Appearance, aroma and mouthfeel: All you need to know to give wine tasting a go

February 3, 2022 | 12:06 am

nicolaevna-arnautova-I5NRyUrWDB4-unsplash — NICOLAEVNA ARNAUTOVA/UNSPLASH

So, you like drinking wine, but don’t actually know much about it? You want to feel more confident when talking about wine? You would like to know how to choose a “good” wine? You are not alone — but I am here to help.

Many of us enjoy drinking wine but do not really understand or appreciate the complexity of this amazing beverage. And many feel nervous about discussing wines, thinking they may say the wrong thing.

Fear not — there is no right or wrong when appreciating wine, however the more you know and understand, the more you will really treasure and enjoy the experience of wine tasting.

Here are my top tips for giving wine tasting a go.

When appreciating wine, all of the senses are employed.

APPEARANCE, AROMA AND MOUTHFEEL
Formal wine judges and critics will appraise the appearance, aroma, and taste (or “mouthfeel”) of a wine, and anyone who has heard the pop of a cork from a bottle of sparkling has appreciated the sound.

A wine should be clear: free of any haziness or solids (“natural” wines may have some haziness due to yeast residue).

The color of a wine is also important. A young white wine should be a very pale yellow or “straw” color, and a young red may have purple notes. Brown tinges of a young wine indicate that the wine may be spoilt — possibly premature ageing due to poor storage.

There are hundreds of aroma compounds which all contribute to the smell of a wine. The term “aroma” refers to the smells originating from the grape, and “bouquet” from the smells resulting from the wine making process.

A good wine should not be simple — it should have an interesting array of aromas. A wine should not have any undesirable or off odors, as this can also indicate spoilage. The smell of a wine should make you want to have a taste of it!

While you are tasting, you can observe how wines range in style from dry (lacking any sugar) to very sweet, still to sparking, and may have varying concentrations of alcohol (ethanol). Pay attention to how acidic the wine is, and notice if the wine has an astringency or bitterness — these are the tannins found particularly in red wines.

Notice the different flavors derived from both the grape and the winemaking process.

All of these components contribute to the mouthfeel of a wine and should be in “balance”: no one component should over-dominate the others.

HOW TO TASTE
There are a number of factors which will improve your wine tasting experience, and three main steps taken when wine tasting.

Make sure you have clean wine glasses which can hold a reasonable volume of wine — at least 100 ml with room to swirl! Wine should not be cold or too hot — room temperature is best.

Step 1: look

Is the wine clear and free from any deposits or solids? Does it have any bronzing? Does it have bubbles when it is not a sparkling style?

Step 2: smell

Swirl the glass to coat the insides with wine. This helps to release the aroma compounds. Put your nose right into the glass and take a deep sniff. Does it smell good? Free from any off odors? Can you smell fruity and floral aromas that come from the grape? Are there any oak or yeasty aromas from the winemaking process?

Step 3: taste

Take a big sip and move it about your mouth. Can you taste grape flavors, acid, warmth, some viscosity or oiliness? You can even suck some air in through your teeth which helps to release aroma compounds in your mouth, which can then travel through your nose to help you taste and smell the wine even better.

Is the wine complex? Does the taste last for a long time in your mouth, or does the wine taste quickly disappear?

There are also tools such as aroma wheels and tasting guides which may be beneficial to have on hand when tasting wines — these provide suggestions of wine descriptors. It may also be useful to write down your thoughts in a journal.

AND HOW TO APPRECIATE
The best way to really appreciate and enjoy wine is to talk about it. Enjoy wine with others such as a group of friends or a local wine enthusiast group. Taste wines side by side so you can compare the differences.

There is a wealth of information on wine appreciation available — wine critics give reviews of wines in print and online, and most larger wine retailers will also provide wine reviews. Or get out to wineries and talk to the cellar door staff or winemakers about their wines. It is very useful to talk to other people as this helps you to build up your “wine vocabulary.”

Consider the appearance, aroma, and taste and then the overall impression of the wine. Your opinion is your opinion — nobody is right and nobody is wrong. If you want to go back for another taste, or another glass, then you have found the wine for you.

Ursula Kennedy is a Lecturer of Wine Science, University of Southern Queensland

San Miguel unit offers best rate for Meralco’s 170-MW requirement

February 3, 2022 | 12:06 am

MANILA Electric Co. (Meralco) said on Wednesday that a unit of San Miguel Corp. submitted the best offer to supply the distribution utility’s requirement of 170 megawatts (MW) for summer.

In a media release, Meralco said San Miguel’s South Premiere Power Corp. (SPPC) offered P6.8198 per kilowatt hour (kWh), lower than the P7.2989 per kWh total delivered headline reserve price, or the rate which includes value-added tax and other charges.

The bid submission was held on Feb. 2 through a competitive selection process (CSP), the mandated open and transparent manner in arriving at the least cost of electricity.

Jose Ronald V. Valles, head of Meralco’s regulatory management office, said upon the issuance of a notice of award, the company will enter into a power supply agreement (PSA) with SPPC for submission to the Energy Regulatory Commission.

“This PSA will help ensure availability of supply, which is especially critical in the upcoming dry months and the National and Local Elections,” he said.

Publicly listed Meralco disclosed that Global Business Power Corp. — through its subsidiaries Panay Energy Development Corp., Toledo Power Co., and Panay Power Co. — also submitted an offer of P9.7777 per kWh, which exceeds the set reserve price.

Meralco, the country’s largest power seller, said the findings of the third-party bids and awards committee (TPBAC) overseeing the CSP were based on a pass/fail assessment of the qualification documents for completeness. It will now conduct a post-qualification evaluation prior to the issuance of the notice of award.

Meralco also said Therma Luzon, Inc. initially expressed interest but withdrew its participation in the CSP round.

The supply contract will run from Feb. 26 until July 25, 2022 to ensure sufficient and reliable power during the peak period, which is expected to occur in late May.

The Energy department expects Luzon’s peak demand at 12,387 MW to take place in the last week of May. The forecast is 747 MW higher than the actual 2021 peak of 11,640 MW, which occurred on May 28, 2021.

Meralco is also awaiting the department’s approval of the terms of reference for another CSP covering 180 MW of baseload supply needed for summer.

At the stock exchange, Meralco’s shares dropped P5.80 or 1.73% to close at P329.20 apiece on Wednesday.

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., which has interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Marielle C. Lucenio

Looking for good feng shui in the Year of the Tiger

February 3, 2022 | 12:05 am

ONE has to be aggressive in business in the Year of the Water Tiger, said Maritess Allen, feng shui expert to the stars of entertainment and business.

Ms. Allen was speaking about feng shui — the Chinese traditional belief that energy forces can be used to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment — via livestream with Lista PH, a free bookkeeping app for business owners and freelancers. As such, Ms. Allen’s advice centered on business during the talk held on the first day of the Lunar New Year, Feb. 1.

“All of you who are thinking of opening up a business, this is the time that you should work harder,” she said in a mixture of English and Filipino. “You shouldn’t wait for other people. You have to be aggressive.”

Still, she does warn against the Water Tiger’s ferocity, saying we should “be calm and take it easy.” To ensure luck, she says one should wear red for the first 15 days of the Lunar New Year.

Ms. Allen gave a rundown of her predictions for the animal signs of the Chinese Zodiac:

Tiger: It could be a challenging year for the Tiger, but the presence of the Wealth Star in their chart is good for business. On the other hand, the Tiger might catch an illness. Tigers who are 24, 48, 60, and 94 years old will have good luck when it comes to opportunities for wealth.

Monkey: According to Ms. Allen, the tiger and the monkey are traditional rivals, so the monkey has to be careful. To ward off bad luck, Monkeys have to donate to charity. “What Monkeys need this time is change,” she said. The Monkey, however, has a chance for “Big Fortune Luck,” that is at least good for business.

Snake: Ms. Allen says that the Snake will experience luck in travel and (short-lived) romance. “Just start a business,” she said.

Boar: The Boar is blessed with “Heavenly Luck” (that is, unexpected luck) this year. But she warns against the Robbery Star in their chart, which takes wealth away. To ward this off, she suggests that the Boar carry charms in the shape of a rhinoceros or an elephant.

Rat: The Rat possesses the Victory Star this year. “Anything that you want to begin, this is the time (to do it),” she tells those born in the Year of the Rat. This year, the Rat would be able to gain back losses from two or three years past, and she advises that they place “wealth enhancers” and an image of a rat in their home’s North side.

Ox: The Ox has the favor of Wealth Star No. 8, which brings luck in business, in their chart. She does say that those born in the Year of the Ox should be a little less aggressive, and take care about getting tired. “Do only things that your body can handle,” she said. To enhance luck, the Ox should wear charms with the number eight, the infinity symbol, or the Mystic Knot.

Rabbit: The Rabbit has an opportunity for Big and Small Fortune Luck, and has the presence of the Golden Deity Star in their chart. The Rabbit can be hotheaded this year, which can lead to lawsuits. “Take it easy. Don’t fight back,” she suggests. She advises wearing the color red to ward off people who will pick fights. She also suggests they wear a peace and harmony amulet to avoid confrontations, and to place a rabbit image in the Eastern part of the house.

Dragon: The Dragon is blessed with the Prosperity Star for romance, travel, and creativity. This, she means, is a great opportunity either to go back to school or to move somewhere else. The Dragon also has Big and Small Fortune Luck, and their lucky months are February, March, April, June, July, November, December, and January next year.

Horse: The Horse has Prosperity Star No. 9 in their chart, which should spell a good year. However, it does also have the Yin House Star, which might make them want to protect themselves (especially from people sick with envy). This year spells a good chance to enhance power and leadership skills. She advises placing images of horses in the Southern part of the house.

Goat: The Goat has the Illness Star in its fortune, which isn’t very good for the body. While the Goat also possesses Good Fortune Luck this year, they shouldn’t be too trusting. She advises placing a wulo (gourd) charm on their bedside table to protect against illness and promote health and longevity.

Rooster: While the Rooster has Big Fortune Luck for 2022, she advises that they take care of their things due to the presence of robbery, betrayal, and loss in their charts. Still, luck in success, health, and everywhere else are all favorable, especially in the months of February, May, June, July, and November. She suggests placing rooster charms in the Western part of the house.

Dog: The Dog is blessed with Heaven’s Luck (unexpected luck, which might come in the form of an inheritance) and the Golden Deity star in their chart this year. Still, she advises enhancing the power of the Victory Star by wearing a Wealth Vase charm. — JL Garcia

Ayala Land to use new properties for office portfolio, socialized housing

February 3, 2022 | 12:05 am

AYALA Land, Inc. (ALI) plans to use new assets from its property-for-share swap with parent Ayala Corp. (AC) and Mermac, Inc. to expand its office portfolio and to develop more residential projects.

In a disclosure to the exchange on Wednesday, ALI said it plans to use two of the five properties for residential projects.

ALI is looking to use AC’s Honda Pasig property spanning 6,019 square meters (sq.m.) for a residential project under the company’s Avida brand.

Meanwhile, the 117,389-sq.m. Calauan property will be used to expand the company’s socialized housing presence in Southern Luzon through its BellaVita brand.

AC and Mermac’s office units and parking slots at Tower One in Makati City, which total 5,162 sq.m., will be used as is. The company said this would “increase ALI’s prime office portfolio and market share in Makati CBD (central business district).”

ALI is also getting AC’s 50% stake in Ayala Hotels, Inc., which owns the Manila Peninsula property and was ALI’s partner in Ayala Land Premier’s Park Central Tower’s Project.

“The Manila Peninsula property is envisioned to become a prime development opportunity in Makati CBD,” ALI said.

Under the deal, ALI will also acquire AC’s 100% stake in Darong Agricultural Corp., which has land assets in Davao del Sur and three more land plots within the same area. ALI will “retain [its] current use as a cattle farm while expanding ALI’s strategic land bank in Davao.”

AC and its top stockholder, Mermac, will subscribe to 311,580,000 ALI primary common shares for P55.60 apiece. Once the transaction gets regulatory approval, AC will increase its stake in ALI to 47.2% from the current 46.07%.

“FTI (FTI Consulting Philippines, Inc.) concluded that the transaction is fair from a financial point of view,” ALI said.

AC will be subscribing to 309,597,711 ALI primary common shares in exchange for the assets that are collectively worth P17.28 billion, while Mermac will subscribe to 1,982,289 for its assets worth P110.61 million.

On Wednesday, shares of ALI at the stock exchange went up 3.06% or P1.10 to close at P37 per share, while AC shares went up 0.92% or P8 to finish at P878 apiece. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Dining In/Out (02/03/22)

February 3, 2022 | 12:04 am

Heart-Sugar-cookies — HEART Sugar cookies

1 of 6

M Bakery’s Valentine desserts

FOR VALENTINE’S Day, M Bakery has everything consumers need to make this year’s extra sweet, including new, limited-time exclusives, beginning Feb. 1. First, there is the newest flavor for its famous pudding this love month: Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pudding. This limited-time treat is made with oven-roasted strawberries, pieces of chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, and vanilla pudding. Purchase a giant tub or choose the smaller cups that can easily be shared with others. There are also Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownie Bites: a double-fudge brownie bite base, topped with strawberry meringue buttercream, covered in melted chocolate, and finished off with mini heart quins. Get a dozen for P1,140. If you want to say it with flowers, there are Rose Cupcakes, delicately piped with vanilla buttercream roses in red, white, or pink over a choice of a classic vanilla, chocolate, or red velvet cupcake. Get a box of six for P990. Then there are the Valentine’s Day Cupcakes that come with two vanilla, two chocolate, and two red velvet cupcakes topped with vanilla and chocolate buttercream and assorted Valentine’s Day decorations. Avail of a box of six for P1,140. There are also Mini Valentine’s Day Cupcakes which come in boxes of one dozen assorted classic chocolate and vanilla bite-sized cupcakes topped with chocolate and pink vanilla buttercream icing speckled with mini candy hearts. Avail of the dozen mini cupcakes for P840. For a heart-felt gift, there are Heart Sugar Cookies — a set of three heart-shaped butter sugar cookies covered in red and pink sanding sugar for P150. Looking for a “grand gesture” kind of gift? Choose either the vanilla or chocolate Valentine’s Cake that is available in two sizes: 6” for P2,350 and 9” at P2,950. To make date night sweeter, there is the Date Night Sampler Pack, an indulgent bundle containing two Classic Cupcakes plus two cups of Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pudding. There are also M Bakery Gift certificates which are available in P500 and P1,000 denominations. These treats are available at the main store at Lower Ground, Unit #23 5th Avenue corner 28th Street, One Bonifacio High Street Mall, Bonifacio Global City. Call 847-9829 or 0917-633-1718 to place advanced orders. The Valentine’s goodies are also found at M Bakery at the Power Plant Mall in Rockwell, Makati City. Call 0917-822-1262 to place advanced orders. M Bakery is also on GrabFood, Food Panda and Pick.A.Roo.

The Pen’s Chinese New Year Bento Box

THE PENINSULA Manila makes celebrating Chinese New Year at home easy with two Chinese New Year bento box meal kits for takeout. The boxes are available until Feb. 7. The “Celestial Dragon” Bento Box is filled with Pork and kuchay dumplings, Stir-fried noodles with chicken char siu, steamed ginger and soy mahi-mahi with mixed mushrooms and bok choy, and Pandan mantou, while the “Guardian Lion” Bento Box contains Shrimp dumplings, Yang Chow fried rice with BBQ pork, Stir-fried beef tenderloin, steamed broccoli, soy-garlic sauce, and Red bean paste sesame balls. They are priced at P1,388 each or P2,688, buy one/take one. Prices are inclusive of VAT and applicable local taxes. For guests’ safety as well as that of hotel staff, all payments must be made using GCash, online or over the phone. Orders will be picked up by the curbside of The Peninsula Manila driveway. For inquiries, orders, and reservations, call The Peninsula Boutique at 8887-2888, mobile 0917-557-8014, or e-mail diningpmn@peninsula.com.

Conti’s offers ‘care kits’

MANY people and households find themselves in isolation these days because someone has tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this situation, one way to lighten the load is to send the household food for the tummy that doubles as food for the soul. Conti’s Bakeshop and Restaurant’s delivery menu does not only include ready-to-eat meals (like Molo Soup, Chicken Ala Kiev, Baked Salmon, and its signature pasta dishes) but also frozen classic dishes, Ready-to-Heat frozen packs like Beef Caldereta, Baked Macaroni, Roast Beef, Chicken Tocino, Embutido, Frozen Pies, Laing, and Lasagna. When sending out these frozen dishes to relatives or friends in isolation or quarantine, make it more special as a Conti’s Care Kit. The kit is a customizable gift consisting of the selected frozen items packed inside Conti’s insulated bags. It is available in select Conti’s stores. For more about Conti’s Bakeshop & Restaurant and #ContisAtHome visit the website at http://www.contis.ph/ or check out their Facebook (@contispastryshopandrestaurant) and Instagram (@contis_ph) pages.

Jollibee mascots are new Jolly Kiddie Meal toys

THIS month, Jollibee introduces the JolliBots — a new set of Jolly Kiddie Meal toys featuring Jollibee mascots in a robot-themed concept. The latest toy lineup allows children to play with their favorite Jollibee mascots and have them transform into the products they represent. They can retract both arms of the Chickenjoy Bucket and flip its lid to reveal Jollibee. They can also move the upper corners of the Jolly Spaghetti box to see Hetty inside. Meanwhile, the fries from the robotized Jolly Crispy Fries box just need to be flipped so Popo can appear. These are just some of the mascots that are part of the line. The toys come with their own Jolly Joy Box and are available with every purchase of a Yumburger (P82), Yumburger Meal with Drink (P102), Jolly Spaghetti (P97), Jolly Spaghetti Meal with Drink (P107), Burger Steak (P97), Burger Steak Meal with Drink (P114), Chickenjoy with Rice (P129), or a Chickenjoy Meal with Drink (P144). Children can also get their hands on the complete set by purchasing a six-piece Chickenjoy Bucket for P624.

Stylish water purification station for the home

WATERLOGIC now offers Filipino homeowners a revolutionary way to purify and sterilize drinking water at home with the recently launched Aqua SmartGuard. Claiming to be the world’s first COVID-19-safe water purification product, the Aqua SmartGuard boasts of state-of-the-art Firewall UVC technology and BioCote antimicrobial surface protection. Aqua SmartGuard comes in a sleek, compact cube design that complements any kitchen aesthetic and can fit even small countertops. It offers a wider range of temperature selections. While most water dispensers have only cold and hot options, the Aqua SmartGuard has ambient, cold, hot, and extra hot water options. Its maximum volume storage and water capacity for cold and hot water are 1.4 liters and 1.3 liters, respectively. The product features an innovative user interface and settings. The intuitive UI and LCD make for easy use and programming. Customizable settings include temperature set point optimization, UV timer, filter timer, filter life monitor and energy saving sleep mode ensure smart unit use. The unit also has a Child Safeguard selection that ensures the system defaults back to cold water after three seconds of inactivity to prevent accidental dispensing of hot water. The unit also includes a Leak Sensor and Alarm that halt supply to prevent overflow and reduce the risks of accidents. Each Aqua SmartGuard unit is equipped with Waterlogic’s patented Firewall UVC technology that ensures each drop of water dispensed is purified by precisely targeted UVC light. This guarantees that every glass of water is 99.9999% bacteria-free, 99.99% virus-free, and 99.9% cyst-free. Taking water safety a notch higher, Aqua SmartGuard water purifiers have silver-based BioCote antimicrobial protection infused into the key surfaces, including the filters, drip tray, and dispensing nozzle, which reduces microbes by up to 99.5%. Aqua SmartGuard offers Total Care Service for unit installation, regular replacement of filters and UVC lamps, and maintenance, all included in the monthly price of P1,490. Visit smartguard.ph for more details.

8990 Holdings eyes 15% revenue growth to P23 billion

February 3, 2022 | 12:04 am

8990 Holdings, Inc. aims to generate P23 billion in gross revenues this year, a 15% growth target after seeing robust demand in recent years.

In a statement on Wednesday, the company said its growth target can be supported by its robust land bank of 729.05 hectares in “strategic areas” across the country.

8990 President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony Vincent S. Sotto said the company saw a “strong demand for affordable housing” in 2021, logging P20 billion in unaudited gross revenues. The past year also showed its buyers’ optimism in the economy and confidence “in the stability of their future revenue streams.”

In terms of sales, majority or 59% are attributed to its horizontal developments and 41% are from vertical projects. The company said it delivered 11,564 homes in 2021, 55% of the units are from mass housing or horizontal projects and 45% from vertical projects.

8990 Holdings’ P20-billion topline in 2021 already beat its pre-pandemic 2019 revenues, rising 30% from P15.4 billion. It is also 41% higher compared with its audited 2020 revenues of P14.2 billion.

The company also noted that when super Typhoon Odette hit the Visayas region last year, only 10% of its built structures were affected.

“At 8990, we are proud of our team’s fast response to the super typhoon, to continuously implement measures that will protect our clients’ biggest life investment — their home,” Mr. Sotto said.

The company believes that its target market of first-time homebuyers is “well on the way to recovery.” 8990 Holdings aims to log P23 billion in gross revenues this year, to complement its sales target of logging P164 billion within the next seven to eight years.

Shares of 8990 Holdings on Wednesday declined 1.09% or 12 centavos to close at P10.92 each. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Lionel Richie cancels European tour shows due to COVID

February 3, 2022 | 12:03 am

LONDON — US singer Lionel Richie said on Tuesday he was canceling his upcoming European summer tour concerts due to the ongoing spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“As COVID and its variants continue to impact the world, I have decided to hold off on my European tour this summer. The most important thing to me is the health of my fans, band and crew,” the “Hello” and “Dancing on the Ceiling” hitmaker said on his Twitter page.

“I hope you all understand and I hope to see you very soon when we can all gather safely.”

Among the performances canceled was Richie’’ appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival in Britain in June.

The 72-year-old is scheduled to perform in Las Vegas and New Orleans over the coming weeks, according to his website. — Reuters

PBA to reinforce depleted Gilas

February 3, 2022 | 12:03 am

By Olmin Leyba

THE PBA is up to the task of sending reinforcements to the Gilas Pilipinas squad that returning coach Chot Reyes is forming for the coming International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup Asian Qualifiers (ACQ) window.

Mr. Reyes has inherited a depleted Gilas pool hit by the unavailability of mainstays playing overseas and asked the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) permission to tap stalwarts from his mother club, TnT, for the Feb. 24-28 window set at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Commissioner Willie Marcial, met with Mr. Reyes on Wednesday to discuss his immediate plans, he told The STAR.

Mr. Marcial said he would bring the Gilas mentor’s request to the board of governors for final approval in a special meeting in the next few days.

With this development, the PBA will now be scheduling the Governors’ Cup, which is slated to resume on Feb. 11, in such a way it makes room for the Tropang Giga’s FIBA endeavor.

Meanwhile, Governors’ Cup action will likely continue while TNT-powered Gilas is playing Korea, New Zealand and India in the opening window.

Mr. Reyes returned to the Gilas post only this week and found only eight players in the original pool of former coach Tab Baldwin are available for the fast-approaching games.

“Short-term plan is to put a team together, find a way to assemble a team that can at least be competitive in three weeks’ time,” Mr. Reyes said in The Game on One Sports. “Then we revisit the plans for 2023.”

Reissued T-bonds fully awarded at higher rate on Fed hike fears

February 3, 2022 | 12:03 am

THE GOVERNMENT made a full award of Treasury bonds (T-bonds) it auctioned off on Wednesday even as the average yield went up on concerns over the US Federal Reserve’s planned rate hikes.

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) borrowed P35 billion as planned via the reissued five-year securities it auctioned off on Wednesday as total tenders reached P60.66 billion, making the offer more than 1.5 times oversubscribed.

The debt papers, which have a remaining life of four years and two months, were awarded at an average rate of 4.089%, up by 7.7 basis points (bps) from the 4.012% quoted during the previous successful offer on Jan. 11.

The average yield fetched for the debt papers was also higher than the 3.7848% quoted for the four-year tenor, the closest benchmark to the remaining life of the reissued papers, at the secondary market prior to the auction, based on the PHP Bloomberg Valuation Service Reference Rates published on the Philippine Dealing System’s website.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon in a Viber message to reporters said the T-bond’s average rate remained within secondary market levels despite the hawkish tone from the US Federal Reserve.

The market expects “cooling inflation and continued supportive monetary stance,” she said.

Meanwhile, a bond trader said the yield fetched for the reissued T-bond was within market expectations even as it was higher than the last dealt level of 4.05% on Wednesday morning.

“It was expected though as market wants higher yield as a reaction to FOMC’s (Federal Open Market Committee) hawkish comments.”

US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome H. Powell last week said the central bank may raise interest rates starting in March, although the pace of later rate hikes is yet to be decided, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, a BusinessWorld poll of 16 analysts last week yielded a median estimate of 3% for January inflation.

If that projection is realized, this would be the second consecutive month that inflation fell within the 2-4% target band set by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. This would also be lower than the 3.6% in December.

The BTr plans to raise P200 billion from the domestic market this month, or P60 billion via Treasury bills and P140 billion from T-bonds.

The government borrows from local and external sources to help fund a budget deficit capped at 7.7% of gross domestic product this year. — J.P. Ibañez with Reuters

Mapúa, Malayan Colleges open digital college

February 3, 2022 | 12:03 am

MAPÚA University and its subsidiary Malayan Colleges Laguna announced on Wednesday that their newly established digital college will begin operations in the upcoming school year 2022-2023, with the goal of making education “accessible, affordable, and flexible.”

The technology and business-focused Mapúa Malayan Digital College (MMDC) is a new college “under the Malayan Colleges Laguna,” said Dodjie S. Maestrecampo, president of Malayan Colleges Laguna and Malayan Colleges Mindanao, during a virtual briefing.

“We will now have six colleges under the Malayan Colleges Laguna, so this is the sixth college,” he added. This means that MMDC graduates will get their diplomas from the Malayan Colleges Laguna.

The new college will offer “affordable” digital-first education through a combination of online and offline experiences “designed for the modern Filipino student,” the MMDC said in an e-mailed statement.

Derrick Latreille, chief learning officer of MMDC and co-founder of Ayala Education, said: “We’ve determined critical factors for students and parents when deciding to choose a college: the reputation of the school, close proximity to their homes, affordability, and an experience that will help them get the career they want.”

“Mapúa Malayan Digital College will be fulfilling all these through its unique student experience,” he added.

Citing the findings of its own study, MMDC said available courses, tuition fees, and school reputation rank highest in terms of students’ priorities in choosing a college.

“While students are becoming more open to the combination of online and face-to-face learning, they still continue to value community and opportunities for socialization,” it also noted.

MMDC’s information technology curriculum covers data analytics, software development, network, and cybersecurity.

Specializations in the business administration major include marketing management, operations management, and human resource management.

There will also be “learning hubs” for student collaboration.

“MMDC will provide modern collaboration spaces where students can meet, do focused work, collaborate on group projects, organize clubs, and more,” the college said.

Its first two learning hubs will be located at Ayala Malls Cloverleaf in Quezon City and Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City.

The college also said its required class meeting times clock in at approximately 7.5 hours a week of synchronous learning, made available with both early and late day schedules.

“This gives students more control of their time and allows them to balance academics, hobbies, family life, and social life. This setup also allows flexibility for the working adult who wants to complete their college degree,” it added.

It is offering a pioneer scholarship in which the first 750 enrolled students will receive a tuition fee discount of up to P20,000. With this partial discount, a full year’s enrollment can be as low as P58,000. Slot reservation begins on March 1, 2022. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Couchbase sees opportunities in PHL online gaming, BPOs

February 3, 2022 | 12:03 am

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Senior Reporter

COUCHBASE, INC., a technology company based in the United States, is targeting opportunities in various sectors in the Philippines, especially in online gaming and business process outsourcing (BPO), a company official said.

“Impressive growth in online gaming and business process outsourcing, as well as other sectors like banking and financial services, remote support, IT (information technology) development, and retail, combined with an increased adoption of cloud, big data, and IoT (internet of things), make the Philippines a lucrative market,” Couchbase Regional Vice-President for Asia Pacific and Japan Stuart Fisher told BusinessWorld in a recent e-mail interview.

Couchbase is a modern cloud-native database for enterprise applications. It enables developers and architects to build, deploy, and run mission-critical applications.

“As we move into the cloud-as-a-service ecosystem, or economy, a big part of the engine room is being driven out of the Philippines, in areas such as core development, application design, and delivery of services. All of these areas are going to be fundamentally based on next-generation technologies and capabilities driven by the cloud,” Mr. Fisher said.

He also noted that gamification has taken a huge leap in the Philippines.

“The mobile games segment’s growth trajectory is expected to continue over the next five years, with forecast revenues reaching as much as $1.52 billion by 2025,” he said, citing data from market and consumer data provider Statista.

“With such a big slice of the pie, developers need to react quickly. To do that, they need to thrive in the open-source community, in which our technologies are well suited and positioned to support digitalization strategies and enable growth,” he added.

The Philippines is a global leader in BPO, where companies are rapidly migrating to the cloud as a result of the remote working setup and the use of data and analytics to better understand customers.

BPO is the largest private sector employer in the country, accounting for 10% to 15% of the global market, according to data analytics and consulting company GlobalData. “It has grown at a compound annual rate of 10% over the past decade.”

On what surprises Couchbase has in store for its clients in the Philippines, Mr. Stuart said the company hopes the “versatility” of its solutions will support organizations to scale up in their current environment at any point in time, minus the financial burden of re-development, reworking or modernization initiatives.

“Our database-as-a-service solution delivers exceptional capabilities, flexibility, and cost savings, while assuring excellent performance and faster times to market.”

Nirvana urges ‘strike three’ for Nevermind baby’s lawsuit

February 3, 2022 | 12:02 am

NIRVANA has urged a US judge to dismiss for good the lawsuit by the man claiming that his depiction as a naked four-month-old baby on its 1991 album Nevermind was child pornography.

In a filing in Los Angeles federal court, the band said Spencer Elden waited too long to claim it sexually exploited him, dooming the third and latest version of his complaint.

“While there is no serious question that the photograph is not ‘child pornography,’ Elden’s case is long barred by the statute of limitations,” the band’s lawyers wrote. “For Elden, this is strike three. This case must end.”

A lawyer for Mr. Elden did not immediately respond on Tuesday to requests for comment.

The Nevermind album cover depicted Mr. Elden swimming naked toward a dollar bill pierced with a fish hook. Mr. Elden has said the photo caused him “lifelong damages” while letting Nirvana reap tens of millions of dollars at his expense.

Nevermind, which features the song “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” had album sales topping 30 million.

Mr. Elden’s latest complaint included details he hoped would show he filed the Aug. 2021 lawsuit within the federal 10-year statute of limitations.

But Nirvana’s lawyers said Mr. Elden did not identify any “new victimization … which he reasonably discovered for the first time after Aug. 2011 to re-start the clock.”

They quoted from a 2003 interview with Rolling Stone magazine in which Mr. Elden, then 12, said: “Every five years or so, somebody’s gonna call me up and ask me about Nevermind … and I’m probably gonna get some money from it.”

The defendants include Nirvana band members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, late lead singer Kurt Cobain’s widow Courtney Love, several record labels and the photographer, Kirk Weddle.

A hearing before US District Judge Fernando Olguin is scheduled for Feb. 24. — Reuters