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Nemi Miranda’s pure imagination

“I LOOKED at people, I try to imagine them, and draw them from memory. I never use pictures because I hate pictures,” painter Nemi R. Miranda, Jr. said about his creative process. “What you see my painting is the product of my soul.”

The products of his soul are currently on view at the Conrad Manila, which, in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DoT) Region IV-A Calabarzon, launched Nemi Miranda: Visual Diary in Pure Imagination, the 8th exhibit of its Of Art and Wine series, at the hotel’s Gallery C.

Mr. Miranda earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Santo Tomas and went on to found the Angono Ateliers Association in 1975. He then set up the Nemiranda Art House Family Museum to promote art in his hometown.

Known as the “Father of Imaginative Figurism,” Mr. Miranda observes people and their surroundings in his hometown of Angono, Rizal as inspiration for his artworks. After a 50-year career, he said that drawing figures “comes very easy” for him, adding that he has mastered the angles and the way the body moves.

The Conrad exhibit features works depicting Philippine folklore, everyday life, and historical events with themes of love, trials and successes, and the environment.

Growing up, Mr. Miranda was influenced by the murals of Carlos “Botong” Francisco and comics of Francisco V. Coching — both National Artists — which is evident in his works featuring farming, fishing, and historical events.

He was also inspired by the folk tales he was told by his grandparents. “If you tell me a story, I can already imagine the figure and the message I want to implore,” the artist told members of the press during the exhibit’s launch on April 10.

On a contemporary note, for this exhibit Mr. Miranda presents his Homecoming series depicting scenes from the 2017 siege of Marawi. “I want to be a visual historian of my time,” he said.

After a walk through the exhibit, one notes the persistent presence of a bird — which the artist noted is himself. “[When] you see all my paintings, there is a bird. I am the soul inside the painting,” he said.

Nemi Miranda: Visual Diary in Pure Imagination is on view at Gallery C in Conrad Manila until June 10. For further details, call 833-9999, or e-mail conradmanila@conradhotels.com. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Lazada aims to offer next-day delivery for L’Oreal by June

SOUTHEAST ASIAN e-commerce giant Lazada Group on Tuesday signed a joint business plan with L’Oreal, as the two companies strengthen their partnership.

Under the plan, L’Oreal will work with Lazada’s warehouses and logistics network to ensure next-day delivery in metro cities by June this year.

The two companies will also pilot consumer engagement tools such as in-app livestreaming. L’Oreal will also launch products exclusively made available to Lazada customers.

“We are confident of creating the leading online beauty destination in Southeast Asia by combining Lazada’s extensive last mile logistics network to bring L’Oreal’s products faster into our customers’ hands. Our partnership today signals our commitment and joint ambition of dominating the Southeast Asian beauty and skincare eCommerce market share by providing the best customer experience. We are very excited for what is to come,” Jing Yin, president of Lazada Group, said in a statement.

Lazada will also implement new search features to ensure L’Oreal products are easily searched on the former’s app.

“Lazada and L’Oreal will collaborate in many areas, from technology, sales and marketing to logistics. Lazada’s technology infrastructure, logistics network and brand engagement capabilities is the gold standard in the industry. Our joint efforts will take us one step closer to creating a true beauty shopping destination on Lazada. We are excited and confident to be part of this journey,” Pierre-Yves, L’Oreal managing director for Southeast Asia, said.

L’Oreal was one of the top-selling brands in makeup, personal care and skincare categories during Lazada’s 7th anniversary sale in March.

In its 2018 annual financial report, L’Oreal reported that e-commerce sales now account for 11% of the group’s worldwide sales.

Lazada, majority owned by China’s Alibaba Group, is present in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

BPI Family Savings not keen on merging with parent lender BPI

THE THRIFT BANKING arm of Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is reluctant on merging with its parent bank as it looks to continue taking advantage of the regulator’s smaller reserve requirement for thrift lenders.

BPI Family Savings Bank President Maria Cristina L. Go said in an interview that “it is not yet time” for the lender to merge with its parent bank.

“That’s something we always assess regularly. But as of this time, it’s not yet time to merge BPI Family,” she said. “It would really depend on the economic and regulatory environment.”

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) currently requires thrift banks to hold at least eight percent of their deposits, much lower than the 18% requirement on commercial and universal banks — which is considered to be one of the highest in the region.

The lower reserve requirement ratio (RRR) enables savings banks to place a bigger chunk of their funds in loans and investments.

“That gap is quite large and it doesn’t at the moment makes sense to merge because we’re able to leverage on lower reserve requirements,” Ms. Go said.

Ms. Go added that with the lower reserve requirements for thrift banks, BPI Family Savings is able to provide its clients low rates and affordable deposits.

BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno earlier said he wants to trim big banks’ RRR, describing it as still “very high.” He also signalled room for a percentage point cut in the ratio “every quarter for the next four quarters.”

In September, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) announced it is set to absorb its thrift banking unit RCBC Savings Bank to reduce operating costs and consolidate capital. The merger is expected to be completed in the second half of the year.

Meanwhile, Philippine National Bank will also absorb its savings banking subsidiary PNB Savings Bank, widening its exposure to retail and small business clients.

BPI Family Savings was the largest thrift bank in the country in asset terms as of end-September 2018 with P271.52 billion.

The lender expects to post 10-15% loan growth for this year from a “flat” lending book in 2018, driven by housing and auto loans. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

Contemporary art films the focus in Italian film fest

FOR ITS fourth year, the Moviemov Italian Film Festival is presenting a selection of art films at the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Cinematheque in Manila.

The festival opened on April 23 and runs until April 26.

The eight films being shown this week will be introduced by Italian actors, directors, and film critics including actor Lorenzo Richelmy who presented the opening film, Una Questione Privata (2017) by director Paolo e Vittorio.

Mr. Richelmy played Giorgio, one of the persons involved in an ill-fated love triangle set in Italy’s partisan resistance during the Second World War. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Beppe Fenoglio and was presented in the Masters section of the Toronto Film Festival.

Also to be shown in the festival lineup is Il Cratere (2017), directed by Luca Bellino and Silvia Luzi, which tells the story of a frustrated fairground huckster who becomes obsessed with turning his adolescent daughter’s singing talent into a lucrative career.

The film’s directors will be presenting the film which screens on April 25.

Selfie (2019), a documentary by Agostino Ferrente — who will be in attendance during the film’s presentation on Wednesday — is a slice-of-life seen through the lens of two 16-year-olds from Naples. The film will be screened on April 24.

Il Figlio, Manuel (2017) by Dario Albertini, meanwhile, is about a young man who leaves an education center where he was placed after his mother was jailed. The film will be screened on April 24.

Moviemov Italian Film Festival 2
A scene from La Paranza dei Bambini.

The Dreamers (2003) by Bernardo Bertolucci is, a romantic drama based on the novel by Gilbert Adair, The Holy Innocents. Set during the 1968 Paris student riots, it revolves around an American university student in Paris who meets a brother and sister with whom he engages in an erotic triangle. It will be screened on April 25.

Saremo Giovani E Belissimi (2017) by Letizia Lamartire is a film set in the 1990s and follows an 18-year-old singer who keeps singing for 20 years in small town bars while blaming her son for stunting her career.

The film’s star, Federica Sabatini, will present the film during the April 25 screening.

C’e Tempo (2019) by Walter Vetroni, which screens on April 26, is about half-brothers, one a rainbow researcher and the other a young film lover who embark on a journey after meeting each other for the first time after the death of their father.

Troppa Grazia (2018) by Gianni Zanasi is about a woman juggling motherhood with romance and career who suddenly encounters a woman who tells her that the building she’s working on poses hazards. It screens on April 26

Finally, the festival ends its 2019 run with La Paranza dei Bambini (2019) by Claudio Giovanessi, based on the novel Piranhas by Roberto Saviano. The film follows a group of 15-year-old boys from Naples who dream of gaining power and easy money and make their way into a world of crime.

The film won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival.

The festival runs until April 26 at the FDCP Cinematheque, 855 Kalaw Ave., Ermita, Manila. Entrance is free.

For more information visit www.philippineitalianassociation.org. — Z.B. Chua

Clark airport terminal sustains P30 million worth of damage

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) is aiming to reopen Clark International Airport today (Wednesday), after the terminal sustained damage after a 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit Luzon Monday afternoon.

“Based on the analysis and evaluation of our tech people, at the earliest we will operate tomorrow (Wednesday), at the latest we will operate on Thursday,” Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said in a televised media briefing.

Mr. Tugade estimated the airport sustained around P30 million worth of damage.

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit parts of Luzon Monday afternoon, damaging the Clark airport and prompting the temporary suspension of its operations.

In a statement, Clark International Airport Corp. said its assessment found airport facilities such as the tower, apron, runways and taxiways “structurally sound.”

“The good news is that the tower can be operated, there was no substantial damage. Wala ring problema sa road surface ng [There are also no problems on the road surface of the] airports,” CIAC President Jaime Alberto C. Melo was quoted as saying.

CIAC said more than 12,000 passengers from 115 international and domestic flights were affected by the closure of the Clark airport until 7:40 p.m. Tuesday.

While the government is yet to confirm when the airport will resume operations, local carriers Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines already announced cancellation of flights to and from Clark scheduled Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said the new passenger terminal currently being built at the Clark aiport was not affected by the earthquake, and construction was able to resume Tuesday.

The new terminal building is on track to be completed by mid-2020. — Denise A. Valdez

Robinsons Bank books higher profit but misses guidance

By Karl Angelo N. Vidal
Reporter

ROBINSONS BANK Corp. posted a slightly higher net income in 2018, even as it failed to hit its profit guidance due to higher funding costs.

Based on its annual report posted on the Philippine Dealing System’s website, the Gokongwei-led lender posted a P317.11-million net profit in 2018, up 3.2% from P307.39 million booked a year earlier.

However, Robinsons Bank was not able to hit its P500-million income target for 2018.

“We had lower interest margin due to higher cost of funds in 2018,” Robinsons Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Elfren Antonio S. Sarte said in a text message.

The lender’s net interest margin declined to 3.35% last year from 2017’s 3.5% dragged by a rise in funding costs.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) hiked interest rates by a cumulative 175 basis points in five consecutive meetings last year to quell inflation.

Meanwhile, the lender’s net interest income grew 19.8% to P3.57 billion in 2018 from the P2.98 billion logged the previous year. This was on the back of a growth in its loan portfolio and investment securities.

Loans and receivables totalled P68.41 billion last year, up 18.7% from P57.65 billion a year ago, due to “increase in lending activities.”

Its nonperforming loan (NPL) ratio dropped slightly to 0.82% from 0.83% as the bank continued to review and clean up past due loans. NPL coverage ratio improved to 122.54% from 100.56% in 2017.

Robinsons Bank’s total deposits, on the other hand, stood at P95.01 billion in 2018, 5.6% higher than P89.98 billion recorded a year ago

Meanwhile, net service fee and commission income doubled to P264.68 million last year from the 2017’s P124.76 million.

Trading gains slumped to P18.3 million from P184.89 million in 2017, while net foreign exchange gains grew to P174.4 million from P93.51 million.

Meanwhile, total operating expenses also went up 17.3% to P3.66 billion in 2018 from P3.12 billion the prior year.

Overall, assets of Robinsons Bank were at P121.35 billion in 2018, up 15.7% from P104.91 billion in 2017.

In 2018, the lender’s total capital adequacy ratio and common equity Tier 1 ratio declined to 15% and 14.13%, respectively.

Mr. Sarte previously said the bank is eyeing to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) within four years as part of its plan to scale up operations to become a universal bank.

To be granted unibank status, Robinsons Bank has to beef up its capital to meet the P20-billion requirement set by the BSP, which can be achieved through an IPO, a stock rights offer from its investors, or a strategic partnership.

NCCA holds National Dance Week in Capiz

IN CELEBRATION of National Dance Week, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) – National Committee on Dance will hold the 8th Dance Xchange: The Philippine International Dance Festival on April 26 to 30 in Roxas City, Capiz.

This year’s theme is “Cultural Connectivity through Dance”

National Dance Week is held in relation to International Dance Day (IDD) which is held on April 29. IDD was started in 1982 by the Dance Committee of the International Theater Institute-UNESCO in commemoration of French ballet master Jean-Georges Noverre whose birth date it was. In 1993, President Fidel V. Ramos signed Presidential Proclamation No. 154 declaring the last week of April as National Dance Week. The proclamation states that “there is a need to bring together dancers to demonstrate and realize the function of dance in the society and in the rest of the world.”

“It is my dream for the Philippines to also be a destination for dance,” NCCA National Committee on Dance head Shirley Halili-Cruz said at an April 11 press conference at the NCCA headquarters in Intramuros, Manila.

The Dance Xchange program “aims to enhance knowledge and skills of the dancers, dance teachers, and choreographers on dances of the different countries as creative expression of their culture,” said a press release.

“It’s getting bigger and bigger [every year],” Ms. Halili-Cruz told BusinessWorld shortly after, noting that international dance troupes who had previously participated in Dance Xchange contacted her expressing their interest to return and participate this year. Some local government units around the country have also expressed interest in hosting the program in their cities.

This year, the program will see the participation of 15 international dance troupes including groups from Bangladesh, Iran, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Russia, and Belgium, as well as 21 local dance troupes from the NCR, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

LET’S DANCE
During the five-day festival, the activities include an artist forum where dancers, choreographers, and educators will discuss the current state of dance in the Philippines and worldwide; dance workshops where the dance directors of the international and local dance troupes will teach traditional, contemporary, and modern dance; public performances; and an outreach program where free dance workshops will be conducted in the municipalities of Cuartero, Jamindan, Sapian, Pilar, Dumalag, Sigma, and Tapas in Capiz as well as the municipality of Balete in Aklan.

The dance workshops will be held on April 26 at 7:30 a.m. with the registration of participants at the Don Ynocencio A. Del Rosario National High School Gym in Dayao, Roxas City.

The performances will be held at the Villareal Stadium and Grounds and Capiz Provincial Park.

“My goal with the 15 [international groups] is [for them] to respect Filipino dancers. I want them to feel the Filipino culture and see the Filipino as natural dancers,” Ms. Halili-Cruz said. “That’s what I like about dance, there’s always continuous education.”

To register, visit http://bit.ly/DanceXchange2019. For details, visit https://ncca.gov.ph/2019/03/28/dance-xchange-2019-philippine-international-dance-festival/. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Phoenix Petroleum renews fuel supply deal with Cebu Air

PHOENIX Petroleum Philippines, Inc. said on Tuesday it renewed its fuel supply contract with Cebu Air, Inc. for another year, extending their partnership that is now running for 15 years.

With the renewal of the contract, Phoenix Petroleum commits to serving the Jet A-1 fuel requirements of Cebu Air, which operates Cebu Pacific, for 2019.

“We at Phoenix very much treasure the relationship that we have developed with Cebu Pacific. I would never forget the fact that it was one of the very first prominent brands that trusted us. The Jet A1 Supply Agreement was instrumental in earning our credibility and building our name in the industry as a formidable petroleum company,” said Dennis A. Uy, Phoenix Petroleum founder, president and chief executive officer, in a statement on Tuesday.

Phoenix Petroleum said the deal with Cebu Pacific had been initiated in 2004 when the oil company started providing storage and terminaling services to the airline’s Davao site.

It now serves 17 of Cebu Pacific’s sites across the country, including eight airports in Mindanao, seven in Visayas, and two in Luzon. It provides integrated Jet A-1 storage, handling, bridging, and into-plane services.

“Cebu Pacific is dedicated to giving the best service to our clients, and it is through partners like Phoenix that we are able to fulfill this mission,” Cebu Air President and Chief Executive Officer Lance Y. Gokongwei was quoted as saying.

On Tuesday, shares in Phoenix Petroleum slipped 1.32% to close at P12 each. — Victor V. Saulon

Images of faith

Talleres de Maximo Vicente

FOR Catholics, religious images are representations of faith. The religious and devotees of patrons wipe cloth on images with the belief that this brings physical healing. In some communities, a statue of the Blessed Virgin is transferred from one house to another after a week. Miracles have purportedly been witnessed in the presence of holy images.

To see some of the most artistic of these images, a special selling exhibition on the handiworks of the Talleres de Maximo Vicente is on view until May 6 at the 5th floor of Rustan’s Makati.

A master sculptor of religious imagery, Maximo Vicente, Sr. was the most successful commercial saint-maker of the Philippines.

In 1908, he opened Talleres de Maximo Vicente in Quiapo, Manila which has since transferred to Ermita. His commissioned images took three to 12 months to finish. The images of Santo Niño de Praga of San Beda College in Mendiola and San Beda College Alabang; Sta. Luisa in San Marcelino Church in Ermita, Manila; and the statues of the main and side altars of our Lady of Mount Carmel on Broadway Ave in Quezon City are among the works of his taller or workshop.

Of his 11 children, it was Maximo, Jr. and his wife Soledad Hernandez-Vicente who continued the artist’s legacy at the taller.

It was a granddaughter of Maximo, Sr., Regina “Renee” Vicente Francisco, who approached her classmate from Assumption College — Rustan’s chair Zenaida Tantoco — about the sale of the images.

“Their children decided to sell them and my sister offered to do the sale here in Rustan’s,” Marilen Tantoco, Rustan’s vice-president for home merchandising, told BusinessWorld at the official launch on April 22.

The exhibition showcases 92 pieces from the collection of Maximo Vicente, Jr. and his wife. The images include a 98 x 48 inch Our Lady of the Assumption as a centerpiece, a 49 x 22 inch Sto. Niño de Praga, and a 51 x 17 inch Immaculate Heart of Mary. The last image has been with the family for more than 50 years.

According to Ms. Tantoco, the exhibition may transfer to Rustan’s Shangri-la Plaza branch if some images are unsold.

“Well-known si Maximo Vicente, Sr.,” Ms. Tantoco said, about the late saint-maker’s craftsmanship. “But it’s very rare [to own one].” — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

High oil prices hit rupiah, rupee; other Asian units eke out gains

THE CURRENCIES of Indonesia and India fell on Tuesday, as the two countries face higher oil import bills due to global energy market developments, while most other regional ones eked out tiny gains.

Oil prices rallied after the United States on Monday demanded that buyers of Iranian oil stop purchases by May 1 or face sanctions, ending six months of waivers that allowed Iran’s eight biggest buyers to continue importing limited volumes.

The Indonesian rupiah and the Indian rupee led declines in the region, weakening between 0.1% and 0.2%, respectively.

India’s central bank will conduct its second dollar-rupee swap auction of $5 billion on Tuesday, following a round last month in a bid to boost liquidity and prevent a sharp appreciation in the rupee.

In Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, market focus will be on Thursday’s central bank meeting, which is widely expected to keep rates on hold. Some analysts expect multiple rate cuts later this year.

The Malaysian ringgit was marginally higher, ahead of March inflation data on Wednesday.

Malaysia’s consumer prices are expected to edge up in March, following two months of deflation, according to a Reuters poll.

The consumer price index turned negative in January for the first time since November 2009 amid a sharp drop in retail fuel costs. However, the central bank expects inflation to be higher on average this year after benign cost pressures in 2018.

The Malaysian central bank and securities commission said on Tuesday that the country’s financial markets have remained resilient with support from ample domestic liquidity and strong fundamentals.

The joint statement followed one last week’s from FTSE Russell, a global bond index provider, that it could drop Malaysia from the FTSE World Government Bond Index over concerns about market accessibility and liquidity.

The Philippines suspended foreign exchange trading and a Treasury bond auction on Tuesday due to the impact of Monday’s 6.1-magnitude earthquake that hit the main island of Luzon, causing disruption in Manila and nearby provinces.

The Philippine peso was flat in light offshore trading.

SINGAPORE INFLATION IN FOCUS
The Singapore dollar edged lower after data issued on Tuesday showed that core inflation in March was below expectations, easing to its lowest level in almost a year.

“Given the fact that the Monetary Authority of Singapore has ended the tightening cycle, there is not a lot of expectations for change in monetary policy in the near to midterm,” said Margaret Yang Yan, a market analyst at CMC Markets Singapore.

Earlier this month, Singapore revised down its 2019 core inflation and kept monetary settings unchanged after two consecutive rounds of tightening as policy makers expect slower growth and inflation in the city-state in the face of ‘significant’ global economic risks. — Reuters

Dubai’s biggest Islamic bank weighs acquisition of rival

DUBAI ISLAMIC Bank PJSC, the United Arab Emirates’ biggest Islamic lender, is weighing the possible acquisition of its smaller rival Noor Bank PJSC.

The board has resolved to allow the bank “to explore the possible acquisition of Noor Bank and to revert to the board with findings within three weeks,’ it said in a statement to the stock market. The board also allowed the bank to hire financial advisers for due diligence and provide an opinion on the valuation.

Dubai Islamic Bank held preliminary discussions with Noor Bank shareholders, people familiar with the matter said earlier this month. The acquisition would create a lender with 277 billion dirhams ($75 billion) in assets.

The Middle East’s financial services industry is witnessing a wave of consolidation as banks seek ways to improve competitiveness and boost capital amid slowing economic growth. Abu Dhabi is in the process of merging three of its banks after combining two of its biggest lenders in 2017. Banks in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain are also holding merger talks.

Dubai Islamic Bank shares climbed as much as 1.2% after the statement, taking gains this year to 4%. The lender reported a 14% rise in first-quarter profit to 1.34 billion dirhams, beating the median of two analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

Investment Corp. of Dubai, the emirate’s main state-owned holding company, is the largest shareholder in Dubai Islamic Bank with a 28% stake. It’s also one of the biggest investors in Noor Bank, a lender set up in 2008. Dubai Islamic Bank had assets of 224 billion dirhams at the end of 2018 compared with Noor Bank’s 51 billion dirhams, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The UAE, which holds about 6% of the world’s oil reserves, is home to about 9 million people. More than 50 banks compete for a share of the domestic market, including the local units of HSBC Holdings Plc, Standard Chartered Plc and Citigroup Inc. — Bloomberg

Solar power plant begins exporting power to Luzon grid

PETROSOLAR Corp. said on Tuesday that its 20-megawatt (MW) Tarlac-2 solar power project started exporting power to the Luzon grid the other day as part of its commissioning test.

“PetroSolar is pleased to add power supply to the Luzon grid especially during these times of thinning power reserves that have led to instances of rotating brownouts,” Dave P. Gadiano, PetroGreen Energy Corp.’s energy marketing manager, said in a statement on Tuesday.

PetroGreen and EEI Power Corp. are joint venture partners in PetroSolar, which also owns the 50-megawatt (MW) Tarlac-1 solar power facility. PetroGreen is the renewable energy holding unit of publicly listed and Yuchengco-led PetroEnergy Resources Corp. Both Tarlac-1 and Tarlac-2 plants are located in Central Technopark industrial zone in Tarlac City.

“Our commissioning of Tarlac-2 supports the Department of Energy’s (DoE) mission of ensuring more power supply as the country heads into the important May elections. We are also proud that our commissioning of Tarlac-2 comes a year after we put our 12 MW (megawatts) Maibarara-2 geothermal plant into commercial operations last April 30, 2018,” Mr. Gadiano said.

The first transmittal of generated power from Tarlac-2 comes three months after PetroSolar filed its application with the Energy Regulatory Commission and after compliance with the metering and connection standards of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, and market registration requirements of the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines.

On Tuesday, shares in PetroEnergy rose 1.32% to close at P4.61 each. — Victor V. Saulon