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South Korean business delegation exploring opportunities in Clark freeport, New City

A SOUTH KOREAN business delegation is in the Philippines to explore opportunities arising from the government’s infrastructure-building program, including potential projects in New Clark City in Central Luzon, officials said.

South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Han Dong-man said the delegation considers Tarlac’s New Clark City, which is being positioned as a government and business center, as a potential entry point for participating in the infrastructure program. It visited Clark Freeport Zone and New Clark City on Monday.

Mr. Han said South Korean investment in Southeast Asia is currently focused on Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, under the “New Southern Policy.”

“President Moon Jae-in… made it clear that the southern policy emphasizes infrastructure projects, especially in transport, energy, water management and ICT (information and communication technology),” he added.

“I think there are many areas of cooperation between South Korea and the Philippines,” he added.

Mr. Moon in November expressed his intention to refocus on Southeast Asia, given South Korea’s status as a potential partner for the regional bloc under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership scheme.

So far, Mr. Moon has visited Indonesia in a bid to diversify South Korea’s trading links.

Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Raul S. Hernandez said that aside from the infrastructure and energy investments the Philippines will be expecting from South Korea, the government has set a target to increase trade.

“As far as investments are concerned, Korea is 7th largest investor in the Philippines. We want that, of course, to increase that’s why we have a lot of outbound missions, [and] inbound missions from South Korea,” he added.

“[This is] to make sure that the people and companies know exactly the opportunities in the Philippines, where they can make money especially during this period of the Duterte administration with the ‘Build Build Build’ program.”

The infrastructure program hopes to spend around P8 trillion to P9 trillion until 2022, covering 70 big-ticket projects.

Other companies in the delegation engaged in manufacturing are also looking for local partners. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

Of depression and expression

By Nickky F. P. de Guzman, Reporter

Theater Review
’Night Mother
Presented by PETA
Feb. 2 to March 18, Fridays to Sundays
The PETA Theater Center,No.5 Eymard
Drive, New Manila, Quezon City

EVERYTHING IN this play by Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) is perfect, and this perfection becomes scary in how accurately it is a depiction of life. Flawless lines that resonate and pierce a vulnerable heart because the imagined characters on stage become so real — you know them or you are them. ’Night, Mother must come with a heavy warning: watch it with caution because this 90-minute uninterrupted two-woman play is flawless and will leave you breathless and tearful.

Starring two great actresses Eugene Domingo and Sherry Lara as daughter and mother, ’Night, Mother talks about depression and repressed emotions.

Let’s talk depression.

The story’s premise is straightforward: Jessie (Domingo) is suffering from depression and she has decided kill herself on a Saturday night using her father’s old gun. Jessie has the guts to tell her mother, Thelma (Lara), about her plan — and naturally she objects to it. Jessie tells Thelma because she does not want her to be surprised or to blame herself. She instructs and reminds her mother about what to do and how to go on living even after she’s gone. She even coaches her on how to answer relatives’ or the policemen’s queries.

A real-time play, ’Night Mother starts promptly at 8 p.m. (there is a clock on the set to show the time), and because it is promoted as a 90-minute show, the audience knows that the play will be finished at around 9:30 p.m. While Jessie is adamant that her plans cannot be changed, still, the audience (or this writer, at least) remain hopeful that by the time the clock on the set strikes 9:30 p.m., Jessie will take back her death wish, everything ends well, and the mother and daughter live happily ever after.

’Night Mother, however, isn’t about the end but about what has lead to this decision. It is about the conversations between a daughter whose death is decided and a mother who will be left behind and who does not know how to live because it is her daughter who does everything for her. Unlike most suicides where people only leave long letters filled with sorry’s and thank you’s and do not give their loved ones a chance to say what they want, Thelma is given this rare opportunity.

A magnificent actress, Ms. Lara’s characterization is natural and heartfelt as she gets the audience to empathize with Thelma’s every plea, negotiation, and effort to buy more time with her daughter. Ms. Domingo returns to the stage after a five-year hiatus and reminds everyone that there is more to her than the comic characters she has been playing on screen lately. Calm and collected as any “normal” person, her portrayal brings to the fore the realization that not all people who look “perfectly normal” really feel okay deep inside.

’Night, Mother banks on its strong script that moves the narrative forward while unraveling the characters’ personalities, their deepest secrets, their loneliness, the lies they tell themselves and their loved ones, and the choices they made in life. Despite the dark humor present in the mother-daughter banter, which warrants a smirk or a laugh, the show conveys to the audience the conversations we should be having with our parents, friends, or lovers.

In his director’s note, Melvin Lee said that ’Night, Mother should be about the talks “we’ve had or should have had with our loved ones. Through conversation comes clarity. We need clarity in our feelings and thoughts to steer us away from darkness.”

Ian Lomongo, who adapted the script to Filipino from Marsha Norman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning piece, did a magnificent job as well. The original script was written in the 1980s, but Mr. Lomongo modernized and localized it — words like “tokhang” and “EJK” make an appearance. The result is a relatable play. Together, Mssrs. Lee and Lomongo have captured the nuances and dynamics of a Filipino family, which is often conservative and too polite to talk about the issues that really matter, not until one family member gets depressed, or worse, commits suicide.

REPRESENTING DEPRESSION
According to psychologist Dr. Randy Dellosa who was present during the media preview on Jan. 24, the play’s script and its depiction of depression are truthful and accurate.

The play informs the audience that Jessie is epileptic. She is pictured as hopeless, and she has an inexplicable void in her heart. She does not want to go outside her house, she is unhappy, she has negative thoughts about herself, and she has anxieties for her future. For her, death is the answer to end her anxiety. Jessie aspires to her own death because she says she is fed up with the uncertainties in her life: Will her son grow up to be a good man? Will her husband, who abandoned her, go back to her? What does tomorrow bring?

Jessie’s realistic thoughts and line of thinking are so familiar and perfectly rendered that they may trigger someone in the audience who has depression. As mentioned earlier, watch it with caution, with an open mind, and with a close friend whom you can talk to afterwards. PETA will be holding Q&A sessions with psychologists and experts after each performance to debrief the audience and to release any pent up emotion.

In today’s society where there are increasing cases of depression and suicide, and people rarely have deep and meaningful conversations with their loved ones, ’Night, Mother is a timely reminder to sit down and have a talk.

Tickets are available at www.ticketworld.com.ph.

Tough Mudder descends on the country in 2018

PREPARE to get down and dirty. This, as the world’s leading obstacle course event, Tough Mudder, holds its first-ever event in the country later this year.

In partnership with Proactive Sports Management, a noted organizer of fun runs in the Philippines, Tough Mudder, Inc. will make its debut staging in the country, bringing its signature obstacles.

The inaugural Tough Mudder Event Weekend in the Philippines will take place in July, to be followed by another event in November 2018.

“This is the first time that Tough Mudder will be in the Philippines, and Tough Mudder is not just about being tough, it is also about teamwork and determination,” said Proactive COO Justine Cordero during the formal unveiling of their partnership last weekend.

Founded in 2010, Tough Mudder has since gone on to become a leading sport, active lifestyle and media brand, known for its challenging races that bring out the best in participants both as individuals and as groups.

It is something that officials of Tough Mudder said they hope to share and introduce to local participants as they make their debut in the country.

“Tough Mudder events have united millions seeking a more engaging, communal form of active lifestyle. We are excited to partner with Proactive Sports Management, who have a proven track record for success for athletic events in the Philippines, to ensure locals and tourists alike will have the same unparalleled experience that has made Tough Mudder the must-do event for OCR (obstacle course race) enthusiasts and weekend warriors alike,” said Will Dean, Tough Mudder CEO and cofounder, also during the partnership launch.

With more than three million participants to date across five continents, Tough Mudder has offerings ranging from accessible yet rewarding challenges, such as the Tough Mudder 5K and Tough Mudder Half (five-mile event excluding fire, ice and electricity), to competitive events, such as Tough Mudder X (the toughest mile on the planet) and World’s Toughest Mudder (24-hour endurance event).

Organizers of the Tough Mudder Philippines said venue for the event is still being finalized and will be made known soon. But those who are already interested to join may start registering.

For more information on the event, check out their Facebook page Tough Mudder Philippines. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Tourism gets boost while agri sector faces misery from Mayon

WITH CHILI-flavored “lava ice cream” in demand and awestruck tourists packing onto viewing decks, the erupting Mayon volcano is sparking a local business boom in an impoverished region of the Philippines where tens of thousands of others have fled for their lives.

Albay province has built its image around the picture-perfect, cone-shaped Mayon Volcano whose periodic activity offers both boundless opportunity as well as enduring misery.

Since Mayon began shooting out lava two weeks ago, restaurants and hotels just outside a nine-kilometer (5.6-mile) “danger zone” — some complete with volcano branding — have enjoyed an off-season tourism bonanza.

“We are thankful because we have many guests but it also makes me guilty because so many people are affected,” Purita Araojo, front desk officer at Vista Al Mayon Pensionne, told AFP.

Nearly 90,000 people living around the volcano have fled to overcrowded relief camps where authorities have warned of a worsening sanitation crisis.

The largely farming region is still bracing for a potentially explosive eruption, though experts are convinced everyone is now out of reach of the 2,460-meter Mayon’s threat.

With its 52nd eruption in about 400 years, Mayon is the most active of 22 volcanoes in the Philippines, a country which is itself part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire” of islands formed by volcanic activity.

BEAUTIFUL LADY
But its rumblings are also a spark of inspiration for tourism-oriented businesses, which have fashioned spicy menus while prominently displaying volcano photos and logos.

A bestseller at a local restaurant is the “Mayon Hot Lava” — Mayon-shaped ice cream scoops topped with bits of chili and spicy syrup.

High-end hotels provide live TV streaming of Mayon’s eruption, while out-of-town journalists and tourists are also corralled into “volcano-view” rooms with windows looking out onto the slowly unfolding disaster.

Albay saw a 10% growth in tourist arrivals this month from a year earlier, the local tourism office said, as travel agencies and tour guide services cashed in on what is normally a slow period after Christmas.

The forlorn top of the old church belfry of Cagsawa town — jutting out of the grass more than two centuries after Mayon buried 1,200 of its residents alive in a catastrophic 1814 eruption — is the most popular draw.

Family and friends pose for wacky shots beside it, many making it appear as if they are leaning on the smouldering volcano in the background, or cupping its red-hot crater.

At times however low-lying rain clouds spoil the photography, forcing tourist guides to turn to story-telling.

Mayon 2
Local tourists pose for photos at the Cagsawa ruins near Mayon Volcano in Daraga, Albay on Jan. 29.

“We tell them the epic where the cloud is believed to be the suitor of Mount Mayon, which we call the beautiful lady,” park aide Hohanna Loterina told AFP.

“When the cloud covers her, he does not want to show her to others and it’s an expression of love.”

But beyond the hospitality industry, the volcano has brought misery to the poor, many of them farmers on its lower slopes.

Volcanic ash has destroyed many crops, pushing up vegetable prices and causing roadside eatery proprietor Janet Octavo to miss out on the boom.

“I wish that the eruption stops,” she told AFP.

Elderly chili farmer Marcal Morato stood barefoot on blackened soil where wilted stems were all that remained.

“It’s such a shame because I can no longer use this. I would have to buy new seeds,” the 72-year-old told AFP.

Venice Mar lost P30,000 pesos worth of bitter gourd but was philosophical, saying disasters yield both winners and losers.

“We get frustrated but we just take it as it is. We are used to it because business is like a gamble,” he added.

Mayon’s activities continued over Monday night to yesterday, with “energetic lava effusion,” while previously extruded lava was also collapsing on the crater, only to be pushed out again as debris, the state volcanology office said in its latest bulletin.

An earlier Mayon eruption passed without any casualties in 2006, but four months later a typhoon unleashed an avalanche of volcanic mud from its slopes, killing about 1,000 people.

On Saturday the volcanology institute issued its first “lahar” warning on Mayon this year due to incessant rain that is usual in the region at this time of year.

A day later the institute made a video recording of lahar flowing down a river near Daraga town south of the volcano, though it did not cause any damage or casualties. — AFP

Arts Month to focus on the youth, reinvention to move art forward

NATIONAL ARTIST for Literature and chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Virgilio S. Almario encourages everyone to practice self-awareness and reinvention, which stimulate how we view ourselves and, in turn, how we see progress in our country.

“Let’s think of how we view ourselves again. I myself no longer like what I am making so I am searching for a new way of creating and expressing,” he said in the vernacular at the sidelines of NCCA’s launch of the February Arts Month celebration.

“At the same time, I want the new ways of expression to become pathways in the creation of a new country,” he added.

He said the Philippines is the product of our hiraya (imagination). “Jose Rizal and the other heroes imagined what our country should be like thus there was the revolution. After several centuries, we should reimagine our country. I am not happy with the results as we appear to have failed to fulfil the imaginings of our heroes.

“The Philippines is changing, conditions are changing. So the principles we hold on to may be old. We must assess well which of the things Bonifacio, Rizal did are still useful today and if there are things that they did not create that we need today so we can improve further.”

In line with Mr. Almario’s vision, the NCCA’s programs for February’s celebration of the Arts Month will cater to and center around the youth and the regions outside the Metro Manila.

“First, we need to go out outside of the city and involve the regions, because — we may not want to admit it — but the news and reports are always centered in Metro Manila,” he said in Filipino.

The Arts Month festivities, with theme “Ani ng Sining, Alab ng Sining,” will emphasize the seven arts — architecture, painting, music, literary, dance, performing, and cinema — in the Philippines and the diverse practices.

“Second, our festival must involve the youth,” he added.

Mr. Almario said that during a conference abroad, he learned that the youth worldwide have reported feeling dejection when they are not taken seriously.

“Malaki ang tampo ng kabataan dahil ang turing sa kanila ay kabataan. Hindi sila itinuturing na kapantay ng adults kaya ang tingin sa kanila laging tuturuan pa ng leksyon at hindi yung kaagapay sa paggawa ng proyektong pangkaunlaran (The youth sulk because they are treated as children. They are not considered equal to adults so they are looked on at as needing to be taught and not as partners in creating community projects),” he said, adding that there is a need to heed this message as the Philippines is home to a young population.

“The Philippines must utilize the energy and passion of our youth,” he said.

As a result, the National Arts Month celebration will hold seven projects which are focused on the youth and the regions outside Metro Manila:

• Musicapuluan: Music of the Philippine Islands, which is a music festival with performances, workshops, and lectures that will be held in Quezon City, Dumaguete City, Davao City, Negros Oriental, Catbalogan City, Cebu, and Samar.

• Loob at Labas: Talakayan at Pagpaparangya, which is a roving exhibit and forum on architecture that will travel to Bacolod, Baguio, Davao, Cabanatuan City, and Batangas.

• The 10th edition of the Cinema Rehiyon Film Festival, which will travel to universities in Metro Manila, and will feature some of the best works done in regions outside the capital.

• The Sayaw Pinoy dance tour, which will bring together the different art forms, ballet, folk dance, and modern dance to the stages around the provinces.

• Tampok will gather key theater practitioners in the country and feature performances, workshops, and discussions.

• The Philippine Visual Arts Festival will be held in Santiago City, Isabela, and will include workshops, art talks, and exhibitions while highlighting the works of visual artists from around the country.

• The Maartext arts festival will include spoken word, dance, music, writing workshops, lectures, and theatrical performances, and will be held in the Bicol region, Baguio City, Tacloban City in Leyte, Cebu, Pampanga, and Aklan. — Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

The intro of Nismo

By Kap Maceda Aguila

NISSAN Philippines, Inc. (NPI) is introducing the domestic automobile market to the virtues of heightened, sportier performance by unveiling on Jan. 25 five new vehicles — headlined by the entry of Nismo, Nissan’s performance brand.

Committed to high-output engineering and auto parts, along with the pursuit of motor sport, the Nismo experience is, according to Nissan; “30 years deep… [and the company] believes in power — but it must have a purpose… agility — but it must be refined… technology because we must always be moving forward.”

Declared NPI president and managing director Ramesh Narasimhan in a speech, “Nissan is excited to let the Philippine market experience the result of Nismo’s longstanding expertise in motor sports and ultra-high performance cars.” He promised “customers can surely expect other nameplates under the Nismo lineup in the future.”

Nismo was formed in 1984 with the merger of two performance divisions under the Nissan aegis — Oppama Works and Omori Works. Four years later, Nismo released its first vehicle, the Saurus, for motor sport use in a one-make series. It was followed in 1989 by the Skyline R32. Today, ushering in what is veritably the pinnacle of Nissan’s sport performance is the GT-R Nismo.

Present for the vehicle’s local introduction was the GT-R’s chief product specialist, Hiroshi Tamura, who provided more comprehensive insight into the Nismo version of “Godzilla” — the GT-R’s moniker among car enthusiasts. Lightweight materials, motor sport features, a powerful engine, and performance enhancements “are engineered to give an exhilarating experience on the road and on the track.”

The GT-R Nismo, now available at Nissan High Performance Center in Quezon Avenue, sells for P13.2 million (the GT-R Premium, also sold through the same dealership, has a pre-tax reform program sticker price of P7.5 million).

Propelling the GT-R Nismo is a retuned 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 that generates 592 hp and 652 Nm, compared to the 565 hp and 637 Nm produced by the same engine in the GT-R Premium. NPI said the GT-R Nismo gets ”Nismo-tuned suspension with additional roll stiffness, adhesive bonding [in addition to spot welding] for increased body-shell rigidity, Nismo-tuned aerodynamic exterior elements designed to increase down force… sculpted Alcantara-trimmed Recaro front bucket seats, [and] Nismo racing-style Alcantara-trimmed three-spoke steering wheel.” To reduce weight, the car’s boot lid, spoiler, front and rear bumpers, and lower front undercover are made of carbon fiber.

RECORD YEAR
During the same event, Mr. Narasimhan underscored NPI’s sterling performance in 2016 and 2017, where the company registered similar 48% upticks.

Last year, according to the 2017 sales report of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc., to which NPI belongs, Nissan ranked sixth in total sales (attaining 5.87% market share) with a consolidated figure of 24,995 vehicles sold. The car maker delivered 16,897 units in 2016.

NPI also placed sixth in sales of passenger cars with 7,820 units — up 32.7% over the 2016 total. It was in the movement of its commercial vehicles where NPI showed a greater growth rate — selling 17,175 units compared to 11,002 in 2016, representing a 56.1% hike.

”[It] was a record-breaking year for Nissan,” said Mr. Narasimhan in a speech. “Not only were we able to launch new models in competitive segment… we were also able to expand our foothold across the country and achieve our largest sales record… These inspire us to set the bar higher and change the game this 2018, starting with new vehicles that will surely shake up the industry.”

FOUR NEW VEHICLES
Aside from the GT-R Nismo, NPI also launched four new and improved Nissan vehicles available beginning in February: The Urvan Premium S, which comes with a P400,000 — P450,000 dealer option luxury kit (developed with A-Toy Body Kits) including four captain seats with leather appointments, overhead compartments, and entertainment system; the Juke N Style, in Nismo colors of red and white (price to be announced); and Nissan Patrol Royale 7 A/T (P3,749,900), which has an upgraded engine and a seven-speed automatic transmission.

Porsche takes top 10 finishes at Daytona

MARKING 50 years after it first won the overall title at the 24 Hours of Daytona, Porsche last weekend fielded two of its 911 RSR race cars to take on one of motor sport’s most popular endurance races.

But while the brand led grid half a century ago, Porsche at this year’s race managed only top 10 finishes. The No. 912 911 RSR, driven by two-time overall Le Mans winner Earl Bamber, Laurens Vanthoor and Gianmaria Bruni, took sixth in the GTLM class while the No. 911 car shared by Patrick Pilet, Nick Tandy and Frederic Makowiecki landed in eighth spot.

The No. 911 car led the field during the early hours of the race but two pit stops for repairs hampered a top result. With Tandy on board, the RSR slid at high speed over the green strip at the Bus Stop chicane, which was still damp after a shower. The car them crashed into a stack of tires, and was so badly damaged that it had to be pushed straight into the workshop for repairs.

Porsche Daytona 2
Porsche’s No. 911 entry proved to be a survivor.

The crew managed to get Tandy back on the track after 20 minutes, but by which time he had lost 13 laps to the class leader and fell from fourth place to eighth. Another crash on the same spot during the night cost the team more time.

For its part, the No. 912 Porsche ran without issues. But the car was unable to match the pace of the frontrunners over the distance. Also, the caution phases at this year’s Daytona race were few, making it difficult to close the gap to the leaders as the field ran behind the safety car.

“We gained a lot of positive experiences in preparing for the race and at the start, also in terms of the performance of our 911 RSR. Unfortunately we weren’t able to implement this over the entire race distance. The whole team worked excellently and fought to the finish. The pit stops for repairs ran perfectly, yet we couldn’t do any more. That was not our race,” said Frank-Steffen Walliser, Porsche vice-president for motor sport and GT cars.

Porsche Daytona 3
No lack of Porsche fans at Daytona.

Pilet added this year’s Daytona race was “unusual” as it had “so few caution phases.”

As always, the recent 24 Hours of Daytona was run on the 5.729-kilometer Daytona International Speedway, which features two fast, banked turns and a tight infield. Porsche this year competed against BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari and Ford.

Trump takes pitch to prime time in State of the Union address

WASHINGTON — Embattled US President Donald J. Trump delivers his biggest speech of the year Tuesday, a State of the Union address designed to sell his economic record to a fiercely divided America.

Mr. Trump’s maiden State of the Union address — last year, he technically only delivered a speech to Congress — presents a once-in-a-year opportunity for the president to mend his sunken approval ratings.

As many as 40 million people are expected to tune in when Mr. Trump takes to the floor of the House of Representatives for an hour just after 9:00 p.m. (0200 GMT).

“It’s a big speech, an important speech,” Mr. Trump said Monday, offering a sneak peak of his remarks.

Over the years, the set piece event has lost some of its influence and Americans are increasingly tuning out shrill political discourse, but it can still mold and direct public debate for weeks to come.

In 94 previous addresses, presidents have described the state of the union as “good,” “strong,” “sound” or in the case of a glum Gerald Ford, “not good.”

Expect no such moderation from the 71-year-old real estate mogul and reality TV star.

The state of the union is “incredible” said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, outlining a speech that will be long on claims of achievement.

Mr. Trump is expected to tout a long bull run on Wall Street and improving growth rates, something the White House is calling a “Trump bump” and linking directly to the recent “Trump tax cut.”

“We worked on it hard, covered a lot of territory,” Mr. Trump said of the speech, “including our great success with the markets and with the tax cut.”

Since Mr. Trump came to office a year ago, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up by around 33%. The unemployment rate has reached a 17-year low.

At a recent address in Davos, Switzerland, Mr. Trump told the global great and good that “America is open for business” again.

During his first year in office, Mr. Trump has often sought credit, but he has appeared less concerned about widening his appeal — defying norms and sticking to a base-first approach.

With legislative elections scheduled for November and the probe into his campaign’s ties with Russia intensifying, Tuesday’s speech may see something of a change in strategy.

“This is a president who wants to lead for everybody,” said Ms. Sanders. “He’s not looking to lead for any one person, any one group, but he wants to be the president of the United States.”

Mr. Trump’s approval rating is languishing around 40%, according to the RealClearPolitics average, and opposition is fierce.

At a donor retreat in the California desert this week, Republican strategists warned that an unpopular president and strong enthusiasm among Democrats could spell doom for the party.

But Mr. Trump’s speech is also expected to touch on the highly charged issue of migration, where Mr. Trump continues to play firmly to his core supporters.

Two couples whose daughters were murdered by MS-13, a Salvadoran gang, are among those the White House invited to see the State of the Union address first hand.

His remarks are being crafted in part by aide Stephen Miller, who has for years been known in Washington as a hardliner on immigration and has been pressing for an uncompromising stance.

“For many years, for many, many years, they’ve been talking immigration, they never got anything done. We’re going to get something done, we hope,” Mr. Trump said.

“Hopefully, the Democrats will join us, or enough of them will join us, so we can really do something great.”

Mr. Trump can also be expected to lift his gaze beyond the United States to what Washington sees as Iran’s troublesome activities across the Middle East, as well as North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Trade is also expected to be a strong focus, with Mr. Trump repeating claims that the current terms of global business are unfair to the world’s largest economy.

“The world has taken advantage of us on trade for many years, and as you probably noticed we’re stopping that, and we’re stopping it cold,” Mr. Trump said.

THE DISLOYAL OPPOSITION
Democrats’ response will come in many forms, with Joe Kennedy offering the official rebuttals, but 2016 hopeful Bernie Sanders and a host of others offering their own take.

They are likely to concede that the economy is growing, but perhaps not for everyone.

“Trump inherited a years-long economic recovery but has yet to turn it to the advantage of working Americans,” said analysts at the left-leaning Center for American Progress.

“The Trump administration’s fiscal policies are redistributing income and wealth upward through massive new tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy, which come at the expense of middle-class and low-income Americans.” — AFP

Manila Biennale opens Feb. 3

MANILA BIENNALE joins in the celebration of National Arts Month as it hopes to celebrate art and promote the heritage and history of Manila and Intramuros.

The first ever Manila Biennale, inspired by the Venice Biennale, will run from Feb. 3 to March 5, with art exhibits throughout the event, live performances on Feb. 21 to 25, an Artists’ Ball on Feb. 25, and the Manila Transitio Memorial Concert also on Feb. 25.

More than 30 local and international artists will participate in the festival under theme “OpenCity.” They include Agnes Arellano, Renz Baluyot, Mideo Cruz, Garry Ross Pastrana, Angel Show from the US, Henri van Noordenburg from the Netherlands, and Nicolas Combarro from Spain, among others.

Intramuros’ gardens, chambers, museums, and plazas will host exhibits, fashion shows, spoken word poetry sessions, performance arts, and design and architecture events.

“It is about bringing back the soul of the city of Intramuros,” said Carlos Celdran, tour guide, cultural activist, performance artist, and one of the event’s organizers. “Nothing is for sale, but your experience,” he added.

An “Art Passport” gives visitors access to all the events available via e-mail (opencity@manilabiennale.ph). There are also day passes and student passes.

For more information, visit www.manilabiennale.ph. — NFP de Guzman

Palace memo out on disclosure of funds among all government bodies

By Arjay L. Balinbin

MALACAÑANG on Tuesday, Jan. 30, issued Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 39 requiring all heads of national government agencies (NGAs), government owned and/or controlled corporations (GOCCs), state universities and colleges (SUCs), and local government units (LGUs) to submit to the Office of the President (OP) a report on funds transferred to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM)- Procurement Service (PS) for the purpose of procuring various supplies, equipment, and infrastructure projects.

MC 39, which was signed by Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea last Jan. 26, cited Section 28, Article II of the 1987 Constitution, which “provides that the State shall adopt and implement a policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest.”

The memorandum also stressed that it is the policy of the State to promote good governance and to adhere to the principles of transparency, accountability, equity, efficiency, and economy in its procurement process.

The Palace highlighted in the memorandum that its purpose is “for monitoring and evaluation purposes.”

All reports on funds transferred to DBM-PS “as of 31 December 2017” shall “be submitted on/or before 31 March 2018,” the MC 39 said.

ADB’S 51ST ANNUAL MEETING
The Palace also released certified copies of the MC No.38 enjoining all appropriate government agencies to support the Philippine hosting of the 51st annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank board of governors, to be held in Manila on May 3 to 6 this year.

The memorandum was signed by Mr. Medialdea last Jan. 7.

The Palace stated in the MC that “there is a need to constitute a Steering Committee composed of relevant agencies that shall manage and supervise all tasks and activities relative to the Philippine hosting to enjoin all other government agencies to provide support and assistance.”

The MC added that the Steering Committee that will take charge of the coordination, preparation and arrangement for the Philippine hosting of the said event is composed of secretary of finance as chairperson, and members such as Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Secretary of Budget and Management, Secretary of Trade and Industry, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Secretary of Public Works and Highways, Secretary of Transportation, and Secretary of the Interior and Local Government.

The members, including the chairperson, as stated in the MC, “may designate and authorize their respective representatives to the Steering Committee.”

Top PHL business players hold fund-raising golf tournament

FOR THE 16TH YEAR running, the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) — composed of 34 industry associations and 132 corporations from across different sectors — will be hosting a fund-raising golf tournament geared toward the advancement of Philippine businesses.

Senior executives and key stakeholders from the country’s Top 1000 Corporations will gather at the Tagaytay Midlands Golf Course this Feb. 9 to take part in a charity drive that has consistently proven crucial to the success of the FPI’s numerous advocacies to promote Philippine entrepreneurship. As in years past, this coming together of the Philippine business sector’s most civic-minded movers and shakers is a demonstration of FPI members’ generosity of spirit, as well as their commitment to support local industries in their vital role in the heightened competitiveness and in the continuous growth of the national economy.

Among the organization’s campaigns that the fund-raising tournament will be benefiting are advocacies like anti-smuggling (which includes the fight against Illicit Trade), power and energy and environment sustainability. The FPI extends its gratitude to those who have already pledged to take part in the fund-raiser, as it looks forward to the support of the many guests who are expected to lend a hand in the success of the tournament.

The 16th Annual Federation of Philippine Industries Golf Tournament will be co-presented by Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines — part of the broader Coca-Cola FEMSA group, San Miguel Corp., and PMFTC.

SL Agritech to undertake hybrid rice technology project in Lanao del Sur

By Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

HYBRID RICE producer SL Agritech Corp. is looking to expand the local yield of hybrid rice produced in the province of Lanao del Sur, after allocating 50 hectares for two hybrid rice varieties.

SL Agritech on Tuesday signed a memorandum of agreement with Lanao del Sur officials for a 50-hectare hybrid rice technology demonstration as part of rehabilitation efforts for Marawi City.

SL Agritech Senior Technical and Promotion Consultant Frisco M. Malabanan said P1.65-million project will help around 50 farmers in the nearby municipality of Bubong.

“The [rice] yield from the area is only 3 metric tons (MT) to 3.5 MT per hectare. According to research, we are ranging from 7 MT to 14 MT, following the recommended technology [for the hybrid rice],” he said on Tuesday.

Seeds have already started to be sown in the area last Jan. 19. The 50 farmers have already undergone the necessary briefing and training — a move Mr. Malabanan said should also entice other farmers to switch to hybrid rice farming.

“SL Agritech will provide the technology and production inputs. We have to link this to other agricultural product suppliers and trader millers so that when the palay is ready for harvesting, the trader miller will buy back the produce,” Mr. Malabanan said.

Go Negosyo, an advocacy group that also signed the memorandum of agreement for the project, will help ensure sustainable agribusiness in the region.

Lanao del Sur provincial agriculturist Mohamadali D. Macaraya said the goal is to replicate the project in the surrounding areas, which will expand the covered area for hybrid rice to 1,000 hectares in the next planting season.

Mr. Macaraya noted the region has 4,319 hectares but cannot be used due to the lack of proper irrigation.

“We have plenty of rivers. Our [water] supply is more than enough but the problem is how to divert the canals from rivers to the field. We need the government to support us because this will help the people of Marawi City and Lanao del Sur,” he added.

Mr. Macaraya said the local government unit is requesting for funds to rehabilitate the post-harvest facilities after most of these were destroyed during the five-month Marawi siege last year.

If properly implemented, the hybrid rice project could provide employment to 50,000 people.

“If we could introduce livelihood to the people, they will not have to think about resorting to criminality,” Mr. Macaraya said.

Mr. Macaraya estimated that once Lanao del Sur adopts the hybrid rice, the fields could yield around 20 million to 30 million bags of palay annually. He noted this can reduce the region’s dependence on rice imports, given 80% of rice is imported to keep up with the demand.

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