Airlines asked to submit monthly OTP reports

July 12, 2019 | 12:04 am

THE government’s aviation regulator is ordering airlines to submit a report of their monthly on-time performances (OTP), in an effort to improve operations across all airports in the country.

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) posted an advisory on its website earlier this week, telling carriers to submit an OTP report every month.

“OTP will be determined by recording the time of chocks-off, in case of departure, and chocks-on, for arrival,” it said, noting that flights that leave or land within 15 minutes from its original schedule are what will be considered on-time.

“The report should contain the average of all daily flights per airport of origin on a monthly basis, to be submitted every 8^th of the following month,” it added.

The advisory was sent to local carriers, including Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific, Cebgo, Philippines AirAsia, Pan Pacific Airlines, Skyjet Airlines, AirSwift Transport and AirJuan Aviation.

In a similar effort, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) is requiring airlines to help decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport by maximizing the use of slots and supporting regional airports. A pledge of commitments was signed with PAL, Cebu Pacific and Philippines AirAsia last month to help improve the Manila gateway’s on-time operations. — Denise A. Valdez

Spanish court rules Julio Iglesias the father

July 12, 2019 | 12:04 am

MADRID — A Spanish court ruled on Wednesday that singer Julio Iglesias is the father of a 43-year-old man, resolving a paternity dispute that had lasted three decades after the veteran star refused to take a DNA test. Javier Sanchez-Santos was born in 1976 to Portuguese dancer Maria Edite Santos. Iglesias’ lawyer, Fernando Falomir, said the singer would appeal the ruling by the local court in Valencia. “The ruling is based on the refusal (to take the DNA test), not on any other evidence. The fact that some photos show Mrs. Santos and Julio Iglesias together that summer in a professional context is no proof,” Falomir told TV channel A Punt. In its ruling, the court said Iglesias’ refusal to take the DNA test and evidence of “certain contact and relations” between the singer and Santos at the time of conception were sufficient to establish paternity. Iglesias, 75, has sold more than 300 million records in 14 languages, making him the best-selling Latin artist ever. He has eight other children — three from his marriage to Isabel Preysler and five with his wife Miranda Rijnsburger. — Reuters

Free gov’t documents for first-time job seekers to cost P3B in lost revenue

July 12, 2019 | 12:04 am

THE DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said the government stands to lose P3 billion in revenue due to a new law that waives fees for official documents needed by first-time jobseekers, but added that it views such lost revenue as an “investment” in ensuring that talented people have equal access to the workforce.

On Thursday, DoLE signed the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 11261 or The First-Time Job Seekers Act. The law exempts first-time job seekers from paying for government documents and clearances typically required by employers. President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed the legislation last April 10.

DoLE estimates that 1.3 million first-time job seekers will benefit from the law each year.

Assistant Labor Secretary Joji V. Aragon said at the signing, “While this translates to P3 billion in foregone government revenue, the government looks at this investment to bring double or triple fold return in achieving a productive human capital and workforce for the nation.”

Bureau of Local Employment Director Dominique R. Tutay said in a briefing on Thursday that this law will enable first-time job applicants will save “around P1,500 to 2,500…(when they apply for) clearances from different agencies.”

Documents covered include birth certificates, barangay clearances, police and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearances, marriage certificates, transcripts of record; taxpayer IDs, the unified multi-purpose ID (UMID), and medical certificates from public hospitals.

Fresh graduates, out of school youth, and those who have never sought employment regardless of age will be the beneficiaries under the law.

The waived fees apply “whether bata ka or matanda (young or old), basta first time job seeker ka (as long as you’re a first time job seeker),” Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said in a briefing on Thursday. — Gillian M. Cortez

Now Telecom says open to partnership with Dito

July 12, 2019 | 12:03 am

NOW Telecom Co., Inc. said it is open to partnering with new major telecommunications player Dito Telecommunity Corp. in order to expand its operations in the country.

In a statement Thursday, the affiliate of Velarde-led Now Corp. said it considers the entry of Dito Telecommunity, formerly called Mislatel consortium, as an opportunity to “liberalize” the telecommunications industry in the country.

“(Now Telecom) is determined to expand its service offerings to new geographical markets. Part of this strategy is our willingness to entertain possible partnerships with other telecommunications companies,” Now Telecom President Rodolfo P. Pantoja said in the statement.

“We are always open to explore opportunities of partnership and collaboration with other players in the industry, to both local and foreign players. The same can be said to Dito Telecommunity.”

Last Monday, President Rodrigo R. Duterte awarded Dito Telecommunity with its certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN), or permit to operate as a telco, and radio frequencies, completing the government’s search for a new major telecommunications player to challenge incumbents Smart Communications, Inc. and Globe Telecom, Inc.

Dito Telecommunity’s shareholders include China Telecommunications Corp. and Dennis A. Uy-led companies Udenna Corp. and Chelsea Logistics and Infrastructure Holdings Corp.

Sought for comment, Dito Telecommunity Spokesperson Adel A. Tamano said the company is also “open to partnerships and collaboration with our stakeholders and industry players.”

One of Now Telecom’s most recent endeavors is to deliver fifth-generation (5G) technology through a millimeter wave (mmwave), or radio frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum.

“With the growing global popularity of mmwave for 5G, Now is confident that it can adopt new use cases, ICT applications and least-cost deployment solutions in the Philippines,” it said. — Denise A. Valdez

Workers at Chilean Walmart retailers strike over wages

July 12, 2019 | 12:03 am

SANTIAGO — As many as 17,000 workers at Walmart’s largest union in Chile walked off the job early Wednesday morning, demanding better salaries after negotiations over a new labor contract broke down earlier this week, the union’s president said.

The strike was expected to shut down more than one-quarter of the approximately 400 stores that Walmart Inc operates in Chile, some of them under the popular grocery store franchise Lider.

“We haven’t reached an agreement. We did make some advances, but they weren´t enough to seal a deal of the magnitude the company has in mind,” Juan Moreno, president of Lider’s Inter-Company Union, said in a statement.

Union leaders said the key sticking point was a salary increase. As automation in stores has increasingly replaced workers, unionized workers demanded the company boost salaries by 4 percent. Walmart Chile has offered 3 percent, Moreno said.

The US retail giant said in a statement late Wednesday night that it had offered a “robust” contract offer that addressed key points, including the salary increase, though it did not specify how much the company had offered to raise pay.

The strike would primarily affect stores under the franchise SuperBodega aCuenta, and, to a lesser extent, Express, Lider and Ekono, according to the statement.

The company said it would begin informing customers about alternative shopping venues on Wednesday amid the shutdown. — Reuters

Boy-band producer Kitagawa, 87

July 12, 2019 | 12:03 am

TOKYO — Johnny Kitagawa, one of the Japanese entertainment industry’s most powerful producers and the Guinness record-winning brain behind many of Japanese pop music’s most popular boy bands, such as SMAP, died on Tuesday at 87 after a stroke, his office said. Born in the United States as Hiromu Kitagawa, he came to Japan after serving in the US military in the Korean War and worked at the US Embassy before starting a musical group called Johnny’s and setting up a talent agency called Johnny & Associates in 1962. Over the years he honed a strategy of making sure the bands he created, after holding open casting calls to recruit and then train his musicians in singing and dancing, became cultural icons through a combination of appearances on television variety shows in addition to concerts and recording sales. This pattern, which gave birth to groups such as SMAP, Arashi and Kinki Kids, among many others, is also widely followed in Korea’s mammoth K-pop industry. Kitagawa won three Guinness World Records for his phenomenal production experience, including the most #1 singles and most concerts produced by any one individual. — Reuters

Maynilad steps up effort to reduce nonrevenue water

July 12, 2019 | 12:02 am

MAYNILAD Water Services, Inc. has stepped up its plan to reduce nonrevenue water (NRW) with the acquisition of a second mobile leak detection equipment to boost its leak repair drive.

In a statement on Thursday, the Metro Manila’s west zone water concessionaire said the Sahara mobile leak detection equipment acquired in 2010 had examined more than 830 kilometers of primary pipelines, enabling the company to resolve more than 1,000 pipe leak incidents and recover about 183 million liters of water per day (MLD).

“Underground pipe leaks are very difficult to find, so we utilize the latest types of technology to facilitate network rehabilitation and ultimately boost our NRW reduction campaign,” said Maynilad President and Chief Executive Officer Ramoncito S. Fernandez in a statement.

With the second unit, Maynilad can fast-track the detection and repair of pipe leaks, particularly in areas where there are high concentrations of leaking primary lines, the company said.

The equipment uses an acoustic sensor that is inserted into a pipe while tethered to a monitoring system on the surface. The equipment enables Maynilad engineers to conduct audio and visual inspection inside pipes without shutting down water supply to customers.

Maynilad said plugging leaks in the distribution system is a major component of its NRW management program, which aims to cut physical and commercial water losses.

It said aside from leak detection and repair, the program also includes network diagnostics, establishment of district metered areas, replacement of old water meters, and selective pipe replacement.

Maynilad, the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base, is the agent and contractor of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for the west zone of the greater Manila area.

READY TO PAY PENALTY
Meanwhile, MWSS Regulatory Office said in a statement that Maynilad had “conveyed readiness” to comply with the financial penalties imposed by the agency’s board of trustees “as a gesture of goodwill but without any admission of guilt.”

MWSS Chief Regulator Patrick Lester N. Ty said his office was informed of Maynilad’s decision through a letter dated July 3, 2019.

The penalty was imposed due to what regulatory office said was a failure on the part of the company to comply with its service obligations under the concession agreement, particularly its failure to provide 24/7 water services to its customers in portions of Brgy. Captain Albert Aguilar in Las Piñas.

Each severely affected account in the barangay will receive a rebate of P2,500, which will be applied to the August water bill until fully expended.

Severely affected customers are those deprived of water service with a minimum pressure of 7 pounds per square inch (psi) for a period of more than 15 days. — Victor V. Saulon

Lockheed Martin to keep Pennsylvania helicopter plant open at Trump’s request

July 12, 2019 | 12:02 am

LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP has decided to keep the Sikorsky helicopter plant in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, open after US President Donald Trump pressed its chief executive to continue operations, the company said on Twitter on Wednesday.

“At the request of President Trump, I took another look at our decision to close the Coatesville, PA, facility and have decided to keep it open while we pursue additional work,” Lockheed Martin quoted CEO Marillyn Hewson as saying.

Trump applauded the decision in a tweet, saying, “We are very proud of Pennsylvania and the people who work there. Thank you to Lockheed Martin, one of the USA’s truly great companies!”

The F-35 fighter manufacturer had announced plans to close the plant, which does “completion work” for Sikorsky’s S-92 and S-76D helicopters, citing a multi-year slump in the rotorcraft industry. The plant employs about 465 employees.

“We look forward to working with the government and PA Congressional delegation to find more work for this facility,” the company said.

Republican Pennsylvania Senator Patrick Toomey said in a statement that Lockheed’s decision provided short-term certainty for workers at the plant who had expected to either lose their jobs or be re-located later this year.

Fellow Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, a Democrat, was skeptical about the announcement, however, saying he was concerned about the lack of a specific plan.

US automaker General Motors Co has been under pressure for months from President Trump over the fate of an idled assembly plant in northeast Ohio which it has since announced it will sell.

Both Ohio and Pennsylvania are crucial to Trump’s chances of being reelected in 2020. — Reuters

What to see this week

July 12, 2019 | 12:02 am

5 films to see on the week of July 12 — July 18, 2019

St. Agatha

IN a small town in Georgia in the 1950s, a pregnant conwoman seeks refuge in a convent — there she learns of a ghastly secret and has to find a way to escape and save her child. Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, it stars Sabrina Kern, Carolyn Hennesy, and Courtney Halverson. The Hollywood Reporter’s Frank Scheck writes, “St. Agatha is less overtly gory and supernatural-oriented than most efforts of its ilk, such as the recent The Nun, but it provides plenty of chilling, if slow-moving atmospherics and strong performances.” Rotten Tomatoes gives it a score of 64%.

MTRCB Rating: R-18

Ma

AN OLDER woman befriends a group teens and invites them to party in her home. But things begin to feel like a nightmare as they discover the intention of their host. Directed by Tate Taylor, the movie stars Octavia Spencer, Diana Silvers, Juliette Lewis, McKaley Miller, Luke Evans, and Corey Fogelmanis. The Associated Press’ Jocelyn Noveck writes, “The Oscar-winning actress is the only reason to see Ma, and she’s clearly having a grand old campy time playing Sue Ann.” Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 55%.

MTRCB Rating: R-13

Nightmare Cinema

A HORROR anthology in which five strangers enter an abandoned theater and are forced to watch movies of their darkest fears. The films are directed by Alejandro Brugués, Joe Dante, Ryuhei Kitamura, David Slade, and Mick Garris and star Mickey Rourke, Richard Chamberlain, and Adam Godley. Variety’s Dennis Harvey writes, “The whole is certainly diverse, lively and reference-packed enough to please horror fans attracted to this kind of enterprise….” Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 76%.

MTRCB Rating: R-16

Saving Flora

FLORA is a circus elephant who, no longer able to perform, is scheduled to be euthanized. The circus owner’s daughter helps her escape, but between them and safety as deep woods, a river, and two elephant hunters. Directed by Mark Drury Taylor, it stars Jenna Ortega, Martin Martinez, David Arquette, and Tom Arnold.

MTRCB Rating: PG

Escape Plan 3: The Final Chapter (a.k.a. Escape Plan: The Extractors)

SECURITY expert Ray Breslin and his team have to break into a prison to find the missing daughter of a Hong Kong tech mogul. Directed by John Herzfeld, the film stars Sylvester Stallone, Dave Bautista, 50 Cent, and Jaime King. The Guardian’s Leslie Felperin writes, “The ideological tension is never quite resolved, but this dynamic offers something to contemplate as the characters work through an entirely predictable tournament of combat.”

MTRCB Rating: R-16

PSBank raises P6.3 billion from offer of 2-year bonds

July 12, 2019 | 12:02 am

PHILIPPINE SAVINGS Bank (PSBank) raised P6.3 billion in fresh funds via two-year fixed-rate bonds as it saw robust demand from investors.

In a regulatory filing on Thursday, the thrift lending arm of Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) Group said it raised P6.3 billion through its maiden peso bond offering, more than double its initial P3-billion program.

Due to “strong demand,” PSBank had to cut short the offer period to July 5 from the original July 17.

The two-year instruments carry a coupon rate of 5.6% per annum to be paid quarterly until 2021.

“We were overwhelmed by the market reception to our bond offering with strong investment from both institutional accounts and retail investors,” Jose Vicente L. Alde, president of PSBank, was quoted as saying in the statement. “In just five days, the total order book was four times oversubscribed, allowing us to significantly upsize the transaction to P6.3 billion.”

The fund-raising activity marks the first tranche of PSBank’s P40-billion bond program, which will be offered in multiple tranches.

The raised funds will be used by the bank to “access long-term funding as it expands its consumer banking business” and to diversify its funding base.

“This is solid proof of trust placed in PSBank as an institution as well as the confidence of the market in the various business initiatives we have been undertaking to further the growth of the bank,” Mr. Alde added.

Standard Chartered was tapped to be the sole arranger of the transaction. It also served as a selling agent alongside PSBank, Metrobank and First Metro Investment Corp.

The IOUs are scheduled to be listed on the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. on July 24.

In January, the bank raised P8 billion via a stock rights offer, selling 142.9 million common shares priced at P56 apiece.

PSBank also raised P5 billion and P3 billion last year through offers of long-term negotiable certificates of deposit and medium-term fixed rate notes, respectively.

The lender booked a P680.7-million net income in the first quarter, up 10.3% from the same period in 2018, driven by interest income growth and expense management.

Local debt watcher Philippine Ratings Services Corp. affirmed its “PRS Aaa (corp.)” issuer rating on PSBank last month, indicating continued growth in core interest income and strong market position.

PSBank shares gained 25 centavos or 0.43% to close at P58.40 each on Thursday. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

Insurance Commission chief tapped to chair Asian Re

July 12, 2019 | 12:01 am

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER Dennis B. Funa was elected as chairman of Asian Reinsurance Corp. (Asian Re), the Insurance Commission (IC) said.

In a statement sent to reporters on Thursday, the regulator said that the regional reinsurance firm unanimously elected Mr. Funa last June 28 to head Asian Re for two years.

Headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, Asian Re operates as a professional reinsurer accepting business from the insurance markets in member states and elsewhere. It also serves as a regional center for the collection of insurance information as well as development of expertise in insurance and reinsurance.

Mr. Funa replaced Abdolnaser Hemmati, who had been appointed as the governor of the Central Bank of Iran.

The last time the Philippines chaired Asian Re was in 1985 when Insurance Commissioner Gregoria Cruz Arnaldo was elected.

Asian Re was established in May 1979 as an intergovernmental organization endorsed by the United Nations Conference on Trade Development as well as the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

At present, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Iran, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand serve as regular member states of Asian Re.

In addition, 19 insurance and reinsurance firms from Asia serve as associate members of Asian Re, which include companies from Iran, India, Japan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Bangladesh, among others.

Mr. Funa said Asian Re is facing issues such as tight competition as well as the US’ sanctions against Iran.

“The reinsurance business is very competitive in Asia with the presence of big and well known reinsurers such as Swiss Re and Munich Re,” Mr. Funa said in a text message.

To address this, he said the firm is now looking at the African market.

Apart from this, he said the sanctions imposed by the US on Iran, which has a significant stake in Asian Re, is another main issue that impacts the business.

“However, Asian Re business has been growing strong in the past three years.” — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

Your Weekend Guide (July 12, 2019)

July 12, 2019 | 12:01 am

Binondo: A Tsinoy Musical

BINONDO: A Tsinoy Musical returns for a limited run at The Theater at Solaire until July 14. The musical centers on a Filipina nightclub singer in pre-Martial Law Manila, and a mainland Chinese scholar returning to Cultural Revolution-era Beijing, who meet and fall in love during the 1972 mid-autumn festival. With the book and lyrics by Ricky Lee and direction by Joel Lamangan. For tickets and schedules, visit TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

Ang Huling El Bimbo

FULL HOUSE Theater Company returns with the final run of Ang Huling El Bimbo, a musical featuring the songs of the Eraserheads, until Aug. 15 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila, Pasay City. The musical tells a story of friends who reunite after 20 years and look back on the things that brought them together and kept them apart. For tickets and schedules, visit TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

Stop Kiss

POSITIVE Space, MusicArtes, and the New Voice Company presents Diana Son’s Stop Kiss, a play which focuses on the challenges faced by a lesbian couple after being assaulted when they shared a kiss in public. Directed by Ed Lacson, Jr., the play stars Jenny Jamora and Missy Maramara. It will have performances on July 12 to 14 and July 19 to 21 at the PowerMac Center Spotlight, Circuit, Makati City. Tickets are available at www.ticket2me.net/e/2445/stop-kiss. For inquiries and show buying, call 0915-835-9210, or e-mail stopkiss2018@gmail.com.

Rak of Aegis returns

THE hit Pinoy jukebox musical Rak of Aegis returns to the PETA Theater Center, with ongoing performances until Sept. 29. The show brings the songs of the Aegis band such as “Halik,” “Sinta,” and “Basang-Basa sa Ulan,” to tell the tale of a perennially flooded barangay. This latest production features a mix of original cast members including Aicelle Santos and Kim Molina, Isay Alvarez-Seña and Sweet Plantado-Tiongson, Robert Seña and Renz Verano, and Kakai Bautista and Neomi Gonzales. Tickets are available through TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999,).

Ortigas mall events

AT Estancia, there will be a workshops called Level-up Your Writing Skills on July 13, 3-5 p.m., conducted by Jonah Chipeco of Writing Hacks. On July 14, 2 and 4 p.m., The Nutty Scientist will be on at the 2/F Bridgeway. Meanwhile, at the VMall Lobby at the Greenhills Shopping Center, Entre Pinoy presents a Payday Food Fair on July 11 to 14 featuring 24 new concepts.