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Arturo Luz’s minimalist works of art

Cities of the Past (1997)

ONE New Year’s Eve in the early 1950s, Filipino artist Arturo Luz saw three men on a rickety bicycle maintaining perfect balance as they rode down the street. The lean figures of the men were etched in his mind, and later informing his body of work, as first seen in his 1952 oil painting Bagong Taon (New Year).

Unlike most new year’s resolutions, the approach of using lines to create disciplined designs stuck with Mr. Luz, who was later made a National Artist. Displaying linear and geometric elegance and strength, many of Mr. Luz’s paintings, including works that haven’t been seen for decades, are currently on view until July 13 at SM Megamall in Ortigas, Mandaluyong City.

The artist found that his meticulous nature suited the choice to paint a variety of visual elements mainly with lines, be they cyclists, acrobats, musicians, performers, ancient pottery, and even Asian architecture.

“In my own little world, I know precisely what I want to do. And for me, the greatest satisfaction comes from creating works of art. Nothing can compare to it,” Mr. Luz once said.

Art critic Cid Reyes, who curated the exhibition and previously published a book on the Filipino icon’s life and work, said at the exhibit launch on July 2 that there are many reasons Mr. Luz deserves the mini-retrospective.

“Even among the Thirteen Moderns, his style was a stand-out. It has nothing to do with the subject matter; it has mainly to do with a way of thinking, a way of approach to reality, and also the style and technique of what we call minimalism,” he said in an opening speech.

“The taste for minimalism was introduced by Mr. Luz at a time when the aesthetic taste of the Filipino bordered on the extravagant, the excessive.”

The exhibit, organized by the Renaissance Art Gallery, shows a variety of his works — paintings, collages, sculptures, sketches — from his early days to his death in 2021.

STREAMLINED
Among the highlights is a series titled Cities of the Past, which began in the 1990s. The works were born from Mr. Luz’s frequent travels when he was inspired to paint Asian temples, forts, and palaces.

Gracing the launch were National Artists Virgilio Almario (for Literature) and Ramon Santos (for Music), who told BusinessWorld that Mr. Luz was a very quiet man who was full of talent.

“His imagination as an abstractionist is unique, very different from his peers. Even when I wasn’t very conscious about art, I already liked his works,” said Mr. Almario.

Mr. Santos pointed out the beauty in his subtle form of cubism. “It’s fantastic how he drew a musician, a cyclist, and a juggler using the same type of lines. It’s very simple. The word here is subtlety,” he said.

Despite receiving praise and admiration for his contributions to Philippine contemporary art, Mr. Luz was known to maintain a humble demeanor, the two added.

Mr. Reyes, who had interviewed Mr. Luz extensively in the past and had written a book on him, explained that minimalism used to be unfamiliar in the Philippines.

“Most of the paintings of the past were over-decorative, over-indulgent in terms of form and color. It was Mr. Luz who decided to clean all the unnecessary details of a painting. That is the reason this exhibition is called ‘Streamlined’,” he said.

“By taking a dot from here to down there that comprises a line, and with lines alone, creating masterpieces.”

“Streamlined: The National Artist Arturo Luz Exhibition” is on display until July 13 at the Art Center on the 4th floor of SM Megamall Bldg. A in Mandaluyong. For more information, visit renaissanceartph.com. — Brontë H. Lacsamana

Megawide, DoubleDragon start construction of Hotel 101 in Quezon City

DOUBLEDRAGON.COM.PH

MEGAWIDE Construction Corp. said it has started the construction of DoubleDragon Properties Corp.’s Hotel 101 project in Quezon City, scheduled for completion by the fourth quarter of 2026.

The leisure hotel will have a total of 702 units and will sit on a 2,547-square-meter property within the Bridgetowne Estate in Libis, Quezon City, Megawide said in a statement on Tuesday.

Hotel 101 is the flagship property of Hotel of Asia, Inc., the hospitality arm of DoubleDragon. 

The company said it aims to use its  precast technology to ensure faster results.

“We continue to explore avenues to incorporate and maximize our brand of innovation in the local engineering and construction arena by closely working with our precast and construction solutions unit to offer efficient project turnaround, while reducing long-term outlays for our valued clients,” Megawide Construction Chief Executive Officer Frederick T. Tan said.

The construction of the leisure hotel in Quezon City represents the sixth project between Megawide and DoubleDragon. 

The two companies have recently completed four projects: DD Center East and West, which are commercial buildings accommodating office and retail tenants; and DD Plaza and DD Tower.

Megawide also said that construction is ongoing for DoubleDragon’s luxury serviced residences buildings, including DD Meridian Tower and Ascott-DD Meridian Park Manila.

At the stock exchange on Tuesday, shares in Megawide ended three centavos higher or 1.03% at P2.95 each; while shares in DoubleDragon also gained 36 centavos or 2.99% to end at P12.40 apiece. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

The essence of Japanese ceramics

TEA WARE used for tea ceremonies — BRONTË H. LACSAMANA

NATURAL aesthetics are celebrated in Japanese culture. In ceramics, high-fire techniques result in unglazed wares that show how the goal of ceramic pieces is not to be as polished as possible, but instead are valued for their functionality in everyday life. Today, it is an art all over the world, encompassing new and unconventional expressions that have made it a contemporary, in addition to a functional, art form.

Scholars estimate that, in Japan, utilitarian earthenware date back to the pre-feudal Heian period, as early as the year 794.

Currently on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M) is the exhibit “Yakishime: Earth Metamorphosis” — an initiative of the Japan Foundation Manila — which tackles the history, evolution, and examples of Japanese ceramic ware known as yakishime.

The exhibition occupies the museum’s North Gallery on the second floor and is ongoing until July 31.

“Yaki or yaku means fire or burn, and shime or shimeru means heightened or combined. I’d like you to recall and imagine the time when the artists of ancient times sat on the soil and stared at the fire that burned their works,” Ben Suzuki, director of the Japan Foundation in Manila, said at the exhibit’s launch on July 3.

On view at the gallery are pots, bowls, and jars from before the 12th century, and tea ware from the Momoyama period in the 16th century. Some pieces, however, are only represented by photographs due to the original pieces being too fragile for international transport.

The exhibition also includes new and unconventional expressions of yakishime by noted Japanese ceramicists Takashi Ikura, Kyoko Tokumaru, and Makiko Hattori.

Filipino ceramic artist Jezzel Wee, who studied in Japan for three years and now teaches at the University of the Philippines, told BusinessWorld that yakishime makes use of very painstaking techniques.

“Even the angle by which you place [the clay item] over the fire affects how the texture on its surface will turn out,” she said while leading a tour around the exhibition. “You can control the quality of the piece through the thickness of the clay and the intensity of the fire.”

She pointed out the various textures that contemporary ceramicists can create in their works, highlighting how ceramic ware can range from simple and functional for serving food and making tea, to experimental and creative as objet d’arts.

For National Commission of Culture and the Arts chair Victorino Manalo, yakishime doesn’t just reflect a distinct Japanese sensibility and aesthetic — it is also something Filipinos can learn from.

“It teaches about finding the universal in small, seemingly ordinary things. Perhaps it is time we examine our own unglazed pottery which we dismiss as the humble palayok. If we look through the lens of the Japanese, we may find more beauty in it,” said Mr. Manalo at the launch.

The exhibit has toured the world since 2016, featuring objects that span the chronicles of yakishime. After its run at The M, the exhibit will move to Iloilo in August, where it will be hosted by the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA).

The Philippine leg of the international tour is supported by the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines and features hands-on workshops and special events to be announced on the Japan Foundation Manila’s social media pages.

“Yakishime: Earth Metamorphosis” runs until July 31 at The M in Bonifacio Global City. Admission is free to the public. — Brontë H. Lacsamana

CTA denies Nippon Express’ P20-M tax refund

CTA.JUDICIARY.GOV.PH

THE COURT of Tax Appeals (CTA) has denied Nippon Express Philippines Corp.’s claim for a tax refund of over P20 million.

“For the 3rd quarter of taxable year 2018 or the period from July 1, 2018, to Sept. 30, 2019, [Nippon Express] has no unutilized input VAT (value-added tax) attributable to its zero-rated sales which may be the subject of a claim for refund,” the 67-paged decision penned by Associate Justice Marian Ivy F. Reyes-Fajardo read.

The court ruled that to be entitled to a refund, the input VAT claimed must be substantiated by supporting documents.

It added that these documents must comply with the invoicing requirements under the National Internal Revenue Code.

In denying Nippon’s petition, the court said that Nippon had no unutilized input taxes available for refund.

Nippon sought a refund of input VAT worth P20,899,347.46, which constituted a portion of its claimed total allowable input tax amounting to P107,798,471.06.

Nippon claimed input VAT attributable to zero-rated sales amounting to P49,992,599.37 was partially applied against its reported output VAT liability amounting to P29,093,251.91, hence it was seeking a P20,899.347.46 refund.

The court followed the same computation: after deducting the amount of P43,617,528.13 in valid input VAT allocated to VATable sales/receipts from its output VAT liability of P86,899,123.31 on the paid sales/receipts, Nippon has a net output VAT payable of P43,281,595.48.

Since Nippon’s input VAT attributable to VATable sales is not enough to cover its output VAT liability, the valid input VAT attributable to zero-rated sales will be used against the remaining output VAT liability, the CTA said.

However, the court said the valid input VAT attributable to zero-rated sales of P37,722,008.95 is apparently lower than the net output VAT payable of P43,281,595.48.

Thus, the court said Nippon has net output VAT still due amounting to P5,559,586.52. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Psychogeographies of Mandaluyong

LYMAN HANSEL GERONA-UNSPLASH

By Juaniyo Arcellana

WHEN first we moved to the city shortly after the turn of the millennium, we tried our best to take mental notes of the landmarks to help navigate through the maze of a new environment — the grocery, schools, jeepney stops and routes, church, and market. One of the worthy guides at the outset was the neighborhood barber, whose clients included professional basketball players, who as the wont of others in his trade had a ready analysis on politics, sports, other current events not necessarily limited to the barangay, while snipping hair, or whatever was left of it.

“Have you ever tried it,” he said, “jogging in the mental hospital compound nearby?”

This remark nearly gave birth to a song, “Jogging sa Mental,” whose lyrics never got out of square one, and since then there were other barbers, other sundry exercises, mostly walking, sometimes past the mental compound and its rows of acacia trees and baletes where the demons of the distressed behind those high walls take refuge, or so old folks like to believe.

Been in this city for more than 20 years, but the three spent during the pandemic, give or take a few months, were harsh. It might be an understatement to say the landscape changed or went through constant rearrangement — stores and businesses closed or moved shop, others sprouted in their place, only to go through their own evolution from hole in the wall to mom-and-pop startup, to pseudo establishment that could never even dream of becoming a POGO.

Needless to say, there was an online renaissance. One son who was forced to work from home had to purchase gadgets just to boost the internet connection, only to give up and switch providers altogether, else he’d likely be laid off. Recently the same phone company sent a notice that they’d “temporarily be disconnecting” the landline for nonpayment of dues for a phone that has been out of order for months.

Catch 22: pay or your phone gets disconnected versus why pay for a phone that isn’t working? Besides, there’s Viber. But surely it is a great disadvantage when ordering delivery if there’s no landline. Willing to wait? While the muzak plays on.

Better to venture out into the streets again now that hardly anyone wears face masks anymore and you can finally see their faces and expressions, smell their bad breaths as they speak for this or that candidate, though there are still rare days when you miss everyone looking like a holdupper — don’t stand so close to me.

In the second iteration this year of the mammoth book fair Big Bad Wolf, held in nearby Glorietta if we be allowed to cross the Guadalupe bridge for a second from Tiger City, we stumbled across the pocket book Psychogeography by Merlin Coverley, which could well sum up what we’ve been trying to do in recent writing exercises, including this one.

Not exactly a philosophy but a means of approaching things with a clear enough head, specifically in modern and postmodern neighborhoods through which the writer walks in a low-key, ostensibly unremarkable adventure of discovery and, who knows, self-discovery.

A number of authors are mentioned, several familiar from high school literature courses like William Blake, Thomas de Quincey, Robert Louis Stevenson, whose Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is cited as a prime example of how London’s streets are never what they seem, or the streets of any city for that matter, e.g., Mandaluyong in the 21st century.

Establishments that have closed shop since the pandemic include the Monterey meat shop across the condominium along Boni; the PLDT headquarters, also on the same avenue, in front of Rizal Technological University, the building resembling a dirty white elephant; Masterpiece auto shop where we would go for quick purchases for change oil and tune-ups; while the LBC moved to a much smaller space a block away with the onset of e-wallets and digital kwarta padala.

Also, the public hospital, which road had been blocked off during the time of coronavirus, was finally closed down and moved to Martinez, one of those roads that emanate like spokes from a wheel that is Maysilo or municipal hall.

There’s a new Potato Corner near the corner of Barangka and Boni, a couple of Dali groceries where German and Vietnamese beers are at a bargain, some new panciterias where hopefully the servers and waiters don’t sleep off the lax hours.

We’re still reading through Coverley’s book, between forays to the neighborhood for the usual chores and errands, but this was never meant to be a review. Just an update on this eastern part of the metro, where once we dreamed of putting up a community paper, the Mandaluyong Sun. There are too many newspapers though, more than enough to wrap smoked fish or wipe windshields in ambulant carwashes with.

 

Juaniyo Arcellana is a semiretired/senior desk editor at BusinessWorld’s sister publication The Philippine Star. Thirty years ago he had a sports column called The Mopman in BusinessWorld.

PSALM says financial obligations trimmed to P283B

FREEPIK

STATE-RUN Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) said its outstanding financial obligation stood at P283.28 billion as of the end of May.

This amount represents a decrease of P957.32 billion from the P1.24-trillion debt accumulated in 2003, according to PSALM’s data.

The latest financial obligation figure is lower than the P292.49 billion recorded as of the end of April.

The company said the reduction was a result of the “continuous implementation of liability management programs and strategies.”

Its total debt stands at P247.76 billion, while its lease obligations to independent power producers was at P35.52 billion.

In terms of currency composition, approximately 42% of PSALM’s financial obligations amount to P119.34 billion in US dollars, while the remaining 58%, totaling P163.94 billion, are denominated in pesos.

PSALM was established under Republic Act No. 9136, also known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001, with the mandate to oversee the privatization of generation and transmission assets formerly held by the National Power Corp. and the National Transmission Corp.

Originally slated to conclude in June 2026, or 25 years after the enactment of EPIRA, PSALM’s corporate existence would end. In the event of its dissolution, all assets and liabilities would revert to the National Government.

Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto has said that the corporate life of PSALM should be extended by possibly another 25 years as it still has a lot of assets for sale and financial obligations to settle.

Assets under PSALM include the 796.64-megawatt (MW) Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan (CBK) hydroelectric power plant complex in Laguna.

The CBK hydro facilities are currently under a 25-year build-rehabilitate-operate-transfer scheme run by independent power producer CBK Power Co. Ltd., which will expire in 2026.

The company has also a rehabilitation and asset management plan for the Agus-Pulangi hydropower complex which is targeted for implementation in 2026.

The complex consists of seven run-of-river hydroelectric power plants located in southern and central Mindanao with a combined installed capacity of 1,001.1 MW. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

Arts & Culture (07/10/24)

Jethro Jocson solo exhibition at Alliance Française

WITH a palette of vibrant colors, playful textures, and nostalgic motifs, the exhibit “Resurrect” by Jethro R. Jocson acts as a portal to the past and a bridge to the present self and beyond. By utilizing whimsical and childlike elements that evoke memories of childhood, he invites the audience to re-examine what possible new meanings or feelings they can derive from their unique and personal experiences. “Resurrect” is open for public viewing until July 24 at the Alliance Française de Manille Gallery, 209 Nicanor Garcia St., Makati City.

Pop art group exhibit at Imahica Art

IMAHICA Art is opening a group show titled “Neon Dreams: Through the Prism” on July 13 at 4 p.m. It will explore pop art in traditional and digital media with cultural reflections in vibrant and striking colors. The contemporary Filipino artists in the exhibit are Alver de Ocampo, Astrid Anabo, Obags, Genzel San Jose, J.Iimayo, J Simo Bello, JOLY BEART!, Joyce Igancio, KRING, Miclcee, Mr. E, Mustache Boii, and Nantz Matienzo. “Neon Dreams: Through the Prism” will run until July 31 at Imahica Art Gallery, 2A Lee Gardens, Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong.

Filipino children’s book talents celebrated

THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines (CCP), in collaboration with the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY), celebrates National Children’s Book Day this July. This year, the PBBY-Salanga Prize recognizes the literary brilliance of Eric R. Roxas for his book entitled Monina’s Many Moles that transcends boundaries and inspires young minds. Meanwhile, illustrator Marcus Vito Z. Nada receives the PBBY-Alcala Prize for his artistic prowess in enriching the world of children’s literature with captivating visuals. The celebration and awarding ceremony are scheduled for July 16, starting at 9:30 a.m., at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP’s Blackbox Theater), featuring a musical performance by Ginger Karganilla and Billy Joel del Rosario, composed by Greg Zuniega; storytelling by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) puppeteer; and the unveiling of new children’s books. The Payapa book fair will be held at the basement level of the venue. To join the festivities, a children’s book must be donated to the registration desk on the day of the event.

Theater play shop for kids at AFM

THE ALLIANCE Française de Manille (AFM) and Kalipayan Education will be holding ThéÂRTelier, a theater play shop for children ages six to 11 starting on July 23 at AFM. The workshop aims to develop the children’s communication and collaboration skills through modern, experimental, and improvisational theater techniques. The nine-day workshop concludes with a recital at the AFM Multipurpose Hall on Aug. 3. It costs P16,500 for the entire workshop and recital. For an early bird rate, participants can register until July 14.

Dancers spotlight feminism, gender oppression

A SERIES of performances titled Cycles: From Conversations to Choreography are meant to shed light on feminism and misogynistic issues. The 75-minute mixed bill repertoire will unveil original and innovative dance styles inspired by the narratives of systemic oppression experienced by female adolescents in the Philippines. It will showcase the contemporary and open-style choreographies of the Dance Program students from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB). Cycles: From Conversations to Choreography will be held on July 19 at 6 p.m. and July 20 at 1 and 6 p.m. at the 5th Floor Theater of the Design + Arts Campus, 950 Pablo Ocampo St., Malate, Manila. Tickets are available for P500 at rb.gy/0q7wzw.

Virgin Labfest announces plays for 20th edition

AFTER the successful three-week run of its 19th edition, the Virgin Labfest has announced the 12 new plays culled from over 200 submissions that it will be presenting next year. Co-presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), Tanghalang Pilipino Foundation Inc. (TP) and the Writer’s Bloc, Inc., the playwrights festival of untried, untested, and unstaged plays announces the new “virgin” plays, namely: Minating ni Mariah ang Manto ng Mommy ni Mama Mary by Eljay Castro Deldoc, Unang Araw by Ivan Villacorta Gentolizo, Anniversary by Nelsito Gomez, Ang Problema sa Trolley by Imuthis (Harvey Rebaya Sallador), Mga Magindara sa Siyudad by Chris Joseph Junio, Mommy G by Jobert Grey Landeza, Don’t Meow for Me, Catriona by Ryan Machado, Presidential Suite 2 by Siege Malvar, The Late Mr. Palma by Rolin Migyuel Cadallo Obina, The Orphan and the Rat by Liane Carlo R. Suelan, Polar Coordinates by Ade Valenzona, and TBT: Takbo, Batang Tondo by Mikaella Yoj.

Double win for Manila Symphony Jr. Orchestra

THE MANILA Symphony Junior Orchestra (MSJO) has topped two international competitions in Europe. First it won the Gold Prize and Grand Prix at the 6th Bratislava International Music Festival in Slovakia on July 4, then on July 7 it won First Place, with Outstanding Success for String Orchestra Category at the 16th Summa Cum Laude International Music Festival in Vienna, Austria. Asian orchestras did well at the Austrian festival, with first place also awarded to the Hsing Lung String Orchestra from Taiwan while 2nd place went to the Hong Kong Youth Strings and the Taipei Municipal Zhongzheng Junior High School, and 3rd Place going to the Singapore National Youth String Orchestra. The MSJO is currently on tour in Europe and will return to the Philippines on July 13. The 2024 European Tour of the MSJO was sponsored by Standard Insurance.

Converge affiliate Reliance Broadcasting secures direct-to-home license 

GLENN CARSTENS PETERS-UNSPLASH

RELIANCE Broadcasting Unlimited, Inc. (RBU), an affiliate of Converge ICT Solutions, Inc., has secured a direct-to-home (DTH) license from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), allowing it to broadcast free-to-air channels nationwide, the Pampanga-based company said on Tuesday.

“It has been a challenge to provide information to our people because the Philippines is an archipelago with over 7,000 islands. With RBU pivoting into a DTH operator, we’ll be able to do our share in giving access to crucial public information to more Filipinos as we try to reach every island in the country,” Reliance Broadcasting President Frank Martin S. Abalos said in a media release.

Reliance Broadcasting said its direct-to-home service will be powered by Korea-based company KT Sat Co. Ltd., a provider of satellite services and solutions.

According to its website, KT Sat satellite covers around 60% of the global population. Aside from Korea, it also provides satellite communication services to the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, and Pakistan.

“The NTC granted provisional authority to RBU late last year to provide DTH services throughout the Philippines,” the company said.

With its license, Reliance Broadcasting is now allowed to broadcast free-to-air channels like PTV, GMA, RPTV, GTV, All TV, and 14 more “must carry” channels nationwide, including remote areas in the Philippines. 

Reliance Broadcasting’s direct-to-home service will complement the internet services of its affiliate Converge, Mr. Abalos said, noting that the broadcasting company can provide broadcasting services  to underserved areas through satellite technology.

Reliance Broadcasting is also in collaboration with various organizations to air public service announcements and education materials, it said. 

Further, Reliance Broadcasting is also eyeing to offer set-top boxes.

Converge is the largest operator of fiber-to-home fixed broadband in the Philippines with over 700,000 kilometers of fiber footprint in the Philippines. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Private initiatives fostering marriage inviolability

ANNA VI-UNSPLASH

(Part 1)

Some of those Catholics who are in favor of absolute divorce in the Philippines wrongly maintain that there is not enough being done by the Catholic clergy and laity to foster the sanctity of marriage and that of the family. They could not be more misinformed. In this series of articles, I will feature the numerous groups organized by Catholic lay people on their own or under the mandate of their respective bishops that have been working tirelessly on living and teaching the doctrines of the Catholic Church on human sexuality, the institution of marriage, and the sanctity of the family. It is unfair for those supporting the Absolute Divorce bill passed by the Lower House and now pending in the Senate to claim that the Church (which includes both clergy and laity) has been remiss in inculcating, especially among the lower-income households, the truths about the natural institution of marriage, the Sacrament of Matrimony, the role of parents in the upbringing of their children, and the legitimate use of human sexuality.

Actually, it is the State that can be faulted for not doing enough to respond to the very clear mandate found in the Philippine Constitution of 1987 to “protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception. The natural and primary right and duty of parents in the rearing of the young for civic efficiency and the development of moral character shall receive the support of the Government.” In fact, the Constitution is even more explicit in Article XV on The Family when it mandates that “the State recognizes the Filipino family as the foundation of the nation. Accordingly, it shall strengthen its solidarity and actively promote its total development.” There is also the very explicit constitutional mandate that “marriage, as an inviolable social institution, is the foundation of the family and shall be protected by the State.” It is understandable that the State is hard put to implement these very clear mandates when it cannot even guarantee high-quality basic education as shown by the very performances of Filipino youth in international achievement tests in reading, mathematics, science, and creative thinking.

That is why it is the private sector that has devised countless means of fostering the inviolability of marriage and sanctity of the family. It is ironic that the State, in the face of its failure to comply with these constitutional mandates to strengthen the Filipino family, is now trying to weaken the institution of marriage through the attempt of the House of Representatives to introduce an Absolute Divorce law. It is hoped that the Senate will reject the bill or, as a final resort, that the President veto the bill if it reaches Malacañang. Meanwhile, as in many cases of the default or negligence of the State in performing its duty to the common good, it is the private sector that is very active in strengthening the institution of marriage and the family.

As reported in a document published by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), entitled “Overview of NGOs and Civil Society in the Philippines,” our society is well known in the world as a leader in the establishment of Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and People’s Organizations (POs) that render public services which in countries with more competent and efficient governments are usually provided by the State. Because it is obvious that over the years, the Philippines has not generally been endowed with government leaders who were as competent as those of countries like Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and territories like Hong Kong, the private sector often had to take over these public services by organizing NGOs and POs, the Filipino equivalent of what in other countries are commonly called community-based organizations as commented in the ADB report.

On a lighter vein, in a road show in which I participated recently in Tokyo in cooperation with some top executives of Mitsui, I tried to explain the difference between the cultures of Japan and the Philippines in this regard. I wanted the potential investors from Japan to be ready to understand the complex dynamics between the State and the private sector that prevails in the Philippines. The quickest way I found to deliver the message of the primordial importance of civil society in the face of a generally ineffective State (unlike what prevails in Japan) is to refer to the recent blockbuster film entitled Godzilla Minus One. As anyone who has seen this film would remember, the plot involved a traumatized former Japanese fighter pilot who joins a civilian effort to fight off a massive nuclear-enhanced monster (Godzilla) attacking the shores of Japan. Because at that juncture of Japanese history, exceptionally the Japanese Government was incapacitated from being at the forefront of preventing Godzilla from destroying their shores, a group of private citizens joined forces to do the fighting. This, I told the Japanese audience, was what happens very often in the Philippines.

To expose the misinformation that was being spread by the pro-divorce Catholics, let me enumerate just a few of the outstanding initiatives of both the Catholic clergy and laity in educating their fellow Catholics and others who may care to listen about the inviolable institution of marriage and the sanctity of the family. This information was shared with me by one of the leading Filipino educators who have specialized in values education and character formation among parents, teachers, and students, especially in the public schools. He is Dr. Antonio Torralba. He has first-hand knowledge about the organizations which I describe here because of his work of more than 50 years in the field of values education, especially related to the strengthening of the Filipino family.

First, there is the Marriage Encounter Foundation of the Philippines. Before the pandemic, the Foundation conducted nationwide research on the status of family life and teenage lifestyle in the Philippines, which dealt with the perceived major issues facing families and the youth of the country today. The findings, conclusions, and recommendations were submitted in person and in writing to the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), which mobilized the Commission on Family and Life, then under Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa, to carry out the recommended development programs in all dioceses. Lay leaders in major archdioceses in the country were encouraged to attend courses on marriage and family life which combined Catholic doctrine on these topics, enriched by empirical data that were the results of the research sponsored by the Marriage Encounter Foundation.

Then there is the Focolare Movement, an Italian-origin movement of lay people and clergy whose aim is to build a more united world in which people value respect and diversity. The elements upon which the movement bases its programs are the art of loving, community, and dialogue — which invariably apply to family, community, and society, especially among the married members. A branch of Focolare is called New Families Movement catering to engaged and young married couples through talks, shared experiences, congresses, regular meetings, family fests, and “schools,” some held in Italy, whose purpose is to develop the minds especially of young people towards the basic principles and nuances, as well as the reality, of life-long marriage, very much in keeping with the constitutional principle of the “inviolability of marriage.”

(To be continued.)

 

Bernardo M. Villegas has a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard, is professor emeritus at the University of Asia and the Pacific, and a visiting professor at the IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. He was a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission.

bernardo.villegas@uap.asia

Migrant Pinoys urged to invest in PHL startups

By Patricia B. Mirasol, Multimedia Producer

DOLLAR-RICH Filipino migrant workers should start investing in local startups not only because of the potential returns but also because it is the right thing to do, according to nonprofit Endeavor Philippines.

“There’s the heart side of it,” Judge R. Calimbahin III, manager for entrepreneur experience at Endeavor, said of one of the reasons why overseas Filipino workers  would want to put their money in a startup.

“They want to give back to the Philippines,” he said in an e-mail. “There’s also the economic opportunity — we are one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia.”

Pickup Coffee, Kumu and NextPay are examples of local companies that have benefited from the support of the Filipino diaspora this year, Mr. Calimbahin said.

Venture capital and private equity funds in Philippine startups have grown more than 25 times since 2010, according to a report this year by Foxmont Capital Partners and Boston Consulting Group. The growth was driven by foreign investors entering the local market.

StartupBlink, a global startup map and research center, in a separate report said the Philippines has been making progress in becoming a formidable startup ecosystem in the Asia-Pacific region.

“Now’s the time to support [Philippine startups] because over the next few years, [economic] growth will skyrocket,” Mr. Calimbahin said.

The Philippine diaspora is one of the largest in the world, with more than 10 million Filipinos living and working overseas.

About 2 million of them were living in the United States as of 2021, according to data from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Service.

In June, Endeavor Philippines hosted Balik*Bayan LA 2024, which connected Filipino founders, investors and creatives.

Among the attendees were representatives from the Filipino Young Leaders Program, a nonprofit that taps Filipino-Americans to promote Philippine development, and Apl.de.Ap Foundation International (APLFI), a nongovernmental group that supports poor Filipino youth.

APLFI’s projects have evolved since they started more than a decade ago, according to Executive Director Audie T. Vergara.

“We’re finding ourselves playing a role in economic development, helping to build the middle class here through projects like electric vehicles (EV) and semiconductor activity,” he said in a Zoom interview.

The foundation, he said, has signed a deal with the Asian Development Bank, and plans to train Filipino mechanics in EV maintenance.

“Cities are saying to themselves, ‘We want to electrify our city, but how?’” Mr. Vergara said. “Effectively, that’s what we’re making. We’re putting together the Philippines’ first center for excellence for EV technology.” 

The rising number of Filipino-Americans who want to give back to the Philippines is “partially rooted in identity,” he told BusinessWorld. 

“A lot of the Filipino Americans I happen to come across today have been schooled in the United States, but they really have this interest to come back here to take whatever they do — say, in Silicon Valley — to the Philippines,” he added.

There is a call to reverse brain drain, Mr. Calimbahin said. “Bring back everyone who has learned new things from abroad, and bring that knowledge in — and keep that knowledge — in the Philippines.”

Russia sentences director, playwright to 6 years for ‘justifying terrorism’

MOSCOW — A Russian court sentenced a playwright and a theater director each to six years in prison on Monday for “justifying terrorism,” concluding a trial that rights campaigners had said demonstrated Russia’s intolerance of artistic freedom.

Director Zhenya Berkovich, 39, and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk, 44, were arrested in May last year over their production of a play called Finist, the Brave Falcon, about Russian women who marry Islamic State fighters.

The case was the most prominent prosecution of Russian cultural figures over the content of their artwork since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in 2022. Both denied guilt.

The seven-week trial was condemned by free speech campaigners and Russia’s artistic community as politically motivated.

Partway through the trial, judge Yuri Massin approved a request from prosecutors to close the proceedings to the public over alleged threats to some participants.

Defense lawyer Kseniya Karpinskaya vowed to appeal the verdict and sentence.

“We will, of course, appeal this ruling, although we have little hope,” she told supporters outside the court in a video clip posted on social media.

“But I want you to know that they are absolutely innocent. Nothing new was produced in the closed sitting.”

At the start of their trial in late May, Ms. Berkovich and Ms. Petriychuk said they had staged the play because they oppose terrorism rather than support it.

“I staged the performance to prevent terrorism,” Ms. Berkovich, told the court. Towards terrorists, she said, “I have nothing but condemnation and disgust.” — Reuters

Philex Mining eyes extension of Padcal mine operations until 2027

PHILEX Mining Corp. said it may extend operations at its Padcal mine site in Tuba, Benguet until 2027 if gold prices remain elevated.

“At current metal prices, we (can extend) until 2027,” Philex Mining President and Chief Executive Officer Eulalio B. Austin, Jr. said during the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting on Tuesday.

Gold averaged $2,300 per troy ounce in June, while copper averaged $4.37 per pound, according to World Bank data.

Originally slated to cease operations by the end of this year, the Padcal mine has been operational since 1958.

Mr. Austin said that extending the mine’s lifespan also depends on the company’s profitability.

He added that the company’s production cost for gold was $1,800 per troy ounce and  $3.4 per pound for copper.

If costs rise but are offset by high metal prices, operations will continue, Mr. Austin said.

At the same time, he expressed contentment with metal prices above $2,000 per troy ounce for gold and $3.5 per pound for copper, which he described as the company’s break-even points.

In the first quarter, Philex Mining’s attributable net income dropped by 71% to P114.72 million from P389.57 million, primarily due to lower metal production.

On Tuesday, Philex shares fell by 2.55% or seven centavos to close at P2.68 apiece.

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

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