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SONA 2024 and the nuclear power roadmap

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. delivered his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday at the Batasan Pambansa. Some energy topics that he mentioned in all his SONAs — 2022, 2023, and 2024 — were the push for more renewable energy, the role of Malampaya gas, and power transmission development towards a “Unified Philippine Grid.” See his statements below:

From SONA 2022: “Furthermore, we must examine the entire system of transmission and distribution for the purpose of finding ways to lower the price of energy to the consumer.

“We must expand the network of our transmission lines while examining schemes to improve the operation of our electrical cooperatives.”

From SONA 2023: “We finally have a Unified National Grid, with the interconnection of the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao grids. The ‘One Grid, One Market’ will enable more efficient transfers and more competitive pricing of electricity throughout the country.

“However, 68 grid connections are much delayed, according to the ERC’s count. We are conducting a performance review of our private concessionaire, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). We look to NGCP to complete all of its deliverables, starting with the vital Mindanao-Visayas and Cebu-Negros-Panay interconnections.”

From SONA 2024: “Running through Bataan, Pampanga, and Bulacan, the newly inaugurated Mariveles-Hermosa-San Jose transmission line will further strengthen the reliability of the Luzon power grid.

“In the Visayas, all stages of the Cebu-Negros-Panay backbone project have likewise been completed… And just last week, the Dumanjug-Corella Line of the Cebu-Bohol Interconnection Project was energized, enabling the transfer of power between Cebu and Bohol.

“The energization of the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection is a defining moment not only for the power sector but for the entire country. Finally, we have connected the power grids of all three major island groups.”

The NGCP has finally delivered all three important interconnection projects. Thank you, NGCP. Please keep expanding and strengthening the transmission system to accommodate more big baseload plants, secondarily, the intermittent renewables.

Emmanuel V. Rubio — the new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen), and also immediate past President and CEO of Aboitiz Power (AP) — praised the President for his SONA, saying that, “It is notable that the government is closely working with NGCP in completing the critical transmission lines to ensure that major baseload plants and areas where we have surplus supply like Mindanao, can evacuate needed power to areas where the supply often is critical.

“I am also in support of the President’s endorsement of amending EPIRA for the purpose of updating certain provisions to ensure that they are aligned with current trends in terms of technology and energy mix. Certain issues, like how grid limits are calculated and capped, should be revisited given the influx of solar capacities and the need for scale in developing LNG to Power facilities and eventually, nuclear.”

Last week the Department of Energy (DoE) released a draft of the “Philippine Nuclear Energy Program (PNEP) 2024-2050: A Roadmap Towards Clean Energy.”

President Marcos Jr. advocated nuclear energy development early on. In his 2022 SONA he said, “I believe also it is time to re-examine our strategy towards building nuclear power plants in the Philippines. We will comply of course with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations for nuclear power plants as they have been strengthened after Fukushima. In the area of nuclear power, there have been new technologies developed that allow smaller scale modular nuclear plants and other derivations thereof.”

In the draft PNEP, the DoE said that, “The use of nuclear energy for power generation is in support of meeting the electricity requirements for the forecasted economic growth under the Philippine Energy Plan (PEP) 2023-2050, consistent with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017–2040.”

The PNEP actually showed that the main target of the DoE and PEP is wind and solar power generation. The power generation targets by 2050 are: wind 144 terawatt-hours (TWh), solar 89 TWh, natural gas (including LNG) 68 TWh. The percentage share of coal will decline from 62% of total generation in 2023 to only 11% by 2050 while the share of wind will jump from 1% in 2023 to 33% of the total in 2050. Nuclear and others are to rise from zero to 9% by 2050 (see Table 1).

 

I am not enthusiastic over having intermittent solar and wind as the dominant energy source – it is projected that they will provide 53% of the Philippines’ total power generation by 2050. The experience of rich countries showed that when they jumped fast into solar-wind, plus reduced their coal and nuclear capacity, this led to a significant slowdown in growth, even degrowth, as is currently experienced by Germany, the UK, and Japan.

In one decade — from 2013 to 2023 — there was a big decline in coal generation in the US, Canada, Germany, the UK, France and Japan. And a big jump in their solar and wind generation (see Table 2).

The average gross domestic product growth from 2016-2023 in these countries were: US 2.2%, Canada 1.7%, the UK 1.3%, France 1.2%, Germany 1%, and Japan 0.5%. These were not the growth rates of these countries in earlier decades when they were not preoccupied with decarbonization and net zero.

Also last week, on July 18, two NGOs — Sanlakas and Power for People Coalition (P4P) — said they filed a case against DoE Secretary Raphael Lotilla before the Ombudsman for “violating” the coal moratorium and favoring AP where he was once a member of the board.” This is in relation to AP’s expansion of Therma Visayas Inc. (TVI) coal Unit 3 in Toledo City, Cebu.

The DoE released a statement that same day clarifying that the “Coal Moratorium Policy issued in December 2020 is not a total ban, does not cover existing and operational coal-fired power generation facilities as well as any coal-fired power considered committed power projects; existing power plant complexes which already have firm expansion plans and existing land site provisions; and indicative power projects with substantial accomplishments, particularly with signed and notarized land acquisition or lease agreement for the projects, and with approved permits or resolution from local government units and the Regional Development Council where the power plants will be located.”

Secretary Lotilla is correct in saying that, “Diversification of energy sources is critical to energy security. Unfortunately, we get pilloried for favoring solar and wind over coal and get charged for favoring coal over renewable energy. This leaves us with a reassuring feeling that we are getting the damn thing right.”

I concur with the clarifications by the DoE and the statement by Secretary Lotilla.

 

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

Tayabas City rolls out digitalized civil registration system

THE CITY of Tayabas expects faster gathering of the records of its residents with the implementation of the Integrated Barangay Civil Registration and Information System (iBCRIS), which provides analytical reports that can be used for decision making.

iBCRIS is a local civil registration system that assists with demographic surveys inside barangays, serves as a centralized storage, and lessens errors.

“In 2022, they did a survey in January and after half of the year, the encoding was not yet finished. But with iBCRIS, they can encode it on the tablet itself. They took a month before — now it could take only a week,” iBCRIS Project Leader Raymond S. Bermudez told BusinessWorld on July 17.

The process of surveys conducted by the Tayabas City Civil Registrar’s Office would be long, “but the encoding and generating of the report will be instant,” said Mr. Bermudez, who is also the Tayabas Office of the City Mayor’s ICT Section head.

Mr. Bermudez said the server will automate the previously paper-based surveys for the city’s 112,000 population from 66 barangays, which were manually encoded via Excel.

Tayabas City Civil Registrar Maide O. Jader said the aggregated data will help the government in planning new programs and create comparative figures to track migration trends between barangays.

“What is their purpose? Why are they moving to that barangay? Is there a problem with the service of health, education, or infrastructure?” she said.

Ms. Jader added that the system is expected to ease the burden on barangay secretaries in terms of logging information and the process of computing the requested data.

During the celebration of Tayabas’ 17th Cityhood Anniversary last week, Mayor Lovely Reynoso-Pontioso said the launch of iBCRIS supports Tayabas’ move towards becoming a smarter city.

The Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DoST-PCIEERD) invested P996,000 in creating the iBCRIS under its Good Governance through Data Science and Decision Support System (GODDESS) program.

The GODDESS program has completed 20 projects with P35.764 million in total investments in different sectors, DoST-PCIEERD Chief Science Research Specialist Ruby Raterta said.

This program uses data science to address various national government agencies and local government units, academic or research institutions, and micro-, small, and medium enterprises.

DoST-PCIEERD Executive Director Enrico C. Paringit said this aligns with the agency’s Smart Cities Roadmap and vision of data-driven, information-based, and science-oriented governance among local governments. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

RCBC launches FlexiLite auto loan product

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

RIZAL Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) has launched a new auto loan product with cheaper and more flexible payment options, it said on Wednesday.

“The RCBC Auto Loan FlexiLite represents a breakthrough in our auto loan offerings. Designed to provide unparalleled flexibility, this product allows customers to enjoy lower monthly amortizations without the need for a downpayment,” RCBC’s Consumer Lending Group Head Ramil M. De Villa said in a statement.

The bank said the product will help “expand its consumer lending portfolio and continue driving growth within the consumer sector.”

“Through this loan, borrowers will have lower, more affordable monthly amortization and flexible payment terms for the residual value,” it added.

Upon a loan’s conclusion, clients have the option to settle the residual value with a balloon payment or refinance the balance for an additional three years.

“This auto loan variant is designed to be inclusive to enable young professionals to own their first car, enhance mobility for start-up families, and offer flexibility for business owners,” RCBC added.

Earlier this year, the bank said it expects its consumer loan portfolio to reach P160 billion this year, higher by 27% from P126 billion in 2023.

It said the growth will be mainly driven by “targeted marketing campaigns and programs, analytical-based selling strategies, the introduction of new products, enhancements to the existing loans management system, ongoing process improvements, and internal sales expansion.”

As of end-2023, RCBC was the sixth-largest lender in the country in terms of assets with P1.29 trillion, data from the central bank showed.

The bank’s net income fell by 39.47% to P2.2 billion in the first quarter in the absence of a one-off gain from its sale of properties recorded in the same period last year.

RCBC shares closed at P22.40 apiece on Tuesday. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

SEC issues guidelines for selling properties in rental pool

THE SECURITIES and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued guidelines to regulate the sale of properties with rental pool agreements.

On July 16, the SEC issued Memorandum Circular No. 12, which outlines the rules for Securing and Expanding Capital in Real Estate Investment Transactions (SEC RENT), the commission said in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday.

The SEC noted a growing trend of real estate developers offering potential investment returns and additional income through rental properties.

Rental pool agreements are defined as investment contracts where a property developer sells or offers units in real estate projects — such as condominiums, hotels, resorts, or dormitories — to prospective buyers, provided that the units are contributed to a rental pool managed and operated by the company or a third-party operator.

Buyers in rental pool agreements receive a share of the income generated from renting out the units to third parties.

“Such investment contracts, certificates of participation or participation in a profit sharing agreement, fall under the definition of securities under Republic Act No. 8799, or the Securities Regulation Code, which are required to be registered with the commission before they can be offered to the public,” the SEC said.

Under SEC RENT, the real estate developer or manager must obtain approvals from the SEC’s Company Registration and Monitoring Department, Corporate Governance and Finance Department, Enforcement and Investor Protection Department, Office of the General Counsel, and Office of the General Accountant (OGA) before filing its registration statement with the Markets and Securities Regulation Department (MSRD).

After completing pre-filing activities, the company must submit the pre-evaluation clearance, SEC RENT Checklist form, SEC RENT form, prospectus, and all other required exhibits to the MSRD for pre-processing.

Once accepted for processing, the MSRD will begin the 45-day review period upon the company’s payment of the necessary fees.

The MSRD will issue the order of registration and permit to sell securities once approved by the commission en banc and upon compliance with additional requirements.

“The public offering of the securities shall commence within ten business days from the date of the effectivity of the registration statement. Otherwise, the registration statement shall be cancelled,” the SEC said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Paris restaurants struggle in Olympic security zones

CHRIS KARIDIS-UNSPLASH

PARIS — Cafes along the banks of the Seine in Paris normally buzz with activity in the summer, but restrictions ahead of the Olympics have limited movement in the city center, leaving restaurants empty of diners.

Police have imposed a security zone along the river, erecting metal barriers to fence off neighborhoods and requiring authorization — passes with QR codes — to enter.

“There is nobody,” said Liliane Khalil, owner of Aux Anysetiers du Roy, surveying rows of empty tables at her restaurant.

“The worst part is that you have reservations because you have been around for some time already, but people don’t know that they need to have a QR code,” added Ms. Khalil. The opening ceremony takes place on the Seine next Friday, with thousands of athletes and performers involved in the unprecedented event.

French officials have said that while there are no specific terrorism threats to the ceremony, it has created an unprecedented security challenge.

The drop in business took many restaurant owners by surprise, with some seeing 80% fewer customers due to the stringent security measures, according to the head of the French restaurant owners’ association, Alain Fontaine.

“Everyone had lined up temporary workers to gear up for what we were anticipating — but this, no one had thought about,” said Ms. Khalil. — Reuters

Nvidia clears Samsung’s HBM3 chips for use in China market processor, sources say

THE LOGO of Samsung Electronics is seen at its office building in Seoul, South Korea, March 23, 2018. — REUTERS

SINGAPORE/SEOUL — Samsung Electronics’ fourth-generation high bandwidth memory or HBM3 chips have been cleared by Nvidia for use in its processors for the first time, three people briefed on the matter said.

But it is somewhat of a muted greenlight as Samsung’s HBM3 chips will, for now, only be used in a less sophisticated Nvidia graphics processing unit (GPU), the H20, which has been developed for the Chinese market in compliance with US export controls, the people said.

It was not immediately clear if Nvidia would use Samsung’s HBM3 chips in its other AI processors or if the chips would have to pass additional tests before that could happen, they added.

Samsung has also yet to meet Nvidia’s standards for fifth-generation HBM3E chips and testing of those chips is continuing, the people added, declining to be identified as they were not authorized to speak to media.

Nvidia and Samsung declined to comment.

HBM is a type of dynamic random access memory or DRAM standard first produced in 2013 in which chips are vertically stacked to save space and reduce power consumption. A key component of GPUs for artificial intelligence (AI), it helps process massive amounts of data produced by complex applications.

Nvidia’s approval of Samsung’s HBM3 chips comes amid soaring demand for sophisticated GPUs created by the generative AI boom that Nvidia and other makers of AI chipsets are struggling to meet.

There are only three main manufacturers of HBM -— SK Hynix, Micron and Samsung — and with HBM3 also in short supply, Nvidia is keen to see Samsung clear its standards so that it can diversify its supplier base.

Nvidia’s need to have more access to HBM3 is also set to grow as SK Hynix — the clear leader in the field — plans to increase its HBM3E production and make less HBM3, two of the sources said.

SK Hynix declined to comment.

Samsung, the world’s largest maker of memory chips, has been seeking to pass Nvidia’s tests for both HBM3 and HBM3E since last year but has struggled due to heat and power consumption issues, Reuters reported in May, citing sources.

Samsung said after the publication of the Reuters article in May that claims of failing Nvidia’s tests due to heat and power consumption problems were untrue.

H20
Samsung could begin supplying HBM3 for Nvidia’s H20 processor as early as August, according to two of the sources.

The H20 is the most advanced of three GPUs Nvidia has tailored for the China market after the US tightened export restrictions in 2023, aiming to impede supercomputing and AI breakthroughs that could benefit the Chinese military.

In accordance with US sanctions, the H20’s computing power has been significantly capped compared to the version sold in non-China markets, the H100.

The H20 initially got off to a weak start when deliveries began this year and the US firm priced it below a rival chip from Chinese tech giant Huawei, Reuters reported in May.

But sales are now growing rapidly, separate sources have said.

In contrast to Samsung, SK Hynix is the main supplier of HBM chips to Nvidia and has been supplying HBM3 since June 2022. It also began supplying HBM3E in late March to a customer it declined to identify. Shipments went to Nvidia, sources have said.

Micron has also said it will supply Nvidia with HBM3E. — Reuters

PHL cross-border transaction market grows amid increasing digitalization

THE PHILIPPINES’ cross-border money movement market has a “market opportunity” worth $264 billion amid the rise in digital transactions, Visa Philippines said.

“The number that we normally know (for remittances) is it’s a $37-billion market. When you talk about money movement in the Philippines and from the Philippines outside, $37 billion is a very small number,” Visa Philippines Country Manager Jeffrey V. Navarro said at a briefing on Wednesday. “It’s actually $264 billion. That is the market of money movement in and out of the Philippines.”

Broken down, 43% ($113 billion) of the total is inbound remittances while 57% ($151 billion) is outbound, he said.

In 2023, personal remittances, which include inflows in kind, stood at a record $37.21 billion. Latest data from the central bank showed that personal remittances amounted to $14.89 billion in the January-May period.

Mr. Navarro noted the potential of the outbound transactions market.

“The outbound market is $151 billion. When you talk about business-to-business payments, that is around $146 billion,” he said.

“These are supplier payments, accounts payable payments, visitors coming into the Philippines and making travel and entertainment payments, and our export import payments.”

Mr. Navarro cited emerging use cases for outbound remittances, such as sending money to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in need, procurement of goods and items by small and midsize enterprises from abroad, and the growing number of Filipinos studying abroad.

“The Philippines is a big remittance corridor, especially for inbound (remittances),” Mr. Navarro said. “There are 12 million Filipinos who are working or living abroad. Easily, that’s close to 10% of our population.”

Three out of the top five recipients of remittances globally are found in the Asia-Pacific region, which are India, Mainland China and the Philippines. The Philippines accounts for more than 60% of all inbound remittances in the region, Visa data showed.

“The other interesting statistic that we see is the growth that we’ve seen in remittances being delivered through digital wallets,” Visa Senior Vice-President and Head of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions for Asia Pacific Chavi Jafa said.

“With the growth in digital wallets, specifically in our region, we’ve seen increasingly — especially post-COVID — a significant adoption of digital wallets,” she added.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Tuesday said the share of online payments in the total volume of monthly retail transactions rose to 52.8% in 2023 from 42.1% a year earlier. This was slightly higher than the central bank’s target to digitize 50% of the volume of retail payments by end-2023.

“What we’ve seen is we’re growing year on year, that 75% are now trying to send and receive remittances through a digital app,” Mr. Navarro said.

“If you talk about the future, 58% of senders and receivers are saying that they would like to use a digital app… It’s going to be more digital, and it will accelerate because the intent and the preference of consumers is leading towards the use of digital apps.”

Visa data also showed that consumers cited challenges such as high transaction fees and inconvenient processes, among others.

“There’s no change in terms of what it is that consumers are looking for in terms of remittances and money movement. They want speed, convenience and security,” Mr. Navarro said.

For their part, Mr. Navarro said the company offers Visa Direct to help address these concerns.

Visa Direct is a digital platform that connects 8.5 billion endpoints. The platform is active in 190 countries and can facilitate movement dealing with 160 currencies.

“When I talk about endpoints, it means 8.5 (billion) Visa cards, that also includes bank accounts, and it also includes e-wallets,” he said. “Visa is capable of being able to move money from Point A to Point B, whether it be a bank account, an e-wallet or a visa card.”

“Our mission is to be able to deliver a seamless and a great consumer experience that’s secure and reliable when it comes to money movement and payment,” he said. “If you understand the nature of remittance, these are hard-earned money and as such we’re very particular in terms of ensuring that the money we send, most of it, if not 100% of it, we want our receivers to receive.” — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, URC tie up to boost manufacturing workforce

ISKOLAR NI JUAN

CALAMBA CITY — The Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) said it continues to offer free technology-vocational scholarships under the 10th year of its Iskolar ni Juan program, which prepares students for jobs at Universal Robina Corp. (URC) production facilities.

“Iskolar ni Juan (INJ) provides senior high school graduates and college undergraduates with a direct pathway to education and employment in the manufacturing industry,” GBF Trustee Marcia Y. Gokongwei said during the INJ anniversary event on July 23.

GBF, in partnership with URC, launched the INJ program with the vision of building a “highly skilled workforce” at the three-story Technical Training Center in Calamba City, Laguna, she said.

“Our scholars are provided with free tech-voc training in mechatronics and guaranteed employment in one of URC’s production facilities across the country,” Ms. Gokongwei said.

Among the facilities in the center are the mechanical/workbench lab, hydraulic lab, process instrumentation lab, pneumatics, and MFG process training room.

The INJ beneficiaries are offered a subsidized scholarship that covers tuition, transportation, school supplies, uniforms, accommodation, and meals.

After their stay in Laguna for the seven-month academic term, the scholars will undergo five months of on-the-job training at URC plants and other business affiliates.

To date, there are more than 500 graduates of the program.

GBF said about 60% of the graduates are still working with URC, while others have pursued college degrees or work for manufacturing companies locally and globally.

Raymund L. Ganotice, technical training center director, said the program is designed to meet the workforce requirements of URC-Branded Consumer Foods Group (BCFG).

“In the past, we also had Gokongwei affiliates, like the one in Simlong, where you have the petrochem plant. So, they’re heavy on instrumentation. Therefore, we offer two courses: mechatronics and instrumentation,” he added.

Mr. Ganotice said it depends on the requirements of the workers — and “now it’s all mechatronics for the 19 plants of BCFG,” which involves the food manufacturing process.

Despite the fully subsidized scholarship with free board and lodging, he said the INJ is also having trouble attracting scholars, which might be due to the “blue-collar mentality” and state universities offering free bachelor’s degrees.

Mc William B. Espenocilla, a scholar of the INJ, said that including batches 21 and 22, there are 35 students, while batch 23 will arrive in August.

The foundation added that it aims to double its current number of scholars in the next three years to maximize the potential of the program and the technical training center in producing tech-skilled and workforce-ready graduates.

The one-year program, which combines classroom learning and OJT, awards scholars an NCII certification from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

Tasmanian ‘Eco-Milk’ tests shoppers’ thirst for climate-friendly dairy

WOOLWORTHS.COM.AU

CANBERRA — A small dairy in Tasmania is stocking supermarket shelves with what it says is the world’s first branded milk produced by cows fed with a seaweed that makes them emit lower levels of environmentally damaging methane gas.

The livestock industry accounts for around 30% of global methane emissions, according to the United Nations. Seaweed and other feed additives for cattle could reduce these greenhouse gas emissions but have yet to be widely adopted due to cost.

Since February, family-owned Tasmanian dairy producer Ashgrove has been feeding around 500 cows — a fifth of its total — an oil containing a seaweed extract that reduces the methane released by a cow’s digestion, said co-owner Richard Bennett.

The cows produce around 10,000 liters of milk a day, a portion of which is bottled as “Eco-Milk” and sold across Tasmania including at Woolworths, Australia’s largest supermarket chain.

“We’re getting about 25% reduction in methane,” Mr. Bennett said.

Eco-Milk is a test of whether consumers will pay extra for dairy products that have a lower environmental impact.

A two-liter bottle sells for A$5.50 ($3.67), twenty-five cents more than normal full cream milk, Bennett said, adding that sales were going well but the company had yet to decide on whether to expand the project.

Producers of feed additives that inhibit the release of methane by microbes digesting plant matter in cows’ stomachs have invested hundreds of millions of dollars to produce enough to feed millions of animals.

French cheese maker Bel Group said last year it would feed an additive to around 10,000 dairy cows in Slovakia. Other firms including JBS, Danone and Fonterra have dabbled with additives but not rolled them out at scale.

The additive used by Ashgrove is supplied by a Tasmanian company called Sea Forest. Its Chief Executive Officer Sam Elsom said he hoped Eco-Milk would be popular.

“If these products aren’t supported, things will go back to usual,” he said. “And the pace of decarbonization will be much slower.” — Reuters

Before and after

FREEPIK

THE “before” and “after” approach in advertising seeks to dramatize the effectiveness of a product or service, including cosmetics, detergents, or gym equipment. The Unique Selling Proposition (USP) principle is applied to a process of transformation being marketed by a brand.

One example of this transformational approach is weight loss. The “before” image is a caricature, an overweight subject presented in the least flattering manner. (She couldn’t get into the seat of a plane without a shoehorn.) The subject is made to look unhappy, maybe even hopeless. The approach does not pull its punches. And the guardians of political correctness then must step in to condemn this case of “body shaming.” One cosmetologist chain had indeed exceeded the advertising brief by depicting the “before” period with video enhancements turning a lovely model into a pathetic blob clearly needing some cosmetic repair. The marketing backlash was merciless.

How does the obese “before” character cope with her needs? Is there a store set up to target the amply endowed? They can have innocuous brand names like “Wonder Woman,” “Grand Canyon,” “Moby Dick.”  But a tag line reveals their target market — We also sell tents with zippers.

What’s wrong with being a plus size anyway? In case of a strong typhoon, doesn’t the heavier person have a better chance of not getting blown away? Besides, snacking on chocolates (dark) has been discovered to prevent cancer. Boiled or deep-fried pig’s knuckles are thought to be an aphrodisiac to rival oysters. (Tell that to the pigs.) Caution: research on these assertions is not statistically vetted.

If obese subjects are shown at all in ads, it is to identify them as a target market for slimming programs. A photo (before) shows plus-sized personalities occupying one half of the studio unit of a condo. She is certain to be also badly dressed. Then the person (after) stands in front of the camera providing a testimonial on how effective her weight loss program has been. She looks like a different person from the overweight former self. She is chic, well-spoken, and is at least two tons lighter. She also has a bigger house. Is this really the same person? (Does it matter?)

Is there also a “before” and “after” in social relationships? Can former lovers drift apart and just remain friends after? (I found out something disagreeable about him.) Can the downgraded relationship from couple to “just friends” work, or even hope to be continued? What are the new rules? (I’m still here if she needs financial help.)

Drifting apart is not always a symmetrical movement, very different from synchronized swimming. Usually, one party drifts away due to an emotional detachment or just a new entrant. The “broken hearted” one clings on, maybe even become a “lurker” (that detested breed of rejects) — you’re sure you can’t attend the launch of my new dog shampoo?

What purpose can dinner together, in this case munching only food, serve except to subject the clinging vine to undue stress? He tries manfully to follow the revised rules of engagement but can’t help reminiscing, in passing and a bit playfully, over historical tidbits like scrubbing olive oil on her partner’s toes at one time, and using that for salad dressing?

Any egregious attempt at reliving past intimacy is viewed by the other as inappropriate and may merit a post-dinner text expressing disgust at the other’s inability to behave properly in a public place. The public display of affection (PDA) is banned in the redefined relationship.

Advertising, even more so now on social media with longer videos, has for so long used the traditional “before” and “after” approach in promoting the efficacy of a product, including a political position in the case of turncoats. The key is to exaggerate the ills of the status quo with horrible portrayals of the “before” to contrast this with the idyllic promise of the “after” life. The approach can unintentionally have a backlash effect on the target market who prefer the status quo of “what God gave them” to the unrealistic glamor of a promised reward.

Life is a series of transformations anyway. The ideal “after” is now the current “before.” Can there be another change? After some months, the new clothes get too tight and hard to button. Is it time to get back to the old clothes — from before?

 

Tony Samson is chairman and CEO of TOUCH xda

ar.samson@yahoo.com

National Government fiscal performance

THE NATIONAL Government’s (NG) budget deficit narrowed by 7.24% year on year in June, as revenue collection grew at a faster clip than spending, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) said on Wednesday. Read the full story.

National Government fiscal performance

Super Typhoon Carina swamps PHL capital, shutters financial markets

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

CARINA (International name: Gaemi), which intensified into a super typhoon, and a southwest monsoon continued to bring heavy rains to the Philippine capital region and northern provinces on Wednesday, halting financial markets and prompting authorities to suspend work and classes.

The presidential palace suspended government work and classes at all levels in Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Metro Manila for July 25 because of heavy rains.

Metro Manila, which is composed of 16 cities and one municipality and home to at least 13 million people, was placed under a state of calamity.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos, Jr. announced the decision after an emergency meeting with city mayors.

The local disaster agency said close to one million people from 180,000 families were affected by the typhoon. More than 35,000 people from 8,320 families were staying in evacuation centers.

Earlier in the day, the presidential palace suspended classes at all academic levels and work in most government offices because of the typhoon. Local governments on the main island of Luzon followed suit. 

Carina was packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 230 kph, the state weather bureau said in a 5 p.m. bulletin.

It was moving northwestward toward Taiwan and was expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility by Thursday morning.

It said the water level in La Mesa dam had reached 80 meters as of 4 p.m. and was expected to rise due to heavy rains. Excess water would overflow once the dam elevation reaches 80.15 meters, affecting the areas near the Tullahan River from Quezon City, Valenzuela and Malabon.

Carina did not make landfall in the Philippines but was enhancing a southwest monsoon, resulting in heavy to intense rain in the country’s north, the agency said.

Carina and Tropical Depression Butchoy (Prapiroon), hit southern Philippines and caused floods last week, killing at least seven people.

The Philippine Coast Guard said 354 passengers and 31 vessels were stranded in ports, while airlines canceled 13 flights on Wednesday, Manila’s airport authority said.

The Philippines lies along the typhoon belt in the Pacific and experiences about 20 storms each year. It also lies in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a belt of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes strike.

Carina was expected to intensify further and hit its peak before its landfall in Taiwan, the state weather bureau said.

The combined effects of the typhoon and monsoon caused flooding in parts of Luzon. The Marikina River, which spans 16 bridges, overflowed and reached as high as 18.3 meters and forced residents to flee.

Malabon, Marikina, Valenzuela, Las Piñas, and Parañaque representatives were absent from the Metro Manila Council’s emergency meeting where the state of calamity declaration was adopted.

Quezon City Mayor Maria Josefina Tanya G. Belmonte-Alimurung, told a news briefing all the city’s evacuation centers were occupied, forcing them to use churches, covered courts and schools to house victims. Eighty of 142 villages were flooded.

More than 41,000 residents were staying in evacuation centers, the Quezon City local government said in an X post.

Kyanna Angela Bulan was in her condominium along Taft Avenue in Manila when the first floor of her parents’ two-story house in Marikina City was submerged.

“The flood reached parts of the stairs to the second floor,” she said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “Almost all of our furniture — sofa, bed, dining table, cabinets, storage racks, TV — floated.”

In Rizal province, a video showed residents helping a man swept away by flood in a town on the slopes of the Sierra Madre mountain range. Another video showed passengers leaving a bus in Quezon City, the country’s largest city, as it was submerged in floodwater.

About $500 million (P29 billion) in standby funds were available to support disaster relief, the Department of Finance said in a statement.

The President must first put the country under a state of calamity to trigger the fund release, it added.

Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said about 430,000 customers, mostly in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal, had been affected by brownouts due to Super Typhoon Carina.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and our crews are working nonstop to restore service as soon as possible,” Meralco Vice-President and head of Corporate Communications Joe R. Zaldarriaga said in a statement.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said the government had provided P43.15 million in aid to more than 770,000 people affected by Butchoy in the Visayas and Mindanao.

In his third address to Congress on Monday, the Philippine leader said his government had set up 5,500 flood control projects across the country. “Many more are still under construction.”

The Philippines is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, with annual economic damage at 13.6% of the economy, according to the World Bank. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Adrian H. Halili, Beatriz Marie D. Cruz and Sheldeen Joy Talavera

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