Maynilad studies treated used water for drinking

June 24, 2022 | 12:04 am

MAYNILAD Water Services, Inc. is studying whether used water can be purified to make it potable, it said on Thursday, citing successful projects in Singapore, South Africa, Namibia, and the United States.

“Water is a scarce resource. Given the growing population’s increasing demand for water plus the strain on existing sources due to climate change, we should consider using previously untapped sources — including used water — to augment supply. There are now reliable and effective treatment technologies that make it a viable option,” said Maynilad President and Chief Executive Officer Ramoncito S. Fernandez in a media release.

Instead of purifying raw water from rivers, Maynilad is planning to purify some of its treated used water, which is just discharged to rivers by its sewage treatment plants (STPs). The company will be using its new modular treatment plants, or ModTPs, for this purpose.

Roel S. Espiritu, Maynilad’s quality, sustainability and resiliency head, said the treated used water discharged by STPs is a more reliable water source than raw river water. It is climate-independent and the quality is controlled and less variable, he added.

“If we use the river directly as source, trash and other pollutants thrown into it by surrounding communities could drastically change the river water’s quality. This could affect the volume output of a ModTP, which has to adjust its treatment parameters with sudden shifts in the raw water quality,” he said.

Maynilad said it similarly treats raw water from Laguna Lake by using a sewage treatment method for initial purification. The lake water then passes through more treatment processes before conversion to drinking water.

Laguna Lake is the company’s alternative raw water source since 2010, allowing it to reduce over-reliance on Angat Dam, to serve customers south of Metro Manila.

Maynilad’s ModTPs use treatment technology from Israel, which leads in water innovation, through a multi-stage process that includes pressurized media filtration, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, and chlorine disinfection to convert used water to drinking water.

Mr. Fernandez said: “By including used water to our supply source options, we have enhanced capability to generate more water whenever existing supplies run short.”

Maynilad is coordinating with government agencies for the latest initiative.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which has a majority stake in Maynilad, is one of three 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 an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.

Umbrella Academy siblings return to face new doomsday threat

June 24, 2022 | 12:04 am

LONDON — The squabbling siblings of The Umbrella Academy return for more superhero antics this week, contending with a fresh universal threat and some new family rivals.

Season three of the hit Netflix show sees the introduction of the slicker Sparrow Academy as well as the transition of character Vanya Hargreeves to Viktor Hargreeves, mirroring the personal life of actor Elliot Page.

Showrunner Steve Blackman said he worked closely with Mr. Page on a storyline after the 35-year-old Oscar nominee, formerly known as Ellen Page, said in late 2020 he was transgender and had changed his first name.

“Elliot had called me after the scripts were done and said he was making the transition and I obviously wanted to be very supportive. No one… made me write it into the story but I did think was the right thing to do,” Mr. Blackman told Reuters.

“I reached out to (LGBTQ media advocacy group) GLAAD, I reached out to a trans writer that I wanted to be my consultant and together with Elliot, we talked about how we were going to do the story. We didn’t want it to become the story of the show, so we had to find a balance between making that transition at the same time doing it in a way that felt authentic, sensitive, real.”

Season two wrapped with the siblings halting a 1963 apocalypse and returning to the present to find themselves in another timeline and their home occupied by the Sparrow Academy — siblings adopted by their father, including a mean version of their deceased brother Ben.

Previously, Ben, played by actor Justin H. Min, only appeared as a ghost to his brother Klaus.

“It was great though to finally be able to act alongside some of the other cast members for the first time, to see them look me in the eye for the first time,” Mr. Min said.

Based on the comic books by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, the show has won over fans with its relatable family struggles, catchy tunes and surrealist elements.

Asked about the set dynamic, actor Tom Hopper, who plays Luther, said: “We all know each other so well and we know each other’s characters so well now and how we’re all playing it that it’s a lot of fun.”

“But it can be a little bit chaotic sometimes.”

The Umbrella Academy season three premiered on Wednesday. — Reuters

CSB eyes fourth straight win

June 24, 2022 | 12:03 am

COLLEGE of St. Benilde (CSB) tries to keep its clamp of the solo lead as it shoots for a fourth straight victory against a winless Emilio Aguinaldo College on Friday in the NCAA Season 97 Volleyball at the Paco Arena.

The Lady Blazers have steamrolled their first three assignments — San Beda, Lyceum of the Philippines University, and Letran — to zoom to the solo lead and are expected to hurdle the Lady Generals, who are still seeking that first win after three setbacks, in their 2:30 p.m. clash.

And CSB is getting the job with its near impeccable execution, almost impenetrable net defense and superb court coverage as it led in spiking percentages, setting, blocking and reception.

“These girls came from my programs at Hope (Christian School) and TIP (Technological Institute of the Philippines) so they know the system,” said CSB coach Jerry Yee.

Skipper Francis Mycah Go has been the team’s leading scorer and one of the main sources of strength along with Jhasmin Gayle Pascual, Jade Gentapa setter, and Cloanne Sophia Mondoñedo. — Joey Villar

Fed committed to inflation fight, not trying to trigger a recession

June 24, 2022 | 12:03 am

THE US Federal Reserve is not trying to engineer a recession to stop inflation but is fully committed to bringing prices under control even if doing so risks an economic downturn, US central bank chief Jerome H. Powell said on Wednesday.

“We are not trying to provoke, and I don’t think we will need to provoke, a recession,” Powell said at a hearing before the US Senate Banking Committee, although he acknowledged that a recession was “certainly a possibility” and events in the last few months around the world had made it more difficult to reduce inflation without causing one.

“It is essential that we bring inflation down if we are to have a sustained period of strong labor market conditions that benefit all,” Powell said. The Fed in coming months will be looking for “compelling evidence” of slowing price pressures before it eases up on the interest rate increases it kicked off three months ago.

Inflation continues to run at least three times higher than the Fed’s targeted level of 2%. A gauge of price increases that excludes volatile food and energy costs may have eased somewhat last month, Powell testified, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and COVID-19 lockdowns in China are putting continued upward pressure on inflation.

One week ago, the Fed raised its benchmark overnight interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point — its biggest hike since 1994 — to a range of 1.50% to 1.75%, and signaled rates would rise to 3.4% by the end of this year.

That steep rate hike path, designed to slow the economy, has sparked widespread concern about a recession and a weakening of labor markets, which Powell on Wednesday said were unsustainably hot.

On Wednesday, Powell reiterated that ongoing increases in the Fed’s policy rate would be appropriate, with the exact pace dependent on the economic outlook. He declined to rule out a 100-basis-point move if it proved warranted.

“Inflation has obviously surprised to the upside over the past year, and further surprises could be in store,” he said, repeating that policymakers would need to be nimble in response to the incoming data.

‘COUGHING UP BONES’
Since the June 14-15 policy meeting, a number of Powell’s fellow policymakers have lined up behind his comments last week that the central bank will very likely need to raise rates by either 50 or 75 basis points at its next meeting in July.

Earlier on Wednesday, Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker said incoming data would govern which of the two options to deliver. Chicago Fed President Charles Evans signaled later on Wednesday that he also is comfortable for now with continued rapid rate hikes, even as he nodded to the rising recession risk.

“To think that we can fine tune something like this with tremendous precision — I mean, we just don’t have that ability,” Evans said. Even so, he added, there’s “tremendous” consensus at the Fed for getting rates into modestly restrictive territory.

“The first thing that we’re looking at is to make sure we take the steam out of the inflation pressures,” he said.

But in an indication of how inflation has emerged as a thorny political issue that threatens to tip the balance of power in Congress to Republicans in elections this November, Powell found himself under fire from both the left and right.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat representing Massachusetts, took the Fed to task for pushing through rate hikes that raised the risk of a recession that could put millions out of work.

Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, in one of the more heated criticisms of the Fed’s response to inflation, said inflation was hitting his constituents “so hard they are coughing up bones.”

Overall, Powell did not stray far from his remarks in his news conference that followed the Fed’s latest policy meeting, but his assertion that financial conditions had “tightened significantly” seems significant and may herald a slower pace of rate hikes, Karim Basta, chief economist at III Capital Management, wrote in a note.

Interest rate futures ticked higher through the course of Powell’s appearance, as traders moderated expectations for additional big rate increases at the Fed’s remaining four policy meetings of the year.

Economists polled by Reuters before the appearance see the Fed delivering another 75-basis-point interest rate hike in July, followed by a half-percentage-point rise in September, with no scaling back to quarter-percentage-point moves until November at the earliest.

Fed officials’ latest projections see economic growth slowing to below trend this year while the US unemployment rate — currently 3.6% — starts to tick higher. Meanwhile, they now expect inflation by year-end to drop only to 5.2% by their preferred measure, which registered 6.3% as of April. — Reuters

What to See This Week (06/24/22)

June 24, 2022 | 12:03 am

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Elvis

DIRECTOR Baz Luhrmann’s cinematic take on the life and music of Elvis Presley, presented through the complex relationship of Elvis (played by Austin Butler) and his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks), which spans over 20 years. “To complain that Elvis is basically a compilation of musical-biopic conventions is a bit like complaining about a greatest-hits album; it also misses… [Luhrmann’s] ability to suffuse clichés with sincerity, energy and feeling,” writes Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times. Mike LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle says, “It’s extraordinary how Luhrmann is able to tell this story honestly, while still making it palatable. It’s equally extraordinary that he can take this short and tragically misdirected life and make it feel like a triumph.” Film review aggregate site gives Elvis a high score of 82%.

MTRCB Rating: PG

Ngayon Kaya

NGAYON Kaya tells the story of two performers, long-time friends who share the same talent manager, who had gone out on one date. Directed by Prime Cruz, the film stars Paulo Avelino and Janine Gutierrez. Click the City’s Wanggo Gallaga writes: “Ngayon Kaya is a delicate film that is built carefully around the nuances of the characters.”

MTRCB Rating: PG

The Roundup

THIS Korean film takes place four years after a round up operation in the Garibong district. When the Police’s Major Crimes Unit is tasked with repatriating a fugitive who fled to Vietnam, the cops realize that there’s something wrong with the suspect’s willingness to turn himself in and uncover crimes committed by a terrifying killer. Directed by Sang-yong Lee, it stars Ma Dong-seok , Son Seok-koo, Choi Gwi-hwa, Park Ji-hwan, Heo Dong-won, and Ha Jun. Variety’s Dennis Harvey writes: “The follow-up to 2017’s The Outlaws brings back Ma Dong-seok’s lovable lunk hero — and the same sharp mix of laughs and thrills.”

MTRCB Rating: R-13

MerryMart Grocery to open eco-friendly supermarkets in Laguna, Tarlac

June 24, 2022 | 12:03 am

MERRYMART Consumer Corp. has signed a 15-year long-term lease contract with Ayala Land, Inc. to open stand-alone full-sized eco-friendly supermarkets in Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Laguna and Cresendo in Tarlac.

In a disclosure on Thursday, MerryMart said that supermarkets will be equipped with roof solar panels, LED lighting fixtures, and will use power-efficient equipment with bicycle slots and electric car charging provisions.

A full line of grocery, pharmacy, personal care, and other basic essential products will also be offered.

MerryMart Chairman Edgar J. Sia II said the MerryMart group “is glad to have the opportunity to soon serve and delight consumers around the vast community developments” in the new locations.

The MerryMart groceries in Nuvali and Cresendo will have about 2,261.21 square meters (sq.m.) and 2,076.90 sq.m. of retail space, respectively.

The listed retail company said the full-size design of MerryMart Grocery will be the format for locations in sprawling horizontal communities.

MerryMart is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Injap Investments, Inc., which also owns 35% of DoubleDragon Properties Corp.

At present, its organic branch expansion and acquisitions total 105 branches nationwide.

MerryMart aims to have a total of 1,200 branches nationwide and to generate P120 billion in system-wide recurring consumer sales revenue by 2030.

On Thursday, shares in the company surged by 3.1% or four centavos to close at P1.33 apiece.

US tech companies rescind job offers, leaving university grads scrambling

June 24, 2022 | 12:02 am

REUTERS

ONE BY ONE, over the last week of May, Twitter, Inc. rang up some members of its incoming class of new hires who had recently graduated from college and revoked the job offers in 15-minute calls, according to some of the recipients.

“It was traumatic,” Iris Guo, an incoming associate product manager living in Toronto, told Reuters. She received the bad news in a 10:45 p.m. video call that her position had been eliminated. Since then, she has raced to find new employment in order to secure her US work visa.

More than 21,500 tech workers in the United States have lost their jobs so far this year, according to Layoffs.fyi, a website that monitors job cuts.

The number of tech layoffs in May alone skyrocketed 780% over the first four months of the year combined, according to outplacement services firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

But recent college graduates like Ms. Guo, who graduated from the University of Waterloo and studied financial management and computer science, represent a new dimension to the cutbacks as their nascent careers are eliminated even before they begin.

The trend reflects a new austerity sweeping across some parts of the tech industry such as crypto and venture capital-backed companies.

For crypto firms, the belt-tightening is due to the recent crash in cryptocurrency prices and venture capital-backed companies are also cutting costs to avoid going back to the market for additional funding, said Kyle Stanford, senior analyst for venture capital at Pitchbook.

Crypto firm Coinbase Global, Inc. laid off 18% of staff this month, payments firms Klarna and Bolt Financial collectively laid off over 900 people while major names like Meta Platforms, Inc., Lyft, Inc. and Uber Technologies, Inc. have said they will slow or freeze hiring.

In what appears to be a counter trend to the Great Resignation of 2022, when legions quit for new jobs, some tech job-seekers now face cost cuts and hiring freezes amid four-decade-high inflation, a war raging in Ukraine and the ongoing pandemic.

In the case of those who were poised to join Twitter, the whims of billionaire Elon Musk have also caused stress. Musk has agreed to buy Twitter for $44 billion, but his recent tweets have raised questions about when and if the acquisition will be completed.

To be sure, hiring in the tech sector as a whole has remained strong, according to experts from staffing and consulting firms. Tech roles in the healthcare and finance industries are strong, as well as in the information technology field, said Thomas Vick, a Texas-based regional director for staffing firm Robert Half’s tech practice.

But for the incoming class of new hires out of college, losing their job offers now is especially damaging as they said they are locked out of companies like Meta Platforms, Alphabet, Inc.’s Google and other tech giants, which have already secured their new cohort of recruits.

Lucas Durrant, an electrical engineering graduate from Canada, was set to start his new job as a software engineer at Bolt last week. While on vacation a few weeks ago, he received an e-mail stating that his offer was rescinded. Bolt announced it would begin layoffs in late May, citing economic conditions.

“It feels a bit like a race against the clock before we see a bigger economic downturn,” said Mr. Durrant. “Pretty soon, I’m also going to be competing against people graduating in 2023.”

At least 40 recent college graduates have lost job offers in the past few weeks, according to LinkedIn posts and Google spreadsheets that circulated online to help those affected find new positions. As of Tuesday, 22 recent grads were listed on a spreadsheet as having offers rescinded from Twitter and nine people were listed on a separate spreadsheet for Coinbase.

In a statement, Twitter said it acknowledged that the rescinded offers could put candidates in a difficult position, and said it is offering compensation to those affected. Coinbase pointed to a June 2 blog post that said the decision to rescind a number of offers was not made lightly, but was “necessary to ensure we are only growing in the highest-priority areas.”

Chloe Ho, a recent graduate from the University of California, Davis, and who is originally from Hong Kong, has until Sept. 29 to find a new job, or be forced to leave the US.

Ms. Ho had accepted a position as a content marketing specialist for an online grocery company called Weee! before the position was rescinded. As a non-US citizen who needs a new employer to sponsor her work visa, “my options are very limited,” she said.

Ms. Ho said she canceled a lease for a new apartment in the San Francisco Bay area, pulled out of vacation plans with friends and will now spend the next three months networking for a new job during the day and submitting applications at night.

“I had planned everything around this job,” she said.

Many affected graduates took to LinkedIn to express their disappointment, detail how the rescinded offers upended plans for cross-country moves and ask for referrals to new companies.

Graduates who spoke with Reuters said they were surprised by the level of outreach from people offering to help. Still, the sting of losing their dream jobs has lingered. One recent college graduate who was set to join Coinbase, and did not want to be named due to his ongoing job hunt, said that just a week before losing his job offer, he had received an e-mail from Coinbase with reassurance that the company did not plan to walk back existing offers.

“I was disappointed for a few reasons. I didn’t think leadership would make that decision,” he said.

While the companies may be saving some money in the short term, they are risking “potentially catastrophic” reputational damage, said Brian Kropp, distinguished vice-president of Gartner’s human resources practice. “Just think about how unfair that is to people you’re rescinding the offer from,” he said. “You’re putting them in a painful situation.” — Reuters

Gilas girls face Indonesia in opener of 2022 FIBA U16 Asian Championship

June 24, 2022 | 12:02 am

GILAS Pilipinas girls’ youth team battles Indonesia as its first assignment in the opener of the 2022 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Under-16 (U16) Women’s Asian Championship Division B in Amman, Jordan.

The Filipina teens play their Southeast Asian neighbors in Pool at 8:45 p.m. (Manila time) before taking on Syria and Samoa in the following days of the tourney that will run until next week.

Gilas needs to finish on top of its group to punch an outright ticket to the semifinals and a ticket to the FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup in Hungary next month.

Otherwise, the Nationals have to go through a qualification phase among second and third-seeded squads to advance to the Final Four, with the bottom squad getting an early boot.

To achieve the mission, Gilas will bank on Ava Fajardo, sister of senior team ace Ella, along with Emaleena Elson, Hannah Lopez, Samantha Medina, Ryan Kelly Nair, Camille Nolasco, Kailah Jade Oani, Naomi Panganiban, Sierra Jade Patricio, Gabriella Ramos, BJ Villarin, and Kristan Yumul.

Pepperdine University women’s basketball assistant coach Brian Rosario will mentor the squad with women’s team head coach and overall program director Pat Aquino overseeing their campaign.

“We are optimistic about our chances. We just started the youth program, but we’re hoping we can deliver. I’m hoping we will do good,” Mr. Aquino told The STAR.

More than making a deep run though, Gilas is out to rule the entire Division B tournament for a promotion in Division A featuring powerhouse youth squads Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and India.

Gilas women, under Mr. Aquino’s watch, last year maintained its Division A status after a seventh place finish in the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup also held in Jordan. — John Bryan Ulanday

Residential property prices climb in Q1

June 24, 2022 | 12:02 am

RESIDENTIAL property prices increased by 5.6% in the first quarter, primarily due to higher costs of townhouses, duplex housing units, and condominium units.

Data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Thursday showed the Residential Real Estate Price Index (RREPI) rose by an annual 5.6% in the January to March period, faster compared to the 4.9% increase in the previous quarter and a reversal of the 4.2% decline in the same period in 2021.

The growth in property prices in the period was the also fastest since the 6.3% print logged in the third quarter last year.

The central bank said the pickup was consistent with the results of its first-quarter Consumer Expectations Survey, which showed a higher percentage of consumers preferring to buy real estate in the period.

The RREPI tracks the average change in prices of residential properties across housing types and locations, which gives the central bank insights into the property market where bank exposure is regulated.

Property prices rose as raw materials are being delivered late due to global supply chain issues, driving construction costs up along with higher prices of imported materials due to a weaker peso, Asian Institute of Management economist John Paolo R. Rivera said.

Nationwide, the prices of condominium units rose by 14.7% year on year in the first quarter, reversing the 10.7% decrease in the same period last year.

There is robust demand for horizontal projects such as townhouses and duplex as the market starts to recover, said Joey Roi H. Bondoc, associate director for research at Colliers International Philippines.

“You have to note that employees are now starting to return to the office. Those that went back to their provinces (in 2020) are now going back to Metro Manila, at least for the first quarter of the year,” Mr. Bondoc said.

Prices of duplexes and townhomes increased by 25.6% and 20.9%, respectively, in the January to March period.

On the other hand, single detached/attached houses saw prices drop by 2.5% during the first quarter, inching down from the 0.2% increase in the first quarter last year.

The RREPI also showed NCR residential property prices increased by 9.5% year on year.

Meanwhile, data from the central bank showed residential home loans in the first quarter contracted by 9.2% year on year and by 30.2% compared to the fourth quarter of 2021.

Almost three-fourths (74.3%) of these loans were used to purchase new single-detached/attached houses (47%), followed by condominium units (38%) and townhouses (14.4%).

Mr. Bondoc said the outlook for the property sector will be affected by central banks’ tightening and its impact on the global economy.

“I would say that we need to watch out for inflation and subsequent increases in interest rates and its impact on mortgage rates. Moving forward, we need to closely observe the impact of existing economic indicators,” Mr. Bondoc said.

“We need to consider the global recession also. What will be the impact of the US recession on remittances? We need to watch out for its impact on our remittance inflows moving forward,” he added.

The BSP on Thursday announced that its policy-setting Monetary Board decided to hike borrowing costs by 25 basis points (bps), bringing the key rate to 2.5%, to help stem rising inflation. This is despite market expectations of a 50-bp increase following the US Federal Reserve decision to raise rates by 75 bps at its own meeting last week due to surging prices.

Thursday’s hike followed an increase of the same magnitude at the Monetary Board’s May 19 meeting that kicked off the BSP’s tightening cycle following the cumulative 200 bps in cuts made in 2020 to support the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Headline inflation reached 5.4% in May, faster than the BSP’s 2-4% target for the year. Year to date, inflation has averaged 4.1%.

The BSP on Thursday also raised its inflation forecasts. For 2022, it now sees inflation averaging 5% from 4.6% previously, which, if realized, would be the fastest since the 5.2% print logged in 2018. The 2023 forecast was also hiked to 4.2% from 3.9% previously.

Meanwhile, cash remittances increased by 2.7% year-on-year to $10.167 billion in the first four months of the year. The BSP expects remittances to rise by 4% this year amid rising deployment and expanded channels for sending funds. — Keisha B. Ta-asan

Stuff to do (06/24/22)

June 24, 2022 | 12:02 am

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Araneta City marks Pride Month

IN line with Araneta City’s celebration of Pride Month, it has prepared activities that aim to “uplift, empower, and embolden members of the LGBTQIA+ community to be proud of who they are.” There will be a special exhibit at the Gateway Mall Activity Area to educate the public about the relevance and power held by the chosen pronouns of queer people. The exhibit, “Hi! What’s your pronoun?,” will highlight the various pronouns and neopronouns members of the LGBTQIA+ community use. From familiar terms like he, she, they, or them, to newer, more gender neutral ones like xe, xyr, hir, and siya, the exhibit aims to enlighten visitors on the importance of using the correct pronouns in addressing queer individuals. The exhibit will run from June 26 to 30. Working closely with LoveYourselfPH, Araneta City will conduct an intimate discussion about safe sex, the importance of self-acceptance and self-love, and various ways to fight the stigma against HIV. The talk will be at the Gateway Gallery on June 26 and will be attended by Bb. Pilipinas International 2021 Hannah Arnold. Too, Araneta City is splashing the colors of the rainbow all over, with a variety of decorations that celebrate the wide spectrum of identities represented by the Pride flag. These include the Rainbow Arch at the Gateway Mall Activity Area. People who post their pics under the Rainbow Arch on social media get a chance to win an overnight stay for two at the Novotel Manila Araneta City if they upload their photos on Facebook or Instagram and use the hashtags #YouMatterNoMatter, #PrideAtAranetaCity, and #AranetaCity. To know more about the latest promos, activities, and events at Araneta City, visit www.aranetacity.com.

The Met holds comics drawing workshop

THE METROPOLITAN Museum is holding a comics drawing workshop on Saturday. The workshop, Cartoons! Comics! Draw! with Manix Abrera, will be held on June 25, 10:30 a.m. to noon, and is meant for children between nine and 12 years of age. The children can participate with the supervision and consent of their guardians. Sign language is provided on Zoom Live. This is a free online workshop with limited Zoom slots available, with simulcast on the museum’s Facebook Live. Manix Abrera is the creator of the popular comics series Kikomachine Komix, Silent Comics, and News Hardcore. He will share techniques, tips, and tales from his colorful career as a visual artist and cartoonist, as he teaches the children how to create character designs for comics. The workshop will also revisit some of the famous characters created by National Artist for Visual Art Larry Alcala, whose work inspired and influenced Mr. Abrera and an entire generation of Filipino cartoonists and illustrators. Parents, guardians, or siblings are encouraged to learn alongside the participants. The workshop is part of the M Online Studio Series, a regular online offering of workshops, training, and capacity building sessions hosted by the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. This month, the focus is on comics and cartoons. For details and to register, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpduuqqzkoEtfj8LeFwVc3TJIiyXLuWNVz .

National government fiscal performance

June 24, 2022 | 12:02 am

THE NATIONAL Government’s (NG) budget deficit narrowed in May as revenues grew by double digits and spending contracted during the height of the election period, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) reported on Thursday. Read the full story.

EEI Power builds solar carport system for hospital in Tarlac

June 24, 2022 | 12:02 am

LISTED construction firm EEI Corp. said on Thursday that its power unit has energized a 290.16-kilowatt-peak (kWp) solar carport system for a hospital in Tarlac City.

In a disclosure, the company said its power utility arm EEI Power Corp. completed the system for Tarlac Medical Center (TMC) in Fairlane Subdivision, in the city’s Brgy. San Vicente.

The solar carport system is made up of 543 pieces of 535-watt-peak monocrystalline photovoltaic solar panels. It is expected to supply as much as 60% of the hospital’s daytime load requirement and can generate an annual average energy yield of 333,319 kW-hours.

EEI said through the project, TMC’s carbon footprint is expected to be reduced by as much as 130 metric tons per year, which is said to be equivalent to 30 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven in a year, and planting 3,900 trees.

Dr. Benedicto Benin, the hospital’s president and chief executive officer, said the project “is testament to TMC’s support to environmental stewardship by raising awareness on the benefits of clean energy. We believe that using renewable, non-polluting energy sources is a key driver of sustainable development.”

Through its 25-year lifespan, the solar power system is expected to help TMC save up to P73 million in electricity costs. The carport covers a total area of 2,501 square meters and can accommodate 95 vehicles.

EEI claims that the installation “is the biggest of its kind ever installed in a local hospital by far.”

Roberto Jose L. Castillo, EEI Power’s president and chief executive, said, “we are fully committed to making our solutions accessible and affordable to all customers while upholding the highest standards and quality to our clients. It is a privilege that we have become a part of this very meaningful undertaking of [TMC].”