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Lady of the lake

Movie Review
Essential Truths Of The Lake
Directed by Lav Diaz

CALL Lav Diaz’s latest film Essential Truths of the Lake a prequel to his When the Waves are Gone (Kung Wala Nang Mga Alon 2022); call the film a deeper dive into Diaz’s returning character Hermes Papauran, the oft-described “greatest Filipino investigator ever.”

Peter Debruge, in his faintly sarcastic review in Variety, chided the film’s failure “to show what makes (Hermes) the ‘greatest’” — I submit that when put in context the assertion makes more sense. As I noted in Diaz’s earlier Norte the End of History, genius police officers aren’t really a thing in the Philippines, if anything their investigations are notorious for being unreliable and slow, that they often play the key role in any government cover-up to follow. Crime is rarely an intricate, much less rational, enterprise in this country; more often than not the killings are committed by casual contractors given money with tacit approval of law enforcers, done through a chain of middlemen — the higher the rank, the longer the chain (good luck trying to trace anything to former president Duterte, who is likely most guilty of the same crime as former president Trump: he pushed people to do their worst, and they more than did his bidding). Criminal methods are erratic, investigative procedures even more so, and results are dependent not on the brilliance of the criminal or his pursuer but on incompetence (from both sides) and sheer happenstance.

Hermes does confront the apparent power behind the scenes, Bart Guingona’s Jack Barquero. Sparring verbally over cups of rice coffee, with the waters of Taal Lake as background, Hermes sketches Barquero’s background for him. “Very good,” Barquero admits, but asks the million-peso question: “Can you solve the case (unspoken: can you catch me?)?” Hermes’ answer is as elliptical as anything Diaz has put out: the question, he asserts, is too broad, as broad as the lake behind Barquero.

Debruge is more on target guessing “what really matters isn’t solving cases but refusing to abandon them.” Call Diaz a practitioner of the Sisyphean School of Suffering: you pick your stone, you exert endless effort rolling it up a hill; you may never achieve your goal but you don’t give up and perhaps the strain is good for your soul (alternate title: School of Extreme Spiritual Aerobics).

No extra points for guessing that Hermes Papauran (the surname simply meaning “mythological,” the given name taken from the herald of Greek gods, and a psychopomp — a conductor of souls to the afterlife [you might say Hermes is obsessed because he’s lost track of this particular soul and can’t rest till he’s guided it to its correct destination]) is Diaz’s avatar — unlike Hermes, however, Diaz has had the luck to actually finish his works and put them out there, for us in turn to persevere watching.

Actually, Diaz doesn’t seem to create characters so much as he fashions statues, marble figures with names appended to their respective pedestals (“integrity,” “malice,” “chaos”), and he relies on or works with the actors to humanize them. Hence Hermes, as allegorically loaded as he is, is rendered all too human flesh by John Lloyd Cruz with understated intensity: in Hermes’ conversation with his colonel (a tremendous Agot Isidro) he admits to his superior the distress of watching innocents gunned down. His memories — staged by Diaz with surreal flair — are indistinguishable from nightmares, his confessions skittering so close to hysterical rambling the colonel is forced to shut him down. All this in medium shot, at a picnic table over bowls of egg noodles, framed by a row of trees and a view of the sea — Diaz loves underplaying the melodrama, and in passages like this (and a later moment when the colonel, with her back to Hermes, attempts to hide her true feelings from him) the combination works well.

Later we hear Hermes on the phone talking to his son Nick and glean from details and snatches of dialogue that Hermes’ domestic situation is not much more tranquil than his workplace (or rather tranquil in the way a frozen lake is tranquil; after affectionately exchanging words with his son he asks to speak with his wife, who hangs up). Later we see Hermes sit down with Melchora (Susan Africa, also very good) and admit to her that, grateful as he is for the food she cooks for him, he’s on a restrictive diet due to skin asthma — the somatic manifestation of his guilt that would grow immensely worse in the next film.

Diaz’ and cinematographer Larry Manda’s work in black and white only grows more impressive with every feature: the outdoor dance sequence glows an unearthly white, nighttime shadows have a velvety depth. Diaz lets a shot run on for minutes, with lightly off-balanced framing; part of the fascination of his images, despite the leisurely pace, is that you’re teased into trying to figure out how it’s off-balanced, to the point that you can’t take your eyes off the screen (once you do figure it out, you’re then teased into trying to figure out why).

He’s also been working on sound design, and here the twisted cries and whispers coming from his track during the nightmare sequences are an effective low-cost way of suggesting Hermes’ torment.

As Esmeralda Stuart, the woman in the center of Hermes’ Philippine Eagle cold case, Shaina Magdayo is the prized porcelain figurine in Diaz’ collection. Impossibly beautiful, she works against that beauty to suggest the sad lost soul trying to make her voice heard, in dance, in theater, in film — she’s suffered abuse but it’s suggested she’s also slept her way to fame; she’s by turns whore, activist, scandal, madonna. What’s the truth? We’re not even sure about the details of her career — is she a dancer, an actress, a celebrity environmental advocate being interviewed for a profile, maybe all three? Diaz through Hermes through documentary filmmaker Jane Liway (played, again excellently, by Hazel Orencio) approach her from many angles and invites her again and again to pour her heart out to the camera and still she remains an enigma, a stubborn unknown. Diaz seems to follow Dumas’ dictum and noir’s axiom to “cherchez la femme,” and Shaina’s Esmeralda gives these people, including you, few answers but keeps you watching anyway.

Which may be pushing Hermes over the edge.

At one point he pulls on Esmeralda’s formfitting eagle costume and runs about, spreading wide-fingered wings and frightening the occasional innocent bystander — possibly Diaz poking fun at the superhero genre (Hermes — The Legend Who Would Not Give Up) but you feel there’s more to this relatively brief aside. Diaz earlier showed us folks who might appreciate Hermes’ cross dressing, possibly under the influence of one illegal substance or another, but the man pointedly avoids that crowd — mostly he’s by himself against the vast surrounding landscape, a wild figure against sun-scorched wilderness.

You feel the film is most alive in these moments — that here is where it reveals its freest truest self. There’s the persistent image of the loner and wanderer in Diaz’ films, and you feel as if there’s nothing more he’d like to do than a really, really long film of someone just being out in the world (he almost did that film too — see Heremias Book One: The Legend of the Lizard Princess, sequel [Book Two] still forthcoming). The loneliness Diaz suggests here is both terrifying and exhilarating, and I suspect those who respond to his films feel that pull too, like standing at the edge of a high cliff savoring the urge to jump.

At this point the colonel pulls the plug on the case and Hermes is led away with little protest; then Taal erupts (the center of the lake is a giant caldero) and a more hirsute, more casually dressed Hermes returns, working against all hope to uncover still more clues to Esmeralda’s death (now likely covered by tons of volcanic ash turned by rain into concrete). Hermes is questioned — what’s the point? “That’s the way it goes,” the detective shrugs. “Everything starts from nothing.”

Which makes me question Debruge’s closing assertion in his review (my last reference to the piece, promise) that Diaz “hasn’t lost faith in the (justice) system.” We see Hermes back onsite with mystery buried deeper than before, clearly in violation of his colonel’s orders — gone rogue, or at least surrendered his badge, and he simply can’t let the issue go, so he’s continued as a private citizen.

Later Hermes encounters Diaz’ version of Duterte’s extrajudicial killings (EJKs) where a luckless man is accused of stealing, and a contrast is made between the case that obsesses Hermes and this latest death before him: the former inhabits his mind rent free as the saying goes, and in many ways is the more haunting — the way Marcos’ crimes still obsess us because they remain unpunished, much less unresolved — but we live in the here and now, life goes on, and newer monsters are in our midst. At some point we face our limitations and must make a choice: keep hold, or let go? We know what happens to Hermes — or at least we have a clue, if we’ve seen When the Waves are Gone — but for the end of this chapter in the story at least, Diaz leaves matters for us to decide.

Hotel occupancy to rise ahead of holidays, says tourism group

VISUALSOFDANA-UNSPLASH

By Revin Mikhael D. Ochave, Reporter

THE occupancy rates in hotels are expected to surge as consumer spending increases ahead of the holiday season, according to a local industry association.   

“We’re very confident about the fourth quarter… People love to spend during Christmas. Even if they don’t have all the money in the world to spend, they will definitely stay in a hotel even for one night,” said Loleth G. So, president of the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) for the Philippines, in a press conference on Thursday.

“Last year, we did 82% average occupancy. We’re confident that we will even be better this year because the country is now open,” she added.   

Ms. So, also Megaworld Hotels and Resorts area director of sales and marketing, said the current hotel occupancy rate has improved compared with pre-pandemic levels.   

She added that domestic tourists account for 80% of hotel occupants, while foreigners make up the remaining 20%.   

“Pre-pandemic, occupancy was running at about 65% to 75%. Right now, our average occupancy year to date, we are already running at 72-78% occupancy. The good thing is, as compared to 2019, average rate is higher. The higher the average occupancy, the higher the revenues,” Ms. So said.   

“Because the average [hotel] rate is about 8-10% higher, automatically the impact of that revenue-wise is far larger,” she added.   

For 2023, the Tourism department is aiming to log 4.8 million international arrivals, higher than the 2.65 million foreign visitor arrivals last year.    

Ms. So said the length of stay in hotels has been prolonged, signaling the recovery of the industry.   

“The length of stay from January to March was one to two days. Now, it has actually increased to 3.2 to 3.5 days. It is now longer,” Ms. So said.    

In the same event, HSMA announced that it will have its first Hospital Summit on Oct. 12 at the Manila Marriott Hotel in Pasay City. The event will be open to HSMA members and nonmembers.   

The summit will feature topics such as recovery in the hospitality industry, developing globally competitive Filipino hoteliers, and consumer behavior and brand management in the digital age.

“We look forward to hosting this exciting summit to equip our sales and marketing leaders with the skills required to manage the demands of our constantly changing [hotel] industry,” Ms. So said.   

“As we continue on our road to recovery, it is through these kinds of events that we can gain critical insights to improve our travel, tourism, and hospitality as a whole and make it more competitive,” she added.   

HSMA, established in 1979, is an organization representing hotel sales and marketing leaders.

Entertainment News (09/08/23)


Pinoy comedy films to be screened for free

THE FILM Development Council of the Philippines’ (FDCP) is now screening 17 iconic Pinoy comedy films in Cinematheque Centers in Manila, Iloilo, Davao, Negros, and Nabunturan. Titled “Sine Halakhak,” it aims to bring laughter to Filipino audiences from Sept. 6 to 28. The titles include Ang Babae sa Septic Tank by Marlon Rivera, Ang Mga Kidnapper ni Ronnie Lazaro by Sigfreid Barros Sanchez, Ang Pangarap Kong Holdap by Marius Talampas, Booba by Joyce Bernal, Daddy O, Baby O! by Eric Quizon, Die Beautiful by Jun Robles Lana, Here Comes the Bride by Chris Martinez, Kimmy Dora: Kambal sa Kiyeme by Joyce Bernal, Ma’am, May We Go Out? by Mike Relon Makiling, and Praybeyt Benjamin by Wenn Deramas, among others. According to the FDCP, these films, ranging from Filipino classics to indie comedies and blockbusters from the 2000s, have “elevated Philippine comedy beyond its entertainment value by combining aspects of social and political commentary to their stories.” For more news and updates, stay tuned to FDCP’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.


Performances, bazaars, workshops at Shang in Sept.

SHANGRI-LA PLAZA will hold numerous events this month, kicking things off with Korean specialty grocer No Brand’ No Brand Grand Sale which is currently ongoing until Sept. 8 at the Grand Atrium Level 2. Singer-songwriter-actor Janno Gibbs will perform at the Grand Atrium for a nostalgic Grandparents Day celebration on Sept. 9, 6:30 p.m. A Pouring Art Workshop by All About Art PH will be held at the East Atrium on Sept. 9 and 10, 1 p.m., where participants can paint their own ceramic figures and purchase pouring art kits. Catch the Sarap Pilipinas community from Sept. 14 to 17 at the Grand Atrium as it collaborates with the Department of Tourism to highlight the best in Filipino gastronomy. Award-winning creations of the Philippine Hot Sauce Club are among the featured flavors. The Urban Pod Bazaar will be held from Sept. 14 to 17 at the East Atrium, with one-of-a-kind food finds and gifting items for early Christmas shoppers. The European Higher Education Fair will be held from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 at the Grand Atrium and East Atrium. The fair will showcase graduate programs offered by top universities in France, Germany, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and other European countries. Register at ehefphilippines.com.


Tugtugan Sitenta 2 concert celebrates OPM legends

AS A TRIBUTE to the golden age of original Pilipino music (OPM), the concert Back for More! Tugtugan Sitenta 2 will feature legendary musicians from the 1970s performing their biggest hits on Sept. 15. The show is headlined by stars like Leah Navarro, Marco Sison, Mike Hanopol, Sampaguita, Joey Abando of Boyfriends, Male Rigor and Monet Gaskell of VST & Co., Mon Espia of Labuyo, Pete Gatela, Carlos Parsons and Yujin Baydal of Hagibis, and Nonoy Tan and Rey Magtoto of WADAB. Presented by the Zonta Club of Makati-Ayala and the Rotary Club of Makati San Lorenzo, the concert will be held on Sept. 15 at 8 p.m., at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Newport World Resorts. Tickets, ranging in price from P1,990 to P6,880, are available at all Ticketworld outlets and online at www.ticketworld.com.ph.


FDCP screens films for P50

SINE Singkwenta, a lineup of award-winning films from the Philippines, South Korea, and Japan, will be screened from Sept. 11 to 17, by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP). In line with the celebration of the 3rd Philippine Film Industry Month this September, Sine Singkwenta is the FDCP’s initiative to encourage Filipino viewers to go back to cinemas and enjoy the communal experience of watching a film on the silver screen, for a very affordable price of P50. For its initial offering, it’s bringing the titles Honor Thy Father, John Denver Trending, On The Job, Respeto, Train to Busan, and Your Name to SM Southmall, TriNoma, and Robinsons Galleria.


Air Supply set for three-night concert in December

FOLLOWING their two-night sold-out show in the same venue last year, Australian soft rock duo Air Supply is scheduled to perform live in Manila on Dec. 11, 12, and 13 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. Romantic rockers Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock are known for their classic songs like “All Out of Love,” “Making Love Out of Nothing At All,” “The One that You Love,” and “Even the Nights are Better.” They will perform these hits from the 1980s and more. Tickets to the Lost in Love Experience concert, ranging in price from P2,500 (bronze) to P11,000 (platinum), are available at all TicketWorld and SM Tickets outlets.


Korean Film Fest features Korean landscapes

THE 2023 KOREAN Film Festival (KFF), “Ka-ja! Korean Through Films,” will run from Sep. 22 to 26 at Cinematheque Centre Davao and various SM Malls nationwide. Serving as the grand finale of the Korea Tourism Promotion month hosted by the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines (KCC), this year’s KFF supports the “Visit Korea 2023-2024” tourism campaign led by the Korean government, and thus the seven films scheduled to be shown feature the country’s picturesque landscapes. To be shown are the musical Life is Beautiful, the black and white film The Book of Fish, an independent film Bori, along with Director’s Intention, Everglow, Gyeongju, and Jukdo Surfing Diary. Each of these feature locations across Korea, such as Gangneung, Busan, Jeju, Gyeongju, Yangyang, Paju, and Sinan. Admission to KFF is free-of-charge, on a first-come, first-served basis. Prior to the festival’s kickoff, the KCC will hold the “Meet the Mentor” series, alongside K-movie producers in partnership with De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB). The series will feature the people behind the 2022 box-office sensation Life is Beautiful: The Lamp CEO, Park Eunkyung, and film production director Lee Yeonhwa. The event is open to all, and registration is required through https://bit.ly/RSVPMeetTheMentorKMovie until Sept. 15, 12 p.m. This annual event is presented by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the KCC, in collaboration with the Korean Film Council, the Film Development Council of the Philippines, SM Cinema, and the Korea Tourism Organization Manila Office.

SEC amends rules to support crowdfunding portals

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has added registered funding portals as authorized registrars of qualified buyers of securities under the rules governing crowdfunding.

SEC Memorandum Circular No. 12, posted on the agency’s website on Sept. 6, has amended Section 39.1.4.1 of the implementing rules and regulations of the Securities Regulation Code (SRC) to include funding portals registered under the SEC Crowdfunding Rules in the list of authorized registrars of qualified institutional buyers and individual buyers of securities.

SEC Commissioner Kelvin Lester K. Lee said the amendment is part of the corporate regulator’s efforts to give more options to stakeholders.   

“The SEC wanted to expand such functions to crowdfunding portals thus allowing more options to stakeholders. It is also part of the commission’s overall direction to boost the capital markets,” Mr. Lee told BusinessWorld via mobile phone.   

“By supporting crowdfunding portals, among others, the commission ensures that there are viable alternative means to raise capital available to the public,” he added.

Authorized registrars are entities that have been granted the appropriate secondary license by the commission. They may be authorized to act as a registrar upon proper application and compliance with registration requirements.   

Aside from funding portals registered under the SEC crowdfunding rules, the SEC said other authorized registrars are banks (with respect to their registration as broker-dealer), government securities eligible dealer, government securities brokers, and/or underwriters of securities.

Other authorized registrars are brokers, dealers, investment houses, investment company advisers, and issuer companies (with respect to offerings of their own securities).

On Aug. 18, the SEC issued the proposed amendments to the SRC and sought the comment of interested parties until Aug. 24.   

Meanwhile, the SEC said in a separate statement that it secured the conviction of six individuals involved in an investment scam operated by GDM Finance SARL, making it the 22nd conviction for violations of the Philippine securities law.

In a joint decision dated April 17, the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 158 deemed Anita E. Armada, Milany P. Cabrera, Josephine D. Maranan, Nanette D. Tongco, Gerald L. Samson, and Jacinto Lucio P. De Catalina guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violating Sections 8 and 26 of the SRC. The individuals were sentenced to pay a P100,000 fine each, with subsidiary imprisonment. 

The individuals were arrested following an entrapment operation of the SEC’s Enforcement and Investor Protection Department (EIPD) with the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group in November 2018.

“The case stemmed from an information received by the SEC EIPD in July 2018, alleging that GDM had conducted a seminar in a mall where speakers enticed the audience to invest in GDM for a weekly return of at least 2.5%,” the corporate regulator said.

“After conducting an on-site field investigation, the EIPD confirmed that GDM indeed engaged in investment-taking activities. The investigation also uncovered that GDM had a Facebook account where it advertised that it could pay dividends to shareholders and provide a steady return on investment received,” it added. 

Under Section 8 of the SRC, the sale or distribution of securities without first being registered with the SEC is prohibited. Section 26 of the law also forbids individuals from employing fraud, deceit, and omission to garner investments from the public. 

“GDM had not registered any securities with the commission as required under the SRC. Neither had it secured a license to issue mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and proprietary or non-proprietary shares or membership certificates and timeshares,” the SEC said.

The SEC has secured the conviction of 33 individuals in 22 cases meted by the courts with a total imprisonment of 712 years and an aggregate fine of P28.4 million, as of writing.

As of September, 355 individuals are being actively prosecuted before the RTCs in 145 cases for violations of the SRC and two cases for violations of Republic Act No. 11765 or the Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act.

The SEC has filed criminal complaints against 31 corporations and 239 individuals before the Department of Justice as of June 30, all of which are currently pending resolution. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Universal Music aims to boost artist royalties in new streaming model

UNIVERSAL Music Group NV and French company Deezer SA said they have developed a new music-streaming model that better compensates artists and the songs that fans actively engage with.

The deal is part of a broader strategy by the music industry to get more money from streaming platforms that have been flooded by white noise tracks and artificial intelligence (AI)-generated songs.

Artists who have at least 1,000 streams per month by a minimum of 500 unique listeners will see their royalties increase to reward their contribution to the streaming platform. The model will also better reward music that fans actively seek out on the platform, according to a statement from the two companies on Wednesday.

Deezer plans to introduce the model in France in the fourth quarter, before rolling it out to other markets.

Universal Music’s Chief Executive Officer Lucian Grainge has previously said that there is a “pressing need” to reassess the streaming model after an increase in uploads of low-quality content designed to “game the system and divert royalties.” The record label for artists such as Taylor Swift and Drake this year began partnering with streaming services including Tidal to explore an “artist-centric model” that rewards musicians with passionate fan bases. The company has also been in discussions with Spotify about addressing these issues, Grainge said during an earnings call in July.

Deezer will also take steps to limit non-artist noise content. “It should be obvious to everyone that the sound of rain or a washing machine is not as valuable as a song from your favorite artist streamed in HiFi,” Deezer’s Chief Executive Officer Jeronimo Folgueira said in the statement.

“It will be interesting to see whether this deal can become a template for other streaming services to follow,” Citi analyst Thomas Singlehurst said in a note to clients. “There has always been a sense that Deezer has been quicker to move as a smaller player because it is less likely to destabilize the broader artist ecosystem.” — Bloomberg

Del Monte Pacific trims loss, expects net profit  

Del-Monte

DEL MONTE Pacific Ltd. (DMPL) trimmed its net loss in the past quarter on the back of higher sales, turning the listed company bullish about generating profit in the second half of its fiscal year that started in May. 

In a stock exchange disclosure on Thursday, DMPL said it incurred a net loss of $13.1 million in its first quarter that ended in July, an improvement from the $30.5-million net loss a year ago.

“Last year’s net loss had included (US-subsidiary) Del Monte Foods Inc.’s (DMFI) one-off refinancing cost of $71.9 million gross or $50.2 million net of tax and non-controlling interest,” DMPL said.

DMPL’s sales rose 13% to $516.7 million during the period from $456.6 million previously on the back of higher sales in the US and of fresh pineapple, which increased 18% and 23%, respectively. 

The company’s US unit, DMFI, generated sales of $356.4 million during the period, accounting for 69% of group turnover. It saw improved market share positions across the packaged vegetables, fruits, tomatoes, and fruit cup snacks segments.

“DMFI’s volume grew by 5% while sales improved by 18% driven by pricing actions and strong growth and development of the company’s branded product portfolio in both traditional and emerging channels,” the company said. 

On the other hand, the Philippine market posted $75.9 million in sales, up 5% in peso terms but flat in dollar terms due to currency depreciation.

The Philippine market saw improvements across its five core categories of packaged pineapple, mixed fruit, beverage, tomato, and spaghetti sauces. Food service and convenience store channels also saw higher sales, up 25% and 16%, respectively. 

“Sales of packaged fruit, beverage and culinary were higher, supported by compelling communication campaigns including Saucy Weekends campaign promoting tomato sauce, and value-for-money offers amidst the inflationary environment,” the company said.

For its international markets, the company said its fresh sales also rose 23% following higher sales of S&W Deluxe fresh pineapples and better pricing.

DMPL Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Joselito D. Campos, Jr. said the company’s margins were “under pressure with inflation while interest rates rose” which affected the overall bottom line.

“We are determined to bring margins up in the second half of our fiscal year through a combination of price adjustment and cost reduction, including minimizing waste further by continuously improving processes, and leveraging technology to enhance efficiency and lower expenses,” Mr. Campos said.   

“Reducing leverage and interest expense is a key imperative and we are exploring all options to strengthen our capital structure,” he added.

Meanwhile, DMPL said it expects higher net profit in fiscal year 2024, particularly in the second half, barring unforeseen circumstances.

The company added that it is planning to increase the production of its MD2 fresh pineapple to support higher exports.

“In the US, there will be increased penetration into channels such as club, e-commerce, dollar, convenience, natural and foodservice, while accelerating innovation and its contribution to spur sales growth. New market development initiatives in Mexico, South America, and Canada driven by resources dedicated to expanding distribution of DMFI’s branded portfolio in those markets including Kitchen Basics are expected to contribute to sales growth,” the company said.

“The price increase implemented in the US on July 31 will also allow DMFI to offset inflation and improve gross margins in the second to fourth quarters of fiscal year 2024,” it added.

On Thursday, shares of DMPL at the local bourse rose 16 centavos or 2.18% to finish at P7.50 apiece. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Maynilad sees ‘optimal’ service after maintenance plan

MAYNILAD Water Services, Inc. is expecting optimal water supply to its customers in Metro Manila after the maintenance activities in its treatment plants.

“After the maintenance program, we can ensure sustained optimal performance from our treatment plants,” Maynilad Corporate Communications Head Jennifer C. Rufo said in a Viber message.

According to Ms. Rufo, the first phase of the maintenance program in its treatment plants in Putatan, Muntinlupa City went well last month.

In August, the west zone water concessionaire implemented a plant shutdown from Aug. 21-22 as part of the first phase of the maintenance activities. This involves the repair of the leakage in the inlet pipe, which carries water to the reservoir.

“We completed all of the planned repair and maintenance works early, so the water service to affected customers actually resumed earlier than the scheduled interruption,” she said.

Maynilad is now in the process of planning for the second phase of the maintenance program, which is set for this month. The major activities include the replacement of several valves and electrical cables, Ms. Rufo said.

Maynilad has two treatment plants in Muntinlupa that provide 300 million liters per day (MLD) of water supply for around 1.7 million customers in the south.

Last month, the company announced that the construction of its new water treatment plant in the city was 80% complete.

The new treatment plant will be the third facility to tap Laguna Lake as an alternative source of water to the Angat Dam. It is expected to produce 50 MLD of additional water by the end of the year.

Asked to comment on the increasing water level of Angat Dam, Ms. Rufo said that Maynilad keeps track of its water level. 

“We’re also closely monitoring Angat Dam water levels, especially since it is still our primary raw water source. We want it to be at ideal levels so that we will have enough supply for sharing among the dam’s various users,” she said.

As of 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, the water level of Angat Dam was at 203.84 meters, higher than the 203.56 meters seen on Wednesday.

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System earlier said that the National Water Resources Board approved its proposed water allocation of 50 cubic meters per second.

Maynilad serves Manila, except for portions of San Andres and Sta. Ana, and operates in Quezon City, Makati, Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas, and Malabon. It also supplies the cities of Cavite, Bacoor, and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario, all in Cavite province.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which has a majority stake in Maynilad, is one of three Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT Inc.

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

Warner Bros. Discovery plans to offer live sports for free on Max

WARNER Bros. Discovery plans to offer live sports at no additional price on its Max streaming service for a short period later this year, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.

Customers will need to pay an added cost for sports on the platform starting next year, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

The media and entertainment firm declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

Warner Bros. Discovery owns media rights to the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball, among other sporting events.

Streaming platforms have been looking to invest in rights to stream live sports to gain market share and attract advertisers in an already saturated market.

High costs for scripted content and the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes have hindered movie and show launches, hurting profit.

Warner Bros. Discovery said on Tuesday the dual strikes, the first in 63 years, would hit profit for the year.

Chief Executive Officer David Zaslav would be participating in an investor conference after markets close on Wednesday to discuss the impact of the strikes.

Warner Bros. Discovery relaunched Max in May looking to attract more subscribers in the burgeoning video streaming sector, pricing the ad-supported subscription tier at $10 per month and ad-free version for $16 per month.

Meanwhile, Walt Disney pulled ESPN, ABC, and other channels including live sporting events off Charter Communications Spectrum cable service in the US over an unresolved distribution agreement. — Reuters

Some cracks are showing?

Our recent, and decidedly costly, experience with some price caps on onions did not seem to impress on our government technocrats that by no means should we administer prices. In the first place, it was the Department of Agriculture (DA) that failed to make accurate projections of onion supply despite the warnings from the industry about an impending shortage of the commodity. To make matters worse, the DA refused to authorize importation when the demand for onions was about to rise with the holidays in December last year.

These were the fundamentals of that phenomenal rise in onion prices — rising to as much as P750 per kilo — but DA officials would rather blame the so-called criminal syndicates cornering and hoarding onions. It was only when prices skyrocketed during the holiday season that the government started taking action, and of all options available it chose to prescribe a “suggested retail price” (SRP) of P250 per kilo. No matter how one looks at it, it’s no less than a price ceiling. No amount of police action or Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) market monitoring could ever enforce price controls, or threaten traders to abide by the ceilings. But it was the harvest season and the delayed arrival of imports of about 22,000 tons that mitigated the absurdity of it all.

The Time Magazine issue of Jan. 9 said that it is only in the Philippines where a kilo of onion could sell for as much as P600 or about $5 per pound, or 25-50% more expensive than pork or beef. “The cost of a kilogram of onions is greater than the minimum wage for a day’s work in the Philippines.”

Much as we wish we are on the path to the new Philippines, that situation in the first quarter of 2023 actually enfeebled the claim that “the state of the nation is sound and improving.”

For we have just committed a parallel blunder in rice.

Near the end of August this year, with galloping rice prices, Malacañang ordered the executive branch to use all legal tools to control them and ensure that the staple is readily available to the poor. What this directive actually proved was that public policy is sub-par for the course. Legal means do not, and cannot, arrest rising rice prices. Correct rice policy does not blame consumers for eating rice in large quantities. Instead, it focuses on modernizing agriculture, improving farm productivity, consolidating fragmented rice farms, rationalizing the cost of farm inputs and seedlings, and, at this time, lowering the tariff for rice imports.

As the budget process is still in progress, all that the President has to say is to reallocate the enormous confidential and intelligence funds to agriculture, and it shall be done. Of course, the way the 2024 budget is shaping up, it looks like we would instead have a bigger number of public agencies with confidential funds — from 21 in 2016 to 28 next year. One can just imagine how much additional support for agriculture can be put up out of the DA’s own P2.25-billion intelligence fund and P50 million in confidential funds for this year alone.

Even the legislative proposal to impose jail terms of up to 40 years on rice and corn hoarders and profiteers as economic saboteurs also missed the point. Even the death penalty failed to stop many heinous crimes. It’s the robustness of our justice system that could help minimize criminal incidence in this country — including hoarding and profiteering on rice, onions, and sugar.

And finally, on Aug. 31, the President, through Executive Order 39, mandated price ceilings of P41 per kilo for regular-milled rice and P45 per kilo for well-milled rice. At the time of the EO issuance, regular-milled rice was selling at between P42 and P55 per kilo and well-milled rice at between P48 and P56 per kilo. Some people must be losing not only profits but perhaps their whole business.

This is not the first time that we resorted to price caps in the face of severe rice price inflation. Price caps were a regular fixture of public policy during martial law, and even before that period. This is not the first time we realized we could never attain self-sufficiency in rice given, one, our large rice-eating population; two, we don’t have the natural advantages of our rice-producing neighbors like Thailand and Vietnam; three, we lack rural infrastructure; four, the fragmented structure of palay (unmilled rice) production; and five, our hopelessly low farm productivity.

We need to remind ourselves that under the Price Act or RA 7581 of 1992, price caps may be justified only when there are “undue price increases during emergency situations and like occasions.” But the President’s Executive Order (EO) 39 was rather silent on what justified this imposition of price ceilings on rice. The only semblance of an “emergency” situation one can find in the EO is one of the “whereases” saying that the current surge in retail prices of rice has resulted in a considerable economic strain on Filipinos, and that such a situation may compromise the availability of rice for the people.

Could this be the reason why some lawmakers filed House Bill No. 130 a few days ago, to justify the declaration of a national rice emergency and address the legal infirmity of EO 39?

Under that bill, the following conditions could warrant a presidential declaration: an extreme shortage in rice supply, a sustained increase in rice prices, or an extraordinary increase in rice prices. With good and strategic public policy in rice, those three conditions could easily be managed. The House Bill is therefore saying that the deficit in public policy on rice may be solved by price administration!

But that’s precisely the issue. Price caps will never solve rising prices of rice because they would incentivize hoarding and profiteering, waiting for the ceilings to be lifted because everybody knows they could at best be temporary. Supply shortages will be the direct outcome because very few would sell at the maximum; they would rather hoard and wait for the right time. If ever they would sell rice at the caps, consumers would end up with the lowest quality of rice, or a mixed variety of good and bad rice selling at the price cap of well-milled rice.

Ultimately, there would be more harmful shortages until the authorities are forced to lift the price ceilings.

And the cracks are now showing.

The broadsheets reported the assertions of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) that price ceilings are justified and are temporary. The NEDA seems to have set aside the economics of price ceilings and the legalities of the EO in the absence of any emergency situation.

As proof of the limitations of price ceilings as a response to a rice shortage, the President announced the intent of government to subsidize rice retailers. But it’s the whole supply chain that is affected by the price caps when the price caps are prolonged. The wholesalers, middlemen, and the farmers themselves will have to adjust their returns — or the lack of them. Subsidies may have to be extended to them, following the logic of government. How and where the funding will be sourced is something that would definitely be a really big issue.

How the government will administer the subsidies promises to be as problematic. Two days ago, the broadsheets reported that compliance with rice price ceilings was still low. True, with price ceilings, rice prices have started to come down. Thanks to those who chose to follow the executive order. But see how they sold their stocks (see the image that accompanies this story).

But for those vendors who could not obviously afford it, they decided to close down and wait until rice prices start to stabilize. While clarifying that their resistance to the price cap is purely economic, the retailers disclosed that it would take them weeks to be able to dispose of their current inventory which was secured at a much higher price.

Bottom line: price controls impose significant costs that increase with their duration and breadth. Price controls distort signals for allocating rice as a scarce commodity. As such, they could only result in inefficient allocation of the same commodity. If fiscal and monetary policies could be deployed with appropriate policies in rice production and importation, like temporary reduction in rice tariffs, inflation could be reduced without the costs attendant to price caps.

By all reckoning, the latest inflation report of 5.3% for August should be a wake-up call. For the first time in seven months, inflation spiked again due to the sharp inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages, with rice surging by 8.7% from 4.2% in July, the fastest since November 2018. Rice is a main driver of inflation because it accounts for 8.9% of the headline total consumer basket index and 17.9% for the bottom 30% of our population.

No wonder, some wise guys from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis wrote that price controls should stay in the history books.

 

Diwa C. Guinigundo is the former deputy governor for the Monetary and Economics Sector, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). He served the BSP for 41 years. In 2001-2003, he was alternate executive director at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC. He is the senior pastor of the Fullness of Christ International Ministries in Mandaluyong.

Overseas teacher training urged to address skills gap in STEM

PHILIPPINE STAR/ WALTER BOLLOZOS

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

THE GOVERNMENT needs to sponsor overseas training programs for teachers to bridge the proficiency and learning gap in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, a legislator said.

“I think times are changing and we have to (be familiar with upcoming) technology; we have to learn with that so we can have a better future,” Isabela Rep. Faustino Michael Carlos T. Dy III told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of a youth upskilling summit organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd).

“We have to reevaluate our teachers’ educational programs; maybe we need more seminars abroad for them to learn new concepts,” he added.

In a July report, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said the Philippines should use education technology to bridge the skills gap or risk job losses due to rapid technological advancement.

During Wednesday’s summit held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City, USAID Office of Education Director Thomas Leblanc urged private sector representatives and officials from the Departments of Labor and Employment (DoLE) and Trade and Industry (DTI) to implement more upskilling programs for out-of-school youth.

The USAID’s Opportunity 2.0 program, which was started in 2020, helped over 37,000 youth land jobs through financial literacy and skills training programs, it said in a statement on Wednesday.

Rosanna A. Urdaneta, deputy director general for policy and planning of the Technical Skills and Development Authority (TESDA), said TESDA and DoLE will work with USAID in developing entrepreneurial workshops and agricultural training and livelihood programs for out-of-school youth.

“We are hoping for a continued harmonious collaboration with the private sector to be able to elevate the quality of education and contribute to the development of globally competitive Filipinos,” she said.

Meanwhile, USAID on Thursday signed an agreement on enhancing policy research and capacity building in the education sector with the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), which is composed of Philippine congressmen and senators.

Students in the Philippines and Indonesia are more than a year behind in their learning because of the coronavirus pandemic, McKinsey & Co. said in a report published in April 2022.

The ADB estimates that 21% of children from middle-income countries who are of school age by 2030 will not learn basic primary-level skills.

International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo has urged the government and employers to boost investment in education and to equip teachers with modern skills to address youth unemployment.

Under the proposed 2024 national budget, education will get P924.7 billion, 3.3% higher than this year.

“Education is about continuous learning and teachers need to adapt to effectively transfer knowledge to our kids,” Mr. Dy said.

Venice Film Festival: Ryuichi Sakamoto’s last performance captured by son in Opus

RYUICHI SAKAMOTO himself in Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus. — IMDB

VENICE — In late 2022 celebrated Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, stricken with terminal cancer, spent nine days at a Tokyo studio performing 20 of his much-loved pieces from across his career.

The pared-back performance, featuring just Mr. Sakamoto and his piano, was captured by his son, Neo Sora, and turned into a concert film Opus which is screening at the Venice Film Festival some six months after the 71-year-old composer died.

“His physical health was definitely deteriorating and it was impossible for him to go on tour and even play a full concert live in front of an audience. But he still wanted to make sure to leave something before he couldn’t play any longer,” Mr. Sora told Reuters in Venice following the film’s world premiere.

The Oscar and Grammy-winning composer is best known for his movie scores for The Last Emperor and Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, which he also acted in, as well as his work with the pioneering electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), which he co-founded.

Filmed in black and white, Opus focuses on the physicality of Mr. Sakamoto’s performance. The selection of music and their order in the film were decided by the musician himself.

Mr. Sora, director of photography Bill Kirstein and their team filmed an average of three pieces per day in one to three takes.

The meticulously performed and otherwise wordless film features a scene in which Mr. Sakamoto is preparing to play an early career hit, the fast-tempoed “Tong Poo,” and acknowledges his physical limits. “This is tough. I’m pushing myself,” he says.

“He isn’t able to play it really fast anymore and so he had to resort to different kinds of musical methods and musical ideas to communicate the songs in the way he could. And I think especially for fans who know that song really well, that must be really touching,” said Mr. Sora.

“Once he begins to play, you kind of forget that because the performance is just full of life and energy,” the filmmaker said, adding that he had mixed feelings about presenting the film at Venice, which his father attended several times.

“Of course, it’s a little bit bittersweet, but at the same time I think it’s a celebration of his life. I think he would be really proud and happy that this film is here.” — Reuters

Blockchain potential seen beyond crypto

RAWPIXEL.COM-FREEPIK

BLOCKCHAIN technology is seeing more use cases in various Philippines industries, from enterprise adoption and cryptocurrency to entertainment showcases.

“It’s more of telling the world that it’s not just about crypto and scams,” Chezka Gonzales, co-convenor of the Philippine Blockchain Week (PBW), said about the stigma around blockchain.

“It’s overwhelming,” she said at the PBW 2023 press conference on Thursday, referring to the increased support for blockchain integration from both the public and private sectors.

PBW 2023 will feature more than 150 local and global experts in panels and workshops, alongside a metaverse fashion gala, gaming exposition, pop music performances, startup matchmaking, and government-led learning zones, among others.

Donald Lim, PBW convenor and founding president of the Blockchain Council of the Philippines (BCP), said that the country has the potential to be the blockchain capital of Asia given the growth in interest he has seen.

“Last year exceeded our expectations, proving strong appetite for blockchain education and collaboration,” he said.

“This year, we want to go bigger, showcasing more diverse use cases and inspiring more Filipinos to get involved in shaping the blockchain future,” he added, comparing PBW to other global blockchain conferences with a majority of Web3-adept participants.

“What we’re doing right now is building the right foundation with the right motivation,” he said on the slow and steady pathway of blockchain integration in the country.

Ms. Gonzales noted the public apprehension toward blockchain as a complex and isolated field. “We want them to be immersed and have this open thinking,” she said.

“The pull is for people to just be curious and not expect anything,” she said. “Baka may mas kaya pa pala tayong gawin (Maybe there’s more we can do) in the future, not just in terms of career but for the world.”

Government bodies participating in the event include the departments of Information and Communications Technology, Trade and Industry, Finance, Tourism, and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.

Mr. Lim said the government should continue its open-mindedness and collaboration in the blockchain space,

PBW 2023 will be held on Sept. 19 to 21 at the Manila Marriott Hotel. — Miguel Hanz L. Antivola