LOS ANGELES — Women are poised to pile up the gold at the Grammy awards on Sunday, reflecting a rise in female representation on pop music charts and record-setting performances at stadium concerts and cinemas.
Taylor Swift, SZA, and songs from the Oscar-nominated Barbie movie lead the competition for the music industry’s highest honors. Jon Batiste is the only man among eight nominees for album of the year, the top Grammy prize.
SZA, the female singer of revenge fantasy Kill Bill, will head into the ceremony as the most-nominated artist with nine nominations.
The strong showing coincided with a year of milestones for women in entertainment and gains in the predominantly male music business.
Ms. Swift’s Eras Tour broke ticket sales records, eclipsing Elton John’s, at the same time Beyoncé played to packed stadiums. Barbie created a pink-fueled phenomenon at cinemas, where Ms. Swift’s concert film also became a blockbuster.
“Women had a phenomenal year, not just in music, but in Barbie being the biggest-grossing movie,” said Billboard awards editor Paul Grein. “Women dominated pop culture.”
In addition to Ms. Swift and SZA, the other women vying for this year’s album prize are Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey, Olivia Rodrigo, Janelle Monae, and boygenius, the band featuring indie rock musicians Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus.
It is just the 12th time in the Grammys’ 66-year history, Mr. Grein said, that women received the majority of nominations for album of the year.
In other categories, hits from the Barbie movie landed 12 Grammy nominations, including a song of the year nod for Billie Eilish’s ballad “What Was I Made For?”
RECORDING ACADEMY RECRUITS WOMEN
Changing demographics in the Recording Academy, the group of musicians, producers, engineers, and others who vote on the Grammy nominees and winners, likely prompted a shift. Since 2019, the percentage of female members has risen to 30% from 26%.
“They have been aggressively recruiting new members, especially members of color and women,” Mr. Grein said. “They are infusing the membership with a lot of members who will probably see things differently.”
Some of the male competition was between albums. Harry Styles, Bad Bunny, and other past Grammy winners did not release new music during the eligibility period of October 2022 through Sept. 15, 2023.
Still, the percentage of women artists on the Billboard Hot 100 at the end of 2023 reached 35%, a 12-year high, according to a study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and professor Stacy L. Smith.
Women also made gains behind the scenes, with women of color driving the first increase in female songwriting credits in 12 years. Nearly 20% of songwriters were women, up from 14% a year earlier.
While far from reaching parity, female musicians made significant progress in just a few years, Ms. Smith said.
“When you look at the data, you see that the collective action across the music industry is moving toward women,” she said. “That we haven’t seen before.”
The realm of producers ticked up but remained predominantly male. In 2023, women received 6.5% of producer credits. No women were nominated for the Grammy for producer of the year.
Women also saw less success in Grammy categories for rock, dance, and hip-hop, said Tatiana Cirisano, senior music industry analyst for MIDiA Research.
“What we have here is a year in which several female superstars had extraordinary hits,” Ms. Cirisano said. “Yet overall, gender imbalances have not shifted as much as we would hope.”
On Sunday, several women could make history at the Grammys.
Swift would be the first artist to win album of the year four times if she claims the trophy for Midnights.
If SZA prevails with SOS, she would be the first Black woman to win album of the year as a lead artist since Lauryn Hill received the honor 25 years ago.
Winners will be announced at a ceremony broadcast live from downtown Los Angeles on CBS and streamed on Paramount+. — Reuters
THE board of listed holding company AbaCore Capital Holdings, Inc. has approved the proposed sale of its subsidiary’s property in Mabini town, Batangas, for P307.19 million.
In a regulatory filing on Thursday, the company’s board approved the planned sale of a 30,117-square-meter (s.qm.) property in Barangay San Juan, owned by its subsidiary Omnilines Logistics International Network, Inc. The property will be sold at P10,200 per sq.m., with a total contract price of P307.19 million.
The company is expecting a P227.47 million gross profit from the sale.
AbaCore Vice Chairman Antonio Victoriano F. Gregorio III said in an e-mail that the transaction aims to boost the company’s profitability.
“The sale of a property owned by our subsidiary Omnilines Logistics International Network represents our continuing effective management of our portfolio, allowing the company to strengthen its bottomline and provide value to our shareholders,” Mr. Gregorio said.
“The transaction is part of our overall strategy to work with businesses that want to expand their presence in Batangas, or enter the market for the first time,” he added.
Following the sale, Mr. Gregorio said that AbaCore is still aiming to expand its property portfolio.
“AbaCore will continue to work with other entities to maximize the potential of our portfolio, and we aim to further add more properties investments that would provide the necessary investment returns and generate addition-al income,” he said.
AbaCore is a holding company that has business interests in tourism, real estate, financial services, and energy. The company’s nine-month net income surged to P383.3 million from P22.4 million in 2022.
On Thursday, AbaCore shares closed unchanged at P1.07 apiece. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
Pangilinan-led TV5 Network, Inc. launched the RPTV free-to-air channel on Thursday, offering sports, news, and entertainment shows.
In a statement, TV5 said it is collaborating with MediaQuest Holdings, Inc. to serve as content providers for the RPTV Channel.
Shows on the channel include all Philippine Basketball Association games, the daily noontime show EAT…Bulaga, local comedy and action series and movies, Live Sports, the news and public service show of Ted Failon and DJ Chacha, and the Wanted Sa Radyo program of Senator Rafael “Raffy” T. Tulfo.
“The birth of RPTV is aligned with our commitment to elevate the standards of entertainment, sports and public service broadcasting in the Philippines,” TV5 President and Chief Executive Officer Guido R. Zaballero said.
“Our goal is to create a comprehensive and engaging platform that caters to the diverse interests of every family member. We believe in the power of entertainment to bring people together and RPTV is designed to be a one-stop destination for families seeking quality content,” he added.
RPTV Channel is available on Channel 9 (analog), Channel 19 (digital terrestrial television), Channel 18.3 (DTT), and over 300 cable and satellite providers nationwide. It also streams live via the Cignal Play over-the-top media service app.
“We are excited to embark on this journey and contribute positively to the lives of viewers. RPTV is here to create memorable moments for families by becoming a go-to destination for quality and diverse content,” MediaQuest President and Chief Executive Officer Jane J. Basas said.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.—Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
WE meet Babe Paley in 1968. She’s called Truman Capote uptown to rage about her husband Bill’s latest affair — he’s screwing Happy Rockefeller, the governor’s wife. Truman (Tom Hollander) quietly surveys the crime scene and tells Babe (Naomi Watts) to calm down. “Be the great lady you are,” he whispers, urging her to get her revenge with a Van Gogh or Gauguin. Her pride is wounded, but she’ll get over it.
Indeed, she tells him, “the only person who could ever really hurt me is you.” Hurt her he will, with the gory details he gathers that very afternoon.
Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, the long-awaited sequel to 2017’s camp-tastic hit Feud: Bette and Joan, follows Capote as he blows up his world by publishing an excerpt from his never-to-be-finished novel, Answered Prayers, in Esquire in 1975. “La Côte Basque” described a gossipy lunch shared by thinly veiled versions of himself and his “swans,” the wealthy women in his circle. It aired some of their dirtiest laundry. Overnight, he was banished from high society.
In any feud — particularly a famous feud — the fight is beside the point. The grudge is the intriguing bit: why and how people can nurse a resentment until it consumes them entirely. It takes tremendous effort to never forgive someone, as Capote vs. the Swans illustrates with a brutally neat metaphor. Too proud to apologize, Capote drinks himself to death; Paley, clinging bitterly to her anger, chain-smokes her way into lung cancer.
The show offers lots of spiteful scenery along the way to this rock bottom. Capote is no mere court jester — he’s an assassin. From the moment the Paleys meet Capote, they ought to have known what they were in for. Bill Paley, the chairman of CBS (Treat Williams, in his final role), mistakenly invites the writer along on a jaunt to Jamaica in 1955. (The series does a lot of time traveling.) Soon he’s regaling them with salacious gossip about a woman in their set who he insists murdered her husband.
Slim Keith (Diane Lane), the famous ex-wife of Howard Hawks and Leland Heyward, professes shock when the story comes out in 1975, asking, “What animal in nature pretends to love you and then tries to eat you?” By that time she already knows. She’s shared hundreds of venomous lunches with him. But Capote never owns culpability. Why should he? He’s only a pet. “We’re like Pomeranians to them, aren’t we?” he tells his ex, Jack Dunphy (Joe Mantello). “There to cuddle when they need something fluffy to hold on to. But should we growl or show our teeth, then it’s off to the pound we go!”
The writer famously dodged responsibility and sailed past contradictions. Gayer than any Disney villain, he still held court at society’s highest echelons. Capote pioneered a new mode of celebrity, a sort of confessional performance art. In our Real Housewives era, the political and cultural interest of this tale is obvious. How did celebrities destroy each other before there was TikTok? At one point in Feud, Bill Paley barks at him: “Nothing’s private with you!” He sounds just like an exasperated Warren Beatty in Madonna’s 1991 documentary, Truth or Dare.
Dense as it is with cultural signifiers, the series is eerily quiet about its context, the tumultuous 1960s and ’70s. You’d never know the Vietnam War was raging and New York City going bankrupt — and oddly, considering its queer main character, Stonewall doesn’t even get mentioned. It feels as if half the show unfolds entirely inside the carefully re-created La Côte Basque, the infamous restaurant. (Did they never eat anywhere else?) We’re trapped with the swans in their rarefied confines and with Capote on his couch, drinking himself to dissolution in a mustard-colored bathrobe. Is that the point? The high and mighty really do live in their own world. Mean and shallow it may be, but the rest of us would just die for an invite.
Written by Pulitzer finalist Jon Robin Baitz and directed mostly by Oscar nominee Gus Van Sant, Capote vs. the Swans is witty, polished, beautiful — and often dull. Hollander has the lisp, the mannerisms, the drunkenness down, but the character never really travels anywhere. Watts, Lane, and Chlöe Sevigny, as the ramrod blonde C.Z. Guest, do a marvelous job channeling the spellbinding but very rigid grandeur of the swans, but it’s not enough. Jessica Lange, producer Ryan Murphy’s gothic muse, makes a campy appearance as the ghost of Capote’s mother, popping up from time to time to feed him pills and criticize his prose (“Try to make this next bit less fruity”). But even she can’t do much to raise the stakes. (The next time Ryan calls, Jessica, say no.)
The best episode by far imagines a visit from an acerbic James Baldwin (Chris Chalk), who shows up to urge Capote to really put the swans out of their misery and finish the book. He provides the series’ only overt commentary: These bigoted, grasping women Capote fawns over are the nadir of American society, not its zenith. Capote takes great pleasure dishing out the real dirt he has on them — the alcoholism, eating disorders, love affairs, estranged children — but when Baldwin goes, so does any inkling that he’ll really let it rip. He’s mean enough to humiliate his friends, but too weak — much like this series — to make it count for anything. — Bloomberg
ARTIST’s renditions of the Celestial Park - BLOG.DISCOVERUNIVERSAL.COM
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ARTIST’s renditions of the Celestial Park - BLOG.DISCOVERUNIVERSAL.COM
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UNIVERSAL Epic Universe, the theme park Comcast Corp. is building in Orlando, Florida, will feature new editions of the company’s popular Harry Potter and Super Nintendo themed areas.
Universal unveiled details about the attractions on Tuesday. The centerpiece will be a landscaped area called Celestial Park with gardens and water features and buildings inspired by astronomy and mythology.
That area will be a gateway to four themed areas: Harry Potter, Super Nintendo, How to Train Your Dragon, and one called Dark Universe that will feature some of the company’s scarier characters, such as the experiments of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein.
This will be the third Universal Orlando park with a Harry Potter-themed area. A new Nintendo attraction at the company’s theme park in Los Angeles has led to surge in traffic there.
Epic Universe, scheduled to open next year, will be Universal’s fourth theme park in the state, including Volcano Bay, a water park. Theme parks have been a growth business for Comcast, with the division reporting its most profitable fourth quarter and year earlier this month. — Bloomberg
MGEN Renewable Energy, Inc. (MGreen) has awarded engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts to a Chinese company for its solar farm projects in Cordon, Isabela and Bongabon, Nueva Ecija.
MGreen signed the contract with SUMEC Complete Equipment and Engineering Co. Ltd. on Jan. 24, the company said in a statement on Thursday.
The contracts cover the construction of the 49 megawatt-alternating current (MWac) solar plant in Isabela and 18.75 MWac solar plant in Nueva Ecija.
The solar projects are targeted for commercial operation in the last quarter of 2024.
Both projects are among the winning bidders in the second round of green energy auction (GEA) of the Department of Energy.
The GEA program aims to promote renewables as a primary source of energy through competitive selection of renewable energy output.
MGreen is the renewable energy subsidiary of Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen), the power generation arm of listed electric distribution utility Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).
“SUMEC will be our strategic partner as we embark on the transformative journey towards realizing our vision of becoming a company at the forefront of renewable energy utilization,” MGen President and Chief Executive Officer Jaime T. Azurin said.
“We hope that with the cooperation of SUMEC, we’ll be able to deliver the project on time, on schedule, and within budget,” he added.
MGreen has been operating three solar plants. These include the 55-MWac solar plant of PowerSource First Bulacan Solar, Inc. with PowerSource Energy Holdings Corp. and the 68-MWac solar plant of Nuevo Solar Energy Corp. with Vena Energy’s Pasuquin Energy Holdings, Inc.
The company is also operating the 75-MWac solar plant of PH Renewables, Inc. with Mitsui & Co.’s Mit-Renewables Power Corp. in Baras, Rizal.
Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT Inc.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
LAND BANK of the Philippines (LANDBANK) posted a record- high net income of P40.3 billion in 2023, surpassing its P35-billion target.
“The robust financial performance was fueled by strong revenues from loans and investments alongside prudent cost management,” LANDBANK said in a statement on Thursday.
“LANDBANK’s strong financial performance in 2023 exemplifies sound management committed to deliver remarkable results in a thriving economy. We will build on this growth momentum to further drive meaningful invest-ments in advancing inclusive and sustainable development in the country,” LANDBANK President and Chief Executive Officer Lynette V. Ortiz said.
The lender’s 2023 earnings translated to a return on equity of 16.87%.
Its financial statement was not available as of press time.
Deposits rose by 4.5% year on year to P2.9 trillion in 2023.
Its capital grew by 27% year on year to P266.8 billion from P210.6 billion on the back of its profitability.
LANDBANK’s capital adequacy ratio stood at 16.35% and its common equity Tier 1 ratio was at 15.46%.
“This strong financial base will further enhance support for agriculture, fisheries and rural development, as well as other key development sectors, in line with the bank’s broader thrust of serving the nation,” the lender said.
The bank’s assets went up by 4.2% to P3.3 trillion last year, driven by income from loans and investments.
For this year, Ms. Ortiz earlier said the bank targets to grow its net income by at least 10-12%.
“We look forward to 2024 as another banner year for LANDBANK, underscoring our commitment to transformative and disruptive digital initiatives. This momentum gives us much optimism towards reaching new milestones in expanding financial inclusion nationwide,” she said on Thursday.
The bank said Finance Secretary and LANDBANK Chairman Ralph G. Recto, in a recent meeting with its management, pledged support for its strategic initiatives for this year for national development lending, treasury and in-vestment, digital banking, and cybersecurity, among others. — AMCS
VENICE — Hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Venice carnival are enjoying what could be the last year of free access for day-trippers to the historic lagoon city, before a much-debated fee comes into effect to try to curb numbers.
The carnival, which traces its origins back to the Middle Ages, is known for the distinctive traditional masks worn by participants and a host of cultural events in one of Italy’s most visited cities.
This year’s edition features more than 50 shows between Jan. 27 and Feb. 13. In 2023, the carnival brought in 2 million overnight stays and €3 billion ($3.25 billion) of turnover, according to data from Italian artisan association CNA.
Venice, with its picturesque canals and Renaissance sites, has struggled with the effects of mass tourism for years and has introduced a trial scheme that will take effect from April 25 to try to limit the growing number of day-trippers.
“This is the first time I’ve been here in January and I couldn’t believe the crowds, so if they have to start paying then I think that’s fair enough,” said Lin Keer from Britain.
Simone Venturini, the city council’s tourism chief, said the 29 experimental days chosen for the payment scheme this year would normally be expected to see very high tourist volumes.
“This measure will have a dual effect, first communicative, because it will give the world the idea it is not advisable to plan a visit on those days. At the same time, it will give the idea of better organization of tourist flows,” he said.
Four thousand visitors have already booked their stay through the official app for the 29 days, he added.
There will be no barriers or turnstiles, but officials will carry out spot checks at entrance points to the islands which comprise the city. Tourists who do not pay the fee of €5 will be fined between €50 and €500.
While locals are exempted from the charge, some worry that the new rules may complicate things.
“It can be a problem for all those who live just outside Venice and need to come here, maybe to see their parents,” said Filippo, a resident who declined to give his surname.
“Those who live nearby have to book. They don’t pay but it’s a bit messy,” he added. — Reuters
MASTERCARD has partnered with AF Payments, Inc. (AFPI), the company that created beep cards, to enable tap-and-go payments for Mastercard cards on the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3 Line) and buses.
“This is expected to benefit millions of Filipino commuters in Metro Manila, enhancing smart mobility through initiatives that bring our transit systems in line with global transport standards,” Beep President & Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Juan D. Moreno said in a statement on Thursday.
The partnership aims to boost contactless acceptance in the Philippines, he said.
Cardholders will be able to tap their prepaid, debit, or credit Mastercard cards on public transport without having to purchase tickets.
Mastercard and AFPI will first launch a pilot program, rolled out in phases across MRT stations, Bonifacio Global City, and EDSA buses.
The two companies also hope to expand contactless payments acceptance across ferries and other modes of transportation in the future, and eventually across the country.
The program will be exclusively used in Beep’s network and will introduce and expand open loop transit payments powered by Mastercard’s payment solution, Mastercard Gateway said. — Aaron Michael C. Sy
Induction of PANA 2024 Officers and Board of Directors, led by Inducting Officer Miguel G. Belmonte
PANA welcomes new members, inducts officers for 2024
By Jomarc Angelo M. Corpuz
The Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA) kicked off 2024 by adding two members and installing the association’s new board of directors and trustees during their Induction Ceremony and General Membership Meeting, graced by a full house of brand builders and industry partners, last Jan. 25 at the Ascott Hotel in Makati City.
PANA welcomes its new members, (from left) Sharlynne Grace Capinpin of Easytrip Services Corporation and Richard Rivera of Medimarketing, during its first General Membership Meeting of the year. Bea Atienza (third from left) of Colgate-Palmolive Phils. inducted the new members.
PANA Director Bea Atienza of Colgate-Palmolive Phils. inducted the new PANA members, representing Easytrip Services Corp. and Medimarketing, Inc., into the association; while The Philippine STAR Chief Executive Officer Miguel G. Belmonte, who also served as the keynote speaker of the event, sworn PANA’s new officers into their roles.
Shining through amid changing times
Miguel G. Belmonte, President and CEO of PhilStar Media Group, delivering an inspiring address to a diverse audience of PANA brand builders from multinational corporations, SMEs, and valued partners.
During his keynote speech at the event, Mr. Belmonte stressed the importance of resilience and coping with change while inspiring the audience with his achievements and pop references.
He noted the difficulty of reading and anticipating new trends, as well as the constant need to acquire new skills only for those skills to be rendered obsolete quickly.
“You know it’s not the same as it was,” he said, borrowing a line from the song “As It Was” by Harry Styles.
To emphasize how he dealt with the challenges, Mr. Belmonte mentioned The Philippine STAR’s achievements in the past year including winning Best Newspaper of 2023 from the Manila Overseas Press Club, becoming a full-blown media company as the PhilSTAR Media Group, and moving into their new office in Parañaque City.
He continued his message by revealing that PANA’s president this year, Mick Atienza of Smart Communications, Inc., was a former employee of The Philippine STAR.
“[Mr. Atienza] is a full-blooded former Philippine Star [employee]. We have no doubt that he will forge new roads ahead for the association along with fellow officers and directors. We are proud of you, Mick,” Mr. Belmonte said.
He capped off his message by quoting another pop reference in Coldplay’s “Yellow,” inspiring brand builders by saying, “Look at the stars, look how they shine for you.”
Keeping PANA’s core in a transforming industry
President Mick Atienza envisions a collaborative PANA where meaningful partnerships flourish not only within the organization but also with external industry entities.
Mr. Atienza, now inducted as PANA’s president, delivered a speech about how he first encountered PANA and his objectives for 2024 as he assumes his new role.
Mr. Atienza, who is the assistant vice-president for Consumer WiFi and Mobile Advertising at Smart Communications was first introduced to PANA when he worked as a fresh graduate in the corporate communications department of The Philippine Star. Still unaware of the association, the former junior layout artist quickly realized the significance of the organization.
“Back then I did not know much about PANA. I just remember coordinating sponsorship requirements for The STAR and I thought of it as a very important industry organization because we often get proposals for sponsorship from PANA and we would always say yes,” Mr. Atienza said during his speech.
The PANA president also shared that he saw how the industry evolved, witnessed how PANA navigated through different changes, and watched how the association advocated for truth in advertising and championing responsible brand building. He noted as well how PANA’s north star has always been to keep the welfare of consumers in mind.
In the era of customization and personalization, Mr. Atienza will be pushing for three objectives as PANA aims to keep up with the industry while trying to stick to its core values: being collaborative, adaptive, and responsive.
Adi Timbol-Hernandez (McDonald’s Philippines), 2023 PANA President expressed gratitude to the members, wished her successors the best and encouraged members continued engagement and support for PANA’s programs.
On being collaborative, PANA in 2024 not only hopes to strengthen their relationship with industry partners but also to build more meaningful connections not just with other organizations in the industry but also within PANA and the PANA Foundation.
PANA will also keep tabs on experts of the latest tools and marketing trends like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Mr. Atienza aims to extract knowledge from AI specialists for a more adaptive association.
Finally, the newly inducted president will also push for a PANA that can be relied on when tackling and addressing issues. He hopes for a PANA that listens to questions and assists in settling disputes regarding policies affecting the industry.
Mr. Atienza ended his speech by thanking the PANA Board, who “voluntold” (volunteered by telling) him to become this year’s president; his predecessor Ms. Hernandez; and the PANA Secretariat. He also expressed his gratitude to Mr. Belmonte, along with his past mentors in The Philippine Star, namely Executive Vice-President Lucien Dy Tioco, Vice-President for Operations Tammy Mendoza, and Vice-President for Sales and Marketing Jay Sarmiento.
“Yung junior layout artist niyo dati, PANA President na ngayon,” Mr. Atienza said to his colleagues from the newspaper. (Your junior layout artist before has now become a PANA President.)
Empowering more future marketers
Chairperson of PANA Foundation Blen Fernando stressed the importance of honing students, young marketing practitioners and educators with the right values necessary to make the industry prosper in the right direction.
To cap off the induction ceremony, PANA Foundation (PANAF) Chairperson Blen Fernando shared the “heart” of PANAF’s core programs for 2024 and invited the association’s members to collaborate with them in the implementation of their corporate social responsibility projects.
Having already helped about 50,000 students from about 100 colleges and universities in the Philippines, the foundation aims to assist more through three core programs this year.
The first of these is the “Youth Creativity Festival,” which aims to mould a generation of responsible content creators and audiences in this digital age. At last year’s festival, views-on-demand peaked at more than 17,000 while live attendance averaged close to 500 students. The youth congress uses contemporary formats and technology such as gaming, polls, Q&As, and videos, to engage participants.
The PANAnaw Brand Communications Students’ Competition, meanwhile, challenges school teams to develop and defend a marketing plan for a case study on a social development goal. In fact, several winning campaigns have already been adopted by the government in the areas of road safety, tourism, and disaster management.
Lastly, The PANAF Educational RoadTRIP is an outreach program whose objective is to bring content and marketing enrichment sessions to colleges and universities outside the National Capital Region. This year the road trip is getting ready to roll out to De La Salle Lipa in February and the Tarlac State University in April.
The indefatigable PANA Secretariat headed by ED Bobby Simborio
“As Trustees, we embrace a heart-centered approach to leadership — not just the mind —to make us more equipped to connect, understand, and support the next generation of marketing practitioners, helping them develop into competent and responsible marketers,” Ms. Fernando said as she encouraged fellow PANA members to contribute to the foundation.
New officers
The 2024 PANA Foundation Officers and Board of Trustees. Back row L-R: Victor Janolino (Rebisco), Gigi Tibi (RadManila), Miguel Angelo Vlla-Real (Philippine Veterans Bank), Andrew Ahorro (Kolin Philippines International Inc.), Aji Santiago (Moldex Realty), Ken Lerona(Home Credit), Wendell Kristain Labre (Bayad), and Eric Samuel Joven (Beauty Profile Corporation). Front Row L-R: Alan Fontanilla (Packworks), Chairperson Blen Fernando (Museum Foundation of the Philippines), Inducting Officer Miguel Belmonte and Maye Yao Co Say (Richwell Phils.).
Aside from Mr. Atienza, the newly inducted officers of the PANA Board include the following: Christine Roa (Ayala Land Inc.) as vice-president; Rey Marc San Juan (Julie’s) as secretary; Catherine Santamaria (Bank of the Philippine Islands) as treasurer; Ronald Molina (Ginebra San Miguel) as auditor; Monday Gonzalez (Globe Group) as public relations officer; and directors Bea Atienza (Colgate-Palmolive Philippines), Ken Lerona (Home Credit), Emmanuel Ordinanza (Nestle Philippines), Garry Pactao (Philippine Seven Corp.), and JonJon San Agustin (SM Supermalls).
Induction of PANA Officers and Directors from L-R. Director Garry Pactao (Philippine Seven Corp.), Director Emm Ordinanza (Nestle Phils.), Director Ken Lerona, (Home Credit), Director Bea Atienza (Colgate Palmolive, Phils.), President Mick Atienza (Smart Communications), Inducting Officer Miguel Belmonte, VP Chrissy Roa (Ayala Land, Inc.), P.R.O. Monday Gonzalez(Globe Telecom), Treasurer Cathy Santamaria (BPI), Secretary Rey Marc San Juan (Julie’s), Auditor Ron Molina (Ginebra San Miguel) and Director Jonjon San Agustin (SM Supermalls).
Meanwhile, PANAF’s officers this year are as follows: Blen Fernando (Museum Foundation of the Philippines, Inc.) as chair; Maye Yao Co Say (Richwell Phils. Inc.) as vice-chair; Eric Samuel Joven (Beauty Profile Corp.) as secretary; Alan Fontanilla (Packworks) as treasurer; and trustees Andrew Ahorro (Kolin Phils. Int’l., Inc.), Gigi Tibi (RadManila Communications Inc.), Wendell Kristian Labre (Bayad), Ken Lerona (Home Credit), Miguel Angelo Villa-Real (Philippine Veterans Bank), Victor Janolino (Rebisco), and Aji Santiago (Moldex Realty).
PANA, established in 1958, is one of the pioneer and distinguished organizations in the country comprising close to 300 members from various multinational and local companies engaged in advertising and brand building. To know more about PANA, visit www.pana.com.ph.
UP Diliman students were hailed as the Meralco IDOL Hackathon Champion for the creation of mobile app, One. The winning group poses for a photo with (from L-R) Meralco FVP and Head of Information, Communications, Technology and Transformation Rocky D. Bacani; Meralco Head of Customer System and Process Information Miel G. Lanting; (from 3rd from right) Meralco AVP & Head of Commercial Strategy & Business Performance Ralph M. Menchavez; Meralco Head of Network Technology and Asset Management Jose S. Reyes, Jr.; and Meralco Power Academy Program Management Director Marc Lester P. Malibiran.
In its relentless pursuit to drive creativity and digital transformation even beyond the organization, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has set in motion a celebration of the flourishing culture of innovation.
During its first-ever Innovation Month, the company brought together employees, partners, and even students for the IDOL (Innovative, Digital, Original, Leading-edge) events. Included in this month-long celebration are the IDOL Hackathon and Tech Talk events which showcased fresh ideas and learnings that are beneficial in the midst of the ever-evolving energy landscape.
UP Diliman shines at the first IDOL Hackathon
Meralco Power Academy (MPA), Meralco’s education provider unit, empowered the best and brightest young Filipinos to showcase energy-related technology solutions through its inaugural IDOL Hackathon — a student competition that centered around the theme “Powering the Good Life Thru Data, Digital & Sustainable Innovation.”
Opened to the six partner schools of MPA, a total of 29 students from 11 teams from participating schools — University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Manila, and Technological Institute of the Philippine (TIP) — submitted their entries to the competition.
Participants underwent a two-week program that allowed them to work in groups to develop software or hardware projects, with the end goal of creating functioning products that can enhance convenience and improve the lives of its users.
Group One, composed of B.S. in Computer Science majors from UP Diliman, bested the nine finalists for creating a mobile application that can track real-time electricity consumption. The app, which they named One, can send alert notifications once consumption exceeds user-defined limits as well as compute possible monthly electricity bills.
Members of the winning team identified as Rodrigo Emmanuel Roy, Krisha Anne Chan, Judelle Clareese Gaza and Luis de los Reyes believed that the mobile app directly solves the problem of access to information regarding real-time power usage, enabling customers to minimize electricity use to maximize savings.
Group One’s concept was born out of their common desire to be more mindful of their energy usage, with the team saying: “We were too busy to ensure that we were able to turn off unused appliances. This frustration sparked an idea. We envisioned a mobile app to monitor electricity consumption, calculate costs, and automate homes for optimal efficiency.”
Enhancing Efficiency and Promoting Renewable Energy
Meanwhile, the revolutionary AI-based app, ElectrifAI, created by B.S. in Electronics Engineering students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Manila was named the 1st runner-up.
Collectively known as Pentatronics, the team said the ElectrifAI seeks to enhance power distribution efficiency by locating power leakage problems to ensure that energy is utilized effectively. “We have witnessed the devastating impact of illegal electricity tapping, affecting not only our families but many others. Our solution aims to reduce both the stress and the cost of electricity bills,” the group said.
The power usage effectiveness, a crucial indicator of how efficiently power is being used, tracks losses and leaks on the power utility’s end. A smart grid solution is integrated into the app to analyze real-time data from the electricity distribution network, resulting in a sophisticated monitoring system that can identify issues such as damaged wires. Advanced information from the app will enable quick response from line crew to limit disruptions in identified areas.
Its capacity to prevent unlawful electrical tapping, an issue that many utilities encounter, is one noteworthy feature, preserving income and the reliability of the power network. The mobile app also gives consumers real-time data about their power consumption. This fosters energy saving and gives consumers the power to decide how much electricity they should use.
Taking the second runner-up spot was TIP Manila’s team of B.S. in Electrical Engineering majors, EEnovators, which designed Wisdom Beams, a streetlight powered by solar and wind energy.
These renewable energy sources are the most readily available in areas where streetlights are erected, according to the team members as they underscored that their proposed streetlight design cannot be affected by power interruptions, thereby illuminating dark roads to address the safety and security concerns of the community.
“After several brainstorming sessions, we envisioned a future where we utilize streetlights that are both eco-friendly and self-sustaining. These streetlights are supported with vertical-axis wind turbine and axial flux generator powered by sun and wind resources to generate its own electricity,” the group said.
Propelling Innovations
The top three teams — Group One, Pentatronics, and EEnovators — emerged from an initial 29 teams that joined the competition.
IDOL program leads, Mark Ramos, Head of Enterprise Architecture and Innovation; and Julius Perry Dominguez, Head of Innovation Labs, underscored their engagement with student participants at the kick-off.
Mr. Ramos highlighted Meralco’s commitment to promote innovation, emphasizing how valuable ideas and solutions emanate from diverse sources, including young students. Mr. Dominguez, for his part, expressed hope that this hackathon marks the commencement of their transformative journey, unlocking numerous opportunities for their future.
The nine teams who advanced to the finals underwent a one-week boot camp for technical and soft skills training. In addition, they were granted seed money, provided with mentorship from the One Meralco subject matter experts, and were given access to the Meralco Power Tech, Meralco’s research and development facility, to jump-start their projects.
A team of Meralco experts evaluated the projects for their value proposition, feasibility, completeness, practicality, and overall potential.
Meralco First Vice-President and Head of Information, Communications, Technology and Transformation Rocky D. Bacani emphasized the importance of the students’ journey from the presentation of the problem to finding a creative tech-based solution.
“It reminds us of the need to look to the future, learning from the past, and embracing forward-thinking approaches. Our Hackathon is not just about solving isolated challenges. It is about creating lasting solutions that can pave the way for a better, more sustainable future,” Mr. Bacani said.
Meralco IDOL Hackathon aims to inspire and empower the next generation of tech enthusiasts and problem solvers by harnessing smart and digital innovation to address energy efficiency and environmental preservation.
Customer Experience at the Heart of Meralco IDOL Tech Talk
Another significant undertaking as part of Meralco’s Innovation Month was Tech Talk, where discussions centered on emerging technologies that boost customer experience and satisfaction.
Since navigating the way through a landscape of technological evolution can be daunting, the company wanted to inspire new ideas and explore the possibilities that technology and innovation bring through its first IDOL Tech Talk.
With the theme “WATTS NEXT: Energizing the Digital Shift,” the event featured five technology experts who tackled emerging technologies that focus on digital grid, digital customer, and digital enterprise.
Nokia Asia Pacific-Japan Head of Enterprise Solutions Mathew Simon, in his talk “Future Utility Network — Empowered for the New Energy Future,” emphasized how smart grid technologies revolutionize power utilities. To unleash the full potential of smart grids, utilities need a smart communications infrastructure that can route information effectively, efficiently and on time, according to Mr. Simon.
With the increasing adoption of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) globally, Nipun Jain, Business Director in Asia and Africa for AI-solutions provider Bidgely, Inc. highlighted the significant value that can be driven from the data produced by smart meters. In his talk “Leveraging Data for AMI,” Mr. Jain noted how utilities can also use AMI to enhance customer engagement, manage the grid, and even detect energy theft.
Tech Talk speakers participated in a panel discussion to discuss how emerging technologies can shape the future of the power industry.
Salesforce Senior Solutions Engineer Renz Valdeabella, in his talk “The Power of AI and Data in Building Trust with Your Customers,” meanwhile, discussed the importance of building and fostering trust in today’s digital landscape through AI and data. Mr. Valdeabella pointed out that this can be achieved by delivering a hyper-personalized experience to boost customer relationship management.
Complementing Mr. Valdeabella’s talk was Amazon Web Services (AWS) Philippines Senior Solutions Architect Paul Sears’ talk on “Customer Behavioral Trends in the Digital Era” — which provided a deep dive into strategies, trends, and technologies such as AI and machine learning that drive customer satisfaction.
Natalie Lo, Google Workspace New Business Specialist for Philippines and Vietnam, rounded up the series of talks with her topic on “Supercharging Employee Experience Through Google Workspace Duet AI.” Focusing on the future of work, Ms. Lo talked about the transformative power of generative AI and technologies in shaping the way employees approach productivity in the ever-changing landscape of work. Daily desk tasks such as composing email messages through AI have become more intelligent, helping users connect more meaningfully, said Ms. Lo.
The Meralco IDOL Tech Talk yielded fruitful discussions and exchange of ideas and learnings, aptly aligned with the objective of Meralco’s Innovation Month to transform and futureproof Meralco.
Meralco Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer Ronnie L. Aperocho emphasized that this can help us visualize how technology impacts the future of power industry.
“We aim to unlock the transformative power of advanced technologies in revolutionizing the way we operate our business, engage and serve our customers. By gaining insights into their needs, desires, and aspirations, we can tailor-fit our products and services to meet their evolving demands,” concluded Mr. Aperocho.
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LAST Monday’s issue of the BusinessWorld in big, bold font screamed that “GDP growth likely slowed in Q4 — poll.” With 20 analysts sharing their fearless forecasts, ranging from a low of 3.6% to a high of 5.8% for the last quarter of 2023, the median forecast stood at 5.7%. For the whole year 2023 forecasts, we saw a low of 5% and a high of 5.8%, with the median hovering at 5.5% — all below the official target of 6-7%.
Who else stepped forward to share his insights and prognosis?
Last Sunday, it was Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli Remolona who essayed his thoughts and said: “I think it’s going to be better than the third quarter because the second quarter was an aberration in terms of growth.” He must be referring to that quarter’s 4.3% growth due to the high commodity prices, the lagged effects of interest rate hikes, the decline in government spending, and slower global economic growth. But except for the fact that the second quarter 2023 did not benefit from election spending one year earlier, all the other factors for the slowdown continue to hold until today.
But as early as the third quarter, the growth momentum had quickened to 5.9%. Our economic managers must have made some progress in their commitment to accelerate the execution of government programs and projects, pursue fiscal stimulus activities and implement various mitigants to the effects of natural calamities like typhoons and heavy monsoon rains. They had to assure the Filipino people that something would be done to reverse the huge deceleration of economic growth in the second quarter. In particular, public spending was intensified so that even before the third quarter was over, the Budget department announced that some P4.7 trillion, or 90% of the entire 2023 budget, had been released to various agencies of government. By the end of September, some P5.12 trillion or 97% was released. There was practically nothing left for the last quarter of this year.
The problem is that in the interim before the announcement of the fourth quarter growth last Wednesday, we would always be assured that while difficult, it would not be impossible to hit even the lower end of the 6-7% target. Growth expectations were being managed although various analysts’ polls were showing more pessimism. Maybe not too many realized that it was indeed impossible to hit because a last quarter minimum growth of 7.4% was required to deliver on those ambitious growth targets.
Well, of the 20 analysts who predicted that growth in the fourth quarter would slow down, the announcement by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) of the Q4 GDP and the whole year 2023 output growth proved half of them to be too optimistic. They must have been captivated by the sirens’ song. They projected fourth-quarter growth rates higher than the actual Q4 output growth of 5.6% compared to the final third quarter 6% growth. Only one of the other 10 hit it spot on at 5.6%, while the rest projected between 3.6% and 5.5%.
For the whole year 2023, the PSA validated that five analysts got it right at 5.6%. Another five were one percentage point on either side of the actual number, 5.5% and 5.7%. To be fair, everyone was quite close to reality in their macroeconomic analysis.
There was some convergence as to reduced demand and consumer spending in the last three months of 2023. Feeble export growth due to sluggish global output would not allow higher levels of production and export to traditional markets. We never expected that some would argue that government spending would pick up when only a few drops were literally left in the national budget in the last quarter. Actual government spending decelerated sharply to 1.8% after a third quarter pick up of 6.7%. The full year contribution of the government trickled down to 0.4%.
We find it incredible to hear the explanation of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) that “it was intentional that growth of government spending was not high in 2023 because we want to achieve that fiscal consolidation which means lowering the fiscal deficit and the government debt.” This contradicts their press statements for the last three quarters which assured us that catch-up plans would be implemented and infra, social protection, education, and livelihood projects would be accelerated. We know that fiscal consolidation may be advanced by growing revenues to fund higher expenditure to attain two simultaneous objectives: sustain high economic growth and avoid higher fiscal deficit and public debt.
How then does one pursue build, better, and more in the context of growth, growth, and growth with modest spending?
Our own take is that what also worked against all economies of this world are the global headwinds. In 2023, global growth stalled from 3.5% in 2022 to 3% in 2023. Indeed, our exports were hit seriously as they accounted for a sizeable share of GDP. That’s why we find the recent upgrade of the Philippines’ 2024 economic growth by the IMF counter-intuitive because of their expectation of a stronger recovery in investments and exports.
But the IMF itself, in the World Economic Outlook, anticipates a further deceleration of 2.9% global growth in 2024 from last year’s 3%.
With it, domestic manufacturing and processing output could be one of the collateral costs. What is happening in the Middle East and Eastern Europe are not exactly helping expand global trade and investment. Oil prices remained precarious in the last quarter to this day, and therefore we should expect high inflation to persist and pull down even our domestic economic performance through mostly lower consumer spending. Uncertainty in the world produces reticence in investment and production, the propensity to pursue business activities and give jobs to people.
We have other reasons to be less optimistic about growth last year.
El Niño is one big elephant in the room. We are not sure if we have been at all bothered enough by the reported prolonged dry spell to take more decisive action. We wish to be proven wrong but already crop production may not bring in the expected harvest to produce positive growth this year. The last quarter of last year simply eked out a small positive. In addition, swine production is hamstrung by the sustained onslaught of the African Swine Fever in at least 134 barangays in 58 municipalities. We don’t know whether the reported fish deficit in the last quarter of 2023 could spill over to 2024.
Last quarter’s purchasing managers index (PMI) also pointed to lower levels compared to year-ago levels. With a good correlation to actual economic performance, the PMI is a good predictor of future growth.
If indeed high inflation restrained consumption and investment, the lagged effects of recent wage adjustments in practically all regions in the country could have also reined in business activities in the last quarter.
Yes, only Vietnam seemed to have overtaken us in growth performance in 2023 to join the fastest growing economies in the world and in Asia. But we still have a lot of catching up to do as a result of the deep recession we sustained in 2020 due to the pandemic. We declined by more than 10% and frustrated our plan to quickly break out of the lower middle-income trap. Economic scarring is real, and it is felt in our labor market and educational institutions. We have a poverty of skills and quality education.
We reiterate that beyond that, downside risks to growth appear to be dominant. El Niño will be prolonged until the end of the first half of 2024; oil prices could surge again; the political upheaval associated with the Philippine Charter change is not only a turn off, but also a killjoy; the ongoing China-Philippine territorial disputes over the West Philippine Sea could have some unwanted economic effects; the uncertainty surrounding the next US Fed move; and of course, the broadening geo-economic fragmentation could put a cap on our external trade and investment.
When our economic forecasts fail, it is better to look at the economic analysis underlying those quantitative outcomes for direction, for broad guidance.
Considering the so-called degrees of freedom when doing those forecasts, we would say they did not fail. They just missed the point.
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.
PANA, established in 1958, is one of the pioneer and distinguished organizations in the country comprising close to 300 members from various multinational and local companies engaged in advertising and brand building. To know more about PANA, visit www.pana.com.ph.
