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JBIC talks to PHL firms on energy investments
THE Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) is now in talks with several local firms for possible investments, which will help in the country’s efforts towards energy security.
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Guimaras mango gets IPOPHL 1st ‘G.I.’ seal
THE Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said it recently approved Guimaras mangoes as the Philippines’s first geographical indication (GI).
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Timely fund release in ₧5.75-T budget eyed
THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) stressed that “timely” release of budget is “crucial” in the implementation of the government’s various programs and projects as the national government prepares for the P5.75-trillion budget next year.
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‘Government will fast-track production, distribution of national ID cards’
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) are targeting to accelerate the production and distribution of the physical national IDs.
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Government aims to improve food production via geomapping
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the geomapping of agricultural lands in the country to optimize food production.
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Manila to Chinese firms: Invest in clean energy
The Philippines is inviting Chinese companies to bring in their technology and expertise in equipment design and manufacturing for solar and wind power generation, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
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Group pushes preservation, promotion of indigenous food products in Negros
SILAY CITY—Batwan, a fruit resembling a tiny green apple, is used mostly as a souring agent in many popular dishes in Western Visayas such as Cansi; KBL (kadyos, baboy, langka); Pinalmahan, among others. The tree is indigenous to the region but difficult to propagate; it can take about two years before a seed grows shoots. As such, most of the fruits that actually make it to the market are found in the wild.
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‘C’ of Opportunities
IT was a pleasant surprise reading an interview article of Mathijs Vleeming in the recent e-newsletter of Association Meetings International. Mathijs, a consultant for associations at Yard Digital Agency, is a familiar figure with the association community here, having conducted a webinar on online communities last year.
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Globe urges government to adopt connectivity rating scheme
Globe Telecom Inc. said on Thursday it supports calls for the establishment of a national connectivity index rating, an initiative that will establish a standard for Internet quality in the Philippines.
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MPIC: Vote on delisting deferred
The bidders for the publicly-held shares of Metro Pacific Investment Corp. (MPIC) have sought to delay the shareholders’ approval to take the company private.
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REDC, Gugler to develop pumped storage facility
Repower Energy Development Corp. (REDC) and Austria-based Gugler Water Turbines GMBH (Gugler) have teamed up to develop seawater pumped storage projects.
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fast-tracking network rollout
PLDT Inc. said on Thursday it has “reaccelerated” its network builds, integrating process improvements as well as the deployment of cloud-based, intelligent, and automated tech solutions.
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Notes on cinema: From Bergman and Bergman to Buster Keaton
Sir, what do you read in between your columns?”
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Jessica Soho continues mission of storytelling and helping others
Widely regarded as the Philippines’ most awarded broadcast journalist, Jessica Soho remains a GMA talent as she renewed her contract with the network on May 31, committed to carrying on with her mission of sharing the Filipinos’ story around the globe.
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Winners, losers in ‘Succession’
LIKE many of the show’s fans, I still have an emotional hangover after watching the finale of HBO’s Succession.
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Make way for the LexusRZ 450e all-electric SUV
LEXUS has recently joined the EV race in the Philippines with the launch of the RZ 450e, the brand’s first model with the BEV-develop platform. Lexus intends not simply to deliver the benefits of zero-emission, all-electric driving but to capture the potential of BEVs to reinvent the driving experience.
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Time to privatize Edsa busway? Chevy success
IS it really time to privatize the Edsa busway, also known as the bus carousel, on Metro Manila’s busiest road network?
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Let’s send our maids to truly safe countries
This is something difficult to stomach: Since 2016, 196 Filipino workers have died in Kuwait, and nearly 80 percent of those deaths were due to physical abuse, according to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration. In 2017, the Philippine embassy in Kuwait registered 6,000 cases of abuse, sexual harassment and rape.
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Buy Pinoy, build Pinoy to secure economic independence
The Philippine Constitution expressly mandates the State to “promote a just and dynamic social order that will enable the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life” (Section 9, Article II).
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Imagining One Hundred Islands
Are the hundred islands of Alaminos counted in the 7,100 or 7,641 islands of the Philippine archipelago? Or, are these counted as one set? If I am to believe the many data about the Hundred Islands available online, there are 124 at low tide and 123 at high tide. If this is the case, that beauty contestant of yore was not being smart-alecky but was factual?
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Reflections on artificial intelligence
When ChatGPT, a large language model artificial intelligence (AI) program, was released late November last year, it caught the world’s attention, and I was experimenting with its capabilities by the second week of December. By the time we had to submit our course syllabi for the second semester in January 2023, I did not change my class requirements in an economics course I would be teaching.
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Tatak Pinoy (Proudly Pinoy) Act
Over the years, our government has taken steps to address the structural challenges of the economy—be it the high cost of power, inadequate skills of our workforce, or poor logistics. What has been lacking is a coordinated transformation of the economy across three specific, albeit interrelated dimensions. First is the imperative to modernize agriculture and increase its productivity. Second is the need to increase the employment share of the manufacturing sector, and in general, of the complex sectors of the economy. And third, the production and export of a more complex basket of products and services, such as but not limited to the making of advanced microchips, electric vehicle components, and even aerospace parts.
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DENR order revises guidelines on mineral exploration reporting
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has revised the guidelines in the classification and reporting standards of exploration results, mineral resources and ore reserves.
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SP Zubiri confident Maharlika fund law ‘can withstand judicial scrutiny’
DESPITE the huge majority vote that approved the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill in both chambers of Congress, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri still expects some parties to question the law before the Supreme Court, but is confident it can “stand the test of judicial scrutiny.”
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Romualdez: House OKs33 out of 42 priority bills
Thirty-three out of 42 bills listed as priority measures of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) have already been approved by the House of Representatives.
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House approves debt ceiling bill; swift Senate OK to avoid default
WASHINGTON—Veering away from a default crisis, the House approved a debt ceiling and budget cuts package late Wednesday, as President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy assembled a bipartisan coalition of centrist Democrats and Republicans against fierce conservative blowback and progressive dissent.
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Triple-whammy of cyclones, 1-in-200-year event, drove deadly flooding–Scientists
ROME—A rare, triple-whammy of cyclones drove the deadly flooding that devastated much of northern Italy this month, but scientists said Wednesday that climate change doesn’t seem to be to blame for the intense rainfall.
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UN chief criticizes Cambodia’s upcoming elections after top opposition party ban
UNITED NATIONS—UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres implicitly criticized Cambodia’s upcoming elections Wednesday for failing to be inclusive, after the top opposition party was not allowed to register.
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NASA holds first public meeting ahead of report on unidentified flying objects
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—NASA held its first public meeting on UFOs on Wednesday a year after launching a study into unexplained sightings and insisted it’s not hiding anything.
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La Salle routs Wangs to clinch semis berth in D-League
ECOOIL-LA SALLE routed Wangs Basketball @27 Striker-Letran, 102-79 to secured its place in the semifinals of the Philippine Basketball Association D-League Aspirants’ Cup at the Ynares Arena in Pasig City on Thursday.
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There’s going to be a new NBA champion from Serbia: Nikola (something)
DENVER—Congratulations, Serbia. You’re about to have another National Basketball Association (NBA) champion. His name is Nikola.
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Busy at French Open, Novak Djokovic keeping tabs on countryman Nikola Jokic in NBA Finals
PARIS—Novak Djokovic might be busy trying to win the French Open but he definitely will be keeping tabs on how his friend and countryman Nikola Jokic fares in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals with the Denver Nuggets.
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What was that thing on Djokovic’s chest at the French Open? He jokes it’s connected to Iron Man
PARIS—So what exactly was that metal-looking object about the size of a bottle cap that was taped to Novak Djokovic’s chest at the French Open?
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Djokovic tries to put issue of Kosovo comments behind him
PARIS—Novak Djokovic sure seemed like someone ready to move on from the latest non-tennis issue he’s been involved in during a Grand Slam tournament. Criticized after his previous match for comments about clashes in northern Kosovo between ethnic Serbs and NATO-led peacekeepers, the 22-time major champion stayed away from political matters on Wednesday night.
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Sabalenka of Belarus refuses to answer questions about war in Ukraine
PARIS—Aryna Sabalenka, a Belarusian tennis player seeded No. 2 at the French Open, declined to answer questions about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine after she won a match on Wednesday.
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Peyton Stearns, NCAA champ for Texas, beats Jelena Ostapenko, 2017 champ at French Open
PARIS—Like many a kid, Peyton Stearns enjoyed participating in sports and tried her hand at plenty.
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Russian Olympic cycling medalists barred from races for lack of neutrality during war in Ukraine
AIGLE, Switzerland—Two Russian track cyclists who won medals at the Tokyo Olympics were ruled ineligible to race Wednesday for breaching rules monitoring their neutrality during the war on Ukraine.
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Zubiri confident Maharlika fund law ‘can withstand judicial scrutiny’
DESPITE the huge majority vote that approved the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill in both chambers of Congress, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri still expects some parties to question the law before the Supreme Court, but is confident it can “stand the test of judicial scrutiny.”
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FGEN LNG and Prime Infra Form Alliance on Lease of Batangas LNG Terminal
LANDMARK ENERGY ALLIANCE: From left to right:
Prime Infra president and CEO Guillaume Lucci, chairman of Prime Infra Enrique K. Razon Jr., Federico Lopez, FirstGen chairman and CEO, Victor Emmanuel B. Santos Jr., FirstGen Executive Vice President.
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PHL debt hits new high of P13.911 trillion at end-April
THE Philippines’s outstanding debt has climbed to P13.911 trillion, the highest in the country’s history, on the back of more external borrowing worsened by the depreciation of the local currency, according to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr).
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NGCP cites progress in power transmission
THE National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) better manages the country’s power transmission system than when it was being run by the government from 2000 to 2008, the grid operator asserted on Wednesday.
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Maharlika fund ‘Express’ completes its run
THE House of Representatives on Wednesday went to a sine die adjournment with the adoption of the Senate version of the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF), a priority measure of the Marcos administration.
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MIF can help pension funds grow members’ money–PBBM
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said pension funds should still be able to invest in the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) despite the opposition of some lawmakers, who successfully excluded these, in the Senate version, from the list of entities initially mandated to contribute to the seed fund.
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GSIS’s feat prompts Marcos to call for full digitalization
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called on government agencies to “fully embrace” digitalization by making as much as 95 percent of their transactions done online.
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SEIPI seeks meeting with Palace on rationalization of incentives
The Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. (SEIPI) said it is hoping to meet with the Office of the President (OP) to address the issue on incentives rationalization to help attract more investments and be at par with Philippines’ Asean neighbors.
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World Bank approves $176-M loan for PHL fisheries project
The World Bank (WB) has approved a loan for a project that aims to improve the country’s fisheries output and increase the income of local fishers.
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May inflation could slow on lower oil, food prices–BSP
THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said the country’s inflation for May could slow to its lowest rate in 12 months at 5.8 percent on the back of lower prices of oil, fish and chicken.
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97% rice self-sufficiency is new target–PBBM
IT may now take longer for the Philippines to achieve near “rice-sufficiency” under a new government road map to boost production for the food staple.
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Economic team: All safeguards vs abuse built into MIF bill
THE economic team of the Marcos Jr. administration assured the public that the approved Senate version of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) — which the House later adopted— contains all the safeguards against abuse and ensures prudent use of the P500-billion fund.
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Century Properties buys out partner in housing venture
The board of Century Properties Group Inc. (CPG) has approved the company’s buyout of its Japanese partner Mitsubishi Corp. (MC) in their affordable housing venture.
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Lopez-led INAEC Aviation Corp. orders Regent seagliders
Lopez-led INAEC Aviation Corp. said on Wednesday it has signed a deal with Boston-based sea glider manufacturer Regent to introduce sea glider planes to the Philippines.
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GMA Network to air hit shows in Africa
GMA Network Inc. said on Wednesday it has signed deals to air 14 of its hit shows in the African region, in its bid to become a “major provider of topnotch Filipino content in the world’s second largest continent.”
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FDC appoints ex-Jollibee exec as COO
Ysmael V. Baysa, a former CFO of fastfood giant Jollibee Foods Corp., has been appointed as COO of Gotianun-led Filinvest Development Corp. (FDC).
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Rising costs seen delaying launch of housing projects
Fewer vertical housing projects may be completed this year mainly due to the rise in interest and mortgage rates, as well as the prices of construction materials, which reached a 14-year high, according to Colliers Philippines.
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Tourism Malaysia fires-off this year’s sales mission
AIMING to lure a greater number of Filipino tourists, Tourism Malaysia recently conducted its first sales mission to Manila and Davao for 2023 from May 20 to 28.
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India business roadshow attracts investors to Iloilo
ILOILO CITY—The provincial and city governments of Iloilo welcomed the India Business Roadshow yesterday, which was expected to attract investments.
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Stories that teach financial freedom
Since I started working in 1999, I have come across the difficult financial situations of my co-workers. There were some where their payroll cash cards had been perennially pawned to debtors. There were others who engaged in incurring debts with exorbitant interest rates but had no choice, which then led to the debt multiplying in a short span of time. The latest encounter I had was a desperate need for funds where they pawned their own home to an independent debtor for a ridiculously small amount relative to the value of their humble home. In addition, we would occasionally get phone calls from credit card companies repeatedly looking for an employee about their credit card debt.
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Want to live more healthy? Consider nutrient-packed meal replacement
While much has been made about the importance of maintaining a healthy weight—from looking and feeling healthy to keeping certain conditions at bay like high blood pressure and even certain cancers—attaining our ideal BMI (body mass index) can be daunting.
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DepEd to strengthen campaign against smoking, vaping for a healthier nation
FOR someone, regardless of age, to be enticed to take that smoking whiff can be attributed to a lot of factors, whether through peer pressure from most-of-the-time immature friends, classmates, neighbors, or perhaps even strangers in a public place like a bar.
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Muntinlupa to give free breast cancer early detection tests
BELIEVING that prevention is better than cure, Muntinlupa City is helping Filipinas to carry the heavy burden of breast cancer as it provides them with free access to early detection tests.
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UNFPA commends House Committee for approving bill that addresses adolescent pregnancy in PHL
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Philippines recently commended the House of Representatives Committee on Youth and Sports Development for recently approving a bill that addresses adolescent pregnancy in the country.
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DOH warns of rise in infectious disease cases with El Niño
The looming El Niño can increase the spread of infectious diseases, the Department of Health (DOH) warned.
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What can ignite a US-China war?
The United States sanctioned Chinese General Li Shangfu in 2018 under the so-called Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act when he headed the Equipment Development Department of the Chinese military. The sanctions were related to China’s purchase from Russia of 10 SU-35 combat aircraft in 2017 and S-400 surface-to-air missile system-related equipment in 2018, according to the State Department.
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Protecting Filipino consumers from the risks posed by substandard products
AS a consumer protection measure, the government, through the Department of Trade and Industry, included flat glass in its list of products under mandatory standard. In fact, the DTI ordered that “all imported flat glass must pass the quality standards for ICC (Import Clearance Certification) and all manufacturing plants must be PS-certified (Philippine National Standards) to ensure safety on the use of this major construction material.”
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Demonic money
DEMONIC was the exact word used by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines spokesperson, Assistant Vice President Cynthia Alabanza, in reaction to the question raised by a neophyte senator on the issue of dividend payouts to the franchisee shareowners.
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Supreme Court affirmations of favorable decisions outweigh reversals on seafarer’s cases
Labor is winning in the Supreme Court as affirmations of favorable decisions outweigh reversals on seafarer’s compensation cases.
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Winter is coming
A month ago, I wrote a column, “The Chairman of The Bored.” The local stock market has progressed far beyond boring to “Comatose; a state of deep unconsciousness for an indefinite period, especially as a result of severe illness or injury.”
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House suspends Teves for another 60-days, forfeits all his committee memberships
The House of Representatives on Wednesday slapped another disciplinary action against Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr.
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Coalition of 52 countries ‘gravely concerned’ about killing of Pinoy radio broadcaster
A COALITION of 52 countries have expressed “grave concern” over the killing of Filipino radio broadcaster Cresenciano Bunduquin in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro Wednesday.
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Pentagon: Chinese fighter jet flew past nose of US aircraft
A Chinese fighter jet swerved in front of a US reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea in an “unnecessarily aggressive maneuver,” the Pentagon said, part of what a senior American official described as a pattern of more confrontational behavior in the region.
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Moscow drone attack exposes Russia’s vulnerabilities, fuels criticism of military
A drone attack that targeted Moscow on Tuesday exposed glaring breaches in its air defenses and underlined the capital’s vulnerability as more Russian soil comes under fire amid expectations of a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
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Nato to send 700 more troops to Kosovo to help quell violent protests
PRISTINA, Kosovo—Nato will send 700 more troops to northern Kosovo to help quell violent protests after clashes with ethnic Serbs there left 30 international soldiers wounded, the alliance announced Tuesday.
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Medvedev hates clay
PARIS—If anyone thought a couple of recent runs to Week 2 at the French Open and a clay-court title a little more than a week ago made Daniil Medvedev a little fonder of the red stuff, forget it.
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Labadan holds fort for local bets in Asian rhythmic gymnastics tilt
BREANNA LABADAN flashed the form gained from her training in Europe to stay in contention after the individual all-around qualifiers at the start Wednesday of the 14th Senior Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Championships at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
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Big turnout in PNVF Luzon coaching course
THE Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) completed recently the Luzon leg of the National Coaching Certificate Course that drew more than a hundred participants at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
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La Salle sweeps preseason hoops group phase after topping St. Clare
DE LA SALLE University aced the tough test put up by St. Clare College of Caloocan for a 83-74 decision, Thursday at Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan to sweep its Group II assignments in the 2023 Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup.
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Nuggets working hard for series vs Heat that could see rust battling rest
AARON GORDON bristled at the notion the Denver Nuggets must operate the “rust versus rest” seesaw with 10 days between their Western Conference title celebration in Los Angeles and the start of the National Basketball Association NBA) Finals against the Miami Heat.
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Butler tells Gauff Miami Heat would reach Finals
PARIS—To hear tennis star Coco Gauff tell it, basketball star Jimmy Butler assured her his Miami Heat would make it to the NBA Finals before they were guaranteed of so much as participating in the playoffs.
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Future of Brown-Tatum tandem in spotlight as Celtics enter offseason
BOSTON—The Boston Celtics began their season in chaos. They ended it confronted with a decision that could shape the franchise for years to come.
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Bob Myers departing as Warriors president, GM after 4 NBA titles, 11 seasons
SAN FRANCISCO—Bob Myers can no longer put all of his energy into running the Golden State Warriors, and that’s why he is ready to walk away as one of the most successful professional sports executives ever.
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USA Basketball to play host to Puerto Rico in World Cup tuneup at Las Vegas
USA Basketball has finalized its schedule of exhibition games leading into this summer’s FIBA World Cup, announcing Tuesday that it will open the five-game slate against Puerto Rico in Las Vegas on August 7.
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Djokovic draws criticism from Kosovo tennis federation for comments at French Open
PARIS—Novak Djokovic has drawn criticism from Kosovo’s tennis federation—but not from French Open organizers—after offering his thoughts on clashes in northern Kosovo between ethnic Serbs and police and NATO peacekeepers.
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A year later, LIV Golf is fitting into golf landscape as an island
DUBLIN, Ohio—The catchphrase at LIV Golf seems to have changed in recent months to a bolder tone. Gone is Greg Norman’s tired pitch that “Golf is a force for good.” More common these days is the pronouncement that “We’re not going anywhere.”
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Stables, trainers try to move through grief over euthanized horses as racing thunders on
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky—Frank Sumpter has spent the past few weeks reflecting on Wild On Ice’s remarkable journey to somehow work through his grief over the horse’s catastrophic injury just nine days before he was supposed to race in the Kentucky Derby.
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Olympic sports leaders meet amid uncertainty over Russians competing at 2024 Paris Games
LAUSANNE, Switzerland—Olympic sports bodies meet Wednesday amid ongoing uncertainty about if and how Russian athletes could return to their competitions ahead of the 2024 Paris Games.
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La Salle, Letran dispute second outright semis berth
REIGNING champion EcoOil-La Salle and Wangs Basketball @27 Strikers-Letran dispute the second outright semifinals berth in the Philippine Basketball Association D-League Aspirants’ Cup Thursday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
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Akbayan tags MIF ‘largest investment scam,’ slams hasty Senate vote
CALLING it the “country’s largest investment scam,” the Akbayan Party on Wednesday slammed the Senate’s quick passage of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill, approved on second and third and final reading by senators on the eve of the adjournment of the First Regular Session of the 19th Congress.
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DOF plays down risk factor from Maharlika fund to GFIs, GOCCs
THE Department of Finance (DOF) on Tuesday played down the concerns of some lawmakers on the potential risk to government financial institutions (GFI) and government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCC) investing in the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF).
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Congress prodded on GCG charter amendments bills
THE Governance Com-mission for Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations (GCG) on Tuesday said it is lobbying lawmakers to amend its charter in a bid to strengthen its powers in regulating the GOCC sector.
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Senators nix minority moves to stall Maharlika fund vote
THE Senate minority on Tuesday con-tinued to raise serious questions about the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill that the chamber is expected to pass this week, this time seeking to transfer referral of the measure to the government corporations committee, instead of the banks panel which sponsored it.
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CP Group investing $2.5B in PHL farm tech
THAI business giant Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group) announced last Tuesday its plans to invest US$2.5 billion in agricultural technology development in the country.
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SEIPI keeps 5% growth goal despite Q1 decline
THE Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. (SEIPI) is keeping its 5-percent growth target for 2023 despite the 15.29-percent decline in electronics exports in the first quarter of 2023.
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DA’s 4 new agri-fishery projects cost ₧65.3B
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has touted the benefits from its four new internationally-funded projects for the agri-fishery sector worth P65.3 billion.
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Rizome PHL invests $100Min engineered bamboo plant
Florida-based Rizome Philippines has announced that it is investing $100 million (P5.5 billion) in an engineered bamboo plant in Cagayan de Oro.
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