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MORE Power prepares for power distribution takeover amid court battles with PECO

MORE ELECTRIC and Power Co. (MORE Power) has started ground preparations for taking over the electricity distribution service in Iloilo City despite pending court cases, while its top official said they are very open to an amicable settlement with competitor Panay Electric Co., Inc. (PECO). “With the tremendous corrections that we have to do, I want to make sure that we hit the ground running on day one. If we don’t do anything and wait for the takeover, it might take six months or longer then I feel that is a bit unfair to the consumers having seen the state of the utility,” MORE Power President and Chief Executive Officer Roel Z. Castro said during a soft-launch of their new brand and look on May 21. Mr. Castro said they have already met with the barangay chairmen and have conducted meter mapping for over 63,000 connections. “We have finished our meter mapping in all barangays and over 2,000 meters were not functioning and 13,000 are defective. There are so many illegal connections and meters that are not functioning, that is the extent of work that we will do,” he said. The meters are under current distributor PECO, whose franchise has expired. On the pending court cases between the two companies, Mr. Castro said they are ready to discuss a settlement with PECO. “Of course, there is room for settlement. As to reaching out, it has been publicly open, they know our numbers,” he said. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

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EMB-7 issues cease order vs Consolacion landfill

THE ENVIRONMENTAL Management Bureau-Central Visayas (EMB-7) has issued a cease and desist order (CDO) against a private sanitary landfill in Barangay Polog, Consolacion town for allegedly violating environmental laws. EMB-7, in a statement, said Asian Energy Systems Corp. was found to have violated the provisions of Presidential Decree 1586 or the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System and Republic Act 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004. Based on the findings of the inspection conducted by bureau’s personnel on April 23 and May 5, the firm failed to implement an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) that resulted to a landslide in the area last May 4. The facility has also exceeded the wastewater effluent standards for chemical oxygen demand, ammonia, and total coliform parameters. “With this, they have failed to comply with the Condition 5 of their ECC (Environmental Compliance Certificate) and the regulations of Philippine Clean Water Act,” EMB said. Aside from the CDO, the management of the landfill will also be fined with P100,000. EMB-7 said Asian Energy Systems, as part of its commitment in solving the problem, is required to submit a rehabilitation plan in the landslide area. The landfill is also required to immediately stop discharging wastewater and seal all leakages. EMB-7 said it will reinspect the facility to determine compliance. “Asian Energy Systems Corp. is required to observe the CDO or else, they will be fined with P50,000 in everyday of illegal operation,” the statement read. — The Freeman

Business chamber announces Alibaba Group participation in Davao City investment forum

THE DAVAO City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) announced on Wednesday that officials of the Alibaba Group, the Chinese technology conglomerate founded by Jack Ma, have confirmed participation at the 5th Davao Investment Conference 2019 (Davao ICON) on June 20 to 21. DCCCII Trustee Maria Lourdes G. Monteverde, who chairs the ICON 2019, said the presence of the tech giant in the event is a valuable promotional tool for the city. “The top honchos of Alibaba confirmed of going to Davao to join ICON. We should take this opportunity of being placed in their map as a destination. Their coming over is really something that would make others say: Why Davao and what’s in Davao?” Ms. Monteverde said at the Habi at Kape forum. Officials of Alibaba Cloud, the group’s data intelligence backbone, will speak during the information and communications technology forum of the conference as part of their participation. “But they might take on other interesting topics they are very capable of,” she added. DCCCII Executive Vice-President John Carlo B. Tria, for his part, said more foreign investors have been taking notice of Davao City, hometown of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, and the Davao Region as whole because of its stable economic growth. “We have consistent economic growth because the growth you are seeing now has been happening for the last five years,” he said. This year’s Davao ICON, with the theme “Davao: Your Southeast Asian Investment Destination,” will also have presentations from various foreign chambers, including the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Mindanao (JCCM), American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham), and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CanCham). — Maya M. Padillo

Nation at a Glance — (05/23/19)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Nation at a Glance — (05/23/19)

Honing the potential of social enterprises with new UN-led program

Poverty, climate change, lack of access to education — with so many problems plaguing the country, it’s become apparent that every Filipino must do their part to help solve them. In the business scene, social enterprises are fully taking on this role, placing social impact at the center of their operations instead of just profit.

While it’s admirable that many businesses are starting to take up the mantle, it’s a sad reality that building a business is no walk in the park. With barriers such as a lack of funding and a lack of access to support systems, many social enterprises are in dire need of a boost to scale their businesses.

Luckily, there are existing entities which are fully dedicated to supporting social enterprises. Among them, the Innovation for Social Impact Partnership, or ISIP.

Training to stand on their own

ISIP is a joint project by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Philippine Development Foundation (PhilDev), and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Australia (DFAT-Australia). Aiming to accelerate and sustain the capacity of social enterprises by contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the project using three key strategies to help support the social enterprise scene.

One of these strategies, entrepreneurship, led to the development of a social impact accelerator. The one-year training program consists of lectures and workshops, investor roundtables where social enterprises can discuss opportunities with potential investors, and pitch karaoke sessions to train social enterprises on how to communicate effectively to different audiences.

By including a wide variety of tools that cover different aspects of running a business, ISIP helps equip social enterprises holistically so that they can stand strongly on their own after the program. Just last May 10, its first batch wrapped up the first six months with a demo day, with participants pitching to banks, foundations, and investors to help secure the kind of support that they still need.

“Most of the startups or social enterprises, they are technical experts. They love what they’re doing and developing, but sometimes, they don’t necessarily understand the business aspect of running a business,” said Emil Tapnio, Program Director for PhilDev.

“That’s what we’re trying to ensure that, much as you love your product, [it should have] a good prototype, that it has a target market, and that there’s really someone who’s going to buy that.”

Utilizing potential

Aside from entrepreneurship, ISIP also utilizes education and policy agenda to create a more conducive environment for social enterprises. The former includes faculty training on entrepreneurship and a roster of visiting professors rotating around various local universities.

For the latter, ISIP discusses research-based policy frameworks with the academe and the government that they can consider to support social enterprises. One of these frameworks, technopreneurship governance, has produced a Technopreneurship 101 subject, which is currently being taught in over 500 universities across the country.

Such efforts are essential in bolstering the Filipino business scene in general, which is not lacking at all in potential. With a growing economy, huge working population, and a sense of ingenuity, it’s a matter of implementing effective programs to properly utilize these advantages.

“There are over 164,000 social enterprises. The problem, however, is that only 10 percent of those enterprises will actually succeed and become viable, bankable businesses with real growth,” said Titon Mitra, Resident Representative of UNDP Philippines.

“And that is what we’re beginning to address, by trying to demonstrate that we actually have this creativity, we have the youth population. And if you give them the means to translate their idea into a profitable business that has a significant social impact, you have a very immediate development socially.”

Youth science club society gears up for upcoming STEM expo

The Philippine Society of Youth Science Clubs (PSYSC) invites the general public to attend its second Science, Technology,Engineering, and Mathematics Expo on May 26 and 27 at the SMX Convention Center in SM Aura, Taguig City. STEM EXPO 2019 will showcase the knowledge and skills of senior high school and undergraduate students in the different fields of science, technology, and innovation.

With this year’s theme: Embracing our Ingenuity, Engineering the Filipino Society, PSYSC hopes to push even further the frontiers of science and technology in the Philippines, highlighting Filipino ingenuity.

In addition to its flagship competition iGen: Ideas to Innovation PSYSC is introducing this year Teknolohiya, Agham, Kalikasan, Diwa, at Ako (TAKDA), an open conference for students and professionals interested in science research and technology innovation.

The event also includes:

  • PSYSC Science and Mathematics Investigatory Projects Fair, showcasing the outstanding research projects of its participants;
  • PSYSC Robotics Olympiad, boasting new technological advancements;
  • as well as PSYSC Science Journalism Contest and PSYSC Science Film Festival for the science communicators.

The event aims to expose students and the public to current institutions and sectors that contribute to the advancement of STEM in the country.

The major and minor subevents of the STEM EXPO 2019 are open to senior high schools students of PSYSC-affiliated science clubs in the Philippines. Visit these links to buy tickets, learn more about the event, and download your application forms.

A broad and deep relationship

The Philippines is one of Australia’s longest-standing bilateral partners, according to the Web site of the Australian Embassy in the Philippines. With these ties maintained and strengthened for more than seven decades, both countries continue to enjoy its fruitful partnership in the areas of defense, security, law enforcement, trade, business, education, development assistance, and disaster preparedness.

The formal relations between Philippines and Australia began in May 1946, when the first Consulate General of Australia was established in Manila. In 1957, an Australian Ambassador to the Philippines was appointed. Then, in 1962, the Philippines opened an embassy in Canberra, Australia’s capital.

From these initial moves, the friendship between the two gradually grew through time. The cooperation between the two countries was evident in some significant events in their shared history.

In a post by the Australian Embassy on the commemoration of 70 years of Philippines-Australia friendship back in 2016, it was recalled that over 4,000 Australian service personnel fought beside Filipino and allied forces in World War II; and Australian medical mission teams worked with other Filipino and international humanitarian communities in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

Moreover, Australia’s cooperation was more recently seen in 2017 during the Marawi City siege when “the Australian Government stepped up its military and intelligence cooperation with the Philippines to help combat the regional terrorist threat.”

“The Australian Defence Force provided surveillance support and counter-terrorism specific training to the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) wrote on its Web site.

Another remarkable highlight of these ties is the signing of the Joint Declaration on Philippines-Australia Comprehensive Partnership on Nov. 18, 2015, in an effort to further deepen their bilateral links.

“This Comprehensive Partnership Joint Declaration highlights the enduring nature of the Australia-Philippines relationship and demonstrates our commitment to strengthen and expand our relationship in a manner that is mutually beneficial,” the declaration states.

In addition, the joint declaration outlines the commitment of the two countries to build up its political and economic relations, as well as to further cooperate in defense, law and justice, education, and development.

In keeping these ties, the two countries hold regular meetings. According to DFAT, these include: the Foreign and Trade Ministers’ meeting (the Philippines-Australia Ministerial Meeting or PAMM) and associated PAMM business dialogue and senior officials’ meeting; counter-terrorism consultations; annual joint defense cooperation consultations; agriculture forum; strategic dialogue; and high level consultations on development cooperation.

The two countries also “share common perspectives on many regional, economic and security issues”. Philippines and Australia participate in several fora such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum.

Philippines-Australia ties are also marked with Australia’s willingness to help its neighbor and friend through its Official Development Assistance, or ODA, to the country. DFAT’s Web site shows that the total ODA Estimate Outcome in 2018-2019 amounted to $82.8 million, while its total ODA in 2019-2020 will be an estimated $79.7 million. At present, this financial aid is “designed to meet the key objectives of inclusive economic growth, effective governance, and peace and stability”.

The ODA supported the implementation of the Sustainable Livelihood Program that “helped 1.3 million families between 2011 and 2016 to find employment or start an enterprise”.

The ODA also funded the Basic Education Assistance for Muslim Mindanao Program that “contributed to the improvement of education quality in the [formerly] Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao”.

The steady relations between these two countries are not only maintained through diplomatic activities but also through ‘people-to-people links’. In areas of trade, investment, cultural exchange, education, tourism, and migration, links have been forged between the Filipinos and Australians.

The DFAT adds that “[s]ignificant numbers of Filipinos have immigrated to Australia since the 1960s, and Filipinos remain one of the fastest growing immigrant communities in Australia.” In a speech by Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Steven James Robinson last January, he noted that “over 250,000 Filipinos now live in Australia, the fifth highest of any grouping, many of them dual nationals.”

In terms of education, the links between the two countries are growing, with Australia being “the top destination for tertiary students from the Philippines who choose to study abroad.” The DFAT wrote that “[t]here were 8,506 Filipino students studying in Australia in 2017.”

As the Philippines-Australia ties mark its 75th year in 2021, Mr. Robinson commits to strengthening and enhancing the relations between the two countries.

He recognized that “Australia and the Philippines share a relationship which is both broad and deep.

“Over my term here, I hope to continue to strengthen this relationship, including with senior ministerial visits over the coming year,” he said. — Adrian Paul B. Conoza

Regulator calls Maynilad to account

By Victor V. Saulon
Sub-Editor

THE METROPOLITAN WATERWORKS and Sewerage System’s Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO) has issued a notice of service obligation failure to Maynilad Water Services, Inc. for not meeting requirements under its concession agreement, the chief regulator said on Tuesday.

In a press conference, MWSS-RO Chief Regulator Patrick Lester N. Ty said the notice was sent to Metro Manila’s west zone concessionaire on Monday afternoon, and Maynilad said it had received the letter.

Saying that Maynilad has “until Monday to explain why they should not be penalized,” Mr. Ty explained that “[b]ased on our computation, based on our monitoring, nag-reach na sila ng (they failed to meet service obligations for) 15 days.”

Mr. Ty said his office invoked Article 10.4 of the concession agreement — which provides that failure to meet any service obligation for more than 60 days, or 15 days “in cases where the failure could adversely affect public health or welfare”, will subject concessionaires to penalties — as more than 15 days had lapsed since MWSS-RO alerted Maynilad of the complaints.

“Last April 30, 2019, we issued a letter to [Maynilad] to call their attention to the large number of complaints we received regarding water service interruptions and low water pressure in large portions of the west zone concession area, specifically in the consumers living in the south,” Mr. Ty said.

He said water service interruptions and low water pressure continued to affect the company’s concession area even after its attention was called.

“It is for this reason that we have given [Maynilad] five days upon receipt of the said notice to… explain why they should not be penalized under Article 10.4 of the [concession agreement],” Mr. Ty said.

“If found liable, we will recommend to the MWSS Board of Trustees that fines and penalties should be imposed.”

Sought for comment, Randolf T. Estrellado, Maynilad’s chief operating officer, said the company has received the notice which, he argued, lacked basis.

“We received the notice of service obligation failure yesterday [Monday] in relation to the service interruption due to the algal bloom in Laguna Lake and given five days to respond. We believe there is no basis for the imposition of the penalty, as the service interruption did not last for 15 days and only affected 12% of Maynilad’s customer base,” he said.

“To mitigate the impact of this emergency service interruption, we implemented rotational supply interruptions and also deployed mobile water tankers and stationary water tanks, even as we intensified treatment interventions to address the challenging raw water quality.”

Mr. Ty said he did not want to pre-judge Maynilad and declined to comment on the company’s explanation. “I want to listen to their official explanation first on the notice that I sent to them before I will comment because I want to double check everything first,” he said.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which has majority stake in Maynilad, is one of three Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Company Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.

MANILA WATER REBATE
In the same press conference, Mr. Ty said his office will implement the bill rebates for customers of east zone concessionaire Manila Water Co., Inc. starting June 2019, which reflects consumption in May.

“This is a result of the penalty that the MWSS Board of Trustees imposed to Manila Water under Section 10.4 of the concession agreement, for their inability to meet its service obligation of providing 24/7 water supply to all their consumers,” he said.

The penalty, amounting to a total of P1.13 billion, consists of P534 million as rebate to customers and P600 million for development by Manila Water of a new water source. All active accounts as of March 31, 2019 of Manila Water will get a rebate.

“Of all these accounts, we further identified those that were severely affected and they will enjoy a P2,197.94 rebate each,” Mr. Ty said, adding that the rebate is on top of the 10 cubic meter (cu.m.) consumption that will be received by all customers.

He said more than 140,000 accounts would receive the rebate based on the list of 45 barangays identified by Manila Water when it offered its own one-time bill waiver program in April.

Mr. Ty said Manila Water had accepted the penalties imposed by the regulatory office. “The P534 million plus the P600 million, they are not contesting that anymore. They already wrote a letter that they are accepting it,” he said.

He said another assessment, to take place by August or September, will decide whether more penalties would be warranted should Manila Water continue to fail to meet its service obligation.

Sought for comment, Manila Water said it would comply with the bill rebates for its customers.

“We will coordinate with the Regulatory Office and will implement as prescribed this June,” Nestor Jeric T. Sevilla Jr., Manila Water head of corporate strategic affairs, said in a mobile phone message.

Mr. Ty said that, in all, the penalty imposed on Manila Water — including the cost of its voluntary bill waiver and minimum charge waiver — would amount to P1.6 billion. He said the amount excludes lost business because of the water shortage.

The east zone concessionaire has been experiencing a water supply deficit since March 6, although it has now brought down the shortfall. The deficiency came about as water demand reached 1,750 million liters per day (MLD) while supply remained at 1,600 MLD. A planned new water treatment plant failed to meet its target launch in late 2018 because of technical issues.

Privacy watchdog probes erring online lending apps

THE NATIONAL PRIVACY COMMISSION (NPC) has begun looking into 48 online lending applications that have been subject to almost 500 harassment complaints.

In a media briefing at the NPC office in Pasay City Tuesday, Privacy Commissioner Raymund E. Liboro said there are 485 complaints with the commission at the moment, of which 235 cases have been formally pursued, accusing operators of online lending applications that allegedly misused borrowers’ information for public shaming.

“Over the past few months, we received almost identical complaints that pile up by the day from individuals accusing online lending apps of rude practices. Complainants say the harassment and shaming started when they failed to pay their balances on time,” he said. “The people behind the lending app called or texted their contact list about their inability to return the money, causing them embarrassment and emotional stress.”

The mobile lending applications supposedly required access to a user’s contact information, photos, files and documents before completing a lending transaction.

When the borrower was unable to pay his/her balance, the lenders sent out mobile phone messages and made calls revealing the user’s name and debt.

The NPC chief said operators of the erring lending applications may face penalties ranging from temporary suspension to being haled to court for possible criminal charges.

“Maaari nilang kahinatnan [What could result from this investigation] immediately is temporary ban… It could lead to a permanent ban for processing information. Also, it could lead to the National Privacy Commission elevating this to the (Department of Justice) for criminal prosecution,” Mr. Liboro said.

“Possible violations (are) unauthorized processing, unauthorized purpose, or even malicious disclosure (of personal information). So this could be a series or combination of acts under the Data Privacy Act of 2012.”

But Mr. Liboro said the commission cannot just suspend the accused lenders, as such an action could affect their other borrowers.

“The NPC has started conducting hearings on the cases and it is vital that we also hear the respondent’s side of the story and we would highly appreciate it if they cooperate,” he said.

The names of the mobile applications were withheld by the NPC, but Mr. Liboro said none of them were big ones, nor were they affiliated with any bank. — Denise A. Valdez

PEZA chief addresses talk she is at risk of losing post for opposition to tax perk revamp

By Janina C. Lim
Reporter

THERE IS TALK in the foreign business community that the head of the government’s economic zone promotion agency is at risk of losing her job due to a drop in committed investments and her opposition to the Finance department’s push to remove tax incentives deemed redundant.

Philippine Economic Zone Authority Director-General Charito B. Plaza said on Tuesday that she has heard such “rumors,” adding that she has not received any notice from Malacañang itself.

“The issue is di daw ako marunong; bakit daw bumaba ang investments (they say that I am not fit; why have investments dropped),” Ms. Plaza said in a telephone interview.

“I’m happy at least hindi corruption ang (is not the) issue sa akin (against me).”

President Rodrigo R. Duterte has been known to fire Executive officials for even just a “whiff of corruption” without asking them to give their sides, the latest being former Food and Drug Administration director-general Nela Charade G. Puno, who has protested her innocence and said she was not informed of any complaint.

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) contributed 38.2% to the total foreign investment pledges last year at P68.32 billion, down 12.7% from the P78.28 billion in 2017 according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.Among the seven investment promotion agencies, PEZA had the second-biggest value of committed investments approved in full-year 2018 behind the Board of Investments’ P103.97 billion. In 2017, PEZA contributed 74.1% of the total foreign investment pledges even as the amount was 35.42% less than 2016’s P121.22 billion.

Ms. Plaza — who replaced former PEZA chief Lilia B. De Lima in late September 2016 — contested allegations that she cannot do the job, saying that investors began staying on the sidelines only as the Finance department pushed for an overhaul of fiscal incentives by removing those deemed redundant.

While declining to name her detractors, Ms. Plaza said: “Ang dating ko sa kanila, (they perceive that) I’m not behaving as a government official [when I oppose the plan to change the tax incentives package of investors]” and that “I’m siding daw with the investors.”

“Di naman ako nagsa-side (I am not taking the side of) with investors. I’m just protecting our image because we entered our contract with them. Our investors can sue us,” she added.

“We still insist we should not change the rule of the contract we have entered with existing investors kasi magiging ’yung impression sa atin ng investors, very unstable (because investors will have the impression that business regulations are very unstable). Pag nag-change ang (When there is a change in) administration, may (there will be) change in politics and law,” she explained.

Asked on talks of her impending replacement that are now circulating among foreign business groups, Ms. Plaza replied: “They heard about it and asked me.”

“I said it’s up to them to express if they’re happy or not with my leadership in PEZA.”

An official of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham) said he has heard of such talk, and expressed support for PEZA and its existing fiscal incentive program.

“Many hundreds of American firms have worked closely with PEZA and its excellent leadership for many years. PEZA provides competitive incentives to reduce the higher costs of doing business in the country. Therefore, we have often expressed our strong support for PEZA and its leadership and the ambitious plans of the current director general as well as her predecessor, who served under four presidents,” Ebb Hinchliffe, AmCham’s executive director, said in a mobile phone message.

European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc. President Nabil Francis said he has not heard the rumor but nevertheless expressed support for PEZA.

“More than 300 European firms or firms with European equity have been successfully assisted or have worked closely with PEZA and its leadership in establishing their operations in the Philippines over the past few administrations,” Mr. Francis said in an e-mailed reply to questions.

“The ECCP has and continues to support PEZA and its leadership throughout the years in our common goal of easing doing business in the Philippines, incentivizing more foreign investments to flow into the country and its support of the private sector in its drive to contribute to nation building.”

For his part, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said he has not heard such rumors.

Asked how the Finance department will approach PEZA’s continued opposition to the plan to overhaul investors’ fiscal incentives, Mr. Dominguez said in a mobile phone message that it will “continue its education program” to convince PEZA, investors and other affected parties on the need for this tax reform.

The Finance department had packaged the streamlining of fiscal incentives with a gradual reduction in corporate income tax (CIT) to 20% by 2029 from 30% currently in order to ensure this reform package will have a revenue-neutral effect, with projected foregone revenues from the CIT cut plugged by added collections from cancelled fiscal incentives.

While Congress has favored the planned CIT cut, many of its leaders have had reservations towards the removal of tax incentives.

MPTC inks deal with Japanese tollway firms

METRO PACIFIC Tollways Corp. (MPTC) said it recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on technical cooperation with three tollway operators from Japan.

In a statement, MPTC said it inked the MoU with Japan Expressway International Co. Ltd. (JEXWAY), Central Nippon Expressway Co. Ltd. (NEXCO Central) and Metropolitan Expressway Co. Ltd. (MEX) with the goal of further improving its toll road operating capabilities.

“We are very happy to sign this technical cooperation agreement with JEXWAY, NEXCO Central and MEX, as this will allow us to tap into the wealth of Japanese road engineering experience and technology,” MPTC President Rodrigo E. Franco said in the statement.

Under the MoU, the companies are allowed to share knowledge on “asset management and repair of at-grade and elevated road and bridge sections, tunnel design and construction and the use of best practices to monitor the structural performance of expressway assets and facilities…”

JEXWAY was formed by five Japanese expressway companies to develop projects around the world. NEXCO Central is a Nagoya-based toll road operator with presence in Hanoi, Vietnam, while MEX operates the Shuto Expressway in Tokyo, Japan.

Mr. Franco noted aside from sharing know-how, the new partners will help MPTC learn from Japan’s example how to adapt to environmental challenges.

“This expertise comes in handy as we prepare ourselves to manage our roadways effectively in cases of emergencies like earthquakes and other natural calamities,” he said.

MPTC is a major toll road operator in the Philippines with presence in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. It currently operates the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx), Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) and Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEx).

MPTC is under Metro Pacific Investments Corp., one of three key Philippine units of First Pacific, the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Denise A. Valdez

NCCA and CCP pay tribute to the 2018 National Artists

FOR 2003 National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario, the role a National Artist is a challenging task.

“…Kapag tinanggap mo ang karangalang Pambansang Alagad ng Sining ay kailangang umasta kang isang Pambansang Alagad ng Sining. Isang haligi, isang bahagi ng pambansang sining, at isang huwarang mukha ng sektor na ating kinakatawan (When you accept the National Artist Award, you have to embody being National Artist. A pillar for national arts and role model to the sector we are part of),” Mr. Almario said, citing his experience at being tasked to make a speech at events (while wearing the heavy gold medallion), having his name announced on plane rides, and media or teachers asking questions or looking for his opinion on current issues.

“Dapat mong isipin na hindi mo dadanasin ’yun kung hindi ka National Artist. Bahagi iyong pagdangal sa iyo ng bayan... (You should think that you would not have such encounters were it not for your recognition as a National Artist. It is part of the nation’s praise for you),” he added.

Mr. Almario was speaking at the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) where on May 16, seven individuals who were named National Artists in 2018 were given a tribute.

The newest National Artists are cartoonist Larry Alcala (who was represented at the event by his wife Guadalupe Alcala), architect Francisco Mañosa (represented by wife Denise Mañosa), Hiligaynon writer and historian Ramon L. Muzones (represented by son Rex Muzones), writer and historian Resil Mojares, filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik, theater advocate Amelia Lapeña Bonifacio, and composer Ryan Cayabyab.

CCP Chairperson Maria Margarita Moran-Floirendo described the 2018 National Artists as individuals who have “promoted creative expression” and “helped develop our national cultural identity.

“Through their distinguished body of works that consistently displayed artistic excellence, they have forged new paths in directions for the future generations of artist while at the same time, preserved and enhanced our rich heritage. They have embodied the country’s highest ideals in the humanities and aesthetic expressions,” Ms. Moran-Floirendo said in her speech.

“Thank you for reminding everyone that are endless possibilities and opportunities in the field of arts. And for telling the people that there is more to arts than meets the eye, that art is more than just a hobby. It is a passion. It is a way of life,” she added.

During the tribute, the artists were honored through performances of their own works, such as Ms. Lapeña Bonifacio’s puppet play Sita & Rama: Papet Ramayana by Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas; Mr. Cayabyab’s song “Paraiso” as sung by Esang de Torres and the Ateneo Chamber Singers; a dance performance of the “Cordillera Suite” by the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group; and a staged reading of a scene from Ramon Muzones’ Margosatubig by Audie Gemorra, Bong Cabrera, and Shiela Valderrama-Martinez.

In 1972, the Order of National Artist or Orden ng Pambansang Alagad ng Sining was established “to give appropriate recognition and prestige to Filipinos who have distinguished themselves and made outstanding contributions to Philippine arts and letters.” The nominated artists shall meet criteria which included “Artists who through the content and form of their works have contributed in building a Filipino sense of nationhood.”

In his speech, Mr. Almario noted that the recognition as a National Artist comes with great responsibilities.

“Mapanubok ang ating kasalukuyang lipunan at panahon… Hinintay tayong magpatunay sa ating kakayahang para umambag sa pagkakaisa at kaunlaran ng lipunang Filipino (Our current society and period pose challenges… They await our contributions for the unity and development of the Philippine society,” he said. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

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