th anniversary. Containing inflation, he said, is the key to preventing high interest rates from dampening the country’s investment prospects.

I nflation slowed to 5.4 percent in June 2023 but, BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. said, core inflation remained high at 7.4 percent in June and averaged 7.7 percent in the first six months of the year.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile items in the Consumer Price Index, is an important measure of the rise in commodity prices. The Philippine Statistics

Authority (PSA) defined core inflation as measuring the “underlying trend or movement in the average consumer prices.”

Inflation is the key. If you are able to manage, contain the elevation of prices and get it moderating as you wanted it then there is no reason for interest rates to further pick up,” Balisacan said.

A part from containing inflation, Balisacan said, high interest rates are also affected by the actions done by other Central Banks around the world.

See “Inflation,” A2

DIOKNO: AGENCIES WILL FAST-TRACK SPENDING

Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno remains optimistic that the national government (NG) would reach its full-year budget deficit ceiling, as agencies are already crafting their catch-up plans to accelerate their spending programs.

P rior to President Marcos Jr.’s state visit to Malaysia, Diokno said he met with the heads of various government agencies and asked them to craft their respective catchup plans to speed up their spending. The problem there is they are

underspending. Their budgets were increased significantly but the spending is still not at par. We expect them to come up with a catch-up plan,” Diokno said in a recent press briefing.

Govt grants various perks to projects of top PHL firms

THE government extended incentives to 25 various projects nationwide with total investments of P287.947 billion during the first year of the Marcos Jr. administration.

T he projected amount of incentives or the foregone revenues by the state was at nearly P30 billion, according to the Department of Finance (DOF).

F inance officials disclosed that the current administration through the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) has not disapproved of a single project that was eligible for an incentive.

T he projects are expected to generate at least 24,617 jobs, according to documents released by the DOF to the media.

T he list of projects was topped by Unity Digital Infrastructure Inc. for its P147.493-billion investment in infrastructure that includes telecommunications in multiple locations nationwide.

T he project was given an incentive of P1.097 billion which involved 4 years of income tax holiday (ITH), 5 years of enhanced deductions (ED), and 11 years of duty exemption on imports.

T he project, with the second biggest investment, was LBS Digital Infrastructure Corp. for its P36.069-billion telecommunication infrastructure project that is expected to generate 270 jobs.

The firm received P1.392 billion in incentives from the government.

‘BULACAN SEAPORT TO BOLSTER FIGHT AGAINST AGRI SMUGGLING’

THE construction of a seaport beside the planned airport in Bulacan will provide a big boost to the government’s campaign against agricultural smuggling, according to the chief of logistics firm Royal Cargo Inc.

M ichael Kurt Raeuber, chairman and CEO of Royal Cargo Inc., said the Cold Examination Facility in Agriculture (Cefa), the first border inspection facility for agricultural imports in Bulacan, could be a “positive development” if a seaport would be constructed beside the planned airport in the province.

“

Because then you have also the idea of cluster which Doris Ho-Magsaysay is in favor of and is presenting to us because then you have a port, an airport, a cold storage, a facility to test the food,” Raeuber told the BusinessMirror on the sidelines of the Joint Maritime Committee Meeting of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, the GermanPhilippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Nordic Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, and the Philippines Norway Busi -

ness Council last Thursday.

“ But right now out of nowhere...such a facility is being constructed. Who pays for all of that? And it’s 50 kilometers away from the port. If it would be near a port, it’s a different story. But it’s not,” he added.

BusinessMirror reported that the Department of Agriculture (DA) allotted P2.3 billion in its 2023 budget for the construction of the facility, which would include hubs in Cebu and Davao.

T he Cefa, which will house “state-of-the-art testing laboratories,” aims to strengthen the country’s capability to conduct first border inspections and improve its examination of containerized agricultural commodities and prevent smuggling.

DA Assistant Secretary James Layug said during the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Cefa last July 20 that all imported agri-fishery products are to undergo a 100 p ercent examination by the various food regulators like the Bureaus of Animal Industry, Plant Industry, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, as well as the National Meat Inspection Service.

THE government said the death toll from Super typhoon Egay and the prevailing southwest monsoon rose to 16.

T he Department of Agriculture (DA) also said in its latest bulletin that losses incurred by farmers and fishers climbed to P1.3 billion.

T he latest casualty number was reflected in the report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Sunday, but said the number of deaths is still being validated, as it reported that flooding in some areas of the country have already receded.

S evere flooding was also reported in some areas in Central Luzon due to the rains brought by Egay, the enhanced southwest monsoon and tropical storm Falcon, which the state weather bureau said will develop into a typhoon on Sunday evening or on Monday.

T he NDRRMC said response agencies and personnel continued to deliver emergency relief goods

and other forms of quick assistance to typhoon and flood-affected provinces around the country, including in Ilocos Norte where United States Marines and Filipino soldiers brought and unloaded emergency supplies.

Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) have been in the forefront of the ongoing humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.

T he uniformed services and other agencies of the government were also in the thick of road clearing and rehabilitation efforts, including restoring power supply and telecommunication lines. At least 124 cities and municipalities are yet to be reconnected to power supply.

A s of Sunday, the NDRRMC said at least 291,262 families or 1,029,724 individuals in 2,615 barangays in Northern, Central and Southern Luzon, Southern Tagalog, Bicol region, National Capital Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, and a large part of the Visayas and Mindanao have been affected by Egay.

‘Egay’ and monsoon kill 16; farm damage rises to ₧1.3B

DOT lauds e-visa for Chinese tourists; but will they come?

F ollowing the announcement of the new electronic visa (e-visa) system to be pilot-tested in China starting August 24, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Henry Bensurto Jr. of the Office of Consular Affairs said, “If you look at the overall economic picture of China, including the projections in the growth rate from 7 percent, it has gone down to 5 [percent], and you have more than 23-percent unemployment among the young generation…the traveling generation.”

T his has made travel “a luxury” for many Chinese citizens, he added, in a recent news conference. “And then because of the unemployment and the zero-tolerance in terms of Covid that has stunted the growth of many businesses and investments…the sum effect of that would be the reduction in [outbound tourists].” The insights,

he underscored, were picked up by Philippines Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz in his discussions with Chinese travel agencies and tour operators. M any economists and policymakers had earlier projected the revival of the Chinese economy after Beijing lifting Covid restrictions in December, but instead, investments there have become sluggish, exports are decreasing, and producer prices are dropping.

Game changer

THE Department of Tourism (DOT) welcomed the e-visa system for Chinese nationals, hoping this will help reach its goal of 4.8-million inbound arrivals this year. Prior to the pandemic, the Philippines attracted 1.7 million Chinese visitors, making the market the second largest after South Korea in 2019.

From January to July 26, there were just 137,822 tourists from China, although the DFA said it had only issued 48,000 visitor visas in the first half of the year.

I n a news statement, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco described the e-visa system “a game changer in the Chinese market, which currently prefers other Southeast Asian destinations such as Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia.” She said the other destinations allow Chinese tourists to acquire their visas upon arrival, thus speeding up those countries’ tourism recovery.

B ensurto said, aside from the evisa platform, Chinese citizens can still apply for a visitor visa “in person” at the Philippines’s foreign service posts around China, or through DOT-accredited Philippines-China tour operators.

‘Multi-layered safety nets’

THE DFA tried to allay concerns that undesirable tourists, such as illegal workers, could enter the Philippines using the e-visa platform, by citing “multi-layered safety nets,” that include security questions, submission of documents, and highly-trained visa officers. “In addition [to security questions, we ask] not one document, but several documents. And then once there is still that lack of confidence, we

still have that interview as another safety net. What is not reflected here and what often happens on the bottom, is the intense training, the intense retooling of our people and the sharing of best practices. And so an analyst or visa officer must have must have the eye, must have the instinct, must have the skills to do this and integrate all of the information,” said Bensurto. Under the e-visa platform, the DFA stressed all applications will be reviewed by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (See, “DFA to issue e-visas to Chinese tourists August 24,” in the BusinessMirror , July 27, 2023.)

T he Department of Justice said last year there were around 40,000 undocumented Chinese workers in Philippine Offshore Gaming Offices. A DOT-attached agency also reported more than 27,000 Chinese retirees in the Philippines, majority of whom were just 35 years old, raising lawmakers’ concerns over national security. (See, “Gordon raises alarm on rising number of Chinese retirees in the PHL,” in the BusinessMirror , October 19, 2020.)

I f the pilot test goes well, the DFA will be rolling out the e-visa platform to other countries. The DOT has asked that India also be among the first countries to use the e-visa system as the country is considered a key growth market.

Diokno’s statement came a few days after the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) reported that the national government’s budget deficit fell by 18.17 percent year-on-year to P551.76 billion.

T he latest budget deficit was 28.49 percent lower than the NG’s P771.5-billion mid-year deficit program as actual expenditures fell short of target disbursements. (Related story: https:// businessmirror .com. ph/2023/07/28/ng-budgetdeficit-narrows-18-17in-h1to-%e2%82%a7551-7b-from%e2%82%a7674-2b/)

D iokno said the slowest spenders could be the Department of Transportation and the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

He said the weather may have affected the spending programs of the two departments given that they oversee infrastructure projects in the country. He also attributed it to socalled “birth pangs” since the current administration is just a year old.

“ I am worried that we are not making our expenditure targets. I am not happy with the smaller deficit,” he said.

The rule is you cannot spend what is budgeted. Worst case scenario is underspending. On the revenue side we are okay, it is on the spending side [that we have problems],” he added.

Nonetheless, the finance chief said the government’s underspending as of end-June is “not that huge” compared to previous years.

It is just a matter of time or maybe just procurement delays,” he said.

T he national government fell short of meeting its P2.6-trillion programmed spending for the first half of the year. The national government was P170.5 billion short of its P2.582-trillion target expenditure for the period.

The lower-than-programmed Interest Payments [IP]; ongoing implementation of some social protection programs, particularly the registration and validation of beneficiaries; as well as billing concerns from suppliers/creditors, such as late submissions of billing statements and compliance with documentary requirements have affected the spending outturn for the period,” the Treasury said.

Should the United States Federal Reserve decide to increase their rates, Balisacan said the Philippine monetary authorities may also do the same.

“ If they raise their interest rates there, then BSP will respond to avoid the destabilization of the inflows and outflows of capital,” Balisacan said.

O n Friday, British multinational bank Standard Chartered said given the recent slowdown in inflation, it expects the BSP to cut interest rates by a total of 75 bps starting in December this year until the third quarter of next year.

S tandard Chartered said it expects a 25-bps cut in key policy rates in December 2023 and another 50-bps cut between the first and third quarters of next year. This effort to reduce interest rates will help the country attract more investments.

I n a virtual briefing, Standard Chartered bank economist Jonathan Koh said high interest rates is one of the reasons foreign di -

rect investments (FDIs) have been low in the Philippines, even after adjustments made in the Foreign Investment Act (FIA).

K oh added that while investors are now allowed to own up to 100 percent of certain businesses in the Philippines, thanks to the amendments to the FIA and the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) Law Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), these came at a time when local and global interest rates are high.

W ith high interest rates, he said foreign investors are not keen on making investments because it would delay their return on investment (ROI). This, he said, is the reason the country’s FDIs are down 20 percent. Given the low investments, the economy is expected to find it difficult to attain its 6 to 7 percent growth target this year. Standard Chartered expects the economy to grow by only 5.3 percent on the back of high inflation and waning pent-up demand.

T he PCG said its search and rescue teams were continuing to look for its four personnel who have gone missing after an attempt to rescue crewmen of a vessel in Cagayan four days ago.

In Binangonan, Rizal, the PCG has already stopped its underwater search, and rescue and retrieval operations for victims of a motorized banca that flipped over on Thursday in Talim Island wherein at least 27 passengers died and 43 others rescued.

I ts teams also responded to the vessel M/Tug Sedar 7 that ran aground in the vicinity waters off Palaui Island, Barangay San Vicente, Santa Ana, Cagayan on Saturday, and assisted the crew members of M/Tug Iroquois in the waters of Camiguin Island, Calayan, also in Cagayan.

T he NDRRMC said at least 21, 978 houses were either damaged or

Unilever Philippines Inc. received the highest amount of incentives among the 25 projects at P9.411 billion. The firm got 6 years of ITH, 5 years of ED and 11 years of duty exemption on importation. Unilever’s latest investment is worth P4.769 billion.

For this administration, there is no disapproved [project] as far as the FIRB is concerned,” Finance Assistant Secretary and FIRB Secretariat Head Juvy Danofrata said in a recent press briefing.

Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said the 25 projects approved by the FIRB under the current administration is a “pretty decent performance,” noting that the total investment was already a

destroyed while at least P4 billion worth of infrastructure projects were likewise destroyed.

Production loss

THE DA said the typhoon affecting 98,969 hectares of agricultural lands and 91,268 farmers. “ The increase is because of the updated reports from Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, and Central Luzon,” the agency said. Egay destroyed commodities like rice, corn, high value crops, livestock and poultry, and fisheries.

T he typhoon destroyed 38,401 metric tons (MT) of corn planted in 58,497 hectares. The corn crops were worth P648.2 million. It also destroyed rice crops worth P486.8 million and P182-million high-value crops.

quarter of a trillion pesos.

T he DOF said projects with at least P1 billion investments are eligible for incentives subject to the approval of the FIRB. The eligible projects are reviewed by investment promotion agencies which are then submitted for scrutiny of the FIRB’s technical committee.

T he technical board recommends the incentives for the projects for FIRB’s approval. The FIRB is chaired by the DOF, co-chaired by the Department of Trade and Industry with its members being the Department of Budget and Management, National Economic and Development Authority, and the Office of the Executive Secretary. Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

M eanwhile, in an interview last Thursday, Michael Kurt Raeuber, Chairman and CEO of Royal Cargo Inc.,a logistics firm based in the Philippines, said “the cost for TOP-CRMS is above P100 billion just for the trucking back and forth, and some other charges times the number of containers we’re talking about 5 million container movements in a year.”

“ Who will pay for that? The public,” Raeuber told the BusinessMirror

T he chief of the logistics firm also said, “At the end of the day, any kind of cost somebody has to pay. And here we are talking about additional costs in the movement of goods. So of course, these are costs not income. So these will have to be charged to somebody.”

I n light of the findings, ARTA

recommended that PPA explore cost-effective alternatives to address potential congestion without burdening stakeholders. However, the agency said the final decision on implementing the regulation rests with the PPA and the PPA Board.

M ajor stakeholders in the maritime industry, with backing from top business groups, have appealed to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to immediately revoke a PPA order imposing an additional container monitoring system in the current ports operations. Implementation of the order will “result in an almost 50 percent increase in the logistics cost of imported goods,” they said. (Full story here: https:// businessmirror .com. ph/2023/01/27/top-businessgroups-back-protests-vs-ppaorder-no-4/)

THE slowdown in the economic growth of China is the main reason its citizens have not been traveling abroad, especially to the Philippines.

DOTr plans to ‘bundle’ MRT 3, LRT 2 into one O&M contract

THE government is planning to bid out the operations and maintenance (O&M) contracts of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2 as a “bundle.”

This, according to Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez, saying such an arrangement will make the deal more palatable to potential investors.

“ Our direction is to bundle the two contracts. We are talking about the 2025 and beyond timeline—that is why we have to decide now up to 2025 or 2024 if we will bundle the two deals,” he said in a chance interview.

Bundling up the t wo O&M contracts would require the MRT-3 Management, the current operator of the train line, to be transferred to the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), the operator of the LRT 2.

“ That is our direction now. So when we offer it to the private sector, it will be under the Public-Private Partnership [PPP] program,” Chavez said.

The Build-Lease-Transfer (BLT) agreement

for the MRT 3, executed in the early 2000s with MRT Holdings Inc. of the Sobrepeña Group, is set to lapse in 2025.

The government is spending anywhere between P600 million and P900 million per month in equity rental payments to operate the MRT 3.

Talks of a buyout started during the administration of the late President Benigno Aquino III, but it never came to fruition. Now, the government only wants to allow the concession agreement to lapse naturally.

It is k nown as the most problematic of the three overhead train lines in the Philippines.

The LRT 2, meanwhile, is being operated by the LRTA. Its east extension up to Masinag from Santolan, Pasig was recently completed.

We have ongoing discussions and once we have a decision, we will go to Neda [National Economic and Development Authority],” Chavez said.

He noted that auctioning off the two deals as a bundle will allow the government to “share the risk with the private concessionaire” given that one contract is “a good cake” and the other “not so good cake.”

C havez said the government should decide by July next year.

‘Serious concerns’: Neda outlines impact of typhoons, flooding on PHL economy

THE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) considers the recent typhoons as “serious concerns” amid the flooding that ensued in many parts of the country due to heavy rainfall.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said that while assessments are still being done, he hoped the impact of the floods would not be significant as places like Benguet have been hit by some of the worst flooding from the typhoons and the Southwest Monsoon.

Rains have continued to pour as typhoons Egay and Falcon sweep across the archipelago.

As of Sunday, reports from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed billions of pesos of damages have been reported in agriculture and infrastructure.

“That’s [typhoon] really a very serious concern because we never expected this kind of seriousness in the flooding. Assessments

are still going on, we’re monitoring the situation, especially sa impact sa agriculture kasi [there was] flooding in the Ilocos region. Benguet has also been hit hard and that’s where a lot of our vegetables come from, right? But we’ll see,” Balisacan said.

Based on data from the NDRRMC, agriculture has recorded P1.5 billion in damages from Egay. This was based on reports coming from Region 2-Cagayan Valley, Region 3-Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Region 6-Western Visayas, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

The data also showed that damage to infrastructure amounted to P4.389 billion was reported in Region 1-Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa, Region 5-Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Region 11-Davao Region, Region 12-SOCCSKSARGEN, BARMM, and CAR.

Balisacan said apart from the typhoons, other risks to inflation and economic growth include oil prices as well as the collapse of the Black Sea Deal on grains

PBBM forms council for Pasig River rehabilitation and devt

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has issued Executive Order (EO) 35, establishing the “Inter-Agency Council for the Pasig River Urban Development” as part of the administration’s response to the urgent need to rehabilitate and enhance the quality of life along the banks of the Pasig River.

A four-page EO, issued last July 25 and signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, stated that the council would be responsible in facilitating and ensuring the full rehabilitation of the banks along

the Pasig River water system and nearby water systems.

The inter-agency council will be chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), vice-chaired by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman, with 13 member-agencies such as the Departments of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Interior and Local Government (DILG), Tourism, (DOT), Transportation (DOTr),

Finance (DOF), Budget and Management (DBM), National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), National Commission on Culture and Arts (NCCA), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprises Authority (TIEZA).

A side from facilitating and ensuring the full rehabilitation of the Pasig River, the council is also tasked with formulating a Pasig River Urban Development Plan and

implementing a coordinated and integrated rehabilitation of the Pasig Riverbanks system and nearby water systems.

It is also tasked with ensuring that easements provided under RA 386 (Civil Code of the Philippines) and other relevant laws are followed; study, prepare, and implement a comprehensive shelter plan for the relocation of informal settlers; and, accept grants or any assistance from local and foreign sources subject to existing laws, rules, and regulations.

between Russia and Ukraine.

“We are seeing the oil prices going up a bit, right? We’ll see how Russia moves in the Ukrainian exports of grains [pans out] but I suspect that it will not just [be] bad in terms of the reaction of the markets as before because I suppose the world learned from those earlier shocks. But we’ll see. It’s hard to predict what comes next after that,” Balisacan said.

Earlier, local economists warned that Filipinos should brace for high commodity prices, particularly products that use wheat, after Russia halted a wartime agreement to allow grain exports from Ukraine. (Full story here: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2023/07/19/phl-at-risk-in-russiaukraine-grain-deal-halt/)

Reports said Russia has suspended its wartime grains deal or the Black Sea deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey until its food and fertilizer reach world markets.

Local economists such as Ateneo de Manila University economist Leonardo Lanzona Jr. told the B usiness M irror that this will not only affect prices but could also lead

The council is also directed to work closely with the national government agencies and local government units to review the existing presidential issuances related to the rehabilitation and development of the Pasig River and recommend to the Office of the President the repeal or amendment of the same. The council is also directed to submit a quarterly report on the implementation of the EO.

According to the EO, the Pasig River holds immense historical and cultural significance as a vital waterway that facilitates trade, transportation, and communication and

to hunger and “shrinkflation” of wheat-based Filipino favorites such as pan de sal.

Monetary Board Member Bruce J. Tolentino told the B usiness M irror that the suspension of the Black Sea deal “poses a serious risk” to the country. Ukraine and Russia, he said, are the world’s leading suppliers of wheat.

Last Friday, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli Remolona Jr. said it’s too soon to declare victory against inflation. (full story here: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2023/07/28/too-early-to-declarevictory-against-inflation-bsp-chief/).

Remolona said core inflation—which measures the “underlying trend or movement in the average consumer prices”—remained high. Core inflation was at 7.4 percent in June and averaged 7.7 percent in the first six months of the year.

He said inflation data that will be released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in the first week of August would be included in the analysis of the Monetary Board that will determine its decision on policy rates.

serves as a prominent landmark and tourist attraction.

“There is an urgent need to rehabilitate and enhance the quality of life along the banks of the Pasig River, its tributaries, and surrounding communities,” the EO read.

The EO added the convergence of concerned national government agencies is necessary to synchronize and strengthen inter-agency efforts to accelerate the implementation of policies, programs, and projects that aim to improve water quality, restore marine life, and develop the banks of the Pasig River, its tributaries, and surrounding communities.

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

Heavy rainfall expected anew as ‘Falcon’ turns into typhoon

THE Philippine weather bureau on Sunday warned of heavy rains, floods and landslides in mountainous areas of the country, with intensifying severe tropical storm “Falcon” (international code name: Khanun) forecast to develop into a typhoon.

Falcon is expected to “steadily intensify within the next three days,” the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its 5 a.m. advisory. It is forecast to become a typhoon between late evening Sunday or Monday early morning and reach its peak intensity on Tuesday.

Aid for Egay victims

THIS developed as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. assured the government would provide immediate housing repair assistance and “emergency support” for residents of Northern Luzon who were affected by the onslaught of typhoon “Egay” (international code name: Doksuri).

In an interview, Marcos assured typhoon victims in the evacuation centers that the government will fast track the rehabilitation efforts so that they will be able to go back to their respective houses and rebuild their homes.

The President said the government is now in the process of identifying the people whose houses were either totally or partially damaged by the typhoon so that the necessary assistance can be provided.

“For those whose houses have been destroyed—completely destroyed houses— there is emergency support that will be

SENATOR Francis Tolentino prodded the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to cancel the certificate of registration (CR) of vehicles if their owners failed to claim license plates to cut backlogs of plate distribution nationwide.

The senator conveyed the suggestion to LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza Jr. on his radio over the weekend.

provided by DHSUD [Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development], the human settlements, and there is also assistance from NHA [National Housing Authority]. They can work together to provide assistance and help build houses,” he added.

But one of the biggest concerns is restoring the supply of electricity in the region, particularly in Ilocos Norte, Marcos said, noting the province sustained extensive damage to its power lines.

Restoring power will take time because linemen have to meticulously repair the entire system before the power supply can be switched on, the President said.

Marcos said the government would also provide construction materials to the victims to allow them to rebuild their homes.

Some residents in Egay-hit areas in Northern Luzon are temporarily taking shelter at evacuation centers where medical teams and other government assistance have been provided to ensure their safety.

While Falcon is on a northward path over the Philippine Sea and appears to be heading away from landmass, heavy rainfall is expected as the storm and super typhoon Egay, which hit the country last week, boost the Southwest Monsoon, Pagasa said. This will bring “occasional” monsoon showers over the western parts of Luzon and the Visayas, Pagasa said.

The water level of the capital region’s Marikina River reached 16.1 meters (52.8 feet)

Saturday evening, nearing the 18-meter level that triggers a forced evacuation of certain

The LTO official disclosed that over 1.8 million license plates remain unclaimed, of which, 600,000 plates are mostly in Cebu.

At the same time, Mendoza reported over his weekend radio program that about 14 million license plates still needed to be printed, the bulk of which comprised plates for motorcycles, even as the production of these plates were bidded out and their delivery expected within the next 20 months.

He expects that within 2023, about a million plates would already be delivered

parts of Marikina City, it was reported.

The Philippines is affected by an average of 20 tropical cyclones a year, making it one of the world’s worst hit countries, according to Pagasa.

Egay, which struck last week, destroyed more than P1.3 billion worth of agricultural crops and caused an estimated P2.66 billion of damage to infrastructure, including bridges and roads, according to local media reports that cited the agriculture and public works departments.

The super typhoon affected half a million people mostly in the northern parts of main Luzon Island and left 14 dead, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. It flooded more than 258 villages in the Luzon provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga, located north of Manila.

Falcon is moving at 15 kilometers an hour with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 115 kph, Pagasa said. It’s forecast to move north northwestward before veering northwestward Monday, according to the weather bureau.

The tropical storm may exit the Philippines Monday evening or early Tuesday before turning west northwestward and passing close to Japan’s Okinawa Islands in the Ryukyu Archipelago on Tuesday morning and then entering the East China Sea.

Inventory PRESIDENT Marcos also said the government is now conducting an inventory to determine

to the LTO.

In turn, Tolentino asked Mendoza about how the LTO handles the proliferation of plate printing by private individuals given the available technology at present in the midst of the unavailability of license plates for motor vehicles.

“Papanonatinitomako-curtail, papano natin ito mahaharang...dapat LTO na lang talaga.Siguronaiinipna‘yongibasatagal ngplakasapaglalabas,gumawanalangng sariling plaka,” the lawmaker noted.

DOJ opposes proposal to spend ₧1.2-billion unrefunded passenger fees for Naia upgrade

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has expressed its objection to the plan of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) to spend the P1.2-billion unrefunded passenger service charges (PSC) or terminal fees to refurbish and upgrade its equipment.

In a four-page legal opinion, Justic e Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said while PSCs are considered “government funds” these are only being held in trust by the MIAA for the account of passengers who failed to proceed with their flights.

“Clearly, the unrefunded PSC’s in question are funds which, while considered ‘government funds,’ are held by MIAA merely as a custodian to address the refund claims to be made by passengers. The MIAA acts as the trustee on behalf of the passengers, and is not free to unilaterally utilize such funds,”the DOJ declared.

T he DOJ made known its objection to the plan in response to the letter by MIAA General Manager Cesar Chiong, seeking

the department’s legal opinion on whether the agency can use the unrefunded PSCs on unused airline tickets, which are being held in trust by the MIAA for the account of passengers, to finance its capital expenditure requirements.

The collection of PSCs, also called terminal fees, was covered by a twin memorandum of agreement with domestic and international air carriers aimed at addressing the congestion and passenger queues at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

Under the t wo memoranda, PSCs are integrated in the airline tickets at the point of sale, and as a result, passengers are no longer required to stand in queues at the Naia to pay for the terminal fees.

However, Chiong told the DOJ that there were occasions when a fully paid airline ticket, which already incorporates the full payment of the PSC, remains unused when a passenger decides not to proceed with his or her flight.

B ased on MIAA’s records, the total PSC on unused tickets remitted by airline carriers has reached P1.2 billion as of March 31, 2023, of which, only P26,000 were claimed for refund.

the number of public schools in Northern Luzon that were affected by Egay ahead of the opening of classes next month.

He said that an inventory of the damaged public schools would be conducted so that the government can determine the extent of the damage left by typhoon in schools to ensure a smooth opening of classes in August.

The President emphasized that the idea was brought up by Senator Imee Marcos, who accompanied him during today’s visit to Egayhit areas in Northern Luzon.

The Chief Executive presided over a series of briefings last Saturday in Bangued, Abra; Laoag City, Ilocos Norte; and Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, where he received initial reports on the effects of typhoon Egay in Northern Luzon.

The President also conducted aerial inspections of the affected areas in Abra and Ilocos Norte.

Meanwhile, Marcos has expressed satisfaction with the government’s response to Egay, as he promised to continue providing aid to those affected, particularly food, potable water, medicine, and shelter assistance.

He noted that the country has to get used to the new weather pattern because of the obvious effects of climate change.

Government responders are working to reach isolated areas to bring food and basic necessities, using all means to provide assistance to far-flung communities, Marcos said, adding that the good thing is that the government was able to preposition food packs in critical areas before the typhoon struck. Bloomberg and Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

Mendoza assured that they will distribute within 60 days the 1.8 million unclaimed plates, and once these unclaimed plates are distributed, he figured out there is no need for motorists to print their own improvised license plates.

He added that the LTO would disseminate the information on unclaimed plates and give owners sufficient time to claim them. After that, implementation of proper acquisition of license plates will be strictly implemented.

and government property.”

THE country’s holding of joint military exercises with China or even Vietnam is not impossible as such exercises could be considered as acts of diplomacy and part of efforts to prevent war with the country’s neighbors or any other countries, according to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr.

The top military commander issued the statement on Sunday when asked about the possibility of military activities with Beijing, which is disputing the country’s West Philippine Sea or its exclusive economic zone, parts of which it has even occupied or has maintained its regular presence.

Vietnam is also a claimant of South China Sea’s portion along with Taiwan and Malaysia, and whose all claims fall within China’s expansive nine-dash line claims.

“We are not closing our possibilities, our prospect as the President mentioned is that we are friends to all, enemies to none. We have what we call military diplomacy and so we also need to talk, go into discussions with various partners, military activities,” Brawner told radio station DZBB.

“We are maintaining this because, really, our objective is to prevent war. While we prepare for war, possible war, our objective really is to prevent war,” he explained.

China has proposed to hold military exercises with the country, an offer that Brawner disclosed during a recent event in Mandaluyong City marking the anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army, which he attended.

The United States and the Philippines announced early this year that they will resume joint patrols, with the activities even covering the West Philippine Sea. The patrols are seen to begin later this year.

Other countries like Australia and Japan have also expressed interest in joining the patrols in order to check China’s aggressive activities in the South China Sea.

Early this year, Coast Guards from the US, Japan and the Philippines have carried out joint exercises in Luzon.

that is why we need to work together to defend the country and make it progressive,” he said.

Meanwhile, Brawner met generals and flag officers from the US who comprised its US CAPSTONE Pacific 23-4 program and discussed the vital role of the AFP in the Indo-Pacific region.

“The interaction was vital in giving the delegates first-hand insights to national defense and security objectives of the AFP and its position in the promotion of a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” said military public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Enrico Gil Ileto.

“During their meeting, General Brawner Jr. answered questions from the course fellows, mainly his priorities as the new CSAFP, future plans for the AFP modernization program, international defense and security engagements, takeaways from PHL-US exercises and trainings, and policies pertaining the West Philippine Sea,” Ileto added.

Ileto said the 19 delegates were led by retired Admiral Harry Harris, former US Ambassador to the Republic of Korea and former commander of the then US Pacific Command.

Capstone is a 5-week course for newly selected generals and flag officers that will equip them with a comprehensive understanding of joint doctrine and the principles of the “Joint Operational Art.”

Affront of natl sovereignty

THE Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), meanwhile urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to unconditionally reject China’s proposal for a joint military exercise with the AFP, saying the activity will be an affront to national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The group was reacting to the proposal conveyed by the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian during last week’s 96th People’s Liberation Army (PLA) celebration. In an interview with CNN Philippines, Brawner said the AFP is open to any country that wants to help the Philippines, including China. He said the Philippines military is trying to develop its own defense industry through the Self-Reliance Posture Program, including China.

However, he said the AFP leadership is currently looking into the proposal.

Chiong also not ed that despite the open-ended policy for refunds, information disseminations and posting in MIAA’s official website and social media accounts, there is still a very low turnout of passengers claiming for refunds.

Furthermore, Chiong assured that the MIAA would set aside P1 million, to be replenished continuously, from the PSCs of unused tickets to ensure that there will be sufficient funds for the refund.

Remulla, however, stressed that Section 3 (4) of Presidential Decree No. 1445, otherwise known as the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines, defines trust funds as “funds which have come officially into the possession of any agency of the government or of a public officer as trustee, agent, or administrator, or which have been received for the fulfillment of some obligation.”

Furthermore, the justice chief noted that Section 63 of the said law provides that “money and property officially received by a public officer in any capacity or upon any occasion must be accounted for as government funds

In relation to this, Remulla pointed to the justice department’s 2003 legal opinion on the nature of the fees collected by the Land Transportation Office (LTO), a government agency, and remitted to Stradcom as its contractor’s fees.

The DOJ held in the said legal opinion that the said fees fall within the definition of a “trust fund.”

It explained that under PD. No. 1445, trust funds shall be made available and may be spent only for the specific purposes for which the trust was created or the funds received.

Still, the DOJ advised the MIAA to seek the opinion of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) or the Commission on Audit (COA) as the issue involves remittance, use and allocation of government funds.

“Sound administrative practice, more than official courtesy, demands that the DBM and COA should be accorded first the opportunity to consider and resolve the issue presented,” the DOJ stressed.

“This time-honored policy is dictated for the competence, expertise on, as well as familiarity with, the policies relating to the subject and the rightful exercise of jurisdiction by a co-equal and coordinate branch of government,” it added.

Wedding to remember: Love ‘floods’ the air in Malabon City

LOVE flooded the air in Malabon City during the mass civil ceremony that Mayor Jeannie Sandoval gave for 105 couples and their beloved witnesses.

The precious event was held at the Malabon Sports Complex, which was transformed to have a romantic and festive setting. It was an unforgettable celebration for the couples in love.

From having a special wedding march to the traditional slicing of the wedding cake, and toasting a glass of wine, the first woman mayor of Malabon “left no stone left unturned” to give the couples a one of a kind wedding celebration.

“I have always been a romantic and I wanted to give a wedding ceremony that is truly memorable for our couples. I share the hopes of the couples here today. Their

dreams and hopes for their family is what my administration will strive to achieve for Malabon.”

The celebration of Malabon’s first-ever romantic wedding started with an engagement shoot or pre-nuptial photography to give the couples that special moment to bond.

This was supported by the Hair and Makeup service of CMPI-HMUA who freely gave their services to the bride-to-be. Couples happily reminisced their love story and relive that initial spark they felt. These photos will be given as souvenirs to the wedding couples to give them lasting memories.

It was definitely a wedding to remember for the couples that also had the chance to win some exciting raffle prizes and end the night with a kiss under a beautiful display of fireworks.

Brawner called on Filipinos to work together and to help in the defense of the country because while the uniformed services are always ready, it could not defend on their own the country’s territory, likening it to the war in Ukraine wherein citizen- soldiers are helping in defending the country against Russia.

“The problem of defending the country is not only a problem of the police or our uniformed services. This is all our problem,

SUBIC BAY

the scheduled return of cruise ships early next year and the planned rebranding of Subic Bay to expand its tourism market, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is expecting to revive the tourism industry here and regain Subic’s stature as one of the top attractions in the country.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Jonathan D. Tan said he was confident that Subic tourism will attain full recovery following the lifting last week by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the public health emergency under the Covid-19 pandemic.

T he lifting of the health emergency

“provides us with an optimistic outlook of the travel and tourism industry in the country,” Tan said during the 2023 Luzon Cluster Regional Consultative Forum of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) at the Diamond Hotel here on Wednesday, July 26.

Tan said that even now, Subic’s tourism outlook appeared positive with 99 percent tourist arrivals in 2022, a number higher than the 89 percent recorded in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

He added that as of June 2023, the Subic Bay Freeport had recorded 5.15 million visitor arrivals and 436,000 tourist arrivals.

“While increasing job generation and tourism patronage has always been our goal for our tourism sector, my leadership now is gearing towards holistic development of the Subic Bay, making it a highly competitive and sustainable business and investment hub,” Tan said.

T he SBMA chief explained that the goal

“We demand the Marcos administration to unconditionally reject this proposed military deal with China, as this is a blatant insult to our integrity as a nation. We cannot simply allow Chinese military forces, who are already present in our territorial waters, to legally conduct military exercises with Filipino troops in our own land,” Ronnel Arambulo, Pamalakaya vice chairperson said in a statement.

is to improve the investment climate in Subic to attract more investors, increase revenue, and generate more resilient jobs for residents in neighboring communities.

Some 200 TCP members, tourism stakeholders and guests attended the consultative meeting that focused on the theme “Sustainable Tourism: Leading the Recovery and Profitability of Business Operation in the Post-Pandemic Era.”

Subic reached its heyday in tourism beginning February 2018 when it launched its cruise tourism program under then Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, initially attracting smaller ships like Costa Atlantica with just over 2,000 passengers, before reining in some of the world’s biggest—the Ovation of the Seas and the Spectrum of the Seas, both of which had almost 5,000 passengers and crew.

The SBMA said it had confirmed 38 cruise ship arrivals and two tentative bookings for 2020, as well as four confirmed arrivals and one tentative booking for 2021, before the Covid-19 pandemic scuttled the program in March 2020.

Still, the tested formula and new innovations may work a similar magic for Subic. Tan said the SBMA is also looking at establishing public e-vehicle transportation system, building a new SBMA corporate center, developing a Smart City project, and formulating sustainability guidelines to complement and drive the growth of local tourism.

The SBMA is also seeking economic cooperation in the Halal industry to make Subic a Muslim-friendly destination, he added.

LTO may have option to void registration of vehicles with unclaimed license plates

Brawner Jr. says joint military exercises with China, Vietnam remain a possibility

SBMA highly confident of Subic tourism recovery post-Covid-19

Is Germany competing anew for ‘Sick Man of Europe’ title?

News this week that expansion failed to resume during the past quarter, coupled with poor survey readings for July, showcase how the country long seen as the region’s motor of expansion is currently a brake o n its outlook.

The recession that Germany has now barely exited already defied a bold prediction by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in January that such a slump “absolutely” wouldn’t materialize.

Its latest near-miss highlights how deep-seated industrial malaise is enduring in a year when the International Monetary Fund forecasts t he energy-hobbled economy faces the only contraction of the Group of Seven nations. Could Germany be reverting to its onetime role as a dead weight on Europe’s growth potential?

“Whether the economy is creeping along, or contracting slightly, I t hink is a second-order problem,” said Thomas Mayer, founder of the Flossbach von Storch Research Institute and a long-standing economic o bserver of the country. “I think Germany is competing for the title of the ‘Sick Man of Europe’.”

Such a label was commonly slapped on Germany in the years after reunification in 1990, as that laborious process of stitching two nations together sapped the economy

o f its postwar dynamism and bred stubbornly high unemployment.

The slog lasted well into this century, as witnessed in a remarkable p eriod when Italy’s annual expansion outpaced its bigger and richer peer for more than half a decade.

This time round, Germany’s persisting energy crisis stemming from t he war in Ukraine is crippling manufacturers in an economy already s truggling with demographically induced skills shortage and poor productivity. Meanwhile, intensified global competition in electric vehicles threatens its carmaking prowess.

Su ch longer-term challenges are combining with weak Chinese demand and tighter monetary policy t o further squeeze industry. Another quarter-point interest-rate hike by the European Central Bank this past week to tame inflation will heap more pressure there.

While the full-year contraction of 0.3% anticipated for Germany by both the IMF and the Bundesbank for this year isn’t huge, it’s meaningful: the last time the economy shrank while Italy’s grew was in 2003.

“Under-performance is not just a prediction—we’re already seeing that,” Joerg Kraemer, chief economist at Commerzbank AG, said before t he latest GDP data. “We forecast a

renewed recession for the second half of the year.”

The numbers on Friday showed that the economy escaped another quarter of contraction—but only just, even if the prior drop in gross domestic product was smaller than previously estimated.

Clemens Fuest, president of the Munich-based Ifo Institute, even reckoned this week that the recession had continued, citing more m anufacturing-led deterioration in his organization’s longstanding monthly business survey released on Tuesday.

A day earlier, S&P Global’s purchasing manager index showed i ndustrial weakness was marked enough to outweigh continuing services expansion. As the region’s dominant economy, that means Germany i s pulling the rest down.

“General conditions remain poor, and leading indicators do not point to significant momentum in the second

half of the year either,” said Helaba Chief Economist Gertrud Traud. “Stagnation is not optimistic — it’s not a euphoric number.”

“Recent survey data paint an increasingly gloomy picture. A very s ubdued GDP expansion in autumn after the stagnation in 2Q and the winter recession might lead to a negative annual growth rate of -0.1% in t he current year,” said Bloomberg economist Martin Ademmer.

It’s not all gloom. Unemployment at 5.7% remains within a percentage point of its all-time low, and that isn’t likely to change much in data due on Tuesday—a robust labor market that is sustaining consumers at a time of high inflation.

Arne Freundt, chief executive officer of Puma SE, this week cited “stable demand” in Germany for his company’s sneakers and apparel. Volkswagen AG Chief Financial O fficer Arno Antlitz was similarly sanguine.

“There’s a certain uncertainty on the side of the customers in terms of inflation, but I personally don’t expect a recession in the next quarters,” he t old Bloomberg Television Germany’s industrial woes and poor growth performance at present don’t really distinguish it from its regional peers either, not least because they share many of the same problems.

In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni keenly tweeted this week that the IMF’s 2023 predictions show faster expansion there than in Germany and France, momentum that re flects a delayed pandemic rebound, including a tourist boom, as well as European Union-fueled spending.

But manufacturers in the euro zone’s third-biggest economy are also languishing, and its population squeeze is even more alarming. Italy has been most frequently labeled Europe’s “sick man” in past years.

G ermany’s enduring headache of how to produce affordable energy—a result of its longstanding reliance on Russian gas and its politically fueled abhorrence of nuclear power—remains a standout challenge however, j ust as it attempts to quicken a shift away from fossil fuels.

The economy’s focus on churning out gasoline-guzzling cars while rivals ramp up electric vehicle production is another problem, and Volkswagen’s experience of lower Chinese or ders was partly behind a cut in its sales outlook on Thursday.

David Folkerts-Landau, chief economist at Deutsche Bank AG, reckons that’s the thin end of the wedge.

“The Germans in particular, because of a large manufacturing sector, are falling very much behind t he US, because the technological gap is getting wider and wider,” he told Bloomberg Television last month, adding that other US government subsidy plans will reinforce that lag. Fixing the future is a primary concern for Scholz and his advisers, who have attributed the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany to mounting fears about long-term growth prospects. An opinion poll published on July 23 put the party’s support at a record 22%.

Their primary solution for now is to throw money at the problem, offering subsidies to companies willing to open factories. The latest measure revealed last week is for a €20 billion ($22 billion) giveaway to bolster semiconductor manufacturing and shore up the country’s technology sector.

That’s a focus on big corporate spending, but the longstanding backbone of German prosperity is the soc alled Mittelstand—a nationwide fabric of smaller, often family-owned enterprises, whose specialized products have long provided the foundation of its export strength.  K raemer of Commerzbank reckons that’s where to look for signs o f how Germany’s fate as a major economy will be determined.

“The good, many medium-sized companies that are well capitalized, that have solid balance sheets, and their employees, who are hard-working and enjoy working here—that is t he hope,” he said. With assistance from Francine Lacqua, Manus Cranny, Oliver Crook and Anna Edwards / Bloomberg

Germany’s economy—europe’s largest—is struggling to grow, and the weakness is set to persist.

Drone attack on Moscow injures 1, temporarily closes airport for traffic

It was the fourth such attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and the third this week, fueling concerns about Moscow’s vulnerability to attacks as Russia’s war in Ukraine drags into its 18th month.

The Russian Defense Ministry referred to the incident as an “attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime” and said three drones targeted the city. One was shot down in the surrounding Moscow region by air defense systems and two others were jammed. Those two crashed into the Moscow City business district in the capital.

Photos from the site of the crash showed the facade of a skyscraper damaged on one floor.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the attack “insignificantly damaged” the outsides of two buildings in the Moscow City district. A security guard was injured, Russia’s state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency officials.

No flights went into or out of the Vnukovo airport on the southern outskirts of the city for about an hour, according to Tass, and the air space over Moscow and the outlying regions was temporarily closed for any

aircraft. Those restrictions have since been lifted.

Moscow authorities have also closed a street for traffic near the site of the crash in the Moscow City area.

There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials, who rarely if ever take responsibility for attacks on Russian soil.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported shooting down a Ukrainian drone outside Moscow on Friday. Two more drones struck the Russian capital on Monday,

one of them falling in the center of the city near the Defense Ministry’s headquarters along the Moscow River about 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the Kremlin. The other drone hit an office building in southern Moscow, gutting several upper floors. In another attack on July 4, the Russian military said four drones were downed by air defenses on the outskirts of Moscow and a fifth was jammed by electronic warfare means and forced down.

Blinken says Us economic support for niger at risk as military takeover threatens stability

The Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia—Political instability in Niger re sulting from a military takeover that deposed the president this week threatens the economic support provided by Washington to the African nation, US S ecretary of State Anthony Blinken said Saturday.

Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday they had deposed democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and on Friday named Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani as the country’s new l eader, adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africa’s Sahel region.

B linken, who is in Australia as part of a Pacific tour, said the continued security and economic arrangements that Niger has with the U S hinged on the release of Bazoum and “the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger.”

“Our economic and security partnership with Niger—which is significant, hundreds of millions of dollars—depends on the c ontinuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order that has been disrupted by the actions in the last few days,” Blinken said. “So that assistance,

The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—Saudi Arabia will h ost a Ukrainian-organized peace summit in early August seeking to find a way to start n egotiations over Russia’s war on the country, an official said Saturday night. The kingdom and Kyiv d id not immediately acknowledge the planned talks.

The summit will be held in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as no authorization had been given to publicly discuss the summit. Those taking part in the sum -

that support, is in clear jeopardy as a result of these actions, which is another reason why they need to be immediately reversed.”

Blinken stopped short of calling the military actions in Niger a c oup, a designation that could result in the African country losing m illions of dollars of military aid and assistance.

Speaking in Brisbane, Blinken said he had spoken with President Bazoum on Saturday but did not provide details. He cited the support of the African Union, the Economic Community of West African

States and other regional entities in trying to bring an end to the unrest.

“The very significant assistance that we have in place that’s making a material difference in the lives of the people of Niger is clearly in jeopardy and we’ve communicated that as clearly as we possibly can to those responsible for disrupting the constitutional order and Niger’s democracy,” Blinken said.

Blinken said the US Embassy in Niger had accounted for the safety of all staff members and their f amilies, while issuing a security alert advising US citizens in the

country to limit unnecessary movements and avoid areas impacted by t he coup.

The military group that conducted the coup, calling itself the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, said its members re mained committed to engaging with the international and national community.

“This is as a result of the continuing degradation of the security s ituation, the bad economic and social governance,” air force Col. Major Amadou Abdramane said in the video released by the coup leaders Wednesday. He said aerial and land borders were closed and a curfew was in place until the situation stabilized.

B azoum was elected two years ago in Niger’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France.

N iger is seen as the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in Africa’s Sahel region, where Russia a nd Western countries have vied for influence in the fight against extremism.

France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with Niger’s military, while t he US and other European countries have helped train the nation’s t roops. Hannon reported from Bangkok

TAIPEI, Taiwan—China accused the United States of turning Taiwan into an “ammunition depot” after the White House announced a $345 million military aid package for Taipei, and the self-ruled island said Sunday it tracked six Chinese navy ships in waters off its shores.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office issued a statement late Saturday opposing the military aid to Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.

“No matter how much of the ordinary people’s taxpayer money the ... Taiwanese separatist forces spend, no matter how many US weapons, it will not shake our resolve to solve the Taiwan problem. Or shake our firm will to realize the reunification of our motherland,” said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office.

“Their actions are turning Taiwan into a powder keg and ammunition depot, aggravating the threat of war in the Taiwan Strait,” the statement said.

China’s People’s Liberation Army

TOKYO—Toshihiro Mutsuda was only 5 years old when he last saw his father, who was drafted by Japan’s Imperial Army in 1943 and killed in action. For him, his father was a bespectacled man in an old family photo standing by a signed good-luck flag that he carried to war.

On Saturday, when the flag was returned to him from a US war museum where it had been on display for 29 years, Mutsuda, now 83, said: “It’s a miracle.”

The flag, known as “Yosegaki Hinomaru,” or Good Luck Flag, carries the soldier’s name, Shigeyoshi Mutsuda, and the signatures of his relatives, friends and neighbors wishing him luck. It was given to him before he was drafted by the Army. His family was later told he died in Saipan, but his remains were never returned.

The flag was donated in 1994 and displayed at the museum aboard the USS Lexington, a WWII aircraft carrier, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Its meaning was not known until it was identified by the family earlier this year, said museum director Steve Banta, who brought the flag to Tokyo.

mit will include Ukraine, as well a s Brazil, India, South Africa and several other countries, the official said. A high-level official from US President Joe Biden’s administration also is expected to attend, the o fficial said. Planning for the event is being overseen by Kyiv and Russia is not invited, the official said.

D etails regarding the summit, however, remain in flux and the official did not offer dates for the talks. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the summit, said the talks would take place Aug. 5 and 6 with some 30 countries attending, citing “diplomats involved i n the discussion.”

Saudi officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press,

n or did Ukraine’s Embassy in Riyadh. News of the summit comes a fter US national security adviser Jake Sullivan visited the kingdom on Thursday.

The official who spoke to the AP said the summit would be the next step after talks that took place in Copenhagen in June.

Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the talks come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in May attended an Arab League summit i n Jeddah to press those nations to back Kyiv. Arab nations largely have remained neutral since Russia launched the war on Ukraine in February 2022, in part over their military and economic ties to Moscow.

S audi Arabia also has maintained a close relationship with

R ussia as part of the Opec+ group. The organization’s oil production cuts, even as Moscow’s war on Ukraine boosted energy prices, have angered Biden and American lawmakers.

But hosting such talks also help raise the profile of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has sought to reach a détente with Iran and push for a peace in the kingdom’s yearslong war in Yemen. However, ties also remain strained between Riyadh and the West over the 2018 killing and dismemberment of Washington Post c olumnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, which US intelligence agencies assess that Prince Mohammed ordered. Madhani reported from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Banta said he learned the story behind the flag earlier this year when he was contacted by the Obon Society, a nonprofit organization that has returned about 500 similar flags as non-biological remains, to the descendants of Japanese servicemembers killed in the war.

The search for the flag’s original owner started in April when a museum visitor took a photo and asked an expert about the description that it had belonged to a “kamikaze” suicide pilot. When Shigeyoshi Mutsuda’s grandson saw the photo, he sought help from the Obon Society, group co-founder Keiko Ziak said.

“When we learned all of this, and that the family would like to have the flag, we knew immediately that the flag did not belong to us,” Banta said at the handover ceremony. “We knew that the right thing to do would be to send the flag home, to be in Japan and to the family.”

The soldier’s eldest son, Toshihiro

has increased its military maneuvers in recent years aimed at Taiwan, sending fighter jets and warships to circle the island.

On Sunday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it tracked six Chinese navy ships near the island.

Taiwan’s ruling administration, led by the Democratic Progressive Party, has stepped up its weapons purchases from the US as part of a deterrence strategy against a Chinese invasion.

China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949, and Taiwan has never been governed by China’s ruling Communist Party.

Unlike previous military purchases, the latest batch of aid is part of a presidential authority approved by the US Congress last year to draw weapons from current US military stockpiles—so Taiwan will not have to wait for military production and sales.

While Taiwan has purchased $19 billion worth of weaponry, much of it has yet to be delivered to Taiwan. Washington will send man-portable air defense systems, intelligence and surveillance capabilities, firearms and missiles to Taiwan.

Mutsuda, was speechless for a few seconds when Banta, wearing white gloves, gently placed the neatly folded flag into his hands. Two of his younger siblings, both in their 80s, stood by and looked on silently. The three children, all wearing cotton gloves so they wouldn’t damage the decades-old flag, carefully unfolded it to show to the audience.

“After receiving the flag today, I earnestly felt that the war like that should never be fought again and that I do not wish anyone else to go through this sadness (of separation),” Toshihiro Mutsuda said.

The soldier’s daughter, Misako Matsukuchi, touched the flag with both hands and prayed. “After nearly 80 years, the spirit of our father returned to us. I hope he can finally rest in peace,” Matsukuchi said later.

Toshihiro Mutsuda said his memory of his father was foggy. However, he clearly remembers his mother, Masae Mutsuda, who died five years ago at age 102, used to make the long-distance bus trip almost every year from the farming town in Gifu, central Japan, to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine, where the 2.5 million war dead are enshrined, to pay tribute to her husband’s spirit.

The shrine is controversial, as it includes convicted war criminals among those commemorated. Victims of Japanese aggression during the first half of the 20th century, especially China and the Koreas, see Yasukuni as a symbol of Japanese militarism. However, for the Mutsuda family, it’s a place to remember the loss of a father and husband.

“It’s like an old love story across the ages coming together ... It doesn’t matter where,” Banta said, referring to the Yasukuni controversy. “The important thing is this flag goes to the family.”

That’s why Toshihiro Mutsuda and his siblings chose to receive the flag at Yasukuni and brought the framed photos of their parents.

“My mother missed him and wanted to see him so much and that’s why she used to pray here,” he said. “Today her wish finally came true, and she was able to be reunited.”

Keeping the flag on his lap, he said, “I feel the weight of the flag.”

Russian authorities say three ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on sunday, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure for traffic of one of four airports around the Russian capital.

China says Us military aid to taiwan won’t deter its will to unify the island

It’s a miracle, say family of Japanese soldier killed in wwII, as they accept flag he carried

Nutrition Month

THE ROAD TO A HEALTHY PHILIPPINES

THIS month’s celebration of Nutrition

Month is part and parcel of the Department of Health’s (DOH) festive promotion of a healthy lifestyle across all regions in the country. This campaign has been tagged “Biyaheng Kalusugan,” a nationwide initiative celebrating different health events through engaging and entertaining health education activities.

Biyaheng Kalusugan is part of the Healthy Pilipinas campaign’s effort to improve the health literacy of Filipinos and enable them to practice the Seven Healthy Habits, namely: (1) Move more, eat right, (2) Be clean, live sustainably, (3) Get vaccinated, (4) Don’t smoke, don’t drink alcohol, say no to drugs, (5) Care for yourself, care for others, (6) Practice safe sex, and (7)

Do no harm, put safety first.

The initiative was launched in April to coincide with the nationwide kick-off of “Chikiting Ligtas,” the official campaign handle for the Measles-Rubella and Oral Polio Vaccines Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-OPV SIA). This month-long vaccination drive to protect children from measles, rubella and polio had the caravan visiting three locations – San Juan City (NCR); Mindoro (MIMAROPA), and Ormoc City (Eastern Visayas). Educational talks, games, entertainment and free snacks with loot bags were provided to children and their parents while receiving free vaccines.

No smoking month

IN JUNE, Biyaheng Kalusugan headed to Zamboanga City to launch No Smoking Month, drumming up the campaign against smoking and vaping among the adolescent and young adult population in the region. At the core of this initiative was the promotion of the many enjoyable ways of self-expression and self-nourishment while being safe and substance free.

The campaign transformed the Zamboanga City Coliseum into a safe and welcoming No SAD (Sigarilyo, Alak, Droga) Park where attendees can begin or continue their journey towards a healthy, bisyo free lifestyle. This safe space encouraged participants to join GLAD (Galing, Laro, Aliw, Dighay) activities that included games, music, food and brief counseling for smoking cessation and tobacco use prevention.

T he Biyaheng Kalusugan was then brought to Ilocos and Central Luzon this month for the celebration of Nutrition Month.

Affordable meals

THE National Nutrition Council (NNC) took the lead in the nationwide celebration of the 2023 Nutrition Month with theme “Healthy diet gawing affordable for all.” The campaign called for shared actions from various stakeholders in the public and private sectors to empower Filipinos to have greater access to affordable, safe and nutritious foods.

Surveys have shown that a significant portion of the Filipino population is struggling to have a healthy diet. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that about 75.2 million Filipinos could not afford a healthy diet in 2020. Globally, the average cost of a healthy diet is around P200 per person per day. Since 2017, the cost of a healthy diet consistently increased from P226.60 to P236.04 in 2018, P238.9 in 2019, and P242.53 in 2020. Due to food prices surge, conflicts and climate change, the cost of a healthy diet is predicted to continue to rise for the next years.

Empowering Consumers Through Mindful Snacking

n Expert data shows mindful snacking leads to an overall improvement in well-being n Survey shows snackers make an effort to be mindful and present in the moment

PEOPLE have always loved snacks but their lives are changing becoming busier than ever, and more health conscious, too. People want to feel good about their snacks not only that they taste delicious but also that they are good for their minds and bodies. To empower consumers to have a more positive relationship with food, snacks company Mondelēz International in the Philippines recently held an event which shared the concept of “Mindful Snacking” – which means eating with attention and intention. The event shared that how you eat is just as important as what you eat.

The event featured learning sessions from health experts in the fields of mindfulness and mindful snacking from the NutritionistDietitians’ Association of the Philippines (NDAP) and Mondelēz International, respectively. The event shared with attendees the positive impacts of mindful snacking to the overall well-being of Filipino consumers.

More and More People are Snacking Mindfully

Survey insights presented during the event showed that 78% of consumers are more likely to take time while enjoying indulgent snacks. Two-thirds of consumers are also less restrictive in their eating habits than in the past, agreeing that they are more intuitively tapping into their mood and other factors to guide food choices. These insights are from Mondelēz International’s 2022 State of Snacking Survey, which helps the Company keep pace with current snacking attitudes and behaviors around the world and, importantly, anticipate and plan for future consumer trends.

“Our Purpose as a Company is to empower people to snack right. Consumers decide what and how they want to eat. Meanwhile we obsess over their interests and constantly innovate to make sure they continue to reach for the goodness of our snacks when

they want a delicious, wholesome, nutritious or indulgent bite, made with ingredients and packaging they can feel good about,” said Mondelēz International Nutrition Strategy and Communications Senior Specialist Chain Yin Lim. “Research shows that people who eat mindfully have more pleasurable and satisfying eating experiences, have a positive relationship with food, are able to better manage their food portions and are less likely to overeat.”

She adds, “Nowadays, snacking occasions are common in our dietary patterns and the application of mindful eating is relevant towards more sustainable snacking practices. As a leading snack company, we are dedicated to empower consumers to make informed choices about their snacking habits.”

To snack mindfully, Lim offers these reminders:

nKnow what you want

nBe aware of Portions

nMinimize distractions

nNotice the texture

nFinish one bite before starting the next

Present during the event to share their expert insights on mindfulness were NDAP President Eloisa Villaraza and past president Zenaida Velasco, active member of the Dietetic Practice Group, Behavioral Health Nutri -

In 2021, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported that an average Filipino family of five needs to have an income of P12,082 per month to meet their minimum basic food and non-food needs. If the cost of a healthy diet is P242.53/ person per day, a household with five members shall have a total budget of P1,212.65/day just to have healthy meals. This may be higher for families with infants, teenagers, and pregnant as their energy and nutrient requirements are higher compared to normal adults. Food security is an important aspect of a healthy diet as it indicates people’s capacity to access sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and satisfy their food preferences.

Food insecurity

WHEN households become food insecure, the risk to malnutrition becomes higher. The 2021 Expanded National Nutrition Survey reported that three out of 10 households experienced moderate and severe food insecurity.

Food security is affected by uneven food prices, insufficient income, food access, and unemployment. These factors can be improved through strong collaboration between various stakeholders and scaled-up nutrition and related interventions. Thus, the 2023 Nutrition Month is an opportunity to provide a platform for collaboration and strengthened coordination between national government agencies, non-government organizations, development partners, academe, youth organizations, and civic organizations in scaling up interventions on food and nutrition.

Anchored on the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN), the goal of this year’s campaign is to contribute to the achievement of the Philippine Development Plan’s goals and targets on ensuring food security and proper nutrition through production and effective supply management.

This year’s campaign aims to achieve the following objectives: 1) engage consumers to support improvements in levels of diet quality towards sustainable healthy diets; 2) generate participation of stakeholders at various levels on actions towards enabling access to affordable, sustainable healthy diets; and 3) call support for the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 20232028 as the framework for action to improve nutrition security.

Nutrition and food security issues in the country are very alarming and demands immediate intervention from all sectors. As we respond to these issues, we are guided by evidence-based interventions from the Philippine Plan of Action on Nutrition 2023-2028 aligned with the goals and targets of Philippine Development Plan. The PPAN 2023-2028 will be our compass, guiding us towards a future where nutrition security across all life stage is a reality for all" said NNC Executive Director IV and Assistant Secretary Azucena M. Dayanghirang.

Support Nutrition Month

AS THE country celebrated the annual Nutrition Month campaign, the NNC encouraged every individual, families, and communities to support the campaign by 1) exclusively breastfeeding infants under six months of age and continue breastfeeding for up to two years and beyond with appropriate complementary feeding; 2) consuming fresh foods and limit those processed foods in your diets; 3) having family and community food gardens for an additional source of food; and 4) supporting our local farmers by buying produce from them.

The month-long celebration included various activities led by the NNC Secretariat. The national launch was held on July 3 in Tagum City, Davao del Norte; a Nutrition Month Conference on July 26; and a culminating activity on July 31 which will be dovetailed with the National Launch of the PPAN 2023-2028.

The Biyaheng Kalusugan calendar for the rest of the year is Family Planning in BARMM and Northern Mindanao in August, World Environmental Health Day in Western Visayas in September, Mental Health Month in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Bicol in October, World Toilet Day in Central Visayas, Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Week in Davao and Caraga in November, and World AIDS Day in CALABARZON, and Ligtas Christmas in SOCCSKSARGEN in December.

A big part of our eight-point action agenda is to focus on disease prevention and we want to increase awareness about this through the Biyaheng Kalusugan. We will ensure that the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act is felt by every Filipino anywhere across the country. Through Biyaheng Kalusugan, we will ensure a Healthy Pilipinas because every life is important!” said Health Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa. – with reports from the Philippine Information Agency, National Nutrition Council.

Nestlé Philippines: tackling malnutrition with food fortification and nutrition education

AS you may be aware, malnutrition is an urgent problem for Filipinos, particularly children. It brings immediate and longterm consequences, including impaired physical abilities and mental development, reduced learning capacity, and poor overall health. Multiplied by millions affected, the country faces a heavier health care burden, lower quality of human resources, and diminished economic productivity.

tion of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Velasco shared that “Mindfulness is being in the here and now. Focusing all energies and attention on the task at hand without worrying about our past mistakes and anxieties about the future.” Villaraza on the other hands shared that “It is important to understand why you want to eat, in order to determine what you should eat. You have to be present in the moment when you snack.”

The event also highlighted some of Mondelēz International’s products which support mindful snacking through portion-controlled packs, or those that contain 200 calories or less. These include Oreo 3-piece packs, Tiger Energy Biscuits, Cadbury Dairy Milk bites and Cadbury Shots. The snacks company offers these products to consumers to help them portion out or manage their snacks better.

Mindful Snacking can be practiced anywhere, anytime and by anyone,” ends Lim. “Focusing on the present moment can help you discover a more satisfying and positive snacking experience. More pleasure and satisfaction in snacking can be achieved by savoring your food with all the senses. You can also better management of food portions and less likely to overeat by paying attention to hunger cues and feelings of fullness.”

The Department of Science and Technology - Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) has reported that one out of four school-age Filipino children is stunted (physically not grown properly) or underweight because of undernutrition, and one out of 10 is overweight or obese due to overnutrition. Additionally, Filipinos of all age groups did not meet the recommended daily energy intake. More than 90 percent of adolescents do not get enough calcium, iron, and vitamin C. Other micronutrient deficiencies among Filipinos are those of vitamin A, zinc, and iron. The World Food Program has said that as of end- 2022, one in 10 Filipino households was food insecure. All these findings are cause for grave concern.

As the biggest food and beverage manufacturer worldwide, the purpose of Nestlé is unlocking the power of food to enhance quality of life. Through constant science-based research and development, it is committed to better serve the nutrition, health and wellness needs of people of all ages.

Recognizing the responsibility to do its part in tackling the nutrition challenges of Filipinos, Nestlé Philippines implements largescale initiatives to help overcome the country’s nutrition issues.

In responding to the widespread lack of vitamins and minerals in Filipino diets, Nestlé has provided 25 billion fortified servings in the country in 2022. These include:

n MILO with B-vitamins (B2, B3, B6, B12), iron, vitamin C to help release energy

n CHUCKIE with a combination of calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin D to support the development of kids’ brains and bodies

n MAGGI with iodine to support growth and development, while enabling delicious and nutritious meals.

n BEAR BRAND Fortified Powdered Milk Drink with 100 percent vitamins C and D, high in iron, zinc, and calcium, micronutrients, that support kids with Doble Tibay: Tibay Resistensya, and Tibay Katawan.

Another banner initiative is Nestlé Wellness Campus (NWC), an advocacy partnership with the Department of Education, now on its 11th year. NWC teaches over 10.5 million grades 1 to 10 students in 21,246 public schools proper nutrition and health habits, as well as caring for the environment. NWC modules are part of the school curricula and taught over a sustained period. The students perform a “dancercise” for fitness during flag ceremonies or physical education classes. To drive engagement, schools are recognized by NWC for developing and implementing impactful nutrition programs based on Nestlé’s seven healthy habits.

The Philippines observes Nutrition Month in July, focusing on how to make nutritious food accessible, available and affordable. This year’s Nutrition Month theme is: Healthy Diet Gawing Affordable for All.

In celebrating Nutrition Month, Nestlé Philippines hosted a Family Wellness Festival in Quezon City. The fun-filled event shared practical and use-

ful information about good nutrition, and featured the nutritional benefits offered by brands like MILO, BEAR BRAND, MAGGI, CHUCKIE, KOKO KRUNCH, NESCAFE, NIDO, NESTEA, and BOOST. The Festival highlighted Nestlé’s nutrition, health, and wellness programs, and product innovations through games and interactive booths, promos and discounts, family wellness activities, prizes and freebies, and free nutrition consultations from Registered Nutritionist-Dietitians. Experts contributed nutrition knowledge that can easily be practiced. The DOST-FNRI provided suggestions on ways for the Filipino families to eat healthy food, while the Department of Agriculture gave tips on starting home vegetable gardens.

The Family Wellness Festival will also be held in Makati City and Caloocan City this August.

In striving to be the Kasambuhay for Good, we are determined, as a top priority, to keep doing our part to hurdle the obstacles to good nutrition, health, and wellness, especially for our children. We will continue to offer nutritious food backed by scientific advancement and innovations, and help drive education on healthier food and lifestyle choices. The task is not easy, but with all of us in the public and private sectors working together, we can only succeed. And Filipinos can live happier and healthier lives,” said Joey Uy, SVP and Head of Corporate Affairs at Nestlé Philippines.

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng • www.businessmirror.com.ph

Irrigated farms can produce 8MMT of rice–DA

THE government is targeting to produce 8 million metric tons (MMT) of unmilled rice from irrigated areas under a program that seeks to raise the domestic production of the staple.

Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary for Rice Industry Development Leocadio

Sebastian said producing 8 MMT of rice can be done if it would be planted in 1 million hectares of irrigated areas.

Sebastian said planting rice in both national and communal systems of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) could lead to a yield of 8 tons per hectare, which could be harvested early next year via the government’s Masagana Rice Industry Development Program (MIRDP).

“If we are able to do this, we don’t need to worry about our rice

supply next year,” he said in a statement. “And if sustained, we can reach our President’s [Ferdinand Marcos Jr.] self-sufficiency goal of 97.5 percent.”

Achieving this goal would entail the involvement and cooperation of various agencies including the Bureau of Soils, the Philippine Research Institute (PhilRice), Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization, the Cooperatives Development Authority, and the Department of Agrarian Reform.

The DA official said the government is hopeful that the private sector would get involved in the MIRDP and that farmers would receive advice on how they could avail of government interventions and technologies which they could use to maximize their production.

“We need to mainstream the

Global effort to safeguard mangroves steps up–FAO

THE world is making progress towards ending the loss of mangrove forests, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Found on the coastlines of 123 countries worldwide, over 20 percent of mangroves are estimated to have been lost globally over the past 40 years, mainly due to both human activities and natural retraction.

The World’s Mangroves, 2000-2020, launched during the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem last July 26, reports that the total global area of mangroves in 2020 stood at 14.8 million hectares.

But while 677,000 hectares of mangroves were lost between 2000 and 2020, the rate at which they are disappearing fell by almost a quarter (23 percent) in the second decade, according to the report.

The study also reveals that mangroves, unlike other forests, can spread very fast given the chance.

Some 393,000 hectares of new mangrove forests—an area equivalent to 550,000 football pitches—have grown in areas where they were not present in 2000, offsetting more than half of the global loss in the last 20 years.

Asia, which hosts almost half the world’s mangroves, showed a 54 percent decrease in mangrove area net loss in the last 20 years.

Net loss also decreased in Africa, while North and Central America reversed the trend and recorded a mangrove area net gain between 2010 and 2020. Increases in net loss were reported in South America and Oceania in the same period, however.

“This new study shows positive steps countries are taking towards slowing the loss of mangroves, but also underlines that we must continue to prioritize their restoration, sustainable use and conservation to safeguard

their critical services for people and the planet,” said Zhimin Wu, Director of FAO’s Forestry Division.

“Mangroves have a vital role to play in helping achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, providing food and livelihoods for coastal communities, protecting our coastlines against natural disasters, storing carbon, mitigating climate change, and harbouring an extraordinary range of biodiversity.”

Drivers of loss and gain

PROVIDING some of the most detailed information yet on what is happening to the world’s mangroves, the FAO study combined remote sensing satellite imagery and local expert knowledge to collect and analyse data across five regions over the 20-year period, including on the drivers of mangrove loss.

While most aquaculture practices do not affect mangroves, pond shrimp aquaculture, one of the main causes of mangrove loss, went from causing 31 percent of all loss between 2000 and 2010 to 21 percent between 2010 and 2020, according to the report.

Natural retraction was the second most important driver of mangrove loss, causing 26 percent of loss over the 20-year period, at least partly caused by intensifying impacts of climate change such as rising sea levels and temperatures.

Natural disasters accounted for only 2 percent of all loss over the 20-year period. However, the area they destroyed increased threefold and is expected to worsen, the report warns, leaving coastal communities even more vulnerable to storm surges, floods and tsunamis.

In terms of drivers of mangrove area gain, natural expansion accounted for 82 percent of all the gains in mangrove area over the two decades, and restoration for the remaining 18 percent.

transformation efforts into policies, programs and investment plans.”

Meanwhile, NIA Acting Administrator Eddie Guillen said

the agency aims to fast-track the implementation of public irrigation projects nationwide.

As of December 31, 2022, NIA

said it irrigated 68 percent of the total 3.12 million hectares of irrigable land nationwide.

The Marcos administration is targeting to irrigate the remaining 998,000 hectares to boost agricultural production.

The agency said it is keen on public-private partnership (PPP) schemes to fast-track irrigation development.

It has identified 50 potential projects for PPP with seven revenue streams, namely, hydroelectric power, solar power, aquaculture, wind energy, bulk water supply, water treatment and carbon credits.

So far, the NIA Board of Directors has approved the development and implementation of the three priority irrigation projects for PPP.

With an aggregate amount of P37.9 billion, the projects

identified for possible implementation via PPP were Ilocos NorteIlocos Sur-Abra Irrigation Project II (INISAIP II), Tumauini River Multipurpose Project (TRMP), and Upper Banaoang Irrigation Project.

The Philippines imported a record high of 3.826 million MMT of rice last year, according to data from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).

BPI data showed the Philippines overshot the projected 3.8 MMT import volume cited by the United States Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service in Manila. International market watchers and local experts have pointed out that the country imported a lot of rice last year to compensate for the reduction in domestic palay output due to reduced fertilizer application. Raadee S. Sausa

Senators to assess govt capability to deal with El Niño impact

SENATE probers, acting on a resolution filed by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, are on track to mount an inquiry to verify the level of government’s capability to mitigate the impact of El Niño.

The Gatchalian resolution cited the urgency amid an early reminder by weather authorities that the El Niño phenomenon will likely persist until the first quarter of next year.

The senator recalled that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. had also conveyed his concern, reminding senators and congressmen, during his second State of the Nation Address, the “importance of addressing the impact of the El Niño weather phenomenon.”

The Chief Executive also assured that the Marcos-led government is already “implementing efforts, including cloud seeding, to counter its effects.”

Gatchalian’s Senate Resolution No. 691 was prompted by the declaration made by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Service Administration (PAGASA) on the onset of El Niño, noting that “its potential consequences on inflation due to reduced food production and potentially higher electricity prices could exacerbate poverty levels.”

“There is an urgent need to assess the capability of concerned government agencies and determine the planned interventions to mitigate the impact of El Niño. The entire Philippine government

should be prepared to cushion the detrimental effects of the El Niño phenomenon on the country’s food, energy, and economic security,” the senator said.

This, as the weather phenomenon was also foreseen likely to “diminish the agriculture sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP.”

Citing a 2019 World Bank report, Gatchalian noted that recurring El Niño occurrences in the country are estimated to cause national GDP losses ranging from -0.29 percent to -1.57 percent and agricultural output losses of between -1.73 percent and -6.9 percent.

Moreover, he projected that “had El Niño emerged in 2022, it could have translated to estimated losses of P57.84 billion to P313.11 billion in national GDP

and between P30.85 billion and P124.31 billion in the agricultural sector’s [output], based on the country’s economic data.”

The senator recalled that previous El Niño occurrences brought drought nationwide and water supply shortages due to lower-than-average rainfall in the country, greatly affecting farmers who rely heavily on rainfall for their livelihood.

The El Niño weather aberration is characterized by the abnormal warming of sea surface temperature in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean that causes prolonged episodes of drought and lower-than-average rainfall in some areas. The phenomenon occurs anywhere between 2 to 7 years and may last up to 18 months.

DAR to bolster program for agrarian reform communities

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is evaluating the soundness of the development framework and relevance of proposed programs and projects for agrarian reform communities (ARCs).

This as the agency mandated to implement the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) is now looking into ways to further empower ARCs in various parts of the country and evaluating proposed programs and projects for ARCs that are up for approval and integration.

In the next two months, the

DAR will hold the National Agrarian Reform Community Task Force (NARCTF) deliberations on ARCs and ARC clusters for confirmation and approval for 2023 to proposed ARCs and ARC clusters. It will be held in two batches.

The first batch is set on August 7 to 11 and the second, September 4 to 8.

DAR Undersecretary for Support Services Milagros Isabel Cristobal said the activity focuses on the level of development of potential ARCs and ARC clusters, taking primarily into account their social capital or organizational cohesion and human and financial resources.

Chocolate cravings are going to get more expensive to satisfy

BAD news has emerged this week for chocolate lovers: it’s going to get more expensive to satisfy your cravings.

The cost of wholesale cocoa beans soared to the highest level in more than a decade, and manufacturers are betting prices of the key chocolate ingredient will stay elevated through 2024. That’s mainly because production in West Africa, a region that accounts for two-thirds of the world’s bean harvest, is faltering.

Heavy rains and a rot-causing disease have ravaged crops there, sparking concerns about supply. Bean processing has also slumped around the world—which is crucial for turning products into chocolate— indicating that factories are struggling to access adequate volumes, according to Fuad Mohammed Abubakar, the head of Ghana Cocoa Marketing Company UK.

That’s prompted executives from top manufacturers Lindt & Spruengli AG and Hershey Co. to warn this week that further price hikes can’t be ruled out, even after consumers have already had to swallow higher costs for

their products.

“We clearly are in a very tight situation,” said Paul Joules, a cocoa analyst at Rabobank in London. “We could see chocolate companies adopt smaller chocolate bars and potentially higher prices.”

The world’s biggest cocoa producer Ivory Coast is expected to see its upcoming harvest shrink by nearly a fifth from last year, and has suspended sales that bind farmers to delivering goods at specified times in the future. In Ghana, the second-biggest cocoa producer, output is set to fall below historical averages.

That’s likely to put the world on track for a third consecutive supply deficit this year and possibly even the following, according to Joules. An El Niño weather pattern threatens to hurt output further, just as farmers contend with the swollen-shoot virus, a devastating disease that can kill trees within years, and black pod disease, which causes beans to rot.

While the pandemic led to a slowdown in global chocolate demand and caused cocoa stockpiles to surge, recovering consumption

and two years of supply shortages have significantly reduced those inventories. Lindt is building up its cocoa bean stocks as a buffer against higher prices and shortages, it said this week. Both Lindt and another Swiss chocolate maker, Barry Callebaut AG, have seen sales volumes suffer as higher prices force consumers to hold back.

For some companies, the effect of soaring wholesale costs might only just be filtering through, due to previous hedging activities that so far shielded them from big price hikes.

“For most players, the impact of the very steep cocoa future prices increases will only kick in from the second half of 2023,” Lindt’s Chief Financial Officer Martin Hug told analysts in an earnings call on Tuesday. Those feeling additional cost pressure “will therefore most likely feel a need to adjust pricing.”

Surging wing prices

THE price of the chicken wing is going up, and that may spell trouble for Wingstop Inc., according to analysts at Wedbush as they

stepped away from their bullish position on the stock a week out from the fast-casual chain’s second-quarter earnings.

Wingstop has climbed 20 percent this year, outpacing the 12-percent advance in the S&P Composite 1500 Restaurants index and chains including McDonald’s Corp., Cheesecake Factory Inc. and Domino’s Pizza Inc. However, wing prices have gradually increased more than 30 percent in the past month, which may impact Wingstop’s shares, analyst Nick Setyan wrote in a note.

“During periods of wing cost inflation, Wingstop’s share price tends to either stagnate or decline,” he said. Shares of the company slumped 8 percent on Friday in their worst drop since May 2022. The average price target for Wingstop among analysts tracked by Bloomberg is $204. Setyan downgraded the chain to neutral from outperform and reduced his price target to $185 from a shared-Street high of $240. The stock has six buy ratings, 15 holds and two sells, according to data

“We need to gauge their capacity, preparedness, and readiness to handle new responsibilities and obligations to ensure that they are up for the new challenges,” Cristobal said in a statement.

An ARC is a barangay or cluster of contiguous barangays within a municipality where a majority of the CARP-covered lands have been awarded to a critical mass of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).

The ARC development strategy was adopted in 1993. It has been focusing on priority agrarian reform areas to maximize resource allocation, complementation, and mobilization for greater efficiency and impact

taking into consideration the limited financial and material resources of the government.

The ARC strategy applies the integrated area development approach where the ARBs and their communities are the primary focal points of development interventions.

So far, the DAR has launched a total of 2,156 ARCs and 193 ARC clusters under its agrarian reform communities’ development program.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has confirmed and approved the applications of 96 ARCs.

compiled by Bloomberg. Wing prices continue to be favorable compared with historical levels but are still high enough that they put estimates for second-half and 2024 cost of goods sold at risk, Setyan said, particularly if the strength Wingstop enjoys from the football season through March Madness basketball occurs. High wing costs also have a knock-on

effect on sales, with Setyan noting that franchisees often lift prices in response, hurting transaction growth in the process. And while Wingstop has upped the mix from boneless chicken wings, and will likely increase it further, Setyan sees bone-in wings continuing to dictate franchisee pricing decisions for the foreseeable future. Bloomberg News

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT Regional Office No. IV-A

4th Flr. Andenson Bldg. II, Brgy. Parian, Calamba City Telefax No.: (049) 545-7362

July 31, 2023

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

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

NO. ESTABLISHMENT

1 AMERICAN POWER CONVERSION CORPORATION (A.P.C.) B.V.

Lot 1, Block 5, Phase 2, Cavite Economic Zone, Tejeros Convention, Rosario, Cavite

2 FURUKAWA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS LIMA PHILIPPINES, INC.

Lot 3, Blk. 2, Ph. 2A, J.P. Rizal Ave., Lima Technology Center, Bugtong Na Pulo, City of Lipa, Batangas

3 FURUKAWA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS LIMA PHILIPPINES, INC.

Lot 3, Blk. 2, Ph. 2A, J.P. Rizal Ave., Lima Technology Center, Bugtong Na Pulo, City of Lipa, Batangas

4 FURUKAWA ELECTRIC AUTOPARTS PHILIPPINES, INC.

113 East Main Ave., Lot 3-5, Phase IV, Laguna Technopark, Loma, City of Biñan, Laguna

5 JT INTERNATIONAL ASIA MANUFACTURING CORP.

Lots 1-10, Block 4, Phase 3, Lima Technology Center, Santiago, Malvar, Batangas

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL, POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

HERNANDEZ SANCHEZ, CESAR ARTURO Spanish Primary Technical Support Specialist

Brief Job Description: Initial troubleshooting and support of products by schneider, do technical service proposals to existing & prospected clients;

ICHIMURA, YOHEI NF Kaizen Department Manager

Brief Job Description:

Leads and oversee operations of NF Kaizen department

TSUJIMOTO, MAKOTO Production Engineering Deputy Department Manager

Brief Job Description: Lead and oversee the operation of production engineering department

KITAMURA, TOMOHIRO Engineering 1 Assistant Division Manager

Brief Job Description: Plan, organize and direct of engineering to meet company objectives for design and new product development

Basic Qualification: Candidate must possess a Bachelor’s degree preferably in Engineering or equivalent experience preferably with BPO or customer service experience

Salary Range: Php90,000 - Php149,999

Basic Qualification: 5-year experience in handling NF Kaizen department, must have N2 Japanese language proficiency certificate

Salary Range: Php90,000 – Php149,999

Basic Qualification: 5-year experience in handling production engineering department

Salary Range: Php90,000 - Php149,999

Basic Qualification: Must have experience in the same field

Salary Range: Php60,000 - Php89,999

CORP.

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

CHU THI DEO

Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Basic Qualification: Having finished at least a secondary education or college undergraduate preferably with 6 months to 1 year customer or sales experience fluent in Vietnamese

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

18 STMICROELECTRONICS, INC. No.9 Mountain Drive, Light Industry and Science Park II, La Mesa, City of Calamba, Laguna

NGOM, FATOU,AMADOU,BIRAME

BEMT Central Industrial Engineering & Lean Manager

Brief Job Description:

Define vision/strategy to strengthen and sustain Industrial Engineering activities within back end

Basic Qualification: At least 5 years work experience

Salary Range: Php500,000 and above

Basic Qualification:

19 VACUUMTECH PHILIPPINES INC. Lot 7, First Philippine Industrial Park II, Santa Anastacia, City of Sto. Tomas, Batangas

IWAI, HISANORI General Manager- Production Department

Brief Job Description:

Manage the overall activity of the Production Department

Knowledgeable in forecasting, planning and utilizing available resources for production.

Salary Range: Php90,000 - Php149,999

Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE Regional Office IV-A located at 3rd and 4th Floors, Andenson Building II, Parian, Calamba City, Laguna, within 30 days after this publication.

Please inform DOLE Regional Office IV-A if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals. To avail of free job referral, placement, and employment guidance services, visit the nearest Public Employment Service Offices (PESO) or log on at http://www.philjobnet.gov.ph

editorial

Quality jobs to lift Pinoys from poverty

FiliPino teachers preferring to work as domestic helpers in Hong Kong; Filipino physicians enrolling in nursing schools so they can land jobs in the US and the United Kingdom. Two examples showing the mindset of many Filipino professionals, who believe that working abroad will provide them with better wages and benefits, as well as better opportunity to save money for their families.

In his recent SONA, President Marcos cited the significant improvement in the country’s employment situation. Based on the report of the Philippine Statistics Authority, the employment rate in May 2023 rose to 95.7 percent, or 48.26 million Filipinos, from 82.4 percent in April 2020. Despite the high rate, Marcos said more has to be done to boost jobs for the remaining workforce and the underemployed Filipinos looking for better opportunities.

While there has been an improvement in the employment situation in the country based on the latest data, the National Economic and Development Authority said more needs to be done to improve the quality of jobs in the Philippines to reduce poverty. (Read, “Neda: Jobs quality, not just numbers, crucial,” in the BusinessMirror, July 27, 2023).

In a post-Sona briefing on Wednesday, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said the unemployment number has declined to 4.3 percent, the kind of jobless rate found in developed countries. However, he recognized that attaining a low jobless rate is different from creating decent jobs, which would allow the Philippines to bring down the poverty rate to 9 percent by 2028.

“The number of jobs is one thing but the quality of those jobs is another,” Balisacan said. “That’s what my colleagues here are working on—improving the quality of jobs available and improving the employability of our workers so that the labor market can work effectively, efficiently.”

By improving the workforce, the Neda chief said the government could also attract investments that will ensure the sustainability of the economy’s growth.

The Philippines has no reason to fail in its bid to create decent jobs this time around because a popular President leads the government and the administration has a clear development program, Balisacan said. “We are in a hurry because many of our neighbors have left us long ago, but now we have the opportunity. As we kept saying, the stars are aligned. If we miss this time, I don’t know when we’re going to achieve it.”

Oxford Economics said in its latest brief that the low unemployment numbers in the Philippines (and in Thailand) is not enough reason to celebrate. Employment opportunities in the Philippines remain informal, with own-account workers and unpaid workers increasing to 38 percent in the first quarter of this year, from 34 percent in the first quarter of 2019.

Oxford Economics added that the number of unpaid workers in the Philippines doubled within the same period, standing at 8.1 percent of total employed persons in the first quarter of this year. These own-account and unpaid workers are unstable sources of income and would usually have irregular hours. Some examples of these jobs are the hawkers, private hire car drivers, real estate agents, and start-up owners.

“The Philippines and Thailand, unlike their sub-regional peers, have registered higher employment growth than their pre-pandemic trends. But we think this offers little reason to cheer, as this growth masks the increased underlying precarity in the labor market,” Oxford Economics said.

“The government will create and promote an enabling policy and regulatory environment conducive to investment, innovation, and high-quality job creation. In line with this objective, we will continue to strengthen our publicprivate partnership or PPP framework and facilitate the efficient assessment of PPPs,” Balisacan said.

The Neda chief also said there is collaboration between the government, the private sector and the academe that makes the whole-of-society approach in development possible. If the efforts to improve the quality of jobs in the Philippines succeed, Balisacan said the government will reduce poverty to 9 percent by 2028. This means that by 2028, when the population is projected to reach 120 million, over 10 million Filipinos will be lifted from poverty.

The lasting legacy of Cory’s subtle works

RISING SUN

Today we remember the life of former president Corazon Cojuangco aquino who died on the first day of august in 2009. She is largely known as the first female president of the Philippines, a leader of the People Power Revolution of 1986, and the main personality involved in the restoration of the country’s democracy. aside from the big things she is known for, she had many other accomplishments, some of them subtle, others have been forgotten, and yet they cannot be labeled small or insignificant.

President Cory liked to work without fanfare as she was not your traditional politician. She definitely had delicadeza and integrity in great measure.

Under her administration, the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) was launched so farmers would no longer be landless. She also lifted the media restrictions

that were in force during the Marcos rule, thereby granting greater freedom to journalists and media organizations.

As far as human rights go, President Cory was able to implement measures to address cases of human rights violations in the country, for example, by establishing the Presidential Committee on Hu-

man Rights. Many would remember that President Cory also created the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) to recover the ill-gotten wealth amassed during the previous administration. This was her way of addressing corruption in government.

And she also actively worked to protect and conserve the environment, in the process supporting the creation of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), tasked with overseeing environmental policies and regulations.

Tita Cory also symbolized the strong Filipina. Her presidency encouraged and inspired more women to participate in politics and public service. She raised the status of women when she signed Executive Order No. 209 in 1987, promulgating the Family Code and replacing Book 1 of the 1950 Civil Code of the Philippines.

The journalist Raissa Robles wrote, “President Cory’s action triggered profound (changes) in Phil-

ippine society…. The fact that we don’t even attribute that change to Cory Aquino—or even know about it—shows how subtle the process has been for the nation, the Filipino family, and many Filipino women.” Her administration recognized the need to have new family laws that could address the changing times because the old Civil Code was influenced by the ancient Codigo Civil from our Spanish colonizers, which the Americans did not change and which our previous lawmakers, all of them male politicians, did not prioritize. As a woman, President Cory acted on the matter quickly.

Many of the effects of President Cory’s accomplishments are still being felt today. Because of her work, there have been plenty of privileges and benefits for the Filipino people. This is the essence of our remembrance today as we pray for her soul’s eternal peace. Her deeds outlasted her mortal life, and the fruits of her labor are making a great and positive impact on the lives of her people to this very day.

Execution bond in the proposed escrow provision is anti-labor

Pinoy Marino Rights

THe requirement of posting an execution bond under the proposed escrow provision of the pending Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers is another manifestation of its anti-labor character.

There are two scenarios under Section 51 of House Bill 7325, which was passed by the Lower House on March 6.

First, the award shall be placed in escrow, if the employer or manning agency has raised or intends to raise the decision for judicial review until the issuance of an entry of judgment by the appropriate reviewing court. This shall not include claims for salaries, statutory monetary benefits, or those originally determined by the employer or manning agency to be legally due to the seafarer.

Second, the seafarer may move for the execution of the monetary award pending appeal upon posting of a bond, the amount of which shall be determined by the appropriate court.

Proponents stressed that this is necessary to ensure the restitution of monetary awards in case the appropriate appellate court annuls or partially or totally reverses the monetary judgment award. Under both the Labor Code and the NLRC Rules of Procedure, if the

employer appeals a Labor Arbiter’s decision that requires payment of monetary claims, a cash or surety bond shall be required to be paid on/before the filing of the appeal.

The posting of bond is imposed only on the side of employer. Labor is required to pay only a minimal appeal fee.

It is mandatory and jurisdictional as failure to comply renders the decision of the Labor Arbiter final and executory.

In Turks Shawarma Company v. Pajaron  (GR 207156 , January 16, 2017), the Supreme Court said that the indispensable requisite for the perfection of an appeal “is to assure the workers that if they finally prevail in the case, the monetary award will be given to them upon the dismissal of the employer’s appeal.”

The Court also said that the bond “is further meant to discourage employers from using the appeal to delay or evade payment of their obligations to the employees.”

The purpose of requiring an

appeal bond is to guarantee the payment of valid and legal claims against the employer. It is a measure of financial security granted to an employee since the resolution of the employer’s appeal may take an indeterminable amount of time. ( Malcaba, v. Prohealth Pharma Philippines Inc., GR 209085. June 06, 2018)

Claims for disability and death compensation became a legal battleground, which is partly attributable to the fact that employers do not hesitate to harness their immense resources to limit their liability.

The proponents of the execution bond erroneously presumed that the seafarer is in the same economic footing with the employer.

A seafarer seeks payment of monetary benefits because of the fact that he is in financial distress due to his medical condition.

Many are jobless, sick, disabled and infirm who incur huge debts to sustain their medication while others die before the decision by the Supreme Court is released.

Instead of saving his earnings for his medication, he will be forced to redirect them to the execution bond, jeopardizing further his economic well-being.

To paraphrase the Turks Shawarma decision, putting the award in escrow or requiring an execution bond “is meant to discourage employees from fighting for their case as employers use the appeal to delay or evade payment of their obligations to the employees.”

Employers are throwing off-balance the already imbalanced legal

battle on seafarers’ claims as every labor dispute is a David and Goliath situation.

Without any leverage in prosecuting his monetary claims, chances are, the seafarer bows to the demand of his employer to either drop his claim or accept a small settlement.

If passed into law with said provision, the Magna Carta will partake of the nature of class legislation because it singles out seafarer claims from other labor claims, both local and overseas.

There lies no substantial distinction between the claims of a seafarer and any other laborer.

“Seafarers’ claims for disability benefits should not be considered unreasonable and impelled by nothing but greed, but rather, justified by their health considerations and a natural desire of every person to preserve his life for as long as possible. For being human, seafarers should not be penalized.” (UPL v Beseril, GR 165934, April 12, 2006).  Seafarers will be “penalized” by the escrow provision that will downplay their rights guaranteed by the constitution instead of protecting their rights and promoting their welfare.

In the end, the “balance of scale” will tilt more to capital as this will protect the business interest of the manning agencies and their principal rather than the seafarers themselves.

Atty. Dennis Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail

Changing landscape of family businesses

LITO GAGNI

There is a changing landscape of Filipino family businesses that are oftentimes pockmarked with corporate intramurals and courtroom drama, with the founders seeing their companies about to flounder due to the family members’ incessant wrangling.

That reality crops up due to the lack of planning from the founders themselves, according to Professor Enrique Soriano, a much-sought advisor on family intramurals here and in Asia, and on prepping the family businesses to the next generation and beyond.

We had a lively discussion with Prof Soriano after a forum on family businesses at the iconic Kamuning Bakery, and in a convo with Wilson Lee Flores, got insights on the family intramurals now gripping several family businesses and how these could have been avoided.

He also provided context to why certain family-owned businesses failed to succeed with the succeeding generation. And he dwelt at length on the family businesses here and in Indonesia and Singapore where he served as advisor to the founders. To him, the patriarchal head, especially for Chinese firms, should be open to having a non-family member as head of a conglomerate when no relative is up to the challenge.

He also raised a common occurrence when the patriarchal head’s children have no pre-nuptial agreements that lead to their wives being in control of part of the company, leading to costly repossession by the founder. He cited an example in a Filipino company that he had advised.

For Prof Soriano, there should be succession planning in familyowned corporations to ensure the continuity of the business. This is the reason why certain business names have fallen by the wayside due to the lack of succession planning. There have been many instances when a family relative exerts control over a business though he/ she is not qualified.

In his book, “Ensuring the Family Business Legacy,” Prof Soriano said that succession planning should be made not in response to an external event such as illness, accident, death, marriage or divorce. He said that “one of the worst mistakes entrepreneurs can make is to postpone naming a successor until just before they are ready to step down.”

According to him, “good succession planning does not merely in-

Rain, rain, go away?

THE PATRIOT

volve designating a family member and training him or her for the takeover. In fact, grooming the successor is the founder’s greatest teaching and development responsibility because it involves a long-term, continuing effort to balance competing interests and pressures that are integral in a family business.”

And here, he has an admirable take. “In practical terms, failure to plan for succession is simply a plan for failure.”

Prof Soriano doffs his hat to how the founders of the John Gokongwei and Andrew Tan conglomerates prepared for succession planning where a rulebook on the handover was prepared and made. The two taipans saw to it that their sons Lance and Kevin had to start at the bottom before taking baby steps towards the leadership mantle.

That is what is required and needed for a conglomerate to succeed to the next generation and beyond, according to Prof Soriano. Failure to do so could lead to embarrassing court suits that expose the family members in long litigations that may involve a succession of lawyers.

For him, the changing family business landscape could be changed for the better. And right now, a dispute involving family members of Oriental Tin Can and Metal Sheet Mfg (the former Chua Tee and Company), the biggest in the country, may have a need for the nuggets of wisdom from Prof Soriano.

The court suits, which are expected to embroil the banks servicing the biggest tin can manufacturer in the country, involve legal questions on the withdrawal of P159 million in four checks that were made, to wit, P75 million drawn from BDO Unibank’s General Luis branch, P24 million from Metropolitan Bank Grace Park branch, and two checks each for P30 million from BDO Metrobank.

We understand that a suit for the falsification of public documents due to the designation of a family member to be a director of the corporation though still a minor has also been filed, a case that needs the wisdom of Prof Soriano.

TorrenTial rains poured over most parts of the country the past few days to the extent that Monday (July 24) was declared a holiday. relevant government officials composing the national Disaster risk reduction and Management Council (nDrrMC) even met on a Sunday to formulate action plans in the event of the usual calamitous impact of heavy rains. according to a major daily, 13 people have reportedly died due to the combined effects of Typhoon egay (international name: Doksuri) and the southwest monsoon or “habagat.” There will be more typhoons in the coming months, and more casualties and damage to property are expected.

In general, typhoons are seen as a curse for most people, justifiably so, owing to landslides, damage to houses, and bad traffic caused by them. Heavy rain or storms symbolize trials, rightly so, as typhoons can wreak havoc on some communities. This symbolism aligns with believers’ perspective of enduring trials to strengthen faith. Typhoons, disastrous as they come, should be seen as trials to build resilience necessary to prosper in life. Heavy rains or typhoons can also symbolize destruction (Noah’s Ark) or washing away the old to make way for the new. As opposed to a storm, rain can be seen as a symbol of God’s blessing, back then and now, since rain allows for

the growth of crops. In this day and age, water and the food it helps to g row seem to be the very basic necessity to sustain life. Hence, whenever rains come, the Israelites in the Bible rejoice for they expect a good harvest in the process. From another perspective, rain can be seen as a symbol of God’s grace and mercy, washing away sins and bringing new life to believers.

More critically, rains remind me of a biblical man who prayed about the weather, not just in response to a drought, but to point people to God. In the Bible, James 5:16-18 tells us, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like

ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” Elijah’s story (1 Kings 17-19) encourages us to look at the rain, or its absence, in a spiritual way. Interestingly, as early as during the time of the prophet Elijah, rains were seen as supernatural signs that tested the people’s faith and pointed them to God. In the Bible, we were taught to be joyful, whenever we face trials of many kinds, because we know that the testing of our faith produces perseverance (James 1:2-3). If truth be told, there is more to the rains than just a natural downpour. Placing ourselves in Elijah’s shoes, we can always pray for spiritual rain to come pouring over our land, and point the Filipino to the very source of Living Water that never dries up.

Talking about a Filipino who was nourished with the Living Water till the very end, when my father died, it rained, days before and days after, but not, quite miraculously, during the actual day of the funeral procession on July 25. One priest said that the heavy rainfall during the necrological service could be construed as if heavenly angels were pouring out their blessings, abundantly, to the family left behind. The eulogies narrated how my father lived and loved in his capacity as erstwhile head of the clan, an AFP officer (36 years), a Customs Commissioner (4

Is NGCP being treated unfairly?

DEBIT CREDIT

Part six

iConTinue my series of articles by responding to these oftenraised questions and issues. how to increase generation capacity to levels that will promote competition taking into consideration also the effects of the Malampaya operations, contributions by renewables and the possible participation of nuclear plants—large and small.

How to effectively implement Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA)?

Is full contestability possible under the Philippine setting or is there a need to implement a hybrid version of RCOA as implemented in other territories and as envisioned in EPIRA, or, modified to take into consideration the Philippine setting?

Are modifications in order in the wholesale electricity market to address governance issues that affect

Any company that do not declare dividends or unnecessarily accumulates profits can be sanctioned by the Securities and Exchange Commission for Unreasonable Accumulation of Profits. Take a look at another large entity in the power sector—Meralco. The shareholders expect a dividend rate of about 85 percent. This means 85 percent of income will be distributed as dividends.

years), and a corporate executive of the LT Group of Companies (29 years). Fitting to hear stories of how love prevailed all throughout the life of General Salvador Massey Mison while rains and thunderstorms practically muffled the voices of those who spoke at the mortuary of the Libingan ng mga Bayani. For me, the heavy rainfall represented how God’s voice superimposed over what was said by the speakers that night, as if reiterating what the priest said in one of the funeral masses, “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” (Romans 14:8). Next time, whenever we experience heavy rains or encounter typhoons, let’s not just shoo them away. We have to go through and embrace them as part of God’s plan. At first these weather disturbances can be difficult, but in the end, these are unique ways where God shows His abundant love to us.

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.

independence, including market clearing price; the use of merit order dispatch; locational marginal price; and control prices? Is lesser court intervention in regulation needed in the energy sector? Currently, it is relatively easy to obtain a court order to stop the implementation of an ERC rule or regulation. In many territories, this court intervention is significantly reduced, and regulation is presumed reasonable or regular unless proven otherwise

to give new regulations a chance of implementation. This is what happened to RCOA. Many issues were brought to court by objecting industry players, sometimes even by the DOE. This practically stymied the implementation of RCOA.

Yes, there are many issues and, neither I nor anybody in the industry can claim knowledge and a deeper understanding of all the issues. So, before any discussion is planned in the Senate and House energy committees, and even in calls for inquiries, an independent

working group must be constituted composed of experts in the industry to study the conditions and identified issues, and give recommendations to the House and Senate responsible groups. Is it wrong to distribute profits earned?If the profits were illegally and unreasonably earned, maybe the answer is yes. But, if not, declaration of dividends from retained earnings is not only a duty by management to the owners—it is also in accordance with the law. Any company that do not declare dividends or unnecessarily accumulates profits can be sanctioned by the Securities and Exchange Commission for Unreasonable Accumulation of Profits. Take a look at another large entity in the power sector—Meralco. The shareholders expect a dividend rate of about 85 percent. This means 85 percent of income will be distributed as dividends.

Alfredo Non is a CPA by profession and a former Partner at SGV & Co. He served asCommissioner of the Energy Regulatory Commission till he completed his term in 2018. He also served as Director and Executive Officer of several private companies and a former professor in Financial Management at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business.

Members of Congress break for August with no clear path to avoiding a shutdown this fall

ers broke for their August recess this week with work on funding the government largely incomplete, fueling worries about whether Congress will be able to avoid a partial government shutdown this fall.

Congress has until Oct. 1, the start of the new fiscal year, to act on government funding. They could pass spending bills to fund government agencies into next year, or simply pass a stopgap measure that keeps agencies running until they strike a longer-term agreement. No matter which route they take, it won’t be easy.

“We’re going to scare the hell out of the American people before we get this done,” said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del. Coons’ assessment is widely shared in Congress, reflecting the gulf between the Republican-led House and the Democratic-led Senate, which are charting vastly different—and mostly incompatible—

paths on spending.

The Senate is adhering mostly to the top-line spending levels that President Joe Biden negotiated with House Republicans in late May as part of the debt-ceiling deal that extended the government’s borrowing authority and avoided an economically devastating default.

That agreement holds discretionary spending generally flat for the coming year while allowing increases for military and veterans’ accounts. On top of that, the Senate is looking to add $13.7 billion in additional emergency appropriations, including $8 billion for defense and $5.7 billion for nondefense. House Republicans, many of whom opposed the debtceiling deal and refused to vote for it, are going a different way.

GOP leaders have teed up bills with far less spending than the agreement allows in an effort to win over members who insist on rolling back spending to fiscal year 2022 levels. They are also adding scores of policy add-ons broadly opposed by Democrats. There are proposals to reduce access to abortion pills, bans

on the funding of hormone therapy and certain surgeries for transgender veterans, and a prohibition on training programs promoting diversity in the federal workplace, among many others.

At a press conference at the Capitol this past week, some members of the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative faction within the House GOP, said that voters elected a Republican majority in that chamber to rein in government spending and it was time for House Republicans to use every tool available to get the spending cuts they want.

“We should not fear a government shutdown,” said Rep. Bob Good, R-Va. “Most of the American people won’t even miss if the government is shut down temporarily.”

Many House Republicans disagree with that assessment. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, called it an oversimplification to say most Americans wouldn’t feel an impact.

And he warned Republicans would take the blame for a shutdown.

“We always get blamed for it, no matter what,” Simpson said. “So it’s

bad policy, it’s bad politics.”

But the slim five-seat majority Republicans hold amplifies the power that a small group can wield. Even though the debt ceiling agreement passed with a significant majority of both Republicans and Democrats, conservatives opponents were so unhappy in the aftermath that they shut down House votes for a few days, stalling the entire GOP agenda.

Shortly thereafter, McCarthy argued the numbers he negotiated with the White House amounted to a cap and “you can always do less.”

GOP Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, followed that she would seek to limit nondefense spending at 2022 budget levels, saying the debt agreement “set a top-line spending cap—a ceiling, not a floor.”

The decision to cut spending below levels in the debt ceiling deal helped get the House moving again, but put them on a collision course with the Senate, where the spending bills hew much closer to the agreement.

“What the House has done is they

essentially tore up that agreement as soon as it was signed,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. “And so we are in for a bumpy ride.”

Even as House Republicans have been moving their spending bills out of committee on party-line votes, the key committee in the Senate has been operating in a bipartisan fashion, drafting spending bills with sometimes unanimous support.

“The way to make this work is do it in a bipartisan way like we are doing in the Senate. If you do it in a partisan way, you’re heading to a shutdown. And I am really worried that that’s where the House Republicans are headed,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters this week.

McCarthy countered that people had the same doubts about whether House Republicans and the White House could reach an agreement to pass a debt ceiling extension and avoid a default.

“We’ve got ‘til Sept. 30. I think we can get this all done,” McCarthy said.

In a subsequent press conference, McCarthy said he had just met with

Schumer to talk about the road ahead on an array of bills, including the spending bills.

“I don’t want the government to shut down,” McCarthy said. “I want to find that we can find common ground.”

In all, there are 12 spending bills.

The House has passed one so far, and moved others out of committee. The Senate has passed none, though it has advanced all 12 out of committee, something that hasn’t happened since 2018.

Still, the difficulty ahead was evident on the House side, where Republicans gave up until after the recess on trying to pass a spending measure to fund federal agriculture and rural programs and the Food and Drug Administration, amid disagreements over its contents. They began their August recess a day early instead of holding votes Friday. Simpson said some of his Republican colleagues don’t want to take money approved already outside the appropriations process to cover some of this year’s spending and avoid deeper cuts.

‘Govt keen on easing trade restrictions on other goods’

‘COST-EFFECTIVE’ ALTERNATIVES TO CONTAINER POLICY PUSHED

portionality rules to be determined by the Authority.”

S ocioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan made this pronouncement to reporters on the sidelines of the recent banking reception for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) 30th anniversary.

B alisacan also said the economic team and the Marcos cabinet will not backtrack on the RTL as they consider it “a success” in terms of stabilizing the price of rice.

We are not talking about that (backtracking on RTL), at least among the economic team or in the Cabinet. I think the core assessment of ours is the RTL has done a good job in achieving what we wanted,” Balisacan said.

“(The law was able) to stabilize the price of rice and make the market more predictable and efficient so that when there are sharp swings in the prices, the private sector can respond quickly or we can respond quickly,” he added.

U niversity of the Philippines School of Economics (UPSE) Associate Professor Karl Robert L. Jandoc earlier told the BusinessMirror that there are concerns over a possible reversal of the RTL.

T he concerns revolve around allowing the National Food Authority (NFA) to intervene in the international market. But Jandoc said the law is the only reason why rice prices have not been a significant

cause for higher inflation.

Balisacan said expanding the RTL to include other commodities is “a step in the right direction” to achieving “a more transparent trade policy” that is supportive of the country’s economic development goals.

T his needs to be transparent, nonetheless, should be balanced with the need to achieve food security and making industry more productive.

My feeling is you must learn from the lessons of that implementation and see how we can expand that to other commodities. I think

we need to make our trade policy more transparent and supportive of our economic agenda,” Balisacan said.

T hese efforts, Balisacan said, will help the economy create “not just jobs but decent jobs” that are able to provide incomes to Filipinos that could keep them out of poverty.

B alisacan said more needs to be done to improve the quality of jobs in the Philippines to reduce poverty. This is despite the unemployment number declining to 4.3 percent, the kind of jobless rate found in developed countries.

He said attaining a low jobless rate is different from creating decent jobs, which would allow the Philippines to bring down the poverty rate to 9 percent by 2028.

By improving the workforce, he said the government can also attract investments that will allow the establishment of factories and new age businesses—those into artificial intelligence—that will ensure the sustainability of the growth of the economy not only today but in the years to come.

By building factories and plants that create new equipment as well as investments in roads and bridges, more businesses will come to the Philippines and provide quality jobs to Filipinos, he added.

FOLLOWING its re-evaluation of the Philippine Port Authority’s (PPA) Trusted Operator Program-Container Registry and Monitoring System (TOP-CRMS), the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) said PPA should explore “cost-effective” alternatives to address potential congestion without burdening stakeholders.

T he TOP-CRMS, which details the container monitoring policy of the PPA, had been initially recommended for pilot implementation by the ARTA, subject to validation last March.

However, the country’s antired tape watchdog reevaluated the Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) for the said policy of PPA, upon the request of various stakeholders to be affected by the proposed regulation.

I n a statement on Saturday, ARTA said its reevaluation process is pursuant to the agency’s mandate to review the proposed regulation by the PPA under Section 17 (g) of Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business Law.

S ection 17(g) of the RA 11032 states: “Review proposed major regulations of government agencies, using submitted regulatory impact assessments, subject to pro -

U nder the Ease of Doing Business Law, all proposed regulations of government agencies shall undergo regulatory impact assessment to “establish if the proposed regulation does not add undue regulatory burden and cost” to the agencies and applicators or requesting parties.

Further, the law states that when necessary, any proposed regulation may undergo pilot implementation to assess regulatory impact.

A ccording to ARTA, the reevaluation process, based on several grounds, considered “valuable” input and data from both government agencies and private stakeholders.

“A key concern for re-evaluation was the PPA’s statement during a June 2023 consultation meeting, stating that there is currently no port congestion,” ARTA said in a statement on Saturday.

T his, ARTA noted, contradicts the system’s intended purpose, as stated in the submitted RIS.

W hile it is noted that the TOP-CRMS is “preventive” for future congestion, the costs of implementation for the industry should be thoughtfully considered, ARTA noted.

See “Cost effective,” A2

THE Rice Trade Liberalization Act (RTL) could serve as a blueprint for the crafting of a similar measure for other commodities, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

Monday, July 31, 2023

NGCP performance review key to franchise deal—solon

sumer reforms, then Congress may have to consider revoking its 50year franchise and awarding it to a new concessionaire that can deliver much better services to our people,” Villafuerte was quoted in the statement as saying.

t he Executive Department and Congress must give paramount attention to accelerating the interconnection of our islands from north to south via the national power grid, so as not to put off track the President’s lofty target of attaining 100 percent household electrification by the time he leaves office in 2028,” he added.

“it is not because we don’t want to finish them. it ’s because many hurdles were encountered, like right of way [ROW],” nGCP spokesperson Atty. Cynthia Alabanza explained to senators, speaking partly in Filipino. new transmission lines and expanding substation capacity are equally important as increasing power supply. Power plants generate electricity that is delivered to customers through transmission and distribution power lines.

B1

PHL, Malaysian firms in RE deal

Aunit of publicly-listed i P

E -Game Ventures i nc. and Malaysian investment firm Emissary Capital Partners Sdn Bhd (Emissary Capital) are prepared to invest as much as $50 million to fund companies engaged in the renewable energy (RE), electric vehicle (EV) industry and clean energy and smart grid enablers.

in a statement issued last Sunday, Camarines Sur Rep. LRay F. Villafuerte said Congress needs to decide soon on whether to amend nGCP’s franchise agreement or revoke that right to operate.

t he first option, according to Villafuerte, would compel nGCP to upgrade its system and spend a sizable chunk of its earnings on interconnecting the country’s major islands. Congress, he said, could also revoke the franchise agreement and awarded to “a much better concessionaire.”

Both options are expected to allow the government to deliver cheaper, more stable and more accessible electricity to consumers. Likewise, any

option, Villafuerte added, could allow the government to meet its goal of achieving 100-percent household electrification by 2028.

Villafuerte said he is hoping that the DOE could complete its performance audit of the nGCP as soon as possible. Hopefully, he added, the results can help lawmakers reach a consensus on what actions they have to take to reverse the below-par performance of the country’s sole power grid operator in terms of preventing major power disruptions.

“Otherwise, if we do not find such a makeover possible in the nGCP franchise or if there is resistance from the operator to these pro-con-

According to the lawmaker, “the nGCP’s apparent failure to keep up with its transmission development and interconnectivity program for the country is standing in the way of the President’s full-electrification target, given that Mr. Marcos himself revealed in his second Sona [State of the nation Address] the undue delay in this concessionaire’s 68 transmission projects, including those in the vital Mindanao-Visayas and Cebunegros-Panay grids.”

Last May, the nGCP told lawmakers at a Senate Committee on Energy hearing the delays in the implementation of these projects “are not intentional.”

Tanduay still world’s best-selling rum

TA nDuAY Distillers inc. sold the most number of 9-liter cases in the global rum category to retain tanduay rum’s number one position among the top 10 rum brands in the world in terms of sales, according to England-based publication “ t he Spirits Business.”

t he brand sold 27.4 million cases in 2022 compared to 23.6 million in the previous year, recording a 16.1-percent growth.

t he Philippine brand remains far above its nearest competitor, Bacardí, with nearly 4 million cases between them. if double-digit growth continues for tanduay, we could see it surpass the 30-million case threshold in the near future, “ t he Spirits Business” reported.

Marc Lorenz ngo, tanduay international Business Development Manager and Senior Brand Manager, attributed the brand’s robust growth to its aggressive international expansion, the rise of cocktail culture, and tanduay’s diverse product offerings. it gives us great pride to see our very own Philippine rum brand not just among the top ten, but rank first in this competitive category,” ngo was quoted in a statement as saying.

Expansion, marketing

tA nDuAY is present in 18 international markets from Asia to Europe. it has partnered with leading international spirits distributors to make its products available in different counties. Additionally, it has tapped leading bartenders to help promote the brand. in the united Kingdom, tanduay signed up bartending veteran Jay Rivera as its brand ambassador.

tanduay has also opened branded bars at the following uS locations: “Chase Center” in San Francisco; “Fiserv Forum” in Milwaukee; “Footprint Center” in Phoenix; and, “ target Center” in Minnesota. tanduay has existing partnerships with the cities’ national Basketball Association (nBA) teams the Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns and Minnesota timberwolves. it is the only Philippine brand to have established partnerships with leading nBA teams.

“First of all i would like to clarify and express our apologies for the delayed projects. i wasn’t able to express it clearly, but we admit we have delayed projects. But we are doing something about it and we are hoping to energize a second one by today. We are all praying for a good result so we can give you some good news,” Alabanza said.

Alabanza said the DOE has been assisting nGCP with ROW issues, which are the major causes of delay for transmission projects across the country. She added that nGCP has been proactive in seeking the DOE’s assistance to issues on permitting and ROW concerns.

it is important that the Philippines develops a more mature eco-system with capital providers across various stages of the investment cycle,” new Wave Strategic Holdings Ltd. director Enrique Y. Gonzalez was quoted in a statement as saying. “With Emissary’s entry into the Philippines, we are providing more founders and entrepreneurs access to growth capitals well as a regional network that can help them expand across SEA [Southeast Asia].”

t he proposal was presented to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during his 3-day Malaysian state visit last week.

new Wave did not say if it is currently in talks with an RE-focused company. t he firm, however, said the planned investment would be more on solar and wind farms that are located in northern Luzon.

“Our value proposition is more than capital. We help businesses scale

within the Philippines and can open up regional SEA access,” Gonzalez added. new Wave and Emissary Capital have identified the early stages of RE projects as the most challenging for companies to raise capital for due to perceived risks. t he statement said executives of both firms believe that equipping developers with an additional war chest with value-added involvement in pre-development work will translate to attractive returns for the funds. For instance, the establishment of a 1-gigawatt bankable concession alone can generate an additional foreign direct investment of over $1.5 billion into the country to complete the construction and operation of targeted sites.

Such RE investments would help achieve the government’s target of increasing the share of RE in the country’s total energy mix to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040.

Last year, the share of RE stood at 22.8 percent of the country’s total energy mix. Of this, solar and wind only comprised less than three percent of the power generated. t hese sources, however, are expected to grow to 20 percent by 2030 and will entail significant investment requirements both at the early stage and construction phase. Lenie Lectura

AS the franchise agreement for the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is being determined in Congress, a senior lawmaker said there’s a need for the Department of Energy (DOE) to first review what lawmakers say is the power grid operator’s “subpar performance.”

Coin deposit machines haul hit ₧12M, says BSP

MONEY that jiggles and doesn’t fold is what coin deposit machines (CoDMs) look for.

The machines, launched by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in June, have been efficient and collected as much as P12-million worth of coins. These came from 10 machines in select malls and supermarkets in key locations in Luzon.

BSP Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat recently told reporters the machines cover 6 million coins. The BSP is waiting for 15 more machines to be delivered and placed in other malls and supermarkets.

“There’s an artificial coin shortage,” Romulo-Puyat said adding in Filipino that “the problem is that the coins are not circulating.”

She added that some people refrain from depositing the coins they have or just keep these in their homes. Likewise, some banks also find it difficult to process transactions involving coins, Romulo-Puyat said.

The central bank official noted that local governments such as Pasig City have expressed interest in getting coin machines.

Romulo-Puyat said that currently, e-wallet GCash is the only one available for conversion but she hopes that by this August, Maya e-wallet conversions will also be available for Filipinos.

She added that the BSP is finding locations where the 15 coin deposit machines could be placed. RomuloPuyat said the project could be relaunched within the term of BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr.

The BSP official said the largest single transaction of these conversions is P50,000. She said 98 percent of these coins are converted into electronic wallets and only 2 percent are turned into shopping vouchers.

The top three branches where queues of shoppers form to exchange coins were Robinsons Place in Ermi-

ta, Manila, followed by Filinvest in Alabang and SM Hypermart. These were the first three machines put up by the BSP.

However, the collection of coins has also collected other items such as screws and, the most unusual of all, was a bullet, she said, without elaborating except that these were part of the reports BSP received.

The BSP, she said, is “happy” that the coin machines have gained popularity, especially on social media.

Romulo-Puyat said this popularity helped encourage more Filipinos to rummage through their houses and cars to look for loose change.

She said someone already found P1,800 worth of loose change in his car, which was converted through the coin machines. The popularity of the machines has also prompted malls and supermarkets to better manage the queues forming to make the deposit of the coins more efficient.

In June, BSP rolled out the machines to alleviate the coin shortage in the country and cut government’s losses in minting coins.

Former BSP Governor Felipe M. Medalla said the Philippines currently has a problem with coins given that its coins per capita has more than doubled in less than a decade.

There are 39 billion pieces of coins in circulation in the country. At 110 million Pinoys, this translates to around 355 coins per capita which is a 195-percent growth from the 120 coins per capita eight years ago.

Medalla said since many coins are stored at home, it takes months for them to circulate. He added that, ideally, coins should change hands at least on a weekly basis.

But because of the informal storage of coins in the country, coin circulation happens twice a year or less, the former BSP chief added.

This prompts the BSP to mint additional coins which can be very expensive. Medalla said the government only spends P7 to print 1,000 peso bills but can spend P10 to make a 20 peso coin.

Perspectives

Future of insurance: Life and annuities

THE life insurance and annuity (L&A) industry can create significantly more value for both shareholders and consumers, but only if it can motivate millions of people to understand and fully embrace these products and their potential benefits.

The industry is evolving and insurers will need to navigate a sea of change including demographic shifts, technological innovation, resource challenges and regulatory demands to engage with these new consumers and deliver a personalized experience tailored to their specific needs.

Organizations that encourage the integration of technology and tailored messaging will leave behind an industry that traditionally has been relatively slow-moving in adopting innovation. And non-traditional entrants, flush with talent and unburdened by lethargic legacy systems and old-school mindsets, have an opportunity for their voice to be heard on the right channels at the right time, to better serve customer needs while remaining relevant and competitive. So, what does the future of the life and annuity landscape look like?

In this latest report, KPMG spoke with more than 425 industry decisionmakers to discuss the key signals of change across the industry, from recruiting and underwriting to distribution and claims handling.

In the Philippines, life insurance and annuities play crucial roles as financial products for individuals. Many Filipinos perceive life insurance not only as a means of protection but also as a form of savings or investment due to the cash value it offers, which can be utilized for loans or as collateral. This makes life insurance an appealing choice for longterm wealth accumulation.

Conversely, annuities serve as a reliable income source for retirees, par-

Certify ‘Ease of Paying Taxes’ bill as urgent, Marcos asked

ceivables on time.”

The measure is in the period of interpellation in the Senate.

The EOPT Act is expected to simplify tax filings for small-scale and medium-sized enterprises, to allow most tax processes to be done online, facilitate the shift to an invoice system to accelerate VAT refunds, and create a special division in the Bureau of Internal Revenue for small and medium taxpayers.

which the Private Sector Advisory Council identified as a priority measure and provisions against syndicated or large-scale use of fraudulent receipts, which the BIR requested from Congress. Both measures have already made it past the House as HB 7292 and HB 8144, respectively.

ticularly in a country with limited social security benefits. By providing regular payments throughout the annuitant’s lifetime, annuities help mitigate the risk of depleting savings in old age.

The Covid-19 pandemic is also one of the drivers of this mindset shift that resulted in an increased interest in life insurance and annuities in the country. The pandemic has highlighted the need for financial protection in the face of unexpected events. Many Filipinos are now more aware of the importance of having a safety net to protect their families and loved ones in the event of untoward incidents.

According to KPMG in the Philippines Vice Chairman and COO Emmanuel P. Bonoan, said that “given the prevailing uncertainty about the future, it is not surprising that a growing number of Filipinos are actively seeking means to safeguard their financial well-being and establish a reliable income source during their retirement years.”

“This desire to attain financial stability and peace of mind has led many Filipinos to explore various avenues and financial products that can provide long-term security,” Bonoan added.

This excerpt was taken from https://kpmg. com/xx/en/home/insights/2023/02/future-ofinsurance-life-and-annuities.html.

© 2023 KPMG Int’l Ltd. is a private English company limited by guarantee. R.G. Manabat & Co., a Philippine partnership, is a member-firm of a global organization of independent member-firms affiliated with KPMG Int’l Ltd. All rights reserved. For more information, e-mail ph-kpmgmla@ kpmg.com or visit www.home.kpmg/ph. This article is for general information purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice to a specific issue or entity. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the BusinessMirror KPMG International or KPMG in the Philippines.

According to Albay Rep. Jose Ma. Clemente “Joey” Sarte Salceda, certifying the proposed measure (Senate Bill 2224) as an urgent measure will allow the bill to be approved on second reading and third reading in a day in the Senate plenary.

The House has already approved its version under House Bill 4125.

“I think it’s time to modernize the way we administer taxes,” Salceda said, adding he believes that “bringing the tax system into the

21st century” will be Marcos’s legacy.

“So, respectfully, I request the President to certify this measure as urgent, considering that he has already mentioned this as a priority in both Sonas [State of the Nation Addresses],” Salceda said.

The lawmaker added that “most of the key issues have already been settled anyway, including the concern among enterprises that the shift to an invoice-only system would cost those who are unable to get their re-

“We are a highly global people; and the EOPT will allow taxpayers abroad, especially OFWs [overseas Filipino workers], to update their tax records and even file for TINs anywhere. Many of them want to invest here or settle land issues here, but they cannot, because they can’t do their taxes remotely,” Salceda said.

“As a result, we’ve been missing out on potential OFW investments, all while we try to attract FDI and make foreign capital come easier. It’s time we put family first,” he added.

Salceda also said the House delegation plans to introduce the valueadded tax (VAT) refund for tourists,

According to Salceda, he has discussed the matter with his counterpart, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, “who is considering it.” “Hopefully, his colleagues will also agree. The VAT refund for tourists will boost tourist spending and align us with international best practice under the destination principle for VAT. And the anti-tax racketeering provision will clamp down on a practice that has cost the national coffers at least P100 billion annually based on the BIR’s estimates,” Salceda said. The lawmaker said the Lower House has “assurances from our Senate counterparts that this is a priority for their leadership, and we expect to meet in the bicameral conference committee very soon, hopefully right before the House begins budget hearings.”

UnionDigital Bank inks deal with Malaysian fintechs

UNIONDIGITAL Bank, a unit of Aboitiz-led Union Bank of the Philippines, said it has signed strategic partnership with Capital A Berhad, involving its two key units BigPay Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Airasia Superapp Sdn Bhd.

BigPay is the fintech arm providing accessible and secure digital financial services with the vision of improving financial wellbeing and accessibility in Southeast Asia, while Airasia Superapp is the one-stop travel platform offering services from flights, hotels, ride-hailing, loyalty programs, among others.

UnionDigital Bank will provide embedded finance in partnership with BigPay within the Airasia Superapp travel platform, the main booking channel for AirAsia flights in the Philippines.

This synergy promises to deliver a seamless and enriched travel booking experience for Airasia Superapp’s users, and redefine the

way people travel and manage their finances, the company said.

The partnership will enhance the travel experience of frequent fliers with flexible payment options with a fly now, pay later offer available in Airasia Superapp, and exclusive co-branding deals. This will create a progressive shift in the way customers plan and pay for their flights and other travelrelated services, making fintech more convenient and accessible for Filipinos, the bank said.

“For Capital A, the vision has always been to provide low cost, best value services, connecting people and realising dreams, for people of Asean and beyond. With UnionDigital as our proud partner, we are now on our way to create a future where travel meets innovative financial solutions that facilitate everyone’s dream journeys with unparalleled ease. We look forward to working with UnionDigital to redefine travel coupled with fintech as an accessible and enriching

GoTyme Bank to cross the 1-millionth customer mark

GOTYME Bank Corp., a bank led by the Gokongwei group, announced it expects to cross the 1-millionth customer mark in a few weeks, with just nine months into its operation.

GoTyme President and CEO Nathaniel Clarke said he attributed their success in the country to their partnership with the Gokongwei group and their unique, human-led digital model of banking.

“If you strip away all the apps and the branches and everything else from banking in general, it’s a trust game and the Gokongwei name is accelerating customer adoption. Most importantly, I think the reason we’ve had early success is our unique model. We are doing a very human-led digital model of digital banking. And that allows us to deliver a preferred banking experience to everyone,” Clarke said.

He added that the preferred banking experience is limited to the top 5 percent of consumers; in particular, those bringing in millions of pesos to the business.

“If you’re an average Filipino customer served by a bank, you’re limited to transactional savings. You have no access to affordable credit, investment, or insurance. You’re excluded from these unless you have a certain

balance with the bank,” Clarke said. GoTyme Bank’s approach provides all of its clients with preferred service.

“If you’re an average Filipino and you want to open a bank account with one of the incumbents, you walk into a branch, you spend hours in that branch probably and then you don’t even walk away with a fully functional account. You probably have to come back a couple of weeks later to get that debit card. But if you’re a high net-worth client, what we call a ‘preferred banking customer’ for one of those banks, someone’s going to fill out the forms for you. It’s going to happen quickly and they’re going to deliver that card,” Clarke said.

He said with GoTyme Bank, “one can go to any Robinsons supermarket or department store and they will be greeted by a smiling bank ambassador who will help them open an account and get a Visa debit card in under five minutes using the bank’s kiosk.”

The bank said its continuous growth and the increasing demand for digital banking are expected to expand GoTyme’s reach and its capability to deliver a preferred banking experience to every one of its customers. VG Cabuag

experience,” Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A, said.

“Our research has shown that 7 out of 10 of our Filipino customers diligently save up for their travel plans, carefully budgeting to ensure they can explore the world comfortably. It is this inspiring dedication that fuels our determination to break down barriers and create a more connected and inclusive global community,” Fernandes added.

UnionDigital Bank’s partnership with BigPay, a leading mobile wallet providing financial services in Malaysia and Singapore, solidifies its expansion into the Philippine market. Through this partnership, BigPay will be able to serve Philippine customers with secure and frictionless financial services that will improve their financial health and management in the long-run.

“As tourism flourishes in the region, we are excited to elevate the end-to-end travel and payment experience of Filipinos through

our collaboration with UnionDigital Bank and Airasia Superapp. Through this partnership, BigPay is one step closer to making our financial services highly accessible in the Philippines, with the mission of empowering people to level up their lives, one transaction at a time.” BigPay CEO Zubin Rada Krishnan said.

“With these key partnerships, we believe we can continue to make lives better in the Philippines through innovative and smart financial services,” Krishnan said.

“This is a pivotal moment for the two important sectors in the Philippines. We are forging a path towards greater convenience, accessibility, and innovation to empower Filipinos to live better lives,” UnionDigital Bank President and CEO Henry Rhoel R. Aguda said.

“As we make these partnership announcements at ABAC, we are not just setting the stage but building a solid foundation for a brighter future with BigPay and Airasia Superapp by our side,” Aguda said.

QC updates discounts for real property tax payments

THE Quezon City government will implement updated discounts for payment of real property tax (RPT) beginning next year, with those paying in full on or before December 31 eligible for a 20-percent discount.

Mayor Maria Josefina Tanya

“Joy” G. Belmonte made this announcement after signing Ordinance SP-3179 (S-2023), further amended Section 12 (d), Article 7 of the Quezon City Revenue Code. The ordinance was introduced by Majority Leader Doray A. Delarmente, Councilor Wencerom Benedict C. Lagumbay and Councilor Shaira L. Liban.

Under the Ordinance, those who will pay in full their basic real property tax and the additional tax accruing to the Special Education Fund (SEF) and Barangay Share for the following taxable year on or before December 31 will receive a 20-percent discount.

A 10-percent discount will be given to those who will settle in full their basic real property tax and the additional tax accruing to the SEF for the current year

on or before March 31.

“We are collecting more taxes to be able to give more to our QCitizens who are paying their obligation to the local government diligently and in a timely manner,” Belmonte was quoted in a statement as saying. She added that the local government implements one of the lowest RPTs in Metro Manila.

Belmonte said QC residents are assured their taxes will be properly utilized, as proven by the third consecutive “unqualified opinion” given by the Commission on Audit to the Quezon City government.

The unqualified opinion is the highest audit opinion that COA can give to a government agency, including a local government unit.

Belmonte said taxpayers may settle their obligation through 16 City Treasurer’s Satellite Offices and branches in various parts of Quezon City.

“We have established these satellite offices to make it easier and more convenient for QCitizens to settle their taxes,” she said.

THE chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means called on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent the “Ease of Paying Taxes” (EOPT) bill, which is currently pending in the Senate.

Angels in America: Exploring the widespread belief in celestial beings

Angels even get more credence than, well, hell. More than astrology, reincarnation, and the belief that physical things can have spiritual energies.

In fact, about 7 in 10 US adults say they believe in angels, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

“People are yearning for something greater than themselves— -beyond their own understanding,” said Jack Grogger, a chaplain for the Los Angeles Angels and a longtime Southern California fire captain who has aided many people in their gravest moments.

That search for something bigger, he said, can take on many forms, from following a religion to crafting a self-driven purpose to believing in, of course, angels.

“For a lot of people, angels are a lot safer to worship,” said Grogger, who also pastors a nondenominational church in Orange, California, and is a chaplain for the NHL's Anaheim Ducks.

People turn to angels for comfort, he said. They are familiar, regularly showing up in pop culture as well as in the Bible. Com -

parably, worshipping Jesus is far more involved; when Grogger preaches about angels it is with the context that they are part of God's kingdom.

Americans' belief in angels (69%) is about on par with belief in heaven and the power of prayer, but bested by belief in God or a higher power (79%). Fewer US adults believe in the devil or Satan (56%), astrology (34%), reincarnation (34%), and that physical things can have spiritual energies, such as plants, rivers or crystals (42%).

The widespread acceptance of angels shown in the AP-NORC poll makes sense to Susan Garrett, an angel expert and New Testament professor at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Kentucky. It tracks with historical surveys, she said, adding that the US remains a faith-filled country even as more Americans reject organized religion.

But if the devil is in the details, so are people’s understandings of angels. “They’re very malleable,” Garrett said of angels. “You can have any one of a number of quite dif -

ferent worldviews in terms of your understanding of how the cosmos is arranged, whether there’s spirit beings, whether there’s life after death, whether there’s a God… and still find a place for angels in that worldview.”

Talk of angels, Garrett said, is often also about something else, like the ways God interacts with the world and other hard-to-articulate ideas.

The large number of US adults who say they believe in angels includes 84% of those with a religious affiliation—94% of evangelical Protestants, 81% of mainline Protestants and 82% of Catholics—and 33% of those without one. And of those angelbelieving religiously unaffiliated, that includes 2% of atheists, 25% of agnostics and 50% of those identified as “nothing in particular.”

The broad acceptance is what fascinates San Francisco-based witch and author Devin Hunter: Angels show up independently in different religions and traditions, making them part of the fabric that unites humanity.

“We’re all getting to the same conclusion,” said Hunter, who spent 16 years as a professional medium, and started communicating as a child with what he believed were angels.

Hunter estimates that a belief in angels applies to about half of those practicing modern witchcraft today, and for some who don't believe, their rejection is often rooted in the religious trau -

ma they experienced growing up.

Angels become a very big deal" for long-time practitioners who've made occultism their primary focus, said Hunter, an angel-loving occultist. “We cannot escape them in any way, shape or form.”

Jennifer Goodwin of Oviedo, Florida, also is among the roughly seven in 10 US adults who say they believe in angels. She isn’t sure if God exists and rejects the afterlife dichotomy of heaven and hell, but the recent deaths of her parents solidified her views on these celestial beings.

Goodwin believes her parents are still keeping an eye on the family—not in any physical way or as a supernatural apparition, but that they manifest in those moments when she feels a general sense of comfort.

“I think that they are around us, but it’s in a way that we can’t understand,” Goodwin said. “I don’t know what else to call it except an angel.”

Angels mean different things to different people, and the idea of loved ones becoming heavenly angels after death is neither an unusual belief nor a universally held one.

In his reading of Scripture as an evangelical Protestant, Grogger said he believes angels are something else entirely — they have never been human and are on another level in heaven's hierarchy. “We are higher than angels,” he said. “We do not become an angel.” Angels do interact with hu -

mans though, said Grogger, but what "that looks like we’re not 100% sure.” They worship God who created this angelic legion of unknown numbers, he said, adding that evangelicals often attribute the demonic forces in the world to the angels who fell from heaven when the devil rebelled.

The Western ideas about angels can be traced through the Bible—and to the worldviews of its monotheistic authors, Garrett said. Those beliefs have changed and developed for millennia, influenced by cultures, theologians and even the ancient polytheistic beliefs that came before the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, she said.

“There are sort of lines of continuity from the Bible that you can trace all the way up to the New Age movement,” said Susan Garrett, who wrote No Ordinary Angel: Celestial Spirits and Christian Claims about Jesus.

The angels in the Bible do God's bidding, and angelic violence is one part of their job description, said Esther Hamori, author of the upcoming book, God's Monsters: Vengeful Spirits, Deadly Angels, Hybrid Creatures, and Divine Hitmen of the Bible.

“The angels of the Bible are just as likely to assassinate individuals and slaughter entire populations as they are to offer help and protect and deliver,” said Hamori. She doesn't believe in these angels, but studies them as a Hebrew Bible professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York where

she teaches a popular “Monster Heaven” class.

“They’re just God’s obedient soldiers doing the task at hand, and sometimes that task is in human beings’ best interests, and sometimes it’s not," she said.

The perception that angels act angelic and look like the idyllic, winged figurines atop Christmas trees could be attributed to an early centuries belief that people are assigned one good angel and one bad—or have a good and bad spirit to guide them, Garrett said.

This idea shows up on the shoulders of cartoon characters and is likely what Abraham Lincoln was alluding to in his famous appeal for unity when he referenced “the better angels of our nature” in his first inaugural address, she said.

“It’s also tied in with ideas about guardian angels, which again, very ancient views that got developed over the centuries,” Garrett said.

For Sheila Avery of Chicago, angels are protectors, capable of keeping someone from harm. Avery, who belongs to a nondenominational church, credits them with those moments like when a person’s plans fall through, but ultimately it saves them from being in the thick of an unexpected disaster.

“They turn on the news and a terrible tragedy happened at that particular place,” Avery said, suggesting it was an “angel that was probably watching over them.”

Compared with the devil, angels carry more credence in america.

Eleganza at GMA Gala and SONA 2023

HIGH fashion was first and foremost in people’s minds at two recent high-profile events: the second GMA Gala and the second State of the Nation Address of the current President.

On July 22, the GMA Gala 2023 was held at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Newport Pasay City, with the broad theme of “Elegant Formal.” While international labels stupefied onlookers, Filipino designers took local flair to equally greater heights.

On July 24, the SONA 2023 was delivered at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City. Once again, Filipino designers went all-out in their postmodern interpretations of the terno, which was showcased in all its resplendence.

ALL OUT GLAM AT GMA GALA

YOU know the Kapuso stars took the theme seriously when they tapped the biggest names in international haute couture for their outfits. Kyline Alcantara and beau Mavy Legaspi were both gorgeous in Jacquemus. Heart Evangelista stunned in Schiaparelli. Bea Alonzo dazzled in AZ Factory by Norman Rene’ de Vera. And Anne Curtis, whose It’s Showtime now airs on GMA’s GTV, was in YSL.

■ Danielle Frankel for Marian Rivera. Marian Rivera looked like a Goddess Bride in Danielle Frankel, a bridal and ready-to-wear label made in New York. The Kapuso Queen wore “Scarlet,”a pleated silk wool gown with lace appliqué and tulle watteau similar to the wedding gown worn by American actress Alexandra Daddario to her New Orleans nuptials to film producer Andrew Form.

■ Ehrran Montoya Atelier for Barbie Forteza. The Kapuso Primetime Princess wore a minimalist mint green silk gown ensemble reminiscent of an Edith satin gown that Hollywood legend Grace Kelly wore to the 1955 Academy Awards.

■ Joe San Antonio for Bianca Umali. The star of The Write One wore a glittering tube gown made of gold pellets with Swarovski crystals. The fast-rising designer enthused: “All hand made! Full of love!”

■ Michael Leyva for Sanya Lopez. The dusky

SLAY THE PERFECT ‘CAT EYE’

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seductress was Lady Oscar personified in a floorsweeping mermaid design by the designer du jour.

■ Mara Chua for Beauty Gonzalez. Not to downplay the controversy surrounding the macabre jewelry she wore to the gala, but I’d love to focus more on the design marvel that was her dress, which her designer described as thus:

“A deceptively simple look. The dress is made entirely of knit jersey. “I wanted a super seamless look and jersey is the only material stretchy enough to make it happen. “The only problem is the skirt. Lol. Jersey being super stretch, it doesn’t behave the same way woven non-stretch fabric does. In fact, jersey doesn’t behave at all. It’s pretty, uhm, uncontrollable. It just keeps on stretching... So it’s the worst material to make a structured skirt out of.

“We ended up having to do the skirt twice. With our first attempt, all the fabric drooped to the bottom and created pools of loose skin looking texture. It took on a life of its own and it ‘fought’ with the flow of the nylon inner structure of the skirt.

“The solution was to stabilize the jersey by ironing stick-on fuse interfacing. Which is also tricky because regular iron doesn’t go hot enough and the pressure

strong enough to properly secure the fuse to the fabric without creating air bubbles. Thankfully, I have a heat press machine. The same heat press T-shirt printers use to do heat transfer prints.

“So for our second attempt, what we did was to first run the jersey through regular iron to pre-stick the fuse to the jersey and then run the jersey + fuse interfacing through the heat press to securely bind the materials together. “If it sounds like a handful, it is. It took two people almost an entire day just ironing almost eight yards of jersey + fuse interfacing. And then we had to baste stitch the stabilized jersey onto the nylon pieces again. Then seal the hemline with the lining layer and then baste the lining to the jersey +nylon layer to create three solid giant pattern pieces that we can finally join together and then hand pleat and then handsew back to the corset.

“I had to pull out half of my finishing team just to baste and hand-stitch everything so we could finish on time. The resulting dress is a seamless creaseless minimalist dream so I’m pretty happy.”

SONA SENSATIONS

■ Jo Rubio for Bianca Manalo. “Simplicity is the

Stars dazzle on GMA Gala 2023’s red carpet

ultimate form of sophistication,” the Kapuso actress and Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2009 stated in her socials. Her designer shared: “Joining us in our advocacy in championing the craftsmanship of the Filipino artisans, Senator @wingatchalian74 wearing a pina barong woven in Aklan and embroidered in Lumban and Bulacan and my muse @biancamanalo channeling Terno elegance in her Blanc and Noir

Terno with exquisite Jo Rubio Roses embroidery proudly made by the Bulaqueño artisans for Sona 2023.”

■ Lesley Mobo for Alexandra Rocha Araneta. The London-honed designer has found a new muse in this lovely lady, dressing her in a cheerful candy floss sorbet tulle terno with white Anthurium embroideries.

She shared on her Instagram: “Mama, you look like a princess!” My daughter squealed with delight while fluffing the candy-colored fabric with her little hands and watching it playfully flutter about in the wind.

“@lesleymobo creates timeless pieces which will definitely be reworn, and handed down to my darling daughter to wear one day. Another heirloom piece to be cherished.” ■

IT was a night when all the stars aligned and sparkled to create the most beautiful light. For the second consecutive year, GMA Network brought together the network’s brightest stars, its executives, media partners, and collaborators for the “GMA Gala 2023,” which was held on July 22 at The Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay City.

Among those who walked the red carpet were some of the biggest names in entertainment, lifestyle, and politics. The GMA Gala 2023, which also celebrated the network’s 73rd anniversary, was attended by over 500 artists and distinguished guests in their best elegant evening attire. Leading the star-studded celebration was GMA Network Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon.

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“For the first time after the pandemic, I finally get to see all of you once again on such a lovely occasion. Tonight is a rare spectacle—a dazzling event of the brightest stars under one roof with leaders of both government and the private sector, our peers in the industry, and our valued partners coming together in camaraderie and fellowship. We are grateful for your presence tonight,” said Gozon.

“May this gala be remembered as the night we all came together as one industry. Let the milestones we celebrate tonight remind us of our blessings from the Lord and our

of the GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF). Receiving the donation on behalf of the foundation was GMAKF Executive Vice President and COO Rikki EscuderoCatibog. Among the performers that night were Sparkle artists Thea Astley, Rita Daniela, and Timmy Albert; Sparkle teens Selina Griffin, Princess Aliyah, and Gaea Mischa; from The Clash Liana Castillo and John Rex Baculfo; together with Julie Anne San Jose.

Top GMA stars Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera, were named Couple of the Night, while The Cheating Game lead stars Julie Anne San Jose and Rayver Cruz were recognized as the Sparkle Love Team of the Night.

Ruru Madrid and Bianca Umali took home the Male and Female Young Star of the Night titles, respectively.

Alden Richards was recognized as Sparkle Star of the Night (Male), while Heart Evangelista was named Sparkle Star of the Night (Female).

David Licauco and Herlene Budol were honored with the TikTok Crowd Favorite of the Night award (Male and Female).

Smile of the Night award. Kapamilya artist Anne Curtis bagged the FrontRow Luxxe Royalty award, while Kyline Alcantara took home the Luxxe White Face of the Night award.

Andrea Torres won the Discover Your Travel

Sparkle with PAL Photo showing off her exceptional shoot in Philippine Airlines’ booth.

Newly engaged couple Bea Alonzo and Dominic Roque were also chosen as Sparkling Couple of the Night. The guests were also treated to a surprise number from the lovely ladies of the board of directors of GMA Network, including senior vice president for programming, talent management, worldwide, and support group, and president and CEO of GMA Films, Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes together with Judith R. Duavit-Vazquez and Laura J. Westfall singing and dancing along to the ultimate 1980s party music.

Wrapping up the event with a momentous toast was Sparkle GMA Artist Center vice president Joy C. Marcelo.

Four remote communication practices that I’ve adopted and hope to pursue, post-pandemic

Last May, the World Health Organization officially declared that the global health emergency was over, followed this month by the Philippine government’s own advisory on the same status. However, even before such official announcements were made, I had observed many people going about their business in public—without face masks. a l though the use of face masks is no longer mandatory, I believe that as we continue to watch our health, wearing face masks is one practice we must retain along with other fine habits that the threeyear health crisis compelled us to adopt.

Radical shifts in our way of life were by no means restricted to health protocols. In the business and corporate world, the pandemic hastened our transition to the digital landscape, which in turn changed the way we communicated—with our co-workers and with our clients and customers.

Here, I would like to cite a few remote communication practices I adopted during the pandemic, and which I wish to continue as it is or in a hybrid or modified form.

Work from home or online meetings to optimize efficiency Ev E n b efore the pandemic broke out, we at Buensalido PR and Communications had considered allowing certain staff to start working remotely. We were convinced even back then that some of us would be better motivated and inspired to work in the comfort of their own homes or their preferred environment. Creative individuals, for example, may receive directions or meet virtually on initial concepts and ideas. But given flexibility, they eventually prove that they can work faster and submit requirements earlier than their deadlines.

t he re is something affirming about working from home that motivate workers to become more efficient, work faster, and meet deadlines early, perhaps to prove to themselves that they feel better when trusted and left on their own.

For instance, I usually attend zoom or online meetings earlier than the set time, which I never did before the pandemic. In the “old days,” we took our time arriving at physical meetings and

a r nulfo “a r nold” Esguerra returns to Gateway Gallery to conduct four sessions of “Dynamics of Brush and Color,” a Chinese watercolor painting workshop for students who are interested and passionate about Oriental art, specifically Chinese painting.

In this workshop, a r nold will be teaching his students the Gong-bi style, the tr a -

hardly paid attention if one or two people walked in late because it was easy to excuse them for so many reasons. to day, we value the time allotted to virtual meetings so we have learned to log in earlier than the appointed time and often make the best use of that period so we may also wrap up the meeting exactly as scheduled.

Isn’t that efficiency optimized? s o w ork from home or a hybrid arrangement will still be our preferred mode. Of course we may need to tweak this arrangement for required face-to-face meetings and physical events.

Online/digital payments with minimal trips to the banks

I BE l I E v E t hat unlike our younger counterparts who immediately adapted to e-wallets like GCash and PayMaya, the boomers are taking bit longer to trust the digital payment systems. I also happen to know some friends who still refuse to bank online. t h ey prefer to write checks, have these encashed, or do their payments via cash or checks. Personal trips to the bank give them a sense of stability knowing that they’re dealing with real people and a reliable banking institution—not just faceless machines.

For my part, I would rather opt for a few online payment methods, and pay for my regular bills with checks. I also make sure I meet with our bankers from time to time. It gives me confidence that they can be our allies and a personal relationship with them always helps.

t he re are certain transactions, though, when cash is still the preferred method. I do know that almost all utility companies and even credit card companies now encourage customers to pay their bills online. Even my neighborhood newspaper supplier and community food delivery service recently suggested that we just pay them online. t h is somehow reminds me of a Wall s t reet Journal article that claimed beggars in India now prefer alms given via e-wallets or their QR code? More on this pervasive QR code later.

In time, I’ll probably adapt to everything online. a s o f today, very few of our a g ency clients are able to pay online except those based abroad. Most local companies still prefer to prepare check

ditional Meticulous style or what they call the Court style of painting, and Xieyi, the freehand or literati style. He has painted and exhibited eclectic themes in these two styles, from the natural world to everyday Filipino scenes, honing his skills through constant practice and teaching.

t h e sessions are meant to give the students skills on

payments because not only are these solid proof of payment; it also gives them a longer lead time to settle their bills. Until this industry practice changes, we are happy to continue with check payments.

at tending and conducting online learning programs or educational courses

nO t H I n G t rumps face-to-face instruction from real teachers, professors or expert speakers who can impart their lessons to us in a physical setting. But have we not proven over the past three years that it was more efficient to conduct online training courses for both teachers, students and PR and marketing practitioners? In fact, our IPR a P hilippine chapter sponsored three “Communitalks” webinars over a period of three years and managed to enlist not only local participants but also PR practitioners from other countries. Coordination, online rehearsals, technical issues, and even the actual holding of the webinars proved somewhat challenging but it was done successfully with quite encouraging results.

Remember when homeschooling was a new and revolutionary concept that most parents could not imagine imposing on their own children?

Well, because of the pandemic, remote learning became the new norm as parents started setting up their homes as their children’s classrooms. t h e same concept could be applied to older or more senior people who took to enrolling in various online courses or seminars and accomplishing them from home. t h at was a major reversal not only in terms of the learning places but also of the mindset that people needed to see and appreciate their speakers in person.

Imagine that during the pandemic, I was able to take an online Masterclass with the iconic vo gue editor a n na Wintour, and learn from some

the proper holding of brushes (brush strokes); familiarization with Xuan paper and Chinese pigments; techniques in the meticulous style of Chinese painting; and techniques in coloring in the freelance style.

a n e xpert and prolific artist of Chinese art, a r nold started painting at age five and has been practicing Chinese paint -

of her most memorable experiences in the world of fashion and magazine editing.

On the local front, I took a threemonth workshop course on film scriptwriting from no less than the n a tional a r tist Ricky l e e, and in the company of a select group of aspiring writers and other professionals who were vetted from among a thousand applicants. It all happened virtually, but the knowledge I gathered was exactly the same or perhaps even more than If I had been accepted to any of his former scriptwriting classes that were held in his Quezon City home. t he re is something about learning from a small screen that makes it more intense and certainly more riveting.

I therefore hope to continue being able to attend more unique and lifechanging online courses, for myself and for my team, or to help conceptualize, organize and conduct more extraordinary online learning opportunities for our industry as well.

Online communication with god and regular Zoom bonding with family and friends tHE f ourth and last activity that I started during the pandemic and which I intend to pursue, nurture, and sustain is my spiritual and personal communication with God— and with my family, work team, and friends.

Hearing online mass at the same time every day became a habit, my time for reflection and meditation, and a chance to communicate with God and His word: something I was never able to do, pre-pandemic, when I was totally absorbed in work. t h e Catholic mass helped me start every day with hope, to be able to pray not only for my loved ones and for my work team but also for my friends who are sick or have passed on. It was a morning ritual that gave me strength and the courage to face

ing since the 1980s. He fell in love with Chinese painting when he attended a class on it in l i berty Hall, Binondo in 1984, the center of artistic activities in Manila’s Chinatown. He is a s e nior l e cturer at the University of the Philippines Manila where he has lectured courses on Philippine and a s ian History, a r chaeology, and History of Medicine.

whatever work or personal challenges were in store. Only 30 minutes out of 24 hours yet what a huge comfort it has been. t h e other “ritual” that I took on, and which I know had worked for millions of overseas workers way before I discovered it, is my regular online video conversation with my only sister abroad. t h anks to a portal device that her granddaughter gifted her with at the height of the pandemic, she and I, and eventually our only brother, were able to communicate almost daily, to ease the pain of absence, distance, and personal losses of which there were many. t h is was online communication at its best and while there were a few occasional glitches, the fact that we could see each other and talk very often was such a welcome blessing during those most trying times. t h is is one reason why I believe that those who invented gadgets and gizmos—and the technology that made these work—are truly Godsent. I cannot end this column without mentioning that both v i ber and Zoom have been my most utilized and appreciated communication tools for the past three years. I reaped incredible b enefits from v i ber, which is how I message daily with my team, family, and my various myriad communities, and Zoom because that is how we meet regularly with clients, friends, colleagues, and global partners for both work and personal reasons.

I used to say “time flies,” but now I say instead: “ t i me indeed zooms by but we can use Zoom to be in touch as often as we want.”

Disclaimer: Zoom is not our client although I wish they were!

PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdombased International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premiere association for senior communications professionals around the world. Joy Lumawig-Buensalido is the President and CEO of Buensalido PR and Communications. She was past Chairman of the IPRA Philippine chapter for two terms.

PR Matters is devoting a special column each month to answer our readers’ questions about public relations. Please send your questions or comments t o askipraphil@ gmail.com.

“Dynamics of Brush and Color” will be held at the Gateway Gallery (in Gateway to wer, a r aneta City) on February 25, March 04, 11, and 18. It promises to be a fun, learning opportunity through a focused and personalized mentoring approach. a r nold will be providing limited but free Xuan papers, which he sourced from taiwan.

Tolentino hopeful of strong finish in Hangzhou by emerging Filipinas

PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee

(POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino expressed optimism on a strong performance by the Filipinas in the Hangzhou 19th Asian Games in September.

Tolentino at the same time described the Filipinas’ campaign in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand as a “job well done.”

“Good job!” Tolentino told the Filipinas from Tagaytay City where he watched the live coverage of the Philippines-Norway match on Sunday afternoon.

The Filipinas, ranked No. 46 in the world, bowed to the world No. 12 Nor-

wegians, 6-0, at the close of their Group A campaign at Eden Park in Auckland. Qualifying in the World Cup is historic and an accomplishment itself,” Tolentino said. “Scoring a goal and beating the co-host [New Zealand, 1-0] made the campaign even more historic and worth remembering.”

“ The Filipinas showed that they can compete on the world stage and in turn, the world took notice of how strong Filipinos could become in football,” he said. “And the campaign proves we can still catch up in the Asian Games with an intact lineup.” The Asian Games are set September 23 to October 8.

PHL returning to Asian Games men’s volleyball after 49 years

AUCKLAND, New Zealand—Sophie Roman Haug’s hat trick kick-started Norway’s dormant offense and sparked a 6-0 blowout win over the Philippines on Sunday that moved the Norwegians into to the knockout stage of the Women’s World Cup.

The Philippines’ debut run in the tournament came to an end as Norway scored early and often, netting three goals in the first 31 minutes.

Norway’s spot in the round of 16 was secured when Switzerland and New Zealand simultaneously played to a 0-0 draw and the Norwegians.

Norway and New Zealand were tied in Group A but Norway advanced on goal differential. New Zealand became the first host country to be eliminated in the group stage in tournament history.

Before the game, Norway had not scored in three consecutive Women’s World Cup matches dating to the quarterfinals of the 2019 tournament.

But Roman Haug one-timed a ball into the net in the sixth minute, and scored again 11 minutes later.

Caroline Graham Hansen added a long-distance shot in the 31st minute.

R oman Haug completed the hat trick in injury time.

In the second half, an Alicia Barker own goal in the 48th minute and Guro Reiten’s penalty kick in the 53rd minute extended Norway’s lead to 5-0.

Filipina defender Sofia Harrison received a red card in the 67th minute

NORWAY ENDS PHL DEBUT RUN

for using excessive force, and the Philippines played the rest of the match a player down.

Eden Park was turned into a makeshift home match for the Philippines, as the Filipina fans screamed in unison any time the Philippines touched the ball, even as the deficit grew.

The Philippines were fresh off of a historic 1-0 win over co-host New Zealand that marked the first Women’s World Cup win for the debutantes.

Roman Haug got the Norwegians off to a hot start. The first of her two goals was a left-footed volley from inside the six-yard box in the sixth minute.

E leven minutes later, Roman Haug scored a header delivered by a Vilde Boe Risa cross. Roman Haug’s header flew over the reach of Philippines goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel.

Graham Hansen scored on a longdistance strike that curled into the

ANOTHER DIAZ ON THE RISE

ALEXANDRA ANN DIAZ has

started to follow her Olympic and world champion aunt

Hidilyn Diaz Naranjo by winning one gold and two silver medals at the Asian Junior and Youth Weightlifting Championships held over the weekend at the Gautam Buddha University in Greater Noida in New Delhi, India.

Jhodie Peralta, on the other hand, dominated the women’s youth 49-kg class with three gold medals, while last Friday

Prince Kiel de los Santos bagged two gold medal in the men’s 49-kg class—snatch 94 kgs and total lift 210 kgs.

The 12-year-old Diaz lifted 57 kgs to win the snatch gold medal of the women’s 40-g class by 1 kg over Vietnam’s Nguyen Phuong Linh.

L inh, however, beat Diaz for the gold medals in clean and jerk, 68 to 66, and total lift, 124 and 123, sending the Filipino to two silvers.

Diaz is the youngest and we

didn’t expect her to win a medal since her opponents were all strong,”

Diaz’s coach Allen Diaz, also a Diaz Naranjo, told BusinessMirror on Sunday. “But Alexandra has a heart of lion at young age. She didn’t give up.”

Diaz is training in Barangay Mampang—Diaz Naranjo’s roots—in Zamboanga City, according to Allen Diaz.

Host India’s Jyoshina Sabar settled for three bronze medals—55 kg in snatch, 64 kgs in clean and jerk and 210 kgs total.

De los Santos also had a bronze in the clean and jerk (116 kg).

C ambodia Southeast Asian Games silver medalist Angeline Colonia and Rose Jean Ramos won four gold medals for the Philippines at the start of the competitions on Saturday.

The Philippines has won so far captured 11 gold, five and three bronze medals in the tournament featuring the youth category for athletes aged 13 to 17 and junior category 15 to 20-year-old weightlifters.

Revenge stories

WATCHING Justin Gaethje knockout Dustin Poirier with a head kick that dropped the latter, it was sweet redemption for the former in the just-concluded UFC 291 Gaethje lost to Poirier in 2018 in an epic fight that went back and forth.

everybody gets a second chance,” noted Gaethje

EDEN PARK turns into a makeshift home match for the Philippines as fans scream in unison any time the Philippines touches the ball. Hali Long then makes the heart sign at the end of the match. AP

bottom left corner in the 31st minute to give Norway its third goal of the half.

From that point on, Norway was in control.

The win advances Norway to the knockout stage after the Norwegians found themselves in last place in Group A heading into the Philippines match.

The Norwegians had yet to score in

2023 before their six-goal eruption. Norway will play either Japan or Spain in the round of 16 next Saturday, depending on the results of a game between those Group C teams on Monday.

The inaugural tournament run ends for the Philippines, who needed at least a draw to have a chance of moving on.

I n Dunedin, New Zealand outshot Switzerland and even moved goalkeeper Victoria Esson into an attack position several times, but failed to break a 0-0 tie

Sunday in the Women’s World Cup and became the first host nation to be eliminated in group play in tournament history.

The Football Ferns are co-hosting the World Cup with Australia, which must win Monday against Canada to avoid its own early elimination.

Switzerland advanced to the round of 16. The Swiss also played to a scoreless draw against Norway, but won the group with the tie against New Zealand, coupled with the Norwegians’ simultaneous 6-0 rout of the Philippines.

Ne w Zealand controlled the pace for long stretches of the match and had its chances to score, outshooting Switzerland 12-3. Jacqui Hand knocked a shot off the right post in the 24th minute. AP

Donaire loses bid in WBC title fight

NONITO “THE FILIPINO FLASH” DONAIRE failed to regain the record as the oldest world bantamweight champion after losing to Mexico’s Alexandro Santiago via unanimous decision on Sunday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Donaire, 40, used to be the oldest champion in the division.  Santiago was the steadier and more accurate fighter in the 12-round fight. He won the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight belt for his first world title.  Santiago, 27, started slow and

after the fight after receiving the symbolic and unofficial “BMF” title belt from the retired Jorge Masvidal.

Justin’s statement had me thinking.

A nd I remembered the Los Angeles Lakers of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol getting back at the Boston Celtics of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals of 2010 (after losing in 2008).

I thought of the Ateneo Blue Eagles getting back at the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons this past University Athletic Association of the Philippines season.

Ateneo was gunning for its fourth straight title in Season 84, but UP defeated them in the finals, 2-1. With UP the favorites heading into Season 85, Ateneo shocked everyone to top the league after the elimination round and got back at UP in the finals.

I t hought of Deion Sanders when he returned to Atlanta as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, and returned an interception for a 93-yard touchdown.

E xcept Sanders wasn’t done. He capped off the San Francisco win with an epic and headline-making quote: I have been humble all week. Now I’ve got one thing to say, This is my house!”

took several of Donaire’s jabs in the first three rounds. But Donaire slowed down in the fourth round and Santiago picked his spots with superior counterpunching starting from the fourth round.

Donaire couldn’t break his opponent’s defense from then on.

The Filipino also couldn’t take an advantage of a cut above Santiago’s right eye to yield the fight on 115113 scores of two judges and 116-112 from the third judge.

Donaire fell to 42-8

THE core of the national’s men’s team competing in ongoing Southeast Asian Volleyball League (V.League) will banner the country’s return to the Asian Games in Hangzhou in China in September.

Though still in the hunt for a breakthrough win, the bulk of the Filipino spikers currently playing in the SEA V.League will be tasked to carry the fight in the 19th Asiad in September, according to Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNFV) president Ramon “Tats” Suzara.

I think the core players here will definitely go to the Asian Games,” said Suzara at the sidelines of the SEA V.League, his brainchild tournament with Thailand federation president Shanrit Wongprasert, in the City of Santa Rosa in Laguna.

A mong the anticipated leaders for the Philippines’ Asiad comeback after 49 years are the troika of Bryan Bagunas, Marck Espejo and rising star Steven Rotter.

The last time the Philippines played in the Asian Games was in 1974 in Tehran where the country finished in sixth place.

B agunas and Espejo missed the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia last summer but returned to the team with a bang while Rotter has been a revelation so far for the Philippines since the SEA Games,

win-loss record with 28 knockouts while Santiago improved to 28-3-5 winloss-draw record with 14 knockouts.

I’m healthy and okay. We didn’t get

Asian Volleyball Confederation Challenge Cup and the SEA V. League.

The Philippines finished 10th in its AVC debut and fifth in the SEA Games. In the second leg of the SEA V.League, the local spikers after a winless Leg 1 campaign in Jakarta last week, have been showing huge improvement so far.

Suzara said the youth power of Rotter and the wealth of experience of the Bagunas-Espejo combo could do wonders for the Philippines in an expected tough Asiad campaign.

I think we’re back in the level of men’s volleyball. We have new young players coming in and with the experience of Bagunas and Espejo, it will drive more encouragement enthusiasm to our national team,” Suzara said.

Th is time, the country will be in for a tall order in Hangzhou after being bunched with Volleyball Nations League bronze medalist and 16-time Asian Games champion Japan, SEA Games king Indonesia and Afghanistan.

I hope that this will continue. I know we have a lot of work to do in many aspects,” Suzara said. “But we will get there.”

The Philippines played Vietnam last night at the City of Santa Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex in Laguna at the culmination of the three-day SEA V.League.

what we wanted tonight but I congratulate Santiago on his WBC belt. This is boxing, a sports I love,” Donaire posted on his Twitter after the fight.

It was Donaire’s second straight setback after losing his rematch with Japanese super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue via fourth round knockout in Japan July last year.

NONITO

was 4-1 in Grand Slam Finals versus Andre.

A nd there is LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers versus the Golden State Warriors.

The Warriors defeated the Cavs in the 2015 Finals and looked to repeat against Cleveland in the 2016 Finals. Why not?

The Warriors had the best regular season record in NBA history.

But as former Chicago Bull Ron Harper once famously said, “72-10 don’t mean a thing without a ring.”

The Warriors with their 73-9 record lost in seven games to Cleveland for their historic first title.

A nd well, Golden State joins the Seattle Mariners as having owned the best regular season in their sport with 114 wins and 46 losses in the 2001 season. However, the Mariners lost to the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series, 4-1.

T he Yankees previously held the most wins record with 114-48 that they set in 1998 (when they won the World Series).

There was that first match between Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras in which the latter got walloped by the former. Quipped the flamboyant Andre after the win: “[Samparas] isn’t going to make it as a pro.”

I n 34 head to head matches, Sampras won 20 games and

I g uess Pete did make it while Andre is an entry to “famous last words.”

A nd there’s the famous or infamous rivalry between the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls.

For three seasons—1988-1990—Detroit owned Chicago in the postseason. The Bulls were getting better though, and in 1991 led by Michael Jordan they swept Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals 4-0. The Pistons walked off the floor right before the final buzzer sounded, refusing to shake the hands of the victorious Bulls.

C hicago went on to win the NBA title and a threepeat—the first of two—and Michael Jordan led the Dream Team to Barcelona Gold while Isaiah Thomas was left out causing decades of torment.

Th at was sweet.

R evenge stories are stories you cannot write. Reality is so much better than fiction.

O f course, it isn’t done because there is such a thing as a trilogy or the rubber match and that is a story and column for another day. Ne vertheless, congratulations to Justin Gaethje!

ALTHOUGH uncommon, an athlete competing in two sports in the UAAP is something that the league has seen. However, a two-sport athlete who earns an MBA degree while actively playing, runs his own international business, and publishes a book is a rare kind. Such a rare gem is De La Salle University’s Benjamin “Ben” Phillips III, whose exceptional achievements and unwavering dedication is leaving a lasting impact on Philippine sports and academics.

Double-double

Ben first earned his fair share of the limelight in Philippine sports when he suited up to play for the DLSU Green Archers in the UAAP in 2021, even though he was not recruited and was a walk-on tryout. Playing alongside his younger brother Michael, Ben became known as "Kuya Ben." His

passion for sports, coupled with his determination, led him to play basketball again in the following season and then venture into the volleyball court as a member of the DLSU Green Spikers as a middle blocker come March 2023.

The quick study Unknown to many, while

Ben donned the green and white jersey, he was enrolled under a full scholarship in the DLSU Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, considered one of the toughest in the country. This meant that aside from training and participating in games and tournaments for both basketball and volleyball, Ben was also attending his

MBA courses and fulfilling the stringent requirements of his chosen program. This hectic schedule was only intensified when Ben was selected to be a part of the 2023 Gilas Pilipinas Southeast Asian Games pool, headlined by the breakout play of his younger brother Michael, and eventually winning a gold medal with the “Redeem Team”. N onetheless, Coach Gian

Nazario, Ben’s basketball coach, attested to Ben's exceptional time management skills, recalling Ben's dedication: "He knows his priorities, and he goes 100% on all of it."

Full-court press

Ben himself described his demanding daily routine, saying: "My day usually started around 7 or 8 am in the morning where, after my morning routine of scripture and meditation, I would conduct progress checks and have managerial meetings with my company back in the States... The lack of sleep and recovery was evident in my everyday appearance and energy, but I knew it was the short-term sacrifice I would be able to do with the Lord's strength."

C oach Gian shared specific instances where Ben's exceptional time management skills were evident, such as during Season 85 of Men's Volleyball Season, when he would train with the volleyball team from 1 to 4 pm and train with the Basketball team from 4 to 7pm.

An MVP in Business

As if being a varsity player and a graduate student simultaneously were not daunting enough, Ben continued to run his own business while studying.

He serves as the Director of Global Affairs and the Chief Operating Officer of Dr. Baker & Associates: The Business Hospital™, a consulting firm that specialized in serving small businesses and startups globally.

B en expressed his dedication to service, saying:

"Zeal for service is a quality of Lasallian business education that has influenced how I attack

problems and value solutionbased outcomes for the greater good, not just the individual."

B efore arriving in the Philippines, Ben had already published a book titled "Lone Wolf Mentality: A Millennial Mindset," which provided personal financial management tips. He is also working on his second book, "Creating a Miracle: The Story of Miracle Mills," and publishing his MBA thesis.

B en's journey toward earning his MBA degree was no easy feat, but he expressed his determination and gratitude, saying: "After only two years of grueling studies, I completed my MBA degree and successfully defended my Action Research project. I am thankful for the opportunities that have come my way, both in academics and sports."

Field goals

With the UAAP volleyball tournament concluded, Ben is back on the basketball court for his final season with the De La Salle Green Archers. However, his journey does not end there. Ben is set to embark on his Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) at DLSU, with plans to become the next Business Doctor of The Business Hospital™. He also envisions pursuing a law degree after completing the DBA, showcasing his unyielding determination to make a difference in multiple domains. I n all his endeavors, Ben means business and is “all business”. His commitment and hard work in his academic pursuit are undeniable, equaled only by his dedication and tenacity in his chosen sports. And Ben intends on continuing just that.

CSR-Sustainability

Strengthening the Extended Producer Responsibility law

collaboration, communication and capacity development, and develop access to finance facilities to support EPR implementation.

Regarding single-use plastics, Loyzaga pointed out that these are among the most prevalent wastes that end up in our oceans.

“Until there is research that can establish commercially a substitution of single-used plastics’ functionality and affordability, we will not be able to get rid of this challenge,” she added.

Influencing Consumer Behavior

THE DTI has long been a champion of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 12 on responsible consumption and production. It is one of the government agencies in the Philippines that actively promotes and implements programs and initiatives that will help consumers adopt more sustainable practices.

Castelo cited one of these ini-

ALTHOUGH the main players in the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system are the entities that produce and sell plastic products, the public can also play a significant role by reducing their consumption of singleuse plastics, recycling plastic waste, and supporting businesses that are committed to sustainability.

By working together, a circular economy that minimizes waste and helps protect the environment for future generations can be achieved.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo cited more ways to contribute to a circular economy, such as bringing your own reusable bags when shopping, using a reusable water bottle, repurposing microwaveable containers, buying more environmentally friendly products, and declining plastic utensils when ordering takeout.

Castelo was one of the speakers at the recent BusinessMirror’s Coffee Club event on "EPR Law: What goes around comes around" in Alabang, Muntinlupa City. Also present during the event were Senator Cynthia Villar, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Antonia Loyzaga, and from the private sector, Caitlin Nina Punzalan, Corporate and Government Affairs Lead, Mondelez International and Jose Uy, Head of Corporate Affairs, Nestle Philippines.

Segregation

FOR her part, the DENR chief said the public can help address the plastic waste problem by segregating at the source, composting food scraps, reducing food waste, and adopting a sustainable consumption and lifestyle.

“If I may call on all of you for your support, this is all of society and the whole of government effort. It cannot be achieved by the DENR alone. We need everyone's help. It's the work of many hands and we hope your hands will be on deck,” said Loyzaga.

The DENR states that under the EPR, companies are obliged to have the responsibility for the proper and effective recovery, treatment, recycling or disposal of their products after they have been sold and used by consumers to reduce the volume of plastic waste generation and extend the life of plastics by adding value or purpose through upcycling or recycling.

Explicitly, the EPR Act of 2022 mandates the obliged enterprises or corporations with total assets of over P100 million to recover or offset their plastic waste footprint. The initial goal is set at a 20 percent recovery target to be achieved in 2023, progressively increasing each year until an 80 percent recovery target is maintained in 2028 and onwards.

The other types of EPR program implementers are the Collectives or those that establish and implement an EPR program for and only among its members exclusively; Producer Responsibili-

ty Organizations (PROs) that establish a common platform for EPR programs for its members, but open to affiliates or the public, and Micro, Small and Mediumsized Enterprises (MSMEs).

Significance of EPR Act

DATA from the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) disclosed that the Philippines generates 61,000 metric tons of solid waste daily, 12 to 24 percent of which are plastic waste. Filipinos use a staggering amount of plastic daily, including more than 163 million plastic sachet packets, 48 million shopping bags, and 45 million thin-film bags, 33 percent of which is disposed of in landfills and dumpsites and around 35 percent is leaked into the open environment and oceans.

According to a World Bank study, around 28 percent of our key plastic waste gets recycled. Still, around 70 percent or majority of the material value of plastics is lost to the Philippine economy each year, equivalent to a value loss of USD790 to 890 million.

The EPR Act aims to facilitate effective waste recovery measures in the country and combat environmental pollution, particularly related to plastic packaging waste.

With EPR, large companies are required to adopt and implement policies for the proper management of plastic packaging wastes.

Following the issuance of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 11898 or the EPR Act of 2022 early this year, the DENR has called on enterprises to register their respective EPR programs. Businesses that fail to register their EPR program will be fined according to the law.

A s of May 2023, merely 16 percent of the obliged enterprises (Oes) have registered under the EPR law.

Currently there are around 642 OEs and that is from a universe of around 4,000. So we do need the help of our friends from the media, from the private sector, the NGO sector, to build up the registry in order for us to really take this law and get its maximum effect,” said Loyzaga.

Partnerships with other agencies,private sector

THE DENR, Loyzaga shared, collaborates with other national government agencies in the implementation of EPR law. These agencies include the DTI, Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Food and Drug Administration, Department of Finance (DOF), and DSWD.

Loyzaga likewise enumerated a number of ways the private sector can help. The private sector can formulate industry-led roadmap to address marine litter specifically, support networking hub of local government units (LGUs), NGOs and industry for compliance, establish national network to promote recycling market, support research and development for non-environmentally acceptable products such as single-use plastics, promote EPR sustainability

tiatives which is the development of the Asean Sustainable Consumption Toolkit. The goal of the toolkit is to guide consumer protection authorities in Asean in promoting sustainable consumption by looking at best practices and models of public policies that will support sustainable consumption.

We are advocating for sustainable consumption and production to be included in the grade school curriculum so that we can change the mindsets of our young. We have been pushing for this since 2018 and we are hoping that Grade 2 or Grade 3 students would already be made aware of sustainable consumption and production and live it as a way of life so that we can change their mindsets and grow up to be responsible consumers and producers as well,” added Castelo.

How will the EPR law affect the ordinary Filipino consumer?

“We all know that the EPR law affects primarily manufacturers making it certain that they are held responsible for the plastic packaging that they use for their products. It starts from production to the post-consumption cycle.”

“However, as manufacturers are incentivized to design products that are easier to recycle or have reduced environmental impact, of course consumers would likely notice more environmentally friendly products in the market. This will

lead to a wider availability of ecofriendly options for consumers,” explained Castelo. Will the EPR law affect the prices of goods? Castelo regarded this as a challenging question saying that while plastics originally served as effective and dependable material, the detrimental effects they have on the environment far outweigh the advantages these plastics supposedly offer. This poses a challenge for corporations to explore innovative approaches and foster innovation to introduce more environmentally friendly and cost-effective products to the market. Producers may also design and optimize their products by reducing material usage, minimizing packaging, and improving overall efficiency. We can employ lightweight and durable materials and, in some products, reduce transportation cost and minimize waste. We can also have refill packaging as well as buying in bulk,” said Castelo. She likewise emphasized that for consumers to contribute to EPR’s successful implementation, they should only purchase from companies that comply with the law and have passed their EPR programs to the National Solid Waste Commission. They should also actively engage in the EPR scheme and establish waste management systems, opt for recyclable or unpackaged goods and products, and reuse and recycle packaging products as much as possible.

CSR-Sustainability

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ELIMINATING PLASTIC POLLUTION LIES IN EVERYONE

have been sold and used by consumers” and help “reduce the volume of plastic wastes generation and extend the life of plastics by adding value or purpose through upcycling or recycling.”

Companies heeding the call AMONG the many large-scale companies doing business in the Philippines that heeded the call of the EPR are Mondelez Philippines, the local office of global snack maker Mondelēz International, and Nestlé Philippines from the world’s top food company Nestlé, the world’s largest, most diversified food and beverages company.

Lastly, Punzalan noted that 66 percent of consumers actively look for snacks that want to minimize their environmental impact. And this is particularly true, she said, for millennials and Gen Zs. “So, the future of the world really rests on millennials and Gen Zs and it’s good to know that even while they are young, they know that they have a responsibility toward the environment,” Punzalan explained.

forts to make plastic not end up as marine litter,” she said.

W hen the EPR law was implemented, Punzalan said they needed to do their part in collecting the plastic they put out through their products. This year, they are working with the Plastic Credit Exchange to collect 100 percent of the plastic they use in their packaging.

deliver, and we will deliver what we promised. Being a publicly listed company, this is not just lip service. Companies and greenhouse gas emissions grow over time. Our promise is that no matter how our company grows, we’re promising to be net zero by 2050 based on our 2018 timeline,” Uy said.

Forward to the early 2000s where plastic waste generated was higher in a single decade than it had in the past 40 years. Today, plastic wastes reach around 400 million tons every year, according to the UNEP, with global production of primary plastic estimated to reach 1,100 million tons by 2050. There is also the worrying shift towards single-use plastic products, or those thrown away immediately after use.

The agency said an “approximate 36 percent of all plastics produced are used in packaging, including single-use plastic products for food and beverage containers, approximately 85 per cent of which end up in landfills or as unregulated waste.”

In the case of the Philippines, some of these plastic wastes end up in our beautiful oceans, one of the Philippines’ most attractive tourism destinations, primarily caused by irresponsible tourists, foreign or domestic.

The Philippines acted upon it

THE country is seen as one of the world’s worst contributors of ma-

rine plastic pollution, dumping approximately 0.28 to 0.75 million tons of plastic into the oceans every year, according to the SEA Circular, a UNEP initiative, and the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) that is funded by the Government of Sweden.

Broad and far-reaching legislation have been passed already in the country to address the plastic pollution issue, such as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and the National Plan of Action for the Prevention, Reduction, and Management of Marine Litter (NPOA-ML), the marine litter framework plan, whose objective is to achieve “Zero Waste to Philippine Waters by 2040.”

Though comprehensive enough, these laws hit a snag due to implementation concerns.

However, the Philippines again enacted another piece of legislation, Republic Act 11898 or the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022, which mandates large companies to be responsible in the “proper and effective recovery, treatment, recycling and disposal of their products after they

In a recent forum organized by the BusinessMirror titled “The EPR Law: What Goes Around Comes Around,” Caitlin Niña Punzalan, Corporate and Government Affairs Lead, Mondelēz International, said their mission is to empower people to snack right with the right snack for the right moment, and made the right way.

Mondelēz Philippines, which is part of global snack maker Mondelēz International that operates in 150 countries globally, has been operating in the country since 1963 and is celebrating its 60th year of operations in the Philippines. Their brands include Tang, Eden Cheese, ChizWiz, Cadbury, Toblerone, among others.

Punzalan said that for their company, making snacks the right way means sustainable snacking and making a stand. “Today, we'd like to be able to take a stand on issues that matter to us and that is our support to the EPR law.”

She emphasized that being sustainable is not just something that is nice to do but is actually what their consumers want them to do. She said that 54 percent of consumers make an effort to eat more plant-based snacks, and that 70 percent of consumers prioritize snacks that have less plastic packaging. “It’s becoming really important for more consumers that the product they buy is not only delicious but also creates less impact on the environment,” she said.

As a company, Punzalan stressed that they have recently made sustainability a fourth pillar of the business. While companies need to generate profit and need to execute really well, Punzalan said they also want to make sure that sustainability is part and parcel of what they do as a company. “It is not just a nice to do; it is a must do for us.”

Punzalan pointed out that they have programs to sustainably source their ingredients like cocoa and wheat. She underscored the fact that they have “Cocoa Life,” Mondelēz International’s global cocoa sustainability program which ensures that they sustainably produce the cocoa that they use in their products. Also, Mondelēz makes sure that human rights are preserved and are not taken advantage of in their total supply chain. “That’s how we do sustainability for areas where we have the most impact, where our supply chain rests, and at the same time, we also hope to drive change where the world needs it most. That is under climate or carbon emissions reduction in packaging or waste.

In terms of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance), Punzalan said they hope to reduce end-toend carbon emissions by 10 percent by year 2025, reduce absolute water usage in priority sites by 10 percent, and reduce food waste in internal manufacturing by 10 percent, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 as a global company.

In packaging, we want to ensure that by 2025, 100 percent of our packaging would be designed to be recyclable, with five-percent reduction in virgin plastic usage, and 25-percent reduction in virgin rigid plastic. We also have other ef-

“ This is in compliance with the EPR law but this is actually more than what the law prescribes which is 80 percent but we thought since we’re going to do 80 percent anyway, let’s do 100 percent to show our commitment to sustainability, and we thank our partners in Plastic Credit Exchange who can allow us to live up to this commitment of 100 percent in plastic collection in the country,” she said.

For Nestlé Philippines, when it comes to sustainability, their commitment is about achieving “Net Zero,” or the “balance between the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) that’s produced and the amount that’s removed from the atmosphere.”

According to Jose Uy III, SVP and Head of Corporate Affairs, Nestlé Philippines, their vision is that none of their packaging ends up in landfills or as litter. “We are helping create a future where cleverly designed packaging, innovative new materials, better recycling infrastructure and reusable or refillable packaging can prevent waste on land and in oceans. This goal is ambitious, but we are determined to achieve it.”

Uy reported that as of 2018, the company’s carbon emission by operation is at 92 million tons, with 65.6 percent coming from sourcing of ingredients, seven percent from product manufacturing, 11 percent from product packaging, 7.5 percent from managing logistics, and 0.8 percent from travel and employee commuting. He is confident that Nestlé will achieve Net Zero in 2050. By 2025, they would have reduced emissions by 20 percent, then 50-percent emission reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2050. “We promised to

From 2021 to 2025, he expects that 95 percent of their packaging to be reusable or recyclable by 2025 “but we are committed to 100 percent.”

And by that year, Uy said their commitment is to cut their virgin plastic use in their packaging by a third.

Since 2018, Uy said they already have several initiatives in tackling plastic waste, like being the first food and beverage company to transition to paper straws from plastic ones. It requires a significant investment, he said, and also risky since people, especially kids, like to bite plastic straws. But despite that, he continued, people still patronized their products, and they did not pass on to the consumers the extra costs required.

Since 2020, Uy said they have already complied with the mandate of the EPR to be plastic neutral and is the first multinational company to achieve plastic neutrality.

He admitted that challenges remain and there are still tasks to be done. “At Nestlé, we don’t look at the high cost of sustainability but we look at it as an investment. We believe that companies working on ESG will be rewarded by discerning consumers, and will face less regulatory and supply chain risks in their operations so it’s worth the investment.”

Uy also pointed to the lack of technology and infrastructure for recycling plastics into food-grade materials. He said they are working with various organizations, financing institutions and global changemakers to find long-term solutions to this problem.

“Overall, the responsibility starts within all of us, not just the manufacturers or the government. It all starts within us, our households, our communities working together as one.”

THE United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) said that in the 1950s to the 1970s, plastics were largely unknown since very small amounts were produced. But this changed from the 1970s up to the 1990s where plastic production more than tripled and generated the same volume of plastic wastes.

One Meralco Foundation Empowers Communities with Better Water, Health Access

ENERGIZING far-flung areas and empowering even the farthest communities in the country have become even more important as the Philippines takes strides towards sustainable and inclusive development. The strong collaboration between the government and the private sector is crucial in addressing the challenges that are hindering progress.

O ne Meralco Foundation (OMF), which is one with the government in the push towards nation-building, has been living up to its mission to spread the light and help ensure that no community is left in the dark.

The social development arm of Manila Electric Company (Meralco) expanded its electrification program to cover health centers, water access, and agricultural and livelihood programs in addition to off-grid public schools, and low-income households in the Meralco franchise area.

O MF recently energized a

health center in the municipality of Tanay which caters to the basic medical needs of over 3,000 residents of the community, including members of the Dumagat Tribe.

The project involved a 3-kilowatt peak (kWp) solar photovoltaic (PV) system for the Barangay Laiban health center, which would power crucial medical equipment for improved delivery of health services in the community.

I nstalled by Meralco’s solar power subsidiary Spectrum, the solar PV system donation to the barangay was made possible through a fundraising led by Meralco employees from its Customer Retail Services Group.

W ith the new solar PV system, health care workers can now use nebulizers for those with respiratory ailments, and fetal dopplers for prenatal care. In addition, the health center is now sufficiently lit and ventilated for a more conducive environment for both medical

workers and patients.

A longside the energization, Meralco also conducted a medical mission for the residents of Barangay Laiban with the help of volunteer doctors from the Department of Health, Tanay Municipal Health Office, and Marikina Valley Medical Center. The medical mission was sponsored by the Meralco Employees Fund for Charity Inc., Pascual Laboratories Inc., Lloyd Laboratories Inc., and Megasoft Hygienic Products, Inc.

Meralco employees donated medicines and medical equipment such as nebulizers, fetal dopplers, and blood pressure monitors. OMF also donated 100 school kits for students of the Laiban Integrated School in the community.

“ This initiative led by our own Meralco employees signifies our commitment to empower not just our customers but also residents in remote communities. With the help of our gov -

ernment and private sector partners, Meralco aims to energize and support more communities and continue powering the good life for every Filipino,” Meralco Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Ferdinand O. Geluz said.

Tanay Mayor Rafael “Lito”

A. Tanjuatco welcomed the assistance provided by Meralco, saying: “Rest assured that the municipality of Tanay together with our rural health unit and medical workers will work together to ensure that your good donation will be used for the benefit of the community since we all believe that light is life.”

WATER ACCESS

In Bulacan, over 100 families of the Dumagat Tribe living in Norzagaray have started to reap the benefits of clean and safe water supply after OMF energized the community’s water facility.

OMF installed a three (3)

kilowatt portable solar photovoltaic system to power up the Sitio Sapang Munti community’s integrated water system, which provides access to potable supply that can be used for drinking, bathing, washing, and cooking.

F ollowing the electrification, the water facility, built by the Manila Water Foundation, can now filter, store, and distribute up to 10,000 liters of potable water through strategically placed communal faucets 24/7.

W ith no access to a water system, members of the Dumagat Tribe previously relied solely on water that flows from the stream (sapa) and spring (bukal) for their daily needs even if their community is situated within the confines of the Ipo Watershed— which supplies nearly all of Metro Manila’s water needs.

M arites Cruz, a member of the community who has been fetching water from the stream for nearly 50 years, said the

development brings new hope for the community and relieves them of worries about possible health problems.

“ Dati, yung ibang mga kasama namin ay nagpapakulo ng tubig lalo’t kapag may sanggol. Minsan, pagkatapos umulan, malabo ang tubig kaya inaantay pa naming luminaw pero di pa rin kami nakakasiguro kung malinis talaga yun,” she said.

T hese are only two of OMF’s sustainable social responsibility programs that leave a lasting impact.

A s the social development arm and corporate foundation of Meralco, OMF is committed to continuously providing and finding opportunities for development for underserved communities.

“One Meralco Foundation will continue to take steps to make electricity access available to more underserved communities and help make basic services closer to as many as possible,” OMF President Jeffrey O. Tarayao said.