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Actor Jonathan Bailey comes full circle with Wicked film

Jonathan Bailey and Ethan Slater in a scene from Wicked. — IMDB

LONDON — Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey says taking on the role of Fiyero, a dashing Winkie country prince, in musical movie Wicked allowed him to return to his roots. The British actor, who gained global fame with the hit Netflix Regency-era series, took ballet lessons as a youngster and began his career as a child actor in theater productions.

“(The role) reminded me of two things in the sort of purest version of who I am. I loved dancing and I loved singing. And to be able to return to that, it all sort of feels full circle,” he said in an interview.

Wicked is based on Stephen Schwartz’s musical of the same name, which itself is an adaptation of the 1995 book by Gregory Maguire. It tells the story of a green-skinned young woman Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) who goes on to become the Wicked Witch of the West from the classic children’s novel The Wizard of Oz.

Pop star Ariana Grande plays the privileged and popular Glinda who meets Elphaba at Shiz University, where they also befriend Mr. Bailey’s Fiyero.

Mr. Bailey was filming Fellow Travelers in Toronto and Bridgerton in London when rehearsals for Wicked begun and had to get creative to prepare for the film’s elaborate song-and-dance sequences. This meant practicing his steps on a long-haul flight and doing high leg kicks while eating his meals, the actor, 36, said.

Mr. Bailey said his Bridgerton experience helped him approach the highly anticipated production.

“I feel like I have had good training for it,” he said. “I think Bridgerton was an adaptation that was so successful, brilliant and genius and many people loved the books, but I feel the imagery in Wicked is so iconic, so it is slightly different,” said Mr. Bailey, adding “It’s exciting to share another fandom.”

The first chapter of the two-part Wicked film series is now out in Philippine theaters. — Reuters

Meralco awaits regulatory nod for Ultra Safe Nuclear’s reactors

MERALCO.COM.PH

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

MANILA Electric Co. (Meralco) is closely monitoring Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp.’s progress in securing US Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval for micromodular nuclear reactors, as it could significantly advance their partnership in the Philippines, its chief operating officer (COO) said.

“There have been delays in securing regulatory approval for Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp., and understandably so because this is a new technology,” Ronnie L. Aperocho, Meralco’s executive vice-president and COO, told BusinessWorld in mixed English and Filipino on the sidelines of a Public Services Committee hearing at the Senate on Monday.

“Hopefully by early next year, there will be clarity (to these delays).”

Meralco earlier signed a deal with the US-based Ultra Safe for a pre-feasibility study on micromodular reactors.

The power distributor last month inked a strategic partnership agreement with South Korea’s Doosan Enerbility Co., Ltd. to explore collaborations on developing low-carbon energy projects and the rehabilitation of the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).

The companies will also study the use of small modular reactors to help meet the country’s growing power demand and achieve long-term energy security.

At the hearing, Senator and Public Services chairperson Rafael T. Tulfo assigned bills seeking to extend Meralco’s franchise for another 25 years to technical working groups composed of officials from the Department of Energy and Meralco to refine the measures.

One of these bills was filed by Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, which seeks to allow Meralco to continue to construct, operate, and maintain its electric distribution systems in areas such as Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and Rizal.

The power distributor delivers electricity to at least 7.75 million Filipinos, making it the main electricity supplier to Metro Manila and nearby areas.

The House of Representatives earlier this month approved on final reading a bill seeking the same franchise renewal, including a provision that will allow Meralco’s franchise to be effective four years ahead of its initial concession’s expiry.

Mr. Aperocho said that Meralco is hoping to have its franchise extended by Congress by early next year to fast-track its plans for capital expenditure infusion for its digitalization efforts.

“We are heavy on capital expenditure infusion to digitalize the grid, undergrounding…” he said.

“Kung alam mo kasi franchise mo for the next 25 years, lahat ng investment mo buhos mo na (If you know that your franchise is secured for the next 25 years, you can pour in all your investments),” he added.

Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and South Korean president signed a deal to conduct a feasibility study on the rehabilitation of the mothballed BNPP. The Department of Energy and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. agreed to hold a comprehensive technical and economic feasibly study on the plant.

The Philippines is hard-pressed to find other sources of indigenous energy as the Malampaya gas field, which supplies a fifth of its power requirements, nears depletion.

The gas field is expected to run out of easily recoverable gas by 2027.

Manila plans to raise the share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix to 35% by 2030 and to 50% by 2040 from 22% now.

Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.

Cautious optimism in the post-POGO Metro Manila office market

THREE MONTHS since the pronouncement of the ban of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), Metro Manila’s office market recorded its first negative net take-up in a quarter since the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2021. In Q3 2024, net take-up declined by -33,000 square meters (sq.m.), mainly attributed to lease terminations by POGO and non-renewal of leases that were closed before the pandemic. While this raises some concerns, especially for developers with significant vacancies, other indicators — such as demand — show signs of resilience, offering cautious optimism in a challenging office market.

POGOs HEADING FOR THE EXIT
As of the first nine months of 2024, Colliers has noted new and upcoming surrenders from POGO occupiers in 2024. For Q3 2024 alone, we recorded 57,000 sq.m. of newly vacated spaces and expect another 157,000 sq.m. of vacancies by end of year as some operators have already notified their landlords of their lease terminations and non-renewals. The current POGO occupied stock of 275,000 sq.m. only represents 1.9% of the total stock in Metro Manila. During its peak years, around 1.3 million sq.m. of office space was leased out by POGOs.

Without the POGO ban, the year-to-date net take-up would have reached 195,000 sq.m., surpassing half of 2023’s full-year total of 280,000 sq.m. However, given the expected surrenders, Colliers projects a flat or zero net take-up by year-end, indicating no change in overall occupied space from 2023 to 2024.

ROBUST DEMAND FROM IT-BPM AND TRADITIONAL OCCUPIERS
Even without POGOs, office demand in Q3 2024 performed better than the quarterly average of 174,000 sq.m., indicating a robust demand as traditional and outsourcing companies continue to take up space. This also signals that the POGO ban has not dampened demand from these two tenant classes and may even offer them greater flexibility and choice in meeting their office space requirements.

As of Q3 2024, a total of 651,000 sq.m. office transactions were recorded, with new transactions in Q3 2024 amounting to 192,000 sq.m. Deals in Q3 were 12% lower quarter on quarter (QoQ) and 2% lower year on year (YoY). Traditional firms, including government agencies, cornered 53% of the total transactions recorded, followed by third party outsourcing/3POs (29%), POGO (11%), and Shared Services (7%). It is also worth noting that 3POs and Shared Services saw significant increases in transactions volume for both YoY and QoQ.

Expansion remains the primary motivation for office space take-up, accounting for 57%, followed by relocations at 36% and new setups at 7%. Notably, expansions are concentrated in Makati CBD, Fort Bonifacio, Bay Area, Quezon City, and Alabang, where prominent IT-BPM companies have a significant presence. Among IT-BPM firms specifically, expansion drives a substantial 70% of space demand.

Across all submarkets, the Bay Area leads in leasing activity, capturing 26% of Metro Manila’s total transactions, followed by Fort Bonifacio at 18% and Quezon City at 16%. With the recent passage of a tax ordinance incentivizing office expansions and relocations, Quezon City is expected to see further demand growth from traditional occupiers.

The countryside continues its upside momentum as shown by the increase in deals recorded, which is mainly attributed to the expansion of outsourcing companies. Provincial transactions are now at 189,000 sq.m., up from 155,000 sq.m. posted in the same period of 2023. Cebu captured 32% or about 69,000 sq.m. of total provincial transactions and emerges as the only provincial market performing almost at par with primary Metro Manila CBDs such as Makati (88,000 sq.m.) and Ortigas (56,000 sq.m.). Interestingly, provincial transactions now comprise 29% of nationwide deals recorded as of Q3 2024, which was previously hovering between 20-25% in the past four years. Given this, we encourage landlords to ramp up developments in provincial areas to accommodate the demand from outsourcing companies.

HIGHER VACANCY RATES IN POGO-EXPOSED LOCATIONS
As of Q3 2024, overall Metro Manila vacancy marginally rose to 18.5% from 18.3% in Q2 2024. The increase in vacancy is mainly driven by POGO surrenders and non-renewal of leases. Primary CBDs such as Makati, Fort Bonifacio and Ortigas continue to experience below market vacancies and are likely to recover faster versus secondary markets. By end-2024, we project overall market vacancy to reach 20.5% given the expected surrenders from POGOs and non-renewals.

Meanwhile, locations with high POGO exposures such as the Bay Area and Makati Fringe are seen to experience higher vacancy rates by year end. Landlords with POGO exposures are encouraged to give additional concessions for previously vacated POGO spaces. It is important to note that occupiers will take advantage of vacated spaces by POGOs especially if these are workable for them. Landlords may consider providing tenant improvement allowances, reinstating spaces to suit traditional and outsourcing operations and offering flexible commercial terms.

‘SILVER LININGS’ IN A CHALLENGING MARKET
Despite concerns over the current state of Metro Manila’s office market, there are still positive indicators and opportunities for growth — especially when examining the market at a more granular level. Low vacancy markets may be indicative of an opportunity for landlords to enhance their office space offerings and ramp up projects already in the pipeline. Importantly, demand has remained resilient despite current headwinds. The worst-case scenario of zero demand has been avoided, with ongoing office deals from traditional businesses and outsourcing firms underscoring the market’s resiliency.

Given these, landlords are encouraged to provide high-quality office spaces that align with the latest demands for flexibility, wellness, and sustainability. By addressing these specific tenant expectations and remaining attentive to shifts in demand, landlords can capitalize on the existing market opportunities and create spaces that are better positioned to thrive even in a challenging landscape.

Looking ahead, the outcomes of the recent US elections and the resulting policy shifts may have significant implications for business activities, as well as opportunities that may arise for Metro Manila’s office market.

 

Kevin Jara is a director for Office Services-Tenant Representation while Kath Taburada is senior market analyst, Office Services-Tenant Representation at Colliers Philippines.

ECB policy should not remain restrictive for too long — Lane

PARIS — There is still some way to go before euro zone inflation is sustainably back at 2% but European Central Bank (ECB) policy should not remain restrictive for too long, otherwise price growth could fall below target, Philip Lane, the bank’s chief economist said in an interview.

Euro zone inflation has fallen rapidly in recent months, and policy maker are now debating when they could declare victory and whether the current pace of rate cuts is still appropriate.

“Monetary policy should not remain restrictive for too long,” French newspaper Les Echos quoted Mr. Lane as saying on Monday. “Otherwise, the economy will not grow sufficiently and inflation will, I believe, fall below the target.”

The ECB has cut rates three times already this year but investors now see a 50% chance it will cut by 50 basis points on Dec. 12 instead of the usual 25 given weak growth and rising recession risks.

However, Mr. Lane also appeared to temper expectations, warning that inflation was not yet back to where the ECB wanted it because services price growth is too high and most of the recent fall was due to moderating energy costs.

The ECB thus needed to see some rebalancing in the composition of price growth with a decline in services inflation, so it could still reach its 2% target, even if energy, food and goods prices come under upward pressure.

“There is still some distance to go in terms of adjustment for inflation to return to the desired level in a more sustainable way,” Lane said.

November data due this week is expected to show euro zone inflation accelerating to 2.4% from 2%. It could then rise further at the end of the year before easing back to 2% by mid-2025, economists say. — Reuters

BW’s Forecast 2025 forum and MUP pension reform

The BusinessWorld Economic Forum today has a theme “Forecast 2025” and among the keynote speakers is Department of Finance (DoF) Undersecretary and Chief Economist Domini S. Velasquez. I have high regard for DoF’s economists in terms of fiscal and macroeconomic forecasting.

So far, the Philippines has had an average growth of 5.8% in the first three quarters (Q1 to Q3) of 2024. This is third highest among the major economies of Asia after India and Vietnam, and much higher than the average growth of countries in North America and Europe. The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) forecast for the Philippines in 2025 is 6.1% growth — fair enough (see Table 1).

I saw two pieces of good news last week that I think will help the Philippines attain a growth rate of 6% or higher next year. These reports in BusinessWorld (BW) were: “Canada sending 300-member biz delegation to PHL in December” and “PEZA approvals hit P186B as of mid-Nov.” (Both came out on Nov. 21.)

Senior Trade Commissioner Guy Boileau of the Canadian Embassy in Manila was quoted saying that: “This is the biggest Team Canada Trade Mission that we have done. It is bigger than the delegations sent to Japan and Korea.”

Mr. Boileau also mentioned that among the standout reforms and new laws that helped many Canadian investors to consider the Philippines were: the amendment to the Public Service Act, Public-Private Partnership Code, and the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE).

DoF Secretary Ralph G. Recto used a lot of his political capital in pushing the CREATE MORE bill into a law, which was signed by the President on Nov. 11. The reduction in the corporate income tax rate from 25% to 20% is among the big reforms in the CREATE MORE law. I think it is a beautiful law because it responds to tax competition in East Asia, among other reasons.

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) reported that investment approvals in 2023 came to P140.88 billion, and now it is already P186 billion, and the year is not over yet. Cool.

MUP PENSION REFORM
Another piece of good news that was reported in BusinessWorld is this: “Military pension reform ‘not dead’ — DBM chief” (Nov. 25). It quoted Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman and Undersecretary and Principal Economist Joselito R. Basilio.

Ms. Pangandaman said that a different version is being worked out and it is “different from what Secretary Ben [Diokno] has intended from the very beginning.” Mr. Basilio said that “Discussions are still ongoing, there will be updating.”

The pension of the Military and Uniformed Personnel (MUP) in the government’s annual budget should be zero — that is if the MUPs had not been pampered by previous administrations, especially the Ramos administration. Instead, active personnel contribute nothing to their own personal pensions, plus the pensions of retired MUP are indexed to the salaries of active personnel.

The pension comes out to about P130 billion/year on average. The share of pension to basic pay is 68% to 72% (see Table 2).

There are bills to remedy this oddity, and compared to the House version, I like the provisions in the Senate version, SB 2501, better. It says members of the military should contribute 7% of their base monthly salary to a pension system and the National Government will contribute 14%; indexation is removed and the pension is limited to 50% of the base pay for the last position held by retired MUPs. The ideal, according to Mr. Basilio, is 9% and 11%.

If indexation is retained, as is being lobbied by the Defense department and other agencies, another option is that the pension should be subject to tax, around 25%. This way, pensioners who did not contribute to their pensions during their active days would now be helping contribute to their own pension.

Every year the DBM and DoF come under pressure from so many agencies wanting higher budgets while taxes and other revenues are not able to keep up, leading to a high annual budget deficit and high borrowings. It is time to reduce and cut the subsidies and freebies, both to the public and certain government personnel.

 

Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. is the president of Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. Research Consultancy Services, and Minimal Government Thinkers. He is an international fellow of the Tholos Foundation.

minimalgovernment@gmail.com

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew series felt ‘like going home,’ Jude Law says

Jude Law in a scene from Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. — IMDB

LONDON — The latest addition to the Star Wars franchise introduces a new sense of playfulness into the universe by turning children into the protagonists, actor Jude Law says.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is an eight-episode live-action series following four youngsters who go on a thrilling and terrifying adventure after getting lost in a treacherous galaxy. Looking for a way back home, the foursome run into Mr. Law’s mysterious character Jod Na Nawood, who proposes a partnership.

“I love the concept. I loved the idea of making kids the protagonists because it sort of drew on the innocence and added a little bit of playfulness back into the experience,” said Mr. Law at a launch event in London’s Trafalgar Square on Thursday.

Stepping into the Star Wars world felt “oddly familiar,” the British actor, 51, said.

“It’s been in my life since I was an infant and so the galaxy, for all its vastness, was weirdly like going home. I was like ‘I know this place, I know these creatures,’” said Mr. Law.

Like their characters, the show’s young cast embarked on an exciting journey of their own, shooting the series on technologically advanced sets, including the Volume, a circular soundstage with LED panel screens.

“The sets were really realistic, especially the Volume. It felt like I was really in the Star Wars galaxy,” said Kyriana Kratter, who portrays KB. “It was an actor’s dream.”

The series’ creators, Jon Watts and Christopher Ford, drew inspiration from cult 1980s movies they grew up watching. Adding new elements to the Star Wars universe was both an honor and scary, they said.

“It’s a massive opportunity. I think what we were excited about was the ability to show the same Star Wars galaxy that we already know and love, but through a new perspective, which is through the eyes of four 10-year-old kids,” said Mr. Watts, director of three Spider-Man movies.

“It’s the perfect on-ramp for a new generation,” actress Ryan Kiera Armstrong, 14, added.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew starts streaming on Disney+ on Dec. 3. — Reuters

UnionBank says new financing packages to speed up Tesla buys

PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

UNION BANK of the Philippines, Inc. (UnionBank) is set to offer financing packages to expedite the purchase of Tesla vehicles.

“As one of Tesla’s preferred financial providers in the Philippines, UnionBank is making it easier for more Filipinos to unlock the future of electric driving through tailored financing packages, competitive rates, and premium services,” the bank said in a statement on Monday.

UnionBank said it will offer a faster approval process to allow customers to easily secure financing.

“With competitive interest rates and a streamlined application process, UnionBank is dedicated to providing a seamless experience for those looking to make the move to electric driving.”

The first batch of deliveries is slated for the first quarter of 2025.

The bank will also offer a test drive to interested customers, it added.

Tesla’s electric mid-size SUV Model Y and sedan Model 3 are available for preview in Uptown Parade, Bonifacio Global City.

“UnionBank is honored to support Tesla’s mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, making the electric vehicle dream a reality for Filipinos who are eager to lead the change into a high-tech, eco-conscious future,” UnionBank Cards and Consumer Loans Head Mukul Sukhani said.

“Through our offerings, UnionBank believes that Tesla’s groundbreaking electric vehicles will become more accessible to those ready to embrace the future of driving,” he added. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

How PSEi member stocks performed — November 25, 2024

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Monday, November 25, 2024.

Tax Justice Network: Philippines’ annual tax losses hit 1.8% of GDP

The Philippines’ annual tax losses reached $6.99 billion, according to the latest estimates in the 2024 edition of the State of Tax Justice by advocacy group Tax Justice Network. This was equivalent of 1.8% of the county’s gross domestic product (GDP), the fourth-highest share in the region and even surpassing Asia’s 0.3% total share. The report monitors the amount of money lost per country in tax to multinational corporations and wealthy individuals who use tax havens to underpay tax.

Tax Justice Network: Philippines’ annual tax losses hit 1.8% of GDP

Peso weakens anew vs dollar amid escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict

BW FILE PHOTO

THE PESO depreciated anew against the dollar on Monday amid the worsening conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The local unit closed at P58.99 per dollar on Monday, weakening by 12 centavos from its P58.87 finish on Friday, Bankers Association of the Philippines data showed.

The peso opened Monday’s session slightly stronger at P58.85 against the dollar. Its intraday best was at P58.80, while its worst showing was its record low of P59 versus the greenback.

The local unit had closed at the P59-per-dollar level on Thursday to match the all-time low last hit on Oct. 17, 2022 before rebounding on Friday.

Dollars traded declined to $1.06 billion on Monday from $1.07 billion on Friday.

“The US dollar/peso exchange rate was higher recently amid some geopolitical risks related to the Russia-Ukraine war since last week on the potential escalation of the conflict,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message.

“Going forward, the performance of the peso would be partly a function of intervention as consistently seen over the past two years, amid the need to better manage inflation and inflation expectations to fulfill the price stability mandate that would also require stability in the peso exchange rate,” Mr. Ricafort added.

The peso declined versus the dollar on expectations of potential strong US economic reports due later this week, a trader said in an e-mail. October US personal consumption expenditures data will be released on Nov. 27 (Wednesday).

For Tuesday, both the trader and Mr. Ricafort expect the peso to range from P58.80 to P59 versus the dollar.

“Lingering pressures on the greenback and profit-takers might keep the local currency sideways,” the trader said.

Russian forces attacked energy infrastructure in Ukraine’s southern region of Mykolaiv and industrial facilities in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region overnight, Ukrainian authorities said on Monday, Reuters reported.

Engineers had restored power to most of the consumers facing power cuts in the attack’s aftermath as of the morning, Mykolaiv governor Vitaliy Kim said via the Telegram messaging app.

The governor reported no casualties and said the air defense downed two drones over the region.

Russia also launched “tens of drones” to attack Zaporizhzhia overnight, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said on national television.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Russia used around 460 drones and over 20 missiles to attack Ukraine in the past week.

Meanwhile, the dollar relinquished a little of its recent gains on Monday as the pick for US Treasury secretary seemed to reassure the bond market and pulled yields lower, shaving some of the currency’s rate advantage.

Yields on 10-year Treasuries slipped to 4.351%, from 4.412% late Friday, as President-elect Donald Trump’s choice of fund manager Scott Bessent was welcomed by the bond market as an old Wall Street hand and a fiscal conservative.

However, Mr. Bessent has also been openly in favor of a strong dollar and has supported tariffs, suggesting any pullback in the currency might be fleeting.

The dollar was likely due some consolidation having risen for eight weeks in a row for only the third time this century and many technical indicators were flashing overbought.

The index was last down 0.5% at 106.950, having hit a two-year peak of 108.090 on Friday. The dollar dipped 0.4% on the Japanese yen to 154.11, and further away from its recent peak of 156.76. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson with Reuters

Philippine shares rebound on bargain hunting

BW FILE PHOTO

PHILIPPINE SHARES rebounded on Monday as investors picked up bargains following the index’s two-day decline and as positive sentiment on Wall Street spilled over to the local market.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) climbed by 1.03% or 69.87 points to end at 6,850 on Monday, while the broader all shares index rose by 0.62% or 23.53 points to close at 3,811.74.

“The local market bounced back as investors hunted for bargains at the 6,700 to 6,800 support range following two straight days of decline,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Senior Research Analyst Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco said in a Viber message.

“The positive cues from Wall Street’s performance last Friday also helped in the market’s rise,” he added.

Wall Street closed higher on Friday, with all three major indexes posting weekly gains, as investors took comfort from data pointing to robust economic activity in the world’s biggest economy, Reuters reported.

A measure of business activity raced to a 31-month high in November, boosted by hopes for lower interest rates and more business-friendly policies from President-elect Donald J. Trump’s administration next year.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 426.16 points or 0.97% to 44,296.51; the S&P 500 gained 20.63 points or 0.35% to 5,969.34; and the Nasdaq Composite gained 31.23 points or 0.16% to 19,003.65.

“Philippine shares bounced back to start the week after previous sessions in the red as investor followed the latest MSCI rebalancing which came into effect this afternoon,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan said in a Viber message on Monday.

“Key economic data releases in the United States this week include the durable goods report and core personal consumption expenditures inflation, both scheduled for Wednesday. Additionally, the minutes from the November Federal Open Market Committee meeting will be released on Tuesday. Notably, no speeches from Fed officials are expected this week,” he added.

All sectoral indices closed higher on Monday. Services surged by 2.05% or 43.25 points to 2,144.36; holding firms went up by 1.83% or 104.15 points to 5,777.29; industrials jumped by 0.76% or 71.77 points to 9,467.15; mining and oil rose by 0.14% or 11.32 points to 7,672.81; financials climbed 0.06% or 1.53 points to 2,278.16; and property inched up by 0.02% or 0.61 point to 2,583.22.

“JG Summit Holdings, Inc. was the top index gainer, surging 10.96% to P24.30. PLDT, Inc. was the worst index performer, dropping 3.7% to P1,300,” Mr. Tantiangco said.

Value turnover increased to P9.98 billion on Monday with 701.36 million shares exchanged from the P3.15 billion with 604.62 million issues traded on Friday.

Advancers narrowly beat decliners, 94 versus 91, while 64 names closed unchanged.

Net foreign selling declined to P308.74 million on Monday from P584.49 million on Friday. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave with Reuters

Maharlika technical positions last missing piece of org chart

THE Maharlika Investment Corp.’s (MIC) organizational structure has not yet been finalized, the Governance Commission for Government-owned and -controlled corporations (GCG) said. “The interim staffing pattern has been approved by the President with respect to non-highly technical positions, plus their compensation,” GCG Chairman Marius P. Corpus told reporters on the sidelines of an event on Monday.

“What we are trying to finalize now (are) the guidelines for the highly technical positions and their compensation,” he added.

He said President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. ordered the GCG to work with Maharlika to finalize the guidelines.

“If I’m not mistaken, there are now 42 positions, non-highly technical positions that have been approved. We can hire already,” he added.

The guidelines may be finalized early next year, he said, adding, “I’m not saying that’s definite, because the discussions are ongoing. Anything can come up.”

“We have to define first what are highly technical positions. Especially with respect to investments, we need to hire experts to take charge of the various investments.”

He also said the MIC does not need to have a complete staffing to make its first investment.

“They can (invest) right now. There are already negotiations. The president and CEO is there, the board of directors are also there, they can approve the contract or the investment.”

The sovereign wealth fund has yet to make its first official investment since Republic Act No. 11954, which created the Maharlika Investment Fund, was signed into law in 2023.

MIC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rafael D. Consing, Jr. has said he expects operations to be in full swing by next year, with “significant” funds committed to its priority investment areas, such as energy.

In July, the MIC obtained membership in the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds. It also completed its investment and risk management framework.

Separately, Mr. Corpus said the GCG is still pushing amendments to its charter.

“We’re supposed to be the regulatory arm for GOCCs and we feel that we need some more incentives for the GOCCs,” he said.

Last year, the GCG floated proposals to strengthen its power to sanction the GOCCs that it oversees.

Republic Act No. 10149, which created the GCG, does not give the commission power to investigate and sanction underperforming GOCCs and their officials.

“All we do is rate them and then on the basis of their rating, if they get a rating of 90% in their performance evaluation scorecard, then they’re entitled to a performance-based bonus.”

“As of now, that’s the only ‘carrot’ we have for them. We need more functions or powers or authority to be able to uplift the GOCC sector, not just the performance rating.”

Mr. Corpus said the GCG has submitted its proposal to the Congress.

“We’ll still pursue it, even if it’s not passed before the 19th Congress adjourns. We can still pursue it (in the next Congress).”

The Department of Finance reported that 52 GOCCs remitted P95.9 billion in dividends as of October, up 51% from a year earlier. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

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