THE PESO dropped against the dollar on Wednesday amid faster-than-expected US consumer inflation.
The local unit closed at P55.396 per dollar on Wednesday, weakening by 8.6 centavos from its P55.31 finish on Tuesday, Bankers Association of the Philippines data showed.
The peso opened Wednesday’s session sharply weaker at P55.55 against the dollar, which was also its worst showing for the day. Its intraday best was at P55.345 versus the greenback.
Dollars exchanged went down to $1.01 billion on Wednesday from $1.13 billion on Tuesday.
The peso weakened on Wednesday due to the faster-than-expected US consumer price index (CPI) in February, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message.
US consumer prices increased solidly in February amid higher costs for gasoline and shelter, suggesting some stickiness in inflation that further diminishes the chances of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut before June, Reuters reported.
The consumer price index rose 0.4% last month after climbing 0.3% in January, the Labor department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Gasoline prices rebounded 3.8% after declining 3.3% in January. Shelter, which includes rents, rose 0.4% after advancing 0.6% in the prior month.
In the 12 months through February, the CPI increased 3.2%, after advancing 3.1% in January.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the CPI would gain 0.4% on the month and increase 3.1% on a year-on-year basis. The annual increase in consumer prices has slowed from a peak of 9.1% in June 2022, but progress has stalled in recent months.
For Thursday, a trader said in an e-mail that the peso could depreciate further due to a potential uptick in US retail sales.
The trader sees the peso moving between P55.30 and P55.55 per dollar on Thursday, while Mr. Ricafort expects it to range from P55.30 to P55.50. — A.M.C. Sy with Reuters
THE PHILIPPINES came through with a sweet sweep in completing a successful title defense in the men’s super division of the Pangaea Cup International Slo Pitch tournament recently staged at the Villages in Clark Field, Pampanga.
The Cebuana Lhuillier-bankrolled Blu Boys turned back all the teams it crossed paths with including the Japan Ole Dogs, 13-1, in the semis and the vaunted USA Fattboyz Worldwide, 12-6, in the finale.
The team’s other triumphs came at the expense of Korea Grizzlers, 10-4, Taiwan Wolves, 10-6, Saigon Buffalo, 14-6, Shanghai Stepdads, 11-6, and Taguig Generals, 18-1.
Jasper Cabrera, the current national men’s team coach, came through with the worthiest performance and was named the Most Valuable Player of the men’s super division.
Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines President and Cebuana Lhuillier chief executive officer Jean Henri Lhuillier lauded the Blu Boys for their feat. “This goes to show that once talent is fostered with hard work, no goal is impossible to achieve,” said Mr. Lhuillier. “Their resounding triumph at the Pangaea Cup is a true testament to their dedication to the game.” — Joey Villar
Games on Saturday (Smart-Araneta Coliseum) 10 a.m. — DLSU vs NU (men) 12 noon — AdU vs UST (men) 2 p.m. — DLSU vs NU (women) 4 p.m. — AdU vs UST (women)
UNDEFEATED University of Santo Tomas (UST)carved out a pesky 25-22, 25-20, 26-24 win over the listless University of the Philippines (UP) to zero in on a first-round sweep and match its best start in 13 years in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament yesterday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Dazzling rookie Angeline Poyos continued her stellar act with 22 points as the UST Golden Tigresses zoomed to a 6-0 slate, equaling the feat of the Season 73 batch led by icons Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and Rhea Dimaculangan.
Ms. Poyos, coming off a career-best 26-point outing against Ateneo de Manila University, hammered 18 hits and four aces to spearhead Santo Tomas’ march to yet another win with a pretty chance to complete a first-round wipeout against Adamson University (AdU) this Saturday.
Xyza Gula had 14 points, 10 digs and 12 receptions, Regina Jurado added 12 points to back Ms. Poyos in scoring while playmaker Cassie Carballo set the stage for her efficient spikers with 16 sets.
Season 85 Best Libero Bernadett Pepito provided 15 digs for the wards of coach Kungfu Reyes, who’s delighted to finally see the Golden Tigresses blossom into their fine form since his arrival in 2015.
University of Santo Tomas found UP, sans ace middle blocker Niña Ytang, a tough nut to crack in each of three sets with deficits at multiple points but still managed to flaunt immense composure for the win.
The bigger ones were in the second set as the Golden Tigresses unleashed a staggering 5-0 closeout for the win then a gritty escape act in the extended third set, highlighted by Regina Jurado’s off the block hit.
Stephanie Bustrillo (14) led UP, winless in six games entering its last assignment in the first round against the struggling University of the East (1-5). — John Bryan Ulanday
Games Thursday (Filoil EcoOil Centre, San Juan) 4:30 p.m. — Go Torrakku-St. Clare vs Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda 7:30 p.m. — EcoOil-DLSU vs CCI-Yengskivel
REIGNING champion EcoOil-La Salle and fancied Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda loom as the heavy favorites when they usher in the 2024 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup against separate counterparts Thursday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan,
The Green Archers kickstart their three-peat bid in the main game at 7:30 p.m. against new squad CCI-Yengskivel following the curtain raiser at 4:30 p.m. featuring last season’s runners-up Red Lions opposite the Go Torrakku-St. Clare.
MVP Kevin Quiambao has not been listed by the Green Archers but they will still parade the core of their championship both in the UAAP and the D-League last year, led by hulking slotman Mike Phillips.
UAAP 3×3 MVP CJ Austria, Earl Abadam, Joshua David, Raven Cortez and Jonnel Policarpio are also in the fray as the wards of coach Topex Robinson deal with the graduation of top guards Evan Nelle and Mark Nonoy as well as captain Ben Phillips.
EcoOil-La Salle ruled the last two seasons of the D-League and is poised to complete a hat-trick despite the expected strong resistance of the six-team opposition.
Standing in their way as first tests are the Crusaders, who are out to put out a roaring introduction statement as the new franchise in the D-League with head coach Arwin Villamor Adina leading the way.
The spotlight, however, is also on Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda in a bid to avenge its tough finale defeat to EcoOil-La Salle.
Serving handy in that goal was the Red Lions’ stellar championship run in the NCAA as they hope to translate it to the PBA’s developmental ranks.
Mentor Yuri Escueta banks on an almost intact core bannered by NCAA Finals MVP James Payosing, Jomel Puno, Aaron James Royo and Yukien Andrada.
The Red Lions will nurse the departure of ace guard Jacob Cortez to La Salle though he has to redshirt first but they will have prized acquisitions in Bryan Sajonia (from FEU), RC Calimag (from UP) and Penny Estactio (from La Salle) to lean on.
But seasoned tactician Jinino Manansala and his St. Clare unit vow to give the NCAA king a run for its own money. — John Bryan Ulanday
CARLOS ALCARAZ beat Fabian Marozsan to avenge his loss to the Hungarian at the Italian Open last year, while Jannik Sinner won his 18th straight match as both players cruised into the Indian Wells quarterfinals with straight-sets victories on Tuesday.
Mr. Alcaraz never looked in any trouble against Marozsan, pounding forehands and confidently holding serve to take another step towards defending his title in the California desert with a 6-3 6-3 win.
A crosscourt forehand on match point sealed the victory for the second-seeded Spaniard, who nodded to his team and yelled “Vamos.” Mr. Marozsan was a qualifier when he stunned Mr. Alcaraz in straight sets in Rome last May but the world number two turned the tables under sunny skies on centre court with a clinical performance.
“Honestly I was nervous before the match, I’m not going to lie,” Mr. Alcaraz said.
“Playing against someone who beat you easily — I remember I had no chances in the match in Rome. It was difficult for me today to approach the match, but I’m really happy with the way that I did.”
“I started pretty well, playing my style since the beginning. Today I knew what I had to do better than I did in Rome.”
Mr. Alcaraz continues to gain momentum at the tournament and since dropping the first set in the first match he played, he has not lost one since. The victory was his 50th match win at a Masters 1000 event.
The two-time Grand Slam winner is on course for a possible collision with Australian Open champion Mr. Sinner in the semi-finals but will first need to get past Alexander Zverev.
The big-serving German sixth seed wore down Australian Alex de Minaur with his relentless power to claim a 5-7 6-2 6-3 victory.
Mr. Sinner shaded a tight first set against American Ben Shelton in windy conditions and met with little resistance in the second, securing a 7-6(4) 6-1 win to maintain his perfect record in 2024.
“I just tried to stay positive,” Mr. Sinner said.
“There were tough moments, especially in the first set, and I’m really happy that I won that and started really positive in the second set, which gave me a lot of confidence.”
Third seed Mr. Sinner will be the favorite when he faces Jiri Lehecka for the first timein the quarters.
Mr. Lehecka, seeded 32nd, backed up his upset of fifth seed Andrey Rublev with another over 11th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in a dominant 6-2 6-4 win to reach his first ever quarter-final at a Masters 1000 event.
The 22-year-old Czech piled up 25 winners against the Greek player and has not dropped serve in his last two matches. — Reuters
LONDON — The revamped Champions League will feature a tennis-style seeding system for the last-16 knockout phase, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) said on Tuesday as it detailed changes to its elite club competition.
A semi-automated draw will also replace the manual draw which has become a feature of the competition.
Next season’s competition will expand from 32 to 36 clubs with the current six groups of four replaced by a single group in which teams face eight games against different opponents.
The top eight clubs will automatically qualify for the last 16 while those finishing ninth to 24th face a playoff round to determine the other eight.
Unlike the current open draw for the last 16, clubs will be seeded in a tennis-style draw depending on their performance in the group phase. This will mean the first and second seeds cannot meet until the final and cannot play the teams seeded third and fourth until the semifinals at the earliest. It is the first change to the Champions League since a 16-team knockout round replaced the second group stage in 2003-04.
Speaking at a briefing on Tuesday, Giorgio Marchetti, UEFA’s Deputy General Secretary and Director of Football, said the new format would make the competition more unpredictable, ensure more matches between the big clubs and less dead rubbers.
The 36 clubs will be split in to four pots of nine with each club facing two from each pot. The final round of group matches will have 16 matches kick off simultaneously.
Another change will be to the Champions League draw ceremony, a laborious process traditionally involving balls being picked from different pots by former players.
Mr. Marchetti said UEFA modeling found that performing the draw for the new format in the same way would take “three or four hours” and involve around 900 balls.
Next season’s group stage draw will be a new hybrid system with some drawing of balls but mostly done digitally. — Reuters
BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona reached the Champions League (CL) quarterfinals for the first time in four years after a 3-1 win over Napoli in their last-16 second leg gave them a 4-2 aggregate victory on Tuesday.
In a highly entertaining game, Barca set the early pace to take a 2-0 lead but Napoli pulled a goal back to set up an exciting second half before Robert Lewandowski scored a killer third goal for the hosts.
Fermin Lopez opened the scoring for the home side after 15 minutes and two minutes later Joao Cancelo doubled their lead. Barcelona looked well on the way to a decisive win before Napoli got on the scoresheet Both sides had chances after the break but with seven minutes left Barca found a much-needed third goal when Mr. Lewandowski slotted home a clever pass from Sergi Roberto. — Reuters
MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Wednesday that Russia was technically ready for nuclear war and that if the US sent troops to Ukraine it would be considered a significant escalation of the war.
Mr. Putin, speaking just days before a March 15-17 election which is certain to give him another six years in power, said the nuclear war scenario was not “rushing” up and he saw no need for the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
“From a military-technical point of view, we are, of course, ready,” Mr. Putin, 71, told Rossiya-1 television and news agency RIA in response to a question whether the country was really ready for a nuclear war.
Mr. Putin said the US understood that if it deployed American troops on Russian territory — or to Ukraine — Russia would treat the move as an intervention.
“(In the United States) there are enough specialists in the field of Russian-American relations and in the field of strategic restraint,” Mr. Putin said.
“Therefore, I don’t think that here everything is rushing to it (nuclear confrontation), but we are ready for this.”
The war in Ukraine has triggered the deepest crisis in Russia’s relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and Mr. Putin has warned several times that the West risks provoking a nuclear war if it sends troops to fight in Ukraine.
Mr. Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, triggering full-scale war after eight years of conflict in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces on one side and pro-Russian Ukrainians and Russian proxies on the other.
Western leaders have promised to defeat Russia in Ukraine, but after two years of war, Russian forces control a little under one fifth of Ukrainian territory.
In a US election year, the West is grappling with how to support Kyiv against Russia which has bolstered its army with hundreds of thousands of men and is rearming much faster than the West.
Kyiv says it is defending itself against an imperial-style war of conquest designed to erase its national identity. Russia says the areas it controls in Ukraine are now Russia.
NUCLEAR WAR? Mr. Putin, Russia’s ultimate decision maker on nuclear weapons, reiterated that the use of nuclear weapons was spelled out in the Kremlin’s nuclear doctrine, its policy setting out the circumstances in which Russia might use its weapons.
“Weapons exist in order to use them,” Mr. Putin said. “We have our own principles.”
Russia and the United States are by far the largest nuclear powers, controlling more than 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons.
Mr. Putin said Russia was ready for serious talks on Ukraine.
“Russia is ready for negotiations on Ukraine, but they should be based on reality — and not on cravings after the use of psychotropic drugs,” Mr. Putin said.
Reuters reported last month that Mr. Putin’s suggestion of a ceasefire in Ukraine to freeze the war was rejected by the United States after contacts between intermediaries.
If the United States conducted nuclear tests, Russia might do the same, he added in the wide-ranging interview. “It’s not necessary … we still need to think about it, but I don’t rule out that we can do the same.”
CNN reported on Saturday that the administration of US President Joseph R. Biden was specifically concerned in 2022 that Russia might use a tactical or battlefield nuclear weapon in Ukraine.
CNN said US intelligence agencies received information there were communications among Russian officials explicitly discussing a nuclear strike in 2022.
However, Mr. Putin said Russia had never faced a need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, where the conflict has raged since February 2022.
“Why do we need to use weapons of mass destruction? There has never been such a need.” — Reuters
WASHINGTON — China could use social media app TikTok to influence the 2024 US elections, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told a House of Representatives intelligence committee hearing on Tuesday.
Asked by Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi if China’s ruling Communist Party (CCP) would use TikTok to influence the elections, Ms. Haines said: “We cannot rule out that the CCP would use it.”
Mr. Krishnamoorthi is also the ranking Democrat on the House select committee on China. He and that panel’s Republican chair Mike Gallagher last week introduced a bill that would give TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance about six months to divest the short video app used by 170 million Americans.
The House is due to vote on Wednesday under fast-track rules that require two-thirds of members to vote “yes” for the measure to win passage.
President Joseph R. Biden said last week he would sign the bill, but the app is popular and getting legislation approved by both the House and Senate in an election year may be difficult.
The 2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community released on Monday said TikTok accounts run by a Chinese government propaganda arm reportedly targeted candidates from both political parties during the US midterm election cycle in 2022.
Lawmakers have long voiced concerns that the Chinese government could access user data or influence what people see on the app, including pushing content to stoke US political divisions.
TikTok, which says it has not and would not share US user data with the Chinese government, argues the House bill amounts to a ban. It was unclear if China would approve any sale or if TikTok could be divested in six months.
Also speaking at the House hearing, FBI Director Christopher Wray repeated his assessment that TikTok posed national security threats.
“Americans need to ask themselves whether they want to give the Chinese government the ability to control access to their data,” Mr. Wray said, adding that it could ultimately “compromise their devices.” — Reuters
Children are seen playing in Baseco, Manila. — PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS
LONDON — The number of children globally who died before their fifth birthday dropped to a record low of 4.9 million in 2022, but that still represents one death every six seconds, according to new United Nations (UN)estimates.
While the mortality rate for under-5s has roughly halved since 2000, the world is still behind in the goal of reducing preventable deaths in that age group by 2030, and progress has slowed since 2015, the report, released on Wednesday, found.
The numbers represent “an important milestone”, said Juan Pablo Uribe, director for health nutrition and population at the World Bank, one of the partners that put together the report alongside Unicef, the UN population division and the World Health Organization.
“But this is simply not enough.”
The picture is varied. Some countries, like Cambodia, Malawi and Mongolia, have reduced under-5 mortality rates by more than 75% since 2000.
Overall, deaths in babies and children under-5 in 2022 were concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, which represented 57% of the global total despite only making up 30% of the live births that year. Southern Asia had around a quarter of both deaths and live births. Around half of the deaths globally are among newborns, the report said.
The report was limited by a lack of data in the worst-affected countries, the UN partners added.
The deaths were largely caused by preventable or treatable causes, such as pre-term birth, pneumonia or diarrhea. Better access to primary health care and community health workers could vastly improve the outlook, the UN said, although climate change, increasing inequity, conflict and the long-term fall-out of COVID-19 could all threaten progress. — Reuters
WASHINGTON – The US House of Representatives plans to vote on a bill on Wednesday that would give TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance about six months to divest the US assets of the short-video app used by about 170 million Americans or face a ban.
The vote is expected around 10 a.m. ET (1400 GMT) under fast-track rules that require support by two-thirds of House members for the measure to pass. It is widely expected to pass, according to both proponents and opponents.
The vote comes just over a week since the bill was proposed following one public hearing with little debate, and after action in Congress had stalled for more than a year. Last month, President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign joined TikTok, raising hopes among Tiktok officials that legislation was unlikely this year.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee last week voted 50-0 in favor of the bill, setting it up for a vote before the full House.
But the bill faces a more uncertain path in the US Senate where some senators favor a different approach to regulating foreign-owned apps that could pose security concerns. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not indicated how he plans to proceed.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will visit Capitol Hill on Wednesday on a previously scheduled trip to talk to senators, a source briefed on the matter said.
“This legislation has a predetermined outcome: a total ban of TikTok in the United States,” the company said. “The government is attempting to strip 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression,” it added.
Mr. Biden said last week that he would sign the bill.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday the goal was ending Chinese ownership, not banning TikTok.
“Do we want TikTok, as a platform, to be owned by an American company or owned by China? Do we want the data from TikTok – children’s data, adults’ data – to be going, to be staying here in America or going to China?” he said.
It is unclear whether China would approve any sale or if TikTok’s US assets could be divested in six months.
If ByteDance failed to do so, app stores operated by Apple, Alphabet’s Google and others could not legally offer TikTok or provide web hosting services to ByteDance-controlled applications.
In 2020, then-President Donald Trump sought to ban TikTok and Chinese-owned WeChat but was blocked by the courts. In recent days he had raised concerns about a ban. It remains unclear if Tencent’s WeChat or other high-profile Chinese-owned apps could face a ban under the legislation.
Any forced TikTok divestment from the US would almost certainly face legal challenges, which the company would need to file within 165 days of the bill being signed by the president. In November, a US judge blocked a Montana state ban on TikTok use after the company sued. – Reuters
Keynote speaker Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda (third from left) with (from right) SM Supermalls President Steven Tan, UN Women Country Programme Coordinator Rosalyn Mesina, Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) Officer-in-Charge Atty. Khay Ann Magundayao-Borlado, Deputy Executive Director Kristine Balmes, and moderator Bernadette Sembrano
Women’s rights advocates and gender equality champions gathered at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura recently for an International Women’s Day (IWD) summit spearheaded by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) and UN Women, in partnership with SM Supermalls.
Anchored on the global theme, ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress,’ the one-day summit covered crucial topics such as poverty alleviation, institutional strengthening, gender-inclusive financing, and the role of technology in enabling women, particularly entrepreneurs.
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From left to right: SM Supermalls President Steven Tan, moderator Bernadette Sembrano, Singapore-based She Loves Tech Co-Founder Leanne Robers, Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) Officer-in-Charge Atty. Khay Ann Magundayao-Borlado, UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez, and UN Women Country Programme Coordinator Rosalyn Mesina
(L-R): SM Supermalls Senior Vice-President for Marketing Joaquin San Agustin, SM Prime Holdings Assistant Vice-President and Program Director Jessica Sy, Singapore-based She Loves Tech Co-Founder Leanne Robers, SM Supermalls Vice-President for Corporate Marketing Grace Magno, UN Women Country Programme Coordinator Rosalyn Mesina, SM Supermalls President Steven Tan, Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) Officer-in-Charge Atty. Khay Ann Magundayao-Borlado, and SM Vice-President for Corporate Compliance Engr. Liza Silerio
Opening the summit were SM Supermalls President Steven Tan, UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez, PCW Officer-in-Charge Atty. Khay Ann Magundayao-Borlado, and UN Women Country Programme Coordinator Rosalyn Mesina, whose messages also served as a unifying call to action for the advancement of women’s empowerment and equality towards nation-building.
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Keynote speaker Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda
SM Supermalls President Steven Tan
UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez
Keynote speaker Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda spoke about the role of legislation in promoting women’s rights. She highlighted the burden of unpaid care and domestic work by women, which her bill (Unpaid Care Workers Welfare Act of 2022) seeks to address to ensure fair sharing of household and caregiving duties. Senator Legarda’s legislative efforts have included supporting the passage of crucial laws like the Magna Carta of Women and the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act, among others.
Australian Ambassador HK Yu (third from right), Canadian Ambassador David Hartman (right), UNDP Philippines Resident Representative Dr. Selva Ramachandran (second from left), International Labour Organization Country Director Khalid Hassan (left), and Asian Development Bank Director Samantha Hung (third from left), with Rissa Mananquil Trillo (second from right)
For an international perspective, esteemed panelists Australian Ambassador HK Yu, Canadian Ambassador David Hartman, UNDP Philippines Resident Representative Dr. Selva Ramachandran, International Labour Organization Country Director Khalid Hassan, and Asian Development Bank Director Samantha Hung spurred insightful discussions on championing women through their gender-inclusive development programs in the Philippines.
(L-R): Philippine Commission on Women’s Anita Baleda, UPPAF Regulatory Reform Support Program for National Development’s Jeanne Frances Illo, Commission on Audit’s Fortunata Rubico, and Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Miramel Garcia-Laxa
On the Philippines’ efforts, experts from key government agencies — Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ Atty. Charina De Vera Yap, Department of the Interior and Local Government’s Anna Liza Bonagua, UPPAF Regulatory Reform Support Program for National Development’s Jeanne Frances Illo, Philippine Commission on Women’s Anita Baleda, Commission on Audit’s Fortunata Rubico, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Miramel Garcia-Laxa — shared transformative strategies and outcomes of financing through a gender lens and gender-responsive budgeting.
Singapore-based She Loves Tech Co-Founder Leanne Robers
Guest speaker, Singapore-based She Loves Tech Co-Founder Leanne Robers, set the tone for sessions on the pivotal role of technology in advancing women’s empowerment in business.
Robers highlighted the importance of women’s diverse perspectives in technology. She said, “We cannot understate the benefits of a world where women are involved in shaping our future through technology.”
Singapore-based She Loves Tech Co-Founder Leanne Robers (left), creative and social entrepreneur Zarah Juan, Eliza Antonino of Moment Group, and Anne Emperado-Macababat of Malanne, with UN Women Champion Bianca Gonzalez
The sessions highlighted how businesses can leverage technology to bridge gender gaps and promote social change. Panelists Anne Emperado-Macababat (Malanne), Eliza Antonino (Moment Group), and creative and social entrepreneur Zarah Juan, served as a testament to empowered women creating livelihood opportunities to uplift the lives of many more women.
Landbank’s Leila Martin (third from left), BDO Unibank’s Atty. Federico Tancongco (left) and Joel Andres (second from right), Connected Women’s Gina Romero (second from left), and UN Women Champion Bianca Gonzalez (right)
Likewise, a panel discussion with LandBank’s Leila Martin, BDO Unibank’s Atty. Federico Tancongco and Joel Andres, and Connected Women’s Gina Romero helped participants navigate the benefits and challenges of technology, addressing the risks of fraud and scams, and the safety and security of financial transactions.
SM Prime Holdings, Inc. Assistant Vice-President and Program Director Jessica SyActress and film producer Bella Padilla
Capping the summit was SM Prime Holdings, Inc. Assistant Vice-President and Program Director Jessica Sy who reiterated the theme of the summit in her closing remarks. Sy said, “Investing in women is not just a moral imperative, but a strategic imperative for a better world.”
The IWD summit is one of the highlights of SM Supermalls’ celebration of Women’s Month this March and was also supported by BDO, Belle du Jour, Brittany Hotel, Brownies Unlimited, Crate & Barrel, Toby’s Estate, Goldilocks, and SM Store.
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