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Gov’t expects lower domestic borrowings

THE NATIONAL Government (NG) will borrow less from the domestic market next year to make way for private sector lending, the Bureau of the Treasury said.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon on Tuesday said the government would get 77% of its borrowing program from domestic lenders in 2022.

“We are borrowing less and reducing domestic (borrowings) at 77% instead of 81% to make room for the private sector with renewed lending following the opening of the economy,” she said in a Viber message to reporters.

Going into 2022, Ms. De Leon said the market would be looking at signals from the US Federal Reserve on a possible early rate liftoff and tapering of bond purchases.

The market would also watch the December inflation and the results of the Monetary Board meeting on Thursday, she said.

“Plus of course any update on the Omicron variant and the efficacy of vaccines against it,” Ms. De Leon said.

The US Federal Reserve would probably quicken the tapering of its bond-buying program, Reuters reported on Monday.

Philippine inflation in November eased to a four-month low of 4.2%, but remained higher than the central bank’s 3.3%-4.1% forecast for the month.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is widely expected to keep policy rates unchanged at its last policy-setting meeting on Thursday.

Gross borrowings by the National Government had reached P2.75 trillion as of end-October, preliminary data from the Treasury bureau showed.

Year to date, the government’s debt accounted for 91% of the P3-trillion borrowing plan for the entire year.

For the first 10 months of the year, gross domestic borrowings stood at P2.29 trillion, while gross external borrowings reached P518.71 billion.

The government borrows from local and foreign creditors to finance a budget deficit that has widened since last year after a coronavirus pandemic stalled the economy and pulled down tax collections.

This year’s budget deficit is expected to reach 9.3% of gross domestic product. — Jenina P. Ibañez

BSP forms task force to investigate bank hacking

REUTERS
A silhouette of a mobile device user is seen next to a screen projection of binary code in this picture illustration taken on March 28, 2018. — REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/FILE PHOTO

THE BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has created a task force to investigate the alleged online banking fraud involving two local banks.

“We are forming a task force composed of cyber- and anti-money laundering specialists and legal officers to determine the root causes and possible control lapses involving the incident,” BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said at a briefing on Monday evening.

The task force was ordered to submit recommendations to Mr. Diokno within 30 days.

“Guided by relevant laws and regulations, penalties and/or sanctions may be imposed depending on the results of the examination,” he said.

The BSP will look into the banks’ vulnerabilities and possible noncompliance in managing cyber- and anti-money laundering risks.

Some customers of BDO Unibank, Inc. took to social media over the weekend to complain about unauthorized fund transfers from their accounts. The funds were then allegedly transferred to fictitious accounts at UnionBank of the Philippines.

UnionBank Chief Technology and Operations Officer Henry Rhoel R. Aguda said the bank had frozen nearly P5 million in the accounts involved in the incident.

“Right now, the bank has already frozen close to about P5 million in funds that would have been involved in the recent issue over the weekend and we’re making sure that those funds are safe,” Mr. Aguda said in a BusinessWorld Live interview.

BDO said it was processing the reimbursement claims of about 700 clients whose accounts were affected.

“We have requested our clients to go to their branch of account and submit documentation to get the refund. The bank will shoulder the losses perpetuated by this cyber-crime incident,” the lender said.

Meanwhile, National Privacy Commission head Raymund E. Liboro said they were in touch with data protection officers from BDO.

While cyber-hygiene and account protection should be promoted, Mr. Liboro said customers should not be solely blamed for these incidents. He said banks should invest more to beef up online security and prevent data breaches.

“The big responsibility to take care of the deposits is really shouldered by the banks,” he told ABS-CBN News Teleradyo. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

House adopts Senate version of bill extending nat’l budget’s validity

PHILSTAR

A BILL that would extend the validity of the 2021 budget would skip the bicameral conference committee after the House of Representatives adopted the Senate version on Tuesday.

The House adopted the Senate amendments to House Bill 10373, allowing for the measure to be transmitted to Malacañang for President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s signature.

Under the measure, appropriations under the 2021 General Appropriations Act, budgetary support to government-owned and -controlled corporations and financial assistance to local government units (LGUs), will be available for release and obligation until Dec. 31, 2022.

However, funds for personnel services will be made available for release, obligation, and disbursement until the end of next year.

Appropriations for the statutory share of LGUs will be available until funds are fully utilized and disbursed.

The construction of infrastructure projects, the delivery of goods and services, inspection, and payment must also be settled before the end of December next year.

After the end of the validity period, all unreleased appropriations and unobligated allotments will expire and revert to the unappropriated surplus of the general fund.

Except for LGUs, all balances of fund transfers between government agencies, instrumentalities, and departments not utilized, expended, or disbursed will also revert to the general fund.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it had released 98.6% or P4.441 trillion of this year’s P4.5-trillion budget as of the end of November.

Congress leaders are still meeting in a bicameral conference committee to reconcile disagreeing provisions of the P5.024-trillion national budget for next year.

They hope to finalize the bicameral report and have it ratified by this week before they adjourn for the holidays.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte has approved similar legislation that extended the validity of the 2019 and 2020 national budgets. — Russell Louis C. Ku

LGUs urged to digitalize tax collection

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

FINANCE Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III is urging local government units (LGUs) to digitalize their tax processes as their share of National Government revenues surge in 2022.

Local governments will have to improve revenue collection as they become more accountable in providing constituents with basic services, he said in a statement on Tuesday.

A Supreme Court ruling expands the local governments’ share in national taxes starting next year, which the Finance department said would dampen spending efficiency because the National Government usually spends at double the pace.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte in June signed Executive Order (EO) 138 which transfers a number of basic services to LGUs by 2024. With this, the government is shifting programs and projects, worth an estimated P234.4 billion, to LGUs.

Mr. Dominguez said LGUs will have to develop electronic business registration and renewal as well as local tax and fee assessment and collection.

“The local governments must keep pace with this digital transition — starting with local government finance. The new economy will be highly digitized. All future processes will occur mainly online,” he said.

More government processes are being transitioned online as mobility restrictions during the pandemic prevented face-to-face transactions.

Mr. Dominguez said the National Government and LGUs should improve revenue generation to make the country’s fiscal resources last during the pandemic.

“Even as we stretch resources to stimulate the economy, we must continuously build up our fiscal resilience,” he said.

The DoF has identified debt management as a key issue as it transitions to the next administration in 2022.

Outstanding government debt ballooned to P10.2 trillion last year from P8.2 trillion in 2019 as the state ran big deficits to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. — Jenina P. Ibañez

DoH warns public of blood donation scams

PIXABAY

By Patricia B. Mirasol  

THE PUBLIC should remain vigilant against scams related to the selling and donating of blood, according to the Department of Health (DoH) and National Voluntary Blood Services Program (NVBSP). 

While the DoH has no data on the number of blood donation scams that were reported during the pandemic, the issue is alarming enough to merit informing the public, said Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario S. Vergeire. 

“The DoH and NVBSP became aware of the national news aired [in September] regarding a family that was scammed by a ‘blood donor.’ Both the DoH and NVBSP condemn such acts,” she said to BusinessWorld in an e-mail. The health agency has come out with print advertisements to warn the public of these scams.  

The aforementioned news report described a critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient with a rare blood type (AB+) in need of a blood transfusion. The patient’s family was scammed out of P5,000 by a stranger on Facebook who indicated willingness to donate blood, but first needed an upfront amount to pay for the fare to the hospital.  

‘BLACK MARKET’
Blood donation scams are caused by patients in need of blood or blood products who are compelled to look for such outside authorized institutions, if or when the blood stocks in the hospital where the patient is admitted are not sufficient.    

“I heard from one patient, a National Center for Mental Health employee, that there is a black market for blood,” said Dr. Manuel R. Velasco, Jr., a hematology fellow at the Makati Medical Center (MMC), in a Viber message to BusinessWorld. “This is difficult to do because blood transfer and networking can only be done between blood banks. There is a required cold chain for some of the blood, and time is an important factor.”  

Dr. Velasco’s patient, however, insisted that a group exists that can get blood to anyone, anytime.   

SAFE SOURCE
The safest source of blood and blood products are from regular and unpaid volunteer blood donors, Dr. Vergeire said, as the prevalence of transfusion transmissible infections is lowest among this population. The DoH is encouraging volunteers to donate blood to provide a safe and sufficient supply. 

According to the World Health Organization, 79 countries collect over 90% of their blood supply from voluntary unpaid blood donors. Fifty-six countries, on the other hand, collect more than half of their blood supply from family or paid donors.  

The MMC blood bank has no control over paid donors and discourages direct blood donors because there is a tendency to lie in the screening process, said Dr. Velasco. “Although it does not affect the safety of the blood, and testing is standard, it may affect the safety of the donor,” he added. — with Brontë H. Lacsamana 

  

To report blood scammers, contact the Department of Health and the National Voluntary Blood Services Program at (02) 89953846 or nvbsp1@doh.gov.ph.  

Omicron boosters: Everything you need to know 

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

The Omicron variant of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is now spreading rapidly. Early reports suggest Omicron causes less severe disease than other variants but it still poses a risk to the most vulnerable, with patients starting to arrive in hospitals. 

Omicron also appears to have some ability to get around existing immunity, whether from vaccination or infection. However, it seems less able to do this when people are boosted with a third vaccine dose. 

Because of this, booster programs are being accelerated. Here’s which vaccines are being used and what effect boosters are likely to have. 

Unless there are strong reasons not to use them (such as having had a severe allergic reaction or other side-effect previously), Pfizer or Moderna are the preferred options. 

These are the mRNA vaccines, which appear to be more effective as a booster dose compared to other COVID-19 vaccines, such as AstraZeneca. The recent Cov-Boost study, which investigated which vaccine type performed best when given as a third dose, found the mRNA vaccines gave the highest uplift in antibodies. 

And if your first two vaccines don’t end up being the same as your booster, this is OK. Various studies (some awaiting review) have found that mixing doses is safe and leads to a strong immune response — even if you initially had the AstraZeneca vaccine. 

Even before the arrival of Omicron, it was becoming clear that boosters were needed — data was showing vaccine protection declining after 90 days. 

Indeed, a preprint (a piece of research still to be reviewed) suggests that 20 weeks after their second jab, people over 65 were only 37% protected against symptomatic COVID if they had been given the AstraZeneca vaccine. If they had been given Pfizer, this figure was 55% (though the corresponding estimates for protection against hospitalization were 76% and 91% respectively). 

There’s little hard data yet on Omicron, but protection is likely to be lower still because of its mutations. Another preprint has tested antibodies in the blood of vaccinated people against the variant and found that they’re much less able to neutralize the virus. 

Early real-world data produced by the UK’s Health Security Agency seems to confirm that protection is lower. It suggests that vaccine effectiveness against Omicron more than 25 weeks after a second vaccine dose was negligible for AstraZeneca and only about 35% with Pfizer. But after a booster, effectiveness was around 75%. 

This is against symptomatic disease. The risk of severe disease after an Omicron infection is still not known, and neither is the effectiveness of a booster dose against severe disease. 

However, given that vaccines and boosters have shown greater effectiveness against severe disease than against infection with other variants, we should expect protection against severe illness to be much greater than 75%. 

Also, while Omicron is heavily mutated, it doesn’t have so many mutations in areas targeted by specific immune cells called cytotoxic T cells, which are thought to be important in reducing disease severity. This is another reason why it’s not unrealistic to expect much greater protection against severe disease. But it will be a while before this is confirmed. 

Instead of aiming to vaccinate everyone by the end of January, the new target is to offer every adult in England a third dose by the end of the year. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are also all speeding up their rollouts. 

Everyone in the UK over 18 — and everyone over 16 who is at risk, which includes those working in health and social care — is eligible. You just need to have had your second dose three months ago or more. 

However, some may have to wait depending on where they live. All over-18s in England can come forward for a booster, but in Scotland and Northern Ireland only over-30s are able to get one right now, though this is expected to change shortly. People in Wales need to wait to be called. 

Note that these booster doses are different from the third doses being offered to people with weakened immune systems, who may not have responded fully to their first two doses. People in this group only need to wait eight weeks from their second dose to book a third — and they’ll be eligible for an additional booster three months after this. 

People in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland can book online for a booster. They can also go to a walk-in clinic. However, there may be queues — and there’s always the chance that stocks on the day may run out. 

But with the recently announced new targets, it’s likely new vaccination centers will be opened — so check local news to see what’s available. 

After you’ve had the booster, it takes a few days before the additional protection kicks in. A study in Israel found that protection starts to appear about seven days after the booster shot and then continues to increase for another week. 

So after your booster, you shouldn’t assume you have any increased protection for at least another week to 10 days. You can still enjoy Christmas, but continue to be cautious — especially if you are, or have contact with, a vulnerable person. — The Conversation 

 

Paul Hunter is professor of Medicine at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. 

What’s new at the Ayala Museum

DIGITAL Gallery at the lobby — PHOTO BY MICHELLE ANNE P. SOLIMAN

AN 18th century molave wood altarpiece, paintings by Juan Luna, Felix R. Hidalgo, and Fernando Zobel, a touchscreen gallery, heritage objects, and the dioramas are some items which can be viewed onsite now after a long while when Ayala Museum visitors could only see the museum’s collections online by browsing through virtual galleries. Two years after its temporary closure for renovations, the museum reopens for a month-long soft opening in December.

BusinessWorld booked a visit during the first weekend of its soft opening on Dec. 4. Upon arrival, guests have their temperatures checked and are required to present their vaccination cards, a receipt of reservation, and an accomplished Stay Safe app for contact tracing.

Visitors enter the museum through its expanded lobby which now includes what used to be the passageway between the museum and M Café. The lobby now has high ceilings and wooden slats adorn its interiors. The Museum Shop has been relocated to the lobby for easier access to guests.

“The renovation actually began in Aug. 2019,” said Ma. Elizabeth “Mariles” L. Gustilo, Ayala Museum Arts and Culture Senior Director, in an e-mail to BusinessWorld. “The open design and the idea of borrowed landscape by Leandro V. Locsin & Partners (LVLP) and design consultant Taku Shimizu was already in place before COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) hit. The glass operable doors facing Greenbelt Gardens are meant to bring the outside in, especially for events.”

THE NEW SPACE
The highlight of the lobby is a new eight-panel Digital Gallery. After putting on the provided finger gloves, visitors can browse through 1,000 objects from the museum and library collections.

Ms. Gustilo explained that the design was so visitors are able to “touch” the objects in the collections and to “have a more intimate conversation and up-close learning experience with them.”

The idea for the Digital Gallery came from awareness of new technologies being used in museums abroad, such as the Cleveland Art Museum’s ArtLens, the Guggenheim Bilbao, and the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum.

“We worked with New York-based design firm Local Projects on the design experience to meet our objectives,” said Ms. Gustillo. “Australia based Piction developed the Data Asset Management system that is the heart not only of the Digital Gallery but the entire omnichannel experience. While Helsinki based Multitaction provided the hardware — multitouch, interactive screens.

The lobby also has an exhibition curated by Kenneth Esguerra titled “Ayala Museum: In Microcosm” which offers a selection of objects of artistic and cultural significance.

THE GALLERIES AND THE LIBRARY
Guests are encouraged to explore the galleries starting at the third floor. That is where the museum’s renovated Main Gallery is found. Currently on view there is the exhibition “Intertwined: Transpacific, Transcultural Philippines,” curated by Florina Capistrano-Baker Ph.D. It features over 240 objects representing the country’s trans-Pacific heritage.

At the same floor is a new gallery dedicated to honoring artist Fernando Zobel (1924-1984), who in the 1950s first envisioned what would eventually become the Ayala Museum (the museum first opened in the old Insular Life building in 1967).

On view in the gallery is the exhibition “Landscape into Painting: Fernando Zobel Serie Blanca,” curated by Ditas R. Samson. It focuses on Mr. Zobel’s body of work executed from 1975 to 1978 referred to as Serie Blanca. This exhibition aims to show why it is, as described in a press release, “considered the artist’s most lyrical and enigmatic work in pure abstraction.”

The 60 dioramas narrating events in Philippine history in the museum’s mainstay “Diorama Experience” exhibition have been updated with new graphics and an audio guide accessible through the Ayala Museum app.

Meanwhile, the permanent galleries where the museum’s collections of Philippine Gold, Indigenous Textiles and Southeast Asian Trade Ware Ceramics are now located at the fourth floor. These are targeted to open to public by April 2022.

A MORE COMFORTABLE LIBRARY
The revamped Filipinas Heritage Library (FHL) is now open, providing a comfortable environment for study and research.

“The library offers a warm, refurbished setting for researchers and book lovers. Visitors can enjoy city views from Ayala Museum’s 6th floor while studying and getting their research needs met,” Filipinas Heritage Library Senior Manager John Labella told BusinessWorld in an e-mail.

“The Jewel Box, while closed to visitors, is the visual highlight of the reading room. Conserving books related to the Second World War, this temperature-controlled glass box allows visitors a glimpse of the materials forming the Rod Hall Collection, the core collection of FHL,” Mr. Labella said.

In 2022, the library will present the second season of Muni Muni Stories, podcasts focusing on Philippine music and film, and will also offer for viewing documentary films on the Philippines by Hugh Gibb, digitized with a National Commission for Culture and the Arts grant. An FHL exhibition about the Liberation is in the pipeline for April next year.

Aside from the galleries and the library, a kiosk which will serve snacks and refreshments will also open soon at the museum.

GOING OMNICHANNEL
Prior to the pandemic, the Ayala Museum regularly held events, like concerts, lectures, and workshops, mostly on weekends, such as Free Museum Day, the Rush Hour concert series, and “History Comes Alive!” Lecture series with historian Ambeth Ocampo.

Ms. Gustilo said that the museum’s activities will still likely be hybrid experiences “as a response to the pandemic and as a way to reach more audiences.”

Meanwhile, the museum’s partnerships with schools remain virtual.

“School field trips onsite are the lifeblood of any museum. So we look forward to welcoming them back to Ayala Museum,” Ms. Gustilo said. “But having gone omnichannel, we can also now offer alternative options to non-Metro Manila schools through virtual field trips.”

The museum’s official opening will be in the first semester of 2022.

Visits to the museum and library must be prebooked, and entries will be timed, and capacity will be limited. All guests visiting the museum and library, regardless of age, must be fully vaccinated and will have to provide proof of vaccination upon entry. Full protocols, visitation guidelines, and reminders are available on Ayala Museum’s new website (www.ayalamuseum.org/visit). To book a library visit, go to www.filipinaslibrary.org.ph/booking. For event inquiries, visit www.ayalamuseum.org/event-spaces. —  Michelle Anne P. Soliman

CEOs’ 2022 outlook positive, but worries remain

MOST global chief executives across 44 industries have a positive outlook for next year despite concerns such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, according to global leadership community YPO.

YPO said in a statement on Tuesday that a Global Pulse survey was conducted from Nov. 18 to Dec. 5 involving 1,700 chief executives across 101 countries, which showed that 81% of the respondents believe there will be a favorable business outlook in 2022, but this will come with high uncertainty and volatility.

The survey indicated that 37% of executives recorded a 20% increase in revenue or more since the start of 2021, while 17% of respondents said they experienced a decline of 10% or more since the beginning of the year.

YPO said hiring improved, with 38% of the respondents experiencing a 10% increase or higher in the number of employees since the start of 2021, while 45% of companies said that their total employee count is “about the same” as it was in early 2021, and 16% said they experienced a decrease.

The survey also showed that 71% of chief executives were “either very or somewhat” concerned about the impact of inflation on their businesses for 2022. Some 51% of respondents also plan to raise prices to alleviate the effects of inflation.

“74% of the respondents in the Food and Beverage industry, 73% in Manufacturing, and 62% in Retail and Wholesale Sales planning to raise prices in response to inflation,” YPO said.

Among respondents, leaders from the United States were more concerned about inflation compared to their counterparts all over the world.

YPO also reported that only 2% of respondents believed that supply chain problems will be resolved in early 2022. Some 39% said the issue will be addressed by the end of next year, while 38% expect it to happen in 2023 or later. 

The survey also disclosed that 67% of respondents find that it is somewhat or very difficult for the businesses to find employees for the general work force at present and 57% of respondents had the same levels of difficulty when it comes to C-Suite and executive hires.

“Despite clear concerns over productivity, many are moving forward with flexible and remote work schedules. Even though only 1% of executives surveyed believe employees are more productive at home than in the office, 74% of business leaders shared that some form of flexible work arrangements will become more permanent,” YPO said.

“With pandemic pressures taking their toll on teams, some businesses are taking steps to improve mental health benefits, with 35% reporting some type of mental health investment or strategy for employees and 16% saying they don’t have one now but plan to add one,” it added.

Meanwhile, YPO said 28% of respondents have invested in cryptocurrencies, with 13% planning to invest in the future, and 60% saying that they do not have plans to invest.

The survey added that the top regions where respondents do not plan to invest in cryptocurrency include South Asia, Western US, and Mid-America US.

In contrast, regions where members are investing in cryptocurrency include Northeastern US, Africa, and Southeast US and Caribbean.

“Heading into 2022, YPO member chief executives shared all business leaders should keep their eyes focused on these key management issues (such as) improving employee engagement and work culture/retention, exploring alternative cash streams and protecting existing cash flows, preparing for the impact of inflation, planning for any future supply chain issues, and understanding evolving customer needs,” YPO said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

More high-level biosafety laboratories needed to bolster public health system — NIH 

WITH 2021 coming to a close and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic inching towards its two-year anniversary, public health systems in the Philippines will need to address three key issues — the virus itself, health inequity, and misinformation, said doctors in a Dec. 10 webinar organized by the University of the Philippines (UP).  

“If we do not invest in public health and the social determinants of health, COVID-19 will become a chronic and lingering disease of the poor, like tuberculosis,” said Dr. Susan Pineda-Mercado, a faculty member of the National Telehealth Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in UP Manila.  

She presented the epidemiologic triad, composed of the agent (virus), the host (human health), and the environment, a framework for public health recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).   

The triad requires vaccination to curb the virus, access to healthcare to improve equity and strengthen people’s health, nutrition, and immune systems, and a strong health promotion agency to discourage misinformation and motivate a better and safer environment.  

“We need to invest in a Philippine CDC, level 3 & 4 laboratories, and genome centers for surveillance and early case detections,” added Dr. Pineda-Mercado.  

According to the US CDC, biosafety level 3 laboratories can handle microbes that can cause serious or potentially lethal disease through inhalation; biosafety level 4 labs can handle aerosol-transmitted agents that cause severe to fatal disease for which there are no available vaccines or treatments.) 

Today, only the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, the Philippine General Hospital, and the UP National Institutes of Health have these labs. Dr. Pineda-Mercado said that the country will need more of these facilities. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Annette M. David, consultant at Guam’s department of public health and social services, agreed that the entire population will need to be protected and not just the few. 

“Every unvaccinated person is a gap in the shield. It’s important to ensure that many people in the community are vaccinated or protected,” she said, referring to masking, testing, vaccines, and treatment. “For as long as there are pockets in our country that have no access to healthcare, this will continue to spread.”  

The government will also have to address city congestion, crowded living conditions, and the large overseas Filipino worker population. Solutions can come in the form of strict isolation measures, safe transport, safe work spaces, city decongestion, and even family planning.  

Dr. Pineda-Mercado said: “In public health, we think about all these things. We cannot be just single-minded and have tunnel vision on one thing.”  

As of Dec. 13, around 41.5 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated. However, this is not the only vaccine the country needs, according to Dr. David.  

“We need a vaccine against the virus, a vaccine against health inequity, and a vaccine against misinformation,” she said. — Brontë H. Lacsamana  

The Met reopens on 90th anniversary

PHOTO BY MICHELLE ANNE P. SOLIMAN

THE METROPOLITAN Theater formally reopened on the 90th anniversary of its inauguration on Dec. 10.

The art deco Metropolitan Theater, designed by architect Juan M. Arellano, was inaugurated on Dec. 10, 1931. While badly damaged during the Second World War, it was subsequently “repurposed as a boxing arena, a motel, gay bar, basketball court, and as a home for squatters,” according to Wikipedia.

The theater was declared a National Historical Landmark in 1973, and its first restoration was initiated by former First Lady Imelda Marcos in 1978. Following that period, it served as a theater until it closed in 1996 due to conflicting ownership claims between the City of Manila and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

The Arroyo administration, in collaboration with the City of Manila, attempted to restore it on the same year it was declared a National Cultural Treasure in 2010. The ownership issue was finally settled in 2015 when the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) bought the building from the GSIS on an as-is where-is basis. Restoration efforts started soon after.

While it had its soft opening in June 2021, its official reopening was rescheduled several times because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. But during that time, some productions were staged there, although these were done without an audience and were instead shown online, most notably the restaging of the musical Lapulapu: Ang Datu ng Mactan.

The celebration of its 90th anniversary began with a cultural presentation of “Pitong Alay” (Seven Offerings) which involved representations of fire, water, salt, rice, masks, costumes, and props, and the presentation of a production book on the musical Lapulapu: Ang Datu ng Mactan.

“Pinagdiriwang natin ang ika-limang buhay ng isang gusali na naging simbolo na tinatawag nating cultural legacy (We are celebrating the fifth life of a structure that was a symbol of what we call cultural legacy),” National Commission for Cultural and the Arts Chairperson Arsenio “Nick” J. Lizaso said in his welcome speech.

“Kay raming hamon at hadlang ang narasan upang magtagumpay at makarating sa makasaysayang gabing ito. Sa bandang huli, ang tagumpay na ito ay tagumpay nating lahat. Ang Met ay isang tunay na teatro ng bayan o isang tanghalan ng bayan (There were many challenges and barriers encountered in order to succeed and arrive at this historic evening. In the end, this success is our success. The Met is a true theater of the nation),” he said.

Performance highlights of the evening included a medley of music from musicals which had been presented in the Met as arranged by Jem Robert Talaroc and performed by the Manila Symphony Orchestra; a tribute to former Met Executive Director Conchita Sunico (1913-1990) who had overseen the theater productions for decades; the “Mahal Kong Bodabil Suite,” arranged by Krina Cayabyab; “Itanghal sa Lahat,” a medley of Broadway and original Filipino musicals; and a performance of the Met theme, “Pasulong Muli Ang MET!,” with lyrics by Floy Quintos and original music by National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab.

In a previous interview with BusinessWorld, Mr. Lizaso said that the Met’s programs will focus on traditional performing arts, as well as collaborations with educational institutions and local government units on projects promoting Filipino culture and arts. (https://www.bworldonline.com/a-long-awaited-revival/)

While waiting for the theater to be able to welcome the public for its first live show, its upcoming and previous programs are accessible online through the Met Theater’s official Facebook page.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/METphOfficial/. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

NLEX Corp. partners with Chinese firm for second section of connector project

NLEX.COM.PH

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Senior Reporter

NLEX Corp. on Tuesday said it recently signed an agreement with China Road and Bridges Corp. for the civil works contract of the remaining three kilometers of its connector project in Manila.

The project is between the future España and Sta. Mesa interchanges, the second section of the eight-kilometer North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Connector.

In an e-mailed statement, the company said construction of the remaining three kilometers of the NLEX Connector project is “now underway.”

The entire NLEX Connector “extends the expressway southward from the NLEX Harbor Link Caloocan Interchange, 5th Avenue/C3 Road passing through España Blvd., R. Magsaysay Blvd., and eventually connecting to the Skyway Stage 3 within the vicinity of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Sta. Mesa, Manila.”

The first section of the project, from Caloocan Interchange to España Boulevard, is scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2022. It is now nearly 60% done, the company said.

“We are committed to provide the necessary right-of-way for this project as we target to complete this segment by end of 2022,” Public Works Secretary Roger G. Mercado said.

The project, which is expected to accommodate around 35,000 motorists, is seen to decongest local roads, as it aims to divert cargo trucks to the elevated expressway. Without a truck ban, the route will be available 24/7, according to the company.

“Upon completion, the NLEX Connector will enable Manila Ports to have a seamless north-south connection and provide further convenience to motorists with the decongestion of major thoroughfares like EDSA and C5,” Mr. Mercado noted.

For his part, Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) President and Chief Executive Officer Rodrigo E. Franco said: “The Metro Pacific Group actively contributes to accelerating infrastructure development in the Philippines.”

“This new elevated expressway hopes to support the country’s economic recovery by helping reduce traffic congestion in the metro and offering those with private cars and commercial vehicles ease of travel,” he added.

Mr. Franco also expects the project to enhance accessibility to international airports such as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Clark International Airport.

“[This will] help generate jobs, and stimulate development between Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces in the north and south,” he noted.

NLEX Corp. is under MPTC, the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.

Daniel Quizon, 17, wins chess national championship crown

GRANDMASTER candidate IM Daniel Quizon — DANIEL QUIZON FB PAGE

By Joey Villar

DANIEL Quizon realized his dream of becoming a national champion after he virtually crowned himself winner of the 2021 Philippine National Chess Championship at the Solea Hotel and Resort in Mactan, Cebu on Tuesday.

Mr. Quizon, 17, needed to just draw with fellow International Master Jem Garcia in 31 moves of a King’s Indian Attack in the 10th and penultimate round to make his dream come true.

The World Cup veteran was playing International Master (IM) Ronald Dableo in the final round at press time but with eight points and a two-point lead over the latter, Grandmaster (GM) Darwin Laylo and IM Ricky de Guzman, the former had already secured his place in the country’s elite group of national champions.

And thanks to his feat, Mr. Quizon will take home P80,000 a place in next year’s Hanoi Southeast Asian Games and the 2023 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Bangkok and Chonburi, Thailand.

It was an impressive performance for Mr. Quizon, who opened the 12-player tournament by winning his first six games including triumphs over the event’s only two GMs — Mr. Laylo and Joey Antonio — and was never really threatened much from there.

Next step for Mr. Quizon is the Grandmaster title.

“Pangarap ko po ang maging GM (I dream of becoming a GM),” said Mr. Quizon.

Mr. Laylo drew with top seed IM Paulo Bersamina in 25 moves of a Petroff Defense while Mr. De Guzman fought Woman GM Janelle Mae Frayna to a 66-move draw of a London System.

IM John Marvin Miciano posted the only win of the round over Mr. Dableo in 39 moves of a Reti Opening to jump to a share of No. 5 with Mr. Garcia with 5.5 points each.

In the other results, IM Joel Pimentel drew with IM Michael Concio, Jr. in 30 moves of a Petroff and GM Joey Antonio settling for a 30-move standoff with Allan Pason of a Caro-kann Defense.

The event was being supported by Barkadahan Para sa Bansa partylist, Philippine Sports Commission, CCLEX, Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), Alin Cargo, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, POC President Bambol Tolentino, Chess Movement, Inc., chair Dr. Ariel Potot, RiChess Masters, and Atty. Roel Canobas.

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