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Philippine Infradev’s net loss widens as expenses jump

PHILIPPINE Infradev Holdings, Inc. announced on Tuesday that its attributable net loss for the first quarter of the year widened to P11.24 million from a loss of P8.30 million in the same period a year ago, mainly due to a significant increase in expenses.

The company’s total revenues surged to P9.96 million in the first quarter from P1.37 million in the same period in 2021.

“The significant increase… in total revenue was mainly due to the higher number of units sold,” the company said in its first-quarter report.

Meanwhile, its total expenses jumped to P21.21 million from P9.66 million in the same period last year.

“Total cost and expenses increased by P11.54 million from P9.66 million mainly because of the higher cost of sales,” the company noted.

Philippine Infradev’s cash decreased by P195.99 million “mainly because of the payment to the contractors and consultants related to the subway project and transit-oriented development.”

“Other major payments were related to the land development and construction costs for the fourth subdivision of the company named Casas Carlina.”

At the same time, the company said that its receivable increased by P47.61 million mainly because of the advances made to contractors.

“Real estate held for sale and development increased by P66.91 million mainly because payments made for the land development and construction costs related to the fourth subdivision of the company.”

Its retained earnings decreased by P11.24 million because of the net loss incurred.

The company incorporated in 2019 the Makati City Subway, Inc. (MCSI) that will be used as a special corporate vehicle for its subway project in Makati.

“On March 7, 2022, the group received the certificate of registration of MCSI as new operator of Local Government Unit Public-Private Partnership from the Board of Investments effective Jan. 17, 2022,” it said.

“This includes the approval of tax incentives which shall be limited to four years income tax holiday, followed by five years enhanced deductions and duty exemption on importation of capital equipment, subject to compliance with certain conditions,” it added.

The company also noted that the clearing of its Binangonan property is still the focus of its operations with the goal of completely freeing from third party claims 500 hectares of the 2,200-hectare property.

“Due to a number of factors, including the recognition of Supreme Court’s recognition of the superior rights of the bonafide occupants as well as potential challenges in clearing and re-titling of this large area of land, manage-ment has estimated that only 1,513 hectares are expected to be recovered/cleared and re-titled in the name of the parent company as of March 31, 2022 and Dec. 31, 2021,” it said.

Philippine Infradev shares closed 3.33% higher at P0.93 apiece on Tuesday. — Arjay L. Balinbin

PetroEnergy sees Q1 gains

PETROENERGY Resources Corp. reported a 66.5% increase in first-quarter net income for parent firm equity holders to P176.96 million and a 48.2% rise in after-tax income to P252.47 million.

In a regulatory filing on Tuesday, the Yuchengco-led energy company said the improvement in its financial showing during the quarter was largely due to higher crude oil prices, power sales and lower interest expenses.

It said crude oil prices in the first three months of the year reached an average of $107.95 per barrel from $60.97 per barrel previously, while higher electricity sales came from its Tarlac solar plant and Nabas wind farm. The listed company added that the reduction in interest expenses resulted from installment payments of loan principals.

PetroEnergy is engaged in petroleum production through the Etame consortium in Gabon, West Africa and in renewable energy generation in the Philippines through its subsidiary PetroGreen Energy Corp., which owns and de-velops power plants using geothermal, wind, and solar energy.

Also on Tuesday, PetroEnergy said it saw a 3% increase in its 2021 consolidated net income to P655 million, while net income attributable to parent company also improved by 2% to P325 million.

The company said its financial performance last year was mainly fueled by a recovery in global crude oil prices to an average price of $69.90 per barrel from $49.72 per barrel previously. It also attributed last year’s results to its solar plant in Tarlac, which saw higher electricity sales due to improved prices at the spot market.

“These profit drivers, however, were offset by impairment recorded on the company’s West Linapacan and Octon petroleum service contracts amounting to P304 million resulting to a lower than realized net income for the year,” it said.

On Monday, shares in the company were unchanged at P5 apiece.

SSI swings to P68-million profit

SPECIALTY retailer the SSI Group, Inc. reported a net income of P67.7 million in the first quarter, turning around from a loss of P99.5 million in the similar period the year before.

“The group continued to see a recovery from the COVID pandemic during the first quarter of 2022. Despite a challenging January, with Omicron cases at peak levels, sales and foot traffic quickly picked up in February and March, with the group seeing strong demand across the range of its categories, and with sales approaching 2019 levels,” SSI said in a disclosure on Tuesday.

In the first quarter, sales were up 28% to P4.5 billion, with e-commerce sales also increasing by 21% year on year.

“Despite possible headwinds in 2022 in the form of higher inflation and a weaker peso, we continue to be confident that SSI has the resources and expertise necessary to manage volatile market conditions” SSI President Antho-ny T. Huang said in a statement.

In 2021, the company’s net income was up 117% to P151 million. Revenues likewise rose by 26% to P15.5 billion.

The company’s brand portfolio ranges from luxury, casual, fast fashion, footwear, accessories and luggage, among others.

SSI’s specialty retail footprint consisted of 570 stores located within approximately 83 malls across the Philippines.

At the stock exchange, SSI Group shares surged 8.55% or P0.10 to close at P1.27 on Tuesday. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

CIC profit dips to P31M on rising commodity prices, shipping costs

CONCEPCION Industrial Corp. (CIC) announced on Tuesday that its profit after tax for the first quarter declined by 76% to P31 million, weighed down by higher commodity and logistics costs as well as unfavorable foreign exchange rates amid the pandemic.

“Despite a rough start due to Omicron, our March sales posted a 24% growth on overall business, even exceeding pre-pandemic levels. While we see increased levels of customer activities and commercial pipeline presenting a positive outlook, we remain cautious about the pressure in the business environment resulting from the increasing inflation, commodity and logistics costs, weakening peso and the global business sentiments,” CIC Chairman and Chief Executive Raul Joseph A. Concepcion said.

In the first quarter, sales grew 7% to P3.1 billion. CIC said that sales from the commercial segment posted a “strong recovery offsetting weakness in consumer segment.”

“While the consumer segment was affected by the resurgence of COVID in the beginning of the quarter, demand in that segment returned to normal levels from the latter part of February,” it added.

The company said it had implemented price increases and cost curtailment activities to mitigate losses.

CIC provides air conditioning, refrigerators, consumer appliances, and building and industrial solutions. Its portfolio includes six companies, namely: Concepcion-Carrier Airconditioning Co., Concepcion Durables, Inc., Concepcion Midea, Inc. Philippines, Concepcion Otis Philippines, Inc., Concepcion Business Services, Inc., and Cortex Technologies Corp.

At the stock exchange on Tuesday, CIC shares were down by 0.73% or P0.14 to finish at P18.96 apiece. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

PT&T reduces net loss

PHILIPPINE Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (PT&T) on Tuesday reported a net loss of P11.7 million for the first three months of the year, lower than the net loss of P13.56 million reported for the same period in the previous year.

“Additional expenses such as recognition of the legal interest rate of 6% per annum on unsettled obligations as directed by the Rehabilitation Court, and rehab-related expenses affected the net loss for the period,” the company said in its first-quarter report.

PT&T’s revenues for the first quarter reached P125.8 million, or 12.4% higher than the previous year’s P110.2 million.

“The company ended the quarter with 2,226 data services circuits, notably broadband connections, which is a key performance indicator for an increase of 7% over the same period of last year. For the three-month period end-ing March 31, 2022, operating revenues for broadband reached P109.5 million, a 9.6% increase in operating revenue performance versus last year,” it said.

“Activities for the broadband group included street level saturations on major nodes, optimization of existing infrastructure in commercial buildings and establishments and account management of existing subscribers,” it add-ed.

Meanwhile, the company’s personnel-related expenses for the period reached P57.8 million compared with last year’s P54.1 million, as it “prepares its work force in sustaining growth in connectivity and IT services despite the ongoing pandemic.”

“Due to the implementation of work-from-home arrangement and skeletal work force last year, premises-related expenses increased to P10.9 million from P9.2 million in the comparative period,” it noted.

“Selling, general and administrative expenses went beyond last year’s level from P12.9 million to P17.4 million, together with cost of sales from P13.9 million to P20.4 million. This increase indicates the company’s ability to adapt to the pandemic by investing in operations to support its growing business,” it added.

The company said it continues to invest in network upgrades and the skill sets of its employees.

“PT&T remains on track towards becoming the partner of choice for broadband connectivity and cutting-edge digital transformation solutions in the markets it serves,” it said in an e-mailed statement. — Arjay L. Balinbin

DMCI studies units’ merger

DMCI Holdings, Inc. is considering transferring its mining unit DMCI Mining Corp. to another subsidiary Semirara Mining and Power Corp., its top official said on Tuesday.

“We are currently studying whether it will be of great value for two sets of stockholders, whether we can transfer DMCI Mining to Semirara to create value for both stockholders,” Chairman and President Isidro A. Consunji told stockholders during their annual meeting.

He also said that the company has several properties in Palawan and Zambales that are awaiting mining permits and potential mineral production sharing agreements (MPSA).

“We have several properties in Palawan that are waiting for permits that will lead to MPSA. [There’s also] two in Zambales,” he added.

In 2021, the company reported that net income surged by 214% to P18.4 billion. Core net income likewise jumped by 164% to P17.4 billion.

Revenues also increased by 60% to P108.3 billion, mainly driven by growth in the mining segment and real estate sales.

“While the risk of the pandemic remains, we regained some lost ground. In the middle of a global health crisis, our people set new records for productivity and sales,” Mr. Consunji said.

“If the current favorable market conditions last up to the end of the year, it’s a very high likelihood that additional dividends will be [issued] in the latter part of the year,” he added.

At the stock exchange on Tuesday, DMCI shares ended higher by two centavos or 0.24% to close at P8.30 apiece. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

CCP lays out plans for rest of the year as it reopens

CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde new marquee -- Photo by Michelle Anne P. Soliman

IN March 2020, following the lockdown brought by the coronavirus pandemic, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) canceled 800 shows which would have welcomed 800,000 visitors. After two years of project postpone-ments, cancellations, and online transition, the CCP is now reopening fully and has presented its plans for the rest of this year.

“We usually make at least P34 million [in] box office revenues and we lost all of that (during the lockdown),” CCP Vice-President and Artistic Director Chris B. Millado said during the institutional press conference on May 4.

“But what we tried to do is to save as many jobs as possible,” Mr. Millado said. From 2020 to 2021, at least 3,000 artists, cultural workers, and production staff had been affected by the COVID-19 lockdowns. “I’m glad to say that at least 80 to 90% of the jobs that were initially entered for these projects were saved,” he said.

This year’s projects include live performances, hybrid showcases, film screenings, exhibits, new publications, and workshops.

HYBRID SHOWCASES

Popular theater, film, and music festivals are returning this year, with live performances held alongside online screenings.

The Virgin Labfest (VLF) festival of new plays returns to the stage from June 16 to 26, and will have online screenings of its productions from July 4 to 10. The Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival will return to thea-ters in August, followed by online screenings of the full-length films that are part of the festival. And the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA) will be held onstage in November.

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) will have a concert season, starting in September. The orchestra hopes to hold its annual Tricks and Musical Treats: A PPO Family Concert on-site this year. It is an annual orchestral adventure for children to appreciate, learn, and experience the different sounds of musical instruments in the orchestra. Meanwhile, the PPO Young People’s Concert, featuring talented young soloists accompanied by the CCP’s resident orchestra, will premiere online this year.

The CCP Intertextual Division projects focus on providing opportunities for artists to contribute to the canon of Philippine literature through its various events, such as the National Children’s Book Day, the Virgin Labfest Play-wrights’ Fair, and the Performatura Festival.

The CCP will also launch literary publications in digital format: Mithi, a joint book project focused on literary works in the new normal by the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL) with the CCP; Natatauhan, edited by Luna Sicat Cleto, featuring VLF stage plays written by women, and Mga Piling Dula Mula sa Virgin Labfest (2017 to 2019) edited by Rody Vera. The digital copies will be available through the CCP Collections website (https://collections.culturalcenter.gov.ph/).

DIGITAL ARTS PROJECTS

For Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang, selected stories by Severino Reyes will be adapted into short animated films.

The CCP Board of Trustees will be offering the CCP Animation and Comics Grants which will focus on adapting Filipino folktales and epics. The output of these grants will be uploaded in the CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Arts Digital (EPAD).

“The goal right now is to make comics of the existing folktales, myths, and legends. Not really creating new content just yet,” CCP Board Trustee Benedict Carandang said.

Commercial viability will also be considered for the pitches for game development grants. “You have to present a business plan to support your project proposal. We have to be more market savvy right now,” Mr. Carandang said. For details check the Game Development Application form: (https://forms.gle/cvM1UNqLmWSEK6239) and the Animation and Comics Grant Application form (https://forms.gle/7P6PNASVPsXhtgUo9).

Meanwhile, the EPAD will be continuously updated with new content, including the Media Gallery which is a virtual repository of still and moving images, and the timeline of Philippine art documenting its history. The timeline for Philippine film and dance will be launched in June, while those of Philippine literature and architecture will be launched in August, Philippine broadcast and visual arts in October, and Philippine theater and music in December.

The CCP Channel, under the Cultural Content Department, will premiere its own productions, such as #FromTheArchives educational videos based on the center’s events, #AllInADaysWork documentations of day-to-day activities of the cultural workers at the CCP, and The Buffeteria Conversations with cultural movers sharing stories about their arts.

Soon to rise at the ASEAN Park of the CCP Complex is the CCP Digital Hub, where the general public can access all CCP digital projects through touch screen wall monitors and other immersive devices. It will also have a pop-up café and a hole-in-the-wall boutique.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

The CCP Arts Education Department (AED) will be holding the second Children’s Biennale in November.

The ongoing projects are Young At Art, a series featuring children having conversations with artists, which is now on its third season; Arts Online, a learning resource and lecture series for art educators; Sining Sa Eskwela, teacher trainings in the arts; Sining Galing which are art-based psycho-social activities; the CCP Summer Arts Academy, a specialized teacher training program in the arts and K-to-12 arts and design; and the Hands-On Choral Workshop, among others.

AED will also launch Indigenous Lullabies featuring poems and music as music videos for parents and other nurturers. The lullabies from the regions are based on ethnomusicological research, arranged by an esteemed musical director, performed by contemporary artists and nurturers, and visualized on-screen by young filmmakers.

The Production and Exhibition Department has been providing technical theater and design training on lights, sets, and sound. They also have an apprenticeship program which provides hands-on training and exposure to vari-ous performance genres and interactions with designers and technical theater practitioners.

REGIONAL PROGRAMS

The Cultural Exchange Department (CED) will continue to expand its partnerships in the regions through its Kaisa sa Sining (KSS) program. Currently, the CED has 23 regional partners in Luzon, 19 in the Visayas, and 18 in Mindanao.

Under the KSS, the CCP provides an Apprenticeship Program for regional cultural workers and gives awards and recognitions to outstanding regional artists, cultural workers, and organizations.

NEW MARQUEE FOR CCP ARTHOUSE CINEMA

Aside from the announcement of its plans for the year, the CCP also revealed the new marquee of the Tanghalang Manuel Conde (CCP Arthouse Cinema).

Originally launched in June 1988, the 100-seat theater was named after renowned actor, director, and producer Manuel Conde. Also called the Dream Theater (and formerly the Audio-Visual Room), it was the first di-rect-to-home satellite venue for art and culture films, and videos on the arts of the Philippines.

To give the space an identity, the new marquee’s designer, Production Design and Technical Services staff Ricardo Eric Cruz, decorated the surrounding walls with images from Philippine movies bordered with repurposed wood. The letters of the cinema’s name are built with LED lights.

“We hope that this becomes like a continuing venue for titles and works of Filipino filmmakers, which seldom find the place in commercial cinemas. That’s why it’s called the ‘art house cinema.’ And we are very happy that it has sort of developed its own niche audience throughout the years…,” Mr. Millado said.

The Tanghalang Manuel Conde will showcase screenings of remastered films of legendary film actors and directors

In celebration of National Heritage Month and the director’s death anniversary on May 22, the cinema will screen Lino Brocka’s Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwawag for free on May 20, 2 p.m. Pre-register for the event through https://tinyurl.com/ccparthouse-nationalheritage.

ARTISTIC RECOGNITION

The Office of the Artistic Director has been working on the inaugural season of the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Blackbox Theater), as well as the CCP’s upcoming 53rd anniversary.

The CCP Blackbox Theater’s inaugural shows include a production of Anak Datu, which is based on the life and works of National Artist for Visual Arts Abdulmari Imao; an experimental work with an international theater compa-ny directed by former Tanghalang Pilipino executive director Nonon Padilla; and the PPO chamber music series.

Within the year, the CCP, with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, will also be proclaiming the new National Artists and the Gawad CCP Awardees. For more information on CCP programs and projects, visit the CCP’s website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) and its official social media pages. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Decentralized healthcare to shorten waiting time

PIXABAY

A DIGITAL-FIRST mindset is decentralizing the healthcare industry and delivering care to patients where they are, according to panelists at a conference hosted by Zoom about driving the future of virtual healthcare.

“The sources of consumers’ frustrations include long wait times, high healthcare costs. Against this backdrop, Asian consumers are fully embracing the digital era,” said Ricky Kapur, head of Zoom in the Asia-Pacific, at the May 11 forum. He pointed out that home care and telemedicine packages that emerged in the Philippines because of the pandemic will remain.

Digitalization has already changed the way healthcare is delivered to the point of rendering traditional labor-intensive models insufficient in the face of Asia’s rising healthcare needs, he added.

Increased flexibility and better collaboration among staff are among the advantages of digital healthcare, said Singapore’s Integrated Health Information Systems Assistant Chief Executive Alan Goh. “The trend of us-ing video consultations is here to stay.”

HOSPITAL-AT HOME

Zoom’s initiatives include video and meeting software development kits, which allow companies to build customizable applications using Zoom.

“It’s about making expertise traditionally found only by visiting a center of excellence more available to people,” said Ron Emerson, Zoom’s global healthcare lead. “There’s now a hospital-at-home — providing services at home that would otherwise be carried out in the hospital.” In April, the Philippine Health department reported engaging with more than 100,000 patients a month over video conferencing platforms in the first quarter of 2021, spurred by extended lockdowns instituted because of the pandemic.

With restrictions either loosened or lifted around the globe, the focus now is to reach people where they are, said Mr. Emerson.

Mark Crowe, director of information technology innovations at US-based nonprofit healthcare organization Sentara Healthcare, added: “Before COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], the utilization of digital healthcare was pretty low, but now that we’re in the endemic stages, we’re actually seeing that the percentage utilization and adoption rate will never go back to pre-COVID-19.”

Clinics, hospitals, and health companies should consider their goals, services, and essential features when selecting a telehealth platform, he added.

“Every two weeks we’re upgrading, revising, debugging

Now Corp.’s net income jumps to P3.9 million

Listed telecommunications, media, and technology company Now Corp. saw its attributable net income for the first quarter of the year jump by 237% to P3.88 million from P1.15 million earned in the same period a year earlier.

The improvement in the company’s financial performance can be attributed to its lower cost and expenses for the period, its first-quarter report showed.

The company’s total revenues for the first three months of the year reached P48.91 million, or lower by 4% from the P51.03 million reported in the same period last year.

Its service revenue fell by 16% to P42.97 million from last year’s P50.96 million. “Service revenues mainly pertain to broadband services and income earned from the deployment by the company of professionals to its clients to render IT-related solutions and services,” Now Corp. noted.

Meanwhile, sales of software licenses rose to P5.94 million from P75,552 during the period.

“As impacted by the enhanced community quarantine, the revenues from the IT manpower and resource augmentation continued to drop by 9% from P3.11 million to P2.84 million,” the company noted.

Moreover, cost and expenses for the period reached P42.97 million, a 12% decrease from last year’s cost and expenses of P48.69 million.

“There was a slight increase of cost of sales and services of P0.551 million or 2% from P28.17 million in 2021 to P28.72 million in 2022, whereas, operating expenses decreased by P6.27 million or 31% from same period last year of P20.52 million to P14.25 million this year,” the company said.

It added that the significant decrease was due to the implementation of cost-cutting measures of the company.

Now Corp. shares closed 1.48% higher at P1.37 apiece on Tuesday. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Gov’t partially awards fresh seven-year bonds

THE GOVERNMENT partially awarded the fresh seven-year Treasury bonds it offered on Tuesday. BW FILE PHOTO

The government partially awarded the fresh Treasury bonds (T-bonds) it offered on Tuesday as investors asked for higher returns due to expectations of a hike at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) policy meeting on Thursday.

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) raised just P20.10 billion via the fresh seven-year T-bonds it auctioned off on Tuesday, less than the programmed P35 billion, despite total tenders reaching P46.94 billion.

The debt papers were awarded at a coupon rate of 6.5%, 31.1 basis points (bps) higher than the 6.189% quoted for the seven-year tenor at the secondary market before the auction, based on the PHP Bloomberg Valuation Reference Rates published on the Philippine Dealing System’s website. The BTr capped bids at 6.6%.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon said in a Viber message to reporters that the partial award was due to expectation that the BSP’s Monetary Board (MB) would start tightening at its meeting on Thursday.

“At the same time, [The US] Fed is similarly expected to follow up with another rate lift in their next meeting,” Ms. De Leon added.

“Another partial award still reflects markets defensiveness ahead of the MB meeting. Most players are now pricing in a rate hike and are wary of the updated forward guidance,” the first trader said.

A second trader said with about two-thirds of the government’s 2022 borrowing program already funded, “there is no compelling reason for the BTr to chase yields.”

Some market players are pricing in a rate hike at the BSP’s meeting this week as faster-than-expected economic growth in the first quarter is seen to put upward pressure on inflation.

A BusinessWorld poll of 17 analysts conducted last week showed they are divided on the BSP’s next move, with nine betting rates will remain unchanged, while eight are expecting a 25-bp hike.

The key policy rate has been at a record low 2% since November 2020, when the BSP cut rates by 25 bps.

Economic growth in the first quarter accelerated by a higher-than-expected 8.3% annually on strong household spending as lockdowns were eased, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported last week.

It was a reversal from the 3.8% decline in the same period last year and faster than the 7.8% gross domestic product (GDP) growth logged in the final three months of 2021.

The first quarter’s GDP growth figure was the highest since the 12.1% recorded in the second quarter last year. The latest print is also within the 7-9% target of the government.

Meanwhile, inflation surged to a 40-month high of 4.9% year on year in April due to rising food and utility prices. It was faster than the 4% recorded the previous month and breached the central bank’s 2-4% target.

Meanwhile, the Fed is expected to continue hiking rates at its June and July meetings to respond to runaway inflation, after raising borrowing costs by half a percentage point earlier in May.

US inflation in April was recorded at 8.3%, cooling down from the 8.5% recorded in March, the largest year-on-year gain since December 1981, Reuters reported last week. This also marks the seventh straight month of increases in excess of 6%.

The BTr wants to raise P200 billion from the domestic market in May, or P60 billion via Treasury bills and P140 billion through T-bonds.

The government borrows from domestic and external sources to help fund a budget deficit capped at 7.7% of GDP this year. — Tobias Jared Tomas with Reuters

Ties severed by election will take time to heal

PIXABAY

THE aftermath of the Philippine national elections on May 9 prompted Adamson University in Manila to suspend classes from May 13 to May 16 in order to give students “the time to address post-election stress and take the time to reflect on their election experience,” according to a post signed by university President Marcelo V. Manimtim.

To manage election-related stress and to cope with frustration or guilt, psychiatrist Dr. Randy S. Dellosa recommended letting off steam with like-minded people.

“Avoid people with toxic behaviors that make you feel worse,” he said in a Viber message. “[You can also] create or join organizations with the same aspirations which your political candidate wanted to pursue.”

Elections are naturally stressful because of three factors, he added: the unpredictability of results, the agony of defeat, and the uncertainty of what happens after the electoral victors assume office.

“The stakes wagered is not money but expectations, hope, and emotions,” he said, noting that voters have a strong connection to their preferred political candidates because of their perception of these candidates being extensions of themselves.

“It may be because they come from the same region, or because the political candidate’s promises match the voter’s needs or hopes,” Dr. Dellosa told BusinessWorld. “On the other hand, many political candidates are expert manipulators who know how to create false rapport with the masses just to get themselves voted.”

Relationships have disintegrated in the heat of the political environment.

“People who have severed ties with friends and family due to differences in political opinions need time to heal from their emotional wounds,” said Dr. Dellosa.

Since healing takes time, he added, individuals can choose to either maintain minimal contact with the other person while keeping the interactions respectful, or avoid them — all the while having the openness of heart for reconciliation when one’s emotions have healed enough.

University Health Services at the University of California, Berkeley, also released a list of ideas for managing election-related stress ahead of the 2020 US national elections. The suggestions include avoiding dwelling on things you can’t control, practicing gratitude for the people you feel grateful for, giving yourself permission to feel the way you do, staying active, and limiting your media consumption. — Patricia B. Mirasol

Theater actor, director Miguel Faustmann, 68

THEATER actor and director, Miguel Faustmann -- PHOTO COURTESY FROM FACEBOOK.COM/MIGUEL-FAUSTMANN

KNOWN for his Castilian good looks, impeccable comedic timing, and lighthearted ways, theater actor and director Miguel Faustmann passed away yesterday at the age of 68.

“We are deeply saddened we have lost our brother Miguel who passed away peacefully in his sleep on the 16th of May,” his niece Alexandra Faustmann, announced in a Facebook post, noting that information on his memorial service would be announced in the coming days.

“Support Philippine Theater. Support Philippine Film. Remember his work by supporting what he loved,” she wrote.

Born to a Spanish-Filipino family in Manila on Aug. 9, 1954, he was the son of Ramon Faustmann and Eladio Lago. His inclination for the arts manifested itself early as he started writing school plays and performing in them in La Salle Greenhills and later Adamson University where he took up architecture. He finished Fine Arts in the Philippine Women’s University, majoring in Interior Design, a course that served him well as he became a set designer for his home theater company, Repertory Philippines (Rep).

While best known for his work in Rep, he actually started out performing in the Spanish language play, Pegame Luciano, in 1974, a co-production of the Teatro Fil-Hispanico and Manila Theater Guild. The following year he made his Rep debut as a member of the ensemble in the musical Hello Dolly!

His acting career saw him performing a wide range of roles — he played princes and kings, a depraved sheik, the Jewish tailor Tevye, the Argentinian dictator Peron, the Pirate King, and Scrooge, among a multitude of other roles, both comedic and serious and musical, in a career that spanned nearly five decades.

He made his directing debut in 1988 with Rep’s production of Flea in Her Ear.

He was not limited to Repertory Theater, serving as a narrator for Ballet Philippines productions, taking on mildly risque roles with dinner theater company SRO Philippines, and less R-rated fare for groups like 9Works Theatrical.

He also acted in television and movies, notably in Escapo (1995), Ang Probinsyano (2015), Heneral Luna (2015), and Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (2018).

“We earn better in films and TV, but theater is always my first choice,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in 2019, while discussing his role in Father’s Day, which turned out to be his final Repertory Philippine production, just before the COVID-19 pandemic closed the theaters.

Reminiscences poured onto social media as word of his passing spread.

Actress Leisl Batucan-Del Rosario, Artistic Director of Repertory Philippines wrote: “As actor, director, set designer, you were impeccable perfection. And all throughout your stellar life you were virtuosity and generosity and kindness and humility personified…. You were born to tread the boards and oh how mightily and humbly and gloriously you inhabited each character you portrayed.”

Actor Noel Rayos wrote of how Faustmann taught him “how to act” while working together in a production of Romeo and Juliet (Rayos was Romeo, Faustmann Friar Lawrence): “to you [it] was all a matter of ‘thinking of someone you know and saying everything like he would,’ a simple yet profound technique I’ve carried to this day.”

Young actress Micaela Pineda, writing about being directed by him in a comedy, said “You were a kid stuck in a grown-up’s body and would act and demonstrate everyone’s parts to show us what you meant! It drove people crazy but you were funny! And you were fun!”

“What a privilege it was to have been in your orbit, from my very first time on stage to the last play we did together, when I stepped into a role you twice played so masterfully. I shall miss you, dear friend,” wrote actor and director Jamie Wilson.

“No one could nail a character in the first reading, or set up a joke with a deadly punchline like only you could,” wrote actor Jeremy Domingo.

Faustmann received an Aliw Award in 1986 as best actor, and a Gawad Buhat best actor award in 2017. He received six nominations for the Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards for acting, directing, and stage design. — AAH

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