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CA upholds dismissal of worker by Ilocos electric cooperative

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE Court of Appeals (CA) has found that the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) acted within its authority in holding Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (INEC) not liable for the dismissal of a maintenance worker.

In a decision dated Nov. 11 and made public on Nov. 14, the CA Fifth Division said the NLRC did not abuse its discretion in finding that the power firm’s dismissal was valid.

“We see no indication or any submission in the petition that the court may examine to determine how the NLRC acted capriciously and whimsically or in total disregard of evidence material to the controversy,” said the appellate court.

The commission earlier held that INEC did not act in bad faith when it ruled the employee was no longer qualified to perform his maintenance duties.

The electric cooperative first hired the employee as a driver in 2009 and terminated his employment in 2013, which led to an illegal dismissal complaint filed the following year.

The NLRC had ruled in favor of the former employee and ordered his reinstatement as driver, with back pay.

INEC then reassigned him to its mini hydroelectric power plant in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte as a maintenance helper in the pole farm department.

The electricity distributor noted that the reassignment did not affect his salary.

It also argued that a leg injury sustained by the employee rendered him incapable of performing the duties of a driver.

The maintenance position was later made redundant when the power plant was automated.

The NLRC found that the reassignment was not a demotion since benefits and pay remained the same.

The appellate court said the cooperative duly notified its employees about the redundancy plan when it automated the power plant.

“It cannot be said that INEC’s redundancy program was unfair or unreasonable,” the CA said. “It was within the ambit of its management prerogative.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Lab-grown meat cleared for human consumption by US regulator

WASHINGTON — The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the first time cleared a meat product grown from animal cells for human consumption, the agency announced on Wednesday.

UPSIDE Foods, a company that makes cell-cultured chicken by harvesting cells from live animals and using the cells to grow meat in stainless-steel tanks, will be able to bring its products to market once it has been inspected by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), said a release from the FDA.

“The world is experiencing a food revolution and the (FDA) is committed to supporting innovation in the food supply,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf and Susan Mayne, director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in a statement.

The FDA said in documents released on Wednesday that it had reviewed data from the company and had no further questions about the company’s conclusion that its product is safe for humans to eat.

“We are thrilled at FDA’s announcement,” said David Kay, UPSIDE’s director of communications, in an e-mail. “This historic step paves the way for our path to market.”

The review is not technically an approval and applies only to UPSIDE products, though the agency is ready to work with other firms developing cultured animal cell food, the FDA said in a release.

USDA and FDA together regulate cell-cultured meat under a 2019 agreement between the two agencies. USDA will oversee the processing and labeling of cell-cultured meat products.

Demand for alternatives to farmed meat has grown alongside awareness of the high greenhouse gas emissions of raising livestock. Cultivated chicken was served to attendees at this year’s COP27 climate conference in Egypt. — Reuters

Lazada sees strong sales for beauty items, electronics in recent “11.11” sale

E-COMMERCE platform Lazada recorded higher sales for beauty items, electronics, and activewear during its recent “11.11” sale ahead of the holiday season.

In a statement on Thursday, it said beauty products sold during the sale event increased, with makeup orders up seven times, while fragrance purchases increased six times compared to normal days.

According to Lazada, some of the top beauty products bought by Filipinos during the sale were Vitamin C serum, retinol, and tinted sunscreen. The top lipstick shades sold in the first hour of the sale were red, nude, and pink shades.

The company added that 11.4 million baby wipes were sold in the first hour of the sale, while activewear sales increased 19 times.

Lazada also disclosed that electronics sales surged 230 times compared to normal days. The top devices were virtual reality accessories, smart switches, and watches, adding that orders doubled year over year.

“11.11 has become more than just a shopping tradition, it has become a part of consumers’ lifestyles as we all seek for the best deals and trendiest assortment. Just as importantly, it is also an avenue for brands and sellers to thrive and reach more customers,” Lazada Philippines Chief Executive Officer Carlos Barrera said.

Lazada is targeting to serve 300 million shoppers by 2030 and to achieve a $100-billion annual gross merchandise value. The e-commerce platform has a presence in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In a separate statement, logistics engine Locad said that it posted six times more items sold, 2.5 times bigger average basket size, and four times higher spending per order in this year’s 11.11 sale versus last year.

“Despite the surge in orders, Locad reports 99% on-time fulfillment and 93% next day shipped on 11.11 orders across Lazada, Shopee, Zalora, TikTok Shop, and more,” it said.

“This increase could be driven by consumers purchasing more items in each order to maximize available discounts and promos offered by online merchants, brands, and market places,” it added.

Locad is a logistics engine that supports e-commerce brands to automatically store, pack, ship, and track orders across the Asia-Pacific region.

Its platform harmonizes inventory across online channels and arranges end-to-end order fulfillment through its warehouse network and shipping partners in Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Australia. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

HK migrants locked out of UK jobs by police check fears

REUTERS

LONDON — When Hong Kong (HK) math teacher Jessica was freed from jail last year following her arrest during the territory’s massive pro-democracy protests, she decided it was time to leave her home city and head abroad.

The 28-year-old is among thousands of Hong Kongers who have recently moved to Britain to build new lives following Beijing’s crackdown on dissent in the former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

With Britain crying out for teachers, Jessica was confident she could quickly resume her career, but schools have repeatedly turned her down because she has not provided background checks from the Hong Kong police.

“Teaching is a real vocation for me. It’s been my dream job since I was young. But I’m really struggling with this because I don’t want to contact the Hong Kong police,” said Jessica, who asked not to use her full name.

She has been open about her reasons for refusing to contact the police force that arrested her during the protests, but employers want proof her record is otherwise clear.

While Jessica’s case is unusual because she has a conviction, it highlights a wider problem for some Hong Kong job seekers. Requests for police documents are creating barriers to jobs in education, health and other sectors where employers demand stricter background checks.

Some Hong Kongers, including those active in the 2019-2020 protests, said they did not want to share their personal details with a police force they did not trust.

A few feared the risk of arrest if they returned to the city to visit family.

Concerns around surveillance have been stoked by recent news reports — denied by Beijing — that China has established unofficial police posts overseas that could target critics.

Others did not want the police to know their whereabouts for fear their assets in Hong Kong might be frozen or confiscated in the future if the authorities knew they had left.

Some Hong Kongers who have recently tried to obtain background checks from the police also said the process had suddenly got much harder — a fact they linked to concerns about an exodus of professionals.

“I think the Hong Kong authorities are making it difficult for people coming to Britain because they’re worried about a brain drain,” said Alex Mak, employment coordinator of Hong Kongers in Britain, a group helping new arrivals.

The Hong Kong police website states that it only provides a Certificate of No Criminal Conviction (CNCC) for visa applications and child adoptions, not job offers.

Britain launched a settlement scheme for Hong Kong residents last year after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in the territory in 2020.

More than 140,000 have so far applied for a visa allowing them to live and work in Britain and eventually apply for citizenship.

The program — which has angered Beijing — is open to Hong Kongers who hold British National (Overseas) or BN(O) status — a limited type of nationality — and their dependents.

China has accused Britain of interfering in its affairs and no longer recognizes the BN(O) passport.

Britain has estimated up to 322,400 Hong Kongers could arrive in the first five years, potentially bringing a net benefit exceeding £2.6 billion ($3.05 billion) over the same period.

Most of those relocating are well-educated with three-quarters holding a degree or higher qualification and 60% arriving with children, according to a study by UKHK, a group supporting new arrivals.

Many are looking for jobs in IT, education, accountancy, banking, finance, transport, logistics and health. Some, like former IT company boss Tony, are planning a career change.

Earlier this year, he secured a job as an exam invigilator, but lost it when he failed to supply a CNCC.

Tony, 55, who asked not to use his full name, does not want the Hong Kong authorities to know he is in Britain, partly because he still has family and assets in Hong Kong.

Like many Hong Kongers, he is particularly worried about money he has tied up in the territory’s pension scheme, which he cannot access until he is 65.

“This has become a problem,” he said, adding that his wife would also need a CNCC to resume her nursing career.

“I don’t have a criminal record, but we don’t want contact with the Hong Kong police. My feeling is that the Hong Kong government is not friendly towards people moving abroad.”

Tony is now working in a warehouse while training to become a mortgage adviser, but fears his new career choice could be scuppered by the same issue.

Hong Kongers said concerns around CNCCs came up frequently on social media forums for education and health professionals moving to Britain, and urged the government and employers to recognize there was a problem.

Britain’s Home Office did not directly address such concerns but said that in “the absence of available checks, we would expect employers to obtain as much information as possible in the form of references before deciding whether to make an offer of employment.”

Until recently, Britain’s Foreign Office or its consulate in Hong Kong could facilitate requests for police background checks, but they stopped doing so in June.

The Foreign Office said this was to align policy with consular services elsewhere, but some Hong Kongers think the territory’s authorities pressured it to stop.

The Hong Kong police force told the Thomson Reuters Foundation it could still provide a record check “in exceptional circumstances” to meet another country’s legal or administrative requirements.

Some nurses have successfully requested checks backed by letters from Britain’s National Health Service (NHS).

But other Hong Kongers have been sent in circles trying to obtain them. They include former speech therapist Betty, 33, who needs one for her new job in the NHS.

After weeks of e-mails, she sent a request to the police with a letter from her employer, but has yet to hear back.

“I worry they might not give me a certificate because they’re angry with Britain and don’t want professionals moving to the UK,” said Betty, who asked to use a pseudonym. “But if I don’t get it, I will lose my job.” — Thomson Reuters Foundation

Millennium-old Viking ships shored up for Oslo move

THE OSEBERG ship is seen inside The Viking Ship Museum, in Oslo, Norway Sept. 12. — REUTERS/VICTORIA KLESTY

OSLO — At Oslo’s Viking Ship museum, a team of engineers has begun work to ensure a new home being built next door does not prove fatal for three vessels that have survived for a millennium or more.

The new building is necessary to protect the wooden ships, two of which date from the 9th century and the third from the 10th century, which are at the mercy of temperature changes and humidity in the current museum.

But the vibrations caused by construction are also a threat to ships so fragile their weight alone is enough to cause them to crumble. The engineers are building steel girders around them to protect them during the upheaval.

“If we keep displaying them as they stand today they will end up in pieces,” said Haakon Gloerstad, director of the Museum of Cultural History, which owns the Viking Ship Museum.

Looters stole some of the artefacts from the three ships, named Oseberg, Gokstad, and Tune after the places where they were found. Much survived, however, including a wagon, textiles, sculptures of animal heads, and three sleighs, which are unique.

“The Viking ships are wonders similar to the pyramids in Egypt and Tutankhamen’s grave,” Gloerstad said — and they are at least as vulnerable.

While the ships will be lifted in their protective metal casing, the sleighs are being moved on a rail track, centimeter by centimeter, to a chamber for their safety. It took 17 hours to move the first sleigh 70 meters (230 feet).

“This wood is now incredibly fragile: you could make crumbs out of it, it would just fall apart between your fingers,” said head engineer David Hauer, who is supervising the move after years of careful planning.

The new museum will open in 2026, a hundred years after the ships’ current home was opened, ultimately attracting 10 times more visitors than it was designed for.

Until it closed in September last year to allow preparation for the move, it received around 500,000 visitors per year.

Meanwhile, Oslo’s tourists are disappointed.

“We heard a lot about it and were really looking forward to have a look at it,” US tourist Shalin Patel told Reuters. — Reuters

As recession looms, British firms seek to secure affordable financing

LONDON — As inflation rockets and recession looms, many British businesses are struggling to secure affordable bank finance, piling pressure on the embattled UK government as it unveils a budget aimed at reviving the economy.

British fruit-grower Hall Hunter is one of thousands of businesses in Britain feeling the squeeze, forcing owner Harry Hall to consider the drastic step of lending to his own successful company to top up its expensive bank lending.

“I’m probably going to be the bank,” said Hall, who can’t secure a loan product from his bank to offset his high borrowing costs. He told Reuters he would likely inject some of his personal wealth into his business to insulate it from inflation rates of 11.1% and a recession that could last up to two years.

Banks are increasingly nervous about extending credit to small companies, according to data compiled by Reuters and interviews with lenders and business heads, as rising costs of debt, labour and raw materials put the business case of lending to such companies under unprecedented strain.

Lenders expect the supply of credit to the smallest firms, with annual turnover of under 1 million pounds, to fall by 10.9% in the last three months of this year, a Bank of England (BoE) survey published last month showed.

This could spell trouble for new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and finance minister Jeremy Hunt as they announce a new, austere financial blueprint on Thursday, seeking to stabilize the economy after their short-lived predecessors unleashed chaos in financial markets with plans for unfunded tax cuts.

Any crunch for Britain’s small businesses, which often lack the scale to pass on cost rises to customers as easily as bigger rivals, could deliver a new economic body blow.

Such companies account for 48% of private sector employment and about 1.6 trillion pounds, or 36%, of turnover, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), citing government data that defines small firms as having up to 49 staff.

FSB Chair Martin McTague told Reuters he met Mr. Sunak and Mr. Hunt last Friday to demand fresh fiscal support for small businesses, including relief on asset sales and tax credits on research and development.

“How are we going to get out of this hole if it’s not small businesses? Those sectors that have been hardest-hit by the pandemic, are finding it very difficult to try and get the banks to provide them with support,” he said.

‘MAKE OR BREAK’ FOR ECONOMY
Banks are still lending, but the risks and higher relative costs associated with funding the smallest businesses, many of which may not survive, means they often have no choice but to turn them away, four senior banking industry sources said.

Stephen Pegge, head of commercial finance at bank lobby group UK Finance, pointed to evidence that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) more broadly were securing credit — banks lent 6.5 billion pounds to companies with less than 25 million pounds turnover in September, BoE data show.

“Lending is definitely flowing,” Mr. Pegge added. “But there’s no question that small businesses now have less capacity to increase their borrowing because you’ve got a slowing economy.”

Indeed small companies in Britain see their access to credit at its worst level since 2015, according to a quarterly survey by the FSB of 1,383 small business owners.

Forty-two percent of applications for funding in the third quarter failed, up from 39% in the second quarter of the year, the survey found, while one-in-five firms seeking finance were quoted loan offers at interest rates higher than 11%.

Many small companies have also yet to repay state-backed loans extended to prop them up during COVID lockdowns, making their credit profiles increasingly unattractive. Only 4.7 billion pounds from the 46 billion lent to small businesses under the “Bounce Back Loan” scheme had been fully repaid as of the latest July 31 data from the government.

“Business owners are having to look at alternative options, one of which is to dip into their own pockets,” said Claire Burden, partner for advisory consulting at Evelyn Partners.

Others like Douglas Grant, CEO of Manx Financial Group, called for a permanent state-backed loan scheme to protect SMEs, saying this could act as the “fundamental difference between make or break for many companies and, in turn, our economy.”

BANKS ‘DON’T HAVE A CHOICE’
Naresh Aggarwal, associate director of policy at the Association of Corporate Treasurers, which represents business finance staff, said banks were taking a pragmatic approach to lending as the economy falters to avoid costly writedowns.

Loans are still being issued and firms in breach of covenants linked to their debts are being offered waivers but support is coming at a price.

“Lenders are increasing the margin on the loan,” he added. “And for most corporates, they don’t have a choice. It’s not exploitative, it is a risk premium,” Aggarwal said.

Major banks have already set aside hundreds of millions of pounds of extra cash to cover potential losses.

Lloyds, which provided the most detailed breakdown for the July-September quarter, disclosed a 30% jump in the most severe category of problem loans in its small business unit compared with the end of 2021, hinting at why banks may tread carefully.

Companies of all sizes are already buckling under the strain in greater numbers. The number of quarterly company insolvencies in England and Wales hit its highest level in nearly 13 years in April-June, official data last month showed.

Small businesses face the biggest threat; one in four have considered closing down as a result of rising cost pressures, according to a survey of 1,930 firms conducted by business bank Tide in September.

“Businesses are finding it hard to demonstrate they are still sound businesses,” said Richard Burge, CEO of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “But they’re only going to be sound if they can get access to the loans they need.” — Reuters

Canon Philippines opens Visayas regional office

CANON Marketing Philippines, Inc. recently opened a regional office in Visayas as part of expanding its coverage in the country.

Launched on Nov. 9, the new regional office will complement the company’s authorized service center network. Canon’s products include cameras, lenses, and printers.

“The open-concept workspace provides employees the mobility to interact and collaborate more freely and comfortably. Customers are also able to avail of checkup, cleaning, and repair services for their Canon cameras and lenses,” the company said in a statement on Thursday.

“The expansion reaffirms Canon’s continued investment in the Philippines, which has remained a key player in the company’s Asia growth strategy since its arrival in the country 25 years ago. Looking ahead, Canon has continued to see its shared desire for progress and growth affirmed by positive net sales results, as well as the encouraging economic and market potential of the country,” it added.

Canon Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Anuj Aggarwal said that the Visayas office allows the company to better serve its clients.

“The local team here has placed a premium on operations that will allow us to smoothly serve clients across the country better, as well as provide them with the convenience and confidence of Canon’s excellent after-sales experiences right in their neighborhood. We look forward to welcoming those from Cebu City and nearby areas,” Mr. Aggarwal said.

Canon’s Visayas regional office is located on the 9th floor, Unit 10, JEG Tower, Archbishop Reyes Ave. corner Acacia St., Cebu City. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Promotion policy for employees without degrees

Romy (not his real name) is a talented but ambitious young man who has been with us for the past five years. He is a high-flyer and we would like to recognize him with a promotion. Unfortunately, our human resources (HR) department has a policy that makes it difficult for us to promote someone who is not a college graduate like Romy. How do we manage this situation? — Lone Wolf.

One traditional solution to your problem is to offer other forms of rewards and recognitions for Romy and other similarly-situated workers. But before you do that, ask HR to resolve an inconsistency. Why hire undergraduates if your company has no intention of giving them more responsibility after they’ve proven their worth through tangible accomplishments?    

Challenge the position of HR on this issue. Do it respectfully. If they allow the hiring of undergraduates who are disqualified from promotions, what kind of injustice is that? Fortunately, reward and recognition programs can come in other forms while you sort this policy out.

It may include recognizing all employees, including graduates and undergraduates with a hefty bonus, a gift certificate, a feature article in the employee newsletter, or recognition as “Employee of the Year,” among other things. You are limited only by your imagination. Now, what happens if Romy becomes a three-time “Employee of the Year” awardee or enters the Hall of Fame?

Another interim approach is to change Romy’s job title into something significant. You can appoint him team leader for other employees without degrees. You can assign him certain special projects to expand his skills while racking up new milestones for the organization.

But be cautious. You must convince your HR department to support you on these solutions because you can’t implement a policy that is unique to your team, which would make your department the equivalent of an independent republic.

PREPARATORY WORK
To convince HR, you must act judiciously. You can’t simply propose courses of action not backed by careful analysis. A misstep here could make HR look incompetent. Pitch your policy changes as helping the company keep up with the times. Frame your proposal as a means of motivating and retaining talent. You can take this approach by doing the following:

One, understand the letter and spirit of your promotion policy. Go back to when and why it was first implemented. Was it a temporary solution to the shortage of job applicants at the time? If so, why did the company persist in disqualifying non-graduates from promotion? What was the point of this? If non-graduates and degree holders can do the same job without any issue, then why make one category ineligible?

Two, benchmark with other companies within the industry. If not within the industry, find out the best practices of organizations within your locality, perhaps within the same export processing zone. What’s the trend? Are their policies similar? You may be surprised to learn there are maverick managers out there who believe in meritocracy over and above educational achievement or years of service. 

Three, give Romy a reasonable monthly cash allowance. The amount could approximate a salary increase that you can withdraw anytime. This can accompany assignment to a special project or similar challenging tasks, such as managing a team of non-graduates who are also trying to prove their worth. In HR terms, this means giving him a staff function, making him an expert on something connected to the company’s business.

Last, ask Romy about his career goals. If you’re convinced, he can go a long way, maybe you can establish a program that would allow him to obtain a college degree after office hours or on weekends. You can sweeten the deal by offering him a substantial employee loan, without charging interest.

WIN-WIN
You can do many things to arrive at a win-win situation for Romy or other such employees, the HR department and the organization in general. But first, you have to understand the issues that may be making your recruitment policies and practices less than ideal. What is your attrition rate? If it’s in the double digits, it may be time to examine things on a per department basis.

In general, it’s more expensive and tedious to replace resigned workers than to make an effort to retain them. Of course, if your company can’t afford to pay substantial salaries, then at least, you must treat your workers well. They are likely to reciprocate by treating you and the customers well.

Be mindful of Romy’s morale. If you can see signs of dissatisfaction, your best course of action is to knock at the door of HR. If not, bring the matter to the chief executive officer or your department boss as a last resort.

 

Chat your questions to Rey Elbo via Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter or e-mail them to elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com

Pirelli calendar puts model muses at the forefront for 2023 edition

A SCREENSHOT of the Pirelli calendar

MODELS return to the forefront in the 2023 Pirelli calendar, unveiled on Wednesday, with big fashion names including Bella Hadid, Cara Delevingne, and Karlie Kloss among those snapped by Australian photographer Emma Summerton for the new edition.

Titled Love Letters to the Muse, the 2023 Pirelli calendar features only models after a mix of actors, athletes, activists among other celebrities were snapped in more recent copies that moved away from past shoots of scantily-clad women to more artistic themes.

Ms. Summerton photographed 14 models for the 49th edition of the calendar, known as “The Cal,” each snapped in a dreamy-like setting and embodying a different muse to which Pirelli said they had a close affinity to.

Computer programmer Ms. Kloss portrays “The Tech Savant” while Ms. Delevingne, also an actress, is “The Performer.”

Emily Ratajkowski, who published her debut essay collection last year, is “The Writer,” and model and athlete Lauren Wasser, who had both her legs amputated after contracting toxic shock syndrome, is “The Athlete.”

“For the Calendar, I wanted to go back to the etymological root of the word ‘muse.’ The muse originally represented the source, not just inspiring but also possessing talents in literature, science and the arts,” Ms. Summerton said in a statement.

She added she was “fascinated by women who do extraordinary, creative things, women who, starting with my mother, have inspired me throughout my life and throughout my career. People I’ve learnt a lot from: writers, photographers, poets, actresses and directors. So, my idea was to celebrate these extraordinary women and create a world in which to represent them.”

Other models photographed for the 2023 edition include Ashley Graham, He Cong, Precious Lee, Lila Moss and Adut Akech.

First published in the 1960s, the Pirelli calendar has a limited run and is usually gifted to the Italian tiremaker’s clients. — Reuters

Moving around again

AFTER three years of being in “staycation,” we are now moving around again, with  the loosening and removal of restrictions. It’s the time of the year when balikbayan relatives start to visit, which we missed the past two years. Reunions are such great times.   Despite the time and distance, when you meet close relatives and friends again, it’s as if even your childhood years just happened yesterday, with no time lost.

As we catch up with each other’s experiences of the past years, we reminisce memories and laugh at old days mischievous events. Sometimes it becomes almost a “therapy session” where you are able to let your heart out.

There are so many activities happening in addition to the Zoom and face-to-face meetings. Many are going out, as can be gleaned from the slow pace of traffic. In my case, I try to limit going only to open areas such as Makati Garden Club, my garden in Antipolo, and the newly opened Coconut Grove in Admiral Hotel, which has an excellent view of the sunset.

I attended Joy Madrid-Balatbat’s Ikebana book Kyoto Mornings in Autumn launch held at Artha Residences atrium open area. Joy is very talented and has a big heart, as proceeds of the book will benefit poor bright children with scholarships to keep them off the streets and make them useful citizens. She demonstrated an ikebana arrangement that amazed all of us. She certainly makes good use of farm discards such as coconut husks, dried branches, et cetera. It was a good venue to meet new and old  friends I have not seen since the pandemic started.

The Filipina CEO Circle (FCC, a powerhouse of women leaders whose advocacy is the advancement of women) has started face-to-face meetings. Last week, we had a tour of the Ayala Museum with an inspiring talk by TOWNS Awardee Gina Romero, capped by the uplifting music of Alessio Benvenuti, violinist, pianist and conductor of the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra.

An unconventional entrepreneur, a community builder, and TOWNS awardee, Gina’s story is heartening. She is an only child of a domestic helper who grew up in the United Kingdom and lived among overseas Filipino workers who left their kids home in the Philippines to work overseas. She often asked the questions: “Why do these women have to choose between work and family? Why do they need to leave the Philippines to find work?” Since 16, she started several businesses and failed several times. But she looked at these failures as teaching experiences, “failing forward,” in the words of John Maxwell. Today, she runs “a number of businesses with a focus on providing a platform for women to harness technology for success.”

In 2013, she co-funded “Connected Women” (CW), a Philippine startup enterprise, with Ruth Owen, another dynamic lady. CW provides technology skills training to women and online job matching. The vision is for women and mothers to work from home and spend more time with their families. The pandemic led their business model to focus on upskilling and providing socially responsible outsourcing for the AI industry. With increasing technology and connectivity, CW wants to make sure that no woman is left behind. With Agnes Gervacio as its new CEO, these three spirited ladies, tech smart, business savvy, but with feet on the ground, will certainly bring CW to greater heights, creating  big impact for women  and financial inclusion.

I also attended the roundtable discussion on “Responsible business conduct in the food value chains in the Philippines” sponsored by AGREA, headed by “Agriwoman” champion   Cherrie Atilano together with the Kingdom of the Netherlands Ambassador Marielle Geraedts and Amy Melissa Chua of Philippine Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture (PPSA).

It is so nice to be free and go out once again. As we want to be up and about this coming Christmas holidays, let’s strengthen our immune system with vitamin C, exercise, eat healthy and follow health protocols such as social distancing, washing  hands, and wearing masks, especially indoors.  Count our blessings!

 

Flor G. Tarriela was former chairman of Philippine National Bank. She was formerly undersecretary of Finance and the first Filipina vice-president of Citibank N.A. She is a trustee of FINEX and liaison officer for the Ethics and Financial Inclusion Committee. She is also an environmentalist and a passionate gardener.

How PSEi member stocks performed — November 17, 2022

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Thursday, November 17, 2022.

Philippines drops to 22nd in English proficiency ranking

The Philippines slipped four notches to 22nd out of 111 countries with a score of 578 in the 2022 edition of the English Proficiency Index (EPI) by international education company Education First (EF). The index is the world’s largest ranking of countries/regions by adult English skills published annually which also serves as an international benchmark for adult English proficiency. The country’s EPI score is categorized as “high proficiency,” considered to be sufficient for tasks like making work presentations, understanding TV shows, and reading newspapers. It is above both the world and Asia average score of 502 and 500, respectively. The Philippines ranked second highest in English proficiency in East and Southeast Asia, behind Singapore. In terms of city rankings, Manila placed 26th out of 109 cities in the index with a score of 567 having “high proficiency” in the English language.

Philippines drops to 22<sup>nd</sup> in english proficiency ranking

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