CANNED food manufacturer Century Pacific Food, Inc. said on Monday that its plant-based luncheon meat brand unMEAT is now available in more than 2,000 Walmart stores in the United States.
“This vote of confidence from Walmart affirms that we are heading in the right direction with respect to our plant-based business,” said Century Pacific Food Chief Operating Officer Gregory H. Banzon.
“We believe in the long-term potential of plant-based alternatives, and brands like ‘unMEAT’ have a role to play to sustainably address the food requirements of an increasingly growing global population,” he added.
The vegan meat alternative brand was first launched in the country in 2020 and was “favorably received both locally and abroad.”
The food manufacturer introduced the brand domestically through Shakey’s Pizza. This was followed by a retail launch across major supermarkets nationwide ahead of a global rollout in 2021.
Aside from luncheon meat, it also launched plant-based dairy alternative unCHEESE in 2021 and seafood alternative unMEAT Fish-free Tuna in 2022.
“We are continuously developing and testing out new ‘unMEAT’ products to expand the range and to provide consumers with more plant-based options. As we work on increasing our reach in key international markets to further grow the brand, we are also looking to develop products that would cater to local tastes,” Mr. Banzon said.
Mr. Banzon noted the possibility of a long-term double-digit growth rate in the plant-based meat market. He said that the company’s business plans were anchored in this kind of market environment.
Aside from Walmart, unMEAT is distributed in the US through HEB, Harris Teeter, Meijer, and selected natural and grocery stores. It can also be purchased on specialty e-commerce sites such as GTFO, It’s Vegan, Weee!, and Vegan Black Market.
“We are continuing to roll out unMEAT worldwide, but the focus would be in these key markets where we have a strong distribution network in place,” the company said in an email.
“Currently, the goal is to get into more doors in these key markets, generate trial and awareness, and execute well. We are also continuing to innovate as part of our business ambition to democratize the category and advocacy to promote a flexitarian lifestyle,” it added.
The product brand is currently rolled out in the United Arab Emirates, the US, China, Australia, and Singapore.
Century Pacific Food is a holding firm with business interests in buying and selling, processing, canning, packaging, and manufacturing food products.
At the stock market on Monday, its shares rose by 0.39% or 10 centavos to close at P25.50 each. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
FILIPINO rapper-producer Young Cocoa “J-TOWN (PM)”
Barbie celebrates 25th anniversary with concert
Filipino alt-rock icon Barbie Almalbis reunites with her former bands, Hungry Young Poets and Barbie’s, for a 25th Anniversary concert aptly titled Firewoman: 25 Years of Barbie Almalbis. The award-winning singer-songwriter will perform some of the most notable hits of her career in three separate sets: as a frontwoman of the aforementioned bands, and as a solo artist who managed to make a name for herself. “While this is truly a dream for me, it was GNN Entertainment Productions who first believed it could happen and conceptualized the show,” the Tabing Ilog hitmaker said in a statement. “We reached out Ricci Gurango, Franklin Benitez, Rommel de la Cruz, Wendell Garcia, and Kakoy Legaspi, and we’re delighted that they were all excited to do it too. Ricci, who now lives in the US, is coming home to the Philippines for the show.” The concert is set to take place at 123 Block in Mandala Park on March 11, from 2 p.m. onwards. It will also feature performances by Sandwich, Gab Alipe of Urbandub, Clara Benin, I Belong To The Zoo, Kai del Rio, and Bird, among others. Tickets to the show are now available for purchase via TicketMelon.
Gigi De Lana live
SINGER Gigi De Lana and the Gigi Vibes band are headlining a concert called G Rules at The Theatre at Solaire on Feb. 18, 8 p.m. After the success of their Domination concert tour last year in Manila, the Middle East, and the US, Ms. De Lana and her bandmates — Jon Cruz (musical director, keyboard), Jake Manalo (bass), Julius Traqueña (guitar), and Romeo Marquez (drums) — will perform their original songs and song covers. Presented by ABS-CBN Events and Solaire Resort Entertainment City, ticket prices range from P1,620 to P6,480. Available on ticketworld.com.ph and the Solaire Box Office.
Artifract, Ely Buendia to launch music NFTs
THE country’s first tokenization and fractionalization platform, Artifract, has expanded its collection from art pieces to music with its partnership with Ely Buendia. This will enable fans and music lovers to own pieces of the latter’s music through the blockchain. Artifract signed a partnership agreement with Mr. Buendia, WEU Event Management Services, and Dvent Productions to bring Buendia’s musical collection into the metaverse. Under this collaboration, Mr. Buendia will be releasing an exclusive musical non-fungible token orNFT titled Flamed Lullaby, with a self-composed original song called “Hele.” The accompanying artwork is inspired by the Eraserhead’s 2008 reunion concert, where the Sticker Happy Piano was burned and smashed during their final performance of Ang Huling El Bimbo.This one-of-a-kind musical art piece will be heard by not more than 1,000 owners of the NFT, at a base price of P50,000 per fractional NFT, with exclusive royalty rights and printed version of the Artwork plus Certificate of Authenticity, along with trade on the secondary NFT market once the 1,000 pieces are sold out. A joint venture between UBX, the open finance platform in the Philippines, and art-tech startup Unit 256 Ventures Inc., Artifract utilizes proprietary “token factory technology,” which tokenizes real-world or digital assets.
Farm to Table celebrates two years
THE culinary adventure never stops as GTV’s Farm to Table marks its two years of discovering sustainable farms and sharing healthy food options by Filipino chef JR Royol. As part of the anniversary celebration, the program will air four special episodes beginning Feb. 19, 7 p.m. Mr. Royol will visit his ancestral home in Barlig, Mountain Province. Together with his wife, son, and relatives, he will commemorate the traditions of their Igorot clan and explores the strong farm-to-table culture of the Barlig communities. The episode will show how to prepare tapuey (the traditional Igorot rice wine), and etag, and pinikpikan, and perform the pattong, an expression of thanksgiving through gongs and dances. Catch the four special episodes every Sunday on GVT at 7 p.m.
Young Cocoa releases new single
FILIPINO rapper-producer Young Cocoa revisits his experiences of growing up in Jakarta on “J-TOWN (PM)” — his new single via pan-regional label, OFFMUTE. According to the young artist in a statement, “The song is about how I feel about Jakarta. It’s not so much a nostalgic visit as it is one where I express how much of an impact the city has had on me.” The song will be included on Young Cocoa’s debut mixtape, Sari Sari, to be released in the coming months. The soon-to-be-released EP contains a collaboration with an Asian artist he met last year at a music festival, as well as some bops. “J-TOWN (PM)” is now available on all digital music platforms.
Honne to perform in the PHL
Alternative pop duo Honne has announced an Asian concert tour in May, with stops at Quezon City’s Araneta Coliseum on May 10, the University of Southeastern Philippines Davao on May 12, and Waterfront Cebu on May 14. Local tickets pre-sale starts at 10 a.m. on Feb. 14 until 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 16. The general ticket sale will start on Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. The Asia will also make stops at Taipei, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. “South East Asia is our second home,” said the duo in a statement. “We love visiting and playing shows there so, so much. That’s why we are incredibly excited to announce our May 2023 Asia tour. It’s been too long so this will be a really special one. Loads of music you’ve not heard live yet and obviously your old favorites too. Can’t wait to see you soon.” Promoted by AEG Presents Asia and Ovation Productions, tickets to the Philippine concerts start at P850 via ticketnet.com.ph (Manila) and smtickets.com (Davao and Cebu).
FLEXIBLE workspaces are likely to play a crucial role in companies’ real estate diversification strategies after the coronavirus pandemic. The popularity of these spaces is thriving, especially as firms implement split operations.
With opportunities for greater take-up, developers should be quick in capturing demand from outsourcing as well as traditional occupants. The availability of high-quality, new office spaces also bodes well for the further expansion of flexible workspace supply within and outside Metro Manila.
Because of the new ways of working, it is now crucial for building owners to have a flexible workspace provider in their buildings to capture new office space requirements. Given all the uncertainties, flexibility will be the name of the game.
As hybrid work gains traction, flexible work has become the focus of multinational companies. Occupiers should revisit their short- and long-term growth projections to properly assess their real estate needs and take advantage of the flexible work solutions as an interim alternative.
Colliers Philippines encourages tenants still on a wait-and-see and with short-term lease plans to consider flexible workspaces. Companies based in Metro Manila should look at buildings in Fort Bonifacio, Makati CBD, and Ortigas Center that offer new and quality flexible workspaces at attractive rates.
In our view, landlords should explore partnerships with flexible workspace operators or launch their own brands. Landlords in key metropolitan areas such as Clark, Cebu, Davao, and Iloilo should also capture flexible workspace take-up.
Meanwhile, tenants should revisit their business continuity plans and consider integrating flexible workspaces into their hybrid work arrangements. Flexible workspace operators may consider occupying space in transit-oriented retail projects and partner with in-mall retailers to add value to their services and lure more consumers to take-up flexible workspaces.
RISING DEMAND Metro Manila’s flexible workspace stock as of the end of the third quarter of 2022 reached 220,200 square meters (sq.m.). This represents about 2% of the total leasable office space in the capital region.
Metro Manila’s flexible workspace stock is likely to grow by about 10% in the next 12 months. The availability of high-quality office towers, complemented by attractive lease rates should make these sites viable for flexible workspace operators.
Several high-quality, green and sustainable buildings are in the pipeline, which are ideal locations for new flexible workspaces. We see flexible workspace supply rising in Metro Manila and key areas such as Cebu, Davao and Pampanga as landlords take advantage of greater demand due in part to firms’ strategy of diversifying their real estate portfolio.
Colliers projects take-up for flexible workspaces to be driven by traditional occupiers engaged in construction, architecture, logistics, financial technology as well as startup companies.
Meanwhile, outsourcing firms with immediate office space requirements should also consider plug-and-play or fitted offices. Flexible workspaces are popular among companies weighing office space expansion plans in the near term. Regardless of industry, Colliers believes that flexible workspaces are a feasible alternative for companies seeking short-term leases and looking to rightsize operations.
RECOMMENDATIONS Integrate flexible workspaces into real estate strategies
Colliers Philippines believes that flexible workspaces can play a pivotal role in various tenants’ real estate strategies. In our view, occupants should consider implementing a diversified office space portfolio, i.e., while they rationalize traditional office space, they should also look at occupying flexible workspaces especially those near the residential areas of their employees. This can provide flexibility to employees, especially for occupants that implement hybrid work schemes. Employees also benefit with reduced commute time to their workplaces.
Establish microsites in provincial areas, Metro Manila
Colliers encourages landlords to consider developing more flexible workspaces in key sites outside of Metro Manila such as Cebu, Iloilo, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Pampanga and Dumaguete as these locations have relatively low flexible workspace stock and vacancy compared to Metro Manila.
Colliers has observed a growing interest for flexible workspaces in these locations from expanding traditional and outsourcing firms as well as startups. The latter should get a boost from the Department of Trade and Industry’s partnership with the National Development Co.and QBO Innovation Hub to launch a P250-million Startup Venture Fund (SVF) this year.
Meanwhile, landlords with existing flexible workspaces in the capital region should consider Quezon City, Bay Area and Fort Bonifacio for their expansion plans given the queries for flexible workspaces in these submarkets and as firms implement their respective hub-and-spoke models.
Developers to launch their own co-working brands
Prior to COVID-19, developers have been launching their own flexible workspace brands to cater to traditional and outsourcing firms with small and immediate office space requirements. Ayala Land has introduced ClockIn, Robinsons Land has launched Work.Able, while Vista Land has created Global Spaces.
Meanwhile, boutique developers may consider launching their own brands or collaborating with existing and known foreign co-working brands. Instead of leasing and managing facilities directly, an alternative strategy that reduces risk involves the operator and the landlord entering into a partnership agreement. The flexible workspace is designed and built by the office landlord, while the operator is in charge of marketing and leasing, with rental income shared between them.
For instance, Common Ground and IWG have formed partnerships with the Eco Group and Damosa Land, Inc. to establish flexible workspaces in their office buildings. This enables both the landlord and operator to attract large occupiers and ensure profitability and tenure.
Integrating flexible workspaces as part of firms’ BCP
COVID-19 and the occurrence of natural disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes have accelerated the need for occupiers to revisit their business continuity plans (BCP). Colliers encourages occupiers to integrate flexible or hybrid working into their BCPs. We saw the need for this especially after the damage brought by Typhoon Odette in Cebu and other parts of Visayas region n December 2021.
Occupiers may also consider setting up flexible workspaces near the residential areas of their employees live as these may serve as alternative sites where staff can collaborate and work post-natural disasters.
Flexible workspace in malls and/or near transit-oriented developments
From 2022 to 2024, about 60% of the new supply that will likely be completed in Metro Manila are regional to super-regional malls with gross leasable area (GLA) of 50,000 sq.m. and above. Colliers encourages flexible workspace operators to consider occupying space especially in transit-oriented mall developments especially now that footfall is reverting to pre-covid levels. Operators may also partner with retail establishments such as gyms, restaurants and cinemas to add value to their services.
SUPPLY, DEMAND TO RISE In Metro Manila, most flexible workspaces are located in central business districts (CBDs) such as Fort Bonifacio, Ortigas CBD and Makati CBD due to their accessibility as well as presence of high-quality buildings.
As of the end-Q3 2022, Fort Bonifacio recorded the highest number of seats at 15,700 followed by Makati CBD and Ortigas CBD. In absolute figures, Fort Bonifacio led with a flexible workspace stock of 82,400 sq.m.
Colliers has received increasing inquiries for flexible workspaces as firms implement return-to-office due to easing COVID restrictions. Landlords are also exploring the viability of securing flexible workspace providers in their spaces to capture smaller seat requirements from potential occupiers.
Over the next 12 months, we are likely to see the delivery of new flexible workspaces in Ortigas CBD, Makati CBD, Alabang, Bay Area and Quezon City with the opening of Regus, The Executive Centre, Greatwork, KMC Solutions and Work.Able facilities.
As of the end of Q3 2022, overall flexible workspace vacancy in Metro Manila dropped to 18% from 20% recorded in the second quarter of 2022. Across submarkets, Fort Bonifacio and Makati CBD recorded the highest vacancy with a combined 4,000 available seats.
A Colliers Philippines survey showed that Makati CBD, Fort Bonifacio and Ortigas CBD continue to be popular locations for those planning to occupy flexible workspaces in the capital region. Meanwhile, Cebu and Clark in Pampanga were among the respondents’ top choices outside Metro Manila.
In our view, developers should carefully assess the profiles and requirements of expanding outsourcing and traditional firms that are looking to take-up flexible workspaces.
Flexible workspace operators, on the other hand, should scout for new buildings in these locations that can house flexible spaces. The rental corrections since the start of COVID should enable operators to lock in spaces in quality buildings at cheaper rates.
There’s no doubt that the popularity of flexible workspaces is rising. These office space solutions will definitely be a crucial part of landlords’ and tenants’ expansion strategies beyond 2023.
Maricris Sarino-Joson is the director for Colliers Philippines office services – landlord representation, while Patricia Cruz is the associate director, Colliers Philippines office services – tenant representation.
FWD LIFE Insurance Corp. (FWD Life Philippines) will have a new chief executive officer (CEO) starting next month, the company said on Monday.
Its parent FWD Group Holdings Ltd. (FWD Group) has appointed Antonio “Jumbing” G. De Rosas as the new president and CEO of FWD Life Philippines effective March 1, subject to the relevant approvals.
“I am honored to continue the work of the FWD team who have been doing a wonderful job of providing protection and community service to the Philippines. The underserved life insurance market is poised for growth, and FWD is well-positioned to capture the opportunities that lie ahead,” Mr. De Rosas was quoted as saying.
Mr. De Rosas has over 35 years of experience in insurance, banking, and public accounting. He was previously president, CEO and chief financial officer at a multinational insurance company in the Philippines for over 14 years.
He will take over the post currently occupied by Zhuang Li Hao, who will be the new Group Chief of Distribution Strategy at FWD Group’s headquarters.
Both Mr. De Rosas and Mr. Hao will report to FWD Group Managing Director, Emerging Markets, and Group Chief Distribution Officer Binayak Dutta, the company added.
“We are incredibly pleased to attract an industry veteran of the caliber of Jumbing to be our next CEO for the Philippines. Jumbing’s guidance has been invaluable since joining the FWD Philippines’s Board of Directors last year. We’re looking forward to leveraging even more of his deep experience in changing the way Filipinos feel about insurance,” Mr. Dutta said.
FWD Life Philippines ranked fifth in the life industry in terms of premium income in 2021 with P18.83 billion, based on Insurance Commission data. It also booked a net income of P493.89 million that year. — A.M.C. Sy
ABOITIZ Power Corp. (AboitizPower) said on Monday that it will lead the Philippine-Japan consortium in exploring the development of technologies for the local renewable energy (RE) sector.
“With this consortium, the Philippines and Japan can make a significant impact on our transition towards a more sustainable future. Our partnerships represent a powerful alliance that will drive technological innovation and harness the power of renewable energy,” said Sabin M. Aboitiz, chairman of AboitizPower, in a media release.
The consortium comprises AboitizPower, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., IKS Co. Ltd., and Amber Kinetics. The companies also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last week to advance the development of the RE sector in the country.
AboitizPower said the move might lead to exploration and expansion outside the Philippines, specifically in neighboring countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Japan, and Australia.
The company said that under the MoU, “the parties will leverage their respective new-generation technologies and expertise to optimize renewable energy development in the Philippines while contributing to energy cost savings and grid stability.”
The listed power company quoted Tatsuya Watanabe, Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ senior managing executive officer and president of energy solution and marine engineering, as saying: “Now, we must be faced with a large amount of renewable energy penetration to a power system and a sharp increase in fossil fuel prices.”
Kawasaki Heavy Industries has interests in energy solutions development including energy equipment to management systems.
Takashi Imai, president of IKS, said the company will help stabilize the energy supply in the country through IKS technology. IKS is a power engineering company that has expertise in planning, designing and implementing various technologies in the RE sector, as well as electrification and natural gas development projects.
Amber Kinetics is a manufacturer of grid-scale kinetic energy systems.
AboitizPower said it hopes to address grid stability issues in the country through its partnership with the consortium that will develop technology-based solutions.
It added that Amber Kinetics plans to engage in flywheel energy storage systems or FESS.
“It will establish an integrated system that will enable ancillary services applications that provide grid stability working in consonance with renewable energies, power generation, and turbines as a distributed energy resource and by cooperating with other parties in micro-grids,” AboitizPower said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
Inflation-adjusted wages in January were 14.5% to 20.8% lower than the current daily minimum wages across the regions in the country. In peso terms, real wages were lower by around P55.64 to P90.23 from the current daily minimum wages set by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board.
HARRY STYLES with the Album of the Year award at The 2023 Brit Awards, at the 02 Arena in London, Feb. 12. —MATT CROSSICK/EMPICS ENTERTAINMENT VIA REUTERS
LONDON — Harry Styles was the big winner at the BRIT awards, Britain’s pop music honors, on Saturday, winning all four categories he had been nominated in, a week after his triumph at the Grammys.
Mr. Styles took home the coveted album of the year for Harry’s House, song of the year for his synth pop hit “As It Was,” best pop/R&B act and artist of the year, one of two gender-neutral categories introduced last year after BRIT awards organizers got rid of female and male distinctions.
The contenders for that prize were all men, which had irked many in the industry and on social media.
“I’m really, really grateful for this and I’m very aware of my privilege up here tonight,” Mr. Styles said in his acceptance speech, dedicating the artist of the year award to a list of female singers.
Mr. Styles, who rose to fame on talent show The X Factor as a member of boy band One Direction, last week won two Grammy awards, including album of the year.
“This night has been really special to me … Thank you so much for the welcome home,” Mr. Styles said on Saturday after his final win, for best album.
“I’m so, so proud to be a British artist out there in the world. I’m so proud to be here tonight celebrating British artists and British music.”
A statement on the BRIT Awards’ website said the gender-neutral categories had been introduced so artists were judged “solely on the quality and popularity of their work, rather than on who they are, or how they choose to identify.”
But it added that organizer” “acknowledge and share in the disappointment” of no women making the list. “A key factor is that, unfortunately, there were relatively few commercially successful releases by women in 2022 compared to those by men.”
“Of the 71 eligible artists on the longlist, only 12 (17%) are women. We recognize this points to wider issues around the representation of women in music that must also be addressed.”
Singer Rina Sawayama welcomed the change to gender-neutral categories but said the list of nominees should be longer.
“If you have more nominees then you’re going to see a cross section of what has happened throughout the year and who has made an impact,” she told Reuters on the red carpet.
Indie rockers Wet Leg won group of the year and best new artist. Music star Beyoncé was named international artist of the year and her hit “Break My Soul” won international song of the year. — Reuters
THROUGH Airbnb, guests can now spend the night in the Palais Garnier, the opera house that inspired the Phantom of the Opera. — AIRBNB
PARIS — Airbnb is offering a night for two in the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris this summer, transforming a box in the theater into a plush bedroom with sweeping views of the famous auditorium.
The Phantom of the Opera-themed stay — a nod to the novel by Gaston Leroux and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical — comes as tourism bounces back in Europe after several years of pandemic disruptions, with visitors from the United States arriving in France in droves since last summer.
European capitals are also gearing up for the return of Chinese tourists, following the lifting of travel restrictions.
Before the pandemic, Airbnb had created other unusual overnight stays in the French capital, one of its key markets. These included a shark tank in the city’s aquarium, the skull-lined catacombs, the Moulin Rouge cabaret and the glass pyramid in the Louvre.
The idea is to encourage people “to travel and dream at the same time — and raise a lot of emotions around travel,” Emmanuel Marill, Airbnb director of Europe, the Middle East and Africa told Reuters.
The Palais Garnier stay includes a music recital, dinner in an ornate rehearsal room backstage and a behind-the-scenes tour of the elaborate 19th century building, including its underground pool, the inspiration for the phantom’s lair in the book and musical.
The Palais Garnier stay will be listed on March 1 for €37, also the number on the box, one of the theater’s most prestigious, which will be decked out with antique furniture specially for the night.
It will be offered on a first-come-first-serve basis to an applicant registered on the company’s online rental platform.
“It’s a bit of a fantasy. I think it will be a bit unreal,” said Veronique Dubrulle Leroux, the great-granddaughter of Phantom of the Opera author Leroux, who will host the visitors.
As part of the project, Airbnb will also fund the renovation of the theater’s 19th century boxes and help the Opera de Paris to update its online streaming platform. — Reuters
THE Regional Trial Court of Batangas City has convicted the owner of a money changer for operating without securing a license from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), for which the operator pleaded guilty.
Vility Foreign Exchange Services (Vility) was convicted for violating the Manual of Regulations for Non-Bank Financial Institutions of the BSP as punishable under Republic Act No. 7653 or The New Central Bank Act.
“Based on the charge filed by the BSP, the court found accused Lilian N. Almazan, owner and operator of Vility, guilty beyond reasonable doubt for operating a money-changing service without securing the required Certificate of Registration from the BSP prior to its operations,” the central bank said in a statement.
The owner pleaded guilty as charged and was fined P50,000.
“The BSP protects the interest of the general public by ensuring that its supervised financial institutions are strictly compliant with banking laws and regulations,” the central bank added.
Vility Foreign Exchange Services was earlier barred from registering with the central bank in April 2022. It was based in 111 Evangelista Street corner P. Zamora Street, Poblacion 016, Batangas City.
Money service businesses (MSB) include remittance agents and sub-agents, remittance platform providers, electronic or e-money issuers, as well as money changers or foreign exchange dealers.
Latest BSP data showed there are 7,584 registered MSBs operating in the country.
These firms are seen to serve as financial service access points for unserved and underserved areas.
About 47.8% of MSBs are engaged solely in remittance transfer business, while 38.7% offer remittance, money changing, and foreign exchange dealings. — K.B. Ta-asan
THE Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) has denied Pacific Plaza Condominium Corp.’s P3.19-million refund claim of alleged wrongly paid value-added tax (VAT) for failing to prove that it paid the said amount.
In a 21-page decision dated Feb. 10, the CTA Special Second Division said the firm did not provide the appropriate invoices for the third and fourth quarters of 2017 that showed its payment of VAT to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
“A perusal of the evidence offered by petitioner shows that it did not adduce evidence to prove the allowable input tax declared in its VAT returns,” according to the ruling penned by Associate Justice Lanee S. Cui-David.
“To reiterate, in a claim for tax refund or credit of erroneously or excessively paid tax, the applicant must prove not only entitlement to the claim but also the fact of erroneous payment to the BIR.”
Under the country’s revenue code, a taxpayer must prove taxes it mistakenly paid through official VAT receipts of its domestic transactions.
The tax tribunal noted that the company did not present receipts that proved its entitlement to input tax credits that it allegedly used to pay the VAT to the BIR.
The firm is a non-stock and non-profit corporation registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission that manages and maintains the Pacific Plaza Condominium project in Makati City.
“Since taxes are the lifeblood of the government, tax laws must be faithfully and strictly implemented,” the court said.
“The taxpayer has the burden to show that it has strictly complied with the conditions for the grant of the tax refund.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez
A SCREENSHOT of Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show —YOUTUBE/@NFL
Pop and R&B superstar Rihanna made a grand return to the stage on Sunday, floating high above the Super Bowl field, thrilling the crowd with a fast-paced medley of her hits and revealing that she is pregnant with her second child.
Dressed in a hot pink jumpsuit and baggy coat, Rihanna opened the biggest showcase in music by singing “Bitch Better Have My Money” as she stood, with a noticeably rounded belly, on a platform suspended in the air. She was gradually lowered to the ground as she went through well-known songs from “Only Girl (In the World)” to “Rude Boy” and “Work.”
Rihanna was surrounded throughout the 13-minute performance by dozens of dancers in baggy white outfits.
It was the 34-year-old Grammy winner’s first stage performance in five years. Her last album, Anti, was released in 2016.
Rihanna’s appearance led social media users to speculate she was expecting another child. The Hollywood Reporter and other media outlets said a representative for the singer confirmed that Rihanna was indeed pregnant.
The singer gave birth to her first child, a boy, with rapper A$AP Rocky in May 2022.
She concluded her Super Bowl set with “Diamonds” as fireworks lit up the sky around the stadium.
Rihanna joined a list of music luminaries who have performed at the Super Bowl, from Lady Gaga to Beyoncé, Prince, Madonna and the Rolling Stones. The telecast usually draws around 100 million viewers in the United States alone.
In the pre-game ceremony, country star Chris Stapleton sang the US national anthem while Oscar-winning CODA star Troy Kotsur performed the song in American Sign Language.
Emmy-winning Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a hymn that has become known as the Black national anthem, accompanied by a choir. — Reuters
