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ISM sells 30% of shares for P1.22 billion

ISM Communications, Inc. is selling around 30% of its shares to a Singapore-based fund management firm for P1.22 billion, a few weeks after it sold a majority stake in the company to businessman Dennis A. Uy.
In a disclosure to the stock exchange on Tuesday, ISM said its executive committee has approved Accion Common Development Fund SPC’s purchase of 841.95 million treasury shares in the company at P1.45 apiece. This represents 30.07% of the company’s resulting outstanding capital.
The company said a fourth of the acquisition price will be paid upon purchase. ISM’s executive committee mandated that the sale and purchase documents be executed no later than the end of September. The remaining 75% will be paid by the end of the year. — Arra B. Francia

SEC warns public against illegal lending firms

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has warned the public against investing in Almasai Finance and Investment and EMMRJ Lending Investors Corp. or EMMRJ Loan Consultancy Corp., saying none of these firms are licensed to solicit investments or act as lenders.
In an advisory posted on its website, the SEC said it received information that EMMRJ Lending has been presenting itself as a lending company despite not being registered as a corporation or partnership with the commission.
EMMRJ Loan Consultancy was also found to be soliciting investments from the public. The entity however does not have the authority to invite investments, as it does not have the necessary secondary license or permit required by law.
With this, the SEC may prosecute and hold criminally liable those who act as salesmen, brokers, dealers, or agents of EMMRJ Lending and EMMRJ Loan Consultancy. This entails a maximum fine of P5 million or a penalty of up to 21 years or both, as per the Securities Regulation Code (SRC).
Meanwhile, the SEC also warned the public against investing in Almasai Finance and Investment or Almasai Equity Holdings, Corp., which is being used as an investment vehicle for a non-government organization called Sangguniang Masang Pilipino International Inc. (SMPII). — Arra B. Francia

DoTr seeking end of arbitration case on NLEX toll adjustments

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it is asking NLEX Corp. to terminate its arbitration case regarding the overdue toll adjustments for the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), in favor of staggered toll hikes.
“The general approach, papunta na po sa settlement yan. Hinihingi namin yung arbitration, mawala yung kaso. Ang pagkasunduan na lang namin, yung mekanismo kung pano mapapaimplement yung contractual provision regarding increases,” DOTr Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said in a panel session during the annual Economic Journalists’ Association of the Philippines Forum in Manila on Tuesday, Aug. 28.

Online hiring up in second quarter — report

Online hiring in the Philippines went up year-on-year in the second quarter but has slightly declined compared to the previous quarter due to lingering concerns on rising inflation, research firm Monster.com said.
In its second quarter Monster Employment Index (MEI), Monster noted in a year on year comparison, the months of April, May and June post an increase by 12%, 7% and 11%, respectively.
However, due to the stronger performance in the first quarter, the second quarter’s performance declined by 3%.
“Although it may not meet the government’s targets, the Filipino economy is performing well and on a solid growth trajectory, which is reflected in a steady demand for talent and online recruitment activity,” Monster said.
Online hiring for advertising, market research, public relations, media and entertainment in the Philippines posted the fastest growth in the months of April (21%), May (10%) and June (13%) compared to Malaysia and Singapore, Monster said.
“While a comparison with 2017 is positive, the sector decreased by 11% compared to the first quarter of the year. However, this is largely due to a very strong quarter, as the general upwards trend continues,” the research firm added.
Likewise, the Philippines also came out as the leader in the HR and administration sector. One of the industries with the largest online hiring demand since the start of 2018, HR and administration posted a 20% growth. However, demand for talent has decreased by 10% in the second quarter from the first.
Monster said that it will continue to be a priority in the second half of the year in Southeast Asia.
Over all trend, however, still posted double-digit growths year on year in the months of April, May and June by 28%, 24%, and 25, respectively.
Monster noted that despite the high demand for HR and administration, the “looming cloud-based HR tech solutions this sector may be disrupted in the near-future.”
The Philippines also saw a weaker performance in the second quarter for information technology and business process outsourcing sector, stagnating at a 9% growth all throughout the three months. This is 4% lower from first quarter results which noted a strong online hiring activity.
Monster noted that as this sector has always been a strong contributor to the country’s economy, it can further add to the Philippines’ advantage amid the US-Chine trade war.
Online hiring for banking, financial services and insurance in the Philippines registered double-digit growth in the second quarter, the highest being on April at 22%. Compared to the first quarter’s stronger performance, however, this is a 2% slip.
The research firm noted that as the inflation rate continues to rise, this might destabilize the sector.
Despite a slightly slower quarter on quarter growth, Monster said that the Philippines will continue to see a “healthy second half of the year” for online recruitment. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

United Paragon Mining bags exploration permit for Camarines Norte mining site

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has issued United Paragon Mining Corp. (UPM) an exploration permit for its Camarines Norte property.
In a disclosure to the Stock Exchange on Tuesday, Aug. 28, UPM said that it has received the exploration permit which was issued by DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) last Aug. 20.
UPM has exclusive rights to operate on Camarines Minerals, Inc.’s 395-hectare property in Longos, Paracale, in Camarines Norte through an operating agreement.
“In 2016, UPM amended its application to conform to DENR-MGB’s policy on meridional blocking thus expanding the applied area from 395 hectares to 580.272 hectares,” the company said.
“However, in the same year, DENR Secretary Gina Lopez issued a memorandum order that covered the extensive audit of all mines as well as the moratorium on new mining projects.”
The moratorium halted the acceptances, processing and approval of all exploration for metallic and non-metallic minerals.
It was only last July when it was lifted under President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s order to improve the competitiveness of the mining industry despite threatening to “shut down” all mining operations due to environmental degradation. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

Should your restaurant start offering delivery?

As the digital era continues to take over Filipino life, more opportunities are becoming available to food brands looking to get their menu offerings into the hands (and mouths) of hungry customers all over the metro.
Food delivery is going beyond its status as simply an add-on for restaurants, becoming a necessity in the industry globally. According to international information firm The NPD Group, foodservice delivery in the United States has been taking in sizable gains in terms of visits and sales over the last five years, despite the general weakness of the market.
“Delivery has become a need to have and no longer a nice to have in the restaurant industry,” Warren Solochek, The NPD Group senior vice-president for industry relations, said. “It has become a consumer expectation.”
“Convenience is among the chief reasons that consumers visit restaurants, and delivery brings a heightened level of it,” Mr. Solochek said. “We forecast that delivery will grow over the next five years and the growth will source to non-traditional delivery outlets and dayparts.”
In the Philippines, the availability and the growth of services like Foodpanda, Honestbee, and The Delivery Guy is proof enough that such international trends are making their way here. The restaurant landscape is changing fast, and sooner or later Filipino brands will have to adapt.
When ride-sharing and logistics services giant Grab Philippines unveiled its smart city vision to “empower a future of seamless mobility,” on-demand food delivery services were one of the company’s top priority services to be integrated into its app.
According to Grab, its existing and new delivery partners from its already-thriving GrabExpress courier service, can generate additional income and job opportunities from delivering food orders on top of delivering parcels.
The company also plans to go beyond just delivering food, by providing restaurants with their own online and mobile storefronts. By leveraging their fleet of delivery partners, Grab hopes to help eliminate the need for restaurants to rely solely on foot traffic for their revenues.
With more and more Filipinos moving online, small food enterprises might want to look into mobile services that can help them make the digital leap and tap those migrating consumers.

Gov’t sets pledging for Marawi rehab

Marawi
AFP

THE GOVERNMENT will hold a pledging session in November to seek funds from development institutions for the rehabilitation of battle-scarred Marawi city.
The Department of Finance (DoF) said in a press release on Monday that “the pledging session to be held in the latter part of November would support the implementation of the Bangon Marawi Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Program.”
This was after a Philippine delegation led by Cabinet officials met with their counterparts in China last week to discuss such possible financing and invite Beijing to participate in the pledging session.
Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III was quoted as telling Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan: “Your government’s active support and participation would be highly appreciated,” during their meeting. “We acknowledge… that China was among the first countries to respond to our immediate requirements in our recovery and reconstruction efforts in Marawi City.”
China donated $3 million worth of heavy equipment for Marawi’s rehabilitation in October last year, which “immensely helped in preparing the temporary shelters for the city’s displaced residents,” according to the DoF.
October marked the end of the five-month-long battle in Marawi between Philippine forces and Islamic State-inspired militants.
OTHER FUNDS
Latest data from Task Force Bangon Marawi put overall cost of the city’s rehabilitation at about P86.5 billion, including government-led construction outside the most affected area, rebuilding of ground zero under a public-private partnership, as well as livelihood assistance.
So far, P10 billion has been allocated in the 2018 budget for the rehabilitation of the city.
Aside from the pledging session, the government will also raise funds via sale of retail Treasury bonds earmarked for the reconstruction.
Mr. Dominguez has said that the DoF is considering to float P40 billion worth of such bonds through tranches of P10 billion annually.
“We will issue it definitely in tranches because we should not borrow more than what we need for that year… We already have P10 billion budgeted so we will… get more details on how much is actually required and at what dates,” the Finance chief said.
The National Economic and Development Authority has said that as of June, the United States, Spain, Australia, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have indicated their interest to provide funding support.
The Japanese government has already provided a ¥2-billion grant under an agreement that was inked in May. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan

Statistics body: GDP rebasing to wait

THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY (PSA) will hold off till 2020 the use of a new baseline for measuring economic growth.
National Statistician Lisa Grace S. Bersales said the agency has pushed back the planned rebasing of national income accounts, including data for measuring gross domestic product (GDP) growth, to the later period.
“We expect that the rebasing of national accounts will be finished by 2020,” Ms. Bersales said in an interview on the sidelines of a media briefing on Friday last week.
The PSA chief said that the agency is looking at using 2018 as the new base year for GDP and, eventually, for inflation.
To recall, the PSA adjusted the consumer price index (CPI) used in tracking inflation. Starting this year, readings on price movements have been adjusted in comparison to 2012 as base year.
GDP and related macroeconomic data remain pegged against 2000 prices.
“This year is the Family Income and Expenditure Survey — that’s the basis of the CPI basket. So we are still discussing na baka ‘yung National Income Accounts ay i-2018 na namin, and when the CPI is rebased, it will be 2018 as well,” Ms. Bersales added.
The choice of the new base year will be finalized “within the year,” subject to the approval of the PSA Board which is the highest policy-making body of the agency. Ms. Bersales noted that they once considered using 2015 as the new base year, but this was thumbed down by the board.
PSA officials have said they are also looking at using 2012 as the new base year for national income accounts in order to reflect a “more comprehensive” data set to capture emerging developments in the economy. These talks have been ongoing since 2015, but such changes have not been adopted.
For CPI, an updated base would introduce new items into the theoretical basket which are more representative of what a typical Filipino household spends on regularly and removes those that are no longer purchased as frequently.
For GDP, using an outdated base could mean that the growth of an economy may be “underestimated,” especially as new industries may not be captured by the old method.
This includes sectors with growing prominence like information and communication technologies, business process outsourcing as well as e-commerce.
The PSA reports GDP growth on a quarterly basis as a general measure of the Philippine economy’s performance.
The economy expanded by a slower-than-expected six percent last quarter, taking last semester’s expansion to 6.3%.
Those latest GDP readings compare to the 6.6% clocked in the second quarter and the first semester of last year, as well as the government’s target of 7-8% for full-year 2018. — Melissa Luz T. Lopez

Philippines eyes extra rice imports amid ‘crisis’ in Mindanao

smuggled rice
An Aug. 2 handout photo of the Customs bureau shows its head, Isidro S. Lapeña, inspecting smuggled rice seized at a warehouse in Calamba, Laguna.

THE GOVERNMENT’s Agriculture chief said on Monday that he has proposed the importation of an additional 132,000 tons of rice by the private sector to address “very limited” supplies of the staple food in the country’s southern provinces.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said he had formally recommended the “special” importation to President Rodrigo R. Duterte, and the National Food Authority (NFA) Council would meet on Tuesday to consider the request.
The Philippines’ additional demand for rice could help underpin export prices in Vietnam and Thailand, traditionally its main suppliers, which have already shipped in more than 1 million tons this year.
In Vietnam, export prices of rice have been flat this month after falling steeply in June and July, although traders have reported rumors about possible new deals with the Philippines.
Mr. Piñol said residents of the provinces of Tawi-Tawi, Sulu and Basilan and Zamboanga City in Mindanao have been scrambling for rice supplies in recent weeks following a crackdown on smuggling.
The southern regions have for years relied on smuggled rice believed to come from Vietnam and Thailand, shipped via the Malaysian state of Sabah, forcing local farmers to quit rice growing, he said.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Mr. Duterte met last month and agreed to stop smuggling activities in the countries’ borders, he said.
The end of smuggling was a success in the government’s campaign against illegal activities, but it had resulted in a crisis, Mr. Piñol said in a statement posted on his Facebook page.
Last week, Zamboanga City and Isabela City in Basilan declared a state of calamity, citing the high prices of rice, he said.
He described the situation in Tawi-Tawi as “precarious” as residents lined up for rice at prices as high as P100 per kilogram, almost triple the price of government-subsidized rice.
“The rice crisis was declared to have ended the other day in Zamboanga City with the arrival of new rice stocks from farmers cooperatives… and the NFA, (but) Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi are still gripped with very limited supply of rice,” Mr. Piñol said. — Reuters

Emerging market fund managers hunt for bargains after Turkey contagion

TOKYO — Turkey’s economic crisis has created headaches for investors and policy makers across emerging markets, but for some fund managers, it’s a chance to pick up cheap assets, from Indonesian bonds to Brazilian equities.
The bullish view on global growth has been severely tested this year, with stock markets hit by a Sino-US trade war, rising US yields and a dollar rally.
MSCI’s emerging market equity index is down nine percent this year while China’s main benchmark is off 17%.
Turkey’s problems hastened that selloff. Its lira plunged about 30% over a few weeks in July and August, hit by increasing worries about President Tayyip Erdogan’s policies and worsening diplomatic ties with the United States and Europe.
This triggered sharp currency falls in other emerging markets, such as Argentina, India, Russia, South Africa and Indonesia.
While that move has heightened wider anxieties, many investors see a good chance to step up positions in some of these markets, particularly in Asia.
For Fabiana Fideli, global head of fundamental equities at Robeco, South Korea and China are the top investment destinations.
“You will have volatility. That unfortunately comes with the package in emerging markets,” Ms. Fideli said.
But she notes it’s an opportunity to buy rather than a reason to panic.
Robeco sold its holdings in Turkey in its fundamental equity strategies well before the crisis, she said, anticipating trouble from the country’s extremely loose monetary settings.
Robert Samson, a Singapore-based senior multi-asset portfolio manager at Nikko Asset Management, sees Asian stocks supported by strong earnings and structurally sound growth and has added the asset class to Nikko’s overweight positions.
“Because of the downdraft and how emerging markets like to sell off all at once, thinking that they all share the same characteristics, which they don’t, it’s often a buying opportunity,” said Mr. Samson.
He said the price-to-earnings ratio of Asia ex-Japan stocks is at about 13, well below average and the lowest since early 2016 when markets were also quite depressed. “This is not to say they cannot get cheaper, but we see reasonable upside when the stress subsides,” he said.
The sell-off in emerging markets gathered momentum after US President Donald Trump in March signed a memorandum targeting up to $60 billion in Chinese goods with tariffs, triggering fears of a global trade war.
Since then, the Chinese stock market has shed nearly 15% in dollar terms and Indonesia has lost 12% though India has risen by five percent.
Data from research service Morningstar showed emerging market equity and bond funds globally posted net outflows in May and June, reversing inflows seen in January through to April.
In his search for opportunities, Kenneth Akintewe, head of Asian Sovereign Debt at Aberdeen Standard Investments in Singapore, studies investor positioning in each market.
Indonesian bonds went from being his team’s largest overweight position to underweight in late 2017 as foreign ownership levels shot to above 40%.
But he is now cautiously returning to the Indonesian bonds, after long-term yields there spiked above 8% following the Turkish rout.
Mr. Akintewe also sees buying opportunities in dollar-denominated bond markets, such as Chinese high yield bonds and real estate, as well as the local-currency bond market in Malaysia.
Chinese bonds are a hot favorite with many fund managers because of falling yields and a low correlation with developed markets, where yields are rising.
Chuck Knudsen, a portfolio specialist at T. Rowe Price in Baltimore, says Turkey gave him the opportunity to invest in assets such as stocks of private banks in Brazil and India, insurance companies in South Africa and China, and equities of internet and financial holdings in Russia.
Mr. Knudsen said emerging market valuations, based on 2019 price to earnings ratios, have fallen to discount levels, compared with their historical averages and relative to developed markets.
“Brazil and South Africa would be two countries today where we have overweights and that we like,” he said.
Such bets are not without risks, however. To contain the impact of declining local currencies in these emerging markets, some fund managers are using short positions in low-yielding Asian currencies such as the Taiwan dollar and Thai baht as a hedge.
Mr. Akintewe said his team is now also looking at using the euro or Australian dollar to fund other Asian investments.
“What you’re worried about is the volatility versus the US dollar, but we don’t always have to express all our currency risk versus the US dollar,” he said. — Reuters

McDo’s Sharon-Gabby ad lands on top of YouTube’s leaderboard


THE REUNION of former celebrity couple Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion in a McDonald’s commercial handily beat four Jollibee ads–three of which from its ad series, “Kwentong Jollibee”–making it the most popular YouTube ad in the Philippines for the first half of 2018.
This was the first time that McDonald’s has taken the top spot in the bi-annual ranking despite being nominated consistently since the leaderboard was introduced in 2013.
“The brief was about a classic pairing (McDo’s fried chicken and fries), so we were looking for a pairing that would rival our classic pairing,” Cholo Perreras, McDo Philippines marketing manager said during the leaderboard reveal on Aug. 23 at the Google Philippines offices in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
He explained when they thought of classic pairing, the team thought of Sharon Cuneta, who has done several commercials with the brand, and Gabby Concepcion, who was Ms. Cuneta’s former husband and has starred with her in several successful romantic films in the 1980s.
The minute-and-a-half video, called “Kamusta Ka,” showed Ms. Cuneta and Mr. Concepcion reuniting on-screen and catching up.
“The reaction (to the reunion) was amazing and the views were coming both locally and from abroad,” Mr. Perreras said, noting that they also noticed that a considerable number of viewers were younger than they thought the audience would attract initially — the people who were fans of the Sharon-Gabby pairing.
The video has 4.1 million views as of this writing.
Jollibee might not have won this year’s leaderboard cycle, which counts ads from January to June, but the quick service chain managed to enter the top 10 with four entries, three of which come from the ongoing “Kwentong Jollibee” series.
The three Jollibee commercials are: “Signs” which placed second, “Status” which placed fourth, and “Homecoming” which placed fifth. Aside from the three, Jollibee’s “Alex Wassabi for Jolly Crispy Fries,” which saw the brand’s first collaboration with an international YouTuber, placed sixth on the list.
Aside from the two quick service brands, Google Philippines noted that for this cycle, the top 10 ads all come from local brands and that this year, all ads which made it to the charts are long-form videos with an average duration of three and a half minutes, with AmbiPur clocking in as this cycle’s longest ad at 11 minutes.
The chart also saw first timers putting on a good showing, with Cerelac’s “Let’s Eat Bulilit” ad, featuring toddlers enjoying the brand’s food while having fun with their mothers, placing at number three.
“What people search for are [all about] cute dogs, cute cats, and cute babies. This was the first time [the brand] didn’t focus on nutrition but on having happy meal times,” Issang Ceballos, consumer marketing manager of Cerelac, said during the event.
This was a risk the brand took, she said as they also decided to only show the brand the end of the video, but it became so successful that, Ms. Ceballos told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the event, mothers would send them photos and videos of their babies enjoying Cerelac in hope to being featured. Now the brand plans on creating a separate ad featuring these mothers and their babies.
Google Philippines noted in a press release that while this cycle’s chart still showed how much Filipinos love romantic stories, it also “showcased diversity of digital ads in their length and format.”
“The list underscores how brands are maximizing YouTube to bring out their narratives and make these even more timely and relevant for local audiences,” the company said.
Among the prominent themes of the ads which made it to the charts are in-season narratives (for Valentine’s Day), multi-video storytelling like Jollibee’s ad series, and celebrities on YouTube as AmbiPur featured Kris Aquino while McDonald’s featured Maine Mendoza, Ms. Cuneta, and Mr. Concepcion, and Jollibee featured international YouTuber Alex Wassabi.
“The most successful brands on the list maximize this approach, and had audiences leaning in first and becoming engaged, with “selling” as an afterthought,” it explained.
“YouTube brings to the foreground the role and impact of brands in the lives of their audiences, and the YouTube Ads Leaderboard shows us the many ways this can be done. Great stories elicit that strong response from audiences, enough to make millions watch on and anticipate the next episodes brands have in store,” said Gabby Roxas, country marketing Manager of Google Philippines said in the statement.
Here are the top 10 YouTube ads in the Philippines for the first half of 2018:
1. “Kumusta Ka” by McDo Philippines
2. “#KwentongJollibee2018: Signs” by Jollibee Philippines
3. CERELAC’s “Let’s Eat, Bulilit!” by Nestlé Philippines
4. “#KwentongJollibee2018: Status” by Jollibee Philippines
5. “#KwentongJollibee2018: Homecoming” by Jollibee Philippines
6. “Alex Wassabi for Jolly Crispy Fries” by Jollibee Philippines
7. “Cutiespotting” by Unilever-Selecta Cornetto
8. “Si Vivoree, may bagong crush? Watch to know more!” by Smart-TNT
9. “Heart to Heart with Kris: Entry #37 Stuck In Traffic with the Aquinos | Kris Aquino | The Aquinos” by P&G
10. “One Sweet Day” by McDo Philippines — Zsarlene B. Chua

Lessons from history


ON DEC. 2, 1899, Filipino soldiers, led by the 24-year-old General Gregorio “Goyo” del Pilar, gave their lives in a battle to block Americans forces from advancing through Tirad Pass, a mountain gap in Northern Luzon’s Cordillera Mountains.
The much-awaited sequel to the popular historical drama Heneral Luna, Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral continues the filmic chronicles of the revolution against the Americans, this time focusing on the leadership of Gen. Del Pilar, one of the youngest generals of the Philippine Revolution.
Directed by Jerrold Tarog, who also directed Heneral Luna, the film is produced by TBA Studios, Artikilo Uno Productions, and Globe Studios, and stars Paulo Avelino in the titular role.
The film employed a cast of over 2,000 and built an entire recreation of a late-1800s town in Tarlac. The team spent 60 days shooting in the provinces of Tarlac, Bataan, Rizal, Batangas, and Ilocos.
Mr. Tarog worked closely with writer Rody Vera (who also co-wrote Heneral Luna) on the script. “I wrote a very long sequence with all the details. I passed it to Rody [Vera] for him to work on a screenplay to which he added dialogue, then he passed it back to me. I then revised it to fit my style,” Mr. Tarog told BusinessWorld shortly after the film’s press launch in Quezon City’s Novotel hotel last week.
The events included in the film were those that reflected the director’s chosen theme. “[The choice] depends on which serves the theme of the film. It’s more of a mix and match of what is important in the film. It’s not a straight narration of Goyo’s birth to death. It’s more of the last seven months of his life.”
Lead actor Mr. Avelino said that the film will be both entertaining and relatable.
“Importante [para] sa atin na malaman ang historya natin, at importante [para] sa atin na paulit-ulit ipaalala sa atin itong mga nangyari sa historya natin para makita natin ang mga pagkakamali natin, at maitama ang pagkakamali na paulit-uulit hanggang sa panahon ngayon ay nagagawa at nagiging pagkakamali pa rin natin (It is important for us to know our history, and it is important for us to continuously remind ourselves of the events in our history to realize our mistakes, and correct those mistakes that we repeatedly commit until today),” Mr. Avelino told the press, noting the film’s tagline: “Tandaan Mo Kung Sino Ka” (Remember Who You Are).
Mr. Tarog said that the sequel as a more introspective film than Heneral Luna. “I always say that Heneral Luna is all fire and anger, and then when it comes to Goyo, it’s introspection,” Mr. Tarog told the press, likening the film to the element of water.
“Mas tahimik yung pelikula (The film is quieter) and, in a way, invitation siya sa audience para isipin kung ano yung mga nangyayari sa scene (it is an invitation for the audience to think about the situations in the scene).”
Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral also stars Gwen Zamora as Remedios Nable Jose, Empress Schuck as Felicidad Aguinaldo, Carlo Aquino as Col. Vicente Enriquez, and Rafa Siguion-Reyna as Col. Julian del Pilar.
Reprising their roles in Heneral Luna are Mon Confiado as President Emilio Aguinaldo, Epy Quizon as Apolinario Mabini, Arron Villaflor as Joven Hernando, among several others.
“Stories are one of the most powerful tools of influencing people. So, [you] have a big responsibility if you have something to say. You owe people a lot because [you] have the family of the historical figure, historians, teachers who may agree or disagree [with you],” Mr. Tarog told BusinessWorld in a mixture of English and Filipino.
“I have to consider many things before I tell those stories. As much as possible, I try to have clean intensions, hindi siya pang go-glorify [pero] hindi rin siya paninira (it is not meant to glorify and neither it is meant to tear them down) but it’s a straightforward examination of history.”
“I hope the engagement of the audience, not just with the film but with history, in general, grows deeper. Kasi ’yun naman ’yung isa sa mga importante, hindi lang ’yung pag-usapan yung pelikula, kung hindi pag-usapan din kung saan tayo nanggaling (Because that is one of the things that is important, not just that they will talk about the film, but to also discuss where we come from),” Mr. Tarog said.
Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral will open in cinemas nationwide on Sept. 5. For tickets, visit www.gmovies.ph/movies/goyo-ang-batang-heneral/details. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

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