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Six Philippine conglomerates, US firm propose P100-B NAIA upgrade

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

A NEW CONSORTIUM composed of six of the country’s biggest conglomerates and US-based Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) submitted an unsolicited proposal to the government to upgrade the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

The Manila International Airport Consortium (MIAC) in a statement said the unsolicited proposal, valued at over P100 billion, includes a “significant upfront payment to the government and committed investments in new facilities and technology to turn the NAIA into a world-class airport.”

MIAC is composed of Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp., Alliance Global – Infracorp Development, Inc., Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Infrastructure Holdings Corp. and GIP. GIP is described as one of the leading airport operators in the world.

“As the only large-scale operating gateway airport to the Philippines, the modernization and long-term sustainability of NAIA is a critical development priority for both the country’s public and private sectors. Recognizing the primacy of NAIA to the country’s economic growth, the consortium is bringing highly complementary expertise and making an unprecedented commitment to its sustainability and continued viability,” Kevin L. Tan, MIAC director and Alliance Global, Inc. chief executive officer (CEO), said in a statement.

With its proposal, MIAC expects the NAIA will be able to serve up to 62.5 million passengers per annum by 2028. This would be more than double its current capacity of 31 million passengers per annum.

“We submit this proposal united in the belief that our gateway to the world needs to represent the best of who we are as Filipinos… The consortium is confident that with additional financial resources as well as operating process and technology improvements, NAIA can help achieve that vision,” Josephine Gotianun Yap, MIAC director and Filinvest Development Corp. president and CEO, said in the same statement.

The six conglomerates plus Metro Pacific Investments Corp., had previously submitted a P350-billion unsolicited proposal to rehabilitate the NAIA to the Duterte administration in 2018.

At that time, Megawide Construction Corp. and GMR Infrastructure Ltd. had also submitted a $3-billion proposal to upgrade the NAIA.

Both proposals were rejected by the Duterte administration. — A.H.Halili

DoubleDragon unit buys lot for Hotel101 in Spain

HOTEL101GLOBAL.COM

SIA-LED DoubleDragon Corp. said on Thursday that its unit Hotel101 Global Pte. Ltd. has agreed to buy a 6,593-square-meter commercial land in Madrid, Spain for a hotel location.

“Hotel101-Madrid is set to be the very first homegrown Filipino hotel chain to enter Spain,” the company said in a regulatory filing.

DoubleDragon said that it expects to generate about €143.3 million (P8.8 billion) in consolidated sales from the new location, “given the high real estate investment demand in Madrid driven by the Spanish Golden Visa.” The company was referring to a residence permit for noncitizens of the European Union who invest significantly in Spain.

Its Madrid site will have about 736 rooms and will be located in Avenida Fuerzas Armadas, Valdebebas, Madrid.

“[It is a] three minutes walk to the Valdebebas Train Station, four minutes walk to IFEMA convention complex, five minutes walk to Real Madrid Sports Complex, and around seven minutes to the new Madrid Barajas International Airport,” the company said.

“Hotel101-Madrid is set to become one of the Top 5 largest hotels in Madrid, Spain,” it added.

In an earlier disclosure, the company said that it seeks to build about 500,000 Hotel 101 rooms in its portfolio by 2040.

“DoubleDragon’s vision for Hotel101 [is] to become world-class in all standards and create job opportunities to Filipinos who reside in the Philippines or abroad,” it said.

It also expects the hotel brand to “bring a pinch of pride and honor to each and every Filipino from anywhere around the world where Hotel101 will eventually locate and operate.”

The company reported its net earnings for 2022 at P12.92 billion, up 14.5% from P11.28 billion a year earlier. The increase came despite its consolidated revenues falling by 11.3% to P14.13 billion.

On Thursday, DoubleDragon shares surged by 10.56% or P0.75 to finish at P7.85 each. — Adrian H. Halili

DITO set to launch postpaid, enterprise products

DITO Telecommunity Corp. is set to launch postpaid and enterprise product offerings by June this year, company officials said on Thursday.

“In June, we are launching our postpaid plans. That’s going to affect this significantly. In June, we are going to enter the enterprise business. We will be offering things to companies, small enterprises — so this P7.2 billion that’s nothing to what’s coming,” DITO Chief Administrative Officer Adel A. Tamano said.

“You haven’t seen anything yet. Last year, we earned P7.2 billion — that’s just our prepaid,” Mr. Tamano said at a media briefing.

In entering the postpaid and enterprise market, one of the telco’s “edge” will be its affordability, DITO Chief Technology Officer Rodolfo D. Santiago said.

“There is a lot of technology that we are using to help provide customers value for money. We are expecting that potential clients see us as much more reliable and cheaper,” Mr. Santiago said, citing the company’s cloud software.

DITO has an auditing commitment to allot P27 billion for capital expenditure (capex) this year to increase its coverage. This would bring the company’s cumulative capex under its commitment to the government to P230 billion by the end of the year.

“Our committed capex is P27 billion. To be very accurate, it may increase or decrease based on the need of the network. My sense is we will reach that,” Mr. Tamano said.

According to Mr. Santiago, the company is approaching 77% to 78% coverage, which is close to the target for its technical audit that will happen on July 8.

“Our target for our fourth technical audit that will happen on July 8 is 80% coverage. We’re at around 77%-78% so we just need 2%,” he added.

In 2022, the telco’s parent firm DITO CME Holdings Corp. booked a threefold increase in revenues from contracts with customers to P7.28 billion from P2.19 billion in the previous year.

DITO CME’s net loss last year widened to P11.24 billion from P9.67 billion in 2021.— Justine Irish D. Tabile

Are you not entertained?

BOUNCERS keep warring parties apart in the rebooted Face 2 Face.

Face 2 Face makes a comeback

EVERYBODY loves a good fight, and no one showed them like Face 2 Face did from 2010 to 2013 on TV5.

THE SHOW, originally hosted by Amy Perez, then by Gelli de Belen, pitted two opposing parties against one another, facing disparate issues such as unpaid rent, stolen items (and boyfriends), and marital conflicts. Ms. Perez would interview both parties onstage to get their sides, but this would inevitably lead to fighting. In several episodes, Ms. Perez would have to jump out of her seat to avoid being caught in the crossfire, while two burly bouncers would pull the fighters apart.

Ms. Perez was aided by a co-host (the late Hans Mortel), who handled the similarly riled-up audience.

The show was also held up by a sort of “moral panel,” consisting of a lawyer (Persida Acosta, then the Chief Public Attorney of the Public Attorney’s Office), a clergyman (priest Sonny Merida), and a psychologist (Dr. Camille Garcia), who doled out advice to the fuming guests. Think of it like a preachy, moralizing local version of Jerry Springer. The show became a guilty pleasure, a pop culture talking point, and even had its own anthology drama spin-off.

The show has been off the air since 2013, and times have changed since then. The world has become decidedly more politically correct, and convincing people to duke it out on national television has become generally frowned upon. However, we think about all the secretly recorded catfights we’d watch on Facebook or TikTok, or even the ones played out on more important stages like the halls of government. We can think about how Raffy Tulfo’s show, a watered-down Face 2 Face, propelled the columnist and host into the senate. Perhaps there’s something feral left in all of us: so much so that TV5 is bringing Face 2 Face back, with a premiere set on May 1 at 11 a.m.

There will be changes, of course: actress, host, and celebrity mother Karla Estrada will be taking the center seat for the Face 2 Face reboot. Standup comedian Alex Calleja will be by the audience, themselves involved in the action by participating in live polls. The panel — then and now called the Trio Tagapayo — will now consist of lawyer Lorna Kapunan (known for handling high-profile celebrity cases), radio host Jun Banaag (known for his handle “Dr. Love”), and the original Face 2 Face psychologist, Ms. Garcia.

The need to reformat the show’s original formula was discussed by TV5 COO Dino Laurena during a media conference at the set of Face 2 Face on April 17. “Ang unang-unang pumasok sa aming konsiderasiyon ay hindi na po entertainment ang Face 2 Face (the very first thing that we considered was that Face 2 Face will no longer be for entertainment), although I’m sure everybody will be entertained: both in the fights but at the same time, the resolutions,” he said.

“Pinag-aralan naming mabuti kung ano iyong bagay na kinagigiliwan ng mga manonood. Masama mang pakinggan, iyong dating pinag-galingan ng Face 2 Face, talagang ang binabantayan ay iyong bangayan (We studied well what things the audiences liked. It sounds bad, but in the original Face 2 Face, they really looked out for the fights),” he said. “Pero ang hindi natin nakita noon ay iyong resolusiyon na nangyayari pagkatapos, kasi hindi naman po pinabayaan ng TV5 na nauwi na lang sa awayan, tapos pag-uwi, parang wala na. Mahirap po iyon. Parang blood money iyon eh. Pinag-kakitaan natin iyong away ng iba (But what we did not see before were the resolutions that came after, because TV5 wouldn’t allow them to be led into a fight, and then leave it at that when they go home. That’s difficult. It’s like blood money. Earning from somebody else’s fight).

“We feel that we owe our public and our audiences a new kind of Face 2 Face. Not to say we weren’t happy with what we had before, but we owe it to our general public to make Face 2 Face an even better program with the people who are now involved in this show,” he said.

As if to prove a point, snippets shown during the press conference showed people hugging it out (but not before having to be pulled apart by the new bouncers: Marife 1 and 2).

The show’s new director, Frank Lloyd Mamaril, also dispelled the notion that the fights have been scripted and fixed. “Ang daming nagsasabing scripted ito, pero hindi pala talaga (lots of people said this was scripted, but it really wasn’t),” he said. He may have once thought that, but after going behind the camera, he noted that their guests needed minimal direction during the backstage interviews: they were already aggressive.

He talks about why this format — so polarizing, so common, and yet so juicy — works in a country like ours. “Ang Pinoy kasi, naturally, chismoso’t chismosa iyan. Gusto niya involved siya doon sa issue na pinapanood nila (Filipinos are natural gossips. They want to be involved in the issue they’re watching).”

MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., a unit of the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund, is the parent company of TV5. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of MediaQuest, has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.

Starting May 1, Face 2 Face will air Monday to Friday at 11 a.m. on TV5, and 8 p.m. on One PH, available on Cignal Ch. 1, SatLite Ch. 1, and Cignal Play. —  Joseph L. Garcia

SEC studies higher fines for late, non-filing of annual financial reports

SCOTT GRAHAM-UNSPLASH

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is considering an increase in the fines and penalties imposed on corporations for the late and non-filing of their annual financial statements and general information sheet, it said in a media release on Thursday.

In its proposed guidelines, the commission will raise penalties by 20% from the base penalty per offense. Penalties will be imposed on a per report and per year basis, with a monthly fine added on top of the base fines for continued violations until the requirements are submitted by the company.

The SEC said penalties for corporations that filed their reportorial requirement late could range from P5,000 to P27,000 with an additional fine of P500 up to P1,000 per month depending on their retained earnings.

Penalties for non-filing of reports could range from P10,000 to P54,000. A monthly fine will also be imposed ranging from P500 to P1,000.

For foreign companies, a fine of up to P54,000 and P45,000 may be imposed on stock and non-stock corporations for late filings, respectively. For non-filing of financial statements, the corresponding fine could go as high as P90,000 and P45,000.

“The scale of penalties will be based on the retained earnings for domestic stock corporations, fund balance for domestic non-stock corporations, and accumulated income for foreign stock corporations,” the SEC said.

Additionally, companies may also be fined P20,000 for the violation of Memorandum Circular No. 2, series of 2023.

“Memorandum CircularNo. 2, s. 2023, provided regulated entities opportunity to settle their fines and penalties at a reduced rate to encourage compliance with reportorial requirements,” the SEC added.

The regulator may also declare a company under delinquent status after three consecutive failures to submit its requirements or intermittently after five years.

“A fourth offense may also constitute a revocation of a corporation’s registration if it has been given reasonable notice regarding its delinquent status,” it said. — Adrian H. Halili

Disney sues Florida’s DeSantis for ‘weaponizing’ government

WALT Disney Co. sued Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday, asking a court to overturn state efforts to control Disney World and intensifying a battle between a global entertainment giant and a likely White House contender.

In its lawsuit, Disney accused Mr. DeSantis and his supporters of illegally using the state government to punish a company for voicing an opinion that should be protected by free-speech rights.

The skirmish began last year after Disney criticized a Florida measure banning classroom discussion of sexuality and gender identity with younger children. Mr. DeSantis repeatedly attacked “woke Disney” in public remarks.

Florida lawmakers passed legislation that ended Disney’s virtual autonomy in central Florida where the Disney World theme parks attract millions of visitors each year.

In the action filed in federal court in Tallahassee, Disney said it aimed to protect Disney World’s employees, guests, and developers from “retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials.”

“Disney now is forced to defend itself against a State weaponizing its power to inflict political punishment,” the company said.

Last year, Disney’s then-chief executive, Bob Chapek, said the company opposed a bill formally known as the Parental Rights in Education Act. Critics called it the “Don’t say gay” law.

Disney’s lawsuit alleges that a newly formed Mr. DeSantis-appointed tourist board violated the company’s contract rights, and did so without just compensation or due process. The company is asking the court to declare Florida’s legislative action unlawful.

Mr. DeSantis has argued that Disney, which employs roughly 75,000 people in Florida, had been enjoying unfair advantages for decades.

“We are unaware of any legal right that a company has to operate its own government or maintain special privileges,” DeSantis spokesman Jeremy Redfern said Wednesday on Twitter.

The governor is currently traveling in Asia on a four-country trade mission.

Disney shares fell 1.4% to close at $96.61 on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday.

POLITICAL RISK
Mr. DeSantis’ clash with Disney has been a centerpiece of his speeches as he toured the United States ahead of his expected presidential bid. But as the battle has intensified, it has brought mounting political risk.

Former President Donald Trump, the favorite for the Republican nomination, has slammed Mr. DeSantis’ stance, saying on social media that the governor “is being destroyed by Disney” and warning that the company would reduce its investments in Florida.

Carlos Curbelo, a former US Republican congressman from Miami, said Mr. DeSantis’ attacks on Disney “made sense for a time.”

“Now it’s coming across as petty and personal,” Mr. Curbelo said. “Disney clearly detects that the governor is in a weaker position today and is going on offense for the first time in this conflict.”

Before DeSantis appointees took over a state board that oversees Disney World, the company pushed through changes to the special tax district agreement that limit the board’s action for decades.

Florida’s new oversight body on Wednesday said Disney’s plans for potential expansion of Disney World did not comply with state law, and declared that agreement void.

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board unanimously supported an attorney’s findings of legal flaws in the developers’ agreement Disney reached in February with a previous board, including a lack of proper public notice.

“What they created is an absolute legal mess,” said board Chairman Martin Garcia. “It will not work.” Disney announced its lawsuit minutes later.

The tussle could boost Mr. DeSantis’ support among US Republican voters, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found, but also hurt him among the wider electorate.

Seventy-three percent of respondents — including 82% of Democrats and 63% of Republicans — said they were less likely to support a political candidate who backs laws designed to punish a company for its political or cultural stances.

The judge that will oversee Disney’s case against Mr. DeSantis, US District Judge Mark Walker, has struck down several laws that defined the governor’s conservative political agenda, including statutes that sought to limit the speech of college professors, curtailed protests, and restricted voting access. —  Reuters

Globe users have best telco experience, says Opensignal’s Q1 report

BW FILE PHOTO

GLOBE Telecom, Inc.’s users have the best experience in video, games and voice applications in the first quarter of the year, global consumer analyst Opensignal said.

In a study Opensignal conducted from January to March, it found that aside from Globe replacing Smart Communications, Inc. as the outright winner for all three overall experiential awards, it is also the sole winner of the corresponding 5G experience awards.

“Globe wins with a score of 58.2 points on a 100-point scale, ahead of second-placed DITO [Telecommunity Corp.’s] 56.2 points, while former winner Smart is in third place with 52.9 points,” Opensignal said.

Globe was the only Filipino operator to place in the “good” category, while Smart and DITO are one category lower at “fair.”

“This means that our Globe users are, on average, able to stream video at 720 pixels or better with satisfactory loading times and little stalling,” the analyst said.

Meanwhile, it said that Smart leads in download speeds after winning overall the download speed experience and 5G download speed awards.

Data from Opensignal showed that Smart scored 25.3 megabytes per second (Mbps) download speed, 11.2% faster than DITO’s 22.8 Mbps and 56% faster than Globe’s 16.2 Mbps.

“Smart users saw the fastest average 5G download speeds — 133.2 Mbps, 22.5 Mbps faster than Globe users’ 110.8 Mbps,” Opensignal said.

Smart has also won three out of four coverage awards — 5G availability, 5G reach, and 4G coverage experience — which Opensignal said means that its users spend the greatest proportion of their time connected to 5G.

On the other hand, DITO won the excellent consistent quality award with a score of 58.8%, replacing Smart, and the core consistent quality award at 79.7%, replacing Globe.

Opensignal also found DITO users to have seen an impressive rise of 5.6 Mbps or 32.3% in download speed, while Smart and Globe recorded a rise of 2.9 Mbps or 12.7% and 2.1 Mbps or 14.8%, respectively. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

EntertainmentNews (04/28/23)

Martin Nievera in charity concert

BALLADEER Martin Nievera will be performing in a concert, Martin Nievera: The Journey Continues, for the benefit of adult leukemia patients and their families. The concert will be held on May 11, 8 p.m., at the Samsung Hall of SM Aura Premier in BGC, Taguig. Proceeds will benefit the Hope Fund of the nonprofit EPCALM Adult Leukemia Foundation of the Philippines. He will be joined on stage by EPCALM Advocates Pops Fernandez and Kuh Ledesma. Concert tickets — which range in price from P2,500 to P10,000 — are available at SM Tickets outlets nationwide, and online at www.smtickets.com.

Concert celebrates music of the 1970s

A CONCERT called Tugtugan Sitenta, Kantahan at Sayawan, starring some of the biggest OPM stars of the 1970s, will be held on May 31, 8 p.m., at The Theatre at Solaire. The featured artists are Boboy Garrovillo and Jim Paredes of Apo Hiking Society; Joey Abando of Boyfriends; Male Rigor and Monet Gaskell of VST & Co.; Mike Hanopol; Sampaguita; Mon Espia of Labuyo; Pete Gatela, Carlos Parsons, and Yujin Baydal of Hagibis; and Nonoy Tan and Rey Magtoto of WADAB. Tickets to this one-night tribute to the golden age of original Pilipino musicare available at TicketWorld outlets (www.ticketworld.com.ph), the Solaire Box Office (8888-8888 loc. 60134), and the Zonta Club of Makati-Ayala (zontamakatiayala@gmail.com). Ticket prices range from P1,990 to P6,880.

Season 2 of And Just Like That… set for June on HBO GO

HBO has announced that And Just Like That…, the sequel to the popular series Sex and the City, will have a second season which will debut on HBO GO in June.  Returning series regulars include Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Sara Ramírez, Sarita Choudhury, Nicole Ari Parker, Karen Pittman, Mario Cantone, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Christopher Jackson, Niall Cunningham, Cathy Ang, and Alexa Swinton. The HBO series Sex and the City was created by Darren Star and based on the book Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell. And Just Like That… Season 1 is currently available for streaming and download on HBO GO.

Vertical Horizon returning to Manila for a concert

AWARD-winning alternative rock band Vertical Horizon is set to return to Manila for a concert after more than eight years. This was announced by Philippine-based show promoter, DMC Philippines on their official social media page. The Manila leg of the Vertical Horizon 2023 Tour will take place on July 18 at the SM North EDSA Skydome. Tickets are available at SM Tickets and Ticketmax for P5,500 (VIP, assigned seating), and P3,500 (General Admission, free seating). The first 50 early bird ticket buyers are eligible to have free meet and greet, before the show starts. Known for their critically acclaimed album, Everything You Want, which was certified double platinum in the US and gold in Canada, Vertical Horizon pushed the envelope of late 1990s alternative rock with their catchy melodies and introspective songwriting. The chart-topping quartet has produced some of the biggest hits of the late ’90s and early 2000s, including the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit, “Everything You Want,” “You’re A God,” “Best I Ever Had,” and “Send It Up.”

Rude-α, ¥uk-B, Alisson Shore, Waiian, Tanayu collaborate

JAPANESE hip-hop acts Rude-α and ¥uk-B link up with Filipino rappers Alisson Shore and Waiian and Indonesian singer-songwriter Tanayu for Our New Songlines 2023, a multi-disciplinary effort that brings together artists from the Asian region in their bid towards “weaving new music, using their imagination as a source of inspiration, while searching for a way to hope for the future.” They are set to perform at the Music Town Oto-Ichiba in Koza, Japan on Aug. 26 as part of Basketball World Cup 2023’s series of sideshows in three key cities co-hosting the tournament: Manila, Jakarta, and Koza (Japan). Aside from the individual and collaborative performances, the participating acts are currently working on a new song that reflects the vision and theme of Songlines — the invisible paths that have been passed down among the indigenous Aboriginal people of Australia as a guide towards one’s journey into the new world. The music project is presented by Okinawa City and Music Town Oto-Ichiba in partnership with Music Lane Okinawa, The Rest Is Noise PH, and SRM Bookings and Services.

Fra Lippo Lippi adds 2nd PHL concert date

PHILIPPINE-based promoter DMC Philippines has announced that Fra Lippo Lippi will be staging another show on June 17 at the Santa Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna. This is in addition to the previously announced performance on June 16 at The Theatre at Solaire. The Norwegian pop act, headed by lead vocalist and keyboardist Per Sorensen, returns for concert that celebrates their legacy as one of the most iconic hitmakers of the new wave era. Fra Lippo Lippi made a name in the 1980s for producing classic tunes such as “Everytime I See You,” “Beauty and Madness,” “Stitches and Burns,” “Light and Shade,” “The Distance Between Us,” “Angel,” and more. After bassist and founding co-member Rune Kristoffer decided to call it quits, Per Sorensen kept the band’s music alive through live concert tours all around the world, with the Philippines as one of its regular stops. This year, he is set to headline the concert as the prominent personality behind Fra Lippo Lippi, performing some of the band’s greatest hits, as well as some rarities. This event is supported by Steve Hovington of B-Movie, who will be performing with Fra Lippo Lippi’s Per Sorensen at both venues. The event is presented by New DMC Entertainment Production Management, Maui & Sons, and The Rail.

Dystopian realities feature in free film screenings

A RICH collection of critically acclaimed and award-winning dystopian and psychological horror thrillers on the personal anxieties and conflicts brought by social divisions will be screened for free on the last four Wednesdays of May. The films are: Snowpiercer (2013) by South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho, which depicts how a failed climate change experiment wiped all life and only saved those who boarded a train that travels around the globe (May 10); Elysium (2013) by South African-Canadian filmmaker Neill Blomkamp, which transports the audience into the year 2154 when the ultrarich live aboard the paradisiacal man-made space station, while the poor struggle amid the Earth’s ruins (May 17); The Platform (2019) by Spanish filmmaker Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, a sci-fi horror that introduces a vertical level prison with a single food platform so only those in the upper cells are fed while those below starve (May 24); and Get Out (2017) by American actor and comedian Jordan Peele, a body-snatching psychological thriller that follows a young African-American out on a weekend visit to his white girlfriend’s parents (May 31). Selected by the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde the films will be shown online for free via Zoom at noon on the scheduled dates. To register, e-mail mcad@benilde.edu.ph. For more information, visit the official Facebook page of MCAD (https://www.facebook.com/MCADManila).

Pierce Brosnan hosts show on the greatest heists

THE HISTORY Channel will premiere a new eight-episode series, History’s Greatest Heists with Pierce Brosnan, on April 30. It will air every Sunday at 9 p.m. Using dramatic recreations, dynamic storytelling, cutting-edge visual effects, and first-person witness accounts, the show will explore the intricate schemes of criminal masterminds who risked their freedom for a shot at a lifetime of wealth and riches. Hosted by Irish actor Pierce Brosnan, each one-hour episode uncovers the meticulous planning, daring execution, and shocking aftermath behind some of the most elaborate real-life heists in history, including the Lufthansa Heist of New York, the half-billion-dollar Gardner Museum art theft, and the Antwerp Belgium Diamond Heist, among others.

New dates added to Ang Huling El Bimbo the Musical

ANG HULING El Bimbo the Musical returned to the Newport Performing Arts Theater last weekend, featuring a new cast, fresh choreography, production, and the iconic songs of the Eraserheads. The show has performances every Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and matinee performances every Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. this April, with new show dates recently added in May to accommodate more theatergoers. Presented by Newport World Resorts’ production outfit Full House Theater Company, Ang Huling El Bimbo tells the tale of four friends Anthony, Emman, Joy, and Hector in the past and present. Tickets are now available at Newport World Resorts Box Office, TicketWorld, and SM Tickets outlets with prices ranging from P1,079 to P3,776. It is recommended for audiences aged 13 years old and above. For more information on Ang Huling El Bimbo the Musical and its show schedule, visit www.newportworldresorts.com and follow @newportworldresorts and @fullhousetheater on Facebook and Instagram, @nwresorts on Twitter.

Boy band A1 coming to PHL

POP boy band, A1, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a concert, A1: TWENTY FIVE – MANILA, at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City’s Araneta City, on Oct .14. Tickets will go on-sale starting Friday, April 28, at noon. They will be available at all Ticketnet outlets or by logging on to www.ticketnet.com.ph. Call (02) 911-5555 for more information. The popular British-Norwegian boy band is going on tour — aptly called TWENTY FIVE — to celebrate their 25th anniversary in the music industry. A1 last performed in the Philippines in 2018. A1 has been performing with its original line-up — Paul Marazzi, Christian Ingebrigtsen, Mark Read, and Ben Adams — since Marazzi re-joined the group in 2018 for their 20th Anniversary Reunion Tour. Presented by Concert Republic, tickets to A1: TWENTY FIVE – MANILA range in price from P2,750++ to P5,250++.

Now Corp. taps Cisco for nationwide 5G network

STOCK PHOTO | Image by terimakasih0 from Pixabay

NOW Corp. and Now Telecom Co., Inc. have moved to transform the group into a digital service and mobile telecommunications provider with its tie-up with Cisco International Ltd.

“Now Group is determined to bring about true 5G and National Broadband Network (NBN) technologies in the Philippines, together with its partnership with the US Government,” Now Corp. Chairman Mel V. Velarde said in a press release.

“Cisco, being a technology leader, will definitely play a significant role in enabling Now’s network with best of class technologies,” he added.

Through the alliance, listed telco Now will be able to roll out advanced 5G solutions that are expected to benefit its enterprise customers in the manufacturing, logistics, port operations, banking, and business process outsourcing industries.

“Given the ongoing digitization of businesses, mobile carriers will require the advanced capabilities of 5G networks such as high speed, low latency, reliability, and dynamic provisioning,” said Sanjay Kaul, president of service provider for Cisco in the Asia Pacific and Japan region.

“Through our partnership with [Now], we can support their network infrastructure’s transition into this new era of digitization by harnessing the potential of 5G technology,” he added.

The tie-up will help Now in customizing its end-to-end solutions to better meet the needs of its customers.

“Overall, this partnership between Now and Cisco brings together the strengths of the parties, combining Now Telecom’s local market knowledge and customer relationships with Cisco’s global reach and expertise in providing advanced networking solutions,” the company said. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

LANDBANK sees net earnings drop by 18% in the first quarter

BW FILE PHOTO

LAND BANK of the Philippines’ (LANDBANK) net income decreased by 18% year on year in the first quarter as the year-ago level was buoyed by a one-time gain.

LANDBANK booked a net income of P10.8 billion in the January-to-March period, lower than the P13.2 billion seen in the first quarter of 2022 that was “propelled by non-recurring miscellaneous income,” it said in a statement on Thursday.

This translated to a return on equity of 12.46%.

Other details on its financial performance were not immediately available.

Despite the year-on-year decline, its first-quarter profit was higher by P2 billion versus its target for the period and made up 30.8% of the bank’s P35-billion income goal for 2023.

LANDBANK said its first-quarter earnings were supported by higher interest income and lower operating costs.

“Interest income from loans and investments rose 54% to P20.9 billion, despite the higher cost of funds due to volume of deposits and rising interest rates,” it said.

Deposits with the bank rose to P2.8 trillion at end-March, with 71% of this being deposits by the government sector.

Meanwhile, net interest margin stood at 3%.

“On the other hand, operating expense declined by P797 million,” LANDBANK added.

The bank’s capital rose by 3.2% to P225.3 billion.

Its assets grew by 11.7% to P3.1 trillion at end-March.

“As we maximize yields from earning assets while being prudent with our expenses, LANDBANK’s robust financial position allows us to advance the National Government’s development agenda,” LANDBANK President and Chief Executive Officer Cecilia C. Borromeo was quoted as saying.

“We are fully capable to continue extending intensified support to the agriculture sector and other key economic industries, while driving sustainable growth in local communities,” Ms. Borromeo added. — AMCS

PAL Holdings, Inc. to hold annual stockholders’ meeting via remote communication on May 25

 

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Nintendo’s new Zelda sequel gives players memeable creative powers

ZELDA.COM/TEARS-OF-THE-KINGDOM/

THE previous entry in Nintendo Co.’s seminal The Legend of Zelda series was acclaimed largely because of its momentous sense of exploration. The next game adds a new dimension that will undoubtedly turn it into one of the most memeable video games of the year: construction.

Nintendo has mostly kept mum on the details of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which will be released on May 12. But a recent demo of the game in New York City gave journalists more than an hour of hands-on time with the highly anticipated sequel and put a spotlight on one of the key features. Players can combine items they find throughout the world, building their own machines to battle enemies and explore the skies. During the demo, I built airplanes, flying air balloons, and one rocket-powered contraption that took me soaring.

Tears of the Kingdom is a follow-up to 2017’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which is widely considered among critics and fans to be one of the best video games ever made. It has sold 29 million copies — twice as many as the next-highest Zelda title. It was released in conjunction with Nintendo’s Switch console, helping catapult it to massive success. With 122.5 million units sold, the Switch is the third-best-selling video-game console of all time.

Expectations are high for the new game, in which you play as a mute but expressive hero named Link who must again save the Kingdom of Hyrule from the evil, monstrous Ganon. The new Zelda may be one of Nintendo’s last big hits for the six-year-old Switch, which is still selling well but is out-classed by its competitors in technical specs. The Japanese publisher is expected to release a successor within the next few years.

While speaking to journalists, Nintendo marketing representative Ethan Stockton described Tears of the Kingdom as a game about “Yes, and…”, a reference to the popular catchphrase describing an experience that is continually additive. Like its predecessor, Tears of the Kingdom is what developers might call “systemic” — rather than creating a linear, guided experience, it gives players a set of tools and asks them to imagine myriad solutions.

After a brief introductory session, the demo placed Link in front of a giant fortress full of enemy Bokoblins who were guarding a giant tower. Mr. Stockton explained that players could attempt to get to the tower in whatever way they chose.

This was where the charms of the game and its Minecraft-evoking capabilities quickly became apparent. Rather than fight through the monsters, I chose to build a flying machine. My first attempt was a failure thanks to two misaligned rockets that sent me spinning off in the wrong direction. My second creation, a makeshift floating platform, launched me right into the Bokoblin camp, where I was promptly slaughtered. It was the third machine, powered by a fire-igniting balloon, that took me high enough that I could soar straight to the top of the tower, skipping all of the monsters and obstacles below.

Breath of the Wild was a revelation because it allowed players to explore every nook and cranny of a seemingly boundless world. Tears of the Kingdom takes that universe and adds several new dimensions, such as floating islands and perhaps, as trailers have hinted, an underground territory.

Link’s other new aptitudes in Tears of the Kingdom should lead to additional creative possibilities. The “fuse” ability, which allows the player to attach objects such as fire plants or mushrooms to weapons and shields, has already been the source of many fantastic social media posts following a gameplay preview that Nintendo posted in late March. One Nintendo representative pointed out that Link can jury-rig a hammer out of a stick and a rock, allowing him to access new areas by smashing apart weak walls or floors. (Sadly, only two items can be fused together at once, dispelling any dreams of making, say, a sword that circumnavigates Hyrule.) The “recall” ability, which rewinds the last few seconds of a given object’s trajectory, can be used either to reverse your mistakes or to send incoming projectiles back into the faces of enemies.

The demo left me with a few lingering questions that won’t be answered until the game is released. Will the Switch’s technical capacities struggle to support a game this ambitious? Will the controls, which seemed unwieldy during my brief session, eventually feel more natural? And will Zelda, who has spent years playing the part of damsel in distress, have a more active role or even be controllable this time around?

It’s difficult to gauge a game as sprawling as Tears of the Kingdom after playing for only an hour, but the potential combination of Breath of the Wild’s wonder with Minecraft’s creativity makes this seem like another potentially big winner for Nintendo. —  Bloomberg

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