Contradicting its own intentions

September 15, 2022 | 5:17 pm

Barely two months into his six-year term, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has already gone on State visits to Indonesia and Singapore, two of the Philippines’ neighboring countries and fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Malacañang lost no time in declaring both visits as “fruitful,” in response to, and in anticipation of, criticism that there are far more urgent concerns domestically that need Presidential attention— that, in short, he has been traveling while the country burns.

International relations do have a bearing on domestic issues, and Mr. Marcos did bring back agreements, mostly on security and economic matters, that hopefully could help strengthen the Philippine capacity to address some of its current problems, such as the harassment by Chinese sea craft of Filipino fisherfolk in the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

How ASEAN members can help each other in dealing with Chinese incursions in the West Philippine Sea was possibly among those issues of common concern that Mr. Marcos discussed with the President of Indonesia and Singapore’s Prime Minister. Indonesia has stopped China’s fishing boats from poaching in its waters, and by sharing its experience with the Philippines can help the country to better protect its territorial waters and defend the rights of its fisherfolk.

Those possibilities notwithstanding, there are nevertheless urgent issues and problems that demand Mr. Marcos’s attention, among them the slide to unprecedentedly low levels of the value of the peso, the surge in the inflation rate — and the questions and reservations of many sectors over his 2023 budget proposal.

The national budget is supposed to reflect the administration’s vision and priorities for the country and how, in the next fiscal year, the realization of that vision can be advanced. It should be one of the primary indications of how committed government is to addressing the concerns of the citizenry that put it in office. But the proposed budget contradicts its own intentions at almost every turn.

The priorities that the record-breaking P5.268 trillion 2023 national budget is intended to address, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), are education, infrastructure, health, social protection and welfare, and agriculture. Given those priorities, a number of the cuts and increases in the budgets of the agencies concerned demand explanation if not outright revisions.

Congress passes the General Appropriations Act every year, and will approve the 2023 National Expenditure Program (NEP) after it is debated, discussed and subjected to public hearings. But the President of the Philippines, who after all crafted it with the assistance of the DBM, could always weigh in by taking the time to explain why the budget of this or that government agency has been slashed while those of others have been increased. He could either agree with the suggestions of various sectors on the changes needed in his proposal, or enlighten his constituency on what considerations shaped the allocations for the government’s various agencies. But he was abroad when he could have done either, and has been silent since.

As the Constitution mandates, the allotment for education is the biggest in the proposed NEP at P852.8 billion. But a breakdown of that amount reveals that the allocation for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), compared to 2022’s, has been cut by P10.9 billion. The budget for the entire University of the Philippines System (UP), which has seven constituent universities in Luzon, the Visayas, Mindanao and cyber space, will also be cut by P2.45 billion.

Only the budget for the Department of Education (DepEd) in the education sector has been increased to P667 billion. But whether that amount will enable it to remedy the perennial shortage of classrooms is doubtful. The shortage has forced many public schools to cram more students into their classrooms than is safe, and/or to have two or more shifts of student classes a day. This state of affairs demands an even bigger share of the budget for education, which one Congressperson has suggested should be at least P1 trillion.

On the health front, the Department of Health (DoH) budget would be increased by P27.9 billion to P296.3 billion. The DoH is, after all, at the forefront of the national effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Significantly, however, the budget of UP’s Philippine General Hospital (PGH), which is both a teaching as well as a major health facility, and the national COVID-19 referral center, would be cut by P893 million.

Similarly defying understanding are the huge cuts in the budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). At P197 billion, the proposed budget for the agency charged with social protection and welfare is P8 billion less than 2022’s P205 billion, which will mean significant cuts in financial assistance to the very poor.

Party-list Representative Arlene Brosas has called attention to the substantial cuts — from 22.64% to 83.9% — in the budgets of the agencies charged with developing Philippine arts and culture and safeguarding its citizens’ historical memory such as the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the National Archives of the Philippines (NAP), and the National Library of the Philippines (NLP). Rep. Brosas interpreted these cuts as indicative of the Marcos administration’s alleged indifference to history and determination to “conceal the truth from the Filipinos.”

In contrast are the huge increases in the budgets of the Office of the President (OP) and the Office of the Vice-President (OVP). The proposed budget for the latter is P2.292 billion, or more than twice that of then Vice-President Leni Robredo’s Office, which was at P702 million for 2022. The wisdom, or lack of it, of that proposed amount should be evaluated in the context of the fact that the job of the Vice-President is hardly as demanding as that amount implies; and that VP Leni Robredo managed to be pro-actively involved in the anti-pandemic campaign and other advocacies for much less.

The Marcos budget is also proposing — and it breezed through the Lower House in record time — a huge P9-billion budget for President Marcos’ Office, or P1 billion more than that of his predecessor’s. It consists mostly of confidential and intelligence funds which are exempt from Commission on Audit (CoA) oversight. The proposed budget for the OVP also contains millions for “confidential expenses.”

As it is, the 2023 NEP is a study in contradictions. The inevitable conclusion is that Mr. Marcos’ real priorities are the interests of his office and those of his political allies — unless, however, the growing suspicion is true that he has mostly left the governance of this country to the latter and to his appointees while he attends to his personal and familial interests. Among others, those interests seem to include partying, and re-inventing his father’s 14-year dictatorship as the best thing that has ever happened to this country.

Mr. Marcos is again leaving the country this September for New York City, USA, where he may address the United Nations General Assembly. One hopes that what will follow that trip are several months in which he will be in this country and acting as the hands-on President he promised to be during his campaign for that post before he travels again — and further fans speculations that he is going to be, in both the literal and figurative senses, an absentee Chief Executive.

Luis V. Teodoro is on Facebook and Twitter (@luisteodoro).

www.luisteodoro.com

Magsaysay awardee is a champion of children’s rights

September 15, 2022 | 5:17 pm

A multi-awarded advocate and champion for children’s rights, pediatrician and educator Dr. Bernadette Madrid will receive the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award, the Asian equivalent of the Nobel prize, on Nov. 29.

The Ramon Magsaysay Foundation announced that she is recognized for “Her admirable commitment in championing the rights of the most vulnerable… and transformative work in integrating child protection into the health infrastructure in the Philippines.”

In 1977, she started the Philippine General Hospital-Child Protection Unit (PGH-CPU) in the Philippines. It is the first child protection facility in the Philippines and it has evolved from being crisis-oriented to providing long-term case management services. This includes a multidisciplinary team of doctors, social workers, police, and lawyers providing free medical care, psychiatric treatments, legal counselling, and family therapy to abused children and children-at-risk.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized PGH-CPU in 2006 and cited its best practice in the UN Secretary General’s Report of Children and Violence in 2008. As of 2021, PGH-CPU has served more than 27,000 abused children.

Dr. Madrid leads the Child Protection Network Foundation in finding resources for the establishment of Women and Children Protection Units (WCPUs) and training specialists around the country. All government hospitals now have WCPUs. There are 115 WCPUs in 59 provinces and 10 independent cities that have served 142,000 abused women and children.

She is co-chair of the WHO Guideline Development Group and part of a small group of global violence prevention leaders and experts who contribute ideas and solutions to inform WHO and UN bodies concerned with violence against children.

A graduate of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman (BS Psychology, cum laude) and UP Manila (Doctor of Medicine), she trained in child protection in the USA and United Kingdom. As a high school graduate of Assumption Convent, Iloilo, she received the distinguished St. Mother Marie Eugenie Award for leadership and service.

Among her many awards are the 2021 Most Outstanding Pediatrician of the Year by the Philippine Pediatric Society, Inc. She was given the Most Influential Filipina of the World (Pioneer and Founder Category) award by the Filipina Women’s Network in 2019, in Paris, France; the UP Alumni Department of Pediatrics’ Most Outstanding Alumni for Child Advocacy 2015 and UP Alumni Association’s Most Distinguished Alumni for Service 2013 awards; was the National Children’s Advocacy Center, Alabama, USA’s Most Outstanding Service awardee on Child Protection 2012; and was one of The Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation (TOWN’s) Service for Medicine: Child Protection 2001.

Dr. Gerardo D. Legaspi, Director of Philippine General Hospital sent his message:

“It is both an honor and pride for the Philippine General Hospital that one of the 2022 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees is coming from our ranks.

“This is the most fitting recognition to Dr. Bernadette J. Madrid, who has devoted her career to addressing violence against the children.

“She has been at the forefront in providing medical, legal, psychosocial care to children who are victims of abuse, thus creating safe spaces for them nationwide.

“This may not be known to many, but the work she does involves roles of educator, researcher, social leader, organizer and advocate.

“We are very proud of Dr. Madrid.”

Many people reacted to the announcement of the Magsaysay Laureate.

“Bernie is a force of nature with a giving heart and graciousness of spirit. She is a joy to work with and her level of commitment towards helping abused children literally consumes her waking hours (and perhaps extends to her dreams)!” — Irene Martel Francisco, Child Protection Network (CPN) president

“My cup overflows with joy and we share in her glory.” — Katrina Legarda, a lawyer and CPN director of the National Network of WCPUs

“She is the true embodiment of a five-star physician — a compassionate clinician, a committed educator, a passionate leader, a prolific researcher and a dedicated advocate and social mobilizer” — Philippine Pediatric Society, Inc.

“Bernie Madrid is the prototype of a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee. She lives and breathes selfless service to the abused children of not just the Philippines but all of Asia. And she does it with charming ease. We are so lucky to have her.” — Johnny Velasquez, CPN Trustee

“Bernie is a superwoman and I admire what she has done for the CPUs nationwide. She is smart, witty and very knowledgeable.” — Renna Hechanova Angeles, CPN Trustee

“Dr. Bernie is committed to strengthen the child protection system in the Philippines. She is compassionate, genuine and humble. Her positive spirit radiates and lights up any room she is in. Her daily sunset photos and the caption reflection that goes with it is something we always look forward to.” — Melissa David, CPN Resource Development Officer

“The forever Child Advocate! I met Bernie in 1988 in Auckland, New Zealand at the 12^th International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect… This congress gave birth to the annual Ako Para Sa Bata national conference. She has a multi-disciplinary and team approach… and gives importance to the contribution of each discipline for a better result to the lives of many abused children.” — Sr. Nida Viovicente, Marian Missionaries of the Philippines, family therapist.

This is a special year for the Child Protection Network as it celebrates the 25^th anniversary of the founding of the first CPU-PGH. Dr. Madrid is chair of the conference which will open on Sept. 29. She will give a lecture at the Magsaysay Foundation Center. It opens the 14^th Ako Para Sa Bata Conference. The theme of the 14^th annual conference is “25 Years: The Beginning, the Building and the Institution of Child Protection in the Philippines.”

For more information about CPN, announcements and updates, visit their website www.childprotectionnetwork.org and their Facebook page @AkoParaSaBataConference.

The online conference will have a series of webinars on Zoom and streamed on Facebook. The webinars will be held every Thursday starting Sept. 29 until Nov. 24, at 10 to 11 a.m.

Maria Victoria Rufino is an artist, writer and businesswoman. She is president and executive producer of Maverick Productions.

mavrufino@gmail.com

The real victims of 9/11

September 15, 2022 | 5:16 pm

It was a quiet Tuesday evening in the Metro, with the family settling down after dinner. The TV on, I saw what appeared to be smoke coming out of the World Trade Center. News commentary was a tad confused, with tentative reports of a plane accidentally crashing into the North Tower. This was a little before 8 p.m.

I remember calling out to my wife then, both of us amazed at the sight. Our toddler cheerfully played around and my wife went back to her work. Then at 8:03 p.m., on live TV, a second plane smashed through the South Tower.

It’s hard to describe now to those too young or weren’t even born then, how it felt to experience the sights and sounds of that day. Of wondering what were those numerous little dots falling out of the burning buildings, only to horribly realize moments later that they were terrified people jumping out rather than be burned alive, all onscreen in real time.

Seeing ordinary individuals trying to escape from the wreckage in New York. Or the Pentagon. Or those panickily leaving their offices in Washington, DC, fear evident in their eyes. Then to see the covering ashfall.

There were the last-minute phone calls from the passengers of the hijacked planes: “Jules, this is Brian. Listen, I’m on an airplane that’s been hijacked. If things don’t go well, and it’s not looking good, I just want you to know I absolutely love you. I want you to do good, go have good times. Same to my parents and everybody, and I just totally love you, and I’ll see you when you get there.” That was Brian Sweeney’s voicemail message to his wife Julie, calling from a seat phone on Flight 175, the plane I’d see crash into the South Tower.

Melissa Doi was working on the South Tower that day. Fifteen minutes after the second attack, she called 911 and reported what happened. Unable to patch a three-way call to her mother, she asked the operator to convey a message: “Tell my mother that I love her and that she’s the best mum in the whole world.” Her body would be found in the wreckage three years later.

Then there was Edna Cintron, who managed to survive the attack on the North Tower, navigated her way across the ruins of the 94^th and 95^th floors, and was filmed waving from a cavernous opening, hoping someone notices and saves her. She would die that day.

Those were ordinary people, good people — college graduates, secretaries, janitors, spouses and parents, those supporting elderly parents, police officers and firemen — who got out of bed and went to work that day.

And yet, looking around now, on news or social media, one might easily get the impression that they were, instead, the criminals on that day.

Painter and writer Maureen Mullarkey wrote an essay, “What American Children Are Taught About 9/11 Can Be Dangerous” (The Federalist, September 2021). She wrote about an exhibit, 9/11: Through Young Eyes at Manhattan’s DC Moore Gallery in September 2011. She says: “There were no references to al-Qaeda or enemy assault.” Instead, “one panel growled: ‘War was glorified and commercialized.’” Censures were “applied not to fanatics who shout ‘Allahu Akbar’ in bloody ecstasy but to Americans.”

“It was here in this country that ‘mosques were burned’ and ‘Muslims were dehumanized.’ And ‘some Arab-Americans were even murdered.’ In a perverse inversion of selective sympathy, the tragic splendor of victimhood accrued to Muslims, not to annihilated New Yorkers,” she wrote.

But why should we even care about something that happened 21 years ago on foreign soil? Because 9/11 was not merely an attack on the United States but on us, our beliefs, our way of life. It was an attack on the value of individual human life, our freedoms and rights, and of our history be it unique or shared.

A perverse leftist ideology, to prevent favorable comparison to Christianity, sought to erase these facts: that the buildings fell not by some mere neutral natural event, that a group of fanatical Islamic terrorists committed those attacks, and that mass murder could never be justified by whatever past colonialism or other supposed historical wrong.

The foregoing spawned countless ridiculous news and academic commentary, and even more ridiculous security measures: old Catholic nuns were singled out for body searches just to avoid reasonable profiling that somehow acknowledges that Muslims then predominantly constituted terrorist movements.

It is this politically correct refusal to acknowledge reality that has led to an airbrushing not only of 9/11 but also of the inhumane treatment of women and minorities in China and the Middle East, our very own SAF 44 massacre in Mamasapano, and even biological truths on the differences between men and women.

Because ultimately, 9/11 was not merely an attack on US buildings, it was an attack on the twin towers of facts and reason. And we are all still suffering as collateral damage.

Jemy Gatdula is a senior fellow of the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations and a Philippine Judicial Academy law lecturer for constitutional philosophy and jurisprudence

https://www.facebook.com/jigatdula/

Twitter @jemygatdula

Thousands pass Queen’s coffin as she lies in state

September 15, 2022 | 5:05 pm

London-Queen Elizabeth II — PEOPLE gather to pay respects to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II following her death, in London, Britain, Sept. 15. — REUTERS

LONDON — Mourners from all walks of life filed past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II through the night as she lay in state in London’s ancient Westminster Hall, paying their final respects to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch before her funeral on Monday.

After days of processions and ritual as the queen’s body was brought to London from Balmoral, Scotland, where she died last Thursday at the age of 96, this was the opportunity for ordinary people to take a direct part in a ceremony. Many were in tears as they passed by the flag-draped coffin.

Officials expect some 750,000 people to view it before the lying in state ends at 6.30 a.m. (0730 GMT) on Monday.

The line stretched back several miles along the south bank of the River Thames, past landmarks such as Tower Bridge and a replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, crossing Lambeth Bridge as it neared Westminster Hall. People waited many hours.

Thomas Hughes, 20, who waited nearly 14 hours overnight with his brother, said finally viewing the coffin was quite overwhelming.

“You do it all because you want to pay respect to this lady… and I think when you put yourself through that, and then you get to the moment you’re waiting for you are just that little bit more emotional,” he said. “It’s a very powerful thing.”

Most were Britons but some were from overseas. They were young and old, and included former soldiers in military medals and babies being carried by their parents. Many stopped by the coffin to bow their head. Others wiped away tears.

Some were there to represent elderly parents, others to witness history and to thank a woman who, having ascended the throne in 1952, was still holding official government meetings just two days before she died.

Queen Elizabeth’s coffin lay in the center of Westminster Hall on a purple catafalque placed on a red platform. It was covered by the Royal Standard flag and topped with the Imperial State Crown placed on a cushion, alongside a wreath of flowers.

Soldiers and ‘Beefeaters’ — the red-coated warders usually found guarding the Tower of London — stood vigil with bowed heads.

Among the first inside was Kenneth Taylor, 72, from Reading in central England, who had come with a neighbor and stayed overnight in a tent in the queue.

Tearing up, Mr. Taylor said that on seeing the queen lying in state, he felt sad. “A lump came to my throat.”

“You know, we’ve lost someone special. Her service to this country was really steadfast and unswerving. And she’s probably what I would call the queen of queens.”

Danielle Harbron, 49, from Derbyshire, said: “I was expecting to walk through blubbering, and walk out the other end, blubbering, and it was just a really, really surreal sensation, very strange.”

The casket had been brought to the hall from Buckingham Palace atop a gun carriage and escorted by soldiers in scarlet ceremonial uniforms in a solemn procession on Wednesday afternoon.

King Charles, his sons Princes William and Harry and other senior royals walked behind — the two princes united in grief despite a rift between them. Harry marks his 38^th birthday on Thursday.

William and his wife Kate will travel to the royal residence of Sandringham in eastern England on Thursday to view floral tributes left there by members of the public.

The full-scale ceremonial procession on the day of the queen’s funeral is likely to be one of the biggest the country has ever witnessed and will pose a huge security challenge.

Royalty, presidents and other world leaders are expected to attend, although certain nations, including Russia, Afghanistan, and Syria, were not extended invites.

US President Joseph R. Biden, who has said he will be there, spoke to the new king on Wednesday and “conveyed the great admiration of the American people for the Queen,” the White House said. — Reuters

Japan set to remove limit on daily arrivals in Oct.

September 15, 2022 | 5:05 pm

JAPAN is expected to waive visa requirements for certain tourists and remove a limit on daily arrivals in October as it aims to benefit from a rebound in global tourism, Nikkei reported on Thursday.

Following the change, Japan will not require visas for short-term travelers from the United States and certain other countries, and will scrap the daily entry cap of 50,000 people, the media outlet said. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to announce the changes in the coming days, the report said.

With the yen languishing near a 24-year low against the dollar, owing to a hawkish US Federal Reserve, the Japanese government could benefit from capitalizing on the increased buying power of tourists by easing travel requirements, the report added.

Japan last week raised the daily ceiling of inbound travelers to 50,000 from 20,000, and eliminated a requirement for pre-departure COVID tests, easing what have been among the most restrictive border measures among major economies.

Before the pandemic, Japan did not require tourist visas for 68 countries and regions. — Reuters

Russia says its navy is in joint patrols with China in Pacific

September 15, 2022 | 5:05 pm

Russia-Flag — A RUSSIAN FLAG flies with the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin in the background in Moscow, Russia, Feb. 27, 2019. — REUTERS

THE RUSSIAN and Chinese navies are holding joint patrols in the Pacific Ocean, the Russian defense ministry said on Thursday, deepening military and diplomatic ties between Moscow and Beijing when their relations with the West have soured.

A ministry statement on Telegram said crews from both sides were conducting joint tactical maneuvers and carrying out exercises involving artillery and helicopters.

“The tasks of the patrols involve the strengthening of naval cooperation between Russia and China, upholding peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, coastal monitoring and safeguarding Russian and Chinese nautical economic sites,” it said.

China’s President Xi Jinping is due on Thursday to meet Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in Uzbekistan to discuss Ukraine and Taiwan, among others, in what is the Chinese president’s first trip abroad in more than two years.

The deepening “no limits” partnership between the rising superpower of China and the natural resources titan of Russia is a geopolitical development the West is watching with anxiety.

Russia and China warships conducted their first joint patrols of the western Pacific Ocean in October last year, a move closely monitored by Japan who called the maneuvers as “unusual”. — Reuters

ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED: An ultra-portable, lightweight professional powerhouse

September 15, 2022 | 4:00 pm

While there were many downsides to working from home, one positive was that you can use a dedicated PC (personal computer) workstation to handle all your tasks without any compromises. Laptops seldom give you that; whether its performance, weight, appearance, or cost, you often have to make sacrifices in certain areas to excel in others.

The ASUS Zenbook line of laptops is a rejection of that notion. Like their direct competitor, the MacBook Air, ASUS Zenbooks are designed to be premium all-in-one powerhouses that cut no corners in terms of getting the job done and looking good while doing it.

The recently-launched ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED is the perfect example. As one of the first laptops to be equipped with the latest AMD Ryzen 6000-Series processors, offering up to 16 GB of RAM, the Zenbook S 13 OLED can take on any task with ease. Using an ultrafast SSD that goes up to 512 GB, you can work smoothly and comfortably with fast boot times and instant app loads, and with the latest WiFi 6E, you’ll enjoy faster, smoother and more reliable connections. With the AMD Radeon mobile graphics, it’s even suitable for some light to medium gaming during your downtime.

And as the Zenbook line is famous for its ultra-portability and overall visual design, it does all this while looking stylish to boot. The Zenbook S 13 OLED is lighter than any other 13.3-inch laptop in its class, making it the world’s lightest 13.3-inch OLED notebook, weighing only one kilogram, 14.9-millimeter thinness, made from durable magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis. It comes in four elegant colors: Ponder Blue, Refined White, Aqua Celadon, and Vestige Beige.

With its thin, lightweight, eye-catching but minimalistic design, the Zenbook S 13 OLED is tailor-made for the busy professionals looking to get back into the hustle. The high-capacity battery promises up to 19 hours of use on-the-go, and when it’s time for a top-up, the fast-charge technology can take it to 60% capacity in as little as 49 minutes. The ASUS USB-C Easy Charge also allows it to quickly charge using a USB-C Power Delivery-certified charger, or you can top it up with any standard USB-C charger such as an airline charger, a portable charger or a power bank.

If you’re the type spend all of that battery life working, ASUS also has you covered. The Zenbook S 13 OLED showcases the latest ASUS ErgoSense keyboard and touchpad engineered to ensure maximum comfort and ease while working. Given the laptop’s size and thinness, it’s hard to imagine the keyboard to have any of the heft and feel of a custom-built one. Yet the ASUS ErgoSense keyboard still feels satisfying to work with, with enough bounce and travel to make writing long emails and documents or long coding sessions a very pleasant experience.

What’s more, the ASUS ErgoSense touchpad is spacious and silky smooth, with a special low-friction coating that’s also fingerprint-resistant. It can also easily turn into a numpad with a tap of a finger, allowing the Zenbook to remain compact without compromising functionality. On top of these features, the Zenbook S 13 OLED is equipped with ASUS’ Anti-bacterial Guard technology that protects you from 99% of the bacteria from your keyboard and palm-rest area. This technology will last up to 3 years of protection.

Of course, the showstopper is the Zenbook S 13 OLED’s gorgeous 2.8K OLED HDR display. The expansive 16:10 aspect ratio coupled with the four-sided NanoEdge design with ultra-slim bezels creates a more expansive screen to act as a versatile mobile workspace or an immersive multimedia theater.

ASUS OLED display laptops come with a best-in-class color gamut. The display’s color gamut can be quickly and easily switched for different tasks or preferences.

The Zenbook’s outstanding display makes it a joy to watch high-definition movies, shows, or even play video games on, because the super-bright PANTONE Validated screen ensures the best quality viewing experience even in broad daylight. The screen is also DisplayHDR True Black 500-certified, offering real-life color accuracy for professional-grade visuals.

On top of the ultra-vivid native color setting, choose sRGB for creating web content or browsing, DCI-P3 for cinema content, or Display P3 for movie-grade colors finessed to fit everyday viewing in the real world. For any kind of professional and creative work, or for anyone who simply wants to enjoy the very best color fidelity, the display gives all that you need and more.

The nature of the OLED display makes it easy to keep your eyes on the screen as well. In fact, the laptop is TÜV Rheinland-certified for eye care, so you can remain comfortable enough to watch movies or shows on the same screen even after a day of long working hours.

This comes packaged with a stereo sound system certified by the audio experts at Harman Kardon. The Zenbook S 13 OLED is equipped with the immersive sound of Dolby Atmos, providing a powerful, crystal-clear soundscape for both entertainment and communications. In an enclosed space like a conference room or a home office, the Zenbook’s audio capabilities are full and clear enough to take the center stage.

The Zenbook S 13 OLED has been tested to meet the ultra-demanding MIL-STD 810H military standard for reliability and durability. These tests consisted of a punishing regime designed to ensure survival in harsh environments, and included power-on drop tests, vibration tests, and operation at extremes of humidity, altitude and temperature.

To finish it off, the Zenbook S 13 OLED comes with three USB-C ports and a headphone jack for its I/O ports. It is admittedly a hassle to use the USB-C to USB-A adapter that comes with the box, but it isn’t that much different from a MacBook Air in that regard. If you’re looking for a worthy Windows alternative to the MacBook Air, look no further.

The ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED is available in two variants: an 8GB RAM 512GB SSD available for P63,995 and a 16GB 512GB available for P76,995. For more details, you may check the official website of ASUS Philippines.

Starting Sept. 15 until Oct. 31, for every purchase of the Zenbook S 13 OLED, get a chance to win a limited-edition Zarah Juan, “Zen-Tote” bag worth P8,500. The raffle is open to all customers who will purchase the Zenbook S 13 OLED in all ASUS Concept stores and authorized ASUS IT multi-brand stores nationwide. For more information, you may check ASUS x Zarah Juan.

The ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED will also be available in Home Credit partner stores nationwide. Customers can purchase the laptop for only P4,533 per month with 0% interest, and up to 12 months of installments. To know about this amazing promo, you may check the official page of Home Credit Philippines.

Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by enabling them to publish their stories directly on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.

Join us on Viber to get more updates from BusinessWorld: https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA.

Epson launches virtual showroom

September 15, 2022 | 2:51 pm

An immersive virtual showroom launched by Epson Philippines Corp. features its products in an online environment equipped with a chat function that connects visitors with the customer care team.

“In this age of digitalization, it is only timely that we establish a convenient online platform for our customers to get to know our products without them having to go to a physical store,” said Eduardo Bonoan, general manager of Epson Philippines’s marketing division, in a Sept. 14 statement announcing the launch.

The Epson Virtual Solution Center offers a 360-degree view of seven showrooms on different floors, each one presenting solutions for the office, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, education, digital printing, and sustainable technology, respectively.

There is also a showroom dedicated to Epson’s home devices.

The center “offers a new and exciting way for our customers to experience what Epson products are known for: efficient, compact, precision, and sustainable innovations,” he added.

Among the featured products are inkjet printers, which the company said uses 85% less power consumption as compared to laser printers; waterproof printing for medical labels and payment systems; label printers; printers for receipt printing, order management, and advertisement printing; interactive projectors for the modern classroom; outdoor signage printers; and eco-efficient products.

“Planning for the future demands a strong commitment toward environmental conservation and protection, and this is why we strive to create innovative, reliable, recyclable, and energy-efficient products,” Mr. Bonoan said in a previous event. — Patricia B. Mirasol

ICCP sees more IPOs from PHL companies

September 15, 2022 | 2:45 pm

Despite the challenging financial markets amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and soaring inflation, the Philippines is seeing a resurgence in capital raising by the country’s corporations as the economy primes itself for recovery.

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) reported that companies raised a record P234.48 billion at the stock exchange in 2021, surpassing the previous high of P228.33 billion in 2012. The PSE ended the year with eight initial public offerings (IPOs), 11 follow-on offerings, four stock rights offerings and eight private placements.

In a July interview, PSE President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Monzon said the PSE is again looking forward to a record number of IPOs in 2022. The eight IPOs in the first semester have already matched the same number of offerings for the entire 2021. To support this increasing trend of public issues, the Philippine Stock Exchange has organized the business forum entitled, “Road to IPO 2022,” with the participation of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Trade & Industry.

The forum is scheduled today, Sept. 15, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Prominent speakers include PSE President Ramon S. Monzon and SEC Chairman Emil S. Aquino. One of the investment houses selected to participate in the forum is Investment & Capital Corporation of the Philippines (ICCP), among the oldest Investment houses in the country that offers a full range of investment services from debt capital and equity markets to financial advisory services including mergers & acquisitions. ICCP Managing Director Mariano Ocampo shares IPO readiness tips during the forum entitled, “Road to IPO 2022.”

ICCP has joined the call for more Philippine companies to tap the capital markets to finance and achieve sustainable growth. As one of the most trusted independent investment houses in the country, ICCP has successfully mentored companies in their foray into the local bourse.

In 2021, the company was joint lead underwriter for the P14.7-billion IPO of DDMPR REIT, Inc. and the P15.3-billion stock market debut of MREIT, Inc. ICCP was also the sole underwriter and issue manager for the P1-billion FOO of Apollo Global Capital, Inc. — the first offshore iron ore mining company in the Philippines.

This year, ICCP was the sole underwriter and issue manager for the P750-million offer of Haustalk, Inc. — the country’s first IPO of 2022 and the first small-and-medium enterprise (SME) listing under the new SME Listing Rules of the PSE.

This was followed-up by the P6.4-billion IPO of Citicore Energy REIT Corp. (CREIT), the country’s first energy-focused REIT, where ICCP served as underwriter. The investment house was recently engaged as sole issue coordinator, joint lead underwriter and issue manager for the IPO of Alternergy Holdings Corp. — a renewable energy company with a diversified portfolio of wind, solar & run of river hydro.

“We are happy to be a contributor in revving up this engine of growth for the economy, particularly for renewable energy, agri supply logistics, financial inclusion and climate finance. The IPO is not just for the big corporates but could also be tapped by SMEs, project proponents,” said ICCP President & CEO Valentino S. Bagatsing. “We stand ready to guide more businesses prepare to tap the local equity and debt markets. The capital markets should be utilized as a catalyst for job generating PPPs and be a valuable instrument for funding climate adaptation. We are inspired by the SEC & the PSE for their continued effort of democratizing the capital markets while ensuring transparency & accountable disclosure,” added Mr. Bagatsing.

ICCP believes that IPOs is a viable option to raise capital to fund the expansion businesses and institutionalizing ESG initiatives. Independent investment houses like ICCP have a strong role in structuring innovative ways of assisting corporations navigate the process of tapping the Philippine capital markets.

Join us on Viber to get more updates from BusinessWorld: https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA.

Traffic, water shortages, now floods: the slow death of India’s tech hub?

September 15, 2022 | 2:31 pm

BENGALURU — Harish Pullanoor spent his weekends in the late 1980s tramping around the marshes and ponds of Yemalur, an area then on the eastern edge of the Indian metropolis of Bengaluru, where his cousins would join him catching small freshwater fish.

In the 1990s, Bengaluru, once a genteel city of gardens, lakes and a cool climate, rapidly became India’s answer to Silicon Valley, attracting millions of workers and the regional headquarters of some of the world’s biggest IT (information technology) companies.

The untrammelled expansion came at a price.

Concrete replaced green spaces and construction around the edge of lakes blocked off connecting canals, limiting the city’s capacity to absorb and siphon off water.

Last week, after the city’s heaviest rains in decades, the Yemalur neighborhood was submerged under waist-deep water along with some other parts of Bengaluru, disrupting the southern metropolis’ IT industry and dealing a blow to its reputation.

Residents fed up with gridlocked traffic and water shortages during the dry season have long complained about the city’s infrastructure.

But flooding during the monsoon has raised fresh questions about the sustainability of rapid urban development, especially if weather patterns become more erratic and intense because of climate change.

“It’s very, very sad,” said Mr. Pullanoor, who was born close to Yemalur but now lives in the western city of Mumbai, parts of which also face sporadic flooding like many of India’s urban centers.

“The trees have disappeared. The parks have almost disappeared. There is chock-a-block traffic.”

Big businesses are also complaining about worsening disruptions, which they say can cost them tens of millions of dollars in a single day.

Bengaluru hosts more than 3,500 IT companies and some 79 “tech parks” — upmarket premises that house offices and entertainment areas catering to technology workers.

Wading through flooded highways last week, they struggled to reach modern glass-faced complexes in and around Yemalur where multinational firms including JP Morgan and Deloitte operate alongside large Indian start-ups.

Millionaire entrepreneurs were among those forced to escape flooded living rooms and swamped bedrooms on the back of tractors.

Insurance companies said initial estimates for loss of property ran into millions of rupees, with numbers expected to go up in the next few days.

‘GLOBAL IMPACT’
The latest chaos triggered renewed worries from the $194 billion Indian IT services industry that is concentrated around the city.

“India is a tech hub for global enterprises, so any disruption here will have a global impact. Bangalore, being the center of IT, will be no exception to this,” said K.S. Viswanathan, vice president at industry lobby group the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM).

Bangalore was renamed Bengaluru in 2014.

NASSCOM is currently working to identify 15 new cities that could become software export hubs, said Mr. Viswanathan, who is driving the project.

“It is not a city-versus-city story,” he told Reuters. “We as a country don’t want to miss out on revenue and business opportunities because of a lack of infrastructure.”

Even before the floods, some business groups including the Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA) that is led by executives from Intel, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft and Wipro, warned inadequate infrastructure in Bengaluru could encourage companies to leave.

“We have been talking about these for years,” Krishna Kumar, general manager of ORRCA, said last week of problems related to Bengaluru’s infrastructure. “We have come to a serious point now and all companies are on the same page.”

In the early 1970s, more than 68 percent of Bengaluru was covered in vegetation.

By the late 1990s, the city’s green cover had dropped to around 45% and by 2021 to less than 3% of its total area of 741 square kilometers, according to an analysis by T.V. Ramachandra of Bengaluru’s Indian Institute of Science (IISC).

Green spaces can help absorb and temporarily store storm water, helping to protect built up areas.

“If this trend continues, by 2025, 98.5% (of the city) will be choked with concrete,” said Mr. Ramachandra, who is part of IISC’s Centre for Ecological Sciences.

CITY IN DECAY
Rapid urban expansion, often featuring illegal structures built without permission, has affected Bengaluru’s nearly 200 lakes and a network of canals that once connected them, according to experts.

So when heavy rains lash the city like they did last week, drainage systems are unable to keep up, especially in low-lying areas like Yemalur.

The state government of Karnataka, where Bengaluru is located, said last week it would spent 3 billion Indian rupees ($37.8 million) to help manage the flood situation, including removing unauthorized developments, improving drainage systems and controlling water levels in lakes.

“All the encroachments will be removed without any mercy,” Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters. “I will personally go and inspect.”

Authorities have identified around 50 areas in Bengaluru that have been illegally developed. Those included high-end villas and apartments, according to Tushar Girinath, Chief Commissioner of Bengaluru’s civic authority.

Last week, the state government also announced it would set up a body to manage Bengaluru’s traffic and start discussions on a new storm water drainage project along a major highway.

Critics called the initiatives a knee-jerk reaction that could peter out.

“Every time it floods, only then we discuss,” said IISC’s Mr. Ramachandra. “Bengaluru is decaying. It will die.” ($1 = 79.4130 Indian rupees) — Reuters

IMF’s Georgieva says central bankers must be ‘stubborn’ in fighting inflation

September 15, 2022 | 1:32 pm

WASHINGTON — Central bankers must be persistent in fighting broad-based inflation, International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Kristalina Georgieva said on Wednesday, conceding that many economists were wrong when they predicted last year that inflation would ease.

“Inflation is stubborn, it is more broad-based than we thought it would be,” she said. “And what it means is … we need central bankers to be as stubborn in fighting it as inflation has demonstrably been.”

If fiscal policy and monetary policy worked well, next year might prove less painful, she said at an event with French European Central Bank policy maker Francois Villeroy de Galhau. But if fiscal policy was not targeted sufficiently, it could become the “enemy of monetary policy, fueling inflation,” she said.

Ms. Georgieva’s comments came a day after the US reported an unexpected rise in August consumer prices, with rent and food costs continuing to climb.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, in an interview with CBS News, said she believed inflation “will come down over time” due to the actions of the Federal Reserve. Ms. Yellen said the Biden administration is trying to complement the Fed’s moves.

Ms. Georgieva said the surprising rise in inflation was “just one snippet of the uncertainty and difficulties” the global economy faced. Both the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine contributed to surging prices and a cost-of-living crisis.

In a blog, the IMF warned that higher oil prices were driving up all consumer prices, which could result in a wage-price spiral if these second-order effects were sustained. Central bankers should respond “firmly,” it said.

When overall inflation is already high, as it is now, wages tend to increase by more in response to an oil-price shock, the IMF said, citing a study of 39 European countries. That showed people were more likely to react to price increases when high inflation was visibly eroding living standards, it said, noting that the larger the second-round effects, the greater the risk of a sustained wage-price spiral.

“If large and sustained, oil price shocks could fuel persistent rises in inflation and inflation expectations, which should be countered by a monetary policy response,” the IMF said, noting that people tended to seek higher compensation for oil price rises.

However, even in a high-inflation environment, wages stabilized after a year rather than continuing to rise at a steady clip, it said.

“To the extent that central banks remain adequately vigilant, current high inflation could still cause higher compensation for the cost of living than usual but need not morph into a sustained increase in inflation,” the IMF said. — Reuters

Biden, unions, rail executives struggle for deal as shutdown looms

September 15, 2022 | 1:11 pm

DETROIT/LOS ANGELES — Biden administration officials hosted labor contract talks late on Wednesday to avert a potential rail shutdown that could disrupt cargo shipments and impede food and fuel supplies, but one small union rejected a deal and Amtrak canceled all long-distance passenger trips.

Railroads including Union Pacific, Berkshire Hathaway’s BNSF and Norfolk Southern have until a minute after midnight on Friday to reach deals with three holdout unions representing about 60,000 workers before a work stoppage affecting freight and Amtrak could begin.

Talks between labor unions and railroads, which started at 9 a.m., were still underway more than 12 hours later after 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday at the US Labor Department’s headquarters in Washington.

The talks are being overseen by Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, with input from other US officials. The parties ordered in Italian food for dinner Wednesday in order to continue discussions.

“Everybody is going to have to move a little in order to get a deal done,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters on the sidelines of the Detroit auto show.

A union representing about 4,900 machinists, mechanics, and maintenance personnel said on Wednesday its members voted to reject a tentative deal.

Rail workers have gone three years without a raise amid a contract dispute, while rail companies have recorded robust profits.

In the current talks, the industry has offered annual wage increases from 2020 to 2024, equal to a 24% compounded hike. Three of 12 unions, representing about half of the 115,000 workers affected by the negotiations, are asking for better working conditions.

Two of those 12 unions, representing more than 11,000 workers, have ratified deals, the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC), which is bargaining on behalf of railroads, said on Wednesday.

Unions are enjoying a surge of public and worker support in the wake of the pandemic, when “essential” employees risked coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exposure to keep goods moving and employers reaped hefty profits, labor and corporate experts say.

A shutdown could freeze almost 30% of US cargo shipments by weight, stoke inflation, cost the US economy as much as $2 billion per day and unleash a cascade of transportation woes affecting the U.S. energy, agriculture, manufacturing and retail sectors.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One that a shutdown of the freight rail system would be an “unacceptable outcome for our economy and the American people and all parties must work to avoid just that.”

HIGH STAKES FOR BIDEN

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.’s administration has begun making contingency plans to ensure deliveries of critical goods in the event of a shutdown.

The stakes are high for Mr. Biden, who has vowed to rein in soaring consumer costs ahead of November elections that will determine whether his fellow Democrats maintain control of Congress.

“Unless they reach a breakthrough soon, rail workers will go on strike this Friday. If you don’t think that will have a negative impact on our economy … think again,” said US Senator John Cornyn, a Republican and Biden critic.

Senator Bernie Sanders late on Wednesday objected to a Republican bid to unanimously approve legislation to prevent a rail strike, noting the profits the rail industry has made.

If agreements are not reached, employers could also lock out workers. Railroads and unions may agree to stay at the bargaining table, or the Democratic-led US Congress could intervene by extending talks or establishing settlement terms.

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it was not clear whether Congress would step in, noting that the main issue is a lack of sick leave for workers.

Amtrak, which uses tracks maintained by freight railways, said it would cancel all long-distance trips on Thursday and some additional state-supported trains.

Rail hubs in Chicago and Dallas were already clogged and suffering from equipment shortages before the contract showdown. Those bottlenecks are backing up cargo at US seaports by as much as a month. And, once cargo gets to rail hubs in locations such as Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City and Memphis, Tennessee, it can sit another month or longer.

Package delivery company United Parcel Service, one of the largest US rail customers, and US seaports said they are working on contingency plans.

Meanwhile, factory owners are fretting about idling machinery while automakers worry that a shutdown could extend vehicle buyer wait times. Elsewhere, food and energy companies warn that additional service disruptions could create even sharper price hikes. — Reuters

1...5,5015,5025,503...13,857 Page 5,502 of 13,857